Books like 'Water for Elephants'
Readers who enjoyed Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary forbidden love love triangle suspense mystery fem-dom 20th century bdsm friends-benefits other-man-woman
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State of Suspense by Marie Force
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA high-profile murder has Sam and her team chasing an elusive killer…. Just back from their anniversary trip to Dewey Beach, there’s no slow roll back to work for the first couple as Sam is immediately thrust into a baffling new case that has everyone on edge. The FBI wants in on this one, and she’s determined to figure out what happened before they can take over her investigation... -
![State of Denial by Marie Force]()
State of Denial by Marie Force
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDenial: refusing to admit the truth or reality of something unpleasant…. His mother has been arrested, his government is under new threat, the relentless media is driving him mad, and denial becomes the word of the day for President Nick Cappuano. Meanwhile, his wife, DC Metro Police Lt. Sam Holland Cappuano has caught a big new case with suspects everywhere she looks... -
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![State of Shock by Marie Force]()
State of Shock by Marie Force
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThey never saw this coming…. Hold on to your hat for the next First Family book, coming December 20, 2022. -
![State of the Union by Marie Force]()
State of the Union by Marie Force
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsIt’s the biggest night of President Nick Cappuano’s life. Will his first lady make it to the Capitol in time for his speech? President Cappuano has been working for months on his first State of the Union address, his highest profile moment yet as the country’s new president... -
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![Ashes by Chelle Bliss]()
Ashes by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsDylan Walsh left his small town behind and vowed to never return. But when his brother needs help, Dylan steps back into the memories he tried so hard to forget. He thought there was nothing there for him anymore until a woman he knew as a little girl catches more than Dylan’s eye. Rosie Gallo is known for her kind spirit, good-girl vibes, and her loyalty to the ones she loves... -
![The Key Trilogy by Nora Roberts]()
The Key Trilogy by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsKey of Light (2003). The Malory Price Life Plan does not include a quixotic quest - but the strangers on Warrior's Peak claim that she must find a key that will release three souls held captive by an evil god. Little does she know that the quest will bring her two new friends, the love of her life, and danger beyond anyone's imagination. Key of Knowledge (2003)... -
![Fatal Frenzy by Marie Force]()
Fatal Frenzy by Marie Force
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsInauguration day is almost here…. Lieutenant Sam Holland is on leave, recovering from an attack that shook her to the core. With no case to distract her, she's trying to stay busy—even voluntarily meeting with her new White House staff. But it's not enough to keep the horrific memories at bay, and her family is worried…especially her husband, Vice President Nick Cappuano... -
![Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich]()
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
Fugitive Apprehension Agent Stephanie Plum has a big problem on her hands: Seven-year-old Annie Soder and her mother, Evelyn, have disappeared. Evelyn's estranged husband, Steven, a shady owner of a seedy bar, is not at all happy. During the divorce proceedings, he and Evelyn signed a child custody bond, and Steven is demanding the money guaranteed by the bond to find Annie...Categorized as:
love triangle suspense mystery other-man-woman contemporary heroine sleuth open-door length-medium -
![Hot Six by Janet Evanovich]()
Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
Low-rent bounty hunter Stephanie Plum reaches depths of personal experience that other women detectives never quite do. In Hot Six , for example, a sequence of new and hideous cars bite the dust; she finds herself lumbered with a policeman's multiply incontinent dog; and she has several bad skin days...Categorized as:
love triangle suspense mystery other-man-woman m-f contemporary heroine sleuth open-door -
![Forgotten Secrets by Christy Barritt]()
Forgotten Secrets by Christy Barritt
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFBI Special Agent Jesse Marx doesn’t know which is worse—waking up in a horse stable with no memories of the past two weeks or waking up to discover he’s wearing a wedding band. Not only has he been injured, but he’s also married—something he vowed to never do. Dakota Fleming refuses to feel a connection to any man, much less be tied down to one...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity mystery m-f christian contemporary audiobook first-in-series -
![Seven Up by Janet Evanovich]()
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
BLOWN UP. All New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has to do is bring in semi-retired bail jumper Eddie DeChooch. For an old man he's still got a knack for slipping out of sight--and raising hell...Categorized as:
love triangle suspense mystery other-man-woman m-f contemporary heroine sleuth behind-doors -
![Lost in You by Lexi Blake]()
Lost in You by Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRobert McClellan was forced to serve as a soldier in a war he didn’t understand. Liberated by McKay-Taggart, he struggles every day to reclaim the life he lost and do right by the men he calls his brothers, The Lost Boys. Only one thing is more important – Ariel Adisa. The gorgeous psychologist has plagued his dreams since the day they met... -
