Books like 'The Second'
Readers who enjoyed The Second by C.G. Cooper also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical action / adventure female-mc literary-fiction suspense friendship military
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The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book -
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTold in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Two Dragons by Octavia Randolph
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo DragonsDragons are said to guard treasure with their lives...Ceric, beset with madness from the trauma of the losses he has suffered, wanders the forests of Kilton. An urgent need to stave off the hunger of his folk calls his younger brother Edwin, Lord of Kilton, to the Kingdom of Mercia, and though he fulfils his mission, finds the greater prize he sought out of reach... -
For Me Fate Wove This by Octavia Randolph
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn an Angle-land riven by contesting Danes…Hrald of Four Stones has fallen in love with Dagmar, the daughter of dead King Guthrum, who once ruled all Anglia. Dagmar is beautiful and poised; very much a King's daughter. Yet she owns nothing but the jewels about her neck – and the secrets she carries with her...Categorized as:
suspense female-mc historical-fiction historical audiobook fiction action-adventure book -
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Purple Hearts by Michael Grant
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Michael Grant unleashes the gritty and powerful conclusion to the Front Line series and evokes the brutal truth of World War II: War is hell. An epic tale of historical reimagining, perfect for fans of Code Name Verity and Salt to the Sea...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship military 20th-century action-adventure alternate-history book fiction -
Eagles Over Britain by Lee Jackson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe German Luftwaffe attacks Britain from the skies.With no allies, she stands alone.Her fate hangs in the balance.As the first Axis aircraft streak across English Channel airspace, so begins a battle for the ages; one that will determine the trajectory of the war...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
Come High Water by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBridget O'Shea had sworn she'd never fall in love again. She had a hotel, The Black Swan, to operate alone, since her sisters - Catherine and Alice - had both married the previous year. And then there was Ella, her lovely baby daughter. The hotel and Ella took up all her time and energy... -
The Shangri-La Raiders by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsInspired by the true story of Colonel Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Japan in 1942, The Shangri-La Raiders is the next stunning installment of the When Heroes Flew WWII historical fiction series... -
So Much Owed: An Irish World War 2 Story by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn a turbulent and uncertain world, the birth of two children revitalise a small Irish town and set the stage for a closer look into lives torn asunder by war. When Dr. Richard Buckley returns home to his wife and beloved hometown of Dunderrig, his mind is wearied by the ravages of The Great War...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
Under a Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of The Last Correspondent comes the powerful story of three brave women who go to war—and end up fighting for their lives.Sicily, 1943. Three American women, all nurses in the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, are determined to do all they can for their country... -
Wildswept by Octavia Randolph
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDuty versus DesireThe Peace between the Saxons and Danes has collapsed. Viking forces led by the war-lord Haesten strike at will across borders. One more push will destroy Wessex. The Danish warriors settled under the Dane-law are tempted to join with these new invaders, wiping clear the game board as they seek full dominance of Angle-land...Categorized as:
suspense female-mc historical-fiction historical audiobook fiction medieval action-adventure -
Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Sisterhood: a group of women from all walks of life bound by friendship and a quest for justice. Armed with vast resources, top-notch expertise, and a loyal network of allies around the globe, the Sisterhood will not rest until every wrong is made right. Now in their 29th adventure, the Sisterhood team up to find a gifted but neglected child the home he deserves... -
The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLoch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
Hearts of Resistance by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAt the height of World War II, three women must come together to fight for freedom, for the men they love—and for each other. When Hazel is given the chance to parachute into Nazi-occupied France, she seizes the opportunity to do more for the British war effort than file paperwork. Alongside her childhood friend, French-born Rose, she quickly rises up the ranks of the freedom fighters...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
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The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThree skilled aviators determined to help win the war. Three brave women who know their place is not at home. At the height of World War II, the British Air Transport Auxiliary need help. A group of young women volunteer for action, but the perils of their new job don’t end on the tarmac. Things are tough in the air, but on the ground their abilities as pilots are constantly questioned...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
