Books like 'Hold Your Breath'
Readers who enjoyed Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny suspense heroine sleuth mystery cold hero alpha male grumpy sunshine cheerful heroine friends to lovers
-
Swamp Santa by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIt’s Christmas in Sinful and Fortune is set to participate in all the local hoopla. A Christmas gala, caroling, and a sleigh ride are on the agenda. Murder is not. But when someone bumps off Santa, Fortune is aware a killer is lurking among the holiday cheer...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth mystery suspense cheerful heroine humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Reel of Fortune by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsNothing says Welcome Home like a murder. It’s official. Fortune Redding is out of the CIA and a newly minted resident of Sinful, Louisiana. She never expected her homecoming to be all apple pie and hugs, but a murder wasn’t on her list of things to deal with before she’d even gotten her name stenciled on her mailbox...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth mystery suspense cheerful heroine humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Gators and Garters by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 28 ratings‘Til death do us part?Ida Belle, Fortune, and Gertie are gearing up for the big day—Ida Belle’s wedding to Walter—but when the caterer goes missing just a week before the big day, it puts a huge black mark on the joyous celebration...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth mystery suspense cheerful heroine humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Swamp Team 3 by Jana Deleon
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon, a new installment in her bestselling Miss Fortune series. What’s a little arson between friends? Undercover CIA agent Fortune Redding spent her first three weeks in Sinful, Louisiana dodging insults, makeup advice, guard dogs, bullets, and Deputy Carter LeBlanc, both professionally and personally...Categorized as:
mystery suspense strong heroine heroine sleuth cheerful heroine humor contemporary glimpses-kisses -
-
Blood Feud by J.D. Nixon
Book 3 in the Little Town series.A seemingly inexplicable and shockingly violent crime in the beautiful rural locale of ‘Little Town’ has devastating personal and professional consequences for its two police officers, Senior Constable Tess Fuller and her partner, Sergeant Finn Maguire... -
Swamp Sniper by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon, the third book in the Miss Fortune Mystery series.When only a crack shot will do…In the two weeks CIA assassin Fortune Redding has been hiding in Sinful, Louisiana, she’s been harassed, poisoned, and shot at…and that was the easy part. But now, she’s about to face her biggest challenge since setting foot in the tiny bayou town...Categorized as:
mystery suspense strong heroine heroine sleuth cheerful heroine humor contemporary length-medium -
Blood Sport by J.D. Nixon
At first glance, the small mountain settlement of Mount Big Town, or ‘Little Town’ as the locals call it, seems to be a pleasant and peaceful rural haven. Senior Constable Tess Fuller and Sergeant Finn Maguire know better though, kept fully occupied trying to maintain some law and order in a town dominated by the huge feral Bycraft family... -
Plum Boxed Set 2 by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe adventures continue for Stephanie Plum, Trenton's best-known bounty hunter, in these three Complete Plum Novels from #1 Bestselling Author Janet Evanovich!Four to Score: Stephanie Plum is forced to enlist the help of Grandma Mazur, ex-hooker and wannabe bounty hunter Lula, and transvestite rock musician Sally Sweet in an attempt to capture revenge-seeking waitress Maxine Nowicki... -
Shakedown by Lani Lynn Vale
Wanted: someone to hand feed me Doritos so my hands don’t get orange. No weirdos.Belle Pena was an editor. Not a writer.When her brothers challenge her to create a dating profile, she makes up the most random biography she can think of. She never, not ever, thought she’d find anybody to respond. But she was sorely mistaken...Categorized as:
alpha male suspense friends to lovers small town cold hero m-f competent heroine possessive hero -
Fire & Brimstone by R.L. Mathewson
What happens when a Bradford with questionable OCD, a tempter and a reputation for making his employees cry falls for the woman that refuses to accept the fact that he’s fired her and was terrifyingly more of a Bradford than he was? Well, we can’t share that here, because it would be seriously inappropriate, but we’re sure that you can see where this is leading… To the altar or a stint in... -
Heller's Punishment by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 31 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 mystery alpha male possessive hero heroine sleuth m-f -
Rising Storm by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsKatelyn Jacks was used to being front and center as a model. But she never had to confront the Keeneston Grapevine! After retiring from the runway and returning to town to open a new animal clinic, Katelyn found that her life in the public eye was anything but over... -
Dirty Minds by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCoroner J.J. Graves and Sheriff Jack Lawson are in a race against time as they hunt down a sniper who is taking the law into his own hands. No one is safe, and everyone is a target...Categorized as:
mystery suspense friends to lovers heroine sleuth m-f contemporary humor length-short -
Twenty-four Three by K.C. Mills
A shot in the dark.A mistaken identity.A undeniable attraction.An injured hitman finds himself depending on a stranger and for Carter Reed trust is not something he’s willing to extend. Unfortunately when it comes to McKenna Smith, Carter can either allow her to be his saving grace or risk loosing something more precious than trust…his life.Stakes are high... -
-
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 friends to lovers m-f humor bikers -
Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid
Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most "fowl" need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another...Categorized as:
mystery suspense cheerful heroine cold hero grumpy sunshine small town competent heroine m-f -
