Books like 'Essential Beginnings'
Readers who enjoyed Essential Beginnings by Kennedy Layne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sc-fi romance action / adventure military, war & conflict apocalyptic post-apocalyptic war military dystopia
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Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 84 ratingsWith Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military paranormal post-apocalyptic war action-adventure alpha-mc -
![The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins]()
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 116 ratingsCould you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic survival suspense war 21st-century action-adventure -
![Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins]()
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 106 ratingsSparks are igniting.Flames are spreading.And the Capitol wants revenge. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic survival suspense war 21st-century action-adventure -
![In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken]()
In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsRuby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia paranormal post-apocalyptic survival suspense war action-adventure -
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![No Broken Beast by Nicole Snow]()
No Broken Beast by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFierce. Scarred. Ginormous grump.And I get to tell him he's a father...Brilliant life decisions--falling for the bad guy.Leo damn Regis. Hated scourge of Heart's Edge.A wall with arms and legs. Hercules dipped in ink. Incandescent eyes.The legend, the outcast, the boy I loved.But the man they call "Nine" isn't the villain they think.He saved my life and seared my heart once upon a messed up time... -
![In the Requiem by Hailey Turner]()
In the Requiem by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNever let go. Weighed down by scandal, Captain Jamie Callahan must choose between saving his family’s reputation and his father’s political aspirations, or taking down the enemy once and for all. Choosing one over the other will have lasting repercussions he can’t escape. Whatever path Jamie ultimately picks, Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan will be right by his side to face the consequences... -
![Rogue Cyborg by Grace Goodwin]()
Rogue Cyborg by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe conquers her, body and soul. Makarios of Kronos is a rebel, a smuggler who reports to no one, not even those on Rogue 5. But one betrayal sends him to a Coalition brig, and to a fate worse than death—capture by the Hive. He escapes but exchanges one prison for another. He now lives on the Colony, contaminated and deemed a risk... -
![Forbidden by Tana Stone]()
Forbidden by Tana Stone
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBe a tribute bride for some brawny alien warrior? Not on your life. Ella is one of the few human females who rejected her Drexian warrior match. Sent to live with the other “rejects” in a special part of the high-tech space station, she has no desire to have her life dictated by a bunch of alphas on steroids. And no way would she ever be charmed by an alien playboy... -
![Alpha by Tiya Rayne]()
Alpha by Tiya Rayne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMorgan Downs’ life is unexceptional. She’s stuck in an abusive loveless marriage and often made to feel inferior by her parents because of her speech impediment. Although as bad as her life is, she never expected to be kidnapped from her home and taken to a private military base to become a test rat for a science experiment. But things change when Morgan meets Alpha... -
![In the Blood by Hailey Turner]()
In the Blood by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsRunning out of time. Captain Jamie Callahan is frustrated with his team constantly being at the mercy of the enemy in order to further the MDF’s goals. To make matters worse, his father’s political campaign is ramping up and Jamie’s every move is being watched by the media. He is acutely aware of all the eyes trained on him, his team, and Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan in particular... -
![The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness]()
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsWe were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia paranormal post-apocalyptic survival suspense war action-adventure -
![Her Cyborg Beast by Grace Goodwin]()
Her Cyborg Beast by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaroline Jane (CJ) Ellison has a gift for analysis. When a Wall Street deal goes bad, the choice between prison or the Interstellar Brides Program is a no-brainer. She'll go. She'll leave Earth, her past, and her mistakes behind. The decision is logical, not emotional. Until she wakes up on another world with a huge Atlan Warlord, her matched mate, refusing to claim her... -
![Refuge Found by S.M. Olivier]()
Refuge Found by S.M. Olivier
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf you had told me that the world would turn to crap a year ago, I would have never believed you. If you had told me I'd be living with my cheating ex and my manipulative twin sister, I would have laughed. Had you informed me I'd be in a relationship with five men, I would have asked what meds you had forgotten to take.Yet here I am at Sanctuary... -
