Books like 'Calculated Risk'
Readers who enjoyed Calculated Risk by Marie James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny suspense cold hero military m-f caretaking competent heroine forced proximity independent heroine
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Beard Up by Lani Lynn Vale
Ghost [gohst] noun: the soul of a dead person, a disembodied, vague, shadowy spirit wandering among or haunting living persons; a mere shadow or semblance; a trace. That noun sums up Ghost and what his life has become with painful precision. He is barely living, merely existing but never thriving. There wasn’t much that could pull him from the darkness he willingly inhabits…except one thing... -
The Beard Made Me Do It by Lani Lynn Vale
He’s only a friend. Those words had haunted him from the moment Jessie James had heard them muttered from the one girl, above all others, that he thought had his back. Sixteen years later, he still feels those words like a brand on his soul... -
Burn in Hail by Lani Lynn Vale
One look at the sixteen-year-old, prim and proper town goody-two-shoes, Hennessy Hanes, and Tate Casey knows he’s in trouble. He knows he should stay away from the preacher’s daughter, but there’s something about her he’s drawn to, and he can’t resist the pull. The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes that something isn’t right... -
Law & Beard by Lani Lynn Vale
Winnie thinks she has the perfect life. Two beautiful, healthy children. A police officer husband. A job that she loves. Oh, and let’s not forget that she’s a nationally ranked marathon runner. Fast forward six months, and her perfect life has imploded. Winnie finds herself in a completely new world, and this new world is a brutal bitch. In this new life of hers, her husband is gone... -
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Hail Mary by Lani Lynn Vale
Mary Persephone Hail Mary—well-wished-for child. Persephone—destruction. Hail—well that speaks for itself. Her name is painful to think about. Mary, his newfound daughter, isn’t a wished-for child. Persephone, though? Yeah, destruction is a fitting description. And Hail? Yeah, that’s just the final f-you... -
Maybe Don't Wanna by Lani Lynn Vale
Peter Parker Penn. Unlike the superhero his mother named him after, Parker is no good guy. In fact, if there’s a picture in the dictionary under anti-hero, it’s his. Parker’s spent his life trying to get back on the right side of the tracks, but each step he takes forward, he takes two more steps back. To save one, he hurts others. To make this good, he turns that bad... -
Any Day Now by Lani Lynn Vale
Amelia loves her good friend, Avery. So much so that she agrees to do the stupidest thing ever. A stranger photo shoot. You know the type. The photographer takes photos of two individuals. Two individuals that, until that day, have never met in their life. The moment she shows up at the photo shoot, she knows that she made a terrible decision... -
What the Hail by Lani Lynn Vale
He’s wanted her since he repossessed her car and made her cry. Baylor Hail knew two things. One, he hated crying females. Two, it was even worse when he was the one to make that female cry. He never meant to do anything but his job, but when one thing leads to another, suddenly all he can think about is the broken woman whose car he towed... -
Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
Lavender's Blue by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the first book in a new trilogy...Categorized as:
suspense m-f dual-pov first-person-pov career professional cold hero independent heroine mystery -
Lord Have Mercy by Lani Lynn Vale
Poor judgment: knowing better yet doing it anyway. Flint Stone is a professional in every way. He’s a police officer with the K-9 unit and works at Gun Barrel High as the school resource officer. In his spare time, he’s working his heart out to create a successful gym from the ground up...Categorized as:
military suspense alpha male m-f humor from hate to love contemporary men in uniform -
Sinners are Winners by Lani Lynn Vale
He saw her from across a crowded ballpark and knew she was about to change his life. Yes, he realizes just how cliché that really is, but the moment his eyes locked on her, he knew that she was the one. At least, the one that royally screwed him over... -
The Woodsman by Dr. Rebecca Sharp
Violet Royale’s entire life has bit the bullet. Between a cheating ex and her career imploding, she’s one shaved head away from a total breakdown. Needing an escape, she books a small cottage in Maine for the holidays.When a massive snowstorm promises to keep the outside world at bay, Violet believes fate is finally doing her a favor... -
Targeted by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHunter Townsend loves his new home in the small town of Shadows Landing. It’s his sanctuary when he comes home from a mission as part of his Special Forces team. Maggie, the infuriating, monogram loving, bright color wearing, cuter than she should be woman, who loves to tease him was the only issue in Shadows Landing. Until a mission goes wrong . . -
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Unchosen Ruler by Maggie Cole
He’s the future unchosen ruler of the O’Malleys.Locked away for too many years.Underestimated and pissed off.Protective beyond all rationale.Possessive unlike any man I’ve ever known.I should run. Except Liam O'Malley isn't a choice. He's the air I breathe.Still, I wonder if I can really be queen of the O’Malleys—especially when I discover the truth about who I am...Categorized as:
suspense independent heroine career professional alpha male m-f mafia possessive hero contemporary -
