Books like 'Beyond the Thistles'
Readers who enjoyed Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary suspense age difference grumpy sunshine alpha male single-mother poor heroine dual-pov tortured heroine abduction
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Fractured by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsLoving Echo Kent was painful. Not the falling in love part, that was easy. One look at the tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed narcotics detective and I knew I wanted him. A few months later I knew I couldn’t live without him. But my Echo, he had demons and secrets and a mountain of guilt. His love was selfish and one-sided—he could love but he refused to allow others to love him... -
![Conquered by Riley Edwards]()
Conquered by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsDylan Welsh was the last man standing…until Sawyer Glasgow brought him to his knees. Dylan wasn’t ready for Sawyer. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth of his past. He wasn’t ready to admit he’s fallen in love with the sweet, sexy woman who captivated him from the moment he saw her. He’s especially not prepared to face the hurt he’s caused Sawyer. But to keep her, he must do all three... -
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![Men of Honor, Books 1-4 by K.C. Lynn, Callie Dalton]()
Men of Honor, Books 1-4 by K.C. Lynn, Callie Dalton
This military romance boxed set series includes all four Men of Honor stories: Fighting Temptation, Sweet Temptation, Resisting Temptation, and The Final Temptation. Best if in order, but all can be listened to as standalones! You will not break me for I am unbreakable. I will live with integrity, fight with honor and die for what's right... -
![Easton by Riley Edwards]()
Easton by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsMy father was a complicated man.The world knew him as a criminal who consorted with other, worse criminals. To me, he was my savior—the man who'd rescued a scared, orphaned little girl. He'd taken me in when I had no one. Duty bound, I became the woman he wanted me to be.Powerful. Respected. Resourceful.The Mediator. The Dove...Categorized as:
age difference found-family forced proximity suspense military m-f contemporary from hate to love -
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![Maximus by Riley Edwards, Operation Alpha]()
Maximus by Riley Edwards, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat happens when a woman who’s done the unthinkable needs protection—can a man who’s lost his belief in humanity keep her safe? Max Brown doesn’t trust anyone but his team. The former SEAL learned early in life that people let you down—they lie, they steal, and they lie some more. Love is a word that is used to manipulate. Family is meaningless. Max is an island and he prefers it that way... -
![Hex by Anna Hackett]()
Hex by Anna Hackett
She’s the genius hacker known as Hex.He’s a ghost—the deep-cover spy known only as Shade.They generate a dangerous level of white-hot sparks, but he needs her help on a deadly mission.Jet “Hex” Adler loves being a goddess of all thing tech. She provides her team at Sentinel Security with intel and comms, and she’s good at it. No, brilliant...Categorized as:
suspense military office forced proximity possessive hero strong heroine alpha male sassy heroine -
![The Hero She Loves by Anna Hackett]()
The Hero She Loves by Anna Hackett
The last thing he wants is to hunt a dangerous fugitive in the Alaskan wilderness, especially with a tough, stubborn US marshal.Parker Conroy moved to Alaska to be alone. His military career in Ghost Ops ended with an explosion and three torturous weeks of captivity. It’s left him scarred, wanting to avoid people, and hating being touched...Categorized as:
found-family friends-benefits forced proximity suspense military m-f contemporary length-short -
![Theo by Riley Edwards]()
Theo by Riley Edwards
Is seven days long enough to build a forever love? I was living a nightmare of my own making. My life had been erased. My past rewritten. My name changed. I had nothing from my previous life. I was no longer Bridget Keller. I was promised federal protection. I was promised a new life. I was promised I would be safe...Categorized as:
suspense military forced proximity mystery m-f new adult contemporary second chances -
![Smith by Riley Edwards]()
Smith by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsSmith and Aria's story...Categorized as:
suspense military grumpy sunshine found-family forced proximity contemporary length-medium -
![Damaged by Riley Edwards]()
Damaged by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsShe promised her love would set him free. He promised he’d break her. They were both right.Brady Hewitt was all too familiar with the horrors of war. They clung to him, or maybe he clung to them, using the nightmares as an excuse to keep others at bay—especially his boss’s daughter, Hadley Walker. Beautiful, sexy, ambitious, and forbidden... -
![Leo by Maryann Jordan]()
Leo by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe had no complaints… Great job, great boss, great co-workers. And a best friend he’d known for years.Okay, almost no complaints… The women he dated paled in comparison to his best friend.She had a lot of complaints… A job she hated, a tyrant for a boss, working with people that got on her last nerve. And no time for love. Plus, the guys she dated couldn’t come close to her best friend... -
![Scorch by Chelle Bliss]()
Scorch by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe headstrong and wild Luna Gallo is about to have her world rocked, altering the course of her life and putting her on a path she never expects.Scorch is the tenth full-length standalone novel in the Men of Inked Heatwave series by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss...Categorized as:
