Book picks similar to
Child of Darkness by Dorothy Daniels


gothic
gothic-romance
audio_wanted
romance

The Secret of Greystone Hall


Elizabeth Wilde - 2014
    Then suddenly the man vanished. All too soon she finds that the corridors of the gloomy mansion are filled with sinister secrets. To her sheer horror she begins to question whether the old man could be behind terrifying events that shrouded the ancient walls and stalked her into the very shadows of death and madness.

The Other: A traditional clean Victorian Gothic (Gothika Series)


L.C. Kincaide - 2017
    She was wrong. New widow, Haley Colbrooke travels to Ashdown to meet her husband’s family and to visit his grave. The shocking news of their recent marriage is awkward enough. That her brother in-law is Lance’s identical twin is worse. Given her circumstances, she accepts the invitation to stay, which sets in motion a chain of events that will risk Haley losing all she has left. Rather than finding solace, she is drawn into past tragedies and deadly secrets. Perhaps coming to the family estate was a terrible mistake.

The Shivering Sands & The Secret Woman


Victoria Holt - 1983
    There, she finds herself caught up in the drama of that ancient house and the unusual members of the Stacy family. When Caroline Verlaine's sister, the archaeologist Roma, disappears, Caroline is forced down to Lovat Stacy in an attempt to discover what has happened. She finds herself caught up in the drama of the ancient house and with the unusual members of the Stacy family. But it is Napier Stacy, recently returned from years of banishment for apparently killing his brother, who she is especially drawn to. Napier is haunted by the tragedy, and Caroline becomes determined that he should put his past behind him and not allow, what she insists was an accident, to cloud his life for ever. At the same time, she becomes equally determined to solve the mystery of her own sister's disappearance. Why has Roma vanished? Was it an accident or has she been murdered? As the tension mounts Caroline soon realizes that this quest to uncover the truth is a dangerous one and is marking her out as the next victim. /////// 2) The Secret Woman (1970) - To all appearances, Anna Brett was a quiet, capable young woman whose only ambition was to carry on the profitable antiques business bequeathed her by a spinster aunt. And so she was - until the memory of a cherished moment with a blue-eyed stranger suddenly returned to haunt her with savage intensity. It was then Anna discovered the secret woman who waited within her - impetuous, daring . . . and dangerous.

Big Love in a Small Town


Inglath Cooper - 2017
    Over 800 pages of big love in a small town for readers who love hunky Southern men and the women who make them want to settle down. Big Love in a Small Town features the following three novels: Down A Country Road The very last thing on Grier McAllister’s Someday List is going back to Timbell Creek, Virginia, the town where she grew up. Timbell Creek holds too many bad memories for her, memories finally put to rest with a successful image consultant business in New York City and a hefty therapy bill. When an opportunity to choose a “Jane Austen Girl” for a visiting duke falls in her lap, the only catch that she must be from Grier’s hometown, Grier tells herself she’ll do what she needs to do and then leave it all behind for good. But Grier doesn’t count on finding that her mother is no longer the person she used to be. She certainly doesn’t plan on falling for an old boyfriend’s really hot brother! And it isn’t long before she begins to realize Timbell Creek is not only a part of who she was, but might be a part of who she is as well. Good Guys Love Dogs Desperate father Ian McKinley moves his delinquent teenage son to the small Virginia town of Keeling Creek, a place very unlike the New York City life he has been leading. Love takes him by surprise when he falls for Colby Williams, a woman unlike anyone he has ever been drawn to, a small town vet with a heart for animals and a fierce love for a teenage daughter she is also struggling to raise. But Colby has a secret in her past, a secret she's not sure her daughter will ever forgive her for. And as for Ian McKinley, he seems too good to be true. If she had learned anything from the one time she had thrown her heart fully into love, it was that it didn't last. Truths and Roses When Will Kincaid’s professional football career comes to an abrupt end in a single night, he’s left to figure out what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. He heads home to the small Virginia town where he grew up and crosses paths with Hannah Jacobs, the only girl in high school who had ever rejected him. It’s Hannah who once made him question the choices he had made, and it’s Hannah who’s making him question them all over again. But with the weight of a secret he’s managed to hide from the world his entire adult life hanging over him, he can’t afford to question his choices. Hannah Jacobs had once made the choice to deny her feelings for Will Kincaid, at the time finding it the only possible option for a young girl intent on burying a nightmare she only wanted to forget. The life she’s made for herself as a librarian in Lake Perdue is a quiet one, and she’s hardly prepared for the day when Will rams his fancy Ferrari into her dependable old clunker. But for Hannah, Will Kincaid can only stir up memories she had long ago put away forever. And there’s nothing at all good that can come from bringing them back to life again.

