Books like 'The Player'
Readers who enjoyed The Player by Denise Grover Swank also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny strong heroine cold heroine sassy heroine second chances sweet-hero
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Worth It by S.M. Shade, C.M. Owens
What's the recipe to the ultimate disaster week? Three unruly friends. A wedding we shouldn't have been invited to. Two unexpected romances. A scoop of sexy. And a double scoop of chaos. Lydia is a good girl who is above revenge. Good thing she has us. No one cheats on our best friend and rides off into the sunset with his new bride...Categorized as:
strong heroine sassy heroine second chances contemporary humor new adult alpha male m-f -
Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn her twenties, Rachel Walsh was a mess. Since her spell in rehab, though, she's come a long way on the road to recovery - and now, she's ready to go back to where it all began. But this time, the student has become the teacher. She used to hate the staff in charge of treating her addiction. Now, she's one of them.Rachel's finally got herself on track - but life never stops being messay... -
The Start of Something Wonderful by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAutumn Laine has lost her creative sparkle. After losing her grandad and her job as an illustrator in quick succession, she is at a crossroads in life and needs a break. Spending time with her parents in Paris, even in the artistic community of Montmartre, doesn't appear to be the answer... -
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:
sassy heroine strong heroine humor contemporary friends to lovers independent heroine m-f -
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Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBack home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage... -
Fields' Guide to Fog by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt isn’t easy having Hollywood’s biggest, brightest star for a mother—especially when her Russian oligarch boyfriend has been kidnapped. When Poppy Fields flies to London to be with her mother, she finds nothing but fog, danger, and phenomenal shopping.Too bad half the city wants Poppy dead, and she has no idea why... -
The Last Second Chance by Lucy Score
What would it take to get one last chance? Joey Greer is done having her heart broken. Eight years ago, after a horrific car accident, Jackson Pierce—her high school sweetheart—abandoned her. Abandoned his family. Abandoned the town they'd both grown up in, and fled to Hollywood. He never looked back, and she never forgot him. Or forgave him...Categorized as:
second chances sassy heroine sweet-hero humor contemporary angst small town slow burn -
Fields' Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPoppy Fields, social influencer and secret spy, is on Grand Cayman. Her mission? Maid of honor at her mother’s wedding to Russian billionaire Yurgi Prokorhov. No surprise, Chariss Carlton is a difficult and demanding bride.When Poppy witnesses a murder, her days change from irritating to dangerous... -
Mine To Love by Natasha Madison
Presley After my sisters’ disastrous weddings, I’m never going to get married. I’ll just stay single forever. It doesn’t matter that I’m in love with my brother’s best friend. Or that Bennett and I shouldn’t even be friends with benefits. Until the positive sign tells me I’m pregnant. Bennett I fell in love with Presley when she was eighteen and asked me for a favor...Categorized as:
sassy heroine strong heroine contemporary humor friends to lovers pregnancy m-f explicit-open-door -
The Consequence of Rejection by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA standalone second chance romance by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken. You know the universe is trying to tell you something when you get struck by lightning, but only after getting hit on by the elderly, almost getting run over by a semi, and running into the one who got away... -
Sail by M. Mabie
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis isn’t just a two-year long one-night stand. It’s my life. This is my life. Our life. It isn’t just some careless affair. I’ve made the worst decisions a woman could, but I’ll earn my second chance. She can try keeping all the guilt for herself, but I’m just as much to blame. Loving Casey wasn’t my biggest mistake. Fighting it for so long was... -
Almost a Bride by Jo Watson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThat awkward moment you catch your boyfriend in bed with another woman and then mistakenly get arrested #chargesdroppedAnnie knows life isn't always fair. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get mistaken for a crazed intruder when you come home early and find your boyfriend wearing nipple clamps with a coworker on the night you thought he was going to propose to you...Categorized as:
sassy heroine sweet-hero humor contemporary new adult vengeance slow burn fake relationship -
Stay With Me by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLife moves on. Only people who have never lost anyone they loved with all their heart can blindly believe those words. What if I didn’t want to move on? What if I wanted to wake up every morning with that familiar ache in my chest, knowing I’d never see her again? But, life can change in a moment... -
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... -
