Book picks similar to
Beneath the Surface by M.J. Fredrick


romance
contemporary
romantic-suspense
suspense

Reckless Memories


Catherine Cowles - 2020
    From skinned knees to first dates and everything in between. But he was never mine to love. I settled for friendship, even though I always wanted more. That was before. Before he ripped my world apart and didn’t bother sticking around to help me pick up the pieces. I knit every last shred back together all on my own. And I’ve all but forgotten his name. Now, he’s back, and everything is torn apart once more. But he’s not the only one doing the tearing this time. And there might be no stopping the person who has it out for us both.

Grumpy Best Friend


B.B. Hamel - 2021
    I had to escape my drunk, abusive father, but leaving her behind was the biggest mistake of my life.Now I have another shot at making things right. Jude’s new boss wants to build a factory outside of Philadelphia, and she brings me in to help.I’m thrust back into Jude’s world, and not much has changed. She’s still beautiful, still hilarious, and still hates my guts.Little by little, she’ll remember why we fell in love back in high school. I’ll make her pout, then make her laugh— then make her strip down and kiss me.And soon I’ll have her back, all grown up and perfect.Or else I'll lose the empire I built with my own calloused hands.Another hot grumpy man! Watch Lady Fluke’s assistant Jude find her happily-ever-after with Bret while they both face their broken pasts and grow together. It’s steamy and fun and I think you’ll fall in love with protective, growly Bret just like I did. As always, Grumpy Best Friend is a full length standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily-ever-after guaranteed. Enjoy! XO BB

Gambling on Love


Kimberley Reeves - 2012
    Until she meets Sam Travis. One kiss from Sam and suddenly her whole world is turned upside down as she finds herself falling madly in love with him. But when death threats are sent to Beth and an old scandal involving Sam conspire against them, she is forced to make some of the toughest decisions of her life.

Against the Wall


Dee J. Adams - 2013
    After spending seven long years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, he's determined to even the score with the man who put him there. The only thing in his way is a slip of a girl in a big ass bind. Jess St. John needs eight million dollars or her kidnapped family will die. Caught in a war between the mob and her boss, a corrupt film producer, she will stop at nothing to get the job done. In a race against the clock, and a deal with the devil, Jess forms an unwilling partnership with Tanner to help find and free her family before it's too late. In return, she'll look the other way when her boss goes permanently missing. It soon becomes apparent that Tanner has more honor than he wants to admit and Jess finds herself falling for the gentle man beneath the rough exterior. But love and revenge run a close race and when push comes to shove, Tanner has to decide which one is more important.

She Belongs to Me


Carmen DeSousa - 2011
     Charlotte police officer Jordan Monroe is used to being in control. Ever since his father died, he has provided for his mother and sisters and even hired his two brothers-in-law to help run his successful construction company. On a chance business trip, however, he meets the one person who throws his life into a whirlwind--Jaynee.Jaynee has lived a tragic life and has sworn off all men. That is until a rugged southern gentleman lands in her seating area, refusing to take no for an answer. From the moment they meet, Jordan sweeps her off her feet, assuring her that happiness exists. But can she really escape her past?Five years later, Jordan finds Jaynee on their back porch with a gunshot wound to the head. While Jaynee lies in a coma, Jordan has to go back to their beginning and figure out what went wrong. Did he push his wife to the edge, or has her past come back to haunt them? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "You'll be swept off your feet along with Jaynee as she discovers the man of her dreams. You'll be drawn into the drama. And you'll flip the pages fast as Jordan must desperately figure out the truth in time. I was and did!" -- New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "SHE BELONGS TO ME is definitely a good suspenseful read. Ms. DeSousa is a talented author and I had no problem in connecting with the characters. The story displayed a realistic relationship between Jordan and Jaynee." -- The Romance Reviews

What The Lady Wants


Jennifer Crusie - 1995
    He'd envisioned a world of tough-talking detectives and smart-mouthed, stunning dames. Instead he saw case after case of cheating husbands, suspicious wives and unsuspecting mistresses…until she walked through the door.Right down to her stilettos, Mae Sullivan was a knockout with a lethal body and a lethal family to go with it. There was something not quite on the up-and-up about her, but she came with a case he couldn't afford to refuse…and left him with a case of lust he hadn't had since high school. It didn't take long for him to fall for her, hook, line and sinker. But was Mae interested only in catching the double-crossing crooks who murdered her uncle…or did the lady want to catch him?

Billionaires in Disguise: Lizzy (The Complete Lizzy Series): All Four Original Novels: Falling Hard, Playing Rough, Breaking Rules, and Burning Bright


Blair Babylon - 2016
     Lizzy has been drifting, trying to make a life for herself after failing at a life goal decided for her when she was just five years old. She’s been having a good time in college and working at The Devilhouse, but something is missing in Lizzy’s life, a very obvious something. At a Devilhouse party, she meets Theo, a handsome, bright lawyer who wants to takes things slowly, too darn slowly, and Mannix, an ex-pro-football player with a taste for the disturbing. When someone starts shooting at both men, Lizzy struggles to figure out if the would-be murderer is someone from Theo’s work as a prosecutor, someone from Mannix’s background in the seedier side of pro sports, or someone who is gunning for her. Romantic and suspenseful, Billionaires in Disguise: Lizzy sizzles with sex and explores the power of love to heal the deepest wounds. Billionaires in Disguise: Lizzy (The Complete Lizzy Series) includes all four original novels: Falling Hard, Playing Rough, Breaking Rules, and Burning Bright.

Rescuing Emma


Michele E. Gwynn - 2018
    For political journalist Emma Jane Lewis, Captain Nathan James Oliver, code name, Outlaw, represents exactly the kind of man she never wanted to date. Too stubborn, too muscled, and too much of an alpha male for her tastes. But his touch sends tingles throughout her entire body. His nearness makes her hot and bothered, and despite her better judgement, she wants him. It was one night. What could be the harm? When Nate meets Emma, the attraction is instant. Something about her pulls him in even though old ghosts haunt him still and his heart remains stuck in the past. But a one-night stand with the contrary Emma is something he can’t resist. When she goes missing, evidence points to Black Jihad, and its leader, Mohammed al-Waleed. Worse, Nate knows it’s his fault she’s been targeted. As Nate and his men search for clues, more is revealed about Emma that sends him reeling, feeling both angry and betrayed. Can Nate set aside their differences and come to terms with his past in time to save Emma from a brutal death at the hands of a dangerous terrorist? Find out.