Book picks similar to
Justified Burden by Lori Matthews


romance
romantic-suspense
romance-suspense
suspense

Morgan


Deanna L. Rowley - 2021
    With no place else to go, she went home to her rescuer’s ranch. She didn’t know if she’d worked on a ranch before, but she settled in with no problems. Until she fell for the ranch’s owner.Wyatt Erwin knew spending time with his house guest, Jane Doe would be a huge mistake. However, he couldn’t seem to stay away from her. Every time they were together, he told her how bad it was. Until one day, he returned from the range and found her missing. The only sign where she’d gone was a brief note telling Wyatt she had regained her memory, and she went home. He was happy for her, but with her gone, it left a lot of unanswered questions.Will they be able to put their differences aside and realize they love each other? Or was Wyatt’s treatment of Morgan, when she was Jane, too deplorable to accept?

Sam's Folly


Carmen DeSousa - 2020
    He stepped up. He also never wanted to be a hero, but he and his search dogs can sense danger a mile away…So when a bigwig fight promoter needs someone to search for his missing fiancée, Sam’s more than a little reluctant. His family's company is in financial trouble, though, so if searching for a spoiled socialite will save it, then he's willing to break the rules — just this once.After witnessing a murder, Nora Molina needs to get away fast, and her best hope to escape without her passport is Alaska. A native of Argentina, Nora's accustomed to harsh winters and high elevation, so she gets more than a little irritated when some tracker thinks she needs rescuing. Even if he is get-out sexy. And even if he's the guy she stood up before leaving town. It's going to be a long few days.When an unexpected storm rolls in, Sam and Nora find themselves in each other's arms — to keep warm. Things get a little too hot when it's clear someone wants the two of them to stay lost — permanently.

Persuading Piper: Brotherhood Protectors World


Susan Boles - 2018
    She lives in a planation home that’s been in the family for generations with her overprotective father and Ham, the family guard dog. She dates, but keeps her broken heart under lock and key. Nobody will ever hurt her again like Ian Elliot did. Ian “Hawkeye” Elliot lives his lifelong dream of being a Navy Fighter pilot until a busted eardrum clips his wings forever as a pilot. Brotherhood Protectors, Inc. throws him a lifeline working with other retired veterans offering valuable skills honed by military service. Until his latest assignment, nothing shakes him, but this job threatens not only the life of the woman he loves, but also his heart. Using a visit to his mother as cover, Hawkeye arrives back in town to provide bodyguard services to Piper’s father. His challenge is to keep his charge alive while avoiding the glares and hostility from the girl he left behind. Complicating his job is Ham-the-guard-dog, who hates him. The question is which is more deadly? Bullets, a mean dog, or emotions? Only time will tell.

Watery Grave


Sharon Hamilton - 2021
    Inside, lies the remains of SEAL Team 3 friend and former gym owner, Joseph “Gunny” Hoskins. Their mission was to release his ashes upon the deep blue sea, but their cruise was interrupted by a terrorist takeover of the ship, thwarted by the SEALs on board.But when the ocean returns him to San Diego in Christy’s cosmetic bag, a new adventure is hatched to give Gunny eternal rest.Kyle, Christy and their three children embark on another memorial cruise mission, along with several other SEAL families. In paying tribute to the life of a fellow brother-in-arms, they usher in the dawn of a bright new future for them all. As the past is finally buried amid the dangers of the present, the ocean’s giant wheel—the Circle of Life—lives on.In honoring the irreverent life of one, the bond and commitment of the brothers who remain is strengthened to do battle.SEAL Brotherhood: Legacy Series is about the original couples in Sharon's popular SEAL Brotherhood Series. It furthers the stories of these couples ten years later, after marriages, children and separations. These are stand alone books, but readers who are unfamiliar with the series would enjoy reading the background stories first.Recommended reading order: Accidental SEAL, Cruisin' For A SEAL, Watery Grave.

