Books like 'Hold Your Breath'
Readers who enjoyed Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery small town action / adventure suspense alpha-mc military slow-burn stalking
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Nixon's Promise by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFormer Navy SEAL Nixon Swagger is home. After twelve years of service and twice as many deployments, all Nix wanted was quiet. He’d sought the solace of the land he’d grown up on and found the peace he needed to silence the noise and figure out his next move. Nixon’s stay was supposed to be temporary... -
Blood Vows by Cara Carnes, Shauna Kruse
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s sworn to find his son. Dallas Mason did whatever was necessary to survive his stint in black ops. While in the Collective, there was no line he wouldn’t cross, and no mission he wouldn’t take. He bedded the enemy to secure his freedom and return to his brothers and build a new life, where the lines between right and wrong are sometimes blurred, but never erased... -
Broken Vow: A Dark Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI’ll Protect Her… Whether She Likes It Or Not. Riona Griffin is gorgeous, intelligent, and iron-willed. My perfect woman, except she hates my guts.She thinks she doesn’t need anybody. But she needs me.She’s being hunted by an assassin who never misses his mark.I’m going to stay by her side, day and night, keeping her safe...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc crime dark female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine -
Conquered by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDylan Welsh was the last man standing…until Sawyer Glasgow brought him to his knees.Dylan wasn’t ready for Sawyer. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth of his past. He wasn’t ready to admit he’s fallen in love with the sweet, sexy woman who captivated him from the moment he saw her. He’s especially not prepared to face the hurt he’s caused Sawyer. But to keep her, he must do all three...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine in-uniform military -
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Bray by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHis mission? A leisurely, first-class train ride through the Canadian Rockies escorting a doctor who was afraid of flying.Easy. Relaxing. And if the doctor is a beautiful, funny, kind-hearted woman that makes him wish for a future he thought had been buried with his last Special Forces mission, what can go wrong?Plenty.Illegal weapons smuggler. Nefarious businessmen... -
Sight Lines by Cara Carnes, Shauna Kruse
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThey took her best friend. Now she’s taking them down. Viviana “Quillery” Chambers has one mission: find the people behind Hive’s betrayal and take them down. She and her best friend are the most sought after back office operatives around. She’ll stop at nothing to keep her new team and family at The Arsenal safe... -
Redwood by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGavin Zimmerman. Military codename: REDWOOD. This former Special Forces soldier will protect Oak Creek from any threat. Even one that comes in the form of a delicate blonde with haunted eyes.A tiny town in Wyoming and the fake ID in her pocket are Lexi Johnson's last chance. She's used her all her resources to escape the danger that hounds her...Categorized as:
alpha-mc dark in-uniform law-enforcement military stalking suspense action-adventure -
Secrets Collide by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe mysterious Cy Davies is coming home. He’s not coming alone either. Having rescued Gemma Perry, a sassy investigative reporter for a gossip magazine, he takes her to the one place he knows he can keep her safe. Keeneston. Gemma Perry was having a bad week. Now she was in a small town where gossip was a currency... -
Until Susan by C.P. Smith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the world of NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Aurora Rose Reynolds. See how the Mayson clan began. You've read their sons' stories, now it's James and Susan's turn. Experience the boom all over again in this action-packed novella of insta-love and suspense from Author CP Smith... -
Jonny's Redemption by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCan two lost souls find redemption or are some transgressions beyond forgiveness? Lieutenant Jonny Spencer’s life is spiraling out of control. With no end in sight, he withdrawals. Giving in to the darkness is his only reprieve. Roberta “Bobby” Layne knows what it means to live in the shadows. Her childhood was spent fading into obscurity—loneiless her only friend...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friends-to-lovers law-enforcement military suspense action-adventure adult -
Playing with Lies by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA no-strings kinda guy and a forever kinda woman…what could go wrong?I had a stalker and I knew just who to ask for help—Detective Dalton Neary. My own personal Prince Charming. The problem was, he turned out not to be so charming, at least not in the forever kind of way I was looking for. He was a good-time guy with a sexy smile and a goat game that should be illegal. But not the man for me...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc law-enforcement forced-proximity romance mystery -
