Book picks similar to
Hero Next Door by Lara Swann


romance
military
single-parent
contemporary-romance

Under Her Skin


Adriana Anders - 2017
    Beneath her drab clothing, she hides a terrible secret—proof of her abuse, tattooed onto her skin in a lurid reminder of everything she’s survived.Caught between a brutal past and an uncertain future, Uma’s reluctant to bare herself to anyone…much less a rough ex-con whose rage drives him in ways she will never understand. But beneath his frightening exterior, Ivan is gentle. Warm. Compassionate. And just as determined to heal Uma’s broken heart as he is to destroy the monster who left his mark scrawled across the delicate tapestry of her skin.

Sex Machine


Marie Force - 2016
    His heart was broken when his high school girlfriend was killed in the car he was driving, and he has nothing to offer other than more orgasms than Honey can handle.Which is just fine with her—until fantastic orgasms aren’t enough anymore for either of them and unexpected feelings turn hot sex into messy entanglement—and that most definitely wasn’t in the plans. But you know what they say about plans…A sexy, dirty stand-alone romance intended for MATURE audiences. If you can’t take the heat in Blake’s bedroom, stay out or you might get burned. You’ve been warned!

Wrong For Me


Meagan Brandy - 2018
    See, Alec was a thief.He stole my happy.My sanity.My first kiss. I told myself I was glad the day he went away, and I'm reminded of why not five minutes after his sudden and unexpected return.Now he stands before me with a heavy glare and hard body.But those greedy green eyes, they're darker than I remember, and brimming with a secret...A secret I didn't discover until it was far too late.Because this time, he didn't steal a simple kiss.This time... Alec Daniels stole my all.--Wrong For Me is a full-length, standalone novel with no cliffhanger and an HEA. Previously titled The Wrong Blaze, this is the same epic love story with a fresh look and brand new title!

Lover Boy


Cassie-Ann L. Miller - 2018
    My brother's best friend...And I want him to be my lover. From the first time I meet Leo Montgomery, I know that I'm in trouble. His dark, heated gaze skittering down my body sets my skin on fire. A rare sighting of his elusive, heart-stopping smile and—dear lord—I think I just ovulated. But then, he hires me to babysit his adorable little troublemaker after school and now my maternal instincts are working overtime. It was never supposed to be more than a harmless crush on my older brother's best friend. But (accidentally) showing him my enormous, red granny panties was probably my first mistake. (Apparently, he's into that sort of thing.) That slow, sensual kiss on the back porch didn't help matters, either. We need an outlet for the combustible sexual tension between us. There's no denying it. But he says he can't be my boyfriend. He won't let me into his closely guarded heart. I tell him that's okay. After all, we don't need a title. We don't need to be together. We can just be lovers. Can't we? Well, as it turns out, the road to hell is paved with good intentions...and enormous, red granny panties. Lover Boy is a steamy, laugh-out-loud, single-dad-next-door romance set in small town Illinois. It is book 1 in the Blue Collar Bachelors series. Lover Boy is a full-length (60 000-word) romantic comedy. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. One bonus book is included.

Choosing Us


M. Robinson - 2019
    Forever. To have and to hold. Until you hear the words, “I just don’t love you anymore.”Putting an end to me. To you. To us. Contemporary Romance Duet: Book 1

The Hard Truth About Sunshine


Sawyer Bennett - 2017
    Provocatively heart-breaking, audaciously irreverent and romantically fulfilling, The Hard Truth About Sunshine exposes just how very thin the line is between a full life and an empty existence. An angry, bitter amputee. An optimist losing her eyesight. A dying kid. A suicidal thief. Four people with nothing in common but their destination. Despite having narrowly escaped death’s clutches, Christopher Barlow is grateful for nothing. His capacity to love has been crushed. He hates everyone and everything, completely unable to see past the gray stain of misery that coats his perception of the world. It’s only after he involuntarily joins a band of depressed misfits who are struggling to overcome their own problems, does Christopher start to re-evaluate his lot in life. What could they possibly learn from one another? How could they possibly help each other to heal? And the question that Christopher asks himself over and over again… can he learn to love again? He’s about to find out as he embarks upon a cross country trip with a beautiful woman who is going blind, a boy with terminal cancer, and an abuse victim who can’t decide whether she wants to live or die. They will encounter adventure, thrills, loss and love. And within their travels they will learn the greatest lesson of all. The hard truth about sunshine… Warning: This book deals with some tough issues including suicide and sexual abuse.

The Investigator


Anna Hackett - 2020
    Stay away from her boss’ hot brother.Museum curator Haven McKinney has sworn off men. All of them. Totally. She’s recently escaped a bad ex and started a new life for herself in San Francisco. She loves her job at the Hutton Museum, likes her new boss, and has made best friends with his feisty sister. Haven’s also desperately trying not to notice their brother: hotshot investigator Rhys Norcross. And she’s really trying not to notice his muscular body, sexy tattoos, and charming smile.Nope, Rhys is off limits.Investigator Rhys Norcross is good at finding his targets. After leaving an elite military team, he thrives on his job at his brother’s security firm, Norcross Security. He’s had his eye on smart, sexy Haven for a while, but the pretty curator with her eyes full of secrets is proving far harder to chase down than he anticipated.Luckily, Rhys never, ever gives up.When thieves target the museum and steal a multi-million-dollar painting in a daring theft, Haven finds herself right in the middle of a deadly situation. With the painting gone and Haven in danger, Rhys vows to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, and Haven finds herself risking the one thing she was trying so hard to protect—her heart.