Protecting Cara


Kate Kinsley - 2019
    Aim... Carissa Montgomery went out for a run and found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up with a target on her back. The Feds are escorting her to New York to testify, but danger lurks in the air... Special Warfare Operator Nathan Hayes has one more week before rejoining his SEAL team in Afghanistan. But before that happens, he's going to enjoy a first-class ticket to Morocco. The trip becomes even more pleasurable when he meets Cara on his connecting flight. Nate doesn't believe in love at first sight, but that doesn't stop him from falling for her. However, someone's determined not to let her leave the plane alive...Dead bodies are piling up and Nate will be damned if Cara will be one of them. One first-class ticket. One compromised witness.One chance of preserving justice. When danger surrounds them, does Nate have what it takes to protect Cara?

Protecting His Fake Fiancée


Katie Knight - 2021
    The only woman in his life is his childhood best friend, Corrine Harrison. So when Corrine pretends the two of them are engaged to fend off the condescending pity of an emotionally abusive ex, Weston is willing to play along. But he quickly discovers their charade is a little too real for comfort…Corrine always had a thing for Weston. But she knows she blew it when she announced her fake engagement. Her ex was so snide and dismissive that she blurted out the lie, failing to consider what a burden it would be for Weston, who had stuck her firmly in the friend zone. But after a single burning kiss from this smoking hot Navy SEAL, she's not so sure her feelings are unrequited anymore…They planned to stage a break-up before Weston shipped out to his next post. But suddenly, this fake engagement is feeling all too real. And when someone tries to sabotage her new bridal shop, Weston stands up to protect her. But who will protect her broken heart when Weston finally leaves?

The Road King Chronicles: Blue Ridge Run


Harry Harrigan - 2015
    After twenty-three years and three combat tours with the 75th Ranger Regiment, he’s got a Silver Star, a titanium knee and a plan to see America on his Road King motorcycle. No more patrols, no more firefights. Nothing more dangerous than passing the old work van rumbling along in front of him as he rides toward Hunter-Stewart and the sunset of his career in the Army. But just as he twists the throttle to pass, a woman’s bare foot smears a bloody print on the van’s back window. Roman turns back to help, triggering a chain of events that puts his brother Virgil and two old friends in the crosshairs of a murderer. Saving them sends Roman on a desperate ride from Savannah to DC, where he discovers that the past he has been trying to forget has not forgotten him. It’s been waiting patiently, holding his secret like a time bomb.

The Whirlwind Rescue


Ginny Sterling - 2020
    She’s fascinated with the idea of being able to live in paradise and the peace it brings to her soul. Sand, sun, flowers, and gentle warm rain – it’s supposed to be the idyllic life. When a hurricane threatens the island, she is rescued by her ex-boyfriend, Gavin Tanner. Gavin knows that when the storm hits, it’s his job to save the lives of the people who’ve been stranded among the chaos that nature delivers abruptly. When he comes face-to-face with the woman who once broke his heart, he realizes that the buildings around him aren’t the only things that were destroyed by a strong female. Hurricane Dottie is nothing compared to the wrath of his beloved Natalie! Will these two strong personalities handle the influx of emotions, as well as the surge of water, that threatens them? Can they set aside their differences and work together in order to survive the onslaught around them? Step into the world of Disaster City Search and Rescue, where officers, firefighters, military, and medics, train and work alongside each other with the dogs they love, to do the most dangerous job of all — help lost and injured victims find their way home.

Deadly Memories


Mary Alford - 2017
    After managing to escape her cell, all she wants is to find where little Joseph is being kept. Instead she runs straight into CIA agent Kyle Jennings. Kyle isn't sure if Ella is actually a kidnap victim or if she's working for the gunrunner he's been after. One thing he is certain of is her uncanny resemblance to the wife he thought he'd buried. To save a child's life and stop a terrorist from slipping through his fingers, he'll need to uncover the secrets of Ella's past--and whether or not she's really the woman he's never stopped loving.

