Book picks similar to
Second Chances by Calle J. Brookes


romantic-suspense
romance
contemporary
crime

Crime Scene At Cardwell Ranch


B.J. Daniels - 2004
    Until a bunch of old bones showed up on her family ranch. Suddenly her former lover was back in her life in a big way-to investigate a decades-old crime.Five years ago, Hud left town with a heart load of regrets. But now, as acting interim marshal, he had a job to do. And this time he wasn't walking away. Because now Dana's life was on the line-as the unsuspecting target of a killer who still walked the canyon. Hud would do whatever it took to keep Dana close. Even if it meant risking his own heart for a second chance for both of them....

Deadly Fear


Cynthia Eden - 2010
    But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and the sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Luke Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.ONE DREAM TEAMLuke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victims' deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.BUT CAN THEY CATCH A KILLER WHOSE WEAPON IS...DEADLY FEAR

Tinderbox


Rachel Grant - 2017
    Green Beret Pax Blanchard has orders to intercept Dr. Adler before she reaches the base, and in so doing saves her life, but his responsibilities toward protecting the woman have only just begun.Morgan and Pax are forced to work together in the scorching desert heat, but it is the fire that ignites between them that threatens to consume them both. He protects her by day, but can he keep his hands off her when the sun goes down? One thing is certain, his job is no longer a matter of following orders, and he will risk everything to keep her safe.

The Shark


Mary Burton - 2016
    When she was a teenage runaway, she was kidnapped, drugged, and left unconscious on the streets. She has no memories of what happened, only strange recurring dreams of two men playing cards.Former FBI agent Clay Bowman, Riley’s old flame, is Shield Security’s newest member. He’s plagued by the unsolved case of a serial killer nicknamed the Shark who murdered girls as part of a sadistic poker game. Only one girl survived. With the Shark now bent on evening that score, Clay has a chilling suspicion: Riley is the girl who escaped the Shark’s deadly amusement—and she is his next prey.As the Shark gets ready to play his hand, can Riley and Clay stop him—or will this killer finally claim the one who got away?

Do or Die


Suzanne Brockmann - 2014
    Or so the world has been led to believe. In reality, the former Special Ops warrior is still fighting for good, leading a small band of freelance covert operatives who take care of high-stakes business in highly unofficial ways. That makes Ian the hands-down choice when the U.S. government must breach a heavily guarded embassy and rescue a pair of children kidnapped by their own father, a sinister foreign national willing to turn his own kids into casualties. Shockingly, Ian passes on the mission... for reasons he will not–or cannot–reveal.But saying no is not an option. Especially not to Phoebe Kruger, Ian’s bespectacled, beautiful, and unexpectedly brash new attorney. Determined to see the abducted children set free, she not only gets Ian on board but insists on riding shotgun on his Mission: Impossible-style operation, whether he likes it or not.Though Phoebe has a valuable knack for getting out of tight spots, there’s no denying the intensely intimate feelings growing between Ian and Phoebe as the team gears up for combat. But these are feelings they both must fight to control as they face an array of cold-blooded adversaries, including a vindictive mob boss who’s got Ian at the top of his hit list and a wealthy psychopath who loves murder as much as money. As they dodge death squads and play lethal games of deception, Ian and Phoebe will do whatever it takes to save the innocent and vanquish the guilty.Or die trying.

Craze


Anne Conley - 2014
    Straight into the arms of the eye-candy she’s been trying not to flirt with on her lunch break. But whose side is he on?Ryan’s security firm is having a hard time getting off the ground, and this may be just the job to help the company out. But pseudo-bounty hunter isn’t really what Pierce Securities is trying to get a name for. When he finds out their target is the classy lady from the park, all of his senses go on high alert. What do these men want with her?When Krista is forced into Ryan’s sanctuary in the woods, she realizes just how wild he is, and that she doesn’t want to tame him. He may feel his methods of protection endangered her, but without Krista in his life, Ryan is crazed. This is book #1 in the Pierce Securities, a Romantic Suspense series by Anne Conley, author of the Stories of Serendipity and The Four Winds.

The Girl in the Mist


Kristen Ashley - 2022
    Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It's perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she's thinking she'll stay there forever.Until she sees the girl in the mist.After that, everything changes.Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn't so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn't up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.But most importantly, girls are dying.There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what's happening.The mysterious Cade Bohannan.

