Book picks similar to
Ryder by Barbara Freethy


romance
contemporary
barbara-freethy
military

Pregnant in Pennsylvania


Jasinda Wilder - 2019
    We can’t even say we’re a one-stoplight town, because we don’t have a stoplight, just a traffic circle on a minor local highway. Here in Clayton, everyone knows everyone, and gossip and rumors are a way of life.So, when my high school sweetheart leaves our son and me for a woman in another state, it’s the talk of the town for months, if not years. Even my motor-mouthed, wild child of a best friend, Cora, can’t rustle up enough trouble to keep my name off their lips for more than a week or two. So, when I meet a handsome, single man not from Clayton, I assume he’s just passing through. It was just supposed to be a night of fun with my BFF before school starts—one last hurrah before lesson plans and homework and packing lunches and school pickup lines take over everything. It wasn’t supposed to lead to an intense, sizzling connection—an attraction which despite my most vehement denials goes far beyond the physical.The real question now is…will it end in another heartbreak for me and my son, or could it become a Happily Ever After?

Single Dad's Waitress


Amelia Wilde - 2017
    Valentine is serving up the exact opposite at the Short Stack Café.She’s a disaster waiting to happen—a gorgeous, irresistible disaster.Ryder can’t risk his newfound stability on a whirlwind like Valentine. He definitely can’t risk his heart. But one taste of her has him willing to pick up the tab, no matter the price.(Previously titled Over Easy.)

Healed By Love


Melissa Foster - 2015
    Nate Braden has loved his best friend's younger sister Jewel for as long as he can remember, but between their age difference and his respect for Rick, he's always kept his feelings at bay. Now he's back in Peaceful Harbor, and Jewel is no longer sixteen years old--but there's an even bigger obstacle standing in his way. Nate and Rick joined the military together eight years earlier. Nate came home a hero, but Rick didn't make it out alive. . All Braden novels may be enjoyed as stand-alone books or enjoyed as part of the series. THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD) Healed by Love (Nate) Surrender My Love (Cole) River of Love (Sam) Crushing on Love (Shannon) Whisper of Love (Tempest) Thrill of Love (Ty)

Playing with Temptation


Erika Wilde - 2015
    . . When Raina Beck is given an invitation to The Players Club, all she wants is a night of decadence with a gorgeous, sexy stranger. The seductive, mysterious man she meets fulfills her deepest desires and most erotic fantasies, giving her a night she’ll never forget. But forgetting him isn’t quite so easy. Logan Cruz prefers his women submissive and compliant in the bedroom... everything the independent Raina is not. Yet from the first moment he lays eyes on her, he’s determined to make Raina his. Despite her resistance. When Logan is assigned to protect Raina from a stalker, everything between them changes. Sex becomes more than just physical, and emotions run deep. Falling in love was never on Raina’s agenda, but can she let go of the past and surrender the one thing he wants the most... her heart? An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

SEAL for Her Protection


Paige Tyler - 2016
    Can he save her again, this time from danger he doesn't even see coming? When investigative journalist Hayley Garner is kidnapped by terrorists, she's sure they're going to kill her. But in sweeps handsome Navy SEAL Chasen Ward to rescue her. After getting her to safety, he disappears into the night before she can even thank him. Weeks later, while covering a story on the local navy base, Hayley runs into Chasen again. Even though she didn't see his face that night he rescued her, she can't forget his beautiful blue eyes. The attraction is immediate and intense, and Hayley finds herself falling into a fiery romance with the hunky hero out of her dreams. Guys like this aren’t supposed to really exist, but Chasen does, and damn is he hot. But ever since she got back home, Hayley has had the feeling someone's been watching her. Is it post-traumatic stress or does she have a reason to be afraid? Good thing she has a Navy SEAL to protect her.

My Wicked Prince


Molly O'Keefe - 2019
    But my life has never been a bedtime story and no prince with a fancy shoe is turning me into a Cinderella.I had big plans outside of my small but powerful country. But Gunnar, the wicked prince in a gorgeous package, was temptation too strong for me to resist. His sweet lies and sweeter kisses pulled me back into his arms over and over again until his cold cruel heart finally broke mine for good.Now he's going to be King and he wants me back in his country, his palace...and his bed.And we all must bow to the King.