Only for You by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLove only works when your heart is in the right place. Hers could be right next door… Single mom Bridgette Dalton doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not even in her own flower shop. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed Bodhi Booker. Her ruggedly handsome next-door neighbor would be the perfect candidate for a no-strings fling... -
Crazy, Wicked Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsScorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.What happens when the player gets played?Sidney Carver has a big problem, and he goes by the name of Dwayne “Gunner” Wicked: six-plus feet of muscular, motorcycle-riding, animal-loving deliciousness...Categorized as:
military suspense alpha male m-f super rich hero humor contemporary friends to lovers -
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... -
Hiding Out by Lila Rose
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhat do you do when someone you trust threatens to sell you into slavery? Find the perfect place to hide out. Destitute and apathetic from the loss of her parents, Willow Demora is forced to accept any help thrown her way. Unfortunately, the only person willing to help is her cousin, a cousin who doesn't have a good bone in his body, and would do anything to stay out of the trouble he's in... -
I Can't Even by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsEllodie Cassandra Solaire made a single, solitary New Year’s resolution.That resolution was set in stone, and she wouldn’t be breaking it, no matter what.It was simple: Say yes to every person who asks her out on a date until she finds a boyfriend.Easy, right?Wrong.She breaks that New Year’s resolution three months into the year after a guy gives her serial killer vibes...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity military m-f contemporary humor from hate to love length-medium -
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... -
Nobody Knows by Lani Lynn Vale
All he ever wanted was to matter to someone.What he didn’t know was that he did matter to someone.Someone that worried about him every single day that he was gone.Malachi Gabriel Gnocchi was missing for two years. Thanks to a mission gone wrong, not only had he been captured, but his best friend along with his fellow teammates had been taken, too... -
Bad Apple by Lani Lynn Vale
The road to hell is paved with good intentions… Apple “Core” Drew needs The Uncertain Saints MC like he needs air. He is barely making it through the day, and each one that goes by takes him closer and closer to hell. Literally, not figuratively. He’s a half breath away from killing himself—maybe not by taking his own life, but he’s not against making someone else do it for him... -
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... -
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Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s not every day you meet a man at the bar, stare at him for hours, and then right when you decide to make a move, he gets up to leave. Worse, when you follow him outside, you see him completely change his appearance by shucking a wig and a button down shirt, dropping them into the nearest trash can... -
Forever Notorious by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAbigail Mueez knows all about being something you’re not. Everyone knows she works security in Washington D.C., but that wasn’t exactly the truth. There are many layers of deception in Abby’s life from her job to the man she’s with—a man she doesn’t have time to fall in love with when her life and so much more was on the line. Too bad she didn’t tell her heart that... -
That Day by Karen Deen
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA day, like no other.They happen once in a lifetime, they say.So why am I 'lucky' enough to have more than one? Here I am living life, minding my own business.Until the man I'd been fantasizing over for a year.Ends up in my bed. The sensual words he whispers late at night.His touch on my skin, ignites my inner vixen.Making me want things I've only ever written in words... -
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...Categorized as:
suspense m-f dual-pov first-person-pov cold hero independent heroine contemporary humor -
Charlie Foxtrot: An OPS Protector Romance Novel by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMummies.Yeah, you heard me right. That’s my next job—protecting a mummy.It wouldn’t be a problem, except someone doesn’t want this particular mummy to make it to the museum.Not to mention one of my teammates thinks this particular mummy is cursed.On top of this ridiculous job, I’ve also met the most gorgeous woman in the world... -
Falling In The Mountains by Olivia T. Turner
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsNew town. New job. New Me. New boyfriend? At least that’s what the hot Mountain Man staring me down with hungry eyes seems to think. Julian works in Search and Rescue in the Greene Mountains. He also owns the bungee jump, and that’s where I meet him. Those beautiful possessive eyes stare me down as he straps the cord around my ankles...Categorized as:
military alpha male dual-pov m-f contemporary insta-love age difference virgin heroine -
Rafe by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe true measure of a man is not in the mistakes he makes…but in how he handles those mistakes. Rafe Walker gained fame while in the Army when he was photographed for a Military Calendar. Afterward, modeling contracts rolled in but he found his life in California lacking and longed for a change... -
Jokes on You by Lani Lynn Vale