The Holidays


M.S. Parker - 2020
    It’s perfect. Getting married now is as easy as Christmas pie.Nyx and Bradyn are in Savannah surrounded by family and good friends for Christmas. They’ve been together nearly a year and Bradyn is more than ready to put a ring on the finger of the woman he loves. A real Norman Rockwell scene, worthy of a snow globe moment. What could possibly go wrong?

A Mackenzie Security Series Omnibus 2: Sizzle, Crave, Scorch


Liliana Hart - 2019
    He owes Declan his life, and Declan more than has his hands full with his own family problems. Little does Archer know he’ll be chasing a would-be recruit all the way to hell and back. Or maybe Alaska just seems like hell. Audrey Sharpe works for no one but herself. Not even when the most elite security company in the country wants her. She doesn’t have time to worry about MacKenzies. She’s racing against the clock to hunt down the man who taught her everything she knows and to stop him from killing more innocent people. When sexy, but tough as nails, Archer Ryan keeps getting in her way, Audrey has to decide whether he’ll be an asset or a distraction her body and mind can’t afford. CRAVE: When Evangeline Lockwood witnesses the murder of a prominent politician, the killers will do everything they can to make sure she can't testify. Since Evangeline's father was once Deputy Director of the CIA, he knows just who to call to protect his only daughter – MacKenzie Security. The last thing Cal Colter wants is to get stuck with a babysitting job, but Declan MacKenzie has assigned him the task and he has no choice but to accept. Cal especially doesn't know what to do with the quirky computer nerd who covers her lush body in baggy clothes and her stunning violet eyes behind glasses. But if Cal knows anything, it's women, and he's just as determined to peel back the layers of this unusual woman as he is to keep her alive. SCORCH: Shane MacKenzie’s life has been turned upside down. He’s lost his command, his identity, and his will to live. He’s a dead man walking, and the only thing that makes waking up in the morning worthwhile is knowing he’ll come head to head with the one woman who gets his blood moving. Doctor Lacy Shaw spent years as a medic on the battlefield. She’s seen things that can never be erased from her memory, and when Declan MacKenzie gives her the opportunity to work for MacKenzie Security, she decides any job has to be better for the body and soul than watching soldiers die in a war zone. That’s until she meets Shane MacKenzie and realizes she’s never fought so hard for one person to live.

Fortis Security Vol 2


Maddie Wade - 2019
     The men and women of Fortis Security must overcome a series of obstacles to find true love including a cult that wants to take over the world, bombs exploding, and the loss of close friends. Broken Butterfly: Can Zin save Celeste from the forces of evil that are determined to keep them apart? Arctic Fire: Kanan and Roz must overcome their pasts in order to forge a future together. That is, if they both survive long enough to have a future. Phoenix Rising: Daniel is like a phoenix rising from the ashes when he finds a new love with Megan that is destined to last a lifetime. Nate and Skye: A Fortis wedding novella: You are hereby invited to join Nate and Skye as they finally have their Christmas wedding. Unfortunately, the path to the alter doesn’t always run smooth.

Vanished


Cheryl Gorman - 2015
     Devlin Morgan, the reclusive owner of Morgan’s Keep, coolly turns away her inquiries, and the villagers, who respect Devlin, refuse to cooperate, as well. Worse still is her own unwanted attraction to him. Especially once she begins to suspect he’s involved with her sister’s disappearance and the mysterious “Chiming Ghost.” In order to solve the mystery of her missing sister, she’ll also have to probe Devlin’s dark past, discover the truth about the “ghost.” and decide whether to trust the passion in her heart or play it safe and return to England. Whatever happens, she’ll never be the same when she leaves the island.

Lethal Distraction


Terri Reid - 2018
    Little did she realize that following up on one particular discard would not only drop her in the middle of a murder investigation, but also put her smack dab in the crosshairs of an assassin’s gun. Will her burgeoning relationship with Sergeant Tom O’Reilly, her assigned protector, guide her to success as a reporter? Or will their attraction prove to be a lethal distraction?