Love Game


Maggie Wells - 2018
    The last thing she wants is to work beside a washed-up coach escaping scandal, but the University hands her Danny McMillan.Danny was hoping his transition at Wolcott University would go smoothly, but clashing with snarky Kate has made things difficult. Even as she finally lightens up towards him, a local reporter can’t get enough of their verbal fireworks on camera. What the cameras don’t know is that the sparks are even hotter behind the scenes…

HOT Pursuit


Lynn Raye Harris - 2013
    He broke her heart. He's the only one who can save her life...Evie Baker hasn’t seen Matt Girard in ten years. Not since the night she gave him her virginity. Now the Black Ops soldier is back in town and looking to make things right. Too bad she doesn’t believe a word he says. But when her sister goes missing and Evie’s suddenly a suspect in a murder, Matt’s the only man she can trust to keep her safe.Matt knew Evie wanted forever ten years ago, but all he wanted was escape. He’s older and wiser now, and he knows what matters. He’ll do whatever it takes—break any rules necessary—to protect Evie and find her sister. And then he’ll do everything he can to win his best friend’s heart and prove he’s the man she needs him to be.

Redemption River


Lindsay Cross - 2015
     Until one mission turns his world upside down. He left Mercy to fight for his country and escape a broken heart. Years later, he is hard. Cold. A man without mercy. Part of an elite Task Force, he tracks a brutal terrorist to his home town. And runs into the woman who betrayed him… Evangeline Videl was destroyed when Hunter left. Determined to move on, she finds another man, but discovers too late the monster hidden beneath his smooth smile. Struggling to find the conviction to live, Evie finds her life spinning out of control. Then Hunter returns… Forced to band together to find the terrorist before its too late, Hunter and Evie must learn to forgive or risk losing the promise of redemption and their lives…

Wild on You / Wild Hearts


Tina Wainscott - 2014
    Led by a mysterious employer with plenty to hide, these fallen stars of the D.O.D. are about to take advantage of their ruined reputations and start turning wrongs to rights—no matter the cost. Wild Hearts (prequel) Five impeccably trained soldiers—used to danger, unafraid of death—are sent into a black ops assignment where no one knows the full story of deceit and deception. The situation gets ugly. The press gets wind. Someone has to take the fall. And when these five SEALs fall, they fall hard. Wild On You One untamable SEAL meets a woman who handles the wildest sort of animals—until she herself becomes the hunted.When Rick Yarbrough, aka Risk, a discharged SEAL with a taste for danger, joins the Justiss Alliance, his first assignment seems like a baby-sitting gig: He must guard an out-of-control general’s daughter. Then he meets his charge.Addie Wunder is no baby. She’s a dedicated animal-rights activist who isn’t above breaking the law if innocent creatures are threatened. But her work has made her a lot of powerful enemies. If she doesn’t stop, she may just turn herself into an endangered species.Risk’s mission is to keep Addie out of trouble. But as they grow closer, Addie becomes so much more than a job. And the more he has to lose, the more Risk is willing to put his own life on the line—for her cause, her safety, and her sweet-hot embrace.

Fatalism


L.K. Collins - 2013
    She protects her heart by controlling everything around her and living her life according to a strict set of rules. For years, she has lived behind a wall, not allowing anyone into her heart. That is, until she meets Vincent, a man she can't get out of her head no matter what she tells herself. On the outside, Vincent Mileski appears to be a confident, no nonsense attorney. A prodigy in the field of law, he has just won the biggest case of his career. Needing out of the spotlight, Vincent moves back to his home state of Colorado to get some time alone to heal from a previous betrayal. He hasn’t had a woman turn his head in years, that is, until he meets Alexa. After only knowing her name and the sweet taste of her kiss, she is torn from his arms. Will fate bring these two back together, or will they spend an eternity searching?

