Book picks similar to
Protecting Mari by Cara Carnes


romantic-suspense
romance
military
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Dark Needs


T.M. Frazier - 2015
    With blood literally still on his hands, the only thing on Jake's mind is making up for lost time with the woman he loves.Dark Needs is a companion novella to The Dark Light of Day.

Loving Vin


Sloane Kennedy - 2015
    But his home is no longer cold and empty the way he likes it. Mia Hamilton needs a quiet place to hide from the press to try to rebuild her life. Being the daughter of a notorious serial killer is bad enough, but being the one who killed him has made her a target for every news agency in the world. She wants nothing more than to be left alone, but the reporters are relentless and will stop at nothing to get their story. With no place to go, she accepts an offer from Dominic Barretti to stay at his older brother’s home until she can figure out what to do next. But she didn’t expect the homeowner to return so soon or to feel something she’s never felt when he’s around. Vin doesn’t need or want a woman in his life and certainly not one that comes with so much baggage. So what if Mia evokes feelings in him he thought were long dead? She’s a liability and he wants her gone. But forcing the quiet, strong-willed young woman from his life turns out to be a lot harder than he thought… This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. No cliffhangers. Barretti Security Series Book 1 - Loving Vin (M/F) Book 2 - Redeeming Rafe (M/M) The Barretti Security series is a spin-off of The Escort Series and many of the characters from that series appear in this one so if you want to read the books in order, start with this series: The Escort Series Book 1 - Gabriel's Rule (M/F) Gabe & Riley Book 2 - Shane's Fall (M/F) Shane & Savannah Book 3 - Logan's Need (M/M) Logan & Dom

Shooter


Dahlia West - 2013
    He only wants to focus on holding what's left of his old unit together, running his garage where he builds custom bikes and cars, and pretending that his murdered father's motorcycle gang doesn't exist. Hayley Turner is a young woman with her own traumatic past. Fresh off the bus from Nowhere, USA, all she wants is a job and a place to live, until it's time for her to leave again. She doesn't want to make friends, or enemies, least of all the ex-Army Ranger who obviously doesn't like her. She bristles under his watchful eye. He's even got her convinced she's bad news. But circumstances force two people who don't need anyone to need each other more and more. The more Chris gets to know Hayley, the harder it is to stay detached. And the more Hayley gets to know Chris, the more she realizes she's been alone for so long she might never recover from it.

Security Breach


Evan Grace - 2018
    One night, and I was sure I’d never see her again. Fast forward six months and I’m staring into those same eyes. Only this time Delilah is my boss’s daughter. But the real kicker…she’s very much pregnant. Now my only goal is to stand by her, protect her, and make sure my new family is taken care of. But there’s a certain danger lurking in the shadows, threatening everything I hold dear. I won’t rest until my family is safe. I won’t stop until I’ve annihilated every threat. Delilah is mine. The child she’s carrying is mine…and I’ll be damned if anyone takes them away from me.

King of Lies


Whitney G. - 2020
    That I'm a mere pawn in his twisted game of chess.Despite the fact that my heart is still tethered to his, or the fact that he's still the most gorgeous and beautiful man I've ever met in my life (he can still make me wet with a single sentence), I have to focus on getting away from him.I have to accept that he's no longer the man I fell in love with.He's the king of lies...

Renegade


Laramie Briscoe - 2017
    I make up my mind and stay in my lane, never veering off the course I set for myself. Going into the military? Did it. Serving overseas? Did it. Youngest member of the Moonshine Task Force? That’s me. Get my best friend’s older sister in bed? It was my pleasure. Convince the older sister to give me a chance? Working on it. Age means nothing to me. I’ve seen and done things men half my age never will. What I want more than anything is someone to share my life with. The work I do is dangerous and knowing I have someone at home might keep me under control. Everybody says I need a woman, and I know I do, but I also know which one I want. That woman, whether she admits it or not, is Whitney Trumbolt. Whitney Trumbolt Ryan is ten years my junior, but damn, being a cougar never felt as good as it did the night we spent together. Now all I want to do is go back to how things were before. But Ryan is my younger brother’s best friend, and where Trevor goes, Ryan goes. Instead I put my head in the sand and do my best to go about my life. Build up my confidence from a horrible divorce? Working on it. Make my wedding planning company the best in the south? Did it. Ignore the way my body trembles when I see Ryan? Epic fail. Freak out when I see a positive pregnancy test staring back at me? Complete with mascara running down my face and clutching my pearls. Looks like things aren’t gonna go back to the way they were. There’s a man in my life that won’t take no for an answer. Gone is sweet Ryan, and in his place is the one who makes my blood run hot, my cheeks turn red, and my heart beat heavily within my chest. The one I’m up against is the one I can’t say no to. Not when he becomes Renegade.

