Books like 'The Gamble'
Readers who enjoyed The Gamble by Kristen Ashley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary western alpha male insta-love strong heroine suspense mystery from hate to love second chances bad boys
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Get Bucked by Lani Lynn Vale
Darby has always been ‘that’ guy. The guy that no man, woman, or child wants around their loved one. See, a long time ago he made some bad decisions. Those bad decisions have haunted him ever since. No matter what he does, people still see him as the town’s screw up. The boy that sold his soul to the Devil. Years later, he’s turned himself around... -
Malone's Fate by Laylah Roberts, Golden Czermak
He met the love of his life, and then she disappeared without a trace . . .That was it.Tanner wasn’t going to fall in love again. The pain wasn’t worth it. So what if all his brothers had met their soulmate?There had to be one wild, crazy Malone left to live up to their reputation.Right?Wrong.Because he hadn’t counted on fate walking back into his life.Only this time, she's not alone...Categorized as:
suspense m-f second chances caretaking small town tortured heroine strong heroine sweet heroine -
Retreat by Jay Crownover
Every once in a while, you need to get away from it all. I was a woman on the edge, shaken and shattered after a breakup that felt like it tore my entire world apart. My best friend, sick of watching me drown in misery and melancholy, harassed me until I agreed to go with her on a week-long wilderness retreat. She promised days spent bonding and getting in touch with our inner bad-asses... -
Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley
No connections. Play it safe. These were the rules Ivey lived her life by. Until she hit Mustang, Colorado, a perfectly imperfect town where the citizens were welcoming and one of them included the tall, beautiful, macho man rancher cowboy, Grayson Cody. On the run for a decade, Ivey knew she was supposed to play it safe. But she was tired of being on the run. She wanted a normal...Categorized as:
second chances suspense alpha male cowboys tortured heroine sassy heroine small town angst -
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Wild Highway by Devney Perry
Gemma Lane built an empire. Not a small feat, considering her home as a teenager was a makeshift tent in a California junkyard. She’s dedicated her life to turning pennies into millions. She has power, fortune and prestige. And she’s leaving it all behind... -
Tempt Our Fate by Kat Singleton
Camden Hunter doesn't belong here.I've spent my entire life in the small town of Sutten Mountain where everyone knows everyone and you can spot trouble from a mile away.Camden is trouble.He’s an arrogant, self-absorbed billionaire from the city with too much money and not enough manners.And he just opened a fancy art gallery next door to my bakery... -
Hot for Love: Nick Braden by Melissa Foster
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance families. All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.In HOT FOR LOVE..Categorized as:
m-f angst caretaking forced proximity insta-love sassy heroine sweet heroine strong heroine -
Sin With Me by Brooke Montgomery
A hidden identities stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a girl who wakes up married in Vegas to her ex-boyfriend’s twin brother… From the moment he calls the crisis hotline, I'm drawn to his voice. As I help him through his darkest moments, we slowly get to know each other. The more he needs me, the more I need him, too...Categorized as:
forced proximity small town cowboys m-f friends to lovers western contemporary length-medium -
The Brawl by Willa Nash, Devney Perry
A small town, single parent romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Devney Perry. On Ronan Thatcher’s first week in Montana, he spots the most beautiful woman in the world. Love at first sight? Nah. He doesn’t believe in love. But he wouldn’t mind a date or two with the local beauty. Ronan is the type of man who gets what he wants, and he wants Larke Hale...Categorized as:
forced proximity insta-love from hate to love suspense small town strong heroine m-f angst -
Spill the Sweet Tea by Lyra Parish
Some describe me as a quirky, free-spirited journalist who charges her crystals by moonlight. They’re not wrong. My instincts ensure I know everything that goes on in my small town. And not much surprises me. But when the man who destroyed my heart returns to care for his family’s business, I’m shaken to the core...Categorized as:
cowboys from hate to love small town insta-love alpha male m-f contemporary grumpy sunshine -
Lone Star Sheriff by Kat Baxter
CalebI’ve known Madison Crawford was mine since we were teenagers. Timing, circumstances, and my good manners have kept me from claiming her as my own. Now, the ex who left her at the altar is back asking for a second chance, and I’m done playing by the rules. She thinks I’m nothing more than a stick-in-the-mud, but she’s about to find out what happens when I’m not in uniform. No more Mr...Categorized as:
cowboys insta-love forced proximity alpha male m-f second chances virgin hero contemporary -
Full Circle by Laramie Briscoe
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFirst comes loveThen comes marriageNow? The baby carriageGarrett and Hannah Thompson have a lot going on. They have a baby on the way, Garrett’s on tour, and Hannah’s enjoying being a wife and a soon-to-be mother.But with them nothing is ever easy. Paparazzi still want the inside scoop, Jared and Shell still have issues, and there’s her pesky record company that they have to deal with... -