suspense friends to lovers alpha male sassy heroine age difference m-f contemporary abuse -
![Deserving Henley by Susan Stoker]()
Deserving Henley by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsYears of adversity have molded Henley McClure into the attentive, conscientious psychologist she is today. She lives for her daughter, Jasna, and her work at The Refuge, an exclusive retreat for victims of PTSD. Her life is fulfilling…if a little lonely. But the only man who’s captured her interest, the most standoffish of the mountain retreat’s seven owners, lives in self-imposed isolation...Categorized as:
military suspense tortured hero age difference single-mother m-f contemporary men in uniform -
![No Fair Lady by Nicole Snow]()
No Fair Lady by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsUnbreakable. Lethal. Rip-your-heart-out fine.Now let me tell you about him...Oliver Major was the only lunk brave enough to tame me.Strict. Rich. Deliciously handsome. The right kind of scary.And the scary kind of right.He was my rugged oasis in high-stakes corporate hell.The day he disappeared without a trace sheared my soul.Years later, I'm on a date with destiny... -
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![Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard]()
Last Man Standing by Cindy Gerard
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsThe final "powerfully intense" (Romantic Times) Black Ops, Inc. novel from New York Times bestseller Cindy Gerard, featuring a covert private security team and electrifying romantic suspense. Black Ops, Inc. operative Joe Green is determined to bring to justice the man responsible for former team member Bryan Tompkins's death... -
![The Wrong Bones by Melinda Leigh]()
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... -
![Checkmate by Emilia Finn]()
Checkmate by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsBishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me... -
![Soar High by Cherise Sinclair]()
Soar High by Cherise Sinclair
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsShe survived.Kit survived her abusive husband. Survived imprisonment and beatings from the Patriot Zealots. Now free and healing, she can make a new life for herself and her son…except he has attached himself to a terrifying, scarred, tattooed ex-mercenary.Women take one look at him and flee.An ugly childhood and combat left Hawk with scars, a rasping voice, and an aversion to talking... -
![Fortune by Helen Hardt]()
Fortune by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
![Code Name: Outlaw by Janie Crouch]()
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 military alpha male tortured heroine friends to lovers forced proximity dual-pov -
![Stay Anyway by Kaylee Ryan]()
Stay Anyway by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsStella Getting pregnant in college wasn’t part of the plan, but I’ll never regret giving birth to the best part of me. Even if my parents did disown me for it. A fresh start in a small town seems like a good idea, until a handsome stranger shows me a little kindness and has me feeling things, I thought I’d never feel again… things I have no business feeling about a man I just met... -
![Bishop by Marie James]()
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:
military suspense alpha male tortured hero forced proximity single-mother friends to lovers m-f -
![Smolder by Helen Hardt]()
Smolder by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
![Rescuing Rosalie by Ellie Masters]()
Rescuing Rosalie by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the Nicaraguan jungle, I'll battle dangerous wildlife, treacherous terrain, and my growing attraction to Rosalie as we outrun a madman and survive.When a hostage rescue mission intended to save innocent lives takes a devastating turn, Hayes, a Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialist, leaps into action and plunges headlong into danger to save Rosalie... -
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![Rescuing Wendy by Susan Stoker]()
Rescuing Wendy by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAspen “Blade” Carlisle is the last of his Delta Force team to find love…and he’s pretty bummed about that fact. Which might explain why he finds himself chatting up a telemarketer as if she’s a long-lost friend. But Wendy is surprisingly easy to talk to, so when they go from occasional calls during her work, to nightly conversations on their cells, it somehow feels right... -
![A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee]()
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... -
![Stay Tonight by Kaylee Ryan]()
Stay Tonight by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSterling It’s always been her, and I just never realized. Now that I’m looking at her that way, I can’t unsee it… and I don’t want to. Alyssa has been my best friend since kindergarten, and these intense new feelings could cost me our friendship. She’s the one I share everything with, good or bad. It makes sense to share my life with her... -
![She Loves Me by Melissa Foster]()
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 independent heroine sassy heroine strong heroine m-f humor contemporary -
![The Hero She Craves by Anna Hackett]()
The Hero She Craves by Anna Hackett
The last thing he expects on his ship is the off-limits woman he can’t stop thinking about—his best friend’s daughter.After a tough military career as a Navy SEAL, and a member of a covert Ghost Ops team, Lorenzo “Ren” Santoro now calls a research ship home. The ocean, very few people, and solitude…it’s all he needs... -
![Forgotten Secrets by Christy Barritt]()
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... -
![Honor by J.L. Drake, Joe Arden]()
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... -
![Give Me Love by Corinne Michaels]()
Give Me Love by Corinne Michaels
