Celebrate Coast Guard's 225th birthday with a romance read

During the RWA national convention in New York City last month, romance authors gushed over the Broadway musical Hamilton. Who knew Alexander Hamilton, colonist, Federalist and father of the Coast Guard, could inspire song and dance?

Today is the 225th birthday of the United States Coast Guard. One of the seven uniformed services, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security but can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the president (anytime) or Congress (during war). The Coast Guard's versatile maritime mission began as the Revenue Marine in 1790 at the request of Hamilton, the secretary of Treasury. Its motto, Semper Paratus (Always Ready), aptly describes the courage of the men and women who serve.

Naturally, the Coast Guard inspires swoon-worthy heroes and heroines in Romanceland. (Blurbs provided by publishers.)

Jules Court's Rescuing Love

Recently fired attorney Becca Lynch only came home to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to strap on a bridesmaid dress and accompany an old friend down the aisle. Just one week of pretending that her life's great and she's not secretly falling apart. A complication of the male variety is the last thing she wants. But a blistering encounter with a handsome stranger in the employee bathroom of her hometown bar might be just what she needs.

As a rescue swimmer for the United States Coast Guard, Alex Petrov doesn't think twice about jumping from a helicopter into raging seas if lives are at stake, but off the clock, he prefers calmer waters. Hooking up with a stranger, who turns out to be his roommate's sister, just isn't something he does. Until Becca. But passion doesn't worry about bad timing, and love can prove a more uncontrollable force than any ocean wave.

Irene Hannon's Tides of Hope (Lighthouse Lane No. 1)

He's an officer...but is he a gentleman? Not if you ask feisty single mom Kate MacDonald! Everything about Lieutenant Craig Cole, Nantucket's new Coast Guard commander, rubs her the wrong way. Worse, everyone else is smitten with the man—including Kate's four-year-old daughter. Local gossip reveals that Craig has saved many in the line of duty. He's a true hero. Kate doesn't want to like him—she certainly doesn't want to love him—but Craig's quiet honor could win her heart after all.

Susan Page Davis' Always Ready

Semper paratus. Always ready. Caddie Lyle strives to live up to the motto of the Coast Guard—and her father's legacy—as she carries out rescue missions. But when she discovers other career opportunities and meets Guardsman Aven Holland, her heart begins to pull her in different directions.

Aven is drawn to Caddie, too, but their duties allow little time together. As danger from Alaska's coast and a secret from the past threaten their newfound love, will they be ready to trust God for a possible future together?

Shirley Jump's The Sweetheart Rules (Sweetheart Sisters No. 2)

Rescue Bay veterinarian Diana Tuttle is a great single mom, but she has a harder time taking care of herself. Having been burned in the past by her son's noncommittal father, the last thing she wants is a man who isn't in it for the long haul—until a foolish one-night stand from her past walks back into her life.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Mike Stark has never wanted to settle down. But when his ex-wife leaves their two small children on his doorstep, he is forced to become a family man in a hurry. His return to Rescue Bay, Florida and fatherhood isn't easy, but reconnecting with Diana makes the challenge all the more worthwhile. Except becoming the long-term lover she has in mind may be one commitment too many.

Dana Stabenow's Blindfold Game (Coast Guard No. 1)

In Thailand, a bomb destroys a tourist spot while two North Korean terrorists casually walk away from the site to plan the next phase of their plot against the United States.

In Washington, CIA analyst Hugh Rincon catches the chatter about something big being planned along the Pacific Rim, and his best agent says it's linked to the Thailand blast. Now Hugh is beginning to connect the dots between missing radioactive material, a SCUD missile sold on the black market, and a Russian ship sailing toward the Alaskan coast…but the Administration refuses to heed his warning.

In the Bering Sea, Coast Guard cutter Sojourner Truth is on routine patrol. On board is Hugh's estranged wife, executive officer Sara Lange. Sara and her ship are Hugh's only hope for stopping the terrorists…if she's willing to believe her ex-husband's story and risk her own career—and her crew's lives—to hunt down a death ship.

Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.