Books like 'Holding Out'
Readers who enjoyed Holding Out by Serena Bell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny military friends to lovers virgin heroine siblings-bff m-f
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Maybe Don't Wanna by Lani Lynn Vale
Peter Parker Penn. Unlike the superhero his mother named him after, Parker is no good guy. In fact, if there’s a picture in the dictionary under anti-hero, it’s his. Parker’s spent his life trying to get back on the right side of the tracks, but each step he takes forward, he takes two more steps back. To save one, he hurts others. To make this good, he turns that bad... -
![The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata]()
The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom Joseph Cannata and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin comes the love story of Jesse and Ella told from a unique perspective in this companion novella to the international bestselling novel The Broken One.Step back into the Falcon Falls Security world and experience it like never before...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers m-f humor tortured hero sassy heroine contemporary length-short -
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![One Chance, Fancy by Lani Lynn Vale]()
One Chance, Fancy by Lani Lynn Vale
Benson Bayou Beauregard is the president of the Bear Bottom Guardians MC, and the grandson of the Sergeant at Arms for the Dixie Wardens MC. He’s a mountain of a man and the warden of a prison, and there’s only one thing that can scare him—being told that he’s the father of a three-year-old little girl. A three-year-old little girl that has no clue who he is... -
![Officially Over It by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Officially Over It by Lani Lynn Vale
Going from a professional baseball player to a SWAT officer should’ve been seamless. Should have been. But it wasn’t. All it took was one single calendar shoot for word to spread that Nathan Cox was not only no longer playing professional baseball, but he was also the man behind saving the life of Reggie Morton, the City of Kilgore’s princess... -
![Once Upon A Sure Thing by Lauren Blakely]()
Once Upon A Sure Thing by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 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... -
![Cocky Origins by Faleena Hopkins]()
Cocky Origins by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA period-piece novel to charm the pants right off of you... New to the series? A prequel is a great place to start. Fan of the series? Oh boy, are you going to love this. Miss May Eloise Kearns meets for the very first time the young and oh-so-handsome Jerald Daniel Cocker, a submarine planesman for the Navy on special leave in Georgia, U.S.A., at the end of World War II... -
![Forever Notorious by Kathleen Brooks]()
Forever Notorious by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAbigail Mueez knows all about being something you’re not. Everyone knows she works security in Washington D.C., but that wasn’t exactly the truth. There are many layers of deception in Abby’s life from her job to the man she’s with—a man she doesn’t have time to fall in love with when her life and so much more was on the line. Too bad she didn’t tell her heart that... -
![Charlie Foxtrot: An OPS Protector Romance Novel by Giulia Lagomarsino]()
Charlie Foxtrot: An OPS Protector Romance Novel by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMummies.Yeah, you heard me right. That’s my next job—protecting a mummy.It wouldn’t be a problem, except someone doesn’t want this particular mummy to make it to the museum.Not to mention one of my teammates thinks this particular mummy is cursed.On top of this ridiculous job, I’ve also met the most gorgeous woman in the world... -
![Shakedown by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Shakedown by Lani Lynn Vale
Wanted: someone to hand feed me Doritos so my hands don’t get orange. No weirdos.Belle Pena was an editor. Not a writer.When her brothers challenge her to create a dating profile, she makes up the most random biography she can think of. She never, not ever, thought she’d find anybody to respond. But she was sorely mistaken...Categorized as:
military virgin heroine friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary alpha male bad boys -
![Engaging the Billionaire by Ivy Layne]()
Engaging the Billionaire by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIf we can’t outrun the past, we won’t have a future. The rock on her hand is real, but our engagement is a fake. Once upon a time, I dreamed of buying her a ring, until everything blew up in my face. That was the past, and this is business. At least, it is until I kiss her. It's supposed to be part of the act — and it is — right until my lips touch hers. I forget where we are... -
![Only for You by Melissa Foster]()
Only for You by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLove only works when your heart is in the right place. Hers could be right next door… Single mom Bridgette Dalton doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not even in her own flower shop. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed Bodhi Booker. Her ruggedly handsome next-door neighbor would be the perfect candidate for a no-strings fling... -
![Rafe by Maryann Jordan]()
