Books like 'It Had to Be Love'
Readers who enjoyed It Had to Be Love by Tamra Baumann also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town family suspense law-enforcement super-powered expert female-mc
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A Merciful Promise by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Wall Street Journal bestselling series continues as Mercy Kilpatrick becomes embedded in the nightmare of a terrorist conspiracy.The job: infiltrate a militia amassing illegal firearms in an isolated forest community. FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick is the ideal candidate. She knows Oregon. She’s near the compound... -
![Forever Thrown by Kathleen Brooks]()
Forever Thrown by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEverything Porter Davies has worked for is about to be ripped away from him with one throw from a rodeo horse. The hits don’t stop there, either. He’d known they’d come for him one day. His father had been the best spy back in his day and they’d been keeping tabs on Porter since he was eighteen... -
![Framed Shadows by Kathleen Brooks]()
Framed Shadows by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTinsley Faulkner loves art more than anything in the world. She’s a painter and owns an art gallery in the small town of Shadows Landing. But suddenly her life is changed when a man walks into the gallery looking to sell some art—art she knows is stolen. What she thinks is just a one-time thing quickly escalates into something so dangerous people have died for decades to protect it... -
![One Foot in the Grave by Denise Grover Swank]()
One Foot in the Grave by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third book in the Carly Moore series by Denise Grover Swank.The dead can’t speakAfter months of living in the Smoky Mountains town of Drum, Tennessee, Carly knows firsthand the financial hardship the citizens face. Still, she can’t muster the same excitement as everyone else when town patriarch Bart Drummond breaks ground on his new resort that promises more jobs and money... -
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![The Long and Winding Road by Marie Force]()
The Long and Winding Road by Marie Force
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Series Finale...this is the one you’ve been waiting for! Max Abbott takes center stage in the Butler, Vermont Series finale when the timeline jumps forward five years and finds Max staring down his 10-year high school reunion, with no desire whatsoever to attend... -
![Forever Lies by Kathleen Brooks]()
Forever Lies by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGreer Parker had her life planned out. She’d follow in her father and brothers’ FBI footsteps, and then she’d become the first female director. Now on loan to the president’s off-the-books black ops group, Greer is at a crossroads in her life—go back to the FBI or forge a new path... -
![Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh]()
Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe discovery of human remains unearths another nightmare from Sheriff Bree Taggert’s past in a bone-chilling thriller by #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.Twenty-seven years ago, Sheriff Bree Taggert’s father killed her mother, then himself. Now Bree and her younger brother, Adam, find human bones on the grounds of their abandoned family farm... -
![Twined Bond by Emma Hart]()
Twined Bond by Emma Hart
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll is well in Holly Woods. My best friend's love triangle is now a happy little circle. My sister-in-law just gave birth to my gorgeous new niece who is the world's best cuddler, and Nonna's—kind of—not on my back every ten minutes about the fact we're getting married in one month. *Supposedly.* Until the mayor's niece—our baker for the wedding—commits suicide... -
![Lark by Cee Bowerman]()
Lark by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLark Forrester may have been born into the country club set, but she didn’t stay there. From infancy, she was raised around bikers, so it was inevitable that she’d become one herself. Her dream of joining an MC has now come to fruition, and she proudly serves as the Texas Queens MC president with her cousin Rain... -
![Making It Right by Catherine Bybee]()
Making It Right by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller. In the final book in Amazon Charts bestselling author Catherine Bybee’s Most Likely To trilogy, River Bend’s rebel follows in her father’s footsteps to become sheriff. But it might be time to forge her own path… Some kids inherit a family business; Jo Ward inherited a badge... -
![In the Air Tonight by Marie Force]()
In the Air Tonight by Marie Force
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI was there. I saw what you did.BlaiseI wasn’t supposed to be there that night, but my friend Sienna talked me into going to the party in Land’s End so she could spy on her boyfriend. While hiding out in the woods, we witnessed an unspeakable crime. And we did everything wrong afterward.Connections run deep in our small town... -
![Damaged Shadows by Kathleen Brooks]()