Code Name: Gemini by Janie Crouch, Danielle M. Haas
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTasha Volkov has been on the run for three years from a brutal cartel who want her dead. her family.She already paid a heavy price for crossing them, and has the scars to prove it. Her only choice is to keep running, even if the tiny town of Pine Valley feels more like home to her than anywhere else she's ever been... -
Leo by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 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:
military suspense friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance mystery action-adventure small-town -
Kevlar To My Vest by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYou’re the Kevlar…Behind the badge and the pretty face was a heart. A heart that bled just like the rest. A heart that was so in love with Viddy Sheffield that it was humiliating. Trance had been burned before by a woman that couldn’t handle the fact that he risked his life each and every time he went on shift. She was too vulnerable; somehow he had to convince his heart to let her go... -
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Gifts: A Killers Novel, Book 3 by Brynne Asher
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNo one would say Keelie Lockhart isn’t determined. Taking on the role of both mom and dad to her two young kids, she’s managing life the best she can...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime friends-to-lovers humor in-uniform law-enforcement military slow-burn -
Fractured Sky by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsDamaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago.Until I meet him.Ramsey’s grumpy demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc dark female-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine -
Blood & Bones: Sig by Jeanne St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRevenge isn’t always sweet, but it sure can be satisfying... Sig never wanted to return to Manning Grove since it didn’t hold any good memories. Growing up a part of the Blood Fury MC ended up being a disaster and screwed up his life, which led to him spending most of it in and out of jail... -
Sebastian: A Mystery Romance by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSebastian is a mystery romance and the fifth book in the series, For The Love Of A Good Woman. Sebastian is a standalone, but the characters from the series appear throughout all the books. A large, metal crash sounded behind me and my gaze swiveled to the fence where Maggie had just crashed through the gate. The SUV swerved wildly in front of me, acting as a barrier for the incoming bullets... -
Edge of Nowhere by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOpen roads and honor meets poke bowls and self-controlI’m a homesick nomad.A protégé, a mountain man, an ally, and a seeker.My name is Wapi.I’m a work in progress looking to belong, and though my road has been a winding one, my heart has found focus.I’m a straightlaced hellcat.A princess, a fool, a target, and a handle.My name is Lindsey...Categorized as:
suspense stalking dark friends-to-lovers law-enforcement forced-proximity crime romance -
The Beat of My Heart by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOne week. No strings. Sexy stranger. What could go wrong?My name is Julia McDowell. I’m not the pretty girl next door, I’m the boss at work who solves all your problems. I’m an awkward genius with the worst taste in boyfriends; the last one left me with a 6-figure debt to prove it... -
Breathe by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThere's nothing like the first time . . . In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town's quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal's last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She's resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods . . -
Adverse Possession by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe plural form of Nemesis is NemesesAnna Albertini never thought she’d have to look up the plural form of nemesis. In fact, she never thought she’d have one, much less three. But as she and her new partner try to make a go of their fledgling law firm, enemies come from every direction.First, there’s a newspaper reporter trying to make a name for herself by dogging Anna’s every move... -
Zero Trace by Cara Carnes
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDon’t get noticed. Zoey “Zero D” Danson thought it was an easy rule to follow. For years she toiled in cubicle 12A of the NSA’s data farm compiling security briefings and Intelligence reports. But she put her neck on the line and burned a dirty government operation to keep a covert ops team alive. Now she’s “one of them.” She’s not a nameless, faceless civilian anymore... -
Hold On by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSince she was young, Cher Rivers knew she was not the kind of girl who got what she wanted. A girl who could hope. A girl who could dream. She knew a happily ever after just wasn't in the cards for her. In love for years with the last bastion of the 'burg's eligible bachelors, Garrett Merrick, Cher worked hard at making him laugh. Being one of the guys... -
