Books like 'Not the Marrying Kind'
Readers who enjoyed Not the Marrying Kind by Jae also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance secret-relationship queer forced proximity dual-pov third-person-pov small town competent heroine shy heroine
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The Snowball Effect by Haley Cass
For the first time, Regan Gallagher is facing the world without her best friend by her side – no, Sutton isn’t dead but she is in Rome, following her dreams. And Regan really is thrilled for her. Left to her own devices, she’s doing… fine.Oh, except for the fact that her new roommate, Emma Bordeaux, has hated Regan since the literal day they’d met two years ago...Categorized as:
queer dual-pov forced proximity third-person-pov tall-heroine from hate to love f-f contemporary -
Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden
Sometimes the one you want is the one you least suspect... Accountant Samantha Ennis craves order and structure. As the bookkeeper at the boutique advertising agency she owns with her three best friends, it’s her job to apply logic to the chaos. When one of those best friends, laid back Hunter Blair, moves in to share her loft apartment, Sam’s carefully organized world is thrown wildly askew...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer f-f contemporary bisexual friends to lovers length-medium open-door -
Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden
Sleeping with the enemy has never been so complicated. Twenty-eight-year-old Brooklyn Campbell is having a bad day. A speeding ticket, a towed car, and a broken heel are all working against her laid-back vibe. To top it all off, her birth mother, whom she's never met, has requested contact. The only bright spot is an impromptu date with a beautiful and mysterious brunette...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov queer contemporary f-f age difference from hate to love humor -
The Last to Leave by Erica Lee
Courtney Fields and Nicole Dawson were high school rivals who thought they would never have to deal with each other again. Eight years after graduating, the two are thrown back together on a trip to Cabo with their two best friends. Throughout the trip, they quickly learn they get under each other’s skin in more ways than one...Categorized as:
queer secret-relationship forced proximity third-person-pov dual-pov sports f-f from hate to love -
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The Love Conspiracy by J.J. Arias
Could you fall in love with your husband’s mistress?Forty-year-old Veronica Marin is a force to be reckoned with - a fierce trial lawyer who's always in control, including in her marriage to Gabe. But when a stranger shows up and exposes Gabe's infidelity, Veronica's reality is rocked. Her solution? To track down all of Gabe's unsuspecting partners before filing for divorce...Categorized as:
dual-pov queer age difference f-f contemporary from hate to love length-long explicit-open-door -
Chemistry by Rachael Sommers
An opposites-attract, ice queen lesbian romance about finding the softest of hearts behind the highest walls.Newly minted high school teacher Lily Cross is young, bubbly, and can’t wait to put her fresh ideas into practice in the classroom. Her excitement is derailed after a disastrous run-in with a colleague...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov queer from hate to love f-f age difference contemporary office -
The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley
Anna is the newest member of an elite ballet company. Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around. Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer dual-pov third-person-pov competent heroine f-f age difference cold heroine -
Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae
At a singles auction where no one was bidding on love, a warmhearted ER nurse finds herself dating a prickly doctor in this enemies-to-lovers lesbian romance.Ellie Fisher loves most things about being a nurse in the emergency department…just not working with Regina Novak, an icy attending physician who acts as if she’s God’s gift to medicine.The dislike is completely mutual... -
If the Shoe Fits by E.J. Noyes
Jana Fleischer loves her life—wonderful family, best sister in the world, awesome soon to be sister-in-law, fabulous job, and a never-ending stream of men to chew through and spit out...Categorized as:
forced proximity competent heroine queer f-f contemporary bisexual caretaking friends to lovers -
Ready or Not by Melissa Brayden
Sometimes wrong is extra right. Mallory Spencer is in charge. As the face of Soho Savvy, the advertising firm she owns with her three best friends, it’s important that she’s poised, polished, and put together. However, as she watches her friends couple up and settle down, she wonders about her own happily ever after. One thing’s for sure... -
A Life Worth Living by Monica McCallan
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNora Gallagher can begrudgingly admit that she and Gray Ferris are both stellar Philadelphia real estate agents, but that’s the beginning and the end of the similarities between them.Nora’s life has been in a self-imposed holding pattern for half a decade. Depending on people in her personal life only leads to disappointment, and she has no plans of making that mistake again...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer contemporary f-f office from hate to love age difference length-medium -
Beyond Any Experience by Anne E. Terpstra