Damaged Shadows by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs the sheriff of the small town of Shadows Landing, South Carolina, Granger usually dealt with ornery alligators, fights over the best BBQ style, and the occasional shoot-out when his friends brought trouble home. Granger watched those friends get married one at a time, but he knew that wasn’t his fate. An auto accident had left Granger with scaring that he hid under his uniform... -
![Forever Saved by Kathleen Brooks]()
Forever Saved by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJace Davies has devoted his life to helping others. He is opening a new medical practice in his small hometown of Keeneston and is looking forward to starting the next phase of his life. Who knew that the new phase would begin with a 9-1-1 call? Stella Winters left her ex-boyfriend behind for a move to Keeneston to accomplish her dream of opening a garden center... -
![Fierce Shadows by Kathleen Brooks]()
Fierce Shadows by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDare Reigns is Charleston’s newest undercover ATF agent. Dare and his bosses believe a nearby resort is responsible for several deaths from tainted alcohol. As a favor to his friend, Marcy Davies, Dare agrees to a blind date with her grand-niece who lives in the area. What he didn’t tell her was having a date night at the resort would be the perfect cover for him to begin his investigation... -
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![Her Scream in the Silence by Denise Grover Swank]()
Her Scream in the Silence by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratings>b>In the second book of the USA Today bestselling series, Carly looks into a young woman’s disappearance while trying to hide her own dark secrets. Carly Moore is finally feeling settled in Drum, Tennessee. She likes her job waitressing at Max’s Tavern AND her boyfriend… she should have known both were too good to be true... -
![Smolder by Helen Hardt]()
Smolder by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s on the rebound, and he’s on the prowl. Aurora “Rory” Pike gave up her dream of becoming an opera superstar long ago. Now she’s content to teach music to the children of Snow Creek while helping her family recover from the wildfire that devastated them... -
![Dirty Minds by Liliana Hart]()
Dirty Minds by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCoroner J.J. Graves and Sheriff Jack Lawson are in a race against time as they hunt down a sniper who is taking the law into his own hands. No one is safe, and everyone is a target... -
![Texas Orchids by Samantha Christy]()
Texas Orchids by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI'm a city boy, not a cowboy.I'm way out of my league on a horse ranch in Texas.Falling for the sexy horse vet was never my intention.Especially when I find out she could be dating a killer.Sneaking around with her?Not my brightest idea, but someone's got to protect her.It's just one summer. One casual fling.Until it becomes everything but... -
![Backrush by Jana Deleon]()
Backrush by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe sea heals all things.Tempest Island has weathered the worst of storms and still stands proud, providing its residents with the healing power of the sea and sun. When Alayna Scott’s life falls spectacularly apart, both professionally and personally, the executive chef’s only thought is getting back home to the island and her aunt Bea... -
![Lost and Found by April Wilson]()
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![The Best of Me by Sharon Sala]()
The Best of Me by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 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,... -
![One Hundred Excuses by Kelly Collins]()
One Hundred Excuses by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAuthor Kelly Collins takes you back to Aspen Cove where life is sweet, the tea is sweeter, and love is the sweetest of all. Marina Caswell didn’t expect to find herself broken and alone with a four-year-old daughter. She could offer a hundred excuses as to why her marriage failed, but the truth was she’d chosen poorly... -
![Forbidden Hero: Hometown Heroes A-Z by Jo Grafford]()
Forbidden Hero: Hometown Heroes A-Z by Jo Grafford
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings...Categorized as:
suspense law-enforcement military small-town contemporary action-adventure fiction book -
![Heather by Chris Keniston]()
Heather by Chris Keniston
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShenanigans and romance abound in the new Hart Land series from USA TODAY Bestselling Author Chris Keniston. Fall in love with the lakeside small town of Lawford, retired Marine Corps General Harold Hart, his artistic wife Fiona, matchmaking housekeeper Lucy, and his nine single granddaughters... -
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![Sanibel Sunsets by Hope Holloway]()
Sanibel Sunsets by Hope Holloway
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Eliza’s son arrives in Shellseeker Beach, he’s struggling. Dane deeply disapproves of his mother’s relationship with a new man, causing friction in Eliza’s happy life. In addition, he must navigate a whole new life and find a way to channel his emotions in to music. Support comes from the most unexpected corner, surprising everyone…including Dane... -
![Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne]()
Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge by Ruth Logan Herne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCreator of the bestselling "Welcome to Wishing Bridge" and "At Home in Wishing Bridge" award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne invites readers back to the little town with the big heart with "Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge". Being a supermodel isn't just hard... -
![Bred in the Bone by Kendra Elliot]()
Bred in the Bone by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the fourth Widow’s Island novella by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot, the truth of a twenty-year disappearance will finally come to light. When the town drunk ends up dead in a hit-and-run, FBI special agent Cate Wilde expects that solving the case will be cut and dried. But evidence quickly surfaces that the victim was involved with another crime... -
![Home Sweet Love by Ava Miles]()
Home Sweet Love by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMillions of readers have fallen in love with Ava's bestselling books...come join the family. International Bestselling Author Ava Miles shares a powerful tale about the sweetness of home and falling in love for the first time. Chase Parker doesn’t believe in all that gushy home sweet love stuff. Moira Hale sure as heck does... -
![Capone: Rebel Guardians MC by Liberty Parker, Tracie Douglas]()
Capone: Rebel Guardians MC by Liberty Parker, Tracie Douglas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBridget Nelson is a broken, defeated woman. Used by her brother as his gang’s playtoy, she feels beyond less than, but when she found out what Charlie had planned for her and Hannah, she fled and landed in Corinth, Texas... -
![Letting You Go by Jordan Marie, Sarah Hansen]()
Letting You Go by Jordan Marie, Sarah Hansen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI met Luna Marshall when I was seventeen. She was a force of nature that I wasn’t ready for. She was gravity and I was caught in her pull— Powerless while she held me in a world I was desperate to escape. They say you never forget your first love. I believe they’re right. I’ll always remember the sound of her laughter... -
![Corpse in the Carnations by Dale Mayer]()
Corpse in the Carnations by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRiches to rags. … Chaos calms. … Crime quiets. … But does it really? After getting involved in two murder cases in the short time she’s lived in picturesque Kelowna, divorcee and gardener Doreen Montgomery has developed a reputation almost as notorious as her Nan’s... -
![Montana Ranger's Wedding Vow by Elle James]()
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... -
![Fun House by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Fun House by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother. This is book 1 featuring Coffey and Simi!Sometimes you need to crash a funeral to experience happiness.At least, Kissimmee Singh, aerial artist for Singh Circus, the most sought-after traveling circus of all time, keeps telling herself that’s why she crashes funerals... -
![Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer]()
Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in a new series.Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, trapped in her old hometown for the summer... -
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![The Next Best Day by Sharon Sala]()
The Next Best Day by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBeloved and bestselling author Sharon Sala brings you a brand-new contemporary romance filled with second chances, new beginnings, and a Southern small town you won't want to leave... -
![Can't Fight the Moonlight by Barbara Freethy]()
Can't Fight the Moonlight by Barbara Freethy
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJustin Blackwood can't remember a time when he believed in the magic of anything, least of all love. A cynical businessman, who grew up in a broken home, he guards his heart with every breath he takes. His job has taken him all over the world and roots are the last thing he wants...until he meets a beautiful innkeeper in Whisper Lake... -
![Forgotten Legacy by Robin Perini]()
Forgotten Legacy by Robin Perini
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsForgotten secrets. Forgotten lies. A family legacy…A determined killer. On the outskirts of Singing River, Wyoming, a couple dies in a fire that ravages their remote mountain home. Everyone believes it’s a tragic accident—except FBI profiler Riley Lambert. She isn’t convinced, and neither is her fiancé, ex–Navy SEAL turned sheriff Thayne Blackwood... -
![Make Me Beg by Julie Kriss]()
Make Me Beg by Julie Kriss
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYou wouldn't believe Dex Riggs and I are from the same town. He's the ultimate bad boy; I'm the one who goes by the book. He's a sexy former cop with a shady past; I'm the girl who married her high school sweetheart. But now my marriage is over, I'm burned out on my business, and worst of all, I never got the baby I wanted. And now I never will. Unless Dex is willing to make a deal... -
![Once in a Lifetime by Leeanna Morgan]()
Once in a Lifetime by Leeanna Morgan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSamantha Jones works at Fletcher Security. She develops state-of-the-art surveillance drones, hacks computer networks, and makes life difficult for anyone on the wrong side of the law. When she's asked to help Caleb Andrews complete a top-secret project, her IT skills aren't the only thing that will be tested to the limit... -