![Now or Never by Janet Evanovich]()
Now or Never by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsShe said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiancés and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone. While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice...Categorized as:
mystery suspense love triangle other-man-woman humor contemporary heroine sleuth length-medium -
![Targeted by Kendra Elliot]()
Targeted by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsAll Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween. Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask...Categorized as:
mystery suspense m-f age difference heroine sleuth contemporary length-medium audiobook -
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![Shock and Awesome by Camilla Chafer]()
Shock and Awesome by Camilla Chafer
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhen a thief who preys on the super rich women of a high-end dating website turns up in Montgomery, it’s up to Private Investigator, Lexi Graves, to lure him out before he goes to ground. To make matters worse, he's evaded capture numerous times, and this might be the last chance to catch him before he retires altogether from the high stakes game...Categorized as:
love triangle suspense mystery other-man-woman contemporary strong heroine length-medium audiobook -
![Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens]()
Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlexander Palomino is a man defined by the ghosts of his past, of which there are his parents, his daughter, his wife…, and Jess. He’s a man defined by the promises he’s made. To never be like his abusive father, to never love again, never trust again, and to sever their ties for good. In the wake of their heart-wrenching end, Alex’s rash decision throws lives into chaos, including his own... -
![Four to Score by Janet Evanovich]()
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 118 ratingsStephanie Plum, Trenton, New Jersey's favorite pistol-packing, condom-carrying bounty hunter, is back - and on the trail of a revenge-seeking waitress who's skipped bail. With the help of 73-year-old Grandma Mazur, ex-hooker Lula, a transvestite musician named Sally Sweet, and the all-too-hospitable, all-too-sexy Joe Morelli, Stephanie might just catch her woman...Categorized as:
suspense mystery 20th century love triangle other-man-woman m-f contemporary heroine sleuth -
![Hammer: An Evil Dead MC Story by Nicole James]()
Hammer: An Evil Dead MC Story by Nicole James
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA badass biker and the sexy little sprite that wants nothing to do with him. They're opposites in every way that matters-except one-they can't keep their eyes off each other. Hammer watches Tink strut past him without so much as a glance. His eyes moving over her hot little body-a body that's been driving him crazy and keeping him awake at night... -
![Count to Ten by Karen Rose]()
Count to Ten by Karen Rose
In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday ahs never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined...Categorized as:
suspense mystery forced proximity m-f contemporary men in uniform audiobook open-door -
![Adored by Lexi Blake]()
Adored by Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA man who gave up on love. Bradford is an intimidating man. In his professional life, he has a reputation for demolishing his opponents in the courtroom. At the exclusive BDSM club Sanctum, he prefers disciplining pretty submissives with no strings attached. In his line of work, there’s no time for a healthy relationship... -
![Something Nice by Tiffany Reisz]()
Something Nice by Tiffany Reisz
It's July, a couple months after Nora returns to Søren at the end of THE SIREN, and while in bed, Søren makes a trade with Nora. He'll do something nice for her and she'll do something nice for him. Of course Nora picks something sexual. But Søren surprises her with his "something nice" request. Read the excerpt below to find out what it is. This story if for mailing list subscribers only...Categorized as:
bdsm age difference forbidden love m-f contemporary alpha male length-novella explicit-plentiful -
![Lucas by Elle James]()
Lucas by Elle James
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFormer Delta Force Operator, Lucas LeBlanc, has lost everyone he’s ever loved and is afraid to commit his heart to anyone. He believes he’s the black cloud, the bad luck killing off the people he dares to love as family, friend or lover. After leaving the military, he joins Brotherhood Protectors where he hopes he can put his combat training and skills to work helping others... -
![Jenner by Dale Mayer]()
Jenner by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHeading to Ashland, Kentucky, where his ex-wife’s family lives, is not in Jenner’s plans anytime soon. But, given a War Dog is potentially in trouble, well, Jenner will even face his past. Arriving at a small bed-and-breakfast, he meets a woman more interesting than anyone he’d met in a long time... -
![Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens]()
Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlexander Palomino is a man defined by the ghosts of his past, of which there are his parents, his daughter, his wife…, and Jess. He’s a man defined by the promises he’s made. To never be like his abusive father, to never love again, never trust again, and to sever their ties for good. In the wake of their heart-wrenching end, Alex’s rash decision throws lives into chaos, including his own... -
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![See No Evil by Allison Brennan]()
See No Evil by Allison Brennan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA cunning killer hides in plain sight. A troubled teenage girl has been charged with the grisly murder of her stepfather. The evidence is damning: Emily was found alone at the scene with blood on her hands, and an incriminating e-mail she wrote outlines a murder plot identical to the method of the brutal slaying... -
