Books like 'The Return'
Readers who enjoyed The Return by Nicholas Sparks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary small town mystery military
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The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCombining heart-wrenching emotion with edge-of-your-seat tension, Charles Martin explores the true power of sacrificial love. He shows up when all hope is lost. Murphy Shepherd has made a career of finding those no one else could—survivors of human trafficking. His life’s mission is helping others find freedom. But then the nightmare strikes too close to home... -
![A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost]()
A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsCan a Greek escape be the start of something special?Xanthe Fox has it all: a famous, drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend, a dream career and bright future – until heartbreak sends her life into a tailspin... -
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![Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin]()
Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsA POIGNANT RUNAWAY BESTSELLER full of French charm and memorable characters, Fresh Water for Flowers is Valérie Perrin's English debut.Violette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne... -
![A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean]()
A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Beyond the Moonlit Sea comes an atmospheric tale of how one woman’s search for the truth uncovers long-hidden secrets and rocks the very foundation of her world.Scarlett Fontaine is a true Hollywood legend—a singer, actress, and beloved fashion icon. But Scarlett dies tragically at just thirty-six years old, leaving behind no children... -
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![Beowolf by Fiona Quinn]()
Beowolf by Fiona Quinn
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThey weren’t looking for love. But fate—and a dog named Beowolf—had other plans…Retired military pilot Thaddeus (Nutsbe) Crushed deserves peace and quiet. If his work in tactical operations for Iniquus’s Panther Force hadn’t earned him that right, the fact that he lost his legs in the service of his country should’ve... -
![Remy by Elle James]()
Remy by Elle James
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRetired Navy SEAL Remy Montagne left the Navy to take on a career where he could make a difference. After a short vacation to his old hometown of Bayou Mambaloa and a casual hookup with local woman, Shelby Taylor, he joins Hank Patterson’s Brotherhood Protectors in Montana... -
![Pretend You're Mine - The Wedding (Benevolence) by Lucy Score]()
Pretend You're Mine - The Wedding (Benevolence) by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA Small Town Love Story I only wanted to protect you... Luke Garrison is a hometown hero, a member of the National Guard ready to deploy again. Strong, sweet, and sexy, he doesn't have a girlfriend and doesn't want one. When the wildly beautiful Harper stumbles into his life, though, he realizes that she's the perfect decoy... -
![Maggie by Charles Martin]()
Maggie by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe moving sequel to bestselling author Charles Martin’s The Dead Don’t Dance... -
![The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin]()
The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA sleepy rural town in South Carolina. The end of summer and a baby about to be born. But in the midst of hope and celebration comes unexpected tragedy, and Dylan Styles must come to terms with how much he's lost... -
![Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks]()
Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone . . -
![One Last Shot by Susan May Warren]()
One Last Shot by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen country music star Oaken Fox joins survivalist Mike Grizz's new adventure show in the Alaskan wilderness, he just wants to boost his fan base. But when tragedy strikes and Air One Rescue must save them, Oaken wants to quit. Too bad his producer has other plans--signing him on with Air One Rescue as a recruit and making a reality show... -
![Relentless by Rebecca Deel]()
Relentless by Rebecca Deel
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA friend's desperate plea launches Piper Reece on a quest to bring down a crime boss. But bringing a killer to justice will take more than determination. When she's attacked, Piper realizes she needs a defender as relentless as he is deadly. Good thing she knows the perfect man for the job... -
![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... -
![A New Song by Jan Karon]()
A New Song by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsJan Karon's millions of fans can't wait to sit down with her heartwarming and hilarious characters, who have a way of becoming family. In fact, readers and booksellers across the country kept Out to Canaan and At Home in Mitford on The New York Times bestseller list for months. In A New Song, Mitford's longtime Episcopal priest, Father Tim, retires... -
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![Disconnect by Traci Hunter Abramson]()