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Halligan to My Axe by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsYou’re the Halligan... Kettle had it all. Until he didn't. He lost it all in a moment. One heart stopping, soul shattering moment, and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it. From that day forward, he stayed away from relationships. Then he responded to a possible fire and there she was, rocking his world when he didn't want it to be rocked. To My..Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime female-mc friends-to-lovers humor in-uniform law-enforcement military -
Execution Style by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMiller Spurlock might seem like a laid back man on the outside, but piss him off, or violate his trust, and he’ll show you the meaning of pain. He was a Navy SEAL. He could kill a man a hundred different ways and not break a sweat. He’s also a police officer and member of the SWAT team, which means he has the knowledge and skills to get away with it... -
Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Devil is in the details . . . Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries)...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc crime friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor law-enforcement steamy -
Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTrust doesn’t come easily when you’ve been running for as long as I have, which is why moving in with a man I barely know is such a bad idea.Shepard Colson is all golden-boy charm and devastating good looks. But I know what it’s like to be taken in by easy smiles and the promise of forever—I have the scars to prove it... -
Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTanner Layne and Raquel Merrick fell in love young, hard and fast and both of them knew a beautiful life they thought would be forever. Until Rocky left Layne, no explanation, no going back. Layne escapes The ‘Burg only to come back years later because his ex-wife has hooked herself to the town jerk and Layne needs to make sure his sons get raised right... -
Deacon by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDeacon has an ugly history, a history that broke him, leaving him a ghost of a man. Out of necessity, he left the normal world to descend into the criminal world and found he fit. So he stayed. Cold as ice and living off the grid, Deacon has no intention to connect, not with anyone. Then he returns to some remote cabins in the Colorado Mountains and finds they have new owners... -
Gen Pop by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHangry: adjective—feeling irritable or irrationally angry as a result of being hungry.Sometimes, Crockett felt that in her soul.And, of course, the one time that she’s being ‘irrationally angry’ would be the time that the hottest guy on the continent walked into her place of business dressed in prison orange.She should’ve been afraid.She should’ve taken one look at him and walked the other way... -
Conjugal Visits by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDon’t ever, ever, ever go near that boy. Not unless you want to be a single mother at seventeen. That boy is Bad with a capital B.The words that my father spoke to me when it came to Trouper Aoki didn’t scare me like they probably should.In fact, they only made me intrigued all the more.When it came to Troup, there was just no resisting fate when it came to the two of us... -
Cold Hearted by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHunting For A Killer...Who Doesn't Play By The Rules. Detective Erin Donovan expects life to quiet down after the arrest and conviction of a serial rapist who terrified her university town last summer. Then two young women are brutally slain and the murders bear all the hallmarks of the campus rapist...Categorized as:
crime female-mc in-uniform law-enforcement military slow-burn suspense action-adventure -
Montana Mystery by Josie Jade, Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome nightmares you don’t wake up from.Noah Scott spent two months in an enemy prison camp but made it out alive—unlike most of his SEAL team. He’s one of the lucky ones but doesn’t always feel that way with his scarred body and daily fight against PTSD.Working with the animals at the Resting Warrior Ranch helps... -
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High Impact by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsManager for Hart’s Horse Rescue, Lucy Lenoir, finally feels she has a handle on life after having worked hard to leave her old one behind. So hard, there are times she almost forgets what she escaped. Memories which suddenly come flooding back when she catches a glimpse of a familiar horseman in town. What’s worse, he’s in the company of the unlikely cowboy she’s only just beginning to trust... -
Ranger by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSydney Ward woke up on the wrong side of life—that’s what it feels like when cancel culture claims another victim...Categorized as:
suspense crime forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn steamy stalking military -
Defending Allye by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLove is a life-and-death risk for the Mountain Mercenaries in New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker’s explosive series of alpha heroes, hot action, and hard passion… Ever since his rescue op off the Pacific Coast, Mountain Mercenary Gray Rogers hasn’t been able to forget his latest “job”—Allye Martin... -