Marine's Promise by Elle James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUS Marine, Colin McKinnon, fell in love with Emily in high school, but when he elected to join the Marine Corps, Emily chose to marry Colin’s best friend, Alex, preferring a safe and secure life. Brokenhearted but resolute, at their wedding, Colin promised Alex he’d take care of Emily if anything ever happened to Alex. Though Emily loved Colin more, she married Alex, one of her best friends... -
The Girl in the Picture by Melissa Wiesner
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs the newspaper clipping falls from the cardboard box Tegan takes in the woman in the picture: her chestnut hair, her eyes full of laughter, the way she nestles against the man beside her. And as she reads the words in the article, Tegan almost stops breathing...Categorized as:
friendship literary-fiction female-mc mystery fiction historical journey historical-fiction -
The Colonels by W.E.B. Griffin
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThey were the professionals, the men who had been toughened by combat in the mine-laden fields of Europe, in Korea, in Greece, in Indochina. Now, in the twilight of a dying decade, they must return to the United States to forge a new type of American soldier--one to be tested on the beaches of Cuba and in a new war yet to come.. -
More than Riches by Josephine Cox
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith her sweetheart Adam away in the army, Rosie feels completely alone. When the letters she eagerly awaits never arrive, Rosie is disillusioned and open to the influence of Doug. Finding herself pregnant, she is forced to marry Doug - but then a letter arrives from Adam, saying he is coming home... -
Guarding Payton by Jen Talty
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife has a way of coming full circle—we just have to open our hearts and let go of the past.As a little girl, all Payton Wheeler dreamed about was coming to Montana and living at her grandfather’s ranch. However, life took a different turn and instead of following her dreams, she followed the path of least resistance. That is until her granddad passed away and left her the Wheeler Creek Ranch...Categorized as:
suspense military small-town law-enforcement western action-adventure historical industrial-era -
The Memory House by Rachel Hauck
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a new captivating novel of two women whose lives have been destroyed by disaster but find healing in a special house. In the spring of 1953, Everleigh Applegate is happily married and newly pregnant. But a tornado sweeps through Waco, Texas, taking her hopes of a bright future with it...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction suspense action-adventure audiobook book christian -
The Generals by W.E.B. Griffin, Eric G. Dove
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThey were the leaders, the men who made the decisions that changed the outcome of battles... and the fate of continents.From the awesome landing at Normandy to the torturous campaigns of the South Pacific, from the frozen hills of Korea to the devastated wastes of Dien Bien Phu, they had earned their stars...Categorized as:
literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Force of Kings by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTwin monarchs Satyrus and Melitta have worked hard, seen much blood shed and many good friends die to secure their fertile kingdom on the Black Sea. But as the colossal conflict between Alexander the Great's former generals to inherit his empire rages from one end of the known world to the other, sitting on the sidelines is not an option...Categorized as:
literary-fiction military suspense action-adventure adult ancient-civilization audiobook book -
What Once Was True: An Irish WW2 Story by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRobinswood, Co Waterford, 1939. The once grand Irish house is home to two very different families. Despite delusions of grandeur, Lord and Lady Kenefick and their adult children, live a life of decayed opulence as the money needed to keep such a large house and grounds ever dwindles...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
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The Blood of a Baron by K.J. Jackson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA deal with the devil never goes according to plan in this newest novel from USA Today Bestseller K.J. Jackson.Her last hope.With her brother dead and destitution looming, spinster Lady Elania has only one hope left—finding the mysterious box her brother had left her and trading it for the modest fortune that would last her the rest of her days...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction suspense action-adventure adult alpha-mc book enemies-to-lovers -
The War Girls of Goodwill House: The start of a brand new historical saga series by Fenella J. Miller for 2022 by Fenella J Miller
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs war looms, can they keep the home fires burning?Lady Joanna Harcourt and her daughter Sarah discover their life of luxury at Goodwill House is over. Because with Lord Harcourt away fighting, the Harcourt girls are facing financial ruin. Lady Joanna is terrified of losing their home, but for Sarah, this means her dreams of becoming a doctor are over...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
Paris at First Light by Amanda Lees