Disconnect by Traci Hunter Abramson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBrent Miller is still trying to get past the nightmares of his last mission into Nicaragua when a new commander takes charge of his Navy SEAL team. Commander Gardner has just one to further his career. And the so-called Saint Squad is in his way... -
![Bad Seed by Sharon Sala]()
Bad Seed by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCan she have the man of her dreams and the life she's always wanted?It's love at first sight when head pastry chef Brendan Pope meets private investigator Harley Banks at Serenity Inn for her latest investigation. But unknown to them both, Harley has a hitman after her, courtesy of the wrong-doer she put behind bars on her last case... -
![Fatal Risk by Jane Blythe]()
Fatal Risk by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe doesn’t do emotion, she lives by her emotions, how can they ever work as a couple?Julia Garamond is a reporter who won't let go once she catches a hint of a story, and this one is personal to her. When she crosses paths with one of Prey Security's teams she knows together they can take down the powerful Mikhailov Bratva who she believes is involved in a plot to overthrow the government... -
![A Third Moment in Time: A Collection of Short Stories by Susan Stoker]()
A Third Moment in Time: A Collection of Short Stories by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Third Moment in Time is a collection of stories by Susan Stoker, including 3 short stories that have been published previously in recent anthologies, a story written specifically for social media, and a brand new, never been published novella featuring a beloved character from the Silverstone series.The Bully: When a bully at school targets the seventh-grader, Annie Fletcher is on her own... -
![The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown]()
The Bluebonnet Battle by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsIn Bonnet, Texas, Liddy Latham, the queen of funeral dinners, keeps a southern comfort-food tradition alive—until fancy-schmancy Matilda Monroe moves back to town. She wants room at the table for her own style of consolation and closure: healthy, modern, and vegan. But this is about more than fried chicken versus tofu turkey. Matilda’s return is also stirring up their volatile, unresolved history... -
![Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin]()
Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Martin offers us “grace, mercy, and forgiveness in this sweeping love story.”*Allie is still recovering from the loss of her family’s beloved waterfront restaurant on Florida’s Gulf Coast when she loses her second husband to a terrifying highway accident... -
![The Promise of Tomorrow by Mary Ellen Taylor]()
The Promise of Tomorrow by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsFrom the author of The Brighter the Light comes the moving story about one woman’s reason for leaving home and the love that brings her back.When Olympia leaves her small Virginia town, she doesn’t expect to look back, much less ever come home... -
![Valentin: Small Town, Protective Hero, Romantic Suspense by Elle James]()
Valentin: Small Town, Protective Hero, Romantic Suspense by Elle James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsValentin Vachon, former Navy SEAL, loves women but is allergic to commitment. Trained and highly effective in extraction operations, he left the military when the Navy decided he should be a training instructor for fresh recruits to the BUD/S program... -
![A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse by Christie Barlow]()
A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane series Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what When Bea Fernsby discovers her fiancé’s eyes have been wandering, she calls off the wedding and hits the road... -
![Onyx's Awakening by Heather Slade]()
Onyx's Awakening by Heather Slade
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s an alpha pilot for K19 Security Solutions.She's a grieving sister, determined to get answers.With ONYX by her side, their dark and blackened pasts may have a brighter future.ONYXA crash and a coma has grounded me. Without flight, I’m a pilot without wings. I refuse to give up, give in. I need to be back in the air with nothing but gravity threatening me... -
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![Deadly Risk by Jane Blythe]()
Deadly Risk by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe last thing he wants is to fall for her.Mackenzie Arden knows she'll never be free of her brother's violent obsession with her, and now she's his prisoner and an unwitting pawn in his plot. When she’s rescued by a man who is as intriguing as he is intimidating, she finally starts to feel safe for the first time in her life, only he wants nothing to do with her... -
![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... -
![Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason]()
Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsHonorably discharged from the Army after an explosion nearly killed her, former military psychiatrist Brooke Adams has set up shop to help others--but her days of helping military personnel are over. She's got her own battles to fight from her time overseas, and she's not equipped to take on more... -
![Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King]()
Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAn unusual inheritance leads to a life-changing journey in a novel of romance, secrets, and the treasure of found family.Blythe Harmon is on the fast track to a life she never wanted... -
![An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans]()
An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA brand new and utterly enchanting series by bestselling author Jaimie Admans. A picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...A tale as old as time…Since her mum’s death, Marnie Platt has shut herself away from everyone who cares about her. Worse, her beloved bookshop on Ever After Street is suffering too... -
![Valentin: Small Town, Protective Hero, Romantic Suspense by Elle James]()
Valentin: Small Town, Protective Hero, Romantic Suspense by Elle James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsValentin Vachon, former Navy SEAL, loves women but is allergic to commitment. Trained and highly effective in extraction operations, he left the military when the Navy decided he should be a training instructor for fresh recruits to the BUD/S program... -
![The Christmas Letters: A heartwarming, feel-good holiday romance by Jenny Hale]()
The Christmas Letters: A heartwarming, feel-good holiday romance by Jenny Hale
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsElizabeth Holloway's sparkling world comes crashing down around her when her boyfriend of seven years drops the bomb that he’s leaving her—at Christmas. In an attempt to piece her life back together, she suddenly finds herself seven hundred miles from her New York City home, trudging through the snow, back at her childhood farm in the Great Smoky Mountains... -
![Fallout by Rebecca Deel]()
Fallout by Rebecca Deel
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWaking up with amnesia next to a dead body means big trouble for Willow Knox. Worse, the police believe she's a cold-blooded killer. On the verge of being arrested, Willow asks a black ops warrior for help. But someone wants Willow dead at any cost. If they're not careful, Willow and Max will lose everything, including their lives... -
![Jager by Dale Mayer]()
Jager by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJager Hannover, a former SEAL, has recovered from the damage done when his squad's truck drove over an antitank landmine more than two years ago. Six other team-mates were also badly injured, the seventh--Mouse--dead, in what their team leader Badger Horley realized later had to be a trap... -
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![CC: REAPER Patriots - Book Twenty-Eight by Mary Kennedy]()
CC: REAPER Patriots - Book Twenty-Eight by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharles Corbett Reilly served his country faithfully, waiting and biding his time until he could come home and convince Eva Harris that they belonged together. He’d kept his distance, given their age separation, but it was different now. She was a grown woman with a grown woman’s mind and body. But when he approached her to ask her out, she pushed back, something she’d never done before... -
![Corbin by Dale Mayer]()
Corbin by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCorbin is tracking a cabinet minister’s pregnant daughter, who’d been snatched off the streets several days ago. The incident followed several other missing women’s cases, except those women already had given birth, and their children were also kidnapped at the same time... -
![HEX: REAPER-Patriots: Book Thirty-Seven by Mary Kennedy]()
HEX: REAPER-Patriots: Book Thirty-Seven by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHex Vernon resigned himself to the life of a bachelor. A retired Marine, he vowed to never take up arms again unless circumstances required it. Circumstances require it. The first woman he's had any interest in, since his divorce, is in danger and he won't just sit by and watch. With the help of his brothers, he'll travel to Dallas to rescue Gwen and find a killer... -
![TORRO: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-FIve by Mary Kennedy]()
TORRO: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-FIve by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNic Torres, known to his teammates as Torro, has a terrible secret. A secret that might endanger the life of a woman and her child, as well as his teammates. But it's a secret he's held close to his heart for almost half his life. Facing the evil in his past, he must now find a way to reconcile his feelings, while recognizing the love that's growing for the woman in his arms... -
![JT: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Six by Mary Kennedy]()
JT: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Six by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJT Stanton is a happily single Navy SEAL. His convenient relationship with a woman he barely knows is fast turning into something he doesn't want, and she is striving for. As gently as possible he lets her go, on the same night, finding the woman that makes his heart skip a beat. When fate delivers a cruel blow, he does what he does best. Protects... -
![CHASE: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Seven by Mary Kennedy]()
