Book picks similar to
Detective Defender by Marilyn Pappano


category-romance
investigating
2nd-chance
not-out-yet

Light of Day


Ruth Wind - 1990
    Dashing and charismatic, yet also brooding and distant, Samuel Bashir awakened the hungry, loving woman within her. But too many clues—and the darkness that seemed to surround him—hinted at a mystery that could break her heart.Years of being on a dangerous secret ‘mission’ were gnawing at Samuel, leaving him empty, except for an aching desire for Lila. But she was a creature of light, of shimmering passions, while he moved among the shadows. He could offer her nothing but pain. Still, her poignant radiance tugged at him, daring him to dream the impossible—that their love could find its place in the sun…

Marine Force Recon


Elle James - 2019
    Declan O’Neill’s US Marines career is over, but nothing can stop him from saving lives. When he starts an organization that aims to help people who can’t defend themselves, his first client is a woman desperate for answers. Grace Lawrence knows something happened to her roommate, and she’s certain she can trust Declan to uncover the truth…though she wonders if she can trust herself with a soldier like Declan.

The Baby's Guardian


Delores Fossen - 2010
    As if being eight months pregnant wasn't stressful enough!Now, after narrowly escaping the clutches of masked gunmen, Sabrina and her baby needed a protector. That's when hot Texas cop Shaw Tolbert came to her rescue. As the surrogate mother to his child, Sabrina couldn't help the sizzling attraction to Shaw that the danger stirred up...or the kiss that told her she meant more to him than she ever realized. With her attackers still on the loose, Sabrina's priority was keeping the baby safe. But how could she keep her cool when things were so hot?

Ice Cold Killer


Cindi Myers - 2019
    Then he's tasked with ensuring veterinarian Darcy Marsh is not the third. The gorgeous lawman must earn Darcy's trust despite her traumatic past...and resist his romantic feelings for her. But can he find the elusive killer before the killer finds Darcy?

Star Crossed: A Lovestruck Novel


Rachel Schurig - 2017
     Lola’s name and celebrity gossip have always gone hand-in-hand—that’s just the price she pays for being young, beautiful, and famous in Hollywood. But when the paparazzi catches her in a steamy embrace with one half of America’s favorite movie star couple, Lola knows things are about to get bad. If Lola wants to keep working in this town, she’s going to need some major image rehab. According to her publicist, what Lola really needs is an All-American boyfriend to salvage her bad-girl reputation. Sam Medina is the perfect choice to play the part—hard-working, decent, and decidedly not famous. He’s also sexy as hell. And he’s interested in being a lot more than a pretend boyfriend. Lola needs someone to save her career, not fight for her heart. But Sam refuses to follow the script…

Stalked by Secrets (To Serve and Seduce Book 4)


Deborah Fletcher Mello - 2021
    

A Year and a Day


Inglath Cooper - 2018
    Audrey Colby has the life most women dream of… Too bad it’s all a facade. Her seemingly devoted husband is really a monster. Their high-society “friends” protect his ugly secrets. The mansion they live in is just a gilded prison for her and her son, Sammy. Everything hinges on escape. One day, Audrey decides she and her son need to leave. She’s had enough. If only Nicholas would stop interfering.Former state prosecutor Nicholas Wakefield has seen his share of violence perpetrated against women. He knows there are some injustices he can’t make right, like the unsolved rape and murder of his teenage sister. He failed her. But he won’t fail Audrey…Originally published in 2005.

Twins for the Billionaire


Sarah M. Anderson - 2017
    Working for real estate tycoon Eric Jenner is the perfect solution. But her childhood buddy is all grown up now…and tempting as hell. Surely one unforgettable night of passion wouldn't hurt? After that, they can go back to being all business! But Eric doesn't agree that they should put their red-hot romance on ice. He can't deny his connection to Sofia's adorable twins—or his consuming desire for their mother. What will it take to convince her that he's playing for keeps?

Gun-Shy Bride


B.J. Daniels - 2010
    The grave held answers to questions that had long haunted her, and nothing would stop her from getting them...not even the return of Luke Crawford. Luke wasn't about to be pushed out of McCall's life again. Not when she needed him the most. The blue-eyed boy was now a devastating cowboy who knew what he wanted--and that was to keep McCall safe. Not an easy thing to do when her investigation stirred up a hornet's nest of trouble. But nothing would stop him from taking this Winchester as his bride!

Mixed Messages / The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO


Linda Lael Miller - 2014
    A tall, rugged, imposing legend. He'd won a Pulitzer, interviewed kings and queens, presidents and movie stars. Carly Barnett, on the other hand, was a former-beauty-queen-turned-advice-columnist. Not exactly on the same level. Still, Carly was determined to prove that she was more than a pretty face. Mark wasn't sure the beautiful and spirited Carly had what it took to be a reporter, but he was sure that he wanted her. And Mark never denied himself what he wanted. Only, Carly was far better at uncovering the truth than Mark had given her credit for. And sooner or later she'd uncover the most dangerous truth of all—that he couldn't live without her. BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME! The Secret Child & The Cowboy CEO by USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard Trent Sinclair didn't forgive anyone, especially not Bryn Matthews, the woman who'd lied about the father of her baby. But when Bryn returned to Wyoming, Trent wondered if the time had finally come for him to take what he had always wanted—family and honor be damned.

Wicked Obsession


Patti O'Shea - 2019
    She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she’s the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend’s wedding. Blue-collar guy Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he’d never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He’s trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there’s a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he’s not letting anyone hurt her.