New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels returns to Rose Canyon where four best friends are faced with their picturesque lives being upended. Emmett Maxwell prides himself on doing the right thing and being honest, but he’s hiding a huge secret and she’s refusing to stay hidden any longer...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense forced proximity sassy heroine angst military alpha male strong heroine -
![Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds]()
Until April by Aurora Rose Reynolds
With happily ever after being something that happens to other people, April Mayson has decided to put all her energy into her career and living her best life, and things are better than ever. Little does she know that her world is about to be turned upside down when she’s asked to help out a family friend, Maxim Kauwe...Categorized as:
suspense alpha male possessive hero friends to lovers mystery m-f contemporary insta-love -
![Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee]()
Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the steamy first novel in her new adrenaline-fueled Richter series.As an employee of MacBain Security and Solutions, Claire Kelly can certainly hold her own. Armed with an impressive set of covert skills, she’s more than prepared to tackle any job that comes her way…except one involving Cooper Lockman...Categorized as:
suspense new adult mystery strong heroine friends to lovers independent heroine bodyguard-hero m-f -
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![The Rebel Billionaire by Ivy Layne]()
The Rebel Billionaire by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWe said we could do casual. We swore we wouldn’t fall in love. We lied. Charlie I didn’t buy my house just so I could stare at the guy next door. I swear. It’s not my fault he mows the lawn with his shirt off. His tattooed muscles are an eye magnet. I can’t look away. The first kiss is an accident. One taste and I have to have more. We were supposed to keep it casual... -
![Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale]()
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... -
![Blaze by Helen Hardt]()
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 sassy heroine mystery alpha male angst friends to lovers contemporary sweet heroine -
![Edge Of Reality by Freya Barker]()
Edge Of Reality by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHorsepower and green thumbs meets justice and flip-flops.I’m a late bloomer.A geek, an introvert, an enigma, and a watchdog. My name is Paco.I’m determined enough to bide my time, yet too clever to pass up on opportunity. I’m a steadfast rebel.An outcast, a defender, a hothead, and an eccentric.My name is Mel.I’m resolute enough to carve my own way, but not too blind to see a better path... -
![Sinful Sorrow by Emilia Finn]()
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... -
![Beneath the Wreckage by Catherine Cowles]()
Beneath the Wreckage by Catherine Cowles
It was supposed to be a summer we’d never forget.Instead, everything was stolen from me.The best friend who was more like a sister. The innocent way I looked at life.Leaving me with only unanswered questions. Returning to the island is the second chance I didn’t know I needed.And Hunter is the surprise that knocks me sideways. There’s a hurt in him that calls to my own...Categorized as:
suspense mystery friends to lovers m-f alpha male cold hero tortured hero sassy heroine -
![Cole by Nyssa Kathryn]()
Cole by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsShe’s a single mom with a secret. He’s a former Delta who doesn’t let people too close.Aria Callas understands struggle and sacrifice. Getting pregnant at sixteen, she’s spent more than a decade and a half ensuring her and her son’s safety the only way she knows how—by staying on the move...Categorized as:
suspense military single-mother friends to lovers tortured heroine found-family sports contemporary -
![Miles Ever After by T.L. Swan]()
Miles Ever After by T.L. Swan
Miles Ever After...Categorized as:
friends-benefits age difference dual-pov grumpy sunshine friends to lovers new adult alpha male m-f -
![Sinful Summer by Emilia Finn]()
Sinful Summer by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSummer has arrived, and the honeymoon I’ve been scheming over for months is finally here. I’ve been married to the workaholic, medical examiner, Minka Mayet for nearly half a year already. But it took a lost bet and a metric ton of coercion to get her out of her cold office and into a bikini on the deck of a multi-million-dollar boat.Time well spent, if you ask me... -
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![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... -
![Deja Brew by Jessica Gadziala]()
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... -
![Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black]()
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLeoEveryone has a past they’re trying to outrun, myself included. My time in the military left me with scars, both physically and emotionally, which is why I keep to myself. Since returning home to Stewart Grove, I work a lot so I have little time to think. To remember. I’m just content to make it through the day.Then I meet Kallie Carpenter... -
![Cold Fury by Toni Anderson]()
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... -
![Kissing the Rival by Kaylee Ryan]()
Kissing the Rival by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratings**Kissing the Rival is part of a multi-author series following a group of friends. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone novel.Charlotte I’m not just kissing the rival… I’m falling for him. Spencer Pennington has always been a shameless flirt, but when it came to being the best in our MBA program, all bets were off, and the competition was on...
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