Book picks similar to
His Last Defense by Karen Rock


contemporary
romance
harlequin
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The Sheikh's Marriage Bargain


Leslie North - 2020
    Marriage was never in the picture. But when her grandfather is tricked into signing a binding marriage contract to a man she finds repugnant, she has one choice: Run away. Her flight ends with a fortuitous meeting with Zayid Hasan, Crown Prince of Raihan, who offers the perfect solution to Laila’s predicament: marry him and solve both their problems. Zayid’s younger brother must marry his pregnant fiancé, and ancient laws dictate the oldest brother is required to marry first. Desperate for a way to protect both her grandfather and herself, Laila agrees. After all, their marriage will last only until Zayid’s brother can marry—and her marriage to the brooding, handsome prince isn’t much of a sacrifice. It’s not like she’s going to be foolish enough to fall in love…Zayid doesn’t know what to think about his new half-American wife. He doesn’t really want to think about her at all, but for some reason, he can’t stop himself. Strangely enough, all the royal functions that used to bore him silly are now entertaining with Laila by his side—even though he knows she’d much rather be alone creating her art. Though the marriage of convenience was his idea, he can’t help but start to wish it was the real deal. No way can he ignore the simmering chemistry that’s driving them both a bit crazy. He’s much better at ignoring what’s in his heart—until he realizes it just might break if he can’t convince Laila to stay with him forever…

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 Story of Us


Tara Sivec - 2017
    That's how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I'll do anything to get back to her. Only Shelby Eubanks isn't the girl I left behind all those years ago. She's someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother's ambitions. But I won't give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

Falling for Trouble


Selena Laurence - 2013
    But she’s never been a fan of the military and wasn’t prepared for the conditions she finds there. Even more disturbing is the escort who’s assigned to her—the impossibly arrogant Gabe Thompson. He’s all Army, and all man. Struggling to keep her cool while fending off his advances, Alexis feels the heat of the desert in more ways than one. A Bad Boy Pushed to His Limits Gabe Thompson has no use for attachments. He knows his sexy charm and cocky attitude can win him any woman he sets his eyes on—until he meets Alexis, the headstrong brunette who has his pulse racing and his temper flaring. Gabe knows he’ll need a new kind of weapon if he’s going to bed the sexy volunteer, but every time he looks into her dark, soulful eyes, he feels a different kind of need. A War That Forces Them to Rely on Each Other When Gabe and Alexis are trapped by an ambush, they need to trust each other to make it out alive. As fear and desperation turn to respect and passion, Alexis is beginning to see she can’t live without Gabe, and Gabe is discovering that love might actually be worth fighting for. A national bestseller by award-winning author Selena Laurence, originally published as Camouflaged.

Every Breath


Tasha Ivey - 2013
    Mature audiences only.** How does someone give their heart away when they don’t have all of the pieces?Not that Makenna really wants a second chance at love anyway. She is stuck in her tragic past, secretly living every day for her deceased fiancé, while her new boyfriend, Drew, is gently nudging her into the present. Desperate to appear normal again, she slaps on a happy face and goes through the motions of a normal, healthy relationship—but with the exception of even a single kiss. And she’s okay with pretending, but Drew needs more than she’s willing to give.Surprisingly, it’s an innocent letter from a soldier halfway around the world that has her seeing life differently. Sawyer is at his breaking point, and his depression sucks him in deeper every day. Makenna becomes his only lifeline to home, and he’s hanging on by a very weak thread. By helping him, Makenna learns to let go of grief before she’s left with only a ghost of the woman she once was, finally freeing her from guilt and showing her that it is possible to love again. But when she discovers that both of the men in her life are hiding something, she makes two shocking revelations.One of them is insanely in love with her, and one of them destroyed her happy ever after. Even though a fairytale ending does await her, is she willing to face her own demons to fight for it? **DOES CONTAIN MILD LANGUAGE AND SEXUAL CONTENT.**

Secrets in the Sand


Carolyn Brown - 2021
    Not when they are deep within the heart like Angela Conrad's. Ten years ago, Clancy Morgan broke her heart and even though she's made a successful life for herself, she's never gotten over that pain. Angel didn't intend to ever go back home, but when the Alumni Association asked her to return to her hometown to play for the dance at their alumni gathering, she agreed.Clancy wasn't planning to attend, but he does, and he recognizes Angela immediately. He never expected to see her again, and definitely didn't expect to see her standing up there looking like a movie star and singing like a seasoned famous country artist. She's the Angel he walked away from and has been kicking himself ever since.He made a big mistake, but maybe he can mend it, if only she'll let him. She's not so easily inclined, but he gets to know her posse of protective girlfriends, and they cook up a scheme to help her get over him once and for all. Or, maybe she'll let him win her back.

The Complete Captive Heart Duet


Carrie Aarons - 2019
    Especially one that is held by her childhood neighbor and the boy who broke her young heart, Tucker. And the last thing she expected was to become his hostage. What ensues is a story of heartbreak, recovery, passion, and prevailing through it all to save the love that still burns between them. "Aarons takes a typical boy next door romance and turns it on its head. No flowers and sweet, swoon-worthy late night stolen kisses here. There is grit and suspense and a struggle to move forward; and Aarons does it flawlessly." -The Read Report LOST We knew each other a lifetime ago. And then... We lost childhoods. We lost opportunities. We lost love. Fate is giving us another chance. But a chance at what? Because even though we’ve been brought back to each other under the worst of circumstances… We are still. So. Damn. Lost. FOUND We found each other where no else could. Found a purpose. Found ourselves. Found love. Again. But then life got in the way. Three years later and the people that we once were are nowhere to be found. Can our love survive everything we've put it through? Can we find a way back to each other... Again?

