Books like 'After Dark'
Readers who enjoyed After Dark by Beverly Barton also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary suspense mystery class difference forced proximity friends to lovers other-man-woman second chances secret child slow burn
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The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCombining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love. He shows up when all hope is lost. Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom. But then the nightmare strikes too close to home... -
Entice by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes the third book in the bestselling Eagle Elite Series... “As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.” Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bad boys mystery suspense alpha male secret child mafia contemporary -
Vanished in the Darkness by Robin Patchen
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThis title was previously published as Glimmer in the Darkness by Robin Patchen. New name, same great story.From a USA Today bestselling author comes this edge-of-your-seat Christian suspense that will keep you reading all night long.Nothing could get her home…but this.Cassidy Leblanc worked hard to shake off her tragic childhood... -
Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsMorgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger fight for the innocence of a young murder suspect—if only they could find him. When a retired sheriff’s deputy is shot to death in his home, his troubled teenage stepson, Evan, becomes the prime suspect. Even more incriminating, the boy disappeared from the scene of the crime. Desperate to find her son, Evan’s mother begs PI Lance Kruger for help... -
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The Magic of Sea Glass by Jenny Hale
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the USA Today, bestselling author of The Summer House, with over one million copies of her books sold, comes a heartwarming beach read, perfect for fans of Sheila Roberts, Jill Shalvis, and Debbie Macomber.After the loss of her fiancé a year ago, event planner Lauren Sutton can’t seem to go on with her choice of career or the life she’d built with her fiancé any longer... -
Keeper of Secrets by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe final book in the Carly Moore series.Carly had every intention of heading to Dallas to bring down her father, but not as Wyatt Drummand’s hostage. After Wyatt kidnaps her at gunpoint and threatens to turn her over to her father--the man she’s spent the past nine months hiding from--she explains that his plan will get them both killed... -
Heller's Punishment by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIn her latest adventure, rookie security officer Tilly Chalmers has three new assignments to cope with - chaperoning a devious addict to a rehabilitation clinic; live-in security for a strange and isolated religious cult; and protecting a national TV host in a damaging court case...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense strong heroine bad boys mystery alpha male slow burn humor -
The Wrong Bones by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA frantic chase to catch a grave robber reveals a startling discovery in this tenth installment of the Widow’s Island novella series by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.Deputy Tessa Black spots a man disturbing a grave in the local cemetery and gives chase. But when Tessa catches him, she learns that the ghoulish trespasser wasn’t robbing graves; he was burying a box of bones... -
A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Beyond the Moonlit Sea comes an atmospheric tale of how one woman’s search for the truth uncovers long-hidden secrets and rocks the very foundation of her world.Scarlett Fontaine is a true Hollywood legend—a singer, actress, and beloved fashion icon. But Scarlett dies tragically at just thirty-six years old, leaving behind no children... -
Hadley by Addison Jane
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsPeople change, it's a fact of life. Hadley found that out the hard way after her husband came home one day with darkness in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Realizing that she couldn't allow him to drag her into the shadows, she watched him walk away, thinking she’d be free to move on with her life. But now she was on the run, seeking safety from a man she once vowed to love forever... -
Nightwork by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 43 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces an unforgettable thief in an unputdownable new novel…Greed. Desire. Obsession. Revenge . . . It’s all in a night’s work. Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash... -
Code Name: Outlaw by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsMonths trapped in the clutches of a madman made Jenna Franklin a shell of the woman she once was. All she can do now is use her computer genius from inside the safety of closed doors. Even two years later, going outside = blood-freezing panic. She’s made herself a haven in the only place she’s felt safe since her captivity: Oak Creek, Wyoming—home of her Linear Tactical friends...Categorized as:
mystery suspense small town alpha male friends to lovers forced proximity third-person-pov military -
Bishop by Marie James
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn the grand scheme of things five years isn’t a very long time. It goes by in a blink, literally. Waking up with no recollection of the last five years is devastating. The woman I remember loving is with someone else. The only family I had is gone, and I’m forced to relive those losses all over again...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male tortured hero forced proximity single-mother friends to lovers humor bikers -
The Lullaby Girl by Loreth Anne White
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDetective Angie Pallorino took down a serial killer permanently and, according to her superiors, with excessive force. Benched on a desk assignment for twelve months, Angie struggles to maintain her sense of identity—if she’s not a detective, who is she? Then a decades-old cold case washes ashore, pulling her into an investigation she recognizes as deeply personal... -
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Heller's Girlfriend by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsTilly Chalmers’ life is complicated. Her boyfriend is demanding more attention while her boss, Heller, is always a distracting temptation...Categorized as:
mystery bad boys strong heroine suspense alpha male slow burn other-man-woman love triangle -
Stormy by Marie James
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLife changes in the blink of an eye.One minute my best friend from childhood is alive and well and the next minute he and his wife are gone.One minute I’m a single guy looking for fun, and the next I’m responsible for two little boys.With those two little boys comes Mila, the aunt refusing to be cast aside although she wasn’t named their guardian...Categorized as:
suspense single-mother secret child friends to lovers forced proximity alpha male bikers military -
A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA former gun for hire and a federal agent find themselves on the right side of love but the wrong end of a bullet in this Richter installment from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.On a fateful night in Las Vegas, FBI agent Leo Grant is working on a critical detail in a high-profile child prostitution trial when a beautiful woman jumps into the path of a bullet meant for him... -
Honor by J.L. Drake, Joe Arden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe Broken trilogy continues here.... Bullets fly during a dangerous mission, and Major Mark Lopez is critically injured.... A Blackstone soldier, Mark is transferred to the North Dakota hospital with the security clearance to treat members of the elite covert team. The pretty new nurse assigned to his case knows her stuff, but Mark soon discovers she knows more than just how to save lives... -
Forgotten Secrets by Christy Barritt
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
Forever by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome loves are meant to be from the very beginning.Jess O’Conner and Ethan Bollinger have known each other almost their entire lives and have loved each other from the start. The people of Oak Creek have watched them grow up, and everyone has always known what they are...Soulmates.But sometimes, fate demands a different path, derailing even the most carefully mapped plans...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers third-person-pov small town military contemporary dual-pov length-short -
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:
strong heroine suspense mystery other-man-woman contemporary love triangle length-medium -
No More Secrets by Kerry Lonsdale
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA young man seeks redemption from his past in the third novel from the No More trilogy by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.After serving six months in a juvenile detention center, Lucas Carson returns home irrevocably changed by what happened there... -
Keep This Promise by Corinne Michaels
I am about to lose everything.My home. My name. My future.My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me... -
Blaze by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAre you missing the Steel Brothers? Are you yearning for more? Welcome to the next generation! Join the grown children of Jonah, Talon, Ryan, and Marjorie for new adventures, mysteries, and heart-pounding passion...Categorized as:
suspense mystery alpha male friends to lovers contemporary sweet heroine sassy heroine angst -
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Bad Seed by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCan she have the man of her dreams and the life she's always wanted?It's love at first sight when head pastry chef Brendan Pope meets private investigator Harley Banks at Serenity Inn for her latest investigation. But unknown to them both, Harley has a hitman after her, courtesy of the wrong-doer she put behind bars on her last case... -
Fatal Consequences: Fatal Destiny: The Wedding Novella by Marie Force
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsPolitics can be murder… Lieutenant Sam Holland has no sooner accepted Senator Nick Cappuano's proposal than she's back on the job. A woman has been found brutally murdered and evidence points to Henry Lightfeather, a senator and close friend of Nick's. While Sam investigates, Nick stands by his friend—complicating his own bid for reelection and causing tension between the couple... -
Save Me If You Can by Christina C. Jones
7 hours and 53 minutesDeception and betrayal always carry a price, and sooner or later, someone has to pay.For a long time, Terry King and Damien Wolfe have dodged those debts while the people around them paid – in loneliness, grief, constant fear, and the loss of innocent lives.But no more... -
Bloody Love by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOne. Two. Three. The cat is in the tree. As far as Lilah's concern, her note writing stalker just gets more stupid everyday. One, two, three, the cat is in the tree?What is that? And what does it have to do with a wedding turned bloody? The sixth book in the Lilah Love series...Categorized as:
mystery suspense strong heroine alpha male contemporary mafia heroine sleuth length-short -
Better Than This by Beth Flynn
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTime doesn’t heal all wounds. Sometimes they just scab over. Haunted by memories of a failed marriage, trauma surgeon Barbie Anderson escapes to her hometown for a fresh start. But the quaint community of Pumpkin Rest has memories and failures of its own that should stay buried...Categorized as:
mystery friends to lovers alpha male strong heroine second chances suspense contemporary m-f -
Finally Home by Kris Michaels
In Hollister, there is peace.In Hollister, South Dakota, where the vast ranching terrain meets the sky, Tegan Wells loves his job as the manager of the town's bustling stockyard. His life, rooted in the rhythms of this small town, is about to be upended by the return of Dr. Kate Johnson, an Army veterinarian who left Hollister for the far-flung corners of the world... -
A Hero's Chance by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsRyan Coates does it all. Single dad with an ex who needs a reminder to spend time with their kids. Chief of the Baytown Station of the Virginia Marine Police. Sergeant at Arms for the local American Legion. Son. Brother. Coach. Friend.What he’s not doing is looking for a woman to add to his already busy life.Then he met her. Again.She’s the new doctor in town. And she remembers Ryan... -
Sinful Sorrow by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsOctober is the month of haunted houses and deadly secrets — allegedly. It’s not like I’m unaccustomed to Death or the cruelty with which he arrives, knocking on one’s door and demanding access... -
