Book picks similar to
Cruel Compassion by A.E. King
tbr
love-story
romance
arcs-must-read
Brutal Captor #1-6
Amber Adams
In return, he holds her captive.April Cooker loves her life as an ER doctor but in a horrific twist of fate she suddenly finds herself whisked away to a heavily guarded mansion in order to care for a man she found bleeding to death in an alley. This is no ordinary situation. She has walked into the world of Valentin Ivankov, Russian mafia don. Forced to tend to his injuries, April starts to learn more about the man whose life she has just saved and can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever see her own life again outside the magnificent mansion that has become her prison. Will this devastatingly handsome but dangerous man let her go or is she forever trapped in this world by her brutal captor?Book II: Escape is her only thought. He is determined to make her his, permanently.April has now learned who her patient is and he doesn’t seem intent on letting her go.When her own secret is revealed there is suddenly more at stake regarding her life than ever. As she catches glimpses of the real man beneath his cold and hard exterior, April is drawn into the dark, violent world of the handsome Valentin Ivankov. Will she be able to resist this dangerous man or will she find herself helplessly drawn into the arms of her Brutal Captor?Book III: Being drawn to her captor was never the plan. His tenderness something he never knew that he had.Russian mafia don, Valentin Ivankov, has taken Dr. April Cooker away from everything she’s ever known and, much to her shock, he’s now announced he’ll be taking her as his wife. Escape is still her only thought. But, while she attempts to gain his trust she finds herself unable to resist the pulse-raising effect he has on her.Craving the touch of her Brutal Captor is not something she ever would have thought possible and his tenderness something she never expected. Perhaps it’s not just her life that’s in danger but also her heart.Book IV: The captive comes to hold power over her captor.A mafia Don is expected to take a wife, not necessarily to love one. Marrying April was purely a strategy in order to gain leverage against his fiercest enemy. But now, Valentin finds himself helpless against her. Each day he sees more and more that without April his life would be empty and meaningless and he will stop at nothing to protect her. And it’s this that is planting April right in the crosshairs of the violent mafia war with the Ivankov family’s longest standing competitor, Capeci. Who just happens to be April’s father.Will Valentin’s love for April be the thing that destroys both of them in the end?Book V: Having a future with him is exactly what she wants, or so she thought.Against all odds, April has fallen in love with her Brutal Captor and the man who forced her to marry him. The passion she and Valentin share is like nothing she has ever experienced before and having a future with him is exactly what she wants. Or so she thought. April soon finds out that perhaps the only thing you can count on in Valentin’s world is betrayal and ever-present danger... especially at the hands of family.Book VI: It’s life or death for both of them. Is blood always thicker than water?The war raging with his enemy Capeci is not letting up and April finds herself forced, once again, to play the role of a pawn at the dangerous hands of her father. The extent of the Capeci’s stronghold over Valentin and the Ivankov bratva is finally displayed in a crushing blow that brings Valentin to his knees. A final showdown with Capeci is about to go down and April herself has been positioned as the sacrificial lamb. Is the new love of Valentin and April strong enough for them to triumph over this nightmare or is it true that at the end of the day blood is always thicker than water?
Emmanuel
Shantaé - 2020
On the streets of Houston it holds major weight and is never to be taken lightly. In their hood it brings status, garners respect, and defines loyalty. To break bread with a Broadus is an honor but to actually be a Broadus is to be part of a brotherhood. A legacy. A bond so unbreakable that it would take several armies of adversaries to penetrate it.Emmanuel, the quick tempered baby boy, has easily lived up to every expectation there is when it comes to carrying the Broadus name but history has shown that during the reign of every great King, there is always someone looking to knock them off the throne.Being solid and thorough doesn’t guarantee immunity to post traumatic stress and that’s the exact state he finds himself in months after being gunned down on New Year’s Eve. In the midst of his storm, he encounters another troubled soul who despite her own struggles, brings him a peace he’s never known. With her, he’s at ease and free to be himself but between the stresses of the street life, managing an up and coming singing sensation, and battling his own inner demons, Emmanuel must figure out a way to balance his love for Kambré while still living up to his surname.Accustomed to getting what he wants, Emmanuel finds himself unable to deal with Kambré’s indifference when it comes to their relationship. Advice from different sources on his situation tends to go in one ear and out the other but when his plus sized beauty becomes fed up with his antics and walks away, will Emmanuel find himself at risk for spiraling even further down a dark road or will her departure be the wake up call he needed all along?
Because Love Said So
Aubreé Pynn - 2019
Avion has the weight of the world on her shoulders. Everyone relies on her to hold it together and keep the family moving. But when she seeks a much-needed break, she finds herself stumbling into something that isn't easy for her to get out of. Samson has the world at his fingertips and isn't looking for a soul to share it with. When his best friend drags him out for a night of relaxation, he spots his forever. But when Avion runs off to return to her reality he stops at nothing to find her. Relinquishing themselves to love is easy, staying in love is the hard part. Can Avion and Samson climb the mountain and let love have the final say so, or will they falter and give up on everything love has to offer? Find out in Because Love Said So.