Olivia Northman’s world shattered the day she lost her wife to a drunk driver. Three years later, she still struggles with grief and the demands of being a single parent to their autistic son, Ben. After her first attempt at a new relationship crumbles, she retreats to the simple, the predictable. It’s what’s best for her son, and her heart.Ellie Vasquez isn’t simple or predictable...Categorized as:
queer third-person-pov dual-pov competent heroine tall-heroine contemporary multicultural f-f -
Say Cheese by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
A spicy age gap romance where one night of passion could lead to a lifetime of love...Categorized as:
queer secret-relationship forced proximity small town competent heroine third-person-pov f-f office -
Impulse Buy by Jae
Prickly emergency physician Regina has never liked romantic gestures, but when her girlfriend, ER nurse Ellie, surprises her with a gift right after Valentine’s Day, rejecting it is not an option.Little does she know the impulse buy will have unexpected consequences.“Impulse Buy” is a short story sequel to Jae’s lesbian romance Bachelorette Number Twelve...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov competent heroine queer f-f contemporary childfree-couple cold heroine -
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First Position by Melissa Brayden
Anastasia Mikhelson is the rising star of the New York City Ballet. She’s sacrificed creature comforts, a social life, as well as her own physical well-being for perfection in dance. Even her reputation as The Ice Queen doesn’t faze her. Though Ana’s at the peak of her career, competition from a new and noteworthy dancer puts all she’s worked for in jeopardy...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer third-person-pov dual-pov competent heroine f-f from hate to love office -
Wrong Number, Right Woman by Jae
A single text message can change everything! Flirting has never been Denny’s strong suit, but so what if she’s too shy to ask women out? She’s content with her simple life, working as a cashier and helping her sister raise her niece...Categorized as:
shy heroine dual-pov third-person-pov queer competent heroine f-f contemporary humor -
Just a Touch Away by Jae
An ice queen’s frosty façade is melted by the power of touchHannah Martin has an unusual job: she’s a professional cuddler. While she has a big heart for her clients, she hasn’t found someone special to snuggle up to in her personal life.Winter Sullivan isn’t looking for love. She’s an aloof workaholic who’s built walls of ice around herself... -
I Can't Think Straight by Shamim Sarif
Tala, a London-based Palestinian, is preparing for her elaborate Middle Eastern wedding when she meets Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla could not be more different from each other, but the attraction is immediate and goes deeper than friendship... -
French Kissing: Season Three by Harper Bliss
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsASIN B079Y3G6HS moved to the more recent edition Paris... City of lights, City of love... City of drama! It has been six months since Dominique and Steph came out publicly... -
The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair
A smart, sexy lesbian romance about facing the truth about your desires…and risking everything. Laurie Holcombe is out of a job, out of luck, and out of time. When a prestigious law firm hires her as an assistant to one of its senior partners, it feels like she might finally get back on her feet. All she has to do is put up with the whims of her infuriatingly icy boss, Diana...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov queer secret-relationship f-f age difference office contemporary -
Say Cheese by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
In a small town teetering on the brink of collapse, will one woman's arrival seal a factory’s fate or open the floodgate for love and redemption?Elle Robinson's world is literally swept away when a raging flood sends her car careening toward certain doom, only to be rescued by Angela Lane – a spirited, self-reliant, and unexpected savior who pulls Elle back from the edge of calamity...Categorized as:
queer dual-pov third-person-pov small town f-f office from hate to love age difference -
Just Physical by Jae
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, twenty-five-year-old Jill Corrigan takes herself off the romantic market. Not wanting to become a burden to a potential partner, she focuses on her career as an actress instead. On the set of a disaster movie, she meets stunt woman Kristine “Crash” Patterson, whose easy smile instantly makes Jill wish things were different...Categorized as:
forced proximity third-person-pov dual-pov queer tall-heroine f-f actors contemporary -
Vanessa: A Mrs Middleton Novel by Melissa Tereze
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThey are made for each other. But can their love survive the ultimate test? After her white-roses-and-sunflowers wedding, Vanessa is living a dream. Her cold, lonely house finally feels like a home. She has her beautiful Emma to love for the rest of her life, plus a daughter and a grandchild to grow old with. What could go wrong?Plenty, her persistent insecurities whisper... -
Spindrift by Anna Burke
Can a hot summer fling mend the hearts of two broken women?Morgan Donovan had everything she ever wanted: a dream job as a large animal veterinarian, awesome friends, and a loving and supportive fiancée. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancée dumps her after realizing that Morgan’s job will always come first...Categorized as:
queer small town dual-pov f-f length-medium contemporary north-america explicit-open-door -
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Just for Show by Jae
When Claire, an overachieving psychologist with OCD tendencies, hires Lana, an impulsive, out-of-work actress for a fake relationship, she figures the worst she’ll have to endure are the messes Lana leaves around. It’s only for a few months anyway. And it’s not as if she’ll enjoy all those fake kisses and loving looks. Right? A lesbian romance where role-playing has never been so irresistible... -
A Very Miller-Cooper Wedding by Erica Lee
Charlie Miller and Reagan Cooper have been through a lot in the three years since they started dating. What started as a fake dating scheme between Reagan and Charlie’s brother, Jamie, turned into an everlasting love affair between Charlie and Reagan instead.Now the two are engaged and finally ready to plan their dream wedding. The countdown is on - one year until their big day… finally...Categorized as:
queer small town competent heroine f-f contemporary christmas length-short explicit-open-door -
I Really Do by Emily K. Hardy
Brooke Kent hasn't spoken to a single member of her family in thirteen years. That's all changed when her younger brother calls her to invite her to his wedding. He tells her to bring her girlfriend, partner, spouse, or the woman she hooks up with on Tuesdays, he doesn't care who, just wants her there. Brooke would be tempted to take him up on that only she's painfully single... -
When We're Meant to Be by Skye Von Triessen
When Dr. Alexandra Edison’s world was ripped apart, the last thing she expected was to end up in a casual affair with Blake Westmore. Soon after she was forced to choose between her past and her present, when her strong sense of obligation forced her to leave the woman whom she shared one of the most unforgettable experiences with, and head back to L.A. to help the woman who broke her heart... -
Damage Control by Jae
An actress practically since birth, Grace Durand has finally made it in Hollywood. When a photo of her in a seeming compromising situation with another woman is plastered all over the tabloids, she fears for her career as a lead in romantic movies...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov competent heroine queer f-f office contemporary friends to lovers -
Aubrey McFadden is Never Getting Married by Georgia Beers
All of Aubrey McFadden’s college friends are tying the knot, and she’s been invited to five weddings. Five. In one year. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate so much love and romance?Aubrey, that’s who.She’s going anyway, of course. It’s not her friends’ fault her college boyfriend left Aubrey on the day of their wedding. Lies, selfishness, unhappy surprises…no, thank you...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity third-person-pov small town competent heroine contemporary f-f bisexual -
The Wedding That Almost Wasn't by Sienna Waters
It’s time to fall in love. Literally.American Emily Jackson has been in love with her best friend’s oldest sister Savannah for as long as she can remember. Which is why a family wedding in far-off Scotland is a dream come true. A week trapped in the Highlands with Savannah is exactly what she needs to prove that they belong together.Harry Lorde has a problem...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity shy heroine third-person-pov f-f contemporary humor length-short -
The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter
This funny opposites-attract lesbian romance digs up the awkward truth about what really matters in life.Ambitious ice queen and corporate lawyer Felicity Simmons has spent her life focused on one thing: scuttling up the career ladder. She’s achingly close to taking charge of a media empire for her boss when she’s sent to investigate a South Bronx charity that helps homeless people’s pets... -
Price of Honor by Radclyffe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHonor and duty are not always black and white—and when self-styled patriots take up arms against the government, the price of honor may be a life. Blair Powell and Jane Graves have much in common and even more that sets them apart in an invisible battle raging on home soil... -
Perfect Rhythm by Jae
Pop star Leontyne Blake might sing about love, but she stopped believing in it a long time ago. What women want is her image, not the real her. When her father has a stroke, she flees the spotlight and returns to her tiny Missouri hometown. In her childhood home, she meets small-town nurse Holly Drummond, who isn’t impressed by Leo’s fame at all...Categorized as:
dual-pov queer asexual-heroine small town third-person-pov forced proximity competent heroine f-f -
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Charm City by Monica McCallan
Taylor Tate has one last chance to turn things around. As the owner of Charm City Events, she needs her upcoming week of Valentine’s Day events to go off without a hitch...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov queer f-f contemporary from hate to love cheerful heroine cold heroine -
Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAJ Beckett is just trying to get Parker, her seven-year-old autistic daughter, through life in one piece. As a paramedic, AJ puts others’ needs above her own; in her personal life, she keeps everyone an arm’s length away. That distance disappears when a chance run-in with actor Melanie Cooper leaves her sticky, angry, and fed up.Melanie Cooper has just signed her last movie... -
