Books like 'Dark Horse'
Readers who enjoyed Dark Horse by Maggie Rawdon also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town mystery western dark suspense enemies-to-lovers found-family forced-proximity
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Highball Rush by Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRough around the edges Gibson Bodine takes his lone wolf image seriously. The tough guy. The bad boy. Gibson lives alone. Works alone. He doesn’t do love. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. In Bootleg Springs—home of moonshine and the nosiest neighbors in West Virginia—secrets don’t keep forever... -
Exodus by Kate Stewart
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCan you live a lie?It’s a ghost town, this place that haunts me, the one that made me.It’s clear to me that I’ll never outgrow Triple Falls or outlive the time I spenthere.I can still feel them all, my boys of summer.Even when I’d sensed the danger, I gave in.I didn’t heed a single warning. I let my sickness, my love, both rule and ruinme...Categorized as:
age-gap alpha-mc billionaire crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine -
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 enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine -
Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry comes a small town, enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.Winslow Covington believes in life, liberty and the letter of the law. As Quincy, Montana’s new chief of police, she’s determined to prove herself to the community and show them she didn’t earn her position because her grandfather is the mayor...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family industrial-era slow-burn suspense -
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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 enemies-to-lovers found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn suspense -
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 forced-proximity romance mystery law-enforcement -
Wrecked Palace by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOne night was all it took for everything to change.From college student to guardian in a single breath.My siblings became my world.No time for date nights or romantic dreams.I traded quiet weekends for sleepless nights.Giving my all to make sure they were cared for.But Griffin had a brokenness that called to me—one that mirrored my own.Gruff and just a little bit reckless...Categorized as:
billionaire cheerful-mc found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn suspense adult -
The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsSecrets and Lies...I’ve lived the entirety of my life wrapped up in subterfuge for one purpose—revenge.Through the years, I lived more as an enigma than a man.For so long, I denied I had a beating heart of my own. Until her. Until she unearthed the starving vessel inside, forced me to acknowledge it, forced me to understand that I’m capable of bleeding the same as any other.For that, we paid...Categorized as:
age-gap alpha-mc billionaire cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity -
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:
age-gap alpha-mc cheerful-mc dark forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine -
No White Knight by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHandsome devil. Hate-worthy. Walking scandal.I'm catching one feeling with him and it's got teeth...If I were a bird, I know who I'd paint white.Holt Silverton. The cocky dolt who swaggered up thinking he'd buy my ranch out from under me.I know his reputation—those stormy eyes and chiseled looks ruined half this town.Spare me the pick up lines and pretty words...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime enemies-to-lovers industrial-era suspense western action-adventure adult -
10-Code by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs a forty-one-year-old mother of three boys, working two jobs, Marya Berger doesn’t have the time or energy to consider a relationship. Especially after a lifetime of poor choices in the romance department. But when the disappearance of a young boy strikes a little too close to home, and a younger man she’s tried to ignore offers his help, she doesn’t stand in the way... -
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...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity found-family slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc dark -
Scheming Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsScarlettI don’t want to lie to him. I really don’t.First of all, he's hot. Really hot. I know I swore off gorgeous men for the rest of eternity, but Tenn Sawyer has me questioning all of my choices. At least, any choices that mean I can’t have him.Second, he isn’t just hot, Tenn is bossy and domineering and patient and his smile makes my panties melt. And that was all before he kidnapped me.After... -
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFinn Sawyer hates everything about being back in Sawyers Bend. He walked away from his family years before, living off his wits and skills in the kitchen, refining his craft as he worked his way across Europe. Then the father who left him for dead is murdered, and the will offers Finn a chance at his dream...Categorized as:
suspense enemies-to-lovers billionaire grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
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Siren Unleashed by Sophie Oak, Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwin detectives Ben and Chase Dawson have been sent to investigate an unusual murder at a resort owned by Julian Lodge. Julian wants them to protect the prime suspect, a young submissive who was the last person to see the victim alive. The job seems simple until Ben and Chase discover that the beautiful submissive they both desire has a dark past... -
Booted by Pam Godwin
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe night I’m released from prison, she’s in my bed.It’s been eight years since I touched a woman, and the Native American beauty is half-dressed, beaten, bruised, and devastatingly exquisite.We’re toxic together, but we want the same things. Blood. Vengeance.Violent relief in a warm body.Beneath her touch, I’m alive.Against her skin, I’m redeemed.Buried inside her, I forget the past... -
Warrior by Renee Rose, Vanessa Vale
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMistake #1: Sleeping with a friendHooking up with Quincy was a no-brainer.The sexy hot-shot Navy pilot wasn’t on my SEAL team.I thought she’d be safe for a one-night stand.Mistake #2: Letting her walk out the doorI realized too late she wasn’t a one-and-done for me.But now she thinks I’m a player. Okay, she knows I’m a player.Which is why she won’t go there with me again...Categorized as:
forced-proximity enemies-to-lovers alpha-mc western suspense industrial-era romance contemporary -