Dead Heat by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPaige Davies finds her world turned upside down as she becomes involved in her best friends' nightmare. The strong-willed Paige doesn't know which is worse: someone trying to kill her, or losing her dog to the man she loves to hate. FBI Agent Cole Parker can't decide whether he should strangle or kiss this infuriating woman of his dreams... -
Bang Switch by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLachlan Downy was a lover, not a fighter. Okay, he wouldn't lie, he was a fighter, too. But nobody had to know that. Especially not Memphis Tennessee Conner and her stuffy attitude when it came to cops and ‘men like him.’ Memphis knew cops. Her daddy was a cop. He was also the president of a motorcycle club... -
Highway Don't Care by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHer Snark. Jokes. Attitude. These were all things I used to disguise the hole in my heart. I'm not a happy person. I don't live life. I just exist. That is until that beautiful man rides in on his Harley Fat Boy and burns rubber on the way into my heart. Him My life's been no hayride either. Everyone I've ever loved in life has died or betrayed me. So I stay back and watch... -
Vodka on the Rocks by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThere are rules to life that one just obeys in order in her attempt to stay on the right path. For example: 1. You don’t wear dirty panties out of the house. You just never know who’s going to see them. 2. A lady must always have chocolate at the ready—just in case the world as she knows it comes to an end. 3. You don’t egg on a drunk woman who’s pissed off at life... -
Absolving Blue by Freya Barker, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor long-time Durango Fire Department EMT, Ava ‘Blue’ Navarro, her teammates at Station 3 represent a family more loyal than her own. However, when patients start dying on her watch, she draws the attention of local law enforcement. In particular the smooth-talking detective she’s successfully evaded for years, fearing he might stir up her quiet existence... -
Montana Ranger's Wedding Vow by Elle James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDallas Hayes muscled her way through Army Ranger training only to be considered a curse on her all-male unit in an operation in Syria. When half the team is killed, she’s left Injured, losing the lower portion of her left leg. Back in the States, she’s fitted with a prosthetic, still jogs and works out, but she’s medically discharged. Angry and resentful, she doesn't trust anyone... -
Frostbitten by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEnigmatic. With a wildly gifted mind, and an untamed head of hair to match, petite powerhouse Millicent Frost is brilliant when it comes to gadgets and electronics—less so with people. After an attempt to bust a bank scam goes awry, Millie is in hot water with Homeland Security and targeted by lethal enemies... -
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Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling... -
Flynn by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSome pasts are harder to escape than others.When Carina Murphy is accused of a crime she didn’t commit, a fresh start in a new town is her only option. Unfortunately, Cradle Mountain may not be the safe haven she’d thought. The son of her new patient may be tall, dark and handsome…but he also knows all about her past.Keeping her job should be the hardest part... -
Montana Storm by Josie Jade, Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKill first, ask questions later.It’s the instinct former-SEAL Jude Williams must fight every time someone touches him. His six months being tortured in an enemy prison camp may be long over, but he’s got scars—all over his body and mind—keeping that time at the forefront of his psyche...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc crime female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine in-uniform law-enforcement -
Tethered Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDetective Drake Nash: hot, alpha, bossy, and… mine. Now, if someone could tell his ex that... I don’t care if the summer fair is coming to Holly Woods and she’s on the planning committee. What I do care about is sugar-filled food, bright lights, late nights… and danger. The type that won’t come in the form of Nonna’s new cantankerous British parrot, Gio... -
Rescued by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust as the walls start to come down, boundaries redefine, and things heat up, tragedy hits the small mountain town of McKenzie Ridge. Sexy EMT Dawson Tayler made hearts break, and panties melt with a single look. Far from home, in the charming tourist town, he lives a simple life his family would be appalled by – if they were alive... -
Reckless Trust by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s a long-awaited homecoming…but not everyone’s happy about her return. Five years ago, Tilly Taylor’s father did something that cost her everything. Her home. Her friends. And all the trust she’d ever earned. Now she’s back, and ready to prove to everyone that she’s nothing like Martin Taylor. Unfortunately, the small town of Misty Peak doesn’t forgive or forget so easily...Categorized as:
suspense military crime forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance
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