Eyes Like Those by Melissa Brayden
When it comes to love, no one is in charge. Isabel Chase is reeling. She’s just been offered her dream job as a staff writer on one of the hottest shows on television and quickly trades in the comfort of New England for sun, sand, and everything Hollywood. While stoked for what could be her big break, the show’s stunning executive producer has her head spinning and her feelings swirling...Categorized as:
forced proximity third-person-pov dual-pov queer f-f contemporary fatphobia boss & employee -
A Perfect Fit by Kellan McKnight
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsElla Gardner is a high school English teacher and former volleyball star who lost out on her chance to play in college when she became pregnant with her daughter in her senior year of high school. Fed up with the direction of her life, she acknowledges her sexuality at thirty-five and decides to try online dating...Categorized as:
queer third-person-pov age difference humor f-f single-mother length-long contemporary -
French Kissing: Season Five by Harper Bliss
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsASIN B07S73K4SR moved to the more recent edition Paris... City of lights, City of love... City of drama! With a year remaining on Dominique's first presidential term, the Laroche camp is gearing up for her re-election campaign. Dominique herself, however, doesn't seem so keen on going through it all again.Aurore and Solange's relationship has been on and off so many times, nobody can keep count... -
Love Like This by Melissa Brayden
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes the most imperfect match is the most perfect surprise. Hadley Cooper believes in happily-ever-afters with her whole heart. Described by her friends as a wide-eyed, eternal optimist, she looks for the bright side in most any situation... -
Entangled by Melissa Brayden
Josephine Wilder’s torrid love affair is with Tangle Valley Vineyard, her family’s legacy. She’s grown up dreaming between the vines. She’s always had secret ideas about how to make the place shine, so when it passes to her, Joey vows to make Tangle Valley everything she knows it can be... -
The Trip by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWho wants to take a road trip with two old, bickering women and a complete stranger? Not Jill Savoy. She finds herself behind the wheel of her father’s sacred Winnebago anyway, responsible for her grandmother and adopted aunt, both of whom are mischievous teenagers in old bodies, and then there’s Shay. The last thing on Shay Macaluso’s mind was a vacation... -
Body Check by J.J. Arias
To win it all, rivals will have to get dirty and play together Fabiola Santos never expected to be back on Cutthroat Island, the reality competition show she lost six years earlier. But when the opportunity to redeem herself and win half a million dollars comes along, she can’t pass it up... -
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway... -
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Paper Love by Jae
Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan in this lesbian romance from best-selling author Jae. Susanne Wolff isn’t thrilled when her mother sends her all the way across the country to Freiburg to save her uncle’s stationery store from bankruptcy. Freiburg is too provincial for her taste, and besides, pen and paper are outdated anyway... -
Scaredy Cat by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBlake Taylor isn’t the queen of horror, but she’s certainly a member of the royal court. Blake has made a career out of writing novels that make her readers want to leave the lights on at night. What Blake’s fans and very few people realize is that Blake Taylor is scared of her own shadow and just about everything else... -
Not Only One Bed by Sienna Waters
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNot falling in love has never been so hard...Trix Winchester has been promoted to head of romance acquisitions for London’s leading literary agent. The problem? Trix hasn’t believed in romance for years.Kel Bradshaw’s looking for a sugar mommy to pay her way through art school. But she just can’t bring herself to be mercenary enough to trick someone into it... -
Capture the Moment by KC Luck
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSometimes all it takes to find love is a little courage.After being fired from her job and faced with a dwindling bank account, Jennifer Harris finds herself at a crossroads, uncertain of her next move. When her best friend suggests that she stay at a cabin on the edge of her family’s property for a few weeks, Jennifer reluctantly agrees... -
A Perfect Place to Cry by S-Jay Hart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRowan isn’t sure she believes in love. Not the romantic type, anyway. She’s been hiding from the prospect of it for years now, an easy thing to do when you live in the middle of an eighty acre campground. She likes her quiet existence, greeting campers, pitching tents, and kayaking on the little river that leads to Lover’s Lake... -
Making It: A Novel by Laura Kay
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer rom-com about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love.Isobel's life is just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast...
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