Exposed


Lynnette Bonner - 2018
    When Erin's unit is deployed to Afghanistan to find the elusive terrorist the CIA believes responsible for taking Blake's life, the mission proves to be a setup, wiping out almost the entire team. As the only survivors of the attack, Erin and Jax must cut through a wealth of lies and misdirections to uncover the killer's identity. Yet nothing prepares them for the truth, and the biggest threat to their survival might prove to be their growing feelings for each other. When you're running for your life, the most dangerous place to fall is in love.Lynnette Bonner - FireYears ago, teacher Kyra Radell's brother died because of drugs, so when students in her school start buying a new street drug called Fire--and dying because of it--she's determined to help. Even if that means putting her own life in danger.Case Lexington, an undercover cop, has been sent in to pose as a high school senior. He wants her to stay safe, but she's not willing to listen to a mere student.Can he protect her and keep his cover intact? More importantly, will he be able to find the drug dealer before any more students--or teachers--die?Lesley Ann McDaniel - Jill Came Tumbling AfterJill Martin has finally kicked her alcoholic husband to the curb. Now, with two kids and no money, she has no choice but to take a job at the new factory that's about to open in Madison Falls. When she begins to suspect that the owner plans to illegally dispose of toxic waste, will she be strong enough to blow the whistle...or will her boss do whatever it takes to keep her quiet?Lisa Phillips - Deadly ExposureNavy SEAL Bradley Harris returns home to find his sister, Senator Rachel Harris, has been abducted. The FBI's prime suspect is Alexis Calvert, Rachel's best friend and the woman he gave his heart to long ago. Proving she's innocent is going to be tough. Especially when he realizes the truth behind Alexis's public shaming. Bradley must get his sister back and protect the woman he loves before the worst happens...and he loses everything.Angela Ruth Strong - Dead on ArrivalThe daughter of the Peruvian President, Maritza Rosado, arrives in Washington D.C. only to discover the world thinks both she and her father died on a plane crash in the Amazon. Worse, the man she'd once considered an uncle has taken over her nation and ordered two consulate workers in the U.S. to assassinate her. Desperate and alone in a foreign country, she hides out in a soup kitchen where youth group leader Levi Parker recognizes her from a recent mission to Peru and wants to help.Can they possibly take down the crime ring together, or will Levi's involvement do nothing more than put his life--and the life of every teen in his youth group--at risk?Alana Terry - Termination DustAfter her mother's death, Kimmie has no reason to stay under her stepfather's abusive rule.No reason, that is, except for her innocent half-brother who would bear the brunt of his father's anger if Kimmie ran away.After befriending a compassionate Alaska state trooper, Kimmie is emboldened to hope for a better future.Virginia Vaughan – For Love or MoneyAmy Sullivan left everything familiar to meet an aunt she didn’t know she had. She’s searching for a family connection, yet gets much more when she’s named sole heir to her aunt’s fortune. But someone in this sleepy, southern town doesn’t want Amy to live long enough to collect that inheritance. Deputy Tate Mitchell is determined to discover who wants the money for themselves—and who is willing to kill Amy to get it.

Into the Fury


Kat Martin - 2016
    are down for the job… Sinners, whores, and sluts beware—your time is at hand: a faceless menace is threatening lingerie models on a cross country tour, and Ethan Brodie is there to defend and protect. Ethan’s learned the hard way that beauty is no substitute for character. So even though Valentine Hart is one of the most breathtaking women he’s ever seen, he’s keeping his hands off and his eyes open. Or that’s what he tells himself. Then one of the models is murdered, and the closer Ethan gets to the answers, the closer he finds himself to Valentine—and the hotter the pressure feels. There’s more to Val—more to the other girls—than he could have guessed. But one is keeping a secret that could kill them all. Unabridged CD Audiobook 9 CDs / 10.5 hours long.... Narrated by Steve Crossley

Gotcha!


Christie Craig - 2009
    After a lifetime of undependable men, her brother's prison break brings Mr Right into Macy's life - a Houston detective who won't let her be the one who got away.