![Victoria's Challenge by M.K. Eidem]()
Victoria's Challenge by M.K. Eidem
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVictoria Lynn Chamberlain… at two, she was abducted by an alien race, the Regulians… at nine, her world literally explodes when the Regulians returned, destroying Earth. She and her Aunt are the only survivors thanks to another alien race, the Carinians. Now she’s eighteen, a new graduate from their top medical school, and is ready to claim her life mate... -
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![Bone Rider by J. Fally]()
Bone Rider by J. Fally
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRiley Cooper is on the run. Misha Tokarev, the love of his life, turned out to be an assassin for the Russian mob, and when it comes to character flaws, Riley draws the line at premeditated murder. Alien armor system McClane is also on the run, for reasons that include accidentally crashing a space ship into Earth and evading U.S. military custody... -
![In the Shadows by Hailey Turner]()
In the Shadows by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTake a chance. Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin doesn’t trust easily, and he most certainly doesn’t trust spies. He’ll work with them if ordered to, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. Except Agent Sean Delaney is proving to be the exception to the rule. There’s something about Sean that gets under Alexei’s skin and won’t let go... -
![Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin]()
Big Bad Beast by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn Atlan Warlord in hiding. In pain. In danger of succumbing to a horrible fever.Only one woman can save him.One.All he has to do is find her before he becomes a Big Bad Beast.. -
![180 Proof Vega by Santino Hassell]()
180 Proof Vega by Santino Hassell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmilio Vega is a shit-talking, eighteen-year-old gunrunner who is dragged out of the world of crime he grew up in, and forced to work for a covert organization that deals in assassination and political intrigue.The full version of Volume 1 is expected to be published in 2015.Note: The first three parts of Volume 1 are available for free on the author's GR profile... -
![State of Vengeance by Summer Lane]()
State of Vengeance by Summer Lane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsVengeance is coming. Monterey Bay, California, has barely survived a brutal attack from the evil invasion forces of Omega, and Cassidy Hart is exhausted. She has lost a friend and gained a new enemy. The militias seem to be weakening, and Omega seems to be getting stronger...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic survival suspense war action-adventure -
![Alien Surgeon’s Seduction by Mina Carter]()
Alien Surgeon’s Seduction by Mina Carter
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShe was his the moment she stepped aboard. He'll fight everyone, even the emperor himself, to keep her... Like most Lathar, First Healer Isan K'Vass didn't expect to ever find his mate. The genetic plague that had ravaged their race meant they had no females, and his tainted bloodline meant he would be last in line for one of the rare human females. Or it should... -
![Loved by a Beast by Miranda Bridges]()
Loved by a Beast by Miranda Bridges
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy marriage is in trouble.Jaxar and I didn't exactly have a regular romance since he abducted me and then sent me on a journey that could've resulted in my death. But that's neither here nor there. And what doesn't kill you, makes you bitter. I mean, stronger.Anyway, the point is that my husband, who I adore, is becoming distant... -
![Alien Collective by Gini Koch]()
Alien Collective by Gini Koch
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDespite not having run for office, nor wanting to remain in office, Representative Jeff Martini is being wooed as the vice presidential running mate for a charismatic senator who seems likely to win the campaign... -
![Cyborg Fever by Grace Goodwin]()
Cyborg Fever by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWarlord Anghar survives hell as a captive of the evil Hive. Convinced he will never break free, he chooses death over dishonor. When the Coalition ReCon Team sent to kill him frees him instead, he begins the long, tortuous journey back to a true Atlan, a warrior proud of his beast, of his service... -
![Cyborg Seduction by Grace Goodwin]()
Cyborg Seduction by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere is nowhere to hide from a Hunter determined to find his mate. Single mother Lindsey Walters is a blogger and the love of her life is her four-year-old son, Wyatt... -
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![Unrest by Wendy Higgins]()
Unrest by Wendy Higgins
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins brings you the second book in this thrilling war-torn world... Being on the run in the desert means food and sanctuary are hard to come by, but Amber Tate and her crew are not about to give up. Not after having the things they love brutally ripped from them by an unknown enemy who sent their world into the apocalypse... -
![Brilliant Starlight by Anna Carven]()
Brilliant Starlight by Anna Carven
