Books like 'Darkest Before Dawn'
Readers who enjoyed Darkest Before Dawn by Maya Banks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance action / adventure mystery military, war & conflict war military suspense steamy alpha-mc
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Chasing Fortune by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEcho Team has a new addition—a K-9, and he’s in need of training . . .Eight-plus years as Echo Three and Chris Hunter is still as mission-focused as ever, continuing to fight for his country as part of a secretive team of operatives serving the President.When Chris decides to rescue a dog for the team, he soon discovers he and the guys are far from K-9 whisperers, and they need help... -
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Finding Her Chance by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBravo Team is back in book 4 of the Stealth Ops SEAL Series, starring Liam Evans and Emily Summers. **Blurb to come** The Stealth Ops Team - Navy SEALS who handle covert ops for the president in the U.S. and around the world - under the guise of an alias, Scott & Scott Securities... -
You Only Love Twice by Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsLibrarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B00M8LWHVO here.A woman on a mission Phoebe Graham is a specialist in deep cover espionage, infiltrating the enemy, observing their practices, and when necessary eliminating the threat. Her latest assignment is McKay-Taggart Security Services, staffed with former military and intelligence operatives... -
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Finding Justice by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThey say the truth will set you free--if it doesn't bury you first. As a Navy SEAL for a covert special ops team, Owen York has no time for relationships. But when he's forced to go on vacation, he finds himself falling for a sexy stranger, a woman who turns out to be linked not only to his latest assignment but to his past... -
Maximus by Riley Edwards, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat happens when a woman who’s done the unthinkable needs protection—can a man who’s lost his belief in humanity keep her safe? Max Brown doesn’t trust anyone but his team. The former SEAL learned early in life that people let you down—they lie, they steal, and they lie some more. Love is a word that is used to manipulate. Family is meaningless. Max is an island and he prefers it that way... -
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... -
Rescuing Casey by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOne minute Casey Shea was minding her own business, doing her job, teaching entomology to college students, and the next she was in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle fighting for her life. Troy “Beatle” Lennon had watched his friends fall head over heels in love, but never thought it would happen to him. Until he sees a picture of one of his teammates’ sisters. That was it... -
Her Wild Coast Outlaw: A Small Town Contemporary Romance by Dakota Davies
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA wild attraction. A forbidden passion. Will two kindred hearts surrender to their fiery chemistry? Hunter: She should be off-limits to me. Not only is she too sweet, too innocent, her uncle is the boss of this operation. I’m in Storm Harbor to secretly find out why he's stealing from the town’s dock construction project... -
Tickle His Fancy by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll around him, Brody ‘Egghead’ Evans’ Trident Security teammates have fallen in love and gotten their happily ever after. Ironically, they had always thought the charismatic Dominant would be the first one to fall—not the last... -
Last Day of My Life by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHer She’s the definition of lost. Doesn't know her name? Check. Cruelly beaten within an inch of her life? Check. No memory of anything that's happened since she woke up from that beating? Check. Losing a child she doesn't remember conceiving? Check. She hasn't felt anything but lost in a very long time. Then an old biker tells her danger is on the horizon... -
Defending Chloe by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLove is the best defense in New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker’s explosive Mountain Mercenaries novel. Gorgeous women don’t just stumble onto Ronan Cross’s remote property. But this one—vulnerable, victimized, and needing the kind of help only Ronan can offer—tells a story that makes his blood boil almost as hot as his need to protect her... -
Jason by Kris Michaels
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJason King was presented the opportunity of a lifetime… …assume control of Guardian Security from the billionaire who had built the world renowned agency. As CEO, Jason would manage the best security resources in the world... -
Shelter for Koren by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDiscovering your ex is a serial-killing religious zealot would put anyone off dating for a good long while. That’s where Hudson “Taco” Vines’s head is at when he meets Koren, a woman who looks a little too much like his ex for comfort. But he can’t deny their attraction, and the more he gets to know her, the more Taco realizes how different Koren is from his ex, in all the best ways... -
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Blood Bound by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Rylie Hart adopts her best friend’s daughter, in the wake of the woman’s untimely death, she goes from being an honorary aunt to a mother in the blink of an eye. Two years later, after kindergartner Mickey is diagnosed with leukemia, an anonymous donor is her only hope... -
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... -
Rescuing Emily by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRenting out the apartment over his garage shouldn’t be a life-changing decision, but when Delta soldier Cormac “Fletch” Fletcher meets Emily Grant, he feels an instant connection. He can’t stand the thought of Emily and her young daughter living anywhere unsafe. Offering cheap rent is a small price to pay for their safety…and Fletch’s peace of mind... -
Rescuing Harley by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVideo game coder, Harley Kelso, thought a tandem skydive would help her make her latest game more realistic. Instead, it literally put her in the arms of the sexiest man she’s ever seen. Geeky to the core, Harley is the polar opposite of big and burly Beckett, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to play more carnal games with the sexy soldier... -