Vigilante


Kady Cross - 2017
    It's senior year, and Hadley and her best friend, Magda, should be starting the year together. Instead, Magda is dead and Hadley is alone. Raped at a party the year before and humiliated, Magda was driven to take her own life and Hadley is forced to see her friend's attackers in the classroom every day. Devastated, enraged and needing an outlet for her grief, Hadley decides to get a little justice of her own. Donning a pink ski mask and fueled by anger, Hadley goes after each of the guys one by one, planning to strip them of their dignity and social status the way they did to Magda. As the legend of the pink-masked Vigilante begins to take on a life of its own, Hadley's revenge takes a turn for the dangerous. Could her need for vengeance lead her down a path she can't turn back from?

Blank Slate


Tiffany Snow - 2012
    She’s escaped his clutches often and easily. Except tonight.In the snow-covered switchbacks of the Colorado mountains in a worsening snowstorm, a car crash robs Clarissa of her memory and lands her as Erik’s prisoner. Riding out the storm in a cabin, Erik is forced to protect someone he knows to be a criminal, though O’Connell isn’t anything like he’d imagined her to be. In a race to stay one step ahead of those who’ll do anything for what she knows, Clarissa and Erik must dig into her locked memories if they’re going to survive. But revelations of her past prove to Clarissa she’s everything Erik despises. Can she trust his feelings even when he knows the truth? Is it really possible to start over with a blank slate?

Guarding Suzannah


Norah Wilson - 2010
    She is currently being stalked, but is reluctant to report it to the police, whom she half suspects of being the perpetrators of the low-level harassment.Detective John (Quigg) Quigley has always had a bit of a thing for Suzannah Phelps. When he learns of the harassment, it gives him the perfect opportunity to interact with her. They've struck sparks off each other in the courtroom, and he's determined to find out if the chemistry is just as combustible outside of work. But when the stalker ups his game, Quigg knows it's not a case of disgruntled cops razzing her. It's deadly serious, and he's determined to protect her. To do that, he must pose as her boyfriend, but the closer they get, the more the lines between pretense and reality blur.Norah Wilson is a USA Today bestselling author, a three-time finalist in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest, and winner of the New Voice in Romance award (2003).Book Junkie says: Explosively sexy, the chemistry between the two is hot, sensual and sweet all at the same time!

Tracks of Her Tears


Melinda Leigh - 2015
    Seth arrives at the scene and makes a painful discovery: the victim is his brother-in-law’s girlfriend. Her apartment has been ransacked and her toddler left motherless. To make matters worse, Seth’s brother-in-law, Bruce, is missing. With Solitude locked in a rare, deadly deep freeze and the temperature plummeting, the residents launch a desperate search.Seth calls his wife, social worker Carly Taylor, to take the case so the little girl doesn’t get lost in the foster care system. With the holidays near, Carly brings the child home with them to celebrate Christmas. But when the Taylor farm is also trashed, Seth and Carly must race against time—and against a paralyzing winter storm—to find Bruce and catch a killer in the first pulse-pounding sequel to the Rogue River Novellas.

Vegas Series: Six-book Boxed Set


Mimi Barbour - 2013
    Attempting to arrest a rapist who attacks her colleague then continually thwarts her attempts to bring him to justice—to a horrific nightmare where her new baby is kidnapped—this scrappy detective does everything in her power to control these events. Kai Lawson, a partner she doesn’t want, fights against and in the end accepts (in her job and in her bed) is the hero in these first few stories. The bald-headed, purse-carrying hotshot knows just how to pull her crank and the outcome is entertaining. Their blockbuster story will get you totally invested in this series.In the last three books, along comes Lisa Jordan, a kick-ass kinda gal who loves wearing the shield as a Vegas detective and enjoys the more strenuous aspects of her job. She steps in for a while as Aurora’s partner while Kai is MIA. Her story begins here and ends the series as she fights her attraction for wealthy casino owner, Jeff Waters. After one wild night, the charismatic charmer digs his way into her heart and that of the three-year-old nephew in her care. The fact that he leaves her speechless, literally, detracts from his appeal for Lisa since as a self-professed chatterbox, it’s the first time ever. On the other hand, everything else about the man is fascinating. She can no more fight her memories than stop herself from rescuing him from two killers holding him hostage in revenge for the mistakes of his father. (less)