Book picks similar to
The Nerd and the Marine by D.R. Grady


contemporary-romance
romance
military
contemporary

Unexpected Fate


Harper Sloan - 2015
    He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man. Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.

My Way to You


Catherine Bybee - 2020
    For the past two years, she has shouldered the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister after their parents’ untimely deaths. Forced to leave college for a crappy job that barely pays the bills, Parker manages her family property, which consumes every aspect of her life. Now winter is coming and the forecast isn’t spreading sunshine on the dark cloud over her head. The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain.Colin Hudson’s job as a public works supervisor is to protect Parker’s property and neighborhood from further damage. But it’s a little hard when the owner of the land is a control freak who tries to do everything herself. The hardworking, attractive young woman is far from the “hot mess” she claims to be. In fact, her tight grip of control is one of the things that attract him the most. It’s also the hardest to crack. Now Colin’s working overtime to help Parker open up her heart, trust him, and let him in.As Parker and Colin work together to keep her home and neighborhood safe, they may be in for another disaster. Or they may just realize that sometimes it takes destruction to create something new.

Still


Ann Mayburn - 2013
    Michelle Sapphire and Gunnery Sergeant Wyatt Callahan formed an unbreakable bond and an unacknowledged, forbidden attraction to each other while serving together in Afghanistan. Their lives are forever changed when a mortar attack grievously wounds Wyatt and Michelle brings him back from the brink of death. But when they both return to the civilian world, Michelle discovers that her rock-solid Marine is suffering from severe PTSD and may even be suicidal.Wyatt Callahan fell hard for the aristocratic blonde doctor the moment he laid eyes on her. After reentering civilian life in his hometown near Austin, Texas, Wyatt is plagued by nightmares of the death and suffering he witnessed during the war. He’d love to reach out to Michelle, but — Michelle is a Dominatrix, and she has made it very clear to Wyatt she isn’t interested in a relationship with anyone who doesn’t accept her lifestyle. An Alpha male to the core, he can't imagine the appeal of being submissive. At the same time, the idea of serving Michelle, of being everything she wants and needs, rings true in his wounded soul.Michelle has dark secrets of her own, and together with Wyatt she will have to battle her personal demons during their emotional journey of healing, redemption, and love.

Vivid


Jessica Wilde - 2015
    He fought to protect his country, his family, and the men standing at his side, but it wasn't just being a soldier overseas that changed him. He watched his friends die in front of him, felt indescribable pain, and lost his sight in the very same moment. Badly injured, blind, and angry, he's done with war, but now he’s fighting his own battle. So, he’s waiting for it to end, spending his days and nights in a thick darkness no light can penetrate. Until Grace walks into his life and his broken eyes open to a woman that changes everything for him.A story about two flawed souls finding love amidst the grief. A love that shines vividly, even in the dark, and discovering that sometimes being broken is how the light gets in.For readers 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

I'm Straight, Right?


Romeo Alexander - 2019
     Sloane: I know I can be a grumpy bastard, and I’m not the easiest man to deal with, but you’d think my best friend would trust me. We don’t keep secrets, even about our love lives. That’s what I thought until I found out Dean was seeing someone. I don’t like it...don’t ask me why. But there’s more to the story than I thought, and now I have to deal with feelings I didn’t even know were possible for me. Dean: I would not recommend being in love with your straight best friend. I met Sloane in Basic Training and fell head over heels. Years later and a deployment under each of our belts, it’s still not easy. All I’ve wanted for six years, six fucking years, was Sloane. Maybe it’s time I moved on. I’ll never have the same feelings for anyone else, but I’ll never get what I want from Sloane, right? After one slightly drunken night, will Dean and Sloane ever be able to get back to what they’d been, or has everything between them changed forever?

Pursuit


Elizabeth Jennings - 1999
     A shocking betrayal...her father's murder...and a life-threatening accusation...Heiress Charlotte Court has walked into a waking nightmare-one that sends her running from her wealthy home to anywhere she can hide.Across the border in country-region Mexico, Charlotte creates a new identity and finds refuge in the battle-torn arms of Navy SEAL Matt Sanders. Fleeing his past, Matt yearns to protect her and replace her pain with pleasure. But Charlotte can't trust anyone, not even someone she's starting to love. She knows she's a target-and out of sight, a soulless killer is zeroing in on his prey...

Blissed


Jamie Farrell - 2014
    But it’s redemption time, and she’s putting on her big girl panties to make sure this year’s bridal festival goes off without a hitch. Even if it means she has to play nice with the man who broke her fairy tale.She’s definitely not the one for him. Or is she...World adventurer and reluctant local hero CJ Blue doesn’t want to be in Bliss anymore than Natalie wants him here. But family obligations have brought him back, and now he’s somehow been roped into saving the town tradition he’d rather forget with the woman whose kiss he can’t forget. She frustrates him and drives him nuts but he's had more fun giving her a hard time about the bridal festival than he has in years.And their fun is just starting...Despite their rocky past, these two wounded souls have more in common than they expect. They’ve both loved and lost, they’ve both tried to move on, and now they’ve both been been banned from the local church confessional after...well, they’re not supposed to talk about it. But by joining forces for the sake of Bliss, they might find the courage and the sparks to risk love one more time.Note: BLISSED was previously published for like 5 minutes many years ago as THE HUSBAND GAMES. Publishers Weekly called it a "Marvelous romantic comedy" in a starred review and named it as a "Self-Published Star" of 2014.