Harris


Jasinda Wilder - 2016
    Ex-Army Ranger, former personal security for the one and only Valentine Roth, mercenary, assassin, pilot, and my lover. After Roth and Kyrie holed up in their island fortress estate in the Caribbean, Nick started a private security contracting company: Alpha One Security. He hired the best of the best, the scariest, nastiest, toughest—and sexiest—security experts in the business. And now he has the mission of a lifetime: the three year old daughter of two A-list celebrities has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. The twist? The mercenary and Russian mafioso who snatched the sweet, innocent little girl is a vicious, evil, sadistic thug with a grudge against Nick. And the fallout from this mission will be jet fuel on the flames of that grudge, pulling everyone around Nick into the vortex of violence and vengeance. Good thing we have the seven deadliest and most badass men on the planet on our team… And oh yeah, there’s little ol’ me: Layla Campari, mercenary-in-training.

Fractured Honor


Kaylea Cross - 2018
     Weary from his years on the battlefield, SF Captain Beckett Hollister has returned home to Crimson Point to take over the family business for his dying father. But adjusting to life outside the military is harder than he imagined, and being back home forces him to confront things he’d rather not face. Including the one woman he shouldn’t want and can’t have—his best friend’s little sister. A love that was always meant to be. Town vet Sierra Buchanan has known Beckett her entire life. She’s crushed on him for years, but because of his relationship with her family, the stubborn man refuses to see her as more than the girl he grew up with. As tragedy brings them together, neither of them realizes that the sins of Beckett’s past have come home to haunt him. When Sierra becomes the target of his unforeseen enemy, Beckett must vanquish his demons to save her.

Worth the Chance


Stella James - 2017
    I deserve love. I am safe.ColeNever in my life have I felt an attraction so intense. Everything about her is beautiful. I can’t explain my need to protect her or the fact that one look from her ignites every possessive instinct within me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.Lily Jensen escaped an abusive marriage and finds herself beginning a new life in the small town of Blue Falls, nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains. Every day is a battle against the memories of her past. She hasn’t so much as looked at a man in over two years. Until Cole.Cole Stone has made a name for himself as the head of the family contracting business and has no plans of settling down with one woman. Until Lily.Can Lily overcome her insecurities and trust herself enough to give love a second chance?Will Cole succeed in convincing her that he’s a worthy choice?18 + Due to content.Contains elements of domestic violence that some readers may have difficulty with.Each book in the Blue Falls series can be read as a standalone. However, in order to fully enjoy the supporting characters and story lines, it is recommended that you read the books in order.

Hard Target


Pamela Clare - 2019
    When a high-ranking US senator asks Cobra to protect his daughter, a midwife volunteering in Afghanistan, Derek’s gut tells him to turn the senator down. The last thing he wants to do is babysit an aid worker. But Jenna isn’t just another assignment. She’s also the younger sister of his best friend, the man who died taking bullets meant for him. There’s no way Derek can refuse. Jenna Hamilton doesn’t need a bodyguard, especially not one hired by her intrusive and controlling father. She knew the risks when she signed on to work in rural Afghanistan, and the hospital already has armed security. She also doesn’t need the distraction of a big, brooding operative skulking about, even if he is her late brother’s best friend—and sexy as hell. As far as she’s concerned, he can pack up his Humvee and drive into the sunset. And, no, nothing her hormones have to say about him will change her mind. From the moment his boots hit the ground in Afghanistan, Derek does his best to win Jenna over, posing as her brother so the two of them can spend time alone. Except that what he feels for her is anything but brotherly. Stolen moments lead to secret kisses—and an undeniable sexual attraction that shakes them both to the core. But events have been set into motion that they cannot escape. When a ruthless warlord sets his sights on Jenna, Derek will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it costs him his heart—or his life.