Dirty Martini by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen a friend from medical school shows up on J.J. Graves' doorstep in distress, J.J. offers her a sanctuary. But the woman has brought trouble to Bloody Mary, and no one is safe...Categorized as:
mystery suspense friends to lovers alpha male contemporary humor heroine sleuth length-medium -
One Night with You by Marie Force
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSince the debut of Fatal Affair in 2010, Fatal Series readers have been wondering about that “memorable” one-night stand between Sam Holland and Nick Cappuano that took place six years before Fatal Affair opens... -
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Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWelcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t... -
Embrace The Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino, Reggie Deanching
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmbrace The Suck is book 8 in the OPS Protector Romance series and should be read in order.I should have just stayed home. I thought I could get away and relax. But that was scrapped the first day when Dash and FNG followed me on vacation. It was supposed to be a trip to reset my brain... -
Say Goodbye by Karen Rose
Eden faces a final reckoning when the cult's past victims hunt them down in this explosive, high-stakes thriller in the Sacramento series from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose. For decades, Eden has remained hidden in the remote wilds of the Pacific Northwest, “Pastor” keeping his cult's followers in thrall for his personal profit and sexual pleasures... -
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
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... -
Deja Brew by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWithin the struggling cafe Deja Brew, trouble percolates beneath the coffee beans. The shop’s owner, Shale, is forced into a dangerous game by a cartel, and when her shipment vanishes, it's game on.Shale's only hope is an unexpected Junior. Her only regular, and a local hacker with a knack for saving the day... -
Cold Fury by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSeven years ago, Hope Harper was a star defense attorney with a great life and a beautiful family—until she got the wrong defendant released, and he turned around and viciously slaughtered her husband and child. Since then, the only thing Hope cares about is locking bad guys behind bars where they can’t hurt anyone else... -
Hell's Handlers Box Set One: Zach / Maverick / Jigsaw by Lilly Atlas
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsZach After choosing a path that nearly destroyed her, Toni pledges to find a man who is steady and honorable. Unfortunately, that promise leads to years of bland relationships. Bland isn’t a word anyone would use to describe Zach, the enforcer for the Hell’s Handlers MC. He stirs up every desire Toni has worked so hard to suppress...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bad boys alpha male suspense contemporary bikers from hate to love length-epic -
Fields' Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPoppy Fields, social influencer and secret spy, is on Grand Cayman. Her mission? Maid of honor at her mother’s wedding to Russian billionaire Yurgi Prokorhov. No surprise, Chariss Carlton is a difficult and demanding bride.When Poppy witnesses a murder, her days change from irritating to dangerous... -
Fatal Destiny by Marie Force
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWith the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiance, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss, they struggle to reconnect as the big day draws near, but their work keeps pulling them apart... -
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Ruby Mercy by Naomi West
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsI’m having my bosshole’s baby.Safe to say that’s not ideal…Especially because he doesn’t even know.As a matter of fact, Kirill is clear across the country, and I’m pretty sure he’s never coming back.That’s fine.My daughter and I will be a-okay without him.At least, that’s what I thought.But five years goes by like pulling teeth.And I learn something:It hurts to do this alone... -
Black Velvet by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe doesn’t believe in heroes anymore. He’ll prove her wrong. Mercenary Dax Freed would rather stride into the desert naked and covered in honey than pretend to be a reclusive romance novelist’s fake boyfriend, but nobody gave him the option. Roberta Sharpe writes about heroes for a living, but she already knows they don’t exist in real life...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity alpha male mystery small town military contemporary forbidden love -
Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSelf-Licking Ice Cream Cone is book 12 in the OPS series and should be read in order.I never should have grown out my hair. That’s where this whole thing started. I was too rigid. Too organized. And nobody failed to point that out to me.So, I grew my hair out to prove them wrong.Now I had a fake career as a model, all in the name of keeping a woman named Juliette safe... -
Trick by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEnjoy this dark motorcycle club romance from USA Today Bestselling MC romance author Jessica Ames... TrickMy life ended in the blink of an eye. Everything I held in my heart was shattered by one bullet. Bound in my anger, I did the only thing I could and took revenge... -
Death is Not Enough by Karen Rose
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe past comes back to haunt a high-profile defense attorney in the newest book in the Baltimore series from the New York Times bestselling author of Edge of Darkness and Monster in the Closet.In his work as a defense attorney in Baltimore, Thorne has always been noble to a fault--specializing in helping young people in trouble just as someone did for him when he was younger... -
Rock Bottom by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe a group of women from all walks of life bound by friendship and years of adventure. Armed with vast resources, top-notch expertise, and a loyal network of allies around the globe, the Sisterhood will not rest until every wrong is made right.Isabelle “Izzy” Flanders and Yoko Akia are beginning a new project—an indoor/outdoor café that will be the cornerstone of a market village...
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