The Baby Bargain


Jennifer Apodaca - 2013
    Ex-Marine. Ex-boyfriend. And still extremely dangerous territory. But Adam doesn’t know the secret Megan has been keeping from him. The secret that was created three years ago, after their last night together...Adam returns to Raven’s Cove to sell his home in a final break with the town and memories that haunt him. The problem is that his attraction to Megan is as blazing hot as it ever was. But when a vicious smear campaign against Megan turns ugly, Adam learns the truth he never knew—he has a son. Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam. And it’s a bargain that looks a lot like blackmail...

Married for His Convenience


Eleanor Webster - 2016
    So when the Earl of Langford makes her a proposal that will take her one step closer to finding her half sister, she can't refuse! Sebastian's dreams of romance died with his late wife's affair, so now he needs a convenient wife to act as governess for his silent daughter. Yet Sarah continues to surprise and challenge him, and soon Sebastian can't deny the joy his new bride could bring to his life—and into his bed!

Bent


H.B. Heinzer - 2013
    Newly divorced, Julia returns to the small hometown she swore she?d left forever. She plans on enjoying the cheap rental a friend offers and staying there just long enough to figure out her next steps in life. But before long, Julia realizes she's made a big mistake. A decade ago, Micah Anderson promised Julia forever but broke her heart right before she left for college. Now, Julia's back in town, and he's going to have to tell her the truth about why he left her ? it's impossible to hide a twelve-year-old child when you live in such a small town. Can Julia forgive Micah and start anew? Should she try to make a relationship work if Micah's past becomes a threat to her safety? Should she follow her dreams if it means giving up on a second chance with her first love?

Reborn


Meredith WildMeredith Wild - 2018
    Days. Weeks. I measure mine in kills. A covert military mission gone wrong robbed me of my memory and any link to my past. This is my existence now. I execute and survive. Nothing more, nothing less. I was ready to write Isabel Foster’s name in my ledger of unfortunate souls until she uttered the one word that could stop the bullet meant for her. My name. She knows my face. She knows me. She’s the key to the memories I’m not sure I want back. Now nothing is simple. I still have a job to do, and my soul isn’t worth saving. I’m not the man she thinks I am. I can’t love her. And sparing her life puts us both in the crosshairs.

SEAL Obsessed (A Navy SEAL Romance) (SEAL Alliance #2)


Ivy Jordan - 2018
    When he got word of his father’s passing, he dreaded making the trip from his now home in Miami, Florida, to the island of Molokai, Hawaii. What others would view as a paradise, Elijah viewed as a personal hell, surrounded only by bad memories.When Elijah arrived on the island, much of the place hadn’t changed, with the exception of Taylor Madden. His fallen brother from the SEALS, and childhood best friend’s younger sister had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, one that Elijah immediately sought after to make his time on the island more tolerable.Taylor Grant had the perfect family, a loving father, a protective older brother that she looked up to, but suddenly she found herself pulled from her busy life in New York, and dropped back on the small island in Hawaii where she grew up, in the same house, but without either of the men in her life.The struggle to overcome the guilt of her father’s passing, and the desire to learn details about how her brother had fallen while serving their country overwhelmed her with grief. When a familiar face, Elijah Grant appeared on the island, she thought he could give her the answers she was looking for, but he ended up giving her much more than she ever expected.SEAL Obsessed is an 70,000 word Navy SEAL romance with a HEA and no cheating.

Burn Zone


Annabeth Albert - 2020
    Wild.Danger lurks everywhere for Central Oregon’s fire crews, but the biggest risk of all might be losing their hearts…Smoke jumper Lincoln Reid is speechless to see Jacob Hartman among his squad’s new recruits. Linc had promised his late best friend he’d stay away from his little brother. And yet here Jacob is…and almost instantly, the same temptation Linc has always felt around him is causing way too many problems.Jacob gets everyone’s concerns, but he’s waited years for his shot at joining the elite smoke jumping team, hoping to honor his brother’s memory. He’s ready to tackle any challenge Linc throws his way, and senses the chemistry between them—chemistry Linc insists on ignoring—is still alive and kicking. This time, Jacob’s determined to get what he wants.Close quarters and high stakes make it difficult for Linc to keep his resolve, never mind do so while also making sure the rookie’s safe. But the closer they get, the more Linc’s plan to leave at the end of the season risks him breaking another promise: the one his heart wants to make to Jacob.This book is approximately 90,000 wordsOne-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Evermore


Corinne Michaels - 2019
    After being humiliated by him on my wedding day, I can’t face working for him any longer. So I quit, waving my middle finger on my way out.Now the only things I’m poised for are unemployment and loneliness.When an opportunity with Cole Security arises, it seems like the perfect way to run, all the way to Virginia Beach. I wasn’t expecting my childhood sweetheart to be there. I definitely wasn’t prepared that when we saw each other again, Benjamin Pryce would be so grown-up. So gorgeous. So Navy SEAL-ish.And still the same guy who broke my heart when I was fifteen--and could do it again.They say if you’re fooled once, shame on them. The second time, it’s on you. The third time, it’s going to be me that runs… unless he can convince me to stay forevermore.**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Make My Wish Come True


Fiona Harper - 2013
    When Gemma shirks responsibility once too many and announces she’s off to the Caribbean (again!); Juliet finally snaps. Gemma offers her sister the perfect solution - to swap Christmases: she’ll stay home and cook the turkey (how hard can it be?) and Juliet can fly off into the sun and have a restorative break.In the midst of all the chaos, there’s Will, Juliet’s dishy neighbour who’s far too nice to float Gemma’s boat and may secretly harbour feelings for her sister; and Marco, the suave Italian in the villa next door, who has his own ideas about the best way to help Juliet unwind. Will the sisters abandon caution and make this a Christmasswap to remember?