Books like 'Simple Man'
Readers who enjoyed Simple Man by Lydia Michaels also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny friends to lovers bad boys single-father secret child working class hero class difference m-f
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Full House by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMiles “Iowa” Walker is a fighter on a mission.He’s determined to win this year’s Stacked Deck tournament. He plans to get his six-year-old daughter out of a bad situation. And if there’s any time and money leftover, he’d love to take her out for ice cream without worrying about the cost or deadly consequences.Miles and his daughter have known only what it’s like to struggle... -
Scenes from the Hallway by Penny Reid
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsYou know who I am. I swear too much, I crack too many jokes, and I got a thing for Kat Tanner; a messy thing, a distracting thing, a getting-in-the-way-of-everything thing; a thing that makes being in the same room with the woman torture. Sometimes it's the good kind. Mostly, it's not. What you don't know is how it all started...Categorized as:
working class hero friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary new adult office sassy heroine -
Star by B.B. Easton
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn 1999, I met my Prince Charming. He was the tall, tattooed, wickedly handsome bass player for the up-and-coming rock band, Phantom Limb. But, more importantly, he was mine. I knew it the moment he flashed me that shy, dimpled smile. And he knew it too. Hansel "Hans" Oppenheimer wore his heart on one sleeve and scrawled lyrics about me on the other... -
Suit by B.B. Easton
"Since when are you into guys in ties? You only like guys who look like they rob guys in ties. At gunpoint."It was true. By 2003, my type had been well-established. There might as well have been a giant sign on my heart that said, "Good Guys Need Not Apply."Which is exactly why I had to friend-zone Ken Easton... -
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Once Upon A Sure Thing by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA sexy, standalone best-friends-to-lovers romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely! It's so easy being best friends with a gorgeous, talented, charming guy. Said no woman ever. Except me. My friendship with Miller is a sure thing — he’s my plus one, my emergency contact, and my shoulder to lean on... -
Rooster by Cee Bowerman
Rooster Mannin is happy with the life he’s created. He should be happy surrounded by family in the place where he grew up, but lately, he has started to feel like something important is missing...Categorized as:
m-f bad boys single-father contemporary humor length-medium explicit-open-door dual-pov -
Love Notes & Lifelines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe job was simple. Always answer the phone—no exceptions—then solve the caller’s catastrophe as efficiently as possible.The rules were simpler. They contact you, not the other way around. Never give them your real name, number, or any personal information not required to help a newly single dad keep his head above water.And never, ever get involved with a caller... -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary independent heroine sassy heroine strong heroine audiobook -
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFamily, wounded hearts, and a Texas bed-and-breakfast are in need of repair in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s inviting novel about down-home comfort and second chances.Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are due for a change...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f small town contemporary humor forced proximity christian audiobook -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTuckerI spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that.Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
Mistake by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCole Miller is a good-for-nothing nobody who skulks around dark alleyways and makes money by boosting cars from those more fortunate than he. He’s the unwanted child of a couple of deadbeats, so he never truly understood what family meant until he stumbled onto a treasure far more valuable than the GT he’s supposed to steal from the heavyweight world champion... -
Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThere are a million reasons why Miles Hart isn't the man I should date but allow me to enumerate the top three. He's friends with my brother, he's a single dad, and he's a sexy, in-demand rock star. He might as well wear an off-limits, totally unavailable, and don’t-even-attempt-to-ride-this-ride sign. And there’s one more, little itty-bitty thing -- he's never asked me on a date... -
Black Flag by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen the taste you thought you never needed becomes a thirst you cannot quench, then what? Jameson Riley, a NASCAR rookie driver, and Sway Reins, his pregnant girlfriend, are put to the test. They have love; they have lust, and a bond that proves to be vital. But do they have what it takes to make it through his lifestyle. When tested, it’s either fight, or give in... -
Tangle by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSparks fly between a die-hard romantic and a sexy cynic in this fresh, funny romance from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor new adult contemporary cheerful heroine friends-benefits audiobook -
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Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor new adult contemporary independent heroine length-medium audiobook -
Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsChoose the best phrase to describe Sibby Goldstein's 1) Sucky. 2) Really sucky. 3) Major suck-fest. D) All of the above. I started my day with a boyfriend and a job. I ended my day with a bottle of tequila. I'll let you connect the dots. Somehow, I wound up working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm not just talkin' about life... -
Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships... -
The Wisteria Tree Cottage by Holly Martin
Get swept away to the sparkling Welsh coast this summer, where the sea glitters in the sunshine and love is in the air. From the bestselling author of The Blossom Tree of Dreams, this is the perfect romantic treat to escape with this summerMeadow has only ever loved one man – the very gorgeous Bear Brookfield... -
Owen North by Nina Levine