Nuclear Option by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe exciting and thrilling conclusion to Cash and Eva’s story, and the second book in the OPS series! The military defines a Nuclear Option as a drastic step or last resort, and I’m about to take it. Cash I am an expert marksman, engaging the enemy from afar. You’ll never see me coming because I’m that good. Even a sniper can be drawn out of hiding... -
Dead Heat by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsPaige Davies finds her world turned upside down as she becomes involved in her best friends' nightmare. The strong-willed Paige doesn't know which is worse: someone trying to kill her, or losing her dog to the man she loves to hate. FBI Agent Cole Parker can't decide whether he should strangle or kiss this infuriating woman of his dreams... -
Bourbon Bliss by Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score
“I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. Seeing this man’s naked private parts had not rendered me speechless but watching him lick ice cream off his finger had.” – June Tucker June Tucker doesn’t understand people. Numbers, data, and statistics? Those make sense. People? Not so much. In a town of Friday night fighters and moonshine-swilling line dancers, she’s the odd duck...Categorized as:
small town sassy heroine strong heroine heroine sleuth alpha male mystery neurodivergent m-f -
Rest In Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in a new trilogy.Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, stuck in her old hometown for the summer, and trying to get her widowed ex-boyfriend off her leg. Good thing she has Vince Cooper, her recurring one-night stand living down by the river in his old diner car... -
No Vow Broken by Julie Moffett
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIs it a Dream Wedding or a Bad Dream?Geek girl Lexi Carmichael thought getting married would be just a formality. But when the guests are the pope, the president of the United States, and the first lady, she’d soon find out that weddings, much like life, do not always go as planned... -
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFamily, wounded hearts, and a Texas bed-and-breakfast are in need of repair in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s inviting novel about down-home comfort and second chances.Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are due for a change...Categorized as:
small town friends to lovers forced proximity m-f contemporary humor christian audiobook -
The Pretend Fiancé Fiasco by Pippa Grant
A reclusive former celebrity, a recovering good girl, and small town trouble...It started as a joke. After a string of bad boyfriends, I made up a fake boyfriend so people would quit asking when I was going to meet a grumpy lumberjack trying to save his mama’s inn in my adopted hometown.When my grandma demanded proof from afar, I sent her a picture of me and my “boyfriend... -
Moonshine Kiss by Lucy Score, Claire Kingsley
All those years of adolescent fantasies and this was how Bowie Bodine first touched my boobs. And he apologized. Real life was stupid and unfair.Small town deputy Cassidy Tucker’s dating life is a train wreck on repeat. All she ever wanted was a solid partner. A man to share pajamas with. The handsome, big-hearted Bowie Bodine. Wait. Scratch that. Mr...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity mystery suspense found-family small town m-f alpha male -
-
No Escape by Julie Moffett
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsGeek girl Lexi Carmichael thought meeting the in-laws would be easy as long as they met on neutral ground and she was fully prepared with a spreadsheet full of etiquette dos and don’ts. But unfortunately for Lexi, things don’t always turn out as she planned.Meeting the in-laws is a daunting task even for those who are outgoing and socially capable... -
One In Vermillion by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the third book in a new trilogy.Liz Danger is stuck in her hometown of Burney, Ohio, because her insane employer has rented a house there for the summer, which means she has three more months of trying to get a copy edit done, babysitting a seven-year-old, and figuring out what to do with three hundred and ninety-two teddy bears...Categorized as:
mystery suspense m-f found-family small town men in uniform possessive hero cold hero -
Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann
Taking on the world's deadliest criminals is what the elite security force Troubleshooters Incorporated does best. But now they face a new and powerful threat from their most lethal enemy yet--a shadowy government outfit known only as The Agency...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform mystery friends to lovers alpha male m-f contemporary military -
Your Christmas Love by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSienna Hensley-Bennett loves everything about the Christmas season, from hanging decorations to the cozy get-togethers with her family. Despite being part of the well-known Bennett family, Sienna is determined to first gather experience before joining their business. Her job at Statham department store is perfect for that. But her new boss, Winston Statham, is going to be a slight problem... -
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 heroine sleuth contemporary humor length-medium -
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... -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
Whiskey, You're The Devil by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThings are looking up for Addison Holmes. She's about to take her P.I. exams, she's living in sin with the man of her dreams, and she hasn't had a phone call from her mother in three whole days. But she should have known things were too good to last...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth suspense mystery sassy heroine contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
Just One Taste by Carly Phillips
One grumpy billionaire.One sassy-sweet supermodel.Add in a tropical private island paradise.What could go wrong?As owner and CEO of Dirty Dare Spirits, thirty-three year old, Asher Dare has it all. Money. Power. Women whenever he wants. A private island retreat when he doesn’t. People he trusts? He can count those on one hand... -
Rock Chick Rescue by Kristen Ashley
