Book picks similar to
A Widow's Secret by Mariella Starr


good-vs-evil
life-and-death
lost-and-found
power-exchange

Gunsmoke and Gingham


Kirsten Osbourne - 2017
    She has no desire to be in the town where they grew up together and memories of him will flood through her at every turn. After five years as a cook, her employer suggests she become a mail order bride to a man who has no desire to find love…only a life partner. Unsure if she’s making a mistake, she sends a letter in reply to the ad, unsure if she’ll be able to handle marriage to a stranger after expecting a life of love. William Jones has always known he’d marry his love, but when her father insists he goes West to make his fortune before they can marry, he reluctantly agrees. After all, he wants his love to get everything she ever wants in life. When he finds out Mary has died after a tragic illness, he gets his farm ready, but he can’t go through his entire life without love. He sends for a mail order bride, getting the biggest shock of his life. Will he ever be able to trust his bride? Or will he spend the rest of his life regretting his decision to marry? THE ECHO OF MUSIC by AMELIA C. ADAMS: When acclaimed opera singer Orinda Lou Britt loses her voice, she leaves the stage and her home in Chicago to live in Topeka, where no one knows her and she can start over again. Along with her, she brings her cherished heirloom piano, a gift from her grandmother. Nathan Perry travels the country tuning pianos in every town, and there is no one Orinda Lou trusts more. But when it comes time for her piano to be repaired, Nathan seems nowhere to be found, and when he does finally arrive, the reason for his absence may drive them apart forever. TETON SEASON OF PROMISE by PEGGY L. HENDERSON: Olivia Barkley knows how to take care of herself. Growing up in an orphanage, she’s learned that good things don’t come easily and certainly don’t last forever. While escaping the unwanted advances of her employer, her path crosses with a man who made a promise he didn't keep. Caleb Walker has lived a life of freedom among the spectacular Tetons, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. Unexplained restlessness prompts him to leave his beloved mountains in search of answers. When he joins an expedition into the wilderness, he is shocked to come face to face with a woman from his long-forgotten past. Caleb and Livy must find a way to come to terms with their unexpected meeting. If they can move beyond the guilt and misunderstandings of the past, they might discover that they were meant to be together all along. THE GUNSMITH’S BRIDE by KRISTIN HOLT: Morgan Hudson can’t begrudge his widowed father a second chance at happiness. So when Dad’s mail-order bride arrives in Mountain Home with a beautiful daughter, Morgan’s life flips upside down. The lovesick fifty-year-olds need a chaperone, and Morgan can’t remember to treat Lizzy like a sister. Will their emergent love survive their parents’ romance, threats from the past, and a law forbidding kissing on the streets of Mountain Home? HANNAH’S HERO by MARGERY SCOTT: US Marshal Kirby Matheson is on his way to testify at the trial of an outlaw when he comes across Hannah on the trail, unconscious and hurt. He feels a connection to her unlike any he’s never felt with another woman. He’s sure she feels the same, so why is she so frosty toward him? And why is he suddenly thinking about giving up the one thing he’s always valued – his freedom? When Hannah Wilde is rescued by a handsome stranger after being thrown from her horse during a storm, she finds her

The Brat Next Door


O.T.K. Romance - 2008
    But when she pushes him too far one day, she finds herself getting her long-overdue comeuppance over his lap. When Trace follows this treatment with a kiss, Tessa's confused emotions take an unexpected twist. Has she been menacing the boy next door for her entire life just to contrive reasons to get closer to him? Has it been her motive all along to get his attention? And if that's the case, where does she go now that she unquestionably has it? Publisher's Note: This book contains scenes of domestic discipline and sexually explicit themes.

The Forgiven Cowboy's Best Friend: A Callahan Mountain Ranch Christmas (7 Brides for 7 Cowboys, Small Town Sweet Western Romance Book 1)


Melody Archer - 2020
    She's a widow, heartbroken and still angry at the first man she ever loved for leaving seven years ago...Wyatt Callahan never thought he’d return home to Callahan ranch, but life gave him no other choice. The death of a close friend in his military unit and more recently his adopted dad’s passing sent him reeling, with a new need to right old wrongs.Abby Meadows Hart spent her childhood on her family's ranch, next door to the Callahan family. Abby fell in love with Wyatt, but when her dreams of marrying him were crushed, she agreed to marry the man of her parents choosing.Married only a few short years, unexpectedly Abby was left a widow.All alone and drowning in debt, her one goal was to keep the only thing that gave her a sense of belonging... her ranch.She’s desperate to hold onto the one place that has given her a sense of belonging. Especially when all the people she loved have left her abandoned and wounded.At Wyatt Callahan's sudden return back to their small town, Abby is in turmoil. Still grieving and in pain, she's still angry at the man who left her seven years ago.It seems that every time Wyatt and Abby clear one obstacle, another one looms larger in the path just ahead. Can they move on from their painful pasts and embrace a second chance a love?Books in the 7 Brides for 7 Cowboys, Small Town Sweet Western Romance series: 1. The Forgiven Cowboy's Best Friend 2. The Redeemed Cowboy's Secret Baby 3. The Honorable Cowboy's Convenient Marriage

