Book picks similar to
Always a Suspect by Susan Vaughan
romantic-suspense
freebie
free
ebook
Risking Trust
Adrienne Giordano - 2011
Michael Taylor is cooler than ice under pressure. As CEO of a private security company, his job means protecting those at risk. Clients pay top dollar for his team of special operatives to deal with threats. But now Michael’s the one in trouble—he’s the prime suspect in his ex-wife’s murder. To prove his innocence, Michael needs not just a few good men, but one smart woman. If she agrees to forgive him… Twelve years ago, Michael walked away from Roxann Thorgesson and never looked back. Now he’s standing in her office, accused of a heinous crime, the vulnerability in his eyes barely masking something else. Desire. The shock—and her body’s own traitorous response—shakes Roxann to the core. Still, she can’t let lust cloud her professional judgment, no matter how tempting. Michael needs her…or, rather, her newspaper to clear his name. Roxann wants to refuse, but journalistic instinct tells her there’s more to this case. Sex. Secrets. A dark and dirty cover-up leading all the way to city hall. And as the investigation brings Michael and Roxann closer together, revealing the truth threatens to rip them apart.
Dirty Lies
Tamara Lush - 2015
A reporter determined to get to the bottom of the story. A scorching romance where dangerous days bleed into hot nights.Luca Rossi is a wanted man waiting for justice. On the run from the mafia and hiding out in Florida, the celebrated Italian writer has turned into a recluse, fearful that the next person he sees may also be the last. Waiting in isolation, he counts the days until freedom.Skylar Shaw is an ambitious young reporter determined to make her name with a scoop. Beautiful, curvaceous, and fiery, her outward confidence masks hidden insecurities that push her to investigate - no matter what.When a plane spirals out of control and plows into the beach opposite Luca's hideout, he rushes to help a victim. Gone before the authorities can get his name, Skylar soon tracks him down. Her intense curiosity about the mysterious rescuer may lead her down a path from which there is no return.Sparks fly as Skylar falls for Luca's exotic accent and chiseled, tattooed body - and Luca finds his natural caution and reserves disarmed by the beautiful reporter. The two soon find themselves entangled in each other's arms. And while Luca tries to keep his secret covered up, Skylar's instincts lead her to dig deeper. What she uncovers could kill them both.
* This book was previously published under the title HOT SHADE. This edition is a significant rewrite of that novel.
Moonrise
Anne Stuart - 1996
What she gets from him instead is a one-way trip to a shadowy underworld filled with intrigue, terror--and passion. Now she's in over her head, fighting a plot to kill them both before they find out too much about each other. Orginal.
Saving Ferris
A.R. Kennedy - 2018
It was the life of her golden retriever, Ferris, a dog she's only warming to after her husband's death. If it had been up to her, they would never have gotten a pet.Police Chief Holden Owens thinks Cecilia acted lawfully, but few agree. The law says that pets are property, and that one can't use lethal force to protect property. Is his attraction to Cecilia clouding his judgment?The prosecutor sees Cecilia's case as his ticket to a better job. He has the law on his side, and a more personal reason to want to win as well.Now, as the case draws to a close, Cecilia is finding she needs Ferris as much as he needs her. But will she be able to stay out of prison?Saving Ferris is a story that makes us consider what, exactly, pets mean to us.
Declan
Stephanie St. Klaire - 2017
Lydia exchanges her life of luxury for a life on the run when she discovers her real estate tycoon husband is nothing more than a cold-blooded killer with endless resources. The only person who can keep her alive is the last person she wants to trust. Declan O’Reilly was on his way to retiring from a life undercover when his final case took a potentially fatal turn. Blowing his cover to protect the only reason he stayed on the case to begin with becomes a challenge when money and power corrupt the very agency he was sworn to trust. Going off the grid, where nobody can find them, he learns his desire to protect Lydia is more than just a job. He risks it all to protect the one thing he thought he could never have. She fights to discover what she’s really made of only to find its what he saw in her all along. Not once, but twice, fate offers a maniacal twist that can tear them apart, as much as it can drive them together while trying to outrun the extensive reach of a diabolical criminal. Sometimes you have to break rules to protect what you love. Can Declan’s own Brother’s Keeper Security help them find their way, or does it just put more lives on the line while the unlikely couple fights for forever.
