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


romance
contemporary-romance
military
contemporary

Latakia


J.F. Smith - 2011
    He has his friends and his softball and his volunteer work. And he has a very good-looking boyfriend, Brian, who he’s been happily dating for over a year now. So what if his friends tend to question just how good his boyfriend is, and so what if Brian tends to have inexplicable mood swings. And so what if Brian seems to invite Matt’s suspicions on occasion. If he just shows a little faith and trust, he’ll appreciate what he has with Brian the way he should. Right?But suddenly, Matt finds himself in a desperate life-or-death situation on a trip overseas, and he realizes just how much he misses home, and Brian. He’s luckily rescued by a team of US Special Forces, only to immediately find out they’re a bunch of bigoted jerks. Worse, a quirk of his situation forces him to spend time with them that he’d rather not. And that’s when he finds out that first impressions can be misleading. When called upon, he steps up when every fiber of his being tells him not to, and discovers something deep inside himself that he didn’t realize was even there. And his life will never be the same. He finds that he can, after all, make some very overdue changes in his own life.What Matt doesn’t realize is that the bond of brotherhood runs both ways. And he winds up changing the lives of several of the men on that Special Forces team as much as they changed his.All it takes is faith and trust.

Nauti Boy


Lora Leigh - 2007
    Duty as a U.S. Marine put a safe distance between Rowdy and the nubile Kentucky vixen with persuasive desires of her own. Now, he's returned home, his fantasies fueled, ready to engage the young woman in the kind of erotic games that have earned him and his two cousins Nauti-boy reputations in three counties.Once, it was Kelly's dream, too, to feel the heat of the boy she desired. But a brutal attack from a stalker still on the prowl has left Kelly terrified of the dark unknown and of a man's touch. Now, as fear and desire converge, Rowdy fights for the only woman he ever loved--to save her from the deadly threats of a stranger, to rid her of her demons, and to satisfy a hunger more powerful than either can imagine.

Ready For Love


Stella Starling - 2017
    And even when Gabe starts to flirt with him like crazy, Jake still knows better than to think it means anything.Because falling in love with your straight bestie? Not just a cliche, but a guaranteed recipe for disaster....right?Growing up, Gabe never saw "Little Jakey" as anything more than the kid who always liked to tag along after him and his brothers, but somehow, being friends with Jake has become the best part of his day. And after a seven-month deployment? Seeing Jake is the one thing he's looking forward to the most.He just didn't expect that hanging out in person again would be so confusing... or keep blurring the lines about just how straight he is... or keep making him want things that he never thought he would.Things that seem a lot like forever.Ready For Love is a gay romance novel of approximately 79,000 words that contains a hot Marine who spends a good portion of the book in denial, a perky flight attendant who keeps saying yes, zoo animals in compromising positions, a variety of home decor issues, and a sweet and very public happily-ever-after ending worthy of true romantics. Every Stella Starling romance can be read as a standalone and takes place in the same interconnected, contemporary world. Ready For Love is the first book in the Semper Fi series, which is a spin off from At Last, The Beloved Series.

Fraternizing


C.C. Brown - 2013
    Strong sexual content, violence and vulgarity.Sometimes rules must be broken.Sometimes your beliefs are challenged.Other times... you just have to follow your heart.For Marine Corps Sgt. Alex Cruz, the Corps' rules and regulations have served as a blueprint for how he should live his life. In his mind, the way to maintaining proper conduct and order relied heavily on the ability of the individual to follow orders without question. Alex was that individual.Until...Pfc. Cassie Bennett.She is brand new to the Corps, looking to cement a place in the world for herself after breaking free from the oppressive life she's lived with her mother. Making it in the Corps is her way of showing her mother that she is more than she thinks she is, while also proving to herself she can survive one of life's biggest challenges.Both Alex and Cassie are tested when an intensely strong attraction develops between them. They feel it, they want it, but one thing stands in their way... The Marine Corps order on Fraternizing. Their lust filled thoughts, their strong and aching cravings for one another, and their conflicted minds lead them on a roller coaster of emotions and feelings that neither can ignore, no matter how hard they try.Loyalties will be tested, hearts will be broken, and careers will hang in the balance. Can Alex and Cassie keep their forbidden relationship a secret, or will they lose it all by Fraternizing?

Before That Night


Violet Duke - 2016
    Each of the couples have two books (duets) that take place years apart. This is Caine & Addison's Book 1; Book 2 reunites them seven years later, and concludes their story.The UNFINISHED LOVE SeriesFour Spencer brothers.Each fighting for their second first chance at love.Years be damned.A heartfelt new series from NYT bestselling author Violet Duke.(Caine & Addison) - Summer 2016-- Book 1: Before That Night-- Book 2: Every Night Without You(Gabe & Hannah) - Fall 2016-- Book 3: Before That Kiss-- Book 4: Every Kiss Goodbye(Drew & Skylar) - Winter 2016-- Book 5: Before That Promise-- Book 6: Every Promise Unspoken(Max & Kennedy) - Spring 2017-- Book 7: Before That Chance-- Book 8: Every Chance We Lost

The Note


Teresa Mummert - 2013
    His cousin is going through his own devastation and is struggling to pick up the pieces and move on with his family. As they try to help each other through the pain, Shane's path crosses Jenn's and he soon learns that everything happens for a reason. * Originally published under the title "Suicide Note".

