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 mystery heroine sleuth cold hero alpha male forced proximity grumpy sunshine cheerful heroine
-
Swamp Spook by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWhen black cats roam, and spooks are seen, Come celebrate, it’s Halloween. Sinful, Louisiana, really knows how to throw a party, and it goes all out for Halloween. The weeklong celebration kicks off with a maze of horror in the park built of hay bales. And Fortune has the perfect assignment—the executioner... -
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or NotLenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost... -
Fortune Funhouse by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsThe traveling carnival has made its stop in Sinful and everyone is ready for thrilling rides, challenging games, and most importantly, funnel cake. But when a man is murdered in the funhouse and Emmaline LeBlanc is knocked unconscious so the killer can escape, the good times are over... -
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... -
-
Hurricane Force by Jana Deleon
From New York Times bestselling author Jana DeLeon, the seventh book in the Miss Fortune series. A force to be reckoned with… During missions as a CIA assassin, Fortune Redding saw and overcame most every obstacle, but Sinful, Louisiana, keeps producing new challenges for her. When a hurricane blows through, it brings a shower of counterfeit money raining down on the tiny bayou town...Categorized as:
heroine sleuth suspense mystery cheerful heroine humor contemporary glimpses-kisses length-short -
Gin Fling by Lucy Score, Claire Kingsley
A slow grin spread across his face and I had to turn away from the wattage. It was like staring at the sun. The handsome sun that was making my core temperature rise and causing a hormone dump in my brain. — Shelby Thompson Personal trainer Jonah Bodine discovers more than he bargained for with the half-siblings he didn’t know he had in small-town West Virginia...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense mystery forced proximity m-f humor contemporary from hate to love -
Hook, Line and Blinker by Jana Deleon
Nobody knows speed like Ida Belle. Behind the wheel of her hopped-up Blazer, she’s the queen of the back roads. But when someone tries to kill Hot Rod and steals only black SUVs from his shop, Fortune worries that excessive horsepower is the least of the trouble that comes along with her friend’s new ride...Categorized as:
mystery suspense heroine sleuth cheerful heroine humor contemporary glimpses-kisses length-medium -
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... -
Swamp Sweets by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt’s November in Sinful and everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving. But when Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie bag a body on their turkey hunting trip, the quiet enjoyment of fall is over. No one really knew Miles Broussard well, and as he’d recently sold the building his business was in to retire in another state, no one could explain how he’d ended up murdered and dumped in the bayou... -
Bullets and Beads by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsLet the good times roll? It’s Mardi Gras time and Fortune is looking forward to seeing the spectacle firsthand, but when a visitor to Sinful is murdered during the celebration there, Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t help but wonder what happened... -
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... -
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 -
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... -
-
Soldiers of Fortune by Jana Deleon
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon, the sixth installment in the bestselling Miss Fortune series. When Celia Arceneaux was elected mayor of Sinful, Louisiana, Fortune Redding expected trouble. The woman has an unmatched talent for making the worst of any situation, especially if it means getting revenge on her sworn enemies Ida Belle and Gertie...Categorized as:
suspense mystery heroine sleuth strong heroine humor contemporary glimpses-kisses length-medium -
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 -
Fortune Furlough by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIt’s not a vacation until there’s a murder. Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie are finally off to Florida on the vacation they’ve always talked about. Days filled with white sand, turquoise water, and fruity drinks are the only thing on the agenda... -
Frightfully Fortune by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsRest when you’re dead?It’s time for the annual Halloween festival in Sinful, and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t wait to suit up and enjoy the food and activities. But when a dead man gallops through the park on a black stallion and slides to a decapitated stop right in front of Swamp Team 3, they know another festival is about to be turned on its head…so to speak... -
The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom Joseph Cannata and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin comes the love story of Jesse and Ella told from a unique perspective in this companion novella to the international bestselling novel The Broken One.Step back into the Falcon Falls Security world and experience it like never before...Categorized as:
tortured hero sassy heroine friends to lovers m-f humor military contemporary length-short -
Forever Covert by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.77 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKale Mueez just wants to work on his computer programs and, okay, some not-so-legal hacking. Even though he sold one of his computer software companies for more money than he’d ever need, he wasn’t one to sit back and do nothing. That is especially true since his father is a super soldier known around the world... -
Forever Connected by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsYears ago, on the darkest night of Poppy and Zinnia’s lives, they got a letter. It was from three elderly sisters in the small town of Keeneston, inviting them to visit and if interested, take a job. The Rose Sisters had wanted to retire, but they’d wanted family to take over their small café... -
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... -
A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe BRAND NEW uplifting novel from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland Rosie feels like there's something missing in her life.She loves her job as the manager of Willowdale Hall Riding Stables, caring for the horses and teaching children to ride, and she loves the home she shares with her mother in the beautiful Lake District... -
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: 4.40 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... -
Promise Me This by Karla Sorensen
Imagine this: an author with a raging case of writer’s block finds an unexpected source of inspiration in her grumpy, gorgeous new roommate. Sounds amazing, right? Except that new roommate is my childhood best friend. And Ian Wilder has been off-limits since I was five...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity found-family suspense cold hero grumpy sunshine m-f contemporary -
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 -
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... -
Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
The Devil is in the details . . . Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries)... -
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 -
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 -
Together Under a Snowy Skye by Lisa Hobman
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAfter the heartbreak of a secret unrequited love, Millie Treadaway has finally found someone to spend her life with.Harry Rose is handsome, successful and treats her like a princess. That is until Millie presents her fiancé with a surprise birthday gift, and their future is suddenly doomed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f small town suspense christmas contemporary humor length-medium -
Three Plums In One by Janet Evanovich
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThree Plums In One: One for the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum... -
Forever Hidden by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome things weren't meant to stay hidden... Sydney Davies is used to being in the spotlight. But the former model turned fashion designer isn’t used to family secrets. Sydney is sent to dig up the past. What she finds instead is Deacon and a case of a missing girl with a link back to her life in the fashion industry... -
-
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sassy heroine strong heroine m-f humor contemporary independent heroine -
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... -
Twined Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
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... -
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... -
Dead Heat by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 31 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... -
Twirled Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 17 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... -
Nuclear Option by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
Who Glares Wins by Camilla Chafer
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOnly a few weeks into her new job as a private investigator, Lexi Graves thinks she may have bitten off more than she can chew with her first solo cases. In between going undercover as a plush pony at a “Bronie” conference and following her cheating brother-in-law, she’s got a saboteur-turned-killer to catch and a missing woman to find... -
-
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 -
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 -
Your Christmas Love by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 17 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... -
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 -
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...
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.