Judgment
Carey Baldwin - 2014
Fans of dark psychological suspense will devour this riveting story of rivals caught in a killer’s twisted web.When a coed falls prey to a sadistic killer, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy and Special Agent Atticus Spenser are called in to testify—one for the defense, one for the prosecution. With warring approaches on justice, these two rivals have been butting heads for years—both in the courtroom and out. And at first, this case appears to be no different.But when a brutal attack leaves the accused man dead and Caity in critical condition, petty differences take a backseat to saving lives. As the lone survivor, Caity knows too much and the killer—a madman calling himself the Man in the Maze—is coming back for round two. Now, Caity and Spense must join forces to uncover the killer’s identity before Caity’s time—and luck—runs out.
Party Crashers
Stephanie Bond - 2004
All she wants is a career in real estate, and she's willing to sell shoes in Neiman Marcus over the holidays to make ends meet. But recently, her boyfriend vanished -- with her car -- and her search for answers leads her to some very exclusive circles. Jolie hooks up with a pair of retail fashionistas who have made crashing society bashes an art form, and soon findsherself rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous ... and rubbing other body parts with one of Atlanta's most eligible bachelors!But Jolie can't shake the feeling that she's being pursued ... right into a dangerous clique where friends and enemies look the same, and flirtation is the preferred party favor. Jolie and her gal pals become the toast of the town ... until a body turns up at a sexy soiree the women have crashed. The fun and games come to a dead end when the "crashers" are fingered for the murder. The women have to pull all the tricks out of their designer bags to try to trap a stalker before Jolie, once the life of the party, becomes the death of the party.
Family Secrets
Jamie Hill - 2010
The kids aren't much trouble, but the thieves, drug dealers and kidnappers they're about to encounter are. Detective Jack Dunlevy, a cop down on his luck, draws the cases no one else wants. A simple investigation involving a dead homeless man quickly changes as Crystal enlists Jack's help with the children. Drawn into a mystery that none of them could have anticipated, they're faced with a situation that will change their lives forever.
Heart Raider
Sophia Knightly - 2013
A scorching summer. Danger lurks... After a raging media storm nearly destroys him, financial whiz Nick Cameron finds himself isolated and laying low on a barrier island off the Florida coast, far away from the reporters and scandals that threaten him. But when little Ronnie Whitcomb shows up on his doorstep, all grown up and breathtakingly beautiful, he tries to deny his feelings for her. Fate intervenes when a hurricane strands them on the island together, and suddenly, keeping Ronnie at arm's length becomes almost impossible. But daredevil TV reporter Veronique Whitcomb has an agenda of her own -- an agenda that could quite possibly get her killed. Recalling the hunky boy who rescued her at summer camp, Ronnie knows there's more to Nick than the hot and juicy scandal he's embroiled in, and she is determined to get the exclusive interview with him that will expose the real criminal. Whether Nick likes it or not, Ronnie refuses to sit by while the world slanders the most honorable and decent man she's ever known...and loved.THE HEARTTHROB SERIES: Book 1: Heart Raider (Nick and Veronique) Book 2: Heart Melter (Ian and Natasha) Book 3: Heart Tamer (Alec and Kate) Book 4: Heart Hunter (Cameron and Evie) Book 5: Heart Tempter (Leo and Teddy)
Savannah Run
Michelle Donn - 2021
She's just discovered her boss is in business with some of New York's most brutal criminals. Going to the FBI throws her even deeper into the dark waters of money laundering and human trafficking. A former client is the only one she can turn to.Eric Robb is a man of many talents.He's a professional fixer whose clients pay him handsomely to make their problems disappear. But now he's got a problem of his own--protecting an idealistic beauty he's never been able to get out of his head. When a ghost from Eric's past joins the hunt they escape to the southern city of Savannah looking for a reprieve only to stumble deeper into the criminal's web.Eric is only one man, with danger lurking around every corner will his skills be enough to keep Leia alive?*****Savannah Run is the action-packed first book in the Protecting Love series of standalone HEA romantic suspense novels. Expect tangled sheets, car chases, and perilous rescues. A protective hero and a bold heroine flee cross country from a hired killer.
Deathwatch
Dana Marton - 2013
Murphy Dolan is in the Army Reserves, returning from his 2nd tour of duty, only to find a stranger hiding in his house. She's scared spitless. He's completely burned-out on violence. Neither of them has any trust left to give. If the best of the FBI couldn't protect her from the country’s most notorious assassin, does a burned-out small town cop have a prayer?