Hot Chocolate This Winter (Sag Harbor Black Romances Book 2)
Lula White - 2021
Love in the Rockies: Sweet romance on an unforgettable train journey (True Love Travels)
Poppy Pennington-Smith - 2020
But she’s stuck in sleepy Oxford. Every day is the same. Nothing ever changes.Until, completely out of the blue, Beth gets the chance of a lifetime.She’s sent to Canada to compete in an infamous travel writing competition. Winning would propel her to stardom and make all her dreams come true. It would change everything…The problem is, she’s up against swoon-worthy Canadian, Blake O’Brien. And Blake is not the kind of guy who gives up without a fight.As finalists, Beth and Blake are forced to travel together through the Rocky Mountains and across Canada. And slowly, as Beth’s self-belief soars, she begins to see Blake in a different light. Perhaps he’s not the brash, arrogant, sarcastic guy she thought he was? Perhaps he’s exactly what she needs…But as the competition comes to a head, and loyalties are tested, will Beth and Blake realise they simply have to be together? Or will their rivalry, and their very different lives, get in the way?
'Love in the Rockies' is a sweet, clean, romance novel with no cliff hangers and a HEA. It is the first in the True Love Travels series by Poppy Pennington-Smith.
The Way to Healing: A historical Christian romance (The Waymaker series Book 1)
Malory Ford - 2021
After their first meeting, Edith “Edie” Carmichael would have been content to never lay eyes on Lucas Brown again.She thinks he’s no more than the grumpy owner of Pine Creek’s lumber company, and he thinks she’s a know-it-all lady doctor intent on putting folks in their place.The two must quickly form a truce when suspicious accidents and theft at the sawmill threaten both his livelihood and the lives of his men, but can Lucas ever learn to trust a woman after a lifetime of being abandoned by them? Can Edie be content running the clinic in the hometown she thinks she’s outgrown, or will her dreams prove more powerful than her growing feelings? And when the world around them goes up in flames, will Edie and Lucas make it out alive?
What the Duke is Hiding
Edith Byrd - 2021
And so, he is given a job working the vineyards, despite the secrecy surrounding his fate and his past…Johnathan Bashford is grateful for the opportunity to hide in the small property of the Tillmans. A Duke he may be, but lately, the attempts of his life have been more frequent, and laying low is his only option…But in an unexpected twist of fate, Johnathan and Madeleine will turn out to be each other’s perfect match. The only thing standing in their way are the secrets of his past, and when those come to the surface it may be too late for them both…Johnathan and Madeleine might not get a chance to untangle this mess, as those on the hunt for the lost Duke have finally caught his scent and they are closing in…And this time they are determined to finish what they started.*If you like engaging characters, heart- wrenching twists and turns, and lots of romance, then you’ll love “What the Duke is Hiding”!
Seven Sons Ranch: Three Sweet Contemporary Western Romances (Seven Sons Ranch in Three Rivers Boxed Set Book 1)
Liz Isaacson - 2020
Strong Ambitions
G.P. Hutchinson - 2018
Former Texas Ranger Emmett Strong seems to be just the man Benficklin’s town fathers are looking for, once they’re satisfied that his Chinese wife, Li, is “sufficiently civilized.” But Benficklin doesn’t want to pay a deputy. That leaves Emmett’s sidekick, Juanito, with little choice but to take his own bride, the former saloon girl Geneve, up the road to Santa Angela, looking for honest work in a crooked town.Reputations aside, it turns out that Benficklin—not Santa Angela—is the town with the next scandal on its hands. Only days after Emmett’s arrival, he steps out first thing in the morning to find a dozen men standing in the middle of the street, all in a dither over the ravaged, scantily clad body of a young, murdered Mexican girl who’s been left lying there in the dirt. Initial indications suggest hard-drinking cowboy Quirt Langdon may have done the dirty work.It doesn’t take long, however, for Emmett to sense that things aren’t exactly as they appear. Fort Concho’s Captain Roderick Prentiss seems peculiarly interested in what is clearly a civilian case. The debonair—if somewhat eccentric—gambler Nate Chaffin, who has taken up residence in Santa Angela, gives the impression that he knows things he’s not telling. And to top it all off, Benficklin’s mayor and first lady end up assassinated in their own backyard.While local officials pressure Emmett to hastily hang either a suspect or a scapegoat, honor drives the former Ranger to seek true justice for the poor murdered girl, as well as for the mayor and his wife. Ill-tempered townsfolk, pilfered evidence, and somebody taking potshots at him and his wife make Emmett wonder whether he’ll live to unravel the mystery or become the next corpse folks find in the dusty streets of Benficklin
Desiring the Earl She Hates
Harriet Caves - 2021
Until his father was murdered at the hands of his sworn enemies.But the fire Verity ignites in him was not at all what he had planned. Or that he would marry her after their compromise. Torn between their hatred and their passion for each other, the ghosts of their past start emerging one by one. And they all desire one thing: revenge.
