Books like 'The Rescue'
Readers who enjoyed The Rescue by Kathryn Shay also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary small town single-father second chances men in uniform
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The Start of Something Wonderful by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAutumn Laine has lost her creative sparkle. After losing her grandad and her job as an illustrator in quick succession, she is at a crossroads in life and needs a break. Spending time with her parents in Paris, even in the artistic community of Montmartre, doesn't appear to be the answer... -
We Are Family by Beth Moran
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFrom No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran comes a story about family, friends and facing your fears. Thirty-three-year-old Ruth Henderson and her daughter Maggie have some hard choices to make. Following the tragic death of Maggie's father, they are left with a mountain of debt and broken hearts... -
A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft: Cosy up with a BRAND NEW gorgeously romantic read from the million-copy sensation Jessica Redland for 2025 by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA BRAND NEW feel-good novel from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland, guaranteed to leave a smile on your face! New friends, new life, new love…Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change... -
Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBack home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage... -
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Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a warm and romantic novel about a marriage in trouble, two conspiring kids, and the meaning of long-lasting love. After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple...Categorized as:
second chances small town forced proximity humor mature couple contemporary length-medium -
Revealing Annie by Freya Barker, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAs the fire department’s joker, Kyle (Sumo) Matsumoto, loves nothing better than ribbing the guys at the station. However, he’s all business when he’s on a call, and when he tries to snag the attention of a cute little baker. Then life takes a more serious turn when he’s plunged headfirst into fatherhood—of a teenage boy—giving his teammates the last laugh...Categorized as:
single-father men in uniform contemporary suspense multicultural east-asian-mc length-medium -
Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsTake to the skies in this gorgeous and gripping new series, perfect for fans of Jo Bartlett and Cathy Bramley.A Second Chance…For Maya, serving as a pilot in the Whistlestop River air ambulance team is a dream come true. And now, with her divorce from her overbearing husband finally complete, flying over the fields of Dorset, and saving lives with the Skylarks, is the centre of her world...Categorized as:
small town single-father men in uniform contemporary office length-medium m-f friends to lovers -
Expired Return by Lisa Phillips
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe’ll give everything to protect her family.He always knew she was the one.Veterinary tech Pepper Miller lives a quiet life in Last Chance County. She’s watching her niece until her sister shows up…if she ever does. When Victory’s father demands he take over her care, Pepper knows something has gone wrong... -
My Only - Alex & Jamie by Melanie Shawn
The Firefighter… With his sexy good looks, natural born charisma, and playful sense of humor, firefighter Alex Sloan is Harper's Crossing's most eligible bachelor. Since returning home from serving his country as a Navy SEAL women have been lining up to be with him. Alex works hard and plays even harder... -
The Best of Me by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTake a trip to Blessings, Georgia, where bestselling author Sharon Sala welcomes you with a touching small-town romance:An orphaned little girl who desperately needs a new homeA couple ready to welcome her with open armsFriendly neighbors who are always there for each otherA Southern small town where great things happen to good peopleRuby Butterman and her husband, Peanut, cannot have children,... -
Never Too Soon by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGrace Bianchi has always been drawn to men who are allergic to relationships. But when a mysterious man walks into her shop, saving her from a disaster, she finds herself wondering… is he different than the others?Ryder Cooper is fumbling his way through life. He’s been lost since his wife passed away, leaving him to raise two young children alone... -
This is Dangerous by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLogan Knight is a real life knight in shining armor. A detective godsend in a sleek black suit has me thinking less than secretive thoughts. Brooding and mysterious, he’s the kind of guy every girl instantly notices. Between his seductive smirk and charming good looks, it’s no wonder I can’t help the way he makes me feel whenever I’m near him. Too bad he’s unavailable—or so he says... -
Love Blooms by Jennifer Faye
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found hereHe’s an injured firefighter. She bakes the most delightful treats. When their worlds collide will the baker help heal the firefighter with a mix of blueberry muffins and her caring way?The elegant baker, Hannah Bell, has always lived on Bluestar Island with her family... -