Rafe by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe true measure of a man is not in the mistakes he makes…but in how he handles those mistakes. Rafe Walker gained fame while in the Army when he was photographed for a Military Calendar. Afterward, modeling contracts rolled in but he found his life in California lacking and longed for a change... -
![The Fool by Lani Lynn Vale]()
The Fool by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI don’t know who needs to hear this but take a day off from being the bigger person. Fuck some shit up.Those words were said to him by a stranger in the airport. And from that moment on, he’s only had eyes for her.Too bad they met when she was taking off for three months to parts unknown. Otherwise, Keene Day—yes, that was really his godforsaken name—would’ve tried a little harder to get her info... -
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![Suit by B.B. Easton]()
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... -
![Hot SEAL, Silent Knight by Kris Michaels]()
Hot SEAL, Silent Knight by Kris Michaels
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsForced to take his 'Use or Lose' vacation days, Romeo Platoon Leader Ted (Bear) Black begrudgingly heads home to Hope City and all the nonsense surrounding Christmas. He'd rather stay in San Diego and spend his downtime working, especially when he's unexpectantly reunited with the woman who was the star of the worst date he'd ever experienced.Noel Laurent is heading home for Christmas... -
![Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s not every day you meet a man at the bar, stare at him for hours, and then right when you decide to make a move, he gets up to leave. Worse, when you follow him outside, you see him completely change his appearance by shucking a wig and a button down shirt, dropping them into the nearest trash can... -
![Don't Fall for Your Best Friend by Logan Chance]()
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... -
![Love for Beginners by Jill Shalvis]()
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... -
![Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire by Tru Taylor]()
Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire by Tru Taylor
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn my expert opinion, every woman who’s been left at the altar should follow up that singularly humiliating experience by spending a week in paradise with a totally inappropriate—and totally sexy—stranger.Even better if you meet him at the bar of the resort hotel where your destination wedding and honeymoon were supposed to take place...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor super rich hero new adult second chances -
![Embrace The Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino, Reggie Deanching]()
Embrace The Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino, Reggie Deanching
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmbrace The Suck is book 8 in the OPS Protector Romance series and should be read in order.I should have just stayed home. I thought I could get away and relax. But that was scrapped the first day when Dash and FNG followed me on vacation. It was supposed to be a trip to reset my brain... -
![Dare by Chelle Bliss]()
Dare by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAustin Moore found his purpose in the military, but there was always something missing. He wanted what everyone in his family had…someone to call his own. But his life didn’t make it easy to find a soul mate, someone to be his forever.Sage Hill enlisted to follow in the footsteps of her father, but never wanted to be in his shadow...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers m-f alpha male age difference sassy heroine humor contemporary -
![Nobody Knows by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Nobody Knows by Lani Lynn Vale
All he ever wanted was to matter to someone.What he didn’t know was that he did matter to someone.Someone that worried about him every single day that he was gone.Malachi Gabriel Gnocchi was missing for two years. Thanks to a mission gone wrong, not only had he been captured, but his best friend along with his fellow teammates had been taken, too... -
![The Billionaire's Angel by Ivy Layne]()
The Billionaire's Angel by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe thought the fight was over until his heart was on the line. I thought coming home would solve all my problems. I’ve never been more wrong. After a decade in the military, I’m more at home in the desert than the mansion where I grew up. I want to pretend that six months as a captive didn’t change me, but ever since I escaped, I haven’t slept. Nightmares. Flashbacks... -
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![Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne]()
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... -
![Zane's Rebel by Loni Nichole]()
Zane's Rebel by Loni Nichole
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor once in his life, this strait-laced attorney is ready to throw caution to the wind. Too bad his sassy, rebellious soulmate refuses to take the risk.ZaneI take on the sassy-mouthed heiress’s case because she needs a good defense. She’s being sued by her father’s former business partner, who wants to destroy her. The odds in this small-town are stacked against her...Categorized as:
friends to lovers virgin heroine m-f contemporary humor alpha male curvy heroine length-novella -
