Books like 'Before and After'
Readers who enjoyed Before and After by Anna Hackett also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town action / adventure forced-proximity suspense grumpy-sunshine military drama workplace
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The Hero I Need by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a hilariously intense small-town love story where two star-crossed hearts and one snarly tiger ignite a romance up-roar.He knew I was trouble the instant I showed up with a stolen Bengal tiger.But Grady McKnight didn't flinch like a sane person—he took us in.Bruce the tiger found shelter. I met a hero grump. And Grady got a hot mess...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military suspense workplace action-adventure adult -
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:
bodyguard cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy suspense -
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:
cheerful-mc found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military suspense action-adventure adult -
Playing with Lies by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA no-strings kinda guy and a forever kinda woman…what could go wrong?I had a stalker and I knew just who to ask for help—Detective Dalton Neary. My own personal Prince Charming. The problem was, he turned out not to be so charming, at least not in the forever kind of way I was looking for. He was a good-time guy with a sexy smile and a goat game that should be illegal. But not the man for me...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity bodyguard romance mystery -
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Only Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWolf Wayburn is the devil in an Armani suit with the body of a Greek god. He thinks I’m just a small-town girl who he can intimidate—but I never back down from a fight.The first time we met, he cut me off at a gas station.So, I flashed him the bird and mocked his family jewels.The second time we met, he tried to get me fired.He took his shot—and he missed.At least for now...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military workplace action-adventure -
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:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy suspense -
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 grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
Omen's Entrapment by Ciara St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOmen’s life has never been an easy one. Growing up basically fatherless in the bayou, he knows all about hardship. When he’s old enough, he heads off to the military. He has a mom and sisters to take care of.Only things don’t turn out as planned and he loses his family. Now, he’s out of the military and looking for his place in the world... -
Blaze by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections. Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single. Former Hostile Operations Team soldier Blaze "Shadow" Connolly knows what it’s like to lose everything. He’s got nobody except his job and his team and that’s the way he likes it...Categorized as:
military suspense found-family forced-proximity romance contemporary small-town audiobook -
Out of the Darkness by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe light had been snuffed out of Xander Caine’s world a long time ago, leaving him to suffer in darkness. After a tremendous loss, he closed himself off from anyone and everyone, content to live alone in the shadows. Then a woman blew into town with the force of a hurricane and shook everything up. Sage Winthrop was looking to start over...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy suspense action-adventure -
Broken Dreams by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat could possibly go wrong fake dating the gorgeous single dad in a small town? The answer, you fall for him. It started out perfect. Grady Whitlock needed a plus one for his business meetings, and I needed a date for a wedding.We had a plan. It was a good one.Until it wasn’t.I was not supposed to have feelings for him...Categorized as:
military drama grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity steamy romance -
The Hero She Deserves by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen he goes to investigate a blaring smoke alarm, the last thing he expects to find is Hollywood’s hottest actress…naked.Deputy Sheriff Sawyer Lane likes the pace of life on Maui. After years as a Navy SEAL and in Ghost Ops, he likes that no one shoots at him. Coming to the island saved him. He still can’t sleep, but he’ll take the sun, sand, and solitude...Categorized as:
suspense military forced-proximity found-family bodyguard romance contemporary small-town -
Tyler by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes, the biggest secrets can bring both salvation and destruction.Emerson Charles grew up luckier than most, going from a difficult life to finding safety and a true home with her stepmother and stepbrother. Years later, when Levi's in trouble, Emerson will do anything for the brother of her heart, her greatest protector...Categorized as:
military bodyguard found-family steamy suspense forced-proximity romance contemporary -
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Tate by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCountry music, his parents, cold beer, and apple pie…just a few of the things Frank Tate loves. The former SEAL, now a Lighthouse Security specialist also loves his job and lives for the next mission. But when a call from home sends him back to the mid-west, the past and present collide as danger follows the girl he left behind years before... -
The Hero She Needs by Anna Hackett, Aaron Shedlock
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe last thing he expects to catch in his river is a billionaire heiress.Loner Boone Hendrix left the military with ghosts that haunt him. He lives with his dog Atlas on a farm in Vermont. Alone. Just the way he likes it. Until he rescues a half-drowned, beautiful brunette from his river...Categorized as:
military suspense forced-proximity bodyguard grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
Tempt by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsYou’ve heard the story about the wedding planner who falls for the groom?Well, this is the one where she falls for his father.And that groom? He’s my ex.I didn’t realize who the gruff, gorgeous older man was the night he rescued me from a creep in a Manhattan hotel bar...Categorized as:
bodyguard cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy action-adventure -
Love on the Run by Zoe York