Delta: Revenge by Cristin Harber
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Tortured Hero with a Heart of Gold Growing up on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Javier Almeida has only his older sister to protect him. When she’s sold to a human-trafficker, he vows to hunt down those responsible. Years later, Titan Group’s Delta team finds him, tattooed and brawling, a vigilante protector with information they want... -
Watching from the Shadows by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Sexy Six-Pack is back! Retired Navy SEAL, Marco DeAngelis, is now an operative at Trident Security. He’s also a Dominant in the BDSM lifestyle. After a poor childhood, he is determined to stay single and childless for the rest of his life. But unbeknownst to him, one night of shared grief and comfort with his deceased sister’s best friend changes that forever... -
Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsShe came to him when he needed her the mostShe came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She’s the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he’ll never return to his family. With her help, he’s able to escape... -
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... -
Protecting Cheyenne by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLiving in Southern California, Cheyenne was used to seeing hot military men as she went about her daily business. An anonymous encounter at the grocery store cemented her crush on one such man. He was big, built, and incredibly easy on the eyes, but it wasn't as if he would ever really notice her. Always in control of any situation, Faulkner “Dude” Cooper knows explosives... -
Dream Keeper by Kristen Ashley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSpinning off from the bestselling Dream Man and Rock Chick series, this is the emotional and steamy contemporary romance fans of the Dream Team series have been waiting for!Pepper Hannigan is determined to keep any romance off the table—and out of her bedroom—while her daughter Juno is still young... -
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Leather & Lace / His Angel / Waiting for Him by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"No one does Alpha heroes like Samantha A. Cole!"—New York Times, USA Today, #1 Amazon Bestseller, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Susan StokerLeather & Lace:How does a “vanilla” woman write a BDSM novel? With hands-on research!Kristen needs inspiration and personal experience for a sequel to her unexpected and kinky bestseller... -
Strike Fast by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA military widow reluctant to risk her heart again. After losing her soldier husband in combat, DEA agent Tess Dubrovksi swore never to fall for another man in uniform. The last thing she anticipates is for a sexy FAST agent single father and his young daughter to steal their way into her heart... -
Irish: A Reed Security Romance by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIrish is the 5th book in the Reed Security Series and should be read in order. “Not a chance in hell. I happen to like my hands wrapped around your juicy ass.” She reared back and looked at me in horror. “You think my ass is juicy?” “Uh, you’ve seen it, right? It’s big and perfect for me to grab onto.” She struggled to get down and then pushed me away and stalked out of the water... -
Hot Protector by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSometimes the forbidden is impossible to resist… The 10th novel in the bestselling Hostile Operations Team series. Chase “Fiddler” Daniels finds himself on the run with Sophie Nash—the step-sister he loves to hate. Protecting Sophie from a Russian mobster shouldn’t be too hard... -
Waiting For Him by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Sexy Six-Pack returns with more teamwork, more suspense, and, most of all, more hot and steamy romance! Twelve years ago, eighteen-year-old Ben 'Boomer' Michaelson's world had fallen apart. Not only had his best friend, Alex Maier, been killed, but Alex's family had perished as well, including his seventeen-year-old sister, Katerina... -
Nightstalker by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsasmin I was blissfully living my life as a tier one security contractor, shooting guns and killing bad guys. My life was perfect. Almost. I was missing something; a missing piece of time to be exact. For the last two years I have tried to remember the details of my capture and torture. Two years willing my brain to remember. Nothing. I could remember nothing... -
Hot Rebel by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA rebel on the run… Victoria Royal is a traitor. Or so the U.S. government believes. Victoria was once a promising sniper in the Army, but now she’s gone rogue—worse, she’s just landed in the middle of a Hostile Operations Team mission in the desert and blasted it all to hell. Nick “Brandy” Brandon doesn’t expect to run into Victoria when he’s bugging out from a mission gone wrong... -
Hot Shot by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings**AVAILABLE TODAY!!** Cool under pressure… Until now. Hostile Operations Team sniper Jack “Hawk” Hunter is cool, methodical, and utterly lethal. Nothing rattles Jack’s calm. But that was before he learned he fathered a child three years ago—a child who has just been kidnapped. Gina Domenico is a superstar, a pop sensation with a string of hit records... -
His Angel by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe 'Sexy Six-Pack' is back! The men of Trident Security are ex- Navy SEALs, hardened warriors with hearts of gold. Angelina 'Angie' Beckett has been waiting a long time for Mister Right. Unfortunately, all her boyfriends have turned out to be Mr. Wrong. None of them have been able to hold her interest for long and give her what she craves in a relationship... -
Westin's Chase by Cristin Harber
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTHE MASTER OF EVERYTHING HAS FOUND HIS MATCH Jared Westin knows his reputation and likes it. He gets the job done. No emotion. No baggage. That’s why his elite ops company, The Titan Group, is better than the best. They complete projects classified as mission impossible. And then, in walks a woman as tough as she is sexy. His counterpart in every way, should he choose to admit it... -
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Hot SEAL by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSex with the ex… It shouldn’t be this good the second time around. Navy SEAL Dane “Viking” Erikson has sworn off women—or at least he’s sworn off one woman: DEA Agent Ivy McGill. His ex-wife. But when they’re forced to work together on a critical military mission, Dane can’t help but notice how the one woman he shouldn’t want is the only one he can’t stop thinking about... -