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Twisty Tortoise Tussles by Ann Charles, C.S. Kunkle
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen someone is dead and buried, they’re supposed to stay that way ... Aren’t they? Claire Morgan thought so, but now she suspects the dead guy whose treasures she’s been digging up is not only breathing, but spying on her, too. Crap!When someone is divorced from a pain in the ass, they’re supposed to stay that way ... At least that’s what Ronnie Morgan had hoped when she dumped her husband... -
Motto for Murder by Leslie Langtry
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author, Leslie Langtry comes another hilarious Merry Wrath Mystery... For ex-CIA Agent turned Girl Scout troop leader, Merry Wrath, planning a wedding is infinitely more terrifying than the time she was a mole in Carlos the Armadillo’s drug cartel... -
Forever Entangled by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRyan Parker had always loved Sienna Ashton, but gave up on his fantasy years ago. After working as an undercover FBI Agent in Los Angeles, Ryan gets a phone call telling him to come home to the small town of Keeneston, Kentucky. The woman he thought he was over is now in serious trouble. Sienna Ashton fell in love with Ryan Parker too late... -
This Is Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFall in love in Harmony Pointe, where hearts are lost, found, and sometimes misplaced…and everyone get a happy ever after. If a woman can’t find love in the quaint town of Harmony Pointe, it’s sure to find them—whether they’re looking for it or not. Here, the remaining single Dalton siblings are about to discover that they’re next in line to get swept away by love... -
Reputation by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsCoy Mason is a jerk.If there is one truth that Bellamy Davenport knows, it’s that. Hands-down. (Well, that and the fact that she didn’t mean to hurt him. Physically. Coy can’t be hurt emotionally because he doesn’t have a heart.)Coy is not just the small-town, literal boy-next-door... -
The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
My name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie. I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble. According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk. My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural...Categorized as:
second chances cold heroine sassy heroine sweet-hero sports humor contemporary from hate to love -
Just One Tease by Carly Phillips
He’s the last single Dare sibling standing.She’s his lost love who disappeared.Now she’s back, bringing secrets and danger. Hadley Stevens is on the run with her younger sister—again—but this time, she’s in control. Zach Dare might hate her, but she knows he’d never turn away someone in need. He’s the only man she trusts. The man she’s never gotten over. Even if she left him without a word... -
Second Chance by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAnother romance for the over 40. Can one sexy silver fox face the woman he once left behind but never let go? Her. A widow at forty-four, her husband left her a letter. Contact Denton. Once upon a time, the three of them had been best friends. Mati Rath isn’t sure she should look back. Her heart isn’t ready, or so she thinks. Him. A pleading phone call forces him to make a decision... -
Christmas at Valentine Inn by Jennifer Peel
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWith a name like Isabelle Valentine, one would think I was destined to find true love and believe in the ridiculous notion of soul mates. Don’t get me wrong: I’m all about love. I even own an inn with my sister where each room is named after our favorite romantic couples. But soul mates? It seems highly implausible there is that one person, your person, meant only for you... -
Summer Tease by Martha Keyes
Falling for a Palmer would be the ultimate crimeWild horses couldn’t drag me back to the small island where I grew up, but you know what can? Making sure the Palmer family–aka the worst neighbors ever–show appropriate respect to the newest resident of their retirement center: my grandma. But as soon as Grams moves in, her shenanigans put her at risk of being kicked out... -
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Dropping the Ball: a Holiday Rom-Com by Melanie Jacobson
Pull off the swankiest New Year’s benefit gala the city has ever seen? Kaitlyn Armstrong has got this. Do it with the high school rival who once humiliated her? Kaitlyn Armstrong so does not have this…Kaitlyn Armstrong has a mission this holiday pull off a glitzy fundraising gala to redeem her family’s reputation... -
Third Party by Danika Bloom
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTurns out that old saying is true, that money can’t buy happiness. But it sure can ruin it.Josh Rhodes was the love of my life. We were all set to do the ‘til death do us part’ thing. But when the video game he’d been working on for years sold for millions, I realized I wasn't prepared for the 'for richer or poorer' part. All I needed to do was prove that I could still support myself—if I had to...Categorized as:
second chances sweet-hero contemporary new adult humor tearjerkers christmas working class hero -
Thinking 'Bout You by Claire Hastings
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTo the world, he’s Dustin Wild, country star with a megawatt smile and a voice smooth as whiskey. To me, he’ll always be Dustin Wilder, the small-town boy who stole my heart…then broke it.It’s been seven years since Dustin rolled out of our rural Georgia town, chasing his dream, promising he’d be back. Except that never happened... -