A steamy forbidden office romance from USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nina Levine.My one-night stand is my new boss.I met him at the society wedding of the year.The man every woman in New York wants.He's rich.Devastatingly good looking.Charming.Mr. I-Could-Blow-Your-Mind.And yes, he did blow my mind.It was just supposed to be one night.I told him I don't date...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f office contemporary humor super rich hero alpha male sassy heroine -
Give Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe was my first love. Now he's my roommate. And he won't stop until he wins me back.Conned out of my business I have no other choice but to move back home to Chicago. I’m determined to rebuild everything, but I’m so broke that I can’t even afford to pay rent.Then my first love, Sam Maxwell, unexpectedly pops back into my life and turns out to be my knight in shining armor...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor super rich hero forced proximity contemporary length-short audiobook -
Conflicted Love by Lola Stark
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 35 ratings(Conflicted Love is book #2 in the Needle's Kiss series and should be read AFTER Tattered Love to fully grasp the story.) Trip’s life motto is simple: get in, get off, get out. His lifestyle works for him, that is until he finds himself in an unexpected situation with the one girl he can't seem to get out of his mind. Teeny has been strong for too long... -
Front & Center by A.M. Madden
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsJack was a rock star on the way to fame. Leila was following her dream and joining his band as a back-up singer. An insane attraction sparked between them that they couldn’t deny. Attraction quickly led to so much more. They ignored all the warnings and fell in love. When the couple embark on their tour, they couldn’t be more excited to travel the country hand in hand on the way to stardom... -
Heavy Petting by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe’s her best friend.A reformed bad boy turned hot teacher.And after one spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding... her husband. Jordan Benoit and Fletcher Landry have been best friends since they were six. He’s always been The Guy. When she needed picked up, cheered up, or lifted up — like literally, to see the stage at a concert — Fletcher was the guy... -
Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time... -
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The Champion by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA powerful love story of tragedy, love, and commitment. The fourth book in the Racing on the Edge series submerges you in the lifestyle of a champion of a sport that dominates America. Through smoke and methanol, you learn the good, the bad, and the secrets no one wants you to know... -
The Accidental Text by Becky Monson
Wrong number. Right guy?Once upon a time, Maggie Cooper lived for adventure. Jumping out of planes was child’s play. Now she can’t even work up the nerve to ask out her coworker...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary clean length-medium glimpses-kisses audiobook -
Don't Fall for Your Best Friend by Logan Chance
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA wickedly, funny romcom that'll have you laughing and swooning one minute, and hot and sweaty the next. Follow along as Paxton and Hartford try to navigate a world they know nothing about--B D S M! I’ve always lived by one major rule, don’t fall for your best friend, and this is one rule I can’t break. I’m supposed to write an article about a topic so scandalous, I can’t even say it... -
Aiden by Lisa Helen Gray
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is the second book in A Next Generation Carter Brother Novel; a spin-off from The Carter Brothers. I wasn’t looking for love. I was Aiden Carter; I didn’t do the whole fuzzy, lovey, romantic crap. I loved to party. I loved sex. I loved women. If I wanted it, I got it. It was the way my world worked and I made no qualms about it... -
Sinner by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSinner is the first book in the Reed Security Series. It is preceded by the series For The Love Of A Good Woman and it is recommended that the series be read in order, as characters from the first appear in the second. Cara I've been broken for six years... -
Late Nights & Love Lines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe job was simple. Answer the phone, solve the single dad's dilemma, and move on.I'm the temporary solution.The fill-in.The short-term Single Dad Hotline Helper until a more suitable one can be found.I don't get attached, I don't stick around, and I certainly don't fall for the single dad.Until the job said, "Hold my beer," and tipped my world upside down...Categorized as:
m-f single-father friends to lovers small town humor contemporary super rich hero audiobook -
Good Girl Gone Badd by Jasinda Wilder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsEvangeline du Maurier is the definition of a good girl. Attending Yale, raised with the best tutors and etiquette instructors, she's expected to toe the family line and be a trophy wife for a future senator. But when this good girl takes a quick getaway to clear her head, she finds a whole lot more than she'd bargained for. She finds herself in the arms of a bad boy. Baxter Badd... -
The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAfter escaping her parents’ unhappy marriage to sleepy Cranbridge a long time ago, Belle Clarke dreams of staying at The Black Swan Inn forever.But with the rundown Inn threatened with closure, Belle may be forced to leave, unless a buyer can be found … quickly.So, when her oldest friend Pete Kennedy returns from working abroad with a plan to save the Inn, Belle should be overjoyed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f christmas contemporary small town humor length-medium audiobook -
Cheesy on the Eyes by Teagan Hunter
Dating is hard. Dating in a small town? Impossible.Leave it to my little brother to come back home announcing he knocked up his fiancée and the wedding has been moved…to next month.When he tries to set me up with one of his football buddies, I tell him I’ll be bringing my own plus-one.Only problem? I’m hopelessly single.Enter Sullivan Scott, AKA my hero...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary fake relationship open-door fated-mates audiobook -
Hard by Donna Alam
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA man walks into a coffee shop and gets offered a job in p0rn. Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Or every man’s fantasy. Until I remember I’m trying to be a good man. A single father. One who doesn’t do casual relationships, Let alone get paid for sex. But for those curves and that mouth? Any man might change his mind. ~*~ It was an honest mistake . . -