Only Love


Garrett Leigh - 2014
    Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms. Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time. But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.

I'll Be Your Drill, Soldier


Crystal Rose - 2009
    Since they yanked their support for college he had to find a way to pay for it. Little did he know that joining the Army was going to change his life forever. Especially when he was introduced to a Drill Sergeant who was nicknamed 'Big Daddy'.Phillip Grabowski had joined the Army to follow in his father's footsteps; by the time Ryan entered, he had already made a name for himself. He was a soldier's soldier, but Ryan was making it really hard for him to remember that.69,653 words.

Make You Mine


Tia Louise - 2018
    I was too old to have them, so I left to join the military.Four years passed. Loss, injury, angry words I can never take back… I’m home, but I’m not the same.Neither is she.Now she’s a woman with flashing blue eyes, long blonde hair, and gorgeous curves.Still, she’s the same sweet smile, the same sassy mouth…I could never say No to her before.I should for her sake. She deserves better than what I’ve become, scarred and damaged. “They told me to stay away from you.I went away to try… God, I tried.Now everything has changed. I’m back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine…”

From Here to You


Jamie McGuire - 2018
    She's never been able to stand up for herself, but she'll sure as hell stand up for her baby. With just the cash she has on hand, she runs to get a bus ticket to the farthest place she can afford. Between her sheer grit and pageant-queen smile, she lands a job as a front desk clerk at the Colorado Springs Hotel. It's not a glamorous life, but she and her baby are all that matters.A former Marine, Scott "Trex" Trexler has worked in the most dangerous, corrupt, war-torn places on earth. Now he finally has a chance to return to the last place he'd felt at peace--Colorado Springs, Colorado, to take a new job with the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a top-secret military installation buried deep within the granite.The moment Trex walks into the inn, Darby knows he's dangerous. There's no way she wants to get involved with another man who seems to be keeping way too many secrets. As charming and devastatingly gorgeous as Trex is, he clearly isn't telling her everything. But as wildfires rage on the mountain and Darby's ex-fiancé shows he isn't so willing to let her go, both she and Trex are soon to find out that what you don't know absolutely can hurt you.

Everything Changes


Melanie Hansen - 2015
    The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn’t even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery. Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he’s come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD. A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey’s lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.

The Accidental Text


Becky Monson - 2021
    Right guy?Once upon a time, Maggie Cooper lived for adventure. Jumping out of planes was child’s play. Now she can’t even work up the nerve to ask out her coworker. For a bit of self-therapy, she begins to text her recently deceased mother’s phone—the only problem is that the number has been reassigned and for weeks she’s been unknowingly texting a stranger her deepest thoughts and feelings. There have also been some not-so-deep texts, like the ones about her appreciation for her coworker’s butt.When Chase Beckett, the unsuspecting stranger who has more in common with Maggie than he’d like to admit, texts back, Maggie is beyond mortified. But message after message and night after night, Maggie realizes that Chase’s wit, charm, and advice are exactly what the doctor ordered. Is it enough, though, to get her back up in the sky? And what about her heart? Can she risk taking a leap of faith for the man on the other end of her accidental texts?

Men Out of Uniform


Sylvia Day - 2011
    They may enforce the rules, but when men in uniform are off duty and under the covers, they're experts at breaking them. In this searingly sexy anthology, popular authors Maya Banks, Sylvia Day, and Karin Tabke present men in uniform-unzipped...Taking the Heat by Sylvia DayIt’s time for protected witness Layla Creed to come out of hiding and take the stan. Layla has only three days to reconnect with federal marshal Brian Simmons—and slake the white-hot lust that has simmered between them for years…Soul Possession – Maya BanksJessie spends a hot night with two sexy-as-sin detectives, only to be accused of murder the very next day. But when Jessie becomes the target of a serial killer, her two detectives will risk everything to have her back in their arms—and in their bed…Karin Tabke’s Wanted follows the X-rated exploits of bad-boy cop Colin Daniels and the soon-to-be-ex-wife of a mob boss. He’s been hired to guard her body, but it drives him to distraction instead, putting his career—and his life—on the line…

Hell or High Water


Julie Ann Walker - 2015
    One sunken Spanish galleon. Millions in gold and silver coins lying on the ocean floor. And a past that refuses to let the guys of Deep Six Salvage forget the Navy SEAL motto: the only easy day was yesterday...There's more than one kind of treasure...The nation's security has always been CIA agent Olivia Mortier's top priority. But a mission-gone-wrong has begun to make her wonder if there's more to life than risking hers.And more than one secret at the bottom of the sea...Only two things could make Leo Anderson abandon his hunt for the legendary lost ship, La Santa Christina, and return to the world of weapons and warfare he swore to leave behind: a capsule of enriched uranium, lost on the ocean floor, and a plea for assistance from the one woman he can't seem to forget...

Dangerous Lover


Lisa Marie Rice - 2007
    Riddled with medical expenses after the death of her young brother, Caroline Lake desperately takes in boarder Jack Prescott, a seemingly down-on-his-luck stranger with a high-stakes past who awakens previously unexplored passions in Caroline.