Prince Charming Undercover
Debra Salonen - 2018
Their Gypsy fortuneteller mother predicted each would marry a prince…of sorts. She’s a princess with more to lose than her dowry. Las Vegas restaurateur Grace Parlier doesn’t gamble, but she’s risking her dowry on a new business with her late father’s friend because casino owner Charles Harmon has what she wants: location, location, location. The money may have been earmarked for a wedding, but everyone knows Grace has terrible taste in men. Look at the way her heart races every time her family’s latest Romani rescue comes close. But how could an ex-con from Detroit possibly be the prince she was meant to marry? He’s a Detroit cop with no skin in the game—or so he wants to believe. Nick Lightner goes undercover in Vegas for one reason only: to take down scumbag Charles Harmon. Does he believe Lucky Chuck is a human serpent threatening his birth father’s family? Hell, no. Nick knows who he is and where his allegiance lies. Certainly not with a sexy “princess” who makes the few drops of Romani blood in his veins run hotter than a winning streak at the craps table. His heart maintains a safe distance…until the princess takes a bullet meant for him, then all bets are off. PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER is Book 1 in the Betting On Love series. If you're a fan of romance with a side of suspense, you'll love this action-packed story that introduces you to the kind of family Debra Salonen--winner of Romantic Times Reviewer's Career Achievement "Series Storyteller of the Year" award in 2006--is known for. “Debra Salonen captures reader attention with multifaceted characters, layered conflict and fast pacing.”
—Pamela Cohen, Romantic Times Buy PRINCE CHARMING UNDERCOVER--the perfect "staycation." Visit Las Vegas without leaving home. But remember, when your heart's on the line, there’s no such thing as a safe bet.
Her Cowboy Prince
Trish Milburn - 2018
Formerly CEO of her family's pharmaceutical company, she's now living incognito as a housekeeper at a cozy resort in rural Montana. New career, new apartment, new name. She knows she needs to keep a low profile. The last thing she needs is a romance with the handsome, hardworking owner of the Peak View Hot Springs Resort. When rancher and resort owner Justin McQueen impulsively asks Melody for some ideas to increase bookings for the resort, he’s impressed with her creativity and quick thinking. He persuades the reluctant Melody to jump in as the temporary events coordinator, helping him plan a week of Christmas festivities. As they work together, both of them struggle to fight their growing attraction. Justin is still recovering from a bad break-up and is very aware that as her employer, he needs to tread carefully. He also senses Melody has a secret, which he is determined to uncover. As their event planning comes to fruition, Justin knows he needs to put common sense on hold and take a chance on a love he wants to last forever.
Black Creek Burning
R.T. Wolfe - 2012
Set in upstate New York, it’s a story about taking chances with your heart… and about family, trust and passion. Witnessing the murder of her parents was a brutal day for Brie Chapman. Learning her parents died in her place was almost unbearable. It took her years to overcome and move on as no suspects were found. Unknowingly, she ignites the dormant killer into coming back to finish the job. Nathan Reed moves in behind her with his two adorable nephews he’s raising as his own. He hadn't planned on falling in love and solving a murder. Patiently, he transforms Brie from an icy self-proclaimed independent into a woman willing to accept not only the help of a strong man, but the love of a family.
Tempting Gabe
Victoria Pinder - 2017
Megan wants to get her brother help. Neither was prepared for the electric chemistry from the enemy.While out in the desert, wealthy oil tycoon Gabe Hawke falls prey to a brazen theft. He’d joined the Marines to advance his tech skills and use them to build a premier computer technology company, but now his early prototypes are gone, and the thief remains at large. When Megan Maddox lost her mother, her world came to a grinding halt. Her brother became a virtual recluse, and the jewels left behind for her remained in his possession. But an attempt to retrieve those jewels and find a connection between her and her distant brother exposes unbelievable evidence about her brother’s true identity... as well as the dangers he faces.Desperate to keep her brother safe from harm, Megan turns to the one person who can help her. But when their worlds collide, and an unknown assailant surfaces, it exposes yet another unbelievable surprise – one that challenges her heart.This is a blending of Casino Royale and Mr. and Mrs. Smith with tons of romance to make you heart ache for a sexy hero of your own.While this story is a standalone novel that belongs to the Hawke Family Fortune, there are mentions of the Marshall Family Saga, the House of Morgan, the upcoming Brothers in Revenge novels, and even Princes of Avce characters and storylines are all intertwined in the same world.