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Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe pro football player I’m faking a relationship with has the perfect solution to my career woes. He’s encouraging me to lean into the pseudo-celebrity life I was born into instead of trying to outrun it, and for the first time in my life, someone sees me for me.I feel like he’s falling for me, too.And then my ex shows up...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor sports age difference length-short audiobook -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTuckerI spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that.Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
Born to Sin by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing sentenced by a woman in a black robe is not a meet-cute.Quinn Jeffries follows the rules. A judge in small-town Sinful, Montana, doesn’t have much room for missteps, and when you spend your childhood training for the Olympics, you don’t have time for anything but discipline anyway. And, see? It’s worked! Her life is just fine... -
Illicit – A Sizzling Boxed Set by Calinda B., Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOver 20 illicit romances with the sexy heroes and strong heroines you crave!Lose yourself in the world of hot hookups, where the stories run from sexy to downright scandalous and the characters will leave you breathless. In these pages, you’ll find tantalizing romance, rekindled flames, and forbidden trysts... -
Rookie by Amy Davies
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRookieWhen I came to the US from Ireland, I thought my life was panned out: become a police officer and help people. One incident changed all of that, and I became a Rugged Skull. My path in life changed. Being a member of the club has its perks, mainly women and booze. But we like something sweet from time to time, and one visit to Coffee Cove had me finding that sugary craving...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bad boys contemporary insta-love bikers suspense humor length-short -
The Beat of My Heart by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne week. No strings. Sexy stranger. What could go wrong?My name is Julia McDowell. I’m not the pretty girl next door, I’m the boss at work who solves all your problems. I’m an awkward genius with the worst taste in boyfriends; the last one left me with a 6-figure debt to prove it... -
Pink Bits by J.B. Heller
Did you know the medical term for a butt crack is intergluteal cleft? My name is Reagan, and spouting random facts like this one at inopportune moments is my affliction. I’m chronically awkward, socially inept and completely lack a filter. Believe it or not, men do not find these attractive traits...Categorized as:
friends to lovers working class hero m-f new adult humor contemporary neurodivergent length-short -
Dirty Little Midlife Dilemma by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA hot, hilarious fresh start! Nora’s forties begin with a bang…or rather, a crash.What’s worse than bumping into a parked motorcycle and tipping it over?Easy. It’s bumping into a motorcycle, tipping it over, and sending it crashing into an entire row of bikes like horrible, slow-motion dominos.What’s even worse than that?Nora knows the answer...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor mature couple death length-medium audiobook -
The Roomie Rulebook by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOliver is my best friend's older brother. He's brooding, bossy, and painfully off limits. But all rules are off when I move in as his new roommate. When I need a place to crash, I go straight to the guy I know best. My best friend's older brother, Oliver. Who's right in the middle of enjoying his alone time. No big deal, right? It's not like I'm going to die of embarrassment... -
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The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone
"The Friendship Fling is fun, feisty, and sexy—I really loved it! The characters have such brilliant chemistry, and it’s the perfect escapist novel to curl up with...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f contemporary grumpy sunshine humor length-medium audiobook explicit-open-door -
Can't Resist Him by Molly McLain, Sommer Stein
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 12 ratings*** SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE OF $2.99!*** Sometimes what you want and what you need are two very different things. Always relegated to the "friends with benefits" corner of small town River Bend, Jenny Riley is done giving the milk for free. Falling hard for a bad boy? Not in the plan, either. Sexy, emotionally-wounded Marine Reservist Brody Nelson just needs someone to lend an ear... -
Love for Beginners by Jill Shalvis
What would you change if you had to start your life—and love life—over again?When Emma Harris wakes up from a coma she learns that her fiancé and her BFF have fallen in love, she’s lost her job, and the life she knew is gone. Overwhelmed but grateful to be alive she starts over from scratch. Not as easy as it sounds, of course... -
Pining For You by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’ve been in love with my best friend since the day I met her freshman year of high school. She was a halo of sunshine on a rainy day, pulling me out of the shadows and making me feel like life was one big roller-coaster ride of excitement. Until the day we graduated and she left on the back of a Harley with some guy who didn’t deserve her, middle fingers in the air... -
A Change of Heart by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe was never meant to fall for her best friend’s brother...Seren has had a soft spot for her best friend’s brother for as long as she can remember. But when she starts to see Kit as more than just a friend, she knows she’s on dangerous ground.Avoiding him is probably her best course of action, but that’s easier said than done when you live on a tiny island... -
Just Wanted You to Know by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLivia Applewhite needs a change. Her awful boss has made the job she used to love a serious drag. On top of that, it seems everyone around her is paired off in romantic bliss. It's enough to give a girl a complex. Hoping a change of scenery will give her new perspective, she sets off for a two-week trip to Tennessee to visit her favorite cousin...
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