The Masterson County Collection: Masterson County Books 1 Thru 4 by Calle J. Brookes
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSOMETIMES SMALL TOWNS HAVE SECRETS.Masterson, Wyoming is no exception.When the Masterson brothers meet the redheaded Tyler sisters, anything can happen. But can the brothers stop the threats coming for them all?In Seeking the Sheriff, Sheriff Joel Masterson shows up on Phoebe Tyler's doorstep with her drunken younger brother in tow. Joel takes one look at Phoebe and falls hard and fast... -
High Density by Freya Barker
Are you ready for the next group of High Mountain Trackers?This specialized, mounted, search & rescue team in the wilds of northern Montana has expanded into the next generation of experienced mountain men. Ex-military, former law enforcement, and homegrown, highly trained trackers who assist law enforcement in the rescue or recovery of missing individuals and the hunting down of criminals...Categorized as:
suspense m-f independent heroine cowboys western contemporary competent heroine open-door -
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Protective: A Curvy Girl, Age Gap, Mail Order Mountain Man Romance by Khloe Summers
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan this older mountain man find love on a blind date? Heather I’m not the kind of girl that uses dating sites.I want an old-fashioned kind of love.The kind you find when you least expect it.So, how did I end up here?An exclusive blind date ranch that specializes in forever... -
Justice Inked by Olivia Jaymes
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSheriff Dare Turner is known for his ever-present scowl and general bad mood. Between a teenage sister who thinks she’s all grown up and a killer on the loose he doesn’t have much to smile about these days. He simply doesn’t have time for fun and games. Rayne Dunn is half free spirit and half workaholic... -
True North by Alexandra Banks
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe last time Louisa saw Harry Rawlins was the night he proposed to her after prom. After ten years of living thousands of miles away from her small hometown, she runs right back after a humiliating ending to her career. Diner work and the odd shift at the Italian restaurant she lives above has her fighting up from rock bottom... -
High Ground by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNot much has gone according to plan for mechanic, Pippa Freling, recently. With lots of bridges burned behind her, she decides to stick close to her sister and give Montana a try. Things are looking up when she joins a local group of animal activists, buys an auto shop for a steal, and even tries her luck with the opposite sex... -
Her Brand of Justice by B.J. Daniels
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsExploring her hidden past May rob her of her future Ansley Brookshire’s search for her birth mother takes her from the gated estate where she grew up to Lonesome, Montana. This is where she meets Buck Crawford. Determined to help, the gorgeous rancher introduces her to Colt Brothers Investigations... -
Spurred On by Elle Jordan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. A girls’ weekend in Vegas to celebrate me finally passing my nursing boards—what could go wrong?A lot. Like accidentally marrying the star of bull riding, Maverick Ryder. I’m sure you’re wondering how someone gets accidentally married. Answer: a mechanical bull and way too many margaritas... -
Lucky Like Us by Jennifer Ryan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe Hunted series continues as Special Agent Sam Turner discovers that protecting the FBI's star witness is more difficult than he thought! Bakery owner Elizabeth Hamilton's quiet life is filled with sweet treats, good friends, and a loving family. But all of that is about to turn sour when an odd sound draws her outside. There's a man lying unconscious in the street, a car speeding toward him... -
High Stakes by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen her sister, Pippa, goes missing, Nella Freling tells her boss she’s taking time off from her job as a research librarian, hops in her sensible van, and heads south of the border to Montana. However, local police don’t seem too concerned about a missing woman living in her motorhome... -
The Edens - A Legacy Story by Devney Perry
A forced proximity, small town romance and short story in The Edens series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Devney Perry.Anne Snow planned to ring in the 1988 New Year wearing pajamas and watching Unsolved Mysteries . Instead, she’s been guilt tripped by her friends into a cabin getaway slash cross-country skiing fiasco... -
The Lone Star Lawman by Justine Davis
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe never lets anything get to him. Except her. Police Chief Shane Highwater has the respect of the entire town of Last Stand, Texas, and they all believe he was blameless when an accident several months ago ended one life and tore apart another. All except reporter Liliana Jones, who blames him for her fiancé’s death. There's more to the story than she knows, secrets that might change her mind... -
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Against the Odds by Kat Martin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis case may prove to be too hot to handle. There's silver out there: Sabrina Eckhart is sure of it. And when she finds the hidden mine on that big piece of West Texas desert, all of her financial problems are solved. That is, if she can find it. The man with the skills she needs is private investigator Alex Justice—a former navy fighter pilot and a current pain in the neck... -