Heat


Holly S. Roberts - 2016
    Heat turns to sizzle and hearts combust when they find themselves wanting more than a few hot nights between cool sheets. After a shoulder injury ends her respectable career as a police officer, Mak also known as Madison Abigail Kinlock turns to the seedy world of private investigations by default. Now her job consists of cheating douchebags and baby daddies dodging child support. Things can’t get much worse. Moon controls Arizona’s largest crime syndicate. His bronze skin and blue eyes leave a girl breathless even when that girl knows he’s bad news. Moon doesn’t give a flying fig what Mak thinks; he wants her—ex-cop, bad attitude, and all. How does she resist the dark side when her body craves Moon’s searing touch? Things only get hotter in Phoenix when Mak finds herself in a deadly situation and must turn to Moon for help. He’ll help but there’s a price.

Dare to Love


Carly Phillips - 2013
    But any future he might have with Riley means he'll have to confront his past — a past he'd rather forget. And that's something this NFL team owner won't dare to do — not even for love.

Cop of the Year


Kathryn Shay - 1998
    Her specialty is troubled teenagers. A teacher in a public school for years, she knows kids and the men and women who teach them!"In COP OF THE YEAR master storyteller Kathryn Shay pens an emotionally powerful tale that leaves you breathless. Woven into this riveting plot are wonderfully written characters that grab your heart and don't let go. Bravo Ms. Shay!" RT Book Reviews***Winner of Best Superromance of the Year, the Golden Leaf Award and the Desert Quill Award as well as numerous 5 star ratings from reviewers.***The last thing by-the-book Captain Mitch Lansing wants to do is work in a high school classroom to improve relationships between at risk kids and the police department. Mostly, he doesn’t want to deal with teenagers. But when he meets unorthodox teacher, Cassie Smith, his world goes off kilter. So does Cassie’s. She's totally against all he stands for, so why is it she finds herself attracted to him? The further they go into the year, the more they’re drawn to each other. And the more the kids also come to care about Mitch. However, because of his past in Vietnam, he tries to distance himself from everybody. He can’t, and he must learn to accept Cassie and her kids into his life. With several highly emotional scenes and deeply moving situations, this story will go straight to your heart.Praise for COP OF THE YEAR:“Kathryn Shay writes from the heart! Her stories are about real people with real lives. You will laugh and cry with her characters. COP OF THE YEAR is sure to be one of the best books to hit the shelves this year!” The Literary Times“Prepare yourself for a fabulous emotional ride that will have you reaching for the tissues and leave you with a renewed sense of hope.” Genie Romex Reviews“Kathryn Shay has penned a most unusual novel. The teacher/cop relationship feels natural enough, and the dialogue is a standout. But oddly enough, though I found the romance to be satisfying, it's the secondary characters of the kids I remember most from the story. The teenage pregnancies, the gang involvement, the drug usage all are a part of today's high school scene, but Shay makes this a story of hope, not despair. The ending almost brought me to tears. Three cheers!” The Romance Reader“Ms. Shay writes a strong and compelling dissertation on a very real and complicated social issue of our time, weaving in an unforgettable, touching love story.” Old Book Barn GazetteIf you like books about cop romances, teacher romances and teacher student relationships, be sure to read the rest of this high powered series, BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS, COUNT ON ME, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS and IF YOU WERE MINE.

Breaking His Code


Patricia D. Eddy - 2017
    We never leave anyone behind." West is alone. Drifting. Battling his demons every night when the fallen haunt his dreams.When a ghost from his past comes calling, he can't answer, and the pain threatens to tear him apart.His Krav Maga studio is in trouble, and his only reprieve from the darkness? His online gaming sessions.Cam was an explosives expert in Afghanistan until one wrong move left her scarred for life.Now she hides behind her keyboard—and her cane—until the guy she's been flirting with online convinces her to give him a chance in the real world.Timing is everything, and caught between looming threats and the first stirrings of love, Cam bolts so she doesn't have to admit she's broken.Can West convince her that broken is beautiful?Breaking His Code is the start of the best-selling Away From Keyboard military romance series.Each book is a complete standalone featuring found family, beautifully broken men and women, and emotions so real, you'll be reaching for the tissues.