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsParis, 1944: secret agent Juliette is on her most dangerous mission of the war so far. But then her children are kidnapped, and to get them back she may have to commit the ultimate betrayal – that of France itself…Four years ago, when France fell to the Nazis, Juliette made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind her two precious children to join the Resistance and defend her country...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult book fiction -
Tyrant: Funeral Games by Christian Cameron
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSatyrus and Melitta, twin heirs to a rich kingdom on the Black Sea, were hounded into exile in FUNERAL GAMES after their mother was brutally murdered by one of their father's former comrades, Heron. Heron now rules the land that is theirs by right, but the twins are older now and battle-hardened in the wars of Alexander's Successors...Categorized as:
literary-fiction military suspense action-adventure adult ancient-civilization audiobook book -
Into the Darkest Day by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe had to step outside and hold the paper up to the moonlight to read it, but when she was able to make out the words, her heart felt as if it would drop right out of her chest. Because the message was in German.1944, London:When Lily meets enigmatic GI Matthew in war-torn London, she doesn’t expect to fall in love...Categorized as:
military female-mc friendship literary-fiction romance historical-fiction ww2 fiction -
From These Broken Streets by Roland Merullo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRoland Merullo, bestselling author of Once Night Falls, returns with a galvanizing historical novel of Nazi-occupied Naples and the rage and resistance of a people under siege.Italy, 1943. The Nazi occupation has cemented its grip on the devastated city of Naples.Giuseppe DiPietra, a curator in the National Archives, has a subversive plan to aid the Allies...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Last Lieutenant by John J. Gobbell
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOUTNUMBEREDUnder an unstoppable barrage of artillery, brilliant U.S. cryptographers crack the Japanese top-secret code, revealing their chilling plans for a doomsday attack on Midway Island.OUTGUNNEDThe Navy's high command responds quickly, mobilizing all they have to counter-attack the massive Japanese firepower...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
A World Apart by Gretta Curran Browne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Michael Dwyer story continues ... powerful in its drama and truth ... and his fame in the history of Ireland begins.Now a close friend of Robert Emmet, Michael does everything in his power to help the young aristocrat succeed in his revolutionary aims, but traitors abound everywhere, attempting to bring down both young men... -
Valley of the Purple Hearts by Rick DeStefanis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Vietnam experience, up close and personal. When eighteen-year-old Buck Marino first meets Rolley Zwyrkowski, he little realizes how much the young sergeant and their next year together in Vietnam will change his life forever...Categorized as:
literary-fiction military suspense action-adventure adult book coming-of-age fiction -
Taken by the Lawman by Rhonda Lee Carver
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s his boss. Can he handle her? Kiersten Cade has always been skilled at catching criminals, bur finding Mr. Right not so much. Lately she’s been feeling a void that work no longer fills. Not getting any younger, she decides to steer her trajectory toward motherhood... -
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Her Own Legacy by Debra Borchert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Woman Fights for Her Legacy as the French Revolution Erupts Headstrong Countess Joliette de Verzat prefers secretly managing her family’s Loire Valley château and vineyards to the cut-throat politics of Versailles. For nearly three centuries, generations of families have toiled to produce Château de Verzat wines, and their homes and livelihoods depend upon Joliette...Categorized as:
military female-mc literary-fiction historical-fiction historical fiction feminism action-adventure -
Be Still the Water by Karen Emilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinalist 2019 Canadian Book Club AwardsShortlisted for the 2017 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction2017 IPPY Silver Medal WinnerSet in 1906 along the unspoiled shores of Lake Manitoba, Be Still the Water brings us into the fold of the Gudmundsson Family—immigrants determined to begin life anew in the Icelandic farming and fishing community of Siglunes...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc fiction historical-fiction historical outdoors family -
The Wren and the Swordfish Pilot by Stella Hutchinson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHeart-warming, courageous, and ultimately uplifting – for all lovers of World War Two historical fiction.When Cathy’s twin brother is called to serve in the Royal Navy, she leaps at the chance to join the Wrens, which by 1942, has grown into a strong force of over sixty thousand women. But she longs to be at sea and prove herself – to fight alongside her brother... -
Berlin Butterfly: Ensnare by Leah Moyes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeath or Freedom? Hardly a choice. Aug 12, 1961, Berlin Germany. Nationale Volksarmee soldiers roll barbed wire across the war-torn city to create the first Berlin Wall. Families are separated, livelihoods destroyed, death comes easily as crippling fear paralyzes the occupants on both sides of the wall...Categorized as:
friendship female-mc military romance historical-fiction historical fiction young-adult -