![To Have and To Hold: Arranged marriage stand-alone by Aleatha Romig]()
To Have and To Hold: Arranged marriage stand-alone by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsArranged marriage, age-gap, forbidden love, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, Romeo and Juliet vibes, family saga, Mafia/cartel romance, Slow burn, Redemption, Morally gray hero, dangerous romance. The Roríguez cartel is spinning out of control, tragedy putting the alliance and our future in question...Categorized as:
m-f age difference forbidden love forced proximity suspense multicultural from hate to love mafia -
![The Maverick of the Mountain by Tessa Klein]()
The Maverick of the Mountain by Tessa Klein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe’s big. He’s bearded. AND HE HAS A CHAINSAW! ? You Only Live Once. .. My temporary tattoo feels more like a prescient warning than a gentle reminder after I nearly careen off an old mountain road during the worst storm I’ve ever encountered. I should’ve stayed in town. I should’ve thrown out the hand-drawn map the local gave me... -
![Levi: Driverton 2 by Ruth Cardello]()
Levi: Driverton 2 by Ruth Cardello
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDriverton’s bad boy is falling in love with his best friend’s cousin and it just might cost him everything. Levi has always had a sweet spot for Katie, but she’s not his type. He likes his women wild, willing, and from out of town so they’re easy to move on from when his interest wanes. Katie is opinionated and off-limits... -
![Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway]()
Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“What happens on an Irish bus tour stays on an Irish bus tour…”. This is the second book in the clean and sweet romcom Men of the Isles series by Deborah M. Hathaway. Although this clean, road trip, forbidden romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order. Don't miss the other novels in this series! Book 1: Winning Winnie's Hand. Book 2: Driving Maisie Crazy - 2025...Categorized as:
forced proximity secret-relationship forbidden love contemporary humor length-medium -
![Romeo by R.J. Gray]()
Romeo by R.J. Gray
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShe’s twenty years younger than him. And his best friend’s baby sister. He had no right claiming her as his. Author note: Romeo is a age gap romance with steamy heat in and out of the bedroom for mature readers. -
![Find Me by Tiffany Snow]()
Find Me by Tiffany Snow
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAs the head of the government’s secret Vigilance spy program, computer guru China Mack already has her hands full when her billionaire boyfriend, Jackson Cooper, asks for one of them in marriage. Thrown for a loop by the sudden proposal, China’s usually well-ordered life takes another hit when someone tries to assassinate the president... -
![Ashes of Black Oak by Monique Edenwood]()
Ashes of Black Oak by Monique Edenwood
I watch the blood as it seeps from him, pooling like crimson flame around his neck, trickling in rivulets of liquid fire onto the dense body below. The body I've touched. I've held. I've kissed. I've felt wrapped around me for so long, holding me possessively, protecting me from those who wanted me lost...Categorized as:
suspense love triangle forced proximity other-man-woman bdsm contemporary super rich hero cheating -
![Spiraled by Kendra Elliot]()
Spiraled by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsFBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival. But that’s only the beginning…. An epidemic of mass shootings has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives...Categorized as:
mystery suspense m-f age difference heroine sleuth contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Daimon by Jessica Ames]()
Daimon by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDaimon. As Treasurer of the Untamed Sons MC, I don't have time to deal with a bratty kid. Briella is nineteen. I'm thirty-one. I'm too old for her tantrums, but I'm sure there's something more to her acting out than a late teenage rebellion. When I look in her eyes, I see her demons glaring back at me, and I want to know who put them there... -
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![The Hunt by Allison Brennan]()
The Hunt by Allison Brennan
Touched by a killer, she feels the fire of revenge. Twelve years ago, Miranda Moore miraculously survived the torture of a serial killer who was never caught. Since then, Miranda, a former FBI trainee and now a member of a local search-and-rescue squad, has witnessed with horror the recovery of the mutilated bodies of seven young women, all victims of her tormentor, known as The Butcher... -
![The Kill by Allison Brennan]()
The Kill by Allison Brennan
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsHer worst nightmare brought back to life, she risks everything for a second shot at justice. For thirty years, FBI scientist Olivia St. Martin has lived with guilt and one abiding certainty–that while she wasn’t able to save her sister’s life, she did testify and helped to convict the rapist and killer... -
![Stone Sober by Gwyn McNamee]()
Stone Sober by Gwyn McNamee
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStone Hawke is precisely the kind of man women are warned about—handsome, intelligent, arrogant, and intricately entangled with some dangerous people. I should stay away, but he manages to strip my soul bare with just a look and dominates my thoughts. Bad decisions are in my past. My life is (mostly) on track, even if it is no longer the one to medical school... -
![Pursuing Dace by Stephanie St. Klaire]()