Summer Hate by Melissa Ivers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe was the last person I wanted to see on my girls trip, let alone share a room with.Donovan Fitzroy is grumpy. Irritable. Annoyingly perfect. And as handsome as he is uptight. He’s also my best friend’s older brother.My bestie promised me a relaxing week at her family owned resort, but when I got there all I got was an apologetic phone call and a promise that her brother would take care of me... -
Otterly Scorched by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsIt’s been a lot of years and another lifetime since Dax Trevino was a playboy detective for the Franklin Police Department. He’s been through hell and back, and now he just wants to be left alone, so he can cuddle his otters... -
It's In His Touch by Shelly Alexander
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThere’s nothing that Angelique Barbetta can’t handle, no illness she can’t recover from, not one item on her outrageous bucket list that she can’t conquer—not even alligator wrestling! But after discovering her fiancé in a less-than-professional position with their perky assistant, even tough-as-nails Angelique needs a break... -
Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher
A spicy, small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, from the author of TikTok sensation Whisky BusinessWhen you live on a tiny island, it's easy to stir up a scandal…For Callum Macabe, there's no one better than Juniper Ross. She's razor-tongued, sarcastic, elusive. And not to mention drop-dead gorgeous.There's just one problem: his brother got there first... -
Ain't She a Peach? by Molly Harper
An Atlanta ex-cop comes to sleepy Lake Sackett, Georgia, seeking peace and quiet—but he hasn’t bargained on falling for Frankie, the cutest coroner he’s ever met. Frankie McCready talks to dead people. Not like a ghost whisperer or anything—but it seems rude to embalm them and not at least say hello...Categorized as:
sassy heroine strong heroine second chances humor contemporary mystery cheerful heroine open-door -
Next Time by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPayton Foret agrees to play wingwoman for her best friend. She never dreamed that when she walked into the bar that night that she’d meet her soul mate. Though their only physical contact was a simple handshake, Payton begins to believe in love at first sight. There’s only one problem—the woman of her dreams is already in a relationship with someone else... -
Spoke Too Soon by Dulcie Dameron
It’s every girl’s dream to move in with the hot guy who ghosted her...NOT.I’m about to be homeless at almost twenty-five.Cue the pathetic wah, wah, wah sound effect.And to make matters worse, I’m nowhere near having enough money to fund the clothing line startup I’ve dreamt about for years.But bemoaning my current situation won’t move the needle and it certainly won’t find me a place to live... -
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Motorhead by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsJerk. Angry bastard. That’s how people describe me. Everyone in this small town knows to steer clear of me. Thing is, they don’t know me. They don’t know what I’ve seen, what I’ve done. So I’ve learned to put up a shield to protect both me and them. When everything gets to be too much, I escape on my beloved Harley, the wind in my face calming my soul...Categorized as:
sassy heroine strong heroine humor new adult contemporary military small town alpha male -
The Friendship Pact by Jill Shalvis
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a powerful, moving story about a young woman on a quest to find the truth about her father who learns the meaning of true love along the way... -
Right Guy, Wrong Word by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDo books have souls?Anna Black has the perfect novel choice for her book club. She also has a sexy new neighbor who jumps at the opportunity to join fellow bookworms in discussing her pick for their summer read. It’s lust at first sight and the marriage of two literary souls...Categorized as:
sassy heroine second chances contemporary humor friends to lovers angst dual-pov length-medium -
Not A Player by R.C. Stephens
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLilianaHooking up with an annoyingly handsome stranger on vacation isn't the best idea, but I could use a little bit of careless fun before my fresh start.We said no last names, no strings. With law school on the line, it’s all I can offer. I just don’t expect everything to feel so easy— or so right. Too bad I’ll never see him again...Categorized as:
second chances sassy heroine new adult humor sports insta-love contemporary forced proximity -
Work Song by Danielle Allen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen society tries to put you in a box, knock the walls down. –Tati Green “You have a pretty face” is such a back-handed compliment. It’s like telling me that my face is beautiful, but the rest of me is not. Despite what society says, my curves are hot. My love life, on the other hand, is not. My mom says I’ll never find love because of my weight...Categorized as:
sassy heroine sweet-hero humor contemporary office new adult friends to lovers slow burn -
All I Want by Jill Shalvis