Love’s Battle Won (The Rileys of Misty Creek Series) (A Western Romance Story)


Elliee Atkinson - 2017
     Will Love To Be The Price To Pay? An Angel’s smile…A Devil’s eyes…Are dreams made to be broken? Cheated out of her own ranch and left alone with a son to raise, Serena Snowdon can’t seem to keep ahead of the trouble that haunts her. With her only chance at a normal life hanging on the return of her husband, Serena knows she will just have to hold on until he comes back. But when she finds employment as a cook in the Riley household, she discovers that some things are worse than being out in the cold - like a dark-haired cowboy with the temptation of the devil himself. Known to be a man who loves hard and fights harder, Jasper Riley has a knack for knowing when danger is nipping at his heels. Yet he seems blind to the perils of the irresistible attraction he feels for their new cook, even as he is coerced into a marriage with a woman he has no feelings for. But when all Serena has left is being threatened, she and Jasper realize that if they don’t make a stand, then the worst that can happen is far more than either of them is willing to risk. With their backs against the wall and Serena determined to reclaim what is rightfully hers, Jasper has no choice but to set his sights on the one thing he knows best - protecting what is his.

Alpha Men: Books 4-6 (Alpha Men, #4-6)


Hope Ford - 2019
    He was my everything. We knew he would be joining the service when we graduated. Just like his dad and grandfather did before him. So, no matter how much I wanted him to stay, he had to go. He had to leave me. My mom was once in the same situation and she waited her whole life for my dad to come back to us. I saw what she went through and how it destroyed her. I couldn’t do that to myself. So, I ended it with Tank. Tank Emily thinks I will never come back to her. But what she doesn’t realize is, I don’t have a choice. No matter what happens, no matter how far away I go, I’m coming back to her. Where I Belong (Alpha Men, 5) An Alpha Man and BBW, Steamy Sweet Romance Kim I fell for Rich in a picture. He is in my brother’s army unit and twelve years older than me. Although I dreamed about him all the time, I never imagined that we would ever meet… and he would live up to my fantasy. Rich My army brother asked me to check in on his sister. I told him I would and then he gave me her picture. I fell for her just by looking at her, and I knew the minute I saw her, I was where I belong. Do Over (Alpha Men, 6) An Alpha Man, and BBW, Steamy Sweet Romance Madison Jase and I were in love and going to be together FOREVER! And then he had to leave me. I spent the last five years dealing with a broken heart. I tried to move on, I met someone else and we had a baby together. But now, Jase is back and says he’s here to get what is his. Jase I had to leave her. At the time I didn’t think I had a choice. But I worked all this time to get back to her. She thinks since her body has changed and she has a little girl now that I don’t want her. She couldn’t be more wrong and I’m going to prove it to her. I’m going to get my second chance… my do-over. Note: This is a steamy, sweet, SHORT romance. It has a HEA with alpha male and a plus-size woman that makes him hers! If you love short romances with insta love, hot love scenes, and a sweet story, then this one is for you.

Purr-Fect Mates


Ally Summers - 2017
    Grab a blanket and curl up with your new favorite big cats.SCORCH Drew Maddox has to find his fated mate.Drew Maddox has been given orders by the king of the jaguar tribe. It’s time to start building the Maddox empire. There is only one name on his list, a woman betrothed to him at birth. It's time to find her. Francesca March has no idea about her heritage or where she came from. Adopted by humans, she has lived a lonely existence as the only she-panther she knows. Long ago she gave up on happy endings, heroes, and trust. She’s never let anyone get close enough to learn her secret. That is until she meets a stranger on the side of the road. Drew knows time is running out. He has to convince Francesca to marry him in less than five days. But with his own secrets haunting him he struggles with how much to tell her without losing her. Can Francesca face the reality of what it truly means to be a she-panther, or will Drew keep her in the dark to fulfill his duty? Sparks fly. The sheets burn down. And every time they touch a flame ignites. Will fate keep them together, or tear them apart? SACRIFICE The chase is on.Josh Bauer expects his mate to be excited to see him, but when he shows up in her small town, she slams the door in his face.Tessa Cunningham has been an independent she-panther, running her own business and taking care of her mother. The last thing she wants is to let go of the control she has over her life.The more Josh chases her, the more she resists his sexy charm.Josh has an obligation to fulfill, but he learns that being a mate is worth sacrificing everything—even if that means losing Tessa.SEIZE Sometimes you have to take what you want.Donovan may come from a royal line of jaguar shifters, but he’s serving another king now. His mission is to uncover the plot for a shifter war. He never imagined guarding his tribe’s territory would put him in the path of she-panther, Caroline Addison. Caroline knows she only has a few weeks until her fated mate surfaces, so she takes a last minute vacation to escape. Only, she never knew she would find the one man she’d always been looking for.When Donovan and Caroline decide nothing can keep them apart, not even a shifter war, they realize there is a cost. And the price may be too high to pay. SHIFT Loyalties are tested, a war is upon them, and love knows no bounds.Case Maddox has finally found his mate.But the shifter war keeps brewing.Can he save his Tribe, and the woman he loves?Cadence is trying to find her place as a human in a world of shifters and as the mate of the jaguar king, but she's struggling. One night her world comes crashing down around her and she has to decide if she can even go on.Captured and held hostage. The only way for Cadence to survive may be to pledge herself to Case's ultimate rival.But Cadence has a secret that may be the key to her survival.

