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 tortured heroine abduction competent heroine
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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... -
![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... -
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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... -
![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 -
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![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 -
![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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers mystery military suspense m-f contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Rescuing Rosalie by Ellie Masters]()
Rescuing Rosalie by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
![Line of Resistance by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker]()
Line of Resistance by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGetting stranded in the snow without cell service wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to Eloise Rivers.Being saved by the man who’d led her on more than once was... -
![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... -
![Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee]()
Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 29 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 -
![Nuclear Option by Giulia Lagomarsino]()
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... -
![This Much Is True by Adriana Locke]()
This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhen celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love … and biggest frenemy... -
![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 -
![Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black]()
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
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![Enigma by Lora Leigh]()
Enigma by Lora Leigh
In the prologue to LIVE WIRE, Tehya Talamosi, code name: Enigma, is the one woman Jordan Malone, commander of the Elite Ops, wants and is the one woman he knows he can never have. But when they share one blazingly hot night, everything changes in ways Jordan could have never imagined..Categorized as:
suspense alpha male mystery military m-f contemporary explicit-open-door length-novella -
![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 -
![Better Than This by Beth Flynn]()
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... -
![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... -
![The Past by Sawyer Bennett]()
The Past by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBefore ascending the throne of the Blackburn Empire in Kentucky horse country, they were just Tommy and Fiona, two teenagers from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Young love bloomed during an Irish summer set amidst the rolling green hills and lush pastures of Tipperary County. Fiona Conlan grew up sheltered by her overbearing parents and vibrating with the need for something more...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers sassy heroine angst office contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![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... -
![Off Limits by Helena Newbury]()
Off Limits by Helena Newbury
From the author of Deep Woods comes a scorching, standalone romantic suspense you’ll want to cozy up with. He’s a bad boy Brit who sleeps with every woman he sees. She’s his best friend’s book-loving little sister and strictly forbidden. But when the pair are stranded deep in the frozen wilderness, will anything remain off limits?I love my life... -
![The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez]()
The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe world owes you nothing. It took losing the woman I loved and facing the paralyzing task of moving on without her for me to truly understand that. Consumed by regret and razor-sharp memories, I’d resigned myself to a life of loneliness until a survivor from the same plane crash that took my fiancée stormed into my life.Remi Grey was chaos and sunshine, fire and freedom... -
![Defending Home by Caitlyn O'Leary]()
Defending Home by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWill Two Tormented Souls Have The Courage To Reach For Love?The only family Nolan O’Rourke ever claimed were his Navy SEAL brothers, they had never let him down. His childhood wasn’t rough, it wasn’t hard, it was hell, and now any mission that he was assigned to was a cakewalk in comparison... -
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![Asher by Nyssa Kathryn]()
Asher by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe needs his love. He needs her safe.When a workplace romance becomes something deeper for Lexie Harper, she's devastated to learn Asher Becket is determined to keep their sensual touches and passionate kisses behind closed doors. But that's not good enough. Lexie won't be anyone's dirty little secret...especially when she's harboring a secret of her own that won't stay hidden for long...Categorized as:
suspense military alpha male bodyguard-hero m-f contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Dare by Chelle Bliss]()
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 age difference sassy heroine friends to lovers suspense m-f humor -
![His Wounded Heart: Small Town Romance by Caitlyn O'Leary]()
His Wounded Heart: Small Town Romance by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s my soulmate. But will I be enough to heal his wounded heart?SimonThe Navy’s been my life. Being a SEAL is all I ever wanted, commanding them a dream come true. But I lost sight of everything else and missed the big things—things going on right in front of me. How could I not see how much my sister needed me? I knew her husband was off and should have checked him out...Categorized as:
military age difference forced proximity friends to lovers contemporary length-medium -
![Sinful Corruption by Emilia Finn]()
Sinful Corruption by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSinful Corruption is the 14th standalone Mayet Justice novel.Full blurb coming soon... -
![Taken by Cynthia Eden]()
Taken by Cynthia Eden
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIn New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel, the Last Option Search Team (LOST) returns— and for one agent, the hunt for a serial killer just got very personal . . . HE SWORE TO PROTECT HER . . . Bailey Jones somehow survived her harrowing abduction by the infamous Death Angel... -
![Critical Strike by Janie Crouch]()
Critical Strike by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsYou won't want to miss this heart-pounding bodyguard thriller from Janie Crouch. Previously Published as Texas Bodyguard: Luke.She’s seen too muchAnd he’s running out of time to save her…The last person security expert Luke Patterson ever expected to see again is in desperate trouble. Claire Wallace witnessed her boss’s murder…and the killer is tearing her quiet life apart to find her...Categorized as:
suspense mystery friends to lovers forced proximity military contemporary length-short -
![Always Yours by Kennedy Fox]()
Always Yours by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRehearsals, leotards, and textbooks—that was my life. Dancing is all I’ve ever known, but when Liam’s problems turn everything upside down, I’m thrust into a world I know nothing about. Secrets and betrayal changed the man I’ve fallen for and he isn’t who I thought he was. Regardless, Liam is all I’ve ever wanted and though I’m struggling with my emotions, deep down I’d do anything for him... -
![Twirled Bond by Emma Hart]()
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... -