Her Mountain Man Protector


Gia Bailey - 2021
    I came to the woods to die. I deserved that much.But then, I saw her, hurt and desperate. Needing help. I couldn’t leave her.I came to the woods to be alone, but instead, I found her, and I’m keeping her.She’s light and hope, where I am only darkness and regret, but when she looks at me, I know that I will do whatever it takes to make her mine.I don’t care about her past.I don’t care about her demons.I’ll slay them all to protect her.She’s afraid they’ll catch up to her.Let them come.She’s not alone anymore… and she never will be again.Let them come.VioletI came to the woods to escape.I ran there with the last energy I could muster and ran straight into a wild-looking mountain man.He saved me and asked for nothing in return.Huge and bearded, tattooed and brutish… I could have been afraid of him, but I’d only known Cain hours before I knew he was nothing like the other man in my life. The one who had made me afraid.Cain healed me and cared for me, with his burly strength and bad memories, he’s the alpha male who stole my heart in moments.I want something again for the first time in forever… I want Cain.But my past isn’t done with me yet…I can’t let Cain be hurt for my sins.Welcome to Journey's Close, Alaska, a small town, full of sexy alpha males and second chances.A standalone romance in a four-book series, where all the characters are interconnected with each getting their own happy ending. Insta love with real emotion all in a binge-able, bite-sized story.A short, steamy romance with heart.Steamy Romance - High Heat - High Emotion - No cheating - No cliffhangers - HEA guaranteed

Giving Chase


Lauren Dane - 2006
    Ridiculously hot and notoriously single.When landscaper Kyle Chase takes notice of Maggie Wright, all of Petal, Georgia, wonders what the quiet schoolteacher is hiding underneath her tight bun and boring blouses. Even Maggie doesn’t quite get it, but after a failed relationship and a disastrous attempt to get back out there, she’s no match against the famous Chase charm, and Kyle has it in spades. Kyle wants Maggie in his life—and in his bed—and he doesn’t mind getting down and dirty to prove it. For years he’s avoided the kind of trouble that comes with “good girls” like her, but Maggie’s the best trouble he’s ever been in. He craves more of it. And more of her.But even as their love grows into thoughts of forever, a hidden danger from Maggie’s past threatens to tear them apart. And when Maggie suddenly disappears, Kyle must put his faith in his family and race to save the love of his life before he loses her forever.The Chase is on. One small town. Four hot brothers. And enough heat to burn up anyone who dares to get close. Don’t miss the next books: Taking Chase, Chased and Making Chase.

Not Another Soldier


Samantha Holt - 2014
    I was going to divorce him and now he’s dead."After five years as a military wife, Sienna is moving on. She’s keen to leave behind the misery of her marriage to Rob but for some reason the past won’t let her go. It doesn’t help that her closest friend, Nick, is also a soldier. Unfortunately Sienna is struggling to deny her attraction to the sexy marine, even knowing there can be no future in it. When the injured soldier admits he wants her just as badly, and has always wanted her, the fight to control her feelings becomes harder. And now she’s learning things about her late husband that surprise even her. When the secrets of Rob’s life come to light, Sienna finds herself involved with some very nasty people and Nick is determined to protect her, no matter what. As the danger grows to both her heart and her life, Sienna needs to decide if it was the army that was the problem or her late husband. Is Nick worth the heartache of being a military spouse again? And will he be able to protect her from the ring of drug dealers slowly closing in?

Broken Justice


Suzanne Halliday - 2014
    Years later, successful, handsome and wealthy, Cam's mistrust of women and relationships in general have left him a brooding loner Lacey Morrow - Abused and neglected, she's a lost girl determined to make something of her life- if only she could catch a break Unlikely Companions - Fate throws them together. Now the rest is up to them. Will Cam be able to leave the past behind and learn to trust? Will Lacey be strong enough to fight for what she wants- Or will the past be too much for them to overcome? The Justice Brothers Three extraordinary men and the women who love them.How much distance do you need from your past before the dust settles? If it's all about the journey - this one is just beginning.

Landon


S.M. Shade - 2016
    I’m not interested in his blue-green ocean colored eyes, his lean muscular body, or that crooked smile that can be so infuriating. I have more important things to worry about, like how to keep myself in college and my sixteen year old brother fed and sheltered. We all know life is hard, some of us just learn that lesson younger than others, but that doesn’t mean I’ll give up. I intend to succeed and make sure my brother has the opportunities he deserves, and no privileged jerk is going to distract me. Landon I don’t date. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from celibate, but my condition makes carrying on any kind of normal relationship impossible. My life revolves around In Safe Hands or ISH, the underground hacker group I work with to track down and take care of predators and sex offenders who beat the system. I’m satisfied with my life until the day I meet the smart mouthed, compassionate, determined woman who opens my eyes to possibilities I never thought existed. This is book one in a series of standalone novels.