Book picks similar to
Dirty Bonds by B.M. Hardin


a-good-book
drama
read-again-later
sex

Tainted Mountain


Shannon Baker - 2013
    But when the death of Nora's husband brings her overbearing mother into town, energy tycoon Barrett McCreary uses the opportunity to launch what might just be a hostile takeover of her cash-strapped resort.To make matters worse, the local Hopi tribe still claims that making snow on the mountain will upset the balance of the earth, and someone is taking matters into their own hands in an explosive way. The ruggedly handsome Cole Huntsman keeps turning up to help Nora, but he seems to be dealing from both sides of the deck. And with a business empire's profits--not to mention lives--at stake, double-dealing is a deadly strategy.Praise: "Baker's series debut brings Native American culture and big business together into a clash that can be heard across the mountains."--Library Journal"A thoroughly satisfying mystery! Shannon Baker captures the grandeur and fragility of the Western landscape while keeping the pages turning."--Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of Buffalo Bill's Dead Now"Tainted Mountain is a story as mysterious and beautiful as the Arizona landscape in which it's set. Shannon Baker offers readers a taut, cautionary tale that is a deft mix of both important contemporary issues and the timeless spiritual traditions of the Hopi. For those of us who hunger for the kind of novel Tony Hillerman used to write so well, this promising new series may just fill the bill. Pick up Tainted Mountain and prepare to be entranced."--William Kent Krueger, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cork O'Connor Series"Pitting greed against the future of a people, Baker's thoughtful thriller, Tainted Mountain, not only presents a compelling clash of myth and violence that will keep you guessing, it also reads like such a love letter to the natural world, you won't want it to end."--Kris Neri, author of Revenge on Route 66

The Haunting of Saxton Mansion: A Haunted House Mystery- Book 1


Roger Hayden - 2017
    Questions about Rob’s past and birthright threaten to disrupt everything, while the unexplained supernatural phenomenon in their new home seems to grow stronger with his presence. To find the answers, Rob has to not only tell Janet the truth about his past, he must discover exactly what happened on the fateful evening in 1982 where a long-forgotten mass murder took place inside their home. A darkness thrives within the Saxton mansion, and it won’t stop until it gets what it need. The supernatural mystery continues in The Haunting of Saxton Mansion: Book One!

Forbidden Fruit


Nika Michelle - 2009
    Her mom’s strung out on drugs and her dad is in prison for life without the chance of parole. At a young age she does what she has to do to take care of herself and her little sister Amaya. When her illegal actions get her arrested, the system steps in and puts her and her sister in foster care. She and her sister are reunited when a family member takes them in. At the age of fourteen she meets Diablo, the king of Atlanta’s drug trade. He is also the infamous leader of the Cue Boys, one of Atlanta’s toughest and deadliest street gangs. His powerful persona attracts the young Ayanna, who is seduced by the lure of the streets. As time goes on she develops a roller coaster relationship with Diablo. Women throw themselves at him, and he doesn’t do much to resist their advances. Ayanna gets fed up with his philandering ways and plots the ultimate revenge. Will her actions cause her world to spin out of control?Amaya has always wanted to be like her big sister Ayanna. After her first love Ju cheats on her she falls in love with Mel, who is a Cue Boy. After a brief love triangle with Ju and Mel she decides to call it quits with Ju. Then she finds out that she is pregnant. When she thinks she has her perfect family her past catches up with her. Will the bones in her closet become unburied? Princess, Ayanna’s cousin, is the epitome of voluptuous and seductive. She does not believe in committed relationships and is only involved with a man to get what she wants. She is a gold digger in every sense of the word and sees nothing wrong with it. Money is not her only agenda, but pleasure is also her gain. In Princess’s world no man is off limits.Will playing with fire cause her to get burned?Follow Ayanna, Amaya and Princess in this face paced street tale of love, lies, sex, crime and passion

Helltown: A Horror Novel


Stephen Bentley - 2015
    It's nothing like the suburb you might live in . . . Unless, that is, an insane, Listerine-guzzling Realtor sold you your house? Or perhaps your postman happens to have a disturbing relationship with his claw hammer? A grieving Dan LaBarbara knows something is different in Helltown as soon as he comes back home. Yeah, sure, the town always been a little off. You can feel that about the place, like if you stepped into a house whose only occupants were freshly murdered corpses in an upstairs bedroom. But this is something else entirely. Standing in his little brother Barbie's basement workshop, holding one of those dioramas Barbie's been building since the accident, the ones that seem to move when you hold them, Dan can feel Barbie's terror. Barbie must know something is coming, something big, something evil. He's trying to warn Dan in the only way he knows. Why else would Barbie build a diorama depicting a man-sized version of a cartoon rabbit with bloody teeth about to devour a trembling teenager? Why else would he spend so much time crafting an intricate model of Death standing over a pimply teenager in the school library? And let's not even talk about that little model of the mob of undead surrounding the massive tower of vicious black spines behind the high school. Hilltown has a story to tell, and the lonely brain-damaged man who builds magical dioramas in his basement workshop has been telling it all along. As the evil closes in around them, Dan and his new love interest Jessica must do the impossible: save everyone one in Hilltown before it's too late.

Marriage by Contract Part 1


Sandra Steffen - 2014
    But in small town Grand Springs she needs a husband in order to adopt.Dr. Tony Petrocelli has a reputation for romance. In reality, he's tired of short-term relationships and intrigued by Bethany. And if he's going to get that promotion to head of Obstetrics, he needs a wife.A marriage of convenience can help them both. As long as Tony never learns Beth's secret, it's the perfect solution….The story continues in Marriage by Contract Parts 2 and 3.