Temptation Ridge: A Virgin River Novel by Robyn Carr
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsWelcome back to Virgin River with the books that inspired the hit Netflix series… Shelby McIntyre has big plans—plans that include finding Mr. Right. Her dream man will have a clean-shaven jaw, creases in his pants and hopefully an advanced degree. What she gets is rugged Luke Riordan...Categorized as:
men in uniform small town military virgin heroine contemporary age difference length-long -
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Late Nights & Love Lines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe job was simple. Answer the phone, solve the single dad's dilemma, and move on.I'm the temporary solution.The fill-in.The short-term Single Dad Hotline Helper until a more suitable one can be found.I don't get attached, I don't stick around, and I certainly don't fall for the single dad.Until the job said, "Hold my beer," and tipped my world upside down... -
Last Rites by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere's nothing a community won't do to protect its own...Shirley Wallace and her four sons return to her childhood home on Pope Mountain in Jubilee, Kentucky, with a lifetime of hardship behind them, hoping to find peace and begin their lives anew. Eldest brother Aaron Pope returns to his life as a police officer, and is settling in just fine...Categorized as:
small town second chances suspense mystery friends to lovers contemporary abuse length-long -
Home Fires by Cat Johnson
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNavy SEAL Cal Swenson's going home has been a long time coming. Too bad his homecoming was based on a lie. And why did Granny feign dying to get him back to New York? That's the big question...Categorized as:
men in uniform small town military suspense contemporary super rich hero mystery length-short -
The Path to You by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Wilder Brothers from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan continues with a second chance romance that brings Everett Wilder to his knees.The moment I saw Bethany Cole, I knew she was not only out of my league, but in a whole different world.Only I didn’t realize I’d met her before.An explosion stole part of my past, including the first time I’d seen her pretty face...Categorized as:
second chances small town contemporary suspense military angst friends to lovers length-medium -
Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox
Otto: Seth Walker was my first love and I always swore he’d be my last. Even after he moved away our senior year in high school, we vowed to reunite after graduation. But when he suddenly broke things off without explanation and crushed my heart, it was my turn to run. After a decade in the navy, I’ve finally come home ready to move on with my life as Hobie’s newest firefighter...Categorized as:
second chances small town men in uniform m-m mystery friends to lovers contemporary military -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTuckerI spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that.Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
Christmas Peril by Lynn Shannon
A hidden peril…Exhausted and overworked, FBI agent Noelle Logan is looking for a peaceful holiday getaway. Her plans are destroyed when she stumbles across a murder victim—and nearly becomes one herself.Police officer David Carpenter vows to find the killer while protecting Noelle. He won’t leave his former sweetheart to face the danger alone even if it means putting his heart at risk... -
The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 24 ratings“Mallery is an expert at writing about strong women, their friendships, and their romances.” —Booklist Susan Mallery, author of the Fool’s Gold romances, cheerfully invites you to Wishing Tree, where Christmas comes to life… The Somerville sisters believe in love, but they’ve lost faith it will happen for them. Reggie hasn’t been home since the end of the world’s shortest engagement...Categorized as:
small town single-father contemporary humor new adult christmas pregnancy length-long -
Christmas at Valentine Inn by Jennifer Peel
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWith a name like Isabelle Valentine, one would think I was destined to find true love and believe in the ridiculous notion of soul mates. Don’t get me wrong: I’m all about love. I even own an inn with my sister where each room is named after our favorite romantic couples. But soul mates? It seems highly implausible there is that one person, your person, meant only for you... -
Firefly Effect by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe's a single dad who moves to a small mountain town and becomes obsessed with a potential client—a beautiful woman haunted by her tragic past.For years, tales of the Firefly Man were nothing more than elaborate rumors spread by residents of the Appalachian Mountains.Until the night Evelyn Vaughn stumbled upon a dead body in the woods.Fear gripped her, and silence stole her voice... -
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Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAN INSTANT BESTSELLER!“Thayne's characters are multidimensional people who care not only for those near-and-dear but also for others who need help, and this lovely romance offers a gentle depiction of many family challenges... -
My Last - Riley & Chelle by Melanie Shawn