From the “awesomely, incredibly talented”* New York Times bestselling author of Still the One, comes a sexy new Animal Magnetism novel set in Sunshine, Idaho, where the sky is the limit when it comes to love. Pilot-for-hire Zoe Stone is happy to call Sunshine, Idaho, her home base. But her quiet life is thrown for a loop when her brother’s friend Parker comes to stay with her for a week. The U...Categorized as:
strong heroine sassy heroine contemporary suspense men in uniform humor alpha male slow burn -
Not the man I thought he was by Phoebe MacLeod
Madison reckons she’s a pretty good judge of character.When a disaster at work brings professional photographer Toby into her life, she has him all worked out within minutes. As their work collaboration blossoms into friendship, her preconceptions about him are only strengthened...Categorized as:
sassy heroine sweet-hero humor length-medium behind-doors contemporary m-f height-difference -
This Is Where I Sleep by Tiffany Patterson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratings***THIS IS A STANDALONE NOVEL *** For more than a decade, life has been one mission after another for Coral Coleman. This time, Coral is on a mission to find the elusive “Ghost,” who Coral believes is responsible for trying to kill her two years ago. Unfortunately for them, they missed her, but in the process took out two of Coral’s teammates—that, Coral takes personally...Categorized as:
second chances sassy heroine strong heroine multicultural bwwm contemporary suspense humor -
Lawyers in Love, Books 1 & 2 Boxed Set by N.M. Silber
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsOnce upon a time, two lawyers fell in love across a courtroom ... Join the crazy antics and spicy romance of the sexiest gang of attorneys in the Philadelphia Criminal Court System. For the first time ever, get the full, unforgettable, story of feisty Public Defender, Gabrielle Ginsberg, and formidable Assistant District Attorney, Braden Pierce... -
Perfectly Faked by Grace Worthington
He’s a hot-headed hockey star. A grump with a broody glare. Hater of playing by the rules. Bigger hater of figure skaters like me. And now, my new fake boyfriend.I’ve spent my entire life working for a shot at Nationals, but when my figure skating partner gets an injury right before the biggest season of my career, my chances of making a comeback vanish overnight... -
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Tempting the Baller by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing a running back for the Charleston Pirates and a single father doesn’t allow for much free time. But an invite to spend the Fourth of July weekend in the Hamptons with friends is an offer too good to refuse.While there, the opportunity for a no-strings hookup with a stunning brunette presents itself and I jump at the chance...Categorized as:
second chances sassy heroine sports contemporary humor christian alpha male friends to lovers -
It Takes a Woman by Piper Sheldon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJust because she’s getting married doesn’t mean she’ll fall in love.Unapologetic bombshell Gretchen LaRoe is happy to play matchmaker to everyone else content in knowing she once had true love. When the best friends of the Scorned Women’s Society take it upon themselves to interfere in Gretchen’s love life, they shouldn't be shocked to learn Gretchen already has a plan of her own...Categorized as:
strong heroine contemporary marriage of convenience friends to lovers humor length-medium -
Indescribable: A Friends to Lovers Romance by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI walked down the aisle and said “I do” to the wrong man.Unfortunately, it took me eight years to figure it out.It took me even longer to realize who was in front of me the entire time.You’d think that being a romance author would have helped me to see the signs that I chose wrong the first time and I would have been able to write my own happily-ever-after so easily... -
Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJulia Monroe has just turned forty and hopes this next decade goes much better than the last, in which she became a young widow raising two children on her own. With both her boys off to college, it's time for new beginnings, and she can finally focus on expanding her New Orleans-based cleaning business--but God has other plans... -
Keepsakes from the Cottage by the Loch: A completely gripping and feel-good second chance romance set in Scotland by Kennedy Kerr
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSitting at the edge of the loch, Tara clutches her heart-shaped pendant as the sunset turns the sky pink. The person who gave it to her once danced with her on the shore. But then he left for good. And now she can never share her secret…Tara Ballantyne hasn’t been home to Loch Cameron since her childhood sweetheart and fiancé Ramsay Fraser suddenly broke her heart... -
The Prince's Game by Lexi C. Foss
What happens when feelings get in the way of a perfect arrangement? The Prince: Evan Mershano is a billionaire bachelor with no interest in marriage, but if he wants to keep his empire, he must play The Prince’s Game. The Contestant: Sarah Summers finds herself on a reality dating show thanks to her devious twin sister’s latest prank...Categorized as:
strong heroine sassy heroine sweet-hero humor contemporary length-medium explicit-plentiful m-f
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