Out of Darkness - Book 4 (Out of Darkness Serial (An Amish of Lancaster County Saga))


Ruth Price - 2014
    All she knows is that she's being hunted. When she stumbles, bloody and beaten, onto Abram Yoder's Lancaster County farm, she is not only given a chance at safety, but also the possibility of love. Will the ghosts of Sofia's past keep her from seizing a new future? Abram Yoder is a man trapped in the past. His wife Rebekah died in childbirth two years back, and even through prayer, he hasn't been able to absolve his grief and allow himself to live. When a mysterious woman comes to his Lancaster farm needing help, will Abram find the faith to love again? Join Sofia and Abram as they confront the past, embrace the future and with God's help, bridge the gap between their two worlds and maybe even find love in Book 4 of the 10 Part Out of Darkness serial. If You Love Amish Fiction, Scroll up and Grab a Copy Today!

The Lifeguards, the Swim Team, & Frozen Custard


Carol Moncado - 2015
    Still smarting from the spectacular implosion of her last relationship, she knows she’s going to have to work to keep herself from falling hard for fellow guard, CJ Kenton. Not only is he cute, but she discovers he’s nothing like any other guy she’s ever known. Keeping her heart safe proves to be more difficult than she imagined when he continually shows her his tender, gentle side. Will he convince her it’s time to take another chance with love?

As Bright as the Sun


Cynthia Schlichting - 2012
    It chronicles the path that led her family to her, and the unimaginable circumstances she had to endure as a victim of dog-fighting in order to make her way home. "As Bright as the Sun" will anger and inspire. It is filled with laughs and with tears. It is a story for every person who has ever advocated for and loved an animal, and in the end, "As Bright as the Sun" will make you want to stand up and cheer.

Forbidden Loyalty


S.K. Lee - 2015
    As the daughter of billionaire Carl Milton, she’s always been at risk. However, nothing serious has ever happened to her in 22 years. Until now. When she meets Sean for the first time, she knows she’s in trouble: he’s hot, mysterious and has been hired to be her bodyguard. But why? Between business meetings, ambiguous stares, confused feelings, wild motorbike rides, car chases and sweaty boxing sessions, her life will take a new turn and become more exciting than ever. Along the way, she will slowly get to know the man who’s in charge of her protection. What she will discover will take her down a road of danger, lust, forbidden desire, revenge and broken dreams. NOTE: the book has a cliffhanger and contains adult scenes.

Betrayal in Venice


David Canford - 2017
    When many years later the truth of the past is finally revealed, Glen Butler feels deceived. His reaction to events betrays the one he loves most, his daughter. Returning to the city to try and find her, Glen discovers she has a secret of her own, presenting him with a terrible dilemma. Set in Italy and England from the 1940s to the 1970s, a novel about the cost of keeping secrets.

The Existence of Pity


Jeannie Zokan - 2016
    As the daughter of missionaries, Josie feels torn between their beliefs and the need to choose for herself. She soon begins to hide things from her parents, like her new boyfriend, her trips into the city, and her explorations into different religions.Josie eventually discovers her parents’ secrets are far more insidious. When she attempts to unravel the web of lies surrounding her family, each thread stretches to its breaking point. Josie tries to save her family, but what happens if they don’t want to be saved?The Existence of Pity is a story of flawed characters told with heart and depth against the beautiful backdrop of Colombia.

A Mother for Rosie


Emma Ashwood - 2021
    

Cupcakes & Crumbs (Berry Lake Cupcake Posse, 1)


Melissa McClone - 2020
    But friendship might not be enough to keep them together.When Bria Landon and her estranged father each inherit fifty percent of a small-town cupcake shop, her dad hires her worst enemy, and first love, to turn the place into a soulless franchise...or sell it.To save her aunt's legacy, Bria needs the help of people who love the bakery as much as she does-her old friends who worked there fifteen years ago. Except each woman is dealing with her own problem.Juliet fears her marriage is about to crumble. She's in panic mode, trying to prove she's more than a trophy wife.Since her husband's death nine years ago, working in the cupcake shop has saved Missy. Now, she might lose the job she loves.Despite Nell's insistence she's happy being single, her meddling mom won't stop playing matchmaker.And life coach Selena has found fame and fortune fixing everyone else's lives. Something, however, is missing in hers, and she hasn't a clue what it might be.They want to believe their friendship can overcome anything. But as the Berry Lake Cupcake Posse reunite to save their beloved cupcake shop, they soon discover the undertaking will bring more trouble than they expected.

Dear Drama


Braya Spice - 2012
    Right is leading her down a dark path and bringing her nothing but pain.

Confessions of a First Lady


Denora Boone - 2014
    Veronica and her husband Marvin served as the heads and founders of “Clover Hill Church of God in Christ” in Atlanta, GA. From the outside looking in, one would never be able to tell that this family had not always been perfect in God’s eyes. The Millhouses had three beautiful children - a son Marvin, Jr., and a set of twin girls Destiny and Dynasty. Even Marvin Jr.’s girlfriend was an example of near perfection. They were admired, loved and respected by their entire congregation. But what happens when buried secrets and hidden indiscretions get exposed for the whole world to see? Iesha was a bitter, deranged female who had been scorned by her ex-lover. Having lived years as a prostitute had taken its’ toll on her and she looked for someone to blame. Her life’s focus was to get revenge and cause havoc in someone’s life that did not want her and had moved on. She went through hell and high waters to make sure she destroyed her ex lover’s life by any means necessary. Her move from Chicago to Atlanta had nothing to do with a job, as she had told her family; she was finally putting years of planning into motion. Everyone has a past. Take a journey with the Millhouse family and find out firsthand how secrets, lies and betrayal can turn a family upside down.