Booth Pena definitely didn’t make the smartest of decisions when he was a teenager.At eighteen, he knocked a girl up and signed up for the military all in the same day—signing his life away in more ways than one... -
Engaging the Billionaire by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIf we can’t outrun the past, we won’t have a future. The rock on her hand is real, but our engagement is a fake. Once upon a time, I dreamed of buying her a ring, until everything blew up in my face. That was the past, and this is business. At least, it is until I kiss her. It's supposed to be part of the act — and it is — right until my lips touch hers. I forget where we are... -
Love Me Forever by Layla Hagen
A surprise baby romance from USA Today bestselling author Layla HagenThe first time I met Travis Maxwell, he completely charmed me. We spent a glorious week together, knowing that we'd go our separate ways in the end.One month later, two blue lines turn my life upside down. I'm pregnant. And the number Travis gave me is no longer in service... -
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Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale
There are a few lessons one has to learn for themselves. Then there are the lessons that most people don’t have to learn because it’s just not done. For instance, most people know instinctively that they shouldn’t crave the mother of their brother’s child. Bourne Pena isn’t most men... -
Jameson Fox by Nina Levine
Rule number one if you’re going to fake marry a billionaire: only marry him if you like him and he likes you. Everything is too hard if you hate each other.Jameson Fox is the most infuriating, arrogant, frustrating, presumptuous, self-important alphahole I have ever met.He stole my company from me five years ago. Now, he’s made me an offer I can’t refuse: fake marry him, and he’ll give it back... -
The Final Fight by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen life brings you the perfect person at the worst possible time… On a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit his brother, Marine Braeden Daniels meets a woman who challenges him in ways he can’t deny. The best part is she wants what he wants. No strings. No feelings. Just fun. AJ is a Las Vegas performer who is finally living her dream. Growing up poor, she’s determined to succeed at any cost... -
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... -
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... -
How to Kiss a Movie Star by Jenny Proctor
He’s Hollywood’s biggest star. She wouldn’t know him from the pizza delivery guy.I’m a wildlife biologist in a tiny mountain town, not some kind of law-breaking celebrity stalker. At least not on purpose.It was an accident when I wandered onto the property of one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars. Five minutes ago, I'd never even heard of Flint Hawthorne...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov m-f contemporary humor super rich hero length-medium behind-doors -
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 military alpha male m-f contemporary men in uniform mystery friends to lovers -
Clap Back by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBeing a twin is great. What isn’t great is having the hots for the same woman your twin does. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. Since Auden Carter made that mistake in his teens, he’d promised himself never to do that to his brother again. Hence why he’s tried so hard to stay away from Maven, the sexy bakery owner that seems to have been put on this planet to tempt him... -
Say I Do by Cynthia Eden
She hates him.Dexter Ryan is smug. Arrogant. Manipulative. And he is also…Lacey Amari’s new partner. Well, her partner on one case. A case she doesn’t even want to take, but when Dex—CIA super operative and all around puppet-master—basically blackmails her, she has no choice. Then he asks her the big question…Will you marry me?The proposal isn’t real. It’s just an undercover assignment... -
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... -
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Come Back to Bed by Kayley Loring
Dear grouchy neighbor: I’m considering your offer and need clarification before proceeding. Despite being an artist, I think you know that as a busy New Yorker, I am also practical and straightforward. That said, I need to make sure you know that this could never turn into anything serious...Categorized as:
m-f independent heroine cold hero first-person-pov dual-pov humor contemporary friends-benefits -
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... -
No Cap by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsYou know when you see that big red flag, and you think to yourself, I should probably not go anywhere near there? Yeah, Quincy Carter ignored that big red flag. He walked right up to that red flag, waving blatantly in the wind, and kissed the holy hell out of her. Sure, he probably should’ve arrested her for breaking a restraining order...Categorized as:
suspense military first-person-pov dual-pov m-f contemporary humor from hate to love -
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:
military alpha male suspense m-f age difference sassy heroine humor friends to lovers -
The Billionaire's Angel by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe thought the fight was over until his heart was on the line. I thought coming home would solve all my problems. I’ve never been more wrong. After a decade in the military, I’m more at home in the desert than the mansion where I grew up. I want to pretend that six months as a captive didn’t change me, but ever since I escaped, I haven’t slept. Nightmares. Flashbacks... -
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...
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