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBook 5 in the Pine Harbour series: Dean Foster (ex-cop, army reservist, newly minted bodyguard) meets his match in Liana Hansen (Nashville superstar, woman of many secrets, supremely reluctant protectee). Bodyguard. [Noun] A person hired to escort and protect another person. Escort and protect. Definitely no flirting, kissing, or testing the bounds of third base... -
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeoEveryone has a past they’re trying to outrun, myself included. My time in the military left me with scars, both physically and emotionally, which is why I keep to myself. Since returning home to Stewart Grove, I work a lot so I have little time to think. To remember. I’m just content to make it through the day.Then I meet Kallie Carpenter...Categorized as:
military grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance contemporary small-town -
The Lightkeeper by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAurora Cross just got the educational opportunity of a lifetime—to complete her coastal biology thesis at one of Maine’s most iconic lighthouses. She didn’t realize the toughest, most reclusive creature inhabiting the keep was a broody artist with more secrets than the sea.Kit Kinkade has had enough of the world...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity steamy military romance contemporary -
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 found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance western -
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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy suspense -
Protector Mate by Ariana Hawkes
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA brand new mail-order bride series from the author of Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love. Jagger needs a mate. Fast. He’s running from a dark past and his life as the self-appointed sheriff of the outcast community of Ragtown was supposed to keep him on track. But his duties are pushing his bear to the dark side—not least when a new threat appears in town, with the ability to destroy everyone in it...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military suspense action-adventure adult angels -
Liam by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s looking for a fresh start…she finds him.Nylah Walker knows what it’s like to be protected. You don’t grow up with five brothers without having someone close by, watching your back at all times. She craves independence, and Cradle Mountain is her fresh start. Her new beginning... -
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All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsLosing people you love is hard. Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be. But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy -
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 found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy suspense action-adventure -
Make Me Your Villain by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook 2 of the Battle Crows MC with Shine and Iris.Flaws—he has them.Laws? He breaks them.Dues? He’s paid them.Scars? He bares them proudly.Lessons? He’s learned them.Problems? He has one.Her name is Iris, and she’s the one thing in his life that he can’t control...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy suspense action-adventure adult -
Gunner by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom bestselling romantic suspense author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes a surprise pregnancy romantic suspense...Della Bolden needs an escape—that’s what happens when your billionaire father has shielded your entire life.Growing up under the thumb of personal security—for her own safety—Della wanted one weekend of freedom on a ski trip with her friends... -
Reckless Trust by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s a long-awaited homecoming…but not everyone’s happy about her return. Five years ago, Tilly Taylor’s father did something that cost her everything. Her home. Her friends. And all the trust she’d ever earned. Now she’s back, and ready to prove to everyone that she’s nothing like Martin Taylor. Unfortunately, the small town of Misty Peak doesn’t forgive or forget so easily...Categorized as:
suspense military forced-proximity workplace grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family -
The Runaway by Jess Mastorakos
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCould rescuing a runaway bride would be the detour I never knew I needed?I had a plan. But then, my cross-country road trip to my new duty station started with me getting dumped. Two seconds later, I got roped into bringing a family friend’s niece, Nikki, and her teenage daughter on the road with me.To make matters worse, I’m aiding Nikki’s escape from her own wedding...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc military contemporary small-town female-mc -
The Souls We Claim by Scarlett Cole
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings🧡 Age gap🌶️ Daddy dom vibes👧🏼 Accidental parent☠️Touch my girls and you d!e🔥 I know what's best for you🫂Hurt/comfort❤️Afraid to commitFrom USA Today best selling author Scarlett Cole, writing as S. Cole, comes an electrifying MC, age gap romance.ArianneLeaving my abusive husband was hard. Attending the funeral of my murdered sister is harder... -
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:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy suspense workplace -
Wrapped Up with a Ranger by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan a grumpy former Ranger find lasting happiness in a marriage of convenience with a sunny single mom?After losing his leg, former Army Ranger Holt Steele is building a new life and a new business with his friends. Sure, he never expected to put small-town baker on his resume, but he finds he likes the quiet, simple life...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military steamy action-adventure adult audiobook -
Unsanctioned by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStar-crossed lovers…Driven by her traumatic past, Nadia Bishop has dedicated her life to helping children orphaned by war around the globe. She won’t let anything stand in her way—not even the sexy former soldier she left back in the U.S... -
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Beguiled by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDex Covington knows one calculated risk can ruin everything. His brilliance behind the screen earned him the highest security clearance in the military—but not without lasting consequences. Now, he takes comfort in logic and numbers—solving Covington Security’s cyber crimes with the hopes it will ease the weight of his past... -
Sterling Brick by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove wasn’t part of the blueprint when high school sweethearts reunite in their small town. But this former military man never forgot the girl he left behind and he’s more determined than ever to rebuild their relationship brick by brick and heart by heart.Getting locked in the men’s restroom during my mother’s funeral wasn’t exactly how I expected to run into my high school sweetheart...Categorized as:
military grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary small-town slow-burn -
Crushed by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat’s the price of survival?Sawyer McKinney didn’t want to come back. It wasn’t like anyone wanted to see her ever again anyway.But this was about life or death, and that meant there was only one place she could go.If Jesse Hale never saw Sawyer again, it would be too soon. After all the devastation she left behind years ago, he can’t imagine why she’d ever show her face again... -
Reckless Fate by Kate Crew
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDaisy WellsI never planned to kiss Kye that night, but with him being the only one not scared of my ex, it became my only chance to get back at him. But now, I’m pretending to be the girlfriend of the town troublemaker while trying to not let that be known to my father... -
Silenced by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMaxwell ‘Maxie’ Oliver wasn’t looking for trouble. She would have rather remained oblivious. Now that she has information she doesn’t want, a missing coworker, and a scandal on the horizon, Maxie doesn’t think she can remain quiet.But being a whistleblower comes at a high price, and Maxie isn’t willing to risk her life... -
Haunted by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHer name might be on the building, but Liv Harper hasn’t ever stepped foot inside the Harper Security Ops headquarters. Until now. When some bad choices land Liv in an unfortunate position, she knows there’s only one man she can trust to teach her how to keep herself safe. Brixton Steele isn’t sure he’s the right man for the job...Categorized as:
suspense bodyguard military romance contemporary friends-to-lovers action-adventure small-town -
Wolf Soldier by Candace Ayers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is the third book in the She-Shifters of Hell’s Corner series. This series is a spin-off of the Bears of Burden series, although each book can be read as a standalone. Wolf shifter Holt Monroe has a big decision to make...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military action-adventure adult book contemporary -
Show Me Wonders by Riley Nash
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWait for me. Never let me go.I fell in love with Jackson Moreno in hell, the only two survivors trapped in a catastrophic tunnel collapse. But when rescue comes, I discover he has secrets darker than I could have guessed. He disappears from my life as quickly as he came, and I can’t afford to chase after him when I have to raise my daughter alone...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy abuse action-adventure -
Promise and Protect: a small town romantic suspense novel by Lori Ryan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA perilous homecoming... Promise and Protect is the second book in the heart-soaring and electrifying Evers, Texas, series by New York Times bestselling author Lori Ryan. A true masterwork of contemporary romantic suspense, it is the story of a beautiful artist returning home to danger, and to a love she never imagined... -
Jaxon by Kate Oliver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeahWho knew buying a run-down house would be so much work? It was hers, though, and while it might not be much, to Leah Day, it was perfect because it meant she was free from her cheating ex-husband. What she wasn’t prepared for was the roof to leak into her bedroom… She also wasn’t expecting her hot neighbor to come marching over to scold her for climbing onto the roof...Categorized as:
steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary small-town -
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One Little Heartbreak by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSethI never realized getting adopted at thirty-two years old was a thing, then I met the Westbrooks. They’re a family that grows every time a wayward soul crosses their path, and now I’m an honorary member. A former spy, I was married at twenty-two—a father at twenty-six and a widow by thirty. To say my life is in transition would be an understatement...Categorized as:
found-family steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity military suspense -
Reckless Faith by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLetting him go was the hardest thing she’d ever done…until he returns, and letting him back in proves even harder.Elle Marshal has spent most of her life pining for the same boy. A boy she’s known since she was eight. A boy with beautiful blue eyes who’s never been interested in anything more than friendship...Categorized as:
military suspense bodyguard forced-proximity romance contemporary small-town friends-to-lovers -
Glass Skulls by L.M. Terry
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen I was a little girl, I was rescued by the president of the Rebel Skull’s daughter.I’ll never forget the day she brought me to the warehouse. To me, it looked like a castle. I remember thinking how fortunate she was to live in such a magical place, and to have a family … a dad. I got lucky that day, because her father decided to take me in...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy forced-proximity romance dark enemies-to-lovers -
Wild Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes you need the dark to protect the lightQuinn Sawyer is a mystery.She’s an heiress. She’s a backcountry guide.She has a suite in a mansion, but she sleeps in the woods.I can’t make sense of her. I shouldn’t care.My job is to keep her safe, not get to know her.She’s my best friend’s little sister. She’s a client.And she can never be mine...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity military romance contemporary -
The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author, J. Daniels, comes an all-new standalone forbidden romance.They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.They say the best way to stay sober is to love yourself.I’m great at making bad decisions.Addict? Check. Poor impulse control? Check. Obsessed with the guy I’m sponsoring? Check Check Check... -
Where We Ended by Ashley Munoz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s been two years since I was traded to the Stone Riders Motorcycle Club. While it saved my life, I was forced to leave behind the only person that ever mattered to me.Dripping with tattoos, his hair as dark as his soul, the brooding president of the Death Raiders still holds my heart...even if he doesn't seem to know what to do with it...Categorized as:
suspense found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity steamy romance
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