Stealth Ops Series Box Set: Books 1-3


Brittney Sahin - 2019
    But when a critical mission gets botched by a member of an iconic Hollywood family, he'll have to fight to protect his team's identity, as well as keep himself from falling for the woman who's turned his life upside down.Eva Sharp's the writer and co-producer for the hit TV series SEAL Security. While on break from filming, the last thing she expects is to end up in the middle of a real-life action scene--one that puts her life on the line. At first, she's not sure if she can trust this stranger in the mountains, even if he has military written all over him. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to fight the pull of attraction, without also jeopardizing his op.They'll soon realize not everything is as it seems, and Luke will be forced to discover how far he's willing to go to find his mark.Finding Justice:They say the truth will set you free--if it doesn't bury you first.As a Navy SEAL for a covert special ops team, Owen York has no time for relationships. But when he's forced to go on vacation, he finds himself falling for a sexy stranger, a woman who turns out to be linked not only to his latest assignment but to his past. Owen's spent years searching for his brother's killer, but now that he has a chance at revenge . . . he'll have to see how far he's willing to go for justice.After losing her fiancé a decade ago, Samantha McCarthy lives and breathes her job at the Intelligence Committee. She puts everything, especially love, aside--until one day her world flips upside down, and she finds herself at the center of a massive government cover-up. Turning to Owen York for help is her only hope. What she doesn't count on is for him to knock down the walls around her heart.Thrown together on a mission that's as personal as it is dangerous, Owen and Samantha will face their toughest challenge yet--and risk falling for each other in the process.Finding the Fight:Their well-kept secrets are about to unravel.Former CIA officer Jessica Scott and Navy SEAL Asher Hayes have worked together for years as part of a black-ops team for the president, but Jessica's close encounter with death is about to change everything between them . . .As the team hunts down her abductor and tries to prevent an impending attack, Asher will stop at nothing to protect the woman he cares about. But will his actions push Jessica, aka the Ice Queen, further away; or will he knock down her impenetrable walls?With their pasts coming back to haunt them, and their insatiable desire for one another pushing them to the brink, Asher and Jessica will find themselves faced with impossible choices--ones that could topple their very world.In this high-stakes mission, will they be able to find the fight inside of them to win--or will this be one mission that hits far too close to home?

A Wing and a Prayer


M.W. Arnold - 2020
    American Doris Winter, running from a personal tragedy, yearns for a new start. Naturally shy Mary Whitworth-Baines struggles to fit in. Together though, they are a force to be reckoned with as they face the mystery that confronts them.Against the backdrop of war, when ties of friendship are exceptionally strong, they strive to unravel the puzzle's complex threads, risking their lives as they seek justice for Betty's sister.

Ranger Loyalty


Layla Chase - 2018
    Remembering the intense man who prepared to help during the robbery often calms her fears. Previously outgoing, she became reclusive and fearful of being in the company of strangers. After a month of therapy sessions, she still has panic attacks over the painful incident. On her therapist’s recommendation, she investigates getting a therapy dog and is thrilled at the identity of the dog trainer. To keep others safe during the same bank robbery, experienced dog handler Tag Redmond laid low--a difficult task for an ex-Army Ranger. A month later, he struggles with how he failed to stop the pretty blonde from being abducted. Running into her following a line-up of possible suspects gives him the chance to introduce himself, only to discover someone is following Malin. This time, Tag vows he’ll be there to help and convinces Hank Patterson that Malin should be his first assignment for Brotherhood Protectors. Learning how to handle her new therapy dog means Malin spends days near this mountain of a man with a soft heart for canines. Just when she’s emerging from her shell, she discovers her cabin has been broken into, throwing her life into chaos. Determined not to let Malin pull away, Tag enlists her help on a rescue mission of his own. In close proximity on a road trip, they give in to their fierce attraction. When the remaining suspects attempt to silence Malin for good, will Tag thwart the abduction and save the woman who has stolen his heart?