![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... -
![JINXED by Emilia Finn]()
JINXED by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDrakeThey call me a flirt. ‘Detective Sl()ts-A-Lot’ when they’re feeling frisky, because my morals are loose, and my choice in women, according to the haters, is unfussy.But they don’t know I’ve been watching her.Waiting for her.The problem is, she’s half my age, and has no business being with a man like me.***RoryThey call me clumsy.Jinxed.And when they’re feeling a little dramatic, doomed...Categorized as:
suspense age difference forced proximity angst new adult humor contemporary length-medium -
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![Having Faith by Abbie Zanders]()
Having Faith by Abbie Zanders
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSometimes the biggest obstacle to overcome is yourself. Kieran Callaghan has it all. As the sole remaining single male of the Callaghan clan, he is drawing a lot of female attention. Not only is the former SEAL easy on the eyes and the poster boy for BodyWorks, the fitness center he owns/operates, but he is a genuinely nice guy with a white-knight complex...Categorized as:
military suspense alpha male independent heroine single-mother contemporary length-short audiobook -
![Protector of Misty Mountain: An ex-military, age gap, mountain man romance by Eve London]()
Protector of Misty Mountain: An ex-military, age gap, mountain man romance by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe walked into my world like she belongs here… but I don’t let people stay.JuniperThe mountains were supposed to be my escape—a place to rebuild, to breathe, to prove to myself that I could make it on my own. But from the moment I set foot in Misty Mountain, one mountain man has made it his mission to send me packing. Griffin Calloway...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine forced proximity military contemporary length-novella -
![Finders Keepers by Nicole Lenz]()
Finders Keepers by Nicole Lenz
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBailey Monroe knows one thing for certain. She had to leave. With her young daughter Sophie in tow, she flees from the nightmare of her abusive husband under the cover of darkness, finding safety in the quiet Texas town of Pine Grove. There, she finds refuge in the warmth of the town folk and kindness from Ms... -
![Her Eternal Warrior by Caitlyn O'Leary]()
Her Eternal Warrior by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe Needed a Hero Tied up, tossed in a truck, and locked in a muddy shack, Jenny Rivers is sure she is going to die, because if her captors don’t kill her, her injuries probably will. Navy SEAL Braxton Walker’s job is brutal, but he thrives on it. Parachuting into Bangladesh to rescue a woman is all in a day’s work...Categorized as:
military suspense abduction competent heroine tortured heroine contemporary length-medium -
![Finally Home by Ann Vaughn]()
Finally Home by Ann Vaughn
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThis will be the 4th and final book in the Home Series, and focuses on Commander Michael Casiano and Lainey Riley. Mike Casiano has lived his life by a certain creed: take care of all those who depend on you and leave no man behind. He wanted more for his life than joining his family's law firm when he graduated college... -
![Black Hearted by Julie Ann Walker]()
Black Hearted by Julie Ann Walker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s everything she ever wanted. She’s everything he never knew he needed. Can she convince him she’s the one?The Black Knights are back and better than ever!Samuel Harwood has spent his entire career working in the black and gray areas of international intrigue. Living in the shadows for so long has made him forget who he was and where he came from... -
![High Country Hero by Elle James]()
High Country Hero by Elle James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLauded for his daring rescue of a medical team captured by Islamic State terrorists, Navy SEAL Enrico “Rico” Cortez feels like anything but a hero. His friend and fellow teammate lost his life during that rescue. Plagued by PTSD, Rico leaves the Navy. Reluctantly, he accepts his only job offer, joining the Brotherhood Protectors in Colorado... -
![Reset by Janet Elizabeth Henderson]()
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... -
![Left-Handed Monkey Wrench by Giulia Lagomarsino]()
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 military contemporary humor length-medium -
![Blade by Sybil Bartel]()
Blade by Sybil Bartel
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBattle born.SEAL.Loner.Ringing out of BUD/S was never an option. Third generation Navy SEAL, the Teams were in my blood. I earned my Trident, and a year later my brother earned his.As Tier One operators, the battlefield was our playground.Then I got a cryptic call. Enemy combatants, coordinated attack, no survivors, catastrophic loss—my brother was dead... -
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![Protector in a Kilt by Kait Nolan]()
Protector in a Kilt by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA captive who dreams of her freedomIn public, violinist Elizabeth Duncan is the toast of the entertainment world. A prodigy who's been wowing audiences with her music since she was only twelve years old. But behind closed doors, she's desperate to escape the man who's turned her passion into a prison. When the specter of violence becomes more than a threat, she sacrifices everything to run... -
![She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant]()
She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant
Micah Taylor is an eternal optimist, but with every first date that fails, her faith in true love weakens. When offered the chance to help reopen the lodge where her parents were married, Micah is determined to prove her worth and show her boss that she has what it takes to be a great event planner...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine age difference office m-f contemporary humor glimpses-kisses -
![This Is Love by Melissa Foster]()
This Is Love by Melissa Foster
Fall in love in Harmony Pointe, where hearts are lost, found, and sometimes misplaced…and everyone get a happy ever after. If a woman can’t find love in the quaint town of Harmony Pointe, it’s sure to find them—whether they’re looking for it or not. Here, the remaining single Dalton siblings are about to discover that they’re next in line to get swept away by love...Categorized as:
sassy heroine strong heroine alpha male tortured hero forced proximity boss & employee office m-f -
![Our Unscripted Story by L.A. Fiore]()
Our Unscripted Story by L.A. Fiore
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGreyson Ratcliffe. I met him at sixteen, the hot new guy sitting on my jetty, an aspiring artist just passing through. He was my first kiss and my first love. I wanted forever with him. I didn’t even get a year. Five years later, I’m a budding writer who scripts stories of love and struggle, the good and the bad and the ups and the downs...Categorized as:
suspense angst alpha male friends to lovers new adult insta-love contemporary audiobook -
![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 -
![Hollywood Princess by Natasha Madison]()
Hollywood Princess by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBehind the "lights, camera, action" of Hollywood lies a world of deception, love, and seduction. Are you ready for Hollywood Royalty? Kellie An Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, a Grammy—she has them all. She's the most sought-after woman in Hollywood. Even if her rise to fame was a fluke, you can't deny the camera loves her...
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