Rescue Me


Cherry Adair - 2008
    Elizabeth Goodall is kidnapped and held captive in the African jungle, her only hope for rescue is counterterrorist operative Sam Pelton. But to escape from a brutal warlord, they must confront a powerful attraction that could prove more treacherous than the wilds of the jungle…“Atlanta Heat” by LORA LEIGHEm Delaney has wanted bad-boy Macey March for as long as she can remember. But as a Navy SEAL under the command of her overprotective godfather, Macey is off-limits to Em…until a kidnapping attempt forces them to share tantalizingly close quarters—and a forbidden desire.“Desert Heat” by CINDY GERARDAssistant D.A. Elena Martinez never wanted to fall for police detective Seth King. When they are teamed up on a charity hike in the Grand Canyon, however, their chemistry sizzles under the desert sun. But a vengeful drug lord is determined not to let them survive the canyon with their lives—and love—intact…

The Only One Who Knows


Cat Grant - 2014
    When the holidays found them alone together and sharing a mutual attraction, they couldn’t help breaking a few regulations. And nearly breaking some furniture in the process.Years after their short-lived fling, Senior Chief Flint returns to SEAL duty and finds himself under the command of the man he’s never been able to forget: Lieutenant Commander Walker. And Josh hasn’t forgotten David, either. Rules be damned, they can’t keep their hands off each other.Despite their discretion, another SEAL catches on and threatens to expose their relationship, forcing Josh to bend to a blackmailer’s demands to avoid strife within the team just before a dangerous mission. David is the last man he can confide in…and the first to pick up on Josh’s tightly screwed-down stress.When a life-or-death decision calls Josh’s leadership into question, coming clean could cost him what he values most. His coveted trident…and the man he loves.WARNING: Contains a pair of Navy SEALs who don’t like playing by the rules, scorching-hot sex between two Alphas who like to be in charge, cursing as only Navy men can curse, lots of camouflage and badassery in the wilds of North Korea, and enough emotion to sink a battleship.

How to Fail at Flirting


Denise Williams - 2020
    For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.

The Ones Who Got Away


Roni Loren - 2018
    The man approaching was nothing like the boy she'd known. The bulky football muscles had streamlined into a harder, leaner package and the look in his deep green eyes held no trace of boyish innocence.It's been twelve years since tragedy struck the senior class of Long Acre High School. Only a few students survived that fateful night—a group the media dubbed The Ones Who Got Away.Liv Arias thought she'd never return to Long Acre—until a documentary brings her and the other survivors back home. Suddenly her old flame, Finn Dorsey, is closer than ever, and their attraction is still white-hot. When a searing kiss reignites their passion, Liv realizes this rough-around-the-edges cop might be exactly what she needs...

Crossed


Lacey Silks - 2015
    Dating has proven tiresome and worthless, so she’s decided to put her efforts into her work at the salon she owns.In search for evidence against a crime family, Hunter Reeve stumbles upon a woman who may be the key to solving the case. Except she’s unaware of the lurking danger. His growing attraction to the spunky hairdresser complicates the relationship further.As enemies weasel into Grace’s life, Hunter is forced to make a choice between his work and Grace. And the wrong choice could have consequences neither one is ready for.Warning: Intended for mature audiences

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?

Reckless Hearts


Heather Van Fleet - 2017
    So the last thing I ever expected was to find the biggest challenge of my life back home.My girlfriend died. I couldn’t even attend her funeral, let alone tell her goodbye or that I’m sorry I wasn’t there like I should’ve been.But she left me a gift. The best and scariest one I could’ve ever asked for. One I didn’t think I could handle…until the day I saw her tiny blues looking up at me in that airport. Chloe.Now here I am, raising my baby girl—with the help of my two best friends. Things couldn’t be better. Until she walked into my life.All I wanted was a nanny. Someone to take care of my girl when I couldn’t. What I didn’t count on was Addison, the brown-eyed temptress with a body of sin, and everything I didn’t need, but suddenly wanted.

More, Please


Kate Aster - 2015
    And it has nothing to do with the hot Navy SEAL I picked up in a bar.Really... it doesn't.Even though the pressure of his lips on mine fires me like a hot kiln, and the feel of his ripped chest beneath my hungry fingertips...Wait... I'm digressing. Focus, Allie.Since graduating from college, I've been juggling two jobs while fostering abandoned dogs, with my sights set on opening a rescue kennel. I'll do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means fighting back my cravings for the man who's been fueling my fantasies since I got my first taste of him in a hotel elevator.This guy is too full of secrets. Dark ones, hidden behind his ice blue eyes. Secrets of his Special Ops past and of a billionaire family that employs half our town. He won't let me into his world, and it's for the best.Logan Sheridan is more than I can handle. But when he slips his way into my life, searing the memory of his rock-hard body pressed against mine into my consciousness, all I can do is remember that night in the elevator......and ask for more, please.*More, Please is a stand-alone romance with no cliffhangers.*