Pursuing Dace by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe O’Reilly brothers are back with a vengeance in another riveting novel overflowing with mayhem and murder. Dace O’Reilly is in for the fight of his life to clear the name of the woman who stole his heart. The fourth installment of the mysterious saga of forbidden love, second chances, and twists of fate is finally here! Just when you think the O'Reilly Brothers can’t get any better—... -
![Cherry Brandy by L.J. Evans]()
Cherry Brandy by L.J. Evans
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing on the run with only one bed is no excuse to touch her…until touching is the only choice. A quirky rock star and her fierce Secret Service agent fight a forbidden attraction. As the Vice President’s daughter and his current assignment, Leya Singh is completely off-limits... -
![Joker by Harley Wylde]()
Joker by Harley Wylde
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCleo -- My family put me through hell, and I escaped the only way possible… by marrying a biker locked up in prison. Joker gave me his name and a way to hide from my family. Until the day they find me… Now it’s time I return to the husband who doesn’t want me and hope he doesn’t find out all my secrets -- because if he does, I have a feeling he’s going to make me leave... -
![Long Way Down by Lauren Gilley]()
Long Way Down by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhen she was six, a horrific crime against a family member determined the course of Melissa Dixon’s life. It eventually drove her away from her tiny, Mississippi home town, away from her family, and into a career in law enforcement. Living and working in NYC, she keeps the past locked away tight, memory relegated to rare nightmares... -
![Isolate by K.E. Osborn]()
Isolate by K.E. Osborn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe was the girl next door. Then she broke my heart. When she fell for my best friend instead of me. Unwilling to come between them, I left LA. Found sanctuary in New Orleans with a brotherhood who calmed my storm. She should have been safe. She was his to protect. The problem is—she should have been mine. And now his mistakes have come back on her... -
![Constantine: Britain's Story Part 2 by E.L. Stevens]()
Constantine: Britain's Story Part 2 by E.L. Stevens
If I could forget Liam Millar, my life would be perfect. I’d finally done the hard thing and moved home. I’d gotten my house on a lake. I had family in my life for the first time in decades and I could really start to picture the Sunday dinners and long days spent on the water soaking up the California sun. I’d even have the perfect love story too... -
![Iron by Harley Wylde]()
Iron by Harley Wylde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNari – Pain. Humiliation. Those are the things my father taught me, and every man I’ve met since. Running away from home didn’t fix anything. Now I’m nineteen and back in the town my family calls home. I haven’t told them I’m here, and I don’t plan to. But I also didn’t count on a biker giving me a ride, and leaving me at the Hades Abyss compound... -
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![Beating Ruby by Camilla Monk]()
Beating Ruby by Camilla Monk
Life hasn’t been quite the same for computer engineer Island Chaptal since March, an OCD-ridden professional killer, burst into her life to clean her bedroom and take her on a global chase for a legendary diamond. Sadly, the (hit) man doesn’t just break bones; he breaks hearts, too... -
![Break Me by Tiffany Snow]()
Break Me by Tiffany Snow
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJust a few weeks ago, computer prodigy China Mack’s typical night in involved Endor Star Wars pajamas and a sensible bedtime. Now she’s dating gorgeous tech guru Jackson Cooper—one of Forbes’s Top Ten Eligible Billionaires—much to the Twitterverse’s delight. Turns out, going from socially inept hermit to poster girl for geek chic has its challenges...Categorized as:
suspense mystery love triangle other-man-woman contemporary length-medium audiobook cliffhanger -
![Beautiful Desire by A. James, Ashley James]()
Beautiful Desire by A. James, Ashley James
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen I find out I could lose my bookstore, I make a deal with the devil to save it, not realizing I would end up in bed with the last person I ever thought I’d be hot and sweaty with…. Fletcher St. James. Even at twenty-four, he’s a spoiled brat. He believes the whole world owes him something, and he really needs to be put in his place... -
![Return to Red Castle by Dorothy M. Keddington]()
Return to Red Castle by Dorothy M. Keddington
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRed Castle . .. an ancient citadel of wine-red stone in the heart of Utah's primitive High Uinta Mountains. Hidden away near its rocky base, a small plane lies twisted and broken. The four men . .. desperate, ruthless, will stop at nothing to retrieve the plane's valuable cargo,. but their only clue to its location are the words . .. Red Castle. Jesse Chisholm . . -
![Rose in Bloom by Mia Michelle]()
Rose in Bloom by Mia Michelle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSecrets. There are many different reasons for having secrets. Sometimes we choose to keep those secrets to protect people, while other times, they are kept out of deceit and shame. Regardless of their purpose, secrets have the power to hurt us, like nothing else. When we risk losing someone we love, we will stop at nothing, to prevent the truth from ever being known... -
![Unforgivable by Laura Griffin]()
Unforgivable by Laura Griffin
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsTracing Killers is Mia Voss's Business. And Her Work Just Got Personal. At first, Mia Voss thinks it’s just bad luck when her already lousy day ends with a carjacking, but what seems like a random incident is followed by another sinister episode. A DNA expert, Mia has made it her mission to put away vicious criminals. Suddenly, she’s become the target of one...
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