Calamity Jayne Boxed Set


Kathleen Bacus - 2011
    Tressa is determined to prove there's more to this cockeyed cowgirl than meets the eye and she’s just been handed the perfect opportunity to get "Ranger Rick" and a skeptical citizenry to finally take her seriously. How? By solving a murder no one else believes happened...No one, that is, except the killer. CALAMITY JAYNE RIDES AGAINTressa’s off to the State Fair to work at her Uncle Frank’s ice cream concession stand. But when a soft-serve saboteur appears at the same time her cousin, Frankie, goes missing, it's another fine, sticky mess she's gotten herself into. With a string of malicious pranks, to scary, psycho dunk-tank clowns, two geriatric Jessica Fletcher wannabes, a dishy state trooper, and a sister who may have her eye on a certain ranger-type, and it's mayhem on the midway time. GHOULS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUNTressa thinks she on to a scoop when eccentric and reclusive bestselling writer, Elizabeth Courtney Howard comes to Grandville to finish her latest book. So, what's stopping Tressa from scoring this journalistic coup? Only the fact that the skeletons to uncover in this little exposé are all in a closet in Haunted Holloway Hall--a house only Norman Bates could love.CALAMITY JAYNE GOES TO COLLEGEAce cub reporter Tressa Jayne Turner is back in college and nothing’s going to stop Tressa from making the grade. Well, except for a wrinkled roommate rekindling an old flame, maid of honor madness run amok, a botched betrothal that’s more than just schoolyard gossip and a campus criminal out to teach the student body a lesson—one one crime at a time. Failure is so not an option.CALAMITY JAYNE HEADS WESTTressa Jayne Turner’s off to Arizona to see her gammy hitched. Her cousin’s keeping secrets, Ranger Rick Townsend is sending signals—more of the smokin’ than smoke variety—and it seems Tressa’s not the only person with an attachment to “Kookamunga”, the fertility figurine she picked up at a roadside stand. Throw in a washed-up actress out to kick-start her career, a suspect spiritual advisor, locals with a cause, and a ten-year-old who’s a chip off a certain ranger’s blockhead and it’ll be a vision quest to make Thelma and Louise’s southwestern spree seem like amateur night at the OK Corral. May the best spirit guide win.ANCHORS AWEIGHTressa Jayne is off on a post-wedding cruise. Good food. Warm beaches. Romantic sunsets. Nothing can take the wind out of Tressa’s sails this time. Nothing that is except this particular Love Boat has Iceberg ahead! written all over it. Why? It’s a lo-cal “biggest loser” cruise, Tressa’s bad-boy faux fiancé and his marriage-minded aunt Mo are stowaways, and Tressa’s barely got her sea les before a dastardly murder plot bobs to the surface and Tressa Jayne knows just how Capt. Jack Sparrow feels when the rum is gone. Yo ho ho and a bottle of V-8!

Firestorm


Ellie Masters - 2020
    Asher La Rouge is forging his future. A firestorm will unite them, but will they survive the burn?Asher La RougeAs CEO of La Rouge Vineyards, eldest of the infamous La Rouge triplets, and volunteer firefighter, I can have any woman I want.People think my life is perfect.It’s not.I’ve been burned before.By my ex-girlfriend. By the demands of running the family business. And by a wildfire which threatens the wine harvest.With my livelihood on the line, I rush into action in my role as a woodland firefighter.The last thing I expect to find in the inferno is a beautiful woman struggling to survive.When sparks fly between us, they ignite a firestorm too strong to resist.After a shoddy arson investigation implicates Evelyn in setting the destructive blaze, I’m determined to prove her innocence.But sinister forces are determined to keep us apart. Can our love survive, or will it be extinguished along with our lives?FIRESTORM is an angsty, steamy contemporary romantic suspense set in K. Bromberg's Everyday Heroes World that will tug at your heartstrings and have your heart racing.

Love in the Limelight Volume One: Star of His Heart\Sing Your Pleasure


Brenda Jackson - 2014
    And he's just gotten an offer he can't refuse: a starring role on TV's newest hit drama. But the show's sultry makeup and wardrobe director has his pulse racing—and is making him think twice about staying single.Getting the gig on Paging the Doctor has thrust Rachel Wellesley into the unwelcome glare of the spotlight. So when Rachel starts falling for the show's sinfully sexy star, she knows it's time to get her own heart checked. As the cameras roll and her creative visions come to life, will Rachel finally be ready for her close-up—with the man of her dreams?SING YOUR PLEASURE by A.C. ARTHURCharlene Quinn has just landed a major contract with L.A.'s hottest record label. Even more thrilling, she'll be laying down tracks with none other than Akil Hutton. Despite Akil's gruff attitude, Charlene finds herself powerfully attracted to the driven music producer….His shy, innocent new client isn't Akil's usual type. But with her celestial voice and voluptuous body, Charlene is headed straight for Akil's heart. But the powerhouse producer's holding tight to secrets that may drive his new protégée away. What will it take to keep the angelic singer in his arms forever, long after the last sweet, sensual note fades away?

Hostile Pursuit


Juno Rushdan - 2020
    Nick has kept her safe for an entire year, but now all hell is breaking loose. With a team of cold-blooded assassins closing in, the by-the-book lawman decides to go rogue. He’ll risk his life for duty…and put it all on the line for his irresistible witness.