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAbbey We're back on Silence, orbiting the Dark Planet while my husband handles unfinished business on Kythia. For some reason, he seems a little bit tense. According to Tarak, Kythian politics can be complicated, especially when the entire Kordolian Empire has just been destroyed. I hope things don't get too complicated, because I don't want to be stuck here for too long... -
![Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti]()
Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBefore surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Tace Justice was a good ole Texas cowboy who served his country and loved his mama. After Scorpius, the world became dark, dangerous, and deadly... and so did he. The Vanguard medic is stronger, faster, and smarter than before, but he's lost the line between right and wrong... -
![Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti]()
Shadow Falling by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBefore the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her skills as a hunter of men had gone from merely brilliant to full-on uncanny. Her mysterious rescuer wants her to put them to the test...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia in-uniform military paranormal post-apocalyptic steamy survival -
![Protector by Anna Hackett]()
Protector by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFighting for love, honor, and freedom on the galaxy’s lawless outer rim… Cool and driven Madeline Cochran made a successful career for herself as civilian commander of a space station orbiting Jupiter…until the day it was attacked and she was abducted by alien slavers... -
![Tansy's Titan by S.E. Smith]()
Tansy's Titan by S.E. Smith
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTansy Bell, is the middle daughter of the three Bell sisters. She has always been a little different, even for a Bell. A chameleon, she can change her appearance and personality to blend in almost anywhere. She uses this talent to bring some of the worse criminals in the world to justice.Mak ‘Tag Krell Manok is the wild one of his four brothers... -
![Evenfall Volume One by Santino Hassell, Ais]()
Evenfall Volume One by Santino Hassell, Ais
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a post-apocalyptic future, the Agency works behind the scenes to take down opposition groups that threaten the current government. Their goals justify all means, even when it comes to their own agents.Sin is the Agency's most efficient killer. His fighting skills and talent at assassination have led to him being described as a living weapon... -
![Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi]()
Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsJuliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military paranormal post-apocalyptic war action-adventure alpha-mc -
![Out of the Ashes by Hailey Turner]()
Out of the Ashes by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWar never leaves a soldier behind. Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin is still healing from his brief stint as a prisoner of war. While his physical wounds have mended, the emotional scars left behind are slow to disappear... -
![Promise Me Light by Paige Weaver]()
Promise Me Light by Paige Weaver
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"I'm darkness, Maddie. Stay away from men like me. You'll only get hurt." At one time my life was simple. Easy. But that was before the war. Now I was no longer an average college student. I was a survivor. A woman living in a ravaged world. My future was not bright and my life was far from perfect. The war had taken so much from me... but it wasn't finished yet. It wanted more... -
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![Evenfall by Ais, Santino Hassell]()
Evenfall by Ais, Santino Hassell
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsNOTE FROM THE AUTHORS:This is the OLD version of Evenfall. An updated, heavily revised, and partially re-written edition of Evenfall can be found under Evenfall Volume 1: Director's Cut and Evenfall Volume 2: Director's CutThe authors strongly suggest new readers download the new edition.After September 21, 2014, the old edition will no longer be available for download... -
![Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi]()
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsJuliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of...Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military paranormal post-apocalyptic war abuse action-adventure -
![Cottonwood by R. Lee Smith]()
Cottonwood by R. Lee Smith
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThey never meant to come to Earth. They were never allowed to leave...Welcome to Cottonwood... -
![In the Ruins by Hailey Turner]()
In the Ruins by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsTruth and lies. Captain Jamie Callahan knows the Metahuman Defense Force frowns on fraternization. For once in his life, he’s breaking all the rules. Having Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan on his team and in his bed is worth the risk of being found out. When a mission comes down requiring Alpha Team to go undercover in order to infiltrate a criminal alliance, Jamie knows it won’t be easy... -
![Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon]()
Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA fate worse than death . . .Bastien Cabarro survived the brutal slaughter of his entire family only to have his wife pin their murders on him. Made Ravin by The League, he is now a target for their assassins-in-training to hunt and kill. The average life expectancy for such beings is six weeks... -
![Reclamation by Erica Stevens]()
Reclamation by Erica Stevens
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe highly anticipated conclusion to the bestselling Ravening Series. The first book in this series, Ravenous, is free. Hunted by alien enemies and desperate to survive the invasion, Bethany and Cade are forced into situations they never imagined were possible...Categorized as:
dystopia paranormal post-apocalyptic suspense action-adventure aliens book coming-of-age -
![Mated by V.K. Ludwig]()
Mated by V.K. Ludwig
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYou know your Gaia link is broken when your match is 93.While every Vetusian around me is expecting the arrival of the first hybrids, my mate is living out her final days in a nursing home.With true love unattainable, I concentrate on busting the crime ring responsible for the supply of human females forced into prostitution at the Odheim brothels... -
![Operation Phoenix by Susan Hayes]()
Operation Phoenix by Susan Hayes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe was the love of his life. Walking away was supposed to keep her safe… Dax’s greatest regret is leaving the woman he loved. His only other regret – not being able to tell her how her brother died. Now, he lives by one rule: mission first. When Trinity re-appears as a suspect in his investigation, he must make a hard choice... -
![Operation Cobalt by Susan Hayes]()
Operation Cobalt by Susan Hayes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsProtecting the doctor was part of his mission…falling in love with her wasn’t. Dante’s assignment should have been simple. Sneak onto a corporate controlled planet and find a missing medical team. Simple goes out the airlock when a beautiful woman charges headlong into his life. She’s one of the missing doctors, and the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. Keeping her alive won’t be easy... -
![Alien Paladin's Woman by Vi Voxley]()
Alien Paladin's Woman by Vi Voxley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes, what the galaxy needs is a hero no one's ever heard of. Tieran, the Commander of the Palian paladins, has never been allowed to have anything of his own, other than the blade in his hands and the honor he serves with. But a feisty, curvy, and utterly impossible human woman is about to change all that... -
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![Eric 754 by Donna McDonald]()
Eric 754 by Donna McDonald
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe often forgets he's a cyborg. All she sees in the mirror is a killing machine.Marine Lance Corporal Eric Anderson tended to forget he was cyborg. Hell--most of the time he didn't give being mostly a military machine any thought. He'd always lived by his human gut, not his logic chip, so thinking out of the cybernetic box was just how he worked... -
![Ascension Saga: 7 - Destiny, Part 1 by Grace Goodwin]()
Ascension Saga: 7 - Destiny, Part 1 by Grace Goodwin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDestiny Jones is a princess with a bad attitude. She doesn’t play nice with others, she doesn’t dress up in pretty clothes, and she has absolutely zero interest in behaving like a lady. Especially when she’s so close to catching the people who tried to have her killed. Oh, and kidnapped her mother, queen of the planet Alera... -
![Endless Flames by Kennedy Layne]()
Endless Flames by Kennedy Layne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBetrayal and desperation are a dangerous combination in this thrilling continuation of the Surviving Ashes series by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne... Berke Daniels has learned to live as if there is no tomorrow, because he knows firsthand it can all be taken away in a moment... -
![Beginnings by Sandra R. Neeley]()
Beginnings by Sandra R. Neeley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAbout This BookWarning: This book is not suitable for sensitive readers. Please do not buy this book if you have triggers to sensitive situations.Black Ops Lieutenant Maddox Larsen is missing. Not only is he missing, his entire team is missing... -
![Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set by Zoe York, Ruby Lionsdrake]()
Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set by Zoe York, Ruby Lionsdrake
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA multi-author anthology of action-packed adventure novellas. Let the adrenaline flow! ***ZOE YORK, RUBY LIONSDRAKE, ZARA KEANE, ANNA HACKETT, EMBER CASEY, ANNA LOWE, SADIE HALLER, LYN BRITTAN, LYDIA ROWAN, A.J... -
![Taken by Harmony Raines]()
Taken by Harmony Raines
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChrissi always dreamed of being an astronaut, just like her dad, devoting her whole life to Operation Saviour, the human race’s last ditch attempt to find a new home. But days before her first launch, the project was cancelled, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her life. All thanks to the arrival of the Karal...
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