![Dirty Laundry by Liliana Hart]()
Dirty Laundry by Liliana Hart
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA new novel in the New York Times bestselling series: Coroner JJ Graves and her husband Sheriff Jack Lawson are back on the job when the body of an elderly woman is found in Bloody Mary. Rosalyn McGowen is everyone’s favorite great-grandmother. She always has baked treats in her bag, she smells of roses, and she takes in stray cats. No one knows who could hurt a sweet old lady... -
![You'll Be Mine by Marie Force]()
You'll Be Mine by Marie Force
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGreen Mountain short story You'll Be Mine. Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy are finally ready to tie the knot—as long as family, friends and a love-struck moose don’t get in the way... -
![Out of Range by Em Petrova]()
Out of Range by Em Petrova
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsArielle Jackman grew up as an Army brat—and then she became an Army wife. Now she’s widowed and looking for something she’s never had… roots. Back in her favorite Texas town, she’s teaching middle-schoolers, and since she and her husband never had any, she considers them all her kids. But the evenings are lonely, and Arielle’s wondering if she should get out and make some friends... -
![Wild Love by Melissa Schroeder]()
Wild Love by Melissa Schroeder
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'm not the kind of girl who expects happily ever after. In fact, I prefer my partners don't get too clingy. Don't get me wrong. I like a good night of loving, but beyond that, I’m happy to see them leave inthe morning, without my number.Then I met him. Quinn is a big bear of a man, with massive hands and amazing...staying power. Like all night long and the next morning kind of staying power... -
![The Devil's Spare Change by Samantha A. Cole]()
The Devil's Spare Change by Samantha A. Cole
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFBI agent Sean Malone put in a transfer to return home to North Carolina in order to be closer to his expanding family. What he didn’t expect was a pleasant surprise from his youth. Little Gracie Whitman is all grown up now and drop-dead gorgeous, and he finds himself thinking about her in ways he’d never done before... -
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![One Last Risk by Nancy Stopper]()
One Last Risk by Nancy Stopper
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA guilt-driven firefighter, a widowed mother, neither is ready for love, but love has other plans. Firefighter Lucas Bennett had the carefree life he’d always wanted until a deadly blaze took the life of his company mate and best friend. Blaming himself was easy but pulling himself from the tailspin of guilt proved to be much harder... -
![Hot Pursuit by Jennifer Bernard]()
Hot Pursuit by Jennifer Bernard
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDeputy Will Knight and reporter Merry Warren couldn’t be more different—she’s the queen of questions, he’s the king of no comment. The inquisitive beauty drives Will crazy with her feisty attitude and sassy mouth…the one with the full lips just made for kissing. Not that he’s noticed. Much... -
![The Sound of Home by Krista Sandor]()
The Sound of Home by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne steamy summer night. One unforgivable betrayal. Two lives forever changed. Em MacCaslin was never an ordinary girl. A child music prodigy, she competed in elite competitions and performed with symphonies all over the world. At eighteen years old, her future couldn’t have been brighter. But all her dreams were shattered in one night. A night she doesn’t remember...Categorized as:
suspense female-mc family romance contemporary small-town friends-to-lovers womens-fiction -
![Smoky Mountain Judge by Ashley A. Quinn]()
Smoky Mountain Judge by Ashley A. Quinn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDivorced, single mom, Kennedy Davidson, knew the move from Richmond to Asheville would be a rough one for her twin teenagers. What she didn’t count on was the rocky start for herself. A week into her new job as a federal magistrate, danger comes calling when a mid-level cartel boss lands on her court docket... -
![Saltwater Cove by Amelia Addler]()
Saltwater Cove by Amelia Addler
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSecond chances...and the secrets that sabotage them. At 48 years old, Margie Clifton never expected to be starting her life all over again. But when her brother gifts her a property on San Juan Island, that’s exactly what she decides to do. After all, it’s the perfect place to start a new business venture, provide a second home for her adult children, and recover from her nasty divorce... -
![Truth Be Told by Kendra Elliot]()
Truth Be Told by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA torrential two-day storm has cut off the small town of Solitude, Oregon, from the outside world. But for police officers Stevie Duncan and her husband, Zane, the ravages of nature have nothing on the nature of man...
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