Somebody's Angel by Kallypso Masters
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Marc d’Alessio first rescued the curvaceous and spirited Italian Angelina Giardano at the Masters at Arms Club, he never expected her to turn his safe, controlled life upside down and pull at his long-broken heartstrings. Months later, the intense fire of their attraction still rages, but something holds him back from committing to her completely... -
Nauti Intentions by Lora Leigh
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFourth in the New York Times bestselling series known for "blistering sexuality and eroticism."(Romance Reviews Today) Since he saw Janey Mackay taking a dip in her bikini, Major Alex Jansen has had to quell the fire she ignites in him. Even touching her would mean death at the hands of the Mackay men... -
Enemy Hold by Alex Lidell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiam will protect Jaz with his life. But what if he is her greatest threat?As a child, Liam Rowen couldn’t protect his family. Now, the former SEAL runs a top-notch security firm. So when an extremist group threatens his best friend’s little sister, Jaz, Liam will pull out all stops to keep her safe. Whether Jaz likes it or not... -
Harrison's Heart by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Harrison’s Heart, book 7 in Heroes for Hire, reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Honor in a new series of action-packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer. When a call for help comes from Ice’s father, Harrison steps up... -
SEALs of Honor: Easton by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis is the next book in the SEALs of Honor series. Trips to Canada’s wilderness for joint military training are something Easton always enjoys. But meeting the photographer contracted to take pictures of the base and trainees for new marketing materials adds a whole new twist to the trip. A twist Easton quickly realizes has a dark undertone... -
Savor the Danger by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe one woman he couldn't have was the only woman he desired…She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened—he knows he's been drugged… even if Alani doesn't... -
Edge of the Heat 6 by Lisa Ladew
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmma and Vivian finally find their brother, whom they were separated from at birth. But tragedy strikes the family once more as they discover he is a U.S. Marine in the Middle East who has been taken hostage by terrorists. They beg Sara, a former killing machine for the secret DCIA, to help him and she agrees, but in the only way she knows how: she's going to do it all herself... -
Wet by Angel Payne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsT-Bomb, Tait Bommer’s call-sign, has never described him more accurately. A loose cannon with a penchant for pissing people off, he’s now responsible for a major screw-up during the First Special Forces Group’s most recent mission. His mess has earned him two weeks of mandated R&R on the shores of Kauai, where the ultimatum is clear—straighten up and fly right, or don’t return to active duty... -
Depths of Destruction: A Military Romance by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s a Secret Treasure of War...It’s a routine mission in Belize. Get in, get out, save the women.Then I see Naomi’s photo and watch her hostage video.A stirring...an ache...a desire so deep for her heats up my blood and annihilates me.And then I meet her.It accelerates my thirst, riling up my inner beast.She’s an investigative reporter and knows things she shouldn’t... -
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Her Adoring SEAL by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHIDING IN FEAR Beth Hildago feels shattered after the time she spent in the hands of the Mexican drug cartel. Now her life is on the line as corrupt authorities try to hunt her down. FIERCE PROTECTOR Jack Preston is a decorated Navy SEAL who’s family’s Texas Ranch is the perfect place for Beth to hide. ON THE RUN When Beth’s cover is blown, she is once again forced to run... -
Echoes at Dawn by Maya Banks, Harry Berkeley
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsGrace Peterson is desperate, in hiding, and on the run after escaping a shadowy group determined to exploit her extraordinary ability to heal others. Her only lifeline--an unerring telepathic ability she shares with her sister--has been severed, leaving her alone and vulnerable. And time is running out...Enlisted to bring Grace home is Rio, relentless member of the KGI... -
Gold Shimmer by P.T. Michelle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHow far would you go to be with the man who stole your heart but doesn't know your real name? GOLD SHIMMER is the first book in Cass and Calder's epic love story in the BLACK SHADOWS duet. STEEL RUSH is the explosive conclusion to their love story and it is now available. You do not have to read books 1-3 in the IN THE SHADOWS series to enjoy GOLD SHIMMER and STEEL RUSH... -
Sweet Revenge by Christy Reece
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJamie Kendrick went on a trip to hell at the hands of Stanford Reddington, a monster protected by money and power. Now, asking for Last Chance Rescue’s help, Jamie makes plans for her revenge. And Dylan Savage, one of LCR’s most skilled operatives, is given an assignment he despises but can’t refuse—to train the lovely Jamie but thwart her revenge plot at all costs... -
Relentless by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFormer Delta Force operator Rhys Sinclair defied the odds by recovering from a traumatic brain injury that should have killed him. Given the chance to repay the beautiful doctor who saved his life by guarding hers, he can't say no--even if it means facing an unknown threat from the cunning terrorist his CIA-sanctioned team had been hunting in Afghanistan... -
Leather & Lace by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKristen Anders is starting her life over again after divorcing her cheating husband. An author of several 'vanilla' romance novels, she spiced up her latest one involving BDSM and it became a best-seller. Now she's researching the subject for her follow-up book and manages to get a tour of the elite, private sex club, The Covenant, and runs into the one person she never expected to see there...
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