Stories where at least one of the love interests is either currently or formally in the armed services, FBI, police force, or other dangerous career field.
I went through a phase a couple of years ago where I exclusively devoured all of Kristen Ashley's books in 3 months. And let me tell you, if anyone knows how to write a man in uniform trope, Ms. Ashley does. Outside of her many, many series, there are plenty of authors that have taken this trope and ran with it with spectacular results, and I am excited to share with you some of my favorites.
One big reason I love the men in uniform trope is that it lends itself perfectly to the romantic suspense sub-genre. A little danger always makes the story more exciting and raises the stakes for the main characters and their relationship. And when the MC can use his highly developed skills to rescue the women he loves....perfection.
Fact: Women do not need a white knight in shining armor to save them
Also True: It would be nice all the same if someone did come to help every once in a while
Another great aspect of this trope is the bonds with team members that the character usually has. I like stories that are a little more fleshed out in terms of secondary characters, and inevitably, one of them is the main character in another book in the series, keeping readers connected to that world for just a little longer.
I'll preface the list for the men in uniform trope with a warning that many of these books are at least five years old. I've found this trope isn't as popular as it was once, or at least not many popular authors are writing in this space these days. Still, I encourage anyone who likes a man in uniform to check these out!
1. Mystery Man
Author: Kristen Ashley
Series: Dream Man Series book # 1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
Night time is the right time...
Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away...
Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore.
2. Hard as It Gets
Author: Laura Kaye
Series: Hard Ink Series book #1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.
With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.
Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge..
3. When You Dare
Author: Lori Foster
Series: Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor Series book #3
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
The tougher they are, the harder they fall…
Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.
Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…
4. Mr. Perfect
Author: Linda Howard
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
What would make the perfect man?
That's the deliciously racy topic that Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends are pondering one night at their favorite after-hours hot spot: Mr. Perfect. Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted -- or will just muscular do? As their conversation heats up, they concoct a tongue-in-cheek checklist that becomes an overnight sensation, spreading like wildfire at work and sizzling along e-mail lines. But what began as a joke among friends turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered....Turning to her neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, for help, Jaine must unmask a killer to save her friends -- and herself. Now, knowing whom to trust and whom to love is a matter of survival -- as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare.
5. Lover Undercover
Author: Samanthe Beck
Series: McCade Brothers Series book #1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
He’s undercover. She’s in over her head.
Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club." But nothing could've prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars.
Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie's hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…
6. Forgotten Sins
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Series: Sin Brothers Series book #1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
From the moment Josie laid eyes on sexy, mysterious Shane Dean, she was in love. Their desire ignited a passionate affair, and within weeks, Shane had slipped a ring on her finger. It seemed her every fantasy was coming true . . . until her new husband disappeared without a trace. Now, two years and one broken heart later, Josie is shocked by the hospital calls: Shane has been found . . . at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there.
Her Love Can Save Him
Shane can't remember the blue-eyed angel at his bedside—or who he even is—but he knows something isn't right. His hearing is razor sharp, his physical strength incredible, and the urge to protect Josie overwhelming. For powerful enemies are hunting him, and Josie is the key to discovering why. As Shane struggles to unravel his past, dangerous new truths come to light. Can he protect the only woman he's ever loved? And can Josie trust a man she thought she knew—one who carries such a deadly secret?
7. Hell on Wheels
Author: Julie Ann Walker
Series: Black Knights Inc. Series book #1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
He’s the bad boy she’s always wanted...
Nate “Ghost” Weller has loved Ali Morgan nearly half his life. But he’s done something so heinous he’s convinced she’ll never forgive him if she discovers the truth, so he keeps his feelings and his secrets to himself. Then she blows into town with a mother lode of bad guys on her tail and Nate can’t deny she’s in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he’s the only one who can help her.
She’s the good girl he’s kept at arm’s length...
Ali knows Nate as the most solemn, aloof man on the planet. Sadly, he’s also the sexiest. For years she’s avoided him, unable to stomach his dark scowls and brooding silences… especially when she secretly yearns for his touch. Now she must rely on him to save her from the malevolent shadows ghosting her every move. When the bullets explode, so does their passion. But can love really conquer all? Or are some things just too terrible to forgive?
8. The Darkest Hour
Author: Maya Banks
Series: KGI Series book #1
Category: Romantic Suspense
Blurb
It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wife Rachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over his failures as a husband, Ethan shuts himself off from everything and everyone.
His brothers have tried to bring Ethan into the KGI fold, tried to break through the barriers he's built around himself, but Ethan refuses to respond...until he receives an anonymous phone call claiming Rachel is alive.
To save her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise. And even if he succeeds, he’ll have to force Rachel to recover memories she can’t and doesn’t want to relive—the minute by minute terror of her darkest hour—for their love, and their lives, may depend on it.
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