Rescuing Hi`ilani


Reina Torres - 2019
    Meeting with “Ghost” and “Truck” from a Texas based Delta Force unit opened his eyes. These men… their entire unit were all happy, in love, some with kids. It gave him hope that he could have it all too. He just has to plead his case to the woman whose heart he broke. Hi`ilani Ahfong was ready to give everything up for love and follow Jackson where ever he was stationed around the world, but he didn’t just put the brakes on, he left her on the side of the road wondering where she’d gone wrong. Her manager barely managed to hold onto the ‘I told you so’ she so richly deserved and helped her focus her energy on performing and building her career. Now, she’s back on track. Everything changes when Hi`ilani walks into the middle of a murder. Fleeing for her life, she runs smack dab into the very man who’d broken her heart. Now the murderers are after her, needing to shut her up, and that’s trouble that can hurt the people she loves. Jackson wants to take care of her and keep her safe while the police track down the men. But she’s put her trust in Jackson before. She’d given him her heart and soul and he’d left her bleeding. How can he make her believe that this time he’s in for the long haul and not just ‘Rescuing Hi`ilani’?

Gold Team Box Set 1 (Special Forces: Operation Alpha)


Riley Edwards - 2019
    One look at her scarred flesh tells the tales of her time in captivity. But it's not only her skin that bears the marks of her failures, doubt and a healthy dose cynicism now clouds her vision. She's also mastered the fine art of deception. In her line of work it is a necessity. Former Navy SEAL Brooks Miller is living the good life working as a mercenary. Employed by the highly sought-after Z Corps, a private, special-ops company, there are no shortage of contracts sending him around the world. When the Gold Team's latest mission takes them to Bahrain, Brooks thinks it will be a quick in and out. That's until he walks into a shitstorm and comes face to face with the woman who's about to turn his world upside down. There was something working behind her intelligent eyes, and it looked a lot like pain. Not the physical kind, the emotional aftermath of heartache. It will take more than the Gold Team to bring down a Saudi Prince out for blood. Their only hope is the one and only, king of all things cyber, John "Tex" Keegan. Can Tex get a search and rescue team to them in time, or will it be a recovery mission? THADDEUS- There had been a time, I’d been happy—blissfully happy—then a single act of brutality tore Thaddeus Bench from my life. But not from my heart. I never thought I’d see him again. But I did. In a cantina in Mexico. And when he looked over at me with so much hatred in his stare, it pulverized what was left of my heart. Emerson Pierce was my own personal hell. The agony of her betrayal still as sharp as it was the day I’d come home and found her gone. I’d spent years doing whatever I could not to think about her. To stop myself from wondering where she was and why she’d left me. Now my team needs answers from her to stop a criminal mastermind and I can’t trust a damn thing that comes out of her pretty mouth. Emerson’s no longer the sweet girl I fell for, she’s the girlfriend of a notorious drug runner and dog fighter. Or at least that’s what I thought until her lies unravel and the truth explodes. Nothing about Emerson was what it seemed. Nothing about our latest mission was easy. But one thing is for sure...I will save Emerson Pierce, even from herself. KYLE- Anaya Baker knows pain—she got her first taste when she was orphaned and put into foster care. Then it was forever embedded into her soul when she was sold to a sex trafficking ring. Since being rescued, Anaya has dedicated her life to helping others, yet no amount of good she’s done has lessened her anguish. While on an assignment with the Peace Corps she learns of brothel posing as an orphanage and she cannot turn her back. Anaya has one mission: save the young girls for the horrors she herself had suffered. Kyle Smith couldn’t say no. Not when the beautiful woman with haunted eyes asked him and his teammate to escort her to a remote island to save a bunch of children. Her plan was crazy. The island was overrun with rebels and the unrest was at an all-time high. There was no stopping the woman, she was resolute and Kyle was just as determined to keep her safe. He had no business falling in love—but was helpless against her bravery and strength. But when the threat closes in and one of their lives hangs in the balance, Kyle has to make a choice. And the wrong one could mean death.

Mae Day


Anne Conley - 2017
    The hot custodian isn’t anything to sneeze at, either. But when home-grown terrorists try to blow up her company, the quiet hottie’s lightning-fast reflexes take over, showing her a side of him she’s never seen. Jason is a Marine trying to fit into his new civilian role. He doesn’t want to be anything more than a productive member of society, and maybe a little more to the woman who stays late every night. When he saves her, they realize there’s so much more to what they want than either of them realized. When her life is endangered by a man who shouldn’t even be in their lives, Delta forces are called in to help. Jason has to find a way to get through this so she can be his forever.