Run
Allison LaFleur - 2019
Sleepless, I studied my surroundings—the aged family photos, the antique dresser, the stenciled ladder-back rocking chair—and found the sense of permanence they offered somewhat comforting. Knowing one of the matriarch’s of his family had sewn each green and blue patch by hand made the quilt feel like an embrace, and I held it tight like a security blanket. I didn’t know Josh. We’d barely spoken since I’d opened my eyes. He didn’t know me either. I didn’t even know me. Still, the faint sound of his breathing in the next room reminded me I wasn’t alone, that my protector was nearby. I guess when you desperately need a hero, you’ll attach that title to anyone who’ll wear it. He hadn’t turned me away or betrayed me when I begged him not to call the sheriff even though I couldn’t give him a reason why. In my desperate state, that made him my champion. Even so, I was panicked and fighting to remain still while every part of me wanted to run. It’s okay. You’re okay. He’s right in the next room. He’ll hear you if you scream. He won’t let anyone hurt you. I repeated those words in my head over and over, but while they kept me from bolting out the door, they did nothing to bring me peace. The night seemed endless. If not for the sound of his breathing and the tick-tick-tick of the clock, I would have thought time itself stood still... Grab your copy and read *FREE* in Kindle Unlimited today!
This Heart Plays No Games
Tay Mo'Nae - 2019
Now the couple must see if they can overcome one big obstacle in their way. Savanna thinks they’re able to make it down the aisle until she finds out that Ray has been keeping some secrets from her, now she isn’t sure if marrying him is what’s best for her. Makai walks back into Savanna’s life after three years. What she thought was just a childhood crush quickly turns into more then she bargained for. Not only does Makai come back with a girlfriend but he also comes back with an eye-opener that Savanna wasn’t prepared for. Now she must battle her feelings and decide if she can forgive Ray and get married or if she should act on her feelings for Makai. Jazlynn was content in her life the only problem she had was her deadbeat baby daddy that was until Kordell, her previous boyfriend, comes back to shake up her life. Still dealing with the heartbreak he caused her, she fights her feelings not truly ready to open up to him again. Kordell knows he messed up and will do anything to have Jazlynn back. Will, she finally forgive his past mistakes, or will she fully close their chapter all together? Ma’Loni just wants to strip and stack her money, falling for the boss was never a part of the equation. Kolby sees something in Ma’Loni that he refuses to let go. What started off as just a physical relationship quickly turns into more. When Ma’Loni learns Kolby has been holding something back from her she quickly leaves their situation where it’s at. Now Kolby must show Ma’Loni he’s ready to give up the games and focus on her, the only issue is will Ma’Loni believe him? Join the crew in the crazy journey of heartbreaks, love, drama, and secrets and find out what it really means when they say, This Heart Plays No Games.
One Christmas aboard the Grand Islander
Amie Denman - 2017
His life runs on a neat, orderly schedule until he re-unites with Allison Worthy. She was just a kid when Thurman left for life on the high seas. Now, she’s a vivacious and beautiful woman who threatens to turn his world upside-down. And the worst thing is…he has to work with her. Allison, cruise director on the ship’s maiden voyage, takes one look at grown up Thurman Swain and swoons. He’s become exactly what she’s looking for in a man, except he might be a little too concerned about what others think. The intimate confines of a ship at sea soon brew a romance between the captain and the cruise director. They conduct a clandestine love affair until Allison wants to bring their love out into the bright southern sun. When former lovers meet again on a holiday cruise, are they ready to face their past and their future... Murphy Gilbert has few regrets. His family owns a luxurious small cruise ship line, and he’s on the maiden voyage of the newest ship doing what he loves. As the company photographer and digital media specialist, the Christmas cruise on the Grand Islander should be just the right combination of work and play. However, as the ship leaves Charleston, he discovers a woman from his past on board. Losing her is one of his few regrets, but resisting her on a two-week cruise may be wonderfully impossible. After graduating from college with an art degree, Cecelia took off to Europe to study with the masters. She left behind her best friend Murphy, but not before a passionate but unwise fling with him the week before graduation. Now four years later, her work takes her aboard the Grand Islander and into the path of the dark-eyed man she hasn’t been able to forget. Letting herself fall for him means revealing a secret that will hurt them both, and Cecelia must risk everything before New Year’s Eve.
A Fearless Bride For A Betrayed Rancher: A Clean Western Historical Romance Novel
Ember Pierce - 2021