Playing a Player


Ivy Smoak - 2015
    When Rory shows up at my door, I'm more than a little surprised to find out that a guy has answered my ad. Living with a man wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Especially one as handsome as Rory. He's charming, confident, and...completely off limits. He's a total player. And I don't want to end up getting played.But when all the other applicants don't seem to be a good fit, I can't help but let my mind wander back to him. What's the worst that could happen if I let him move in? It's not like I'm going to fall in love with him...

Defending Allye


Susan Stoker - 2018
    Any other woman would have panicked during a rescue, but the wily dancer kept her cool — even after being kidnapped by an elusive human trafficker. And Gray couldn’t be happier when a grateful Allye follows him home to Colorado Springs…For Allye, finding sanctuary in the arms — and bed — of the former Navy SEAL is only temporary. People are disappearing off the streets of San Francisco, victims of the same underground trade that targeted her, and Allye could be the key to dismantling the entire operation. She’s willing to do anything to bring them down. Gray isn’t — for good reason. But you don’t say no to a tough girl like Allye who refuses to play it safe.Now Gray is risking more than ever before. The Mountain Mercenaries have his back. But is it enough to keep the woman he loves out of harm’s way?

Have My Baby


Taryn Quinn - 2017
    But Seth is a workaholic millionaire and doesn't have time to meet someone. Someone who won't screw him over, like his kid's mother.  Only problem is this someone has secretly been in love with him since high school. I've been hiding it forever, not wanting to risk our friendship. Sleeping with him is my biggest fantasy. And I've fantasized plenty, being a virgin. Another thing he doesn't know.Now I have to make the biggest decision of my life.Is having a no strings attached affair just to make a baby better than never having him at all?Author’s note: this case of insta-love and insta-naked-time has been brewing for over a decade. Babymaking has never been so hot…or so funny…or so complicated.Author’s Note part deux: Have My Baby is a standalone rom com with a romantic HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

Truth


Trilina Pucci - 2018
    But what starts a one-night stand with a gorgeous bombshell named Drew feels like it should become his forever.DominicI’m ruthless, powerful, and unforgiving. The kind of man that kills without remorse.But the moment I see her, I want her. No matter the consequence.It was supposed to be one night. No more.That’s what I told myself. It’s what we agreed. Then Drew walked away. It felt like she’d ripped my heart from my chest. One I didn’t even know existed until she’d made it beat. I warned her not to leave—that I’d never forgive her.She wouldn’t listen. She should’ve known better. If Drew wants my forgiveness. She’ll have to earn it. I will own her body and soul. Consume her until she begs. Because every King needs his queen. And Drew Matthews is mine. USA Today Bestselling author, Trilina Pucci, brings you and hot, fast-paced mafia romance with an instant connection between two flawed, stubborn people that fight like hell to ignore their fate.

Tempting Levi


Jules Barnard - 2017
    Then is father died and left him in charge of the family’s multimillion-dollar resort. Now he’s forced to work with financially uptight advisors telling him what to do, and he needs someone he can trust at his side.The perfect candidate walks through the door in a pencil skirt, fitted white blouse, and a mass of wavy blond hair she tries to contain.The only problem?She’s his cheating ex’s younger sister.Hell no. The last thing Levi needs is another Wright female in his life.Then again, he always liked playing with fire…★USA TODAY BESTSELLER★EXCERPT:“My scar looks hot, does it?” he said.She laughed as he peppered her skin with light kisses. “Very hot.”“Don’t give me ideas Emily, or I won’t let you go home.”★★★★★ “My world has been changed by the Cade brothers.” ~ Amazon Reviewer

Fixing Fate


Anna Brooks - 2017
    My brother’s friend and ex-partner is everything I’ll never be. Sexy, confident, and perfect. He calls me sunshine and tells me I’m beautiful. He asks me to stay. When my past come back with a vengeance, he proves just how much he’d risk to shield me from the demons that were never supposed to resurface.

Seek


Mia Sheridan - 2018
    She's even more heartbroken and confused when a hired private investigator tracks him half a world away, to a seaside town in Colombia. But the country has recently been ravaged by a massive earthquake and deadly tsunami, shutting down outside communication and making travel all but impossible. Still, Olivia is determined to make it to Colombia to find the answers she so desperately seeks. What she needs is a guide—a mercenary.The man named Thomas arrives in shadows, an unmistakable air of danger about him, promising to help lead her through the ruined, crime-infested country. But when Thomas and Olivia find themselves fighting an undeniable attraction, danger takes on a whole new meaning. Then again, in the lush jungles of South America, all the rules are different and Thomas and Olivia are about to discover that sometimes the thing you seek, isn't necessarily the thing you find.Seek is a STANDALONE novel with a small, fun connection to the Sign of Love Collection

Juked


M.E. Carter - 2016
    /jook-t/A slang soccer term meaning: faked out, deceived, confused your opponentSee examples Daniel Zavaro and Quincy Watson:As the rising star in Houston, Daniel has found fame as Captain of his Pro soccer team and the city’s most eligible bachelor. Daniel has everything – except someone special – and that suits him just fine. He doesn’t want, or need, complications.Quincy has baggage, and lots of it. After a tragic accident spins her world on its axis, she finds herself as a single mother, raising a newborn nephew she never knew she had. Between parenthood, her full-time job, and dealing with the suffocating grief of losing her sister, every day is a struggle. When they begin to cross paths unexpectedly and often, an unlikely friendship starts to evolve. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. What happens next surprises them both...Before they know it-- they’ve been Juked.