Against the Sun by Kat Martin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin comes another thrilling story in The Raines of Wind Canyon series. It’s not in bodyguard Jake Cantrell’s job description to share his suspicions with his assignments. Beautiful executive Sage Dumont may be in charge, but Jake’s not on her payroll... -
Shattered Dreams by Natasha Madison
Montgavin Township will never be the same when one night changes the lives of six people. The course of their lives and the trajectory of the town sets them on a collision course for disaster.CharlieIt was supposed to be a regular day out.Three couples celebrating the last days of summer.When tragedy struck.I thought I was going to marry her.Instead, I was burying her...Categorized as:
cowboys from hate to love suspense angst second chances forced proximity m-f contemporary -
A Cowboy for Christmas by Susan Fisher-Davis
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsReid Callahan misses his best friend and blames himself for not doing more to save him from the bull that killed him. He also carries the guilt of being in love with his best friend’s wife who blames him too—or did. Now she says she’s always been attracted to him...Categorized as:
second chances strong heroine sassy heroine cowboys western contemporary christmas length-novella -
Riley by Susan Fisher-Davis
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHis father’s death may have brought Riley Madison home to Clifton but nothing is going to make him stay in a place filled with so many bad memories. He’s made a life in Texas and not even a beautiful woman with a little girl who melts his heart is going to make him change his mind. He doesn’t do relationships. Kaitlyn Garrett Parker is happy with her life since her husband’s untimely passing...Categorized as:
small town sassy heroine strong heroine cowboys western contemporary historical length-short -
Sam by Susan Fisher-Davis
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsEveryone tells Sheriff Sam Garrett to find a good woman and settle down. When he sets his sights on Clifton’s veterinarian, he fears she despises him yet he’s desired her from the first moment they met. She is quite possibly the only woman in town who isn’t attracted to him which might be why he wants her even more...Categorized as:
small town sassy heroine strong heroine cowboys western contemporary historical slow burn -
Wrangling Love by Leslie North
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter the humiliation of getting fired from her job in the city, Fiona Cafferty finds herself back home on the family ranch. Like it or not, she’ll be stuck working there until she can find another job. But she wasn't prepared to work beside her old high school nemesis, Eli Carter.Eli sure had changed over the years. For one thing, he’s grown up to become a smoking hot cowboy... -
Drake by Elle James
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEx-SEAL, then mercenary, Drake Morgan, is tired of war. He’s ready to make a life for himself building rather than killing. Hired as a carpenter by an old Navy buddy, he’s focused on rebuilding the Lucky Lady Lodge in Montana. When he discovers bones in one of the walls, his work site becomes a crime scene... -
The Cowboy's Second Chance Family: Clean as a Whistle Contemporary Western Romance by Shirleen Davies
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis cowboy will do everything possible to get his family back.He never expected to uncover the treachery which tore his marriage apart.Trace Griffin loved his life as a rodeo competitor. Leaving it behind to recover his family hadn’t been a difficult choice. Blindsided years earlier when his wife wrongly accused him of cheating, he found a new focus... -
Cowboy Bikers MC #12 by Esther E. Schmidt
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen eyes meet and make two hearts beat as one, there’s no holding the reins. Lust will take a turn and gallop toward love at full speed, taking on any danger it might face along the way.Nick - I’m the sheriff of this town as well as a member of an MC located at a huge ranch which breeds both longhorns and quarter horses... -
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Whiskey Ryder's Second Chance by Rhonda Lee Carver
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA single father is looking for a nanny, but what he gets is an old flame.Whiskey Ryder spends most of his time on the back of a horse on a mountain. Whether it’s on a search and rescue mission, or on the Ryde Hard Ranch working the land with his brothers. He’s all about being a cowboy…and a single father of a preteen who woke up one morning hating him... -
Cowboy Haven by B.A. Tortuga
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Heath Barron leaves Texas for Northern New Mexico, he thinks he's getting a luxury house rental for a steal, getting away from his ex, and finding a home for his newborn triplets. What he finds is a broken down trailer, a freezing winter, and the feeling that he's at rock bottom in his life. Again.Former rodeo champ Kolt Cordova has a good life... -
Flawed by Vanessa Vale, Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe bad boy brother. The by-the-books detective. A random meeting that will change their lives.Miles Bridger would rather be home in New York than stuck on a Montana ranch with his newfound half brothers, thanks to his deadbeat dad’s will. Miles now works with bulls and hay bales instead of custom bikes... -