Captive Discipline


Taryn Williams - 2017
    Slipping out after curfew, she was attempting to spy on a men's gathering when she was caught and, fearful of causing interplanetary problems, the Ambassador refuses to intervene. Janys is charged with a serious crime, one that could lead to exile on the prison planet of Kollent. Worse, she has no defense – she is a trained sociologist, well familiar with the laws. But she does have some friends on Demeter, and one of them proposes a solution that's likely to save her life: marriage. Once married to a Demetrian man, Janys will be under his control – and correction. Seeing this as her only hope, she agrees. But what has she agreed to? The Demetrian society believes in strict, severe corporal punishment. She quickly finds herself subject not only to her husband, but to her mother-in-law, for that is the custom of the land. Then an opportunity to escape presents itself. Dare she take it? Publisher's Note: This full-length science-fiction romance is intended for adults only. It contains explicit themes and power exchange.

Lord Thayer's Choice (Lords and Little Ladies Book 1)


Alyssa Bailey - 2017
    Are his desires unattainable? Annalise Coton is to be sold to the highest bidder. She is eighteen, has fulfilled her usefulness as a nursemaid to her half-brother, and with no natural parent to protect her from the outcome, she is to go home with the man offering the best price by the close of business today – proposal of marriage optional. But if the choice were hers, the attractive lord who entered the leather shop is one she would consider. He is obviously used to having his desires met, but there is a gentleness about him that belies the hard, angular exterior. She imagines he would be a strict taskmaster, possibly a ruffian in the marriage bed, but a tender caretaker. She feels the tingles in her lower regions, and her daydreaming begins. If he would only pay her price. Lord Stephen Thayer needs to find a wife, produce heirs, and meet his first son obligations. However, he has prerequisites that are making a choice difficult, and he will not lower his expectations or standards merely to obtain a bride. Stephen isn’t a snob, he has needs, and he wants a woman who has the same desires as he does – but how to find her is the issue. With the London season over, Stephen prepares to return to his estate, stopping to purchase some leather and possibly a new pistol. He finds that a new saddle and pistol is not all that is offered at the shops today. Could the lovely blonde-haired sprite with the biting tongue, innocent bravado, and enticing pout be the answer to his dilemma? Would she submit to him in every way to include his discipline? The choice is his to make and hers to take. DISCLAIMER: This book contains domestic discipline, elements of age-play, and explicit scenes. If any of these offend you, please do not purchase.

Finding Rowena


Rachel Blake - 2019
     She's always wondered about her biological family, but never thought she'd actually meet them – until an extraordinary series of events reveals she has not just one, but two identical sisters. She is a triplet! However, her newfound family is nothing like she imagined. Each sister is struggling with her own heartache, and as Rowena has learned the hard way, perfect is just an illusion. Publisher's Note: This story contains elements of power exchange.

A Vivacious Little Valentine


Meredith O' Reilly - 2022
    The sweet, loving Daddy her heart needs... And the powerful, dominant lover her body craves.But Quinn has already watched her happily ever after vanish before her eyes once. When her past comes back to haunt her, will her new Daddy stand by her side?Or will she be forced to lose everything, all over again?

His Virgin Widow


Melinda Barron - 2018
    My husband died on our wedding day before our wedding night. My year of mourning is over and I’m ready to live my life again. I’m nervous about re-entering society – there is still talk that I may have had something to do with my husband’s death. At my first party, I meet Lord Essex. He’s handsome and makes me nervous as well, but why does he want to spend time with me? George: I’m Lord Essex and I’ve got my eye set on one woman. A woman who needs my protection and help to clear her name. A woman who has just finished her year of mourning. She doesn’t know I’m determined to make her mine. She doesn’t know The Club I belong to, but she will. Her life is about to change, and so will mine. This is book one in The Rakes of Mayfair series. Come join the adventure as we meet the men of The Club. Publisher’s Note: This is a romance intended for adults only. It contains elements of mystery, danger, sensual scenes and the discipline of adult women. If any of these offend you, please do not purchase.

Flirting With The Law


Vanessa Vale - 2017
    Now she's known as the Black Widow, the wild and deadly leader of a group of women fugitives. The law has hunted them before, but Maddie can't walk away from her new life until justice is served.Jackson and Seth are experienced U.S. Marshals. Bringing in a rag-tag group of women outlaws should be easy. But one look at Maddie and everything changes. Right and wrong, lust and duty blur along the edges as these two rough cowboys discover the truth about Maddie's dark past—and fall in love.A new series with two heroes! Who doesn't love a cowboy...or two? This steamy MFM historical romance is ALL about the woman.