The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Sometime during the early hours of the morning, he awoke again, this time with a start. He was sure he heard a noise outside. It sounded like a twig snapping. Under normal circumstances it would have meant nothing, but in the silence of the forest every sound was magnified. There it was again. This time it was closer and his instinct told him it wasn’t the wolves... -
The Lieutenant's Girl by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPearl Harbor, 1941. War planes hurtle across the horizon, skimming the clouds. Gunpowder fills the air as the earth shatters. Everett’s hands cup my cheeks. “If I lose you, Elizabeth, please know that the time I’ve spent with you has been worth every second I’ve been alive...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
The French War Bride by Robin Wells
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWorld War II Paris serves as the backdrop of a story of compassion, betrayal, and forgiveness from the national bestselling author of The Wedding Tree . . . “I never knew what he saw in you.” At her retirement home in Wedding Tree, Louisiana, ninety-one-year-old Amelie O’Connor is in the habit of leaving her door open for friends...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book -
A Thread Unbroken by Kay Bratt, Nancy Wu
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMany believe that those who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. If that is so, the fates of Chai and Josi are weaved together and tied with a knot that cannot be broken.Chai has been the self-appointed protector of her best friend, Josi, since their toddler days...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction suspense action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Flint by Louis L'Amour
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe left the West at the age of seventeen, leaving behind a rootless past and a bloody trail of violence. In the East he became one of the wealthiest financiers in America—and one of the most feared and hated.Now, suffering from incurable cancer, he has come back to New Mexico to die alone. But when an all-out range war erupts, Flint chooses to help Nancy Kerrigan, a local rancher... -
The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEllis Island, 1902: Two women band together to hold America to its promise: "Give me your tired, your poor..."Ellis Island, 1902. Francesca arrives on the shores of America, her sights set on a better life than the one she left in Italy. That same day, aspiring linguist Alma reports to her first day of work at the immigrant processing center...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction urban new-york-state historical-fiction fiction historical -
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October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn Depression-era Kentucky, a defiant wife embarks on an impulsive and liberating journey in a powerful novel by the bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow and The Ragged Edge of Night . Del Wensley, wife of the most celebrated preacher in Harlan County, tries to mind her place. Until her husband’s infidelity pushes an already strained marriage to a breaking point...Categorized as:
friendship female-mc literary-fiction historical-fiction fiction historical family audiobook -
Judge by R.J. Larson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA Fantasy Saga Fueled by Adventure and FaithThe last thing Kien Lantec expects on his first day of military leave is to receive marching orders from his Creator, the Infinite. Orders that don't involve destroyer-racing or courting the love of his life, Ela. Adding to Kien's frustration, his Infinite-ordained duties have little to do with his skills as a military judge-in-training... -
Liberty or Death by David Cook
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt is May, 1798, and Ireland is a country at war. One hundred thousand peasants have risen up against the Crown to the tales of men, women and children butchered as traitors. It is whispered that the feared and despised ghosts of Oliver Cromwell’s New Model army have returned seeking bloodshed, and no one is safe... -
The Songbird and the Spy by J'nell Ciesielski
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs shells explode over Nazi-occupied France, American music student Claire Baudin is trapped behind enemy lines, struggling to protect her identity. Singing as a barmaid while she plans her escape, a handsome Third Reich captain threatens everything she knows to be true about the enemy. Nazi Captain Michael Reiner isn't who he claims to be...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military suspense 20th-century action-adventure adult book -
The Frenchman by Lise McClendon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this 5th installment of the Bennett Sisters Mysteries, attorney Merle Bennett goes to France for an extended stay to drink in the essence of 'la France Profonde' and write her own novel. But the countryside is not as tranquil as she hoped... -
Girls of Flight City: Inspired by True Events, A Novel of WWII, the RAF, and Texas by Lorraine Heath
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInspired by true events, a breathtaking WWII historical novel about the brave American women who trained the British Royal Air Force, by New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath.1941. A talented flier, Jessie Lovelace yearns for a career in aviation...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction military 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book
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