Diverted


Lori Matthews - 2021
    Now, too hurt to return to his former position and not wounded enough to be benched, he’s assigned as the new Coast Guard team leader in…Panama. They’re there as part of a drug interdiction unit, but really, they’re Team RECON. Recon as in reconstructed. Each of the four men is like him; a Humpty Dumpty. Except they were trying to put themselves back together so they could do what they loved best, kicking ass, and taking names.Dr. Carolina Alvarez had moved on from research and was working for Doctors Without Borders. A chance meeting with her old boss set her on a dangerous mission to deliver much-needed medicine to South America. Her failure would mean the sure extinction of a tribe clinging to their ancient traditions.Nick should have realized from the instant Carolina walked back into his life things would not go according to plan. But harbored resentment still clouded his vision. Now they were on the trail of the missing vaccine, and the assignment just turned deadly.

Echo of Glory: An Irish Legends Novel (Celtic Legends Collection)


Martina Boone - 2018
    A heart-pounding and magical tapestry of romance, history, legend, and complex themes of inequality that resonated as deeply centuries ago as they do today. Perfect for fans of Susanna Kearsley, Nora Roberts, Mary Stewart, Maeve Binchy, and Susan Wiggs. After a disastrous relationship with her boss, Meg Cameron leaves her job with two bad options. Stay silent? Or speak up and ruin her career? A trip to an archeological dig gives her time to reflect on historical imbalances of power, but history refuses to stay quietly in the bloody past of Ireland's beautiful Beara Peninsula and the O'Sullivan massacre. Niall Sullivan has spent years chasing the truth of what happened to his family in 1602. But he never expected to have to bring his newly orphaned nephew, Adam, with him to excavate on Dursey Island--without internet or television or even reliable cell phone coverage. Still, time alone together in the abandoned village could be exactly what the two of them need to build the foundations of a family. Until Meg Cameron comes along. Meg and her developing relationship with Niall brings out both the best and the worst in Adam. And as danger comes from unexpected sources, they all have choices to make. Life and death choices none of them expected. ★★★★★  PRAISE FOR LAKE OF DESTINY ★★★★★  "Delightful, charming, and heartwarming!" -- New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins "I loved this!!! It reminds me of a Nora Roberts series, The Gallaghers of Ardmore . . . but a Scottish version with men in kilts!" -- Two Chicks on Books "Outlander-Lite Meets Gilmore Girls in Scotland. This is a story that sucked me in from the start and didn't let go until I'd laughed, shed a few tears and worked up an appetite. Fast. Fun. Romantic. Read it!" -- Jenuine Cupcakes "Endearing and alluring! Modern day mixed with history, truth, folklore, and just the right touch of the blarney! -- Thoughts on Your Words "So much charm it's magical!" --  BookGeek ★★★★★ PRAISE FOR COMPULSION ★★★★★  "Skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure . . . Impressive."  -- Publisher's Weekly "Eight Beaufort is so swoon-worthy that it s ridiculous."  RT Book Reviews , RT Editors Best Books of the Year "Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you ll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series." -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout "The perfect Southern family saga: charming and steamy on the surface, with cold-blooded secrets buried down deep." -- Kendare Blake, -- New York Times bestselling author "Haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing.

Valentine Honey 2


Cathryn Cade - 2020
    especially the biker who turned her down cold when she offered herself to him. It may be February, but hearts and flowers are the last thing on Dani Geary's mind. She's too busy struggling to keep her art shop open. When a nomad biker rides back into her life, claiming to be a part-owner of her business, she’ s furious, for more reasons than one. Because he’s not just any biker… he’s the man who rejected her when she needed him most.But when she goes to the president of the Devil’s Flyers MC for help, she’s in for another rude surprise. Stick Vanko tells her to make it work with her new partner.Dean ‘Grinder’ Geary is down on his luck. First, he wrecked his beloved Harley, and tore up his knee. Then, he lost his job as bouncer at a Seattle nightclub. At forty-four, the only thing he has left is part-ownership of a little art shop in Spokane, Washington.But to claim it, he must deal with his dead cousin’s ex. The woman who ruined him for all others.And the last woman he should ever trust—in business or in pleasure. Will love's sweetness be worth the sting? Ride along with the Devil's Flyers. The bigger the alpha… the harder he falls. Each book can be read as a standalone, with a HEA, no cheating, and honey-sweet, turn-up-the-heat romance!