He was the bad boy... After twelve years in the Marines Special Forces Riley Sloan is more than ready to start his new civilian life. No one to answer to. No one depending on him. No more dangerous rescues...he thought. After receiving a distress call he is sent on a recon mission to check on the one girl that is completely off limits and the only girl that ever made him question his loyalty... -
Longtime Crush by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen my best friend and I fell for the same guy in middle school, I stepped back.I'd always expected to dance at their wedding.Not sit in the back pew of her funeral.I left town for my own reasons, but now that I'm back, it’s clear Sebastian Montgomery isn't the same man I left.He's hard. Broken.And a single father to an adorable little girl... -
Already Gone by Kristen Proby, K.L. Grayson
Falling in love is easy… New Hope, South Carolina is my home. It’s where I grew up, got into trouble, and fell in love for the first time. Scarlett Kincaid was more than the girl next door, she was my best friend, until she decided that small town life wasn’t for her... -
Angel and the Neville Next Door: Friendship, Love and Second Chances (Sunshine Bay) by Jeanine Lauren
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsCan a cat person and a dog person find common ground? And maybe even love? Come to Sunshine Bay and find out!A year after a difficult marital separation, Helen learns her daughter Kim won’t be home for the holidays. She is staying in Ontario with her new husband and his family this year...Categorized as:
small town second chances contemporary christian christmas mature couple sweet-hero length-novella -
Dylan by Apryl Baker
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDylan ~Six years ago, Dylan Jenkins lost his daughter in a tragic car accident, and his wife took her own life because she couldn’t live with the guilt of surviving. The loss of his family turned him into a hard, cold man. He quit his job as an LAPD detective and moved to New York where he took a position with Kincaid Security & Investigations. Viktor Kincaid and his company saved his life... -
Love You More by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColleen Luview's love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she's ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.She's untouchable now, and it's not her fault...Categorized as:
small town single-father humor contemporary friends to lovers forced proximity length-long usa -
The Amish Widow's Rescue by Rachel J. Good
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe perfect family awaits...if only he'll risk his heart.Pregnant and recently widowed, Grace Fisher is determined to provide for her family on her own. Thankfully, her jam business is popular in her Amish community. But it's difficult keeping up with her work, her farm chores, and her two mischievous children. Especially now that they've taken to idolizing their neighbor Elijah... -
The SEAL’s Surprise Baby by Leslie North
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNavy SEAL Anderson Park and agency operative Violet DiPaula didn’t like each other, but that didn’t diminish the spark between them. On a mission together in Russia, they gave in to the red-hot chemistry between them... -
Breaker by Jules Ford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Hambleton, Wyoming, home of the Speed Demons MC.BreakerYears ago, while on leave from the military, I went to the city of sin and unknowingly left two things behind. Twins!Now they’re back in my life, along with their mother, the woman that I’ve never forgotten, and I have big decisions to make...Categorized as:
men in uniform second chances contemporary military suicide secret child bikers length-long -
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The Rogue by Roxanne Tully
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJOB SEARCH - Hideaway Springs, CO 1 result. Single dad rancher seeking live-in nanny for 9-year-old boy. Must have experience, playful and not looking for a real-life love story. (6 wks only - don't apply if looking for long-term.) Hitting refresh ten times on my search doesn’t help. There cannot be only one job in Hideaway Springs... -
Redemption by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEveryone deserves a second chance, but not for the same mistake. At least according to Brooklyn Tanner. Over the course of their long, complicated friendship, she's given Andrew Brinks more than enough chances. What has she received in return? Heartache. Pain. Agony.But also love, as cruel and beautiful as it's always been between them... -
Navigating Noah by Jaclyn Quinn
Noah HathawayThe saying 'livin' the dream' is usually said with sarcasm, but I truly am living my dream in Coral Pointe Inlet with my four best friends. Still, as I watch three of them fall in love, my heart aches a little with longing. It doesn't help when Hunter, a man I spent an incredible weekend with, comes back to Coral Pointe--not alone, I might add... -
Heartstring by Ana Ashley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMikIf I had a dollar for every mistake I made… But there’s only one mistake I regret.Breaking my promise to the only person who ever understood my need to get away from a future I didn’t want…Tyler.I’ve reached many hearts through my music, but the only one I’ve ever wanted might be lost to me forever.TylerFool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…Mik broke a promise a long time ago...Categorized as:
second chances single-father m-m contemporary angst friends to lovers hurt-comfort queer -
Take Me to the Valley by Kaci Rose
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe’s her brother’s best friend. She’s never had a thing for single dads or younger men… until him. Evan I’ve built my life around two things: protecting my daughter, Skye, and serving Whiskey River as a detective. Love? It’s off the table. I can’t have both—it’s not fair to Skye, and I’ve already been burned once... -
Tempting Love - Haley & Eddie by Melanie Shawn
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIndependent, talented, and beautiful–inside and out–Haley Sloan knew exactly what she wanted out of life. With her designer lingerie business booming, her career was moving forward, but her heart stayed in the same place it had for four years…hopelessly in love with the single father across the street... -
That One Touch by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe’s a single dad. The father of her student. And the chemistry is off the charts… After an accident ends her big city ballet career, Cassie Simons is ready for a brand new start, moving to a small town to help run her best friend’s dancing school. From the moment she meets her new students she knows she’s made the right choice... -
Welcome To Jubilee by Rachel Hanna
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe’s fifty-five years-old, and now she’s starting over. Madeline Harper has been one of the most popular romance authors in the world for decades, but when her marriage falls apart and her agent says her publisher doesn’t want her newest book, everything in her life suddenly shifts in the opposite direction. Her agent says the only option is to change what she’s writing... -
Rekindling the Flame by Madison Myers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI never intended to set foot in Smoky Heights again.But when I learn my mom has less than a year to live, I swallow my pride and return to help her through her final months. My plan is stay focused, avoid the past, and most importantly, steer clear of Wyatt Grady—my first love and the person I hurt the worst when I left.But fate has other ideas... -
Harbor Lights by Sherryl Woods
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsStruggling in his role as a newly single father, former army medic Kevin O'Brien moves home to Chesapeake Shores. He wants a haven for himself and his toddler son, surrounded by the family he knows he can count on, and a future that's nothing like his past. But Kevin is suddenly facing a risk he hadn't anticipated, in the form of Main Street bookseller Shanna Carlyle... -
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No Chance by Christy Reece
DO OR DIE Skylar James told a lie to the man she married, and eight years later she still bitterly regrets the deception. Unknown to Skylar, her husband, Gabe Maddox, now lives in the dangerous shadows of elite operatives who rescue victims. When Skylar tries to save a naïve young beauty, kidnappers come after her. For Gabe, Skylar had been his last shot at trust and love...Categorized as:
men in uniform second chances contemporary suspense mystery military explicit-open-door betrayal -
Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery welcomes readers back to Fool's Gold, where a one-time fling could become the real thing... Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away...on the morning after the hottest night of her life...Categorized as:
men in uniform small town military contemporary alpha male open-door neurodivergent length-medium -
After All by Kristen Proby
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe last sizzling novel in Kristen Proby's Romancing Manhattan series finds a widower falling deeply in love again with a woman who has scars of her own. When Carter Shaw’s wife died five years ago, he was left to pick up the pieces not only of his own broken heart but also that of his devastated eight-year-old daughter, Gabby—leaving him with no time for anything else, let alone dating...Categorized as:
second chances single-father contemporary humor new adult friends to lovers pregnancy length-medium -
Layover Lover by Jeannine Colette, Lauren Runow
Flying the friendly skies has been more than just a job to me. It’s my home.Ten years ago I ran away from everything I’ve known and vowed never to return. That is until my flight is canceled due to weather, and I’m stuck in San Francisco. Fate is not on my side when I end up in an Uber rideshare with the one man I thought I’d never see again... -
Speak From The Heart: a small town romance by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen a small town, single father becomes enemies with the new girl in town, it’s either keep fighting her or give in to what his heart wants most.Emily Post isn’t staying. Back at her grandmother’s summer home, she’s only in Elk Lake City for a visit which can’t end soon enough. Especially when she can’t seem to get away from one grumpy repairman who shows up everywhere...Categorized as:
single-father small town contemporary humor new adult from hate to love length-short -
Taken by Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsDaisy Honey fled Trusty, Colorado, after years of battling rumors sparked by her gorgeous looks and lust-inducing name. Now a physician on the brink of a promising career, she reluctantly returns home when her father is injured in a farming accident...
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