Jet McAlister has a secret. Eddie Chavez has the hots for Jet (not to mention Eddie’s just plain hot). Jet has too many problems to realize that Eddie’s interested. Eddie loses patience when Jet ends her waitressing shift at a strip club with a knife at her throat. Since Eddie’s a cop, he figures he can help. Since Jet’s used to solving everyone’s problems she doesn’t want Eddie’s help... -
-
Jed Had to Die by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe happiest day of Payton Lambert's life was the day she graduated high school and watched Bald Knob, Kentucky get smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. She wanted more for her life than a tiny town where everyone knows your business and you can’t find a decent cup of coffee for at least forty miles...Categorized as:
mystery small town sassy heroine men in uniform alpha male friends to lovers competent heroine m-f -
Dare by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAustin Moore found his purpose in the military, but there was always something missing. He wanted what everyone in his family had…someone to call his own. But his life didn’t make it easy to find a soul mate, someone to be his forever.Sage Hill enlisted to follow in the footsteps of her father, but never wanted to be in his shadow...Categorized as:
alpha male sassy heroine friends to lovers suspense m-f military age difference humor -
Blind Bake by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe first book in a new series by USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestselling author, Denise Grover Swank. A month ago, I quit my job and finally left my commitment-phobe boyfriend (seriously Steve, seven years is long enough to know if I’m the one). Then I moved back to my hometown of Cockamamie, Tennessee, to take care of my newly widowed Aunt Deidre... -
Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg
A captivating new seaside romance brimming with mystery from USA Today bestselling, Christy Award-winning author Melissa TaggAbandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she's never lived...Categorized as:
mystery suspense m-f found-family small town forced proximity friends to lovers cheerful heroine -
Mine To Cherish by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThings are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day.Aren't they?ClarabellaDid I want to get married today?It's hard to say when he proposed in front of over a hundred people.Everything happened so fast, and I thought it was just nerves.It was not.The knock on the door showed me that what I was feeling was more than just cold feet.I was a runaway bride... -
Twined Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll is well in Holly Woods. My best friend's love triangle is now a happy little circle. My sister-in-law just gave birth to my gorgeous new niece who is the world's best cuddler, and Nonna's—kind of—not on my back every ten minutes about the fact we're getting married in one month. *Supposedly.* Until the mayor's niece—our baker for the wedding—commits suicide... -
Out On a Limb by Josie Watts, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsNever work for your family. Especially when that family consists of an octogenarian going through a mid-life crisis.Now, instead of running Sweet Side Gardens, my grandad's popping little blue pills and sneaking into closets with my friends’ grandmas…Leaving me to handle everything else.And I was doing a pretty good job up until the night I found myself dangling from a tree.Topless...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers suspense heroine sleuth mystery humor office contemporary -
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane seriesLove Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter whatAll’s fair in love and…medicine?Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders...Categorized as:
small town suspense forced proximity m-f humor contemporary from hate to love length-medium -
GRAVEYARD GIRL: part 6 of 6 by Stephanie Bond
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn Amazon exclusive!In the romantic mystery GRAVEYARD GIRL, a city girl hiding out from a scandal agrees to house-sit an old home in a rural area where she thinks no one will know her to finish a project she hopes will repair her reputation... -
Twirled Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIf I thought Holly Woods was crazy before, I was wrong. Devin is finally married. Nonna's on the wedding warpath. Drake might be getting ideas. His mom just dropped a bombshell, and Bek is caught between a hot as hell FBI agent and my super-sweet little brother. And I still don't have the shoe closet Drake promised me when he moved in six months ago... -
-
Revved to the Maxx by Melanie Moreland
Upcoming standalone from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Moreland Maxx Reynolds needs help.His shop, house, and life are all in a state of disarray.In desperation, he turns to the internet to hire a new employee, thinking it will make his life easierWhat he expects is a fellow named Charly.What he gets is a quirky, sassy, red-head namedCharlynn who runs circles around him... -
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor dual-pov glimpses-kisses -
BOURBON GIRL: part 1 of 6 by Stephanie Bond
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAn Amazon exclusive!In the romantic mystery BOURBON GIRL, a young woman takes a job as a tour guide on the trail of bourbon distilleries in Kentucky to search for her biological father, and finds so much more along the way... -
Reset by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFormer soldier Ryan Granger’s life has become all about numbers:13 months since he was shot in the head7 months spent in a coma6 months since he woke, a changed man5 hours since he’d been kidnapped4 minutes since he’d opened his eyes in an underground cavern3 minutes since he’d heard a woman calling for help…Two strangers trapped together.One impossible way out... -
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... -
Left-Handed Monkey Wrench by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChase Carter. You’ve read about them in Reed Security. You’ve come to know a little about who the men of OPS are. But everything you thought you knew is a lie—smoke and mirrors. The truth of OPS is hidden deep inside, waiting to be revealed. Owens Protective Services. Defend. Investigate. Secure...Categorized as:
forced proximity suspense friends to lovers alpha male contemporary humor military length-medium
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.