Her Lucky Cowboy by Jennifer Ryan
Everything's bigger in Big Sky country, including the hearts of the Montana Men... Champion rodeo rider Dane Bowden is eight seconds from winning under the Vegas lights, one last hurrah before reluctantly returning to his family's Montana ranch. But his bull has other plans. When Dane wakes up, he's sure he's died and gone to heaven . . -
No More Secrets by Lucy Score
#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lucy Score brings to life the "nosiest small town in upstate New York," Blue Moon Bend, in a charming and compelling, sexy romantic comedy with an intriguing loner on the slow path to healing and an ambitious out-of-towner who just keeps slipping past his defenses...Categorized as:
forced proximity cowboys from hate to love insta-love alpha male strong heroine small town m-f -
Bitter Roots by C.J. Carmichael
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsDispatcher Zak Waller prefers working behind the scenes in the Sheriff’s Office of Lost Trail, Montana, but when a newcomer to the sparely populated town is brutally murdered—and the Sheriff is quick to pin the death on an unknown outsider—Zak starts his own private sleuthing... -
Rafe by Kathy Ivan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsWhen Sheriff Rafe Boudreau catches Tessa Maxwell climbing through the window of a house where she doesn’t belong, the crime rate isn’t the only thing that spikes. Turns out, trouble has followed the small-town schoolteacher to Shiloh Springs, and Rafe and the rest of the Boudreau clan must step in to keep her safe... -
When We Break by Kristen Proby
From New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Proby comes When We Break, a small-town, cowboy, heroine in danger romance, set in Bitterroot Valley!BeckettI’ve seen the gorgeous redhead with the big black dog that never leaves her side around town. She’s impossible to miss with that lush red hair and perfect green eyes... -
Cowboy Reckoning by Barb Han
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIntent on proving her brother was murdered a decade ago, Ensley Cartier returns to the one place she vowed to never set foot in again. With the whole town against her, she finds an ally in Levi McGannon. He loves the land and the ranching way of life, but they quickly discover Cattle Cove isn’t the innocent town he once believed and somebody wants Ensley buried along with their secrets... -
My Favorite Cowboy by Donna Grant
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Donna Grant rounds up the hottest cowboys in Texas in her latest novel of no-holds-barred passion.Audrey Martinez is a veterinarian who has devoted her whole life to the care and protection of horses―even if doing so leaves her little time for meeting a man... -
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Against the Night by Kat Martin
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsHe knows what goes on in the dark. She's got the face of an angel and the body of… well, isn't that what he'd expect from an exotic dancer? But there's something about this girl that Johnnie Riggs can't shake. The former army ranger is hot on the trail of an elusive drug lord, and suddenly very hot under the collar, as well... -
Texas Orchids by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'm a city boy, not a cowboy.I'm way out of my league on a horse ranch in Texas.Falling for the sexy horse vet was never my intention.Especially when I find out she could be dating a killer.Sneaking around with her?Not my brightest idea, but someone's got to protect her.It's just one summer. One casual fling.Until it becomes everything but... -
A Rancher's Song by Vivian Arend
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCan love help a champion bull rider face his fears and find his future? Welcome to Heart Falls, a new series from New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend. Ivy Field 's heart nearly broke when she left Heart Falls, but her high school sweetheart insisted she follow-through on her dream of becoming a teacher... -
Antonio by Kathy Ivan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTasked with locating a missing government witness, FBI agent Antonio Boudreau jumps at the chance to work closer to his home town of Shiloh Springs, Texas. Ever since somebody tried to kill her while under the feds protection, Serena Snowden’s been on the lam... -
Man's Best Friend: A Fake Relationship/Husky Man-Curvy Girl Romance (Love At First Bark) by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Fake Relationship/Husky Man-Curvy Girl RomanceBeckettI’m not good with first impressions, especially if the person I’m trying to impress is a gorgeous woman who our mutual friends are sure is my “perfect woman.” So when I bungle my blind date with the curvy bombshell, I’m sure I’ve missed my one shot...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity alpha male insta-love anthologies humor western contemporary -
Wedding at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe highly anticipated continuation of the Cardwell Ranch Collection, read by more than 2 MILLION! Jackson Cardwell won't stop until she is safe. In Montana for his brother's nuptials, Jackson Cardwell isn't looking to be anybody's hero. But the Texas single father knows a beautiful lady in distress when he meets her. Someone's hell-bent on making Allie Taylor think she's losing her mind...
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