CHASE: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Seven by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChase Green and his team drop into Russia to see what their old enemies are up to. He never expects to get shot, lose his memory, and be saved by a woman. When he finally remembers who he is, he realizes just how much danger they're both in. The only way out, is with the help of his family. The problem is, he can't move... -
![WILL: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Eight by Mary Kennedy]()
WILL: REAPER-Patriots: Book Forty-Eight by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWilliam Pechkin is home for his friends wedding. He plans to see everyone. His parents, his sisters, his new nephew. He'll see all the old guard, but most importantly, he'll see her. The woman he can't get out of his head. Brooke. She's worked at the diner for years now and he never misses a chance to go in and see her. Speaking is another matter... -
![MO: REAPER-Patriots: Book Fifty-Two by Mary Kennedy]()
MO: REAPER-Patriots: Book Fifty-Two by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMoses 'Mo' Baird spent a lifetime loving a woman he was told he couldn't have. Letters written, but never returned, told him all he needed to know. She wasn't interested. Becoming a SEAL filled his life with good friends and brothers, then coming to RP made everything all the sweeter. Helping the team in Jakarta, he never dreamed he'd run into the woman who'd haunted him for more than a decade... -
![GATOR: Voodoo Guardians: Book Two by Mary Kennedy]()
GATOR: Voodoo Guardians: Book Two by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIan William Dougall, known as Gator to his SEAL teammates, is coming home. At least until he decides if he wants to reenlist or not. When he finds himself in the middle of a kidnapping and a plot against the office of the President, he's wondering if he'll ever escape all the action. With the new Voodoo Guardians, it seems business is as busy as ever... -
![Declan by Dale Mayer]()
Declan by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDoing a wellness check on a War Dog—now in the care of a woman who trains therapy dogs—Declan sees the aftermath of an attack. The trainer hopes for some assistance in how to work with the War Dog, Shelby, but apparently someone didn’t want Carly working with Shelby at all. Or was the attack connected to something else in Carly’s past?Carly has been through enough heartache for a lifetime... -
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![RUSH: Voodoo Guardians: Book Nine by Mary Kennedy]()
RUSH: Voodoo Guardians: Book Nine by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRush Anders made one of the biggest mistakes of his life, walking away from the only woman he's ever loved. Now, he's just one mission away from being able to go home and tell her how he really feels. That is, if he can survive this solo mission. Shot and bleeding, he never expected to find his angel inside the monkey caves of the zoo. But there she was, giving him an earful... -
![CHRISTIAN: Voodoo Guardians: Book Ten by Mary Kennedy]()
CHRISTIAN: Voodoo Guardians: Book Ten by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChristian Martin is ready to retire and head home to work with the family. But he's given one final mission and it's a doozy. A MARSOC brother is dead from an apparent opioid overdose. Except, no one is buying it. Too convenient. Too typical. Too everything. Sent to investigate and find the killer, he never expected to be saved by the Marine's sister. Everything should be easy, simple... -
![Undertow by Jana Deleon]()
Undertow by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Jill Morgan left Tempest Island after high school, she didn’t know what she wanted to do the rest of her life. The only thing she’d ever loved was writing fiction, but that was a pursuit with no financial guarantees. So she did the responsible thing and got her college degree, then a job that provided a good living, and she wrote in her free time... -
![Broken Crown by T.K. Leigh]()
Broken Crown by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a decade of allowing his guilt to burden him, Creed Lawson is finally ready to move on from his past and only focus on his future. A future with Esme.Until a ghost from his past shows up and makes him question everything he’s believed to be true... -
![Colton's Mission by Kendall Talbot]()
Colton's Mission by Kendall Talbot
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Kat Reynolds, a spirited yet feisty nature photographer, traces a clue to her father's disappearance seven years ago to Tulum, Mexico, she's determined to get answers. Armed with her father's last mysterious photo, her clue leads her to a massive underground cave system. But to enter the subterranean maze, she needs the expertise of grumpy scuba diving expert Colton Henderson... -
![Silent Sins by Edie James]()
Silent Sins by Edie James
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRescuing his black-sheep younger brother from yet another mess is nothing new for former SEAL and current Redemption Creek operative Mason Ortiz. Being forced to team up with a brilliant––and seriously controlling––FBI agent absolutely is, though. Mason will do anything to get his brother out of danger, but Special Agent Avery Ellis is only going to compromise this mission, in every way possible...
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