Off Duty Volume 2 by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 2 is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“John-Henry Somerset: Sold!”Somers enters a charity bachelor’s auction without telling his boyfriend. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty.“Pretty and Pink and Perfect”Hazard plans a toddler’s birthday party. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty...Categorized as:
crime suspense enemies-to-lovers slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
A Rogue Cowboy's Second Chance by Stephanie Rowe
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFifteen years ago, he shattered her heart. Now she needs to trust him with her life. First in a new billionaire cowboy series by New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Rowe.Billionaire rancher Brody Hart protects others…no matter the cost to himself. When the woman he lost a decade ago needs his help, he has a second chance with the sassy country music star he never stopped loving... -
Found in Bliss by Sophie Oak, Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRe-released in a second edition with new content. Holly Lang has a hard time trusting men. Eight years ago, her husband tossed her aside and took her son away from her. Finding the little town of Bliss has given her a second chance at life, new friends, and sense of belonging. Unfortunately, Bliss also seems to have filled her days and nights with dreams of two beautiful men...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime industrial-era organized-crime suspense western action-adventure adult -
Love Me by Ashley N. Rostek
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsColt is my comfort.He’s the first one to hold my hand when life becomes hard.Creed is my support.He always has my back, is always ready to help me battle the world or my insecurities.Keelan is my joy.He effortlessly makes me laugh and exudes a light even when days become dark.Knox is my strength.He holds me together even when I want to break... -
Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother. Any woman who did, ended up dead—or so the rumor goes. Townies call it a curse. But I’ve lived it, and I won’t survive it again.I’m not a cop anymore, but I’ve seen enough danger to know that Laney Young, the beautiful stranger who just showed up in my small town, is running from it...Categorized as:
suspense western slow-burn found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity -
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... -
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 found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine industrial-era slow-burn suspense -
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Buckled by Pam Godwin
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI protect what’s mine. The ranch, my family, our buried secrets. Nothing will stop me from reassembling the life that went terribly wrong. Not the law. Not our enemies. Not even Maybe Quinn. The gorgeous, quarrelsome journalist shouldn’t have meddled. I shouldn’t have let her stay. But she’s hiding something in those deceptive blue eyes...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity industrial-era slow-burn suspense -
Chasing Bliss by Sophie Oak, Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRe-released in a second edition with new content. Gemma Wells came to Bliss, Colorado, after a scandal cost her everything. Utterly lost, the disgraced attorney built walls so high that she thinks no one can get through them. She’s given up on love, friendship, and all matters of the heart... -
Sin's Enticement by Ciara St. James
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter years of serving his country, Sin reclaims his life and forms the Ares Infidels MC, with like-minded military brothers. They decide his home town of Tenillo, Texas is the perfect place to build their futures. By forming a club where they get to make the rules and determine what orders to follow... -
Pieces of a Life by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable.He played the piano and baseball.I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten.We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations.We were also forbidden to be more than friends.But that didn’t stop us...Categorized as:
suspense enemies-to-lovers slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity dark -
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... -
Beautifully Broken Control by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA woman trying to rebuild her life.Kennedy is doing all she can to escape, to prove that she’s not the monster her father was. A simple life of peace and service is all she needs.A man haunted by a past he can’t forget.Cain has buried his demons under layers of control and success. The only thing he needs is his company and his solitude...Categorized as:
age-gap alpha-mc billionaire industrial-era slow-burn suspense western action-adventure -
Iron Will by B.J. Daniels
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAre a dead woman’s secretsenough to kill for…? Hank Savage has always believed his old girlfriend was murdered. Now he’s come home to Cardwell Ranch and, with the help of PI Frankie Brewster, is determined to find the killer. Trying to keep their feelings at bay, Hank and Frankie quickly learn that every lead reveals a life steeped in secrets—and danger... -
There with You by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor Regan Penhaligon, there’s no better place to run to than the exclusive Ardnoch Estate in the remote Scottish Highlands. Her impulsive behavior has finally caught up with her and Regan’s visit with her sister, Robyn, is an opportunity to hide from someone who has grown dangerously obsessed with her...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn -
Fatal Felons by Elle Thorpe
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPlease note this is the third and final book in a trilogy, and this blurb contains spoilers for books 1 and 2. Start the series with Locked Up Liars, and Solitary Sinners before reading on!When a judge declared Heath guilty and sentenced him to death row, everything we’d been fighting for went up in flames.We have no excuses. No appeals. No freedom.Now, there’s only one way out...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc -
Corruptor's Claim by K. Loraine, Meg Anne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m in love with my brother’s wife.When River came back, I thought I’d gotten a second chance to make her mine. I had Mama’s ring ready and everything. Until the moment I found out she was already married–to Cross.On paper, it’s a good thing, especially since the head of the Russian Bratva has her in his sights...Categorized as:
western dark suspense crime age-gap enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity organized-crime -
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Be Still My Heart by Emily McIntire, Sav R. Miller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSkelm Island, Maine has always been known for two things: lobsters and its broken lighthouse.But when corpses start showing up in the water, the isolated town becomes the face of a cryptic investigation.At the heart of which stands Lincoln Porter, a grumpy ex-SEAL whose lobstering business seems to attract more dead bodies than fish...Categorized as:
age-gap alpha-mc cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc -
Fish out of Water by Josie Watts, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGet a new job. Check.Find a new apartment. Check.Stake out geriatric hit men with my handsome sidekick. Check?Never rent an apartment over the internet.I learned that lesson the hard way. Turns out the sweet two bedroom I was thrilled to make mine is actually smack dab in the middle of a retirement community.Now instead of enjoying Florida’s night life, I’m helping Mrs... -
Off Duty by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty is a collection of short stories. It includes the following: “Tickets to the Gun Show” Emery Hazard just wants to take his boyfriend to a concert, but some people are assholes...Categorized as:
crime grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc suspense slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance -
Lift You Up by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFriends of the family were forbidden fruit. You didn't get to take a bite, no matter how tempting it might be... -
Montana Rain by Josie Jade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPsychiatrist Rayne Westerfield has found purpose in helping patients, especially those with PTSD, heal at the Resting Warrior Ranch. For her, there’s no greater calling than equipping people to fight the worst of their demons.But she’s never allowed anyone to help her fight her own.She’s kept her distance. Kept herself buttoned up tight...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity western organized-crime crime industrial-era romance military -
The Pretend Fiancé Fiasco by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA reclusive former celebrity, a recovering good girl, and small town trouble...It started as a joke. After a string of bad boyfriends, I made up a fake boyfriend so people would quit asking when I was going to meet a grumpy lumberjack trying to save his mama’s inn in my adopted hometown.When my grandma demanded proof from afar, I sent her a picture of me and my “boyfriend...Categorized as:
forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family slow-burn suspense romance -
Pure Bliss by Sophie Oak
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBliss, Colorado, gave Hope McLean a second chance at life, but she's hiding a dark secret. Raised as brothers, James Glen and Noah Bennett always dreamed of finding a woman to share their lives on the Circle G ranch. James would run the ranch, while Noah served the town of Bliss as the resident vet... -
One to Keep by Sophie Oak, Lexi Blake
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRe-released in a second edition with new content. Stefan Talbot likes order and control. He approaches his life with the same meticulous precision that he uses to put paint on his canvas. Nothing good comes from chaos, and that is why he has refused to allow himself to get close to Jennifer Waters. They are like fire and ice. Though she is younger, her talent as an artist is unquestionable... -
Southern Comfort (Southern Series ) by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBuried secrets never stay hidden in the South. Olivia When you find out that your fiancé is arrested for swindling over ten million dollars from his clients, you do what any sane woman would do. You escape reality and go undercover, trading in your city-girl Louboutins for country-pumpkin cowboy boots. It wasn’t a forever change—it was temporary... -
Pulse by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke delivers a spicy, age gap, grumpy sunshine, workplace romance in the first book in the brand new Landry Security series.Troy Castelli acts like it’s my fault that we’re cooped up together in a room with one bed overlooking the ocean. I didn’t ask for a stalker to break into my house and then send me a threatening email detailing my demise...Categorized as:
suspense age-gap forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family alpha-mc -
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Hold Me Until Morning by A.L. Jackson, Erin Mallon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI should have known I’d be playing with fire when I found the sexy as hell woman moving in next door...It was pouring rain, so I figured the neighborly thing to do would be to lend a hand.I nearly dropped to my knees when I realized who she was.Hailey Wagner.It’s been six years since I’ve seen her, and she’s always been the one person on earth who is off-limits...Categorized as:
suspense western forced-proximity found-family slow-burn age-gap alpha-mc grumpy-sunshine -
Falls Boys by Penelope Douglas
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe HELLBENT Series—a spin-off to the Fall Away series—is coming! “The kids are growing up—different from their parents but the same in so many ways…” ARO Hawken Trent. So polite. So sweet. Such an upstanding young man. A virgin, too, I hear. He never gets naughty with a girl. Probably because Jesus told him not to. And now here he is, trying to be the hero by protecting another girl from me...Categorized as:
alpha-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family slow-burn suspense -
Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder... George Holloway has spent his life alone, exploring the treacherous beauty of the Colorado Rockies...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc crime forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn suspense -
Bourbon & Secrets by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother.Any woman who did, ended up dead. It wasn’t just a rumor. It was my reality. I buried my wife along with too many secrets surrounding the night she died.Now, I’m a single dad with two priorities above everything else: raising my two girls and making great bourbon...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers suspense western age-gap found-family forced-proximity dark slow-burn -
Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTo the rest of the world, he was the little boy who went missing on the Fourth of July.To me, he was everything.My heart hasn't been the same since he disappeared, but I've learned to build my life around that missing piece.Twenty-two years later, the last thing I expect is for that missing piece to come back.His name is Oliver Lynch, and this is his story.This is our story...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc crime dark forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn -
Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNash Hartley has always been my everything: Protector. Partner in crime. Best friend. The person who was there for me in my darkest hour. But my heart wanted so much more. So, when I knew for certain Nash didn’t feel the same about me, I tried to move on. What a mistake that turned out to be...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity slow-burn found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc alpha-mc
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