A Sweet and Sassy Match


Stevie MacFarlane - 2013
    A corporate attorney, Sam was a powerhouse in his field, making more money than he could spend. Still single, he watched quietly as his associates' marriages crumbled, one after another. It seemed there was always another beautiful gold-digger ready to take whatever the first, or second or third wife left up for grabs. Many of his male clients were ridiculously wealthy and so very alone, unable to trust their own judgment when it came to women. Yet, he knew, there were good women out there. The problem was they worked in coffee shops and school lunchrooms, as bus drivers and mechanics, hardly likely to meet a man who could and would provide them with security, love and guidance. The men surrounding him were unhappy and frustrated, looking for something they were never going to find, despite their wealth. It was then that Sam decided to help, and Sugar Babies was born. Surrounding himself with positive, upbeat people, he resigned his position, left town and set up a matchmaking service. Quickly Sam discovered that there were a lot more men like him than he'd previously believed. Men who wanted a loving, respectful and somewhat obedient partner to share their lives. Men who were naturally dominant and firmly believed that disciplining their woman was sometimes necessary to insure a healthy, peaceful and long term relationship. While scouting out a new location for a branch office, Sam meets Johanna Maxwell. Jo is beautiful, hard working and everyone's best friend. She could be counted on for house sitting, baby-sitting or pet sitting, or even a last minute loan, if cash ran low between paydays. In fact, the only person Jo didn't take care of was Jo. Sam falls hard, but can he convince Jo that his business is legitimate? More to the point, can he convince her that when he pulls her over his knee, it's out of love?

A Maid for Mason (Mail-Order Mama, #13)


Regina Walker - 2021
    Her coming of age was marked more by starting work alongside her mother than an lavish party. The young woman of the house where she works is full of wild ideas and tries to drag Mary Ann into all of her schemes. One such scheme finds Mary Ann exchanging letters with a man settling in the west, which lets her imagine something other than the life of a housemaid for the first time ever.Widowed at a young age, Mason has been left to care for his son and land alone. They have enough to get by, but it's hard to work the land, run the cows, and keep a toddling boy out of trouble. His sister and her husband help where they can, and they keep offering to take his son for a time, but Mason can’t bear the thought of letting the boy go live with them. Love is the last thing on his mind as he tries to figure out how to keep moving forward.Hannah, Mason's sister, doesn't think her brother should be trying to do everything alone. He won't listen to her pleas to do something to find a wife, so she takes matters into her own hands.Can two people, tricked by a sister with good intentions, find love on the frontier?

Promised


S. Cinders - 2018
    That is where the monsters live, and none who are wise enter there… Tobias and his three brothers fear they are the last wolves of Kencull. They have been searching for their mate – one who will bring peace to the land and fulfill their deepest desires… Publisher’s Note: This steamy reverse harem shifter contains elements of power exchange.

Devil's Contract


Alta Hensley - 2022
    Her empire is like a fairytale. But there is no happily ever after in this story. For there are consequences for breaking a decade old contract sealed with blood, and now she must pay the price. Because of my power, connections, and our past, the Manhattan royalty has no choice but to turn to me for help.The villain in the story.Dangerous. Vengeful. Possessive. I’m a man to be feared in the elite underground. I’m also the only person who can save her legacy.Locked in my clutches, she must play my wicked game of revenge.She’ll have no choice but to fall to her knees, beg, and pull out her dark pen to sign a contract with the Devil.USA Today Bestselling authors Alta Hensley and Livia Grant join forces to bring you a dark billionaire STANDALONE enemies to lovers romance.

His Scandalous Love


Anya Summers - 2018
    He loves his ranch, his horses, and dominating women in the bedroom. He's the owner and founder of the exclusive Cuffs and Spurs Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, yet for the past year Carter has achieved something of a monk's status within the ranks of his club. And all because of Jenna, a woman he had an unforgettably sensual week with a year ago, who then vanished from his life without a trace and left him reeling. When he discovers Jenna practically on his doorstep, Carter moves heaven and earth to draw her back into his life. Only she has a scandalous secret, one that upends his life completely. Can he forgive her for the secrets she kept? Or will the mistrust tear them apart – forever this time?

Wild Hearts


Reina Torres - 2020
    Including, time away from her huge and over attentive family. In Center City she could focus on her job as a Police Officer and live her own life. She wasn’t expecting to find anyone who could handle a woman who didn’t need a man to protect her. She could do a fine job on her own.Roan Ashley is the top ER Trauma Doctor at Cole Medical. He’s not just cool under pressure, he’s an iceberg. That all goes out the window when he sees CCPD Officer Pilar Bravo injured during the apprehension of a robbery suspect. It doesn’t stop there. While they begin to know each other off the clock, she keeps coming into the ER for injuries on the job. He’s falling fast for Pilar, but it seems like everywhere she goes, danger follows and while his calling is to heal people, to treat their wounds, the idea that she could be taken from him at any moment makes him question if he’s the right person for her. Being a female officer adds layers of stress onto an already stressful job. Equality is a great idea, but not everyone subscribes to that ideal. Pilar struggles with the difference between experience and seniority, and personal clashes lead to a dangerous showdown on patrol. Roan is left to struggle with his own fear of losing someone he loves and lending his strength when he can’t use his medical skills to save her. Standing on the side of the fight is not something he’s used to, but he’ll do what he needs to do… for her.