![The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock]()
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... -
![The Wisteria Tree Cottage by Holly Martin]()
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... -
![Heavy Petting by Erin Nicholas]()
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... -
![The Worst Best Friend by Nicole Snow]()
The Worst Best Friend by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a hilariously uplifting standalone romance where two jaded friends next door bring their lost hearts home.It's all sunshine and butterflies until your brother's best friend dropkicks your heart.I knew I had it coming with Weston McKnight.The Adonis next door. The fever crush. The always protector...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers siblings-bff contemporary humor suspense new adult cold hero -
![Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely]()
Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers siblings-bff m-f humor contemporary new adult single-father male-pov -
![Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman]()
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... -
![Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Join the Club by Lani Lynn Vale
There are a few lessons one has to learn for themselves. Then there are the lessons that most people don’t have to learn because it’s just not done. For instance, most people know instinctively that they shouldn’t crave the mother of their brother’s child. Bourne Pena isn’t most men... -
![My True Love by Melissa Foster]()
My True Love by Melissa Foster
Can a man who resents the hand he’s been dealt and a woman who spends her days grateful for every little thing find true love in each other’s arms—or are their differences stronger than both of them? Find out in this funny, sexy, heartfelt romance, and fall in love with Grant and Jules on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, and midnight rendezvous...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers virgin heroine m-f siblings-bff humor super rich hero contemporary -
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![Cashmere and Camo by Erin Nicholas]()
Cashmere and Camo by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA friends to lovers romance… and then some.Run a pie shop with her sisters for a year. Date for the first time at age twenty-nine. Don’t be terrified.Well, she’s got the first thing under control at least. Mostly.But this is exactly what a best friend is for... -
![Quit Bein' Ugly by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Quit Bein' Ugly by Lani Lynn Vale
There’s a crush, and then there are the type of feelings that Croft Cruisie evokes from a person.He’s everything that any straight woman would want: tall, handsome, charismatic, muscular, and sweet...Categorized as:
military friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor suspense length-short explicit-open-door -
![The Beat of My Heart by Avery Maxwell]()
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... -
![The Plus Ones by Kayley Loring]()
The Plus Ones by Kayley Loring
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne Caribbean couples-only resort. Six friends who want to escape Brooklyn in the dead of winter. Two married couples. Two single fakers who hate each other’s freaking guts even though they accidentally made out once a million years ago, and now they have to share a freaking bed. Love changes people. I’ve seen what true love has done for my friends, and I want it for myself... -
![Crave by Adriana Locke]()
Crave by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHadley Jacobs is over Machlan Gibson. Sure, she’ll always be a little weak to the dimple in his right cheek and the way his five o’clock shadow makes him ruggedly handsome. But that’s not enough to cover every other thing about him because they all drive her nuts. Like how he won’t admit he’s wrong even when he knows it and how he drives his stupid car a million miles an hour on wet asphalt...Categorized as:
friends to lovers siblings-bff m-f christian humor contemporary second chances new adult -
![Air Force Hero by Weston Parker]()
Air Force Hero by Weston Parker
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThere’s only been one woman for me, and she’s never truly been mine. But I don’t have much time for anyone anyway, with my focus on my career. I’m a military man through and through, from generation to generation. This one girl, though. She stole my heart when we were kids, but it’s taboo, forbidden. She’s my best friend’s little sister, and he’d kill us both... -
![Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter]()
Can't Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who's never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe… Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis's past is full of memories she'd rather forget. But there's one she can't seem to shake—her long-standing crush on former army ranger Daniel Porter... -
![Sin by M. Malone, Nana Malone]()
Sin by M. Malone, Nana Malone
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m a bodyguard . I walk softly and carry a big...stick . Too bad I have no idea how to use it. I know what you’re thinking. How the hell do you end up a virgin when you live in a city known for easy access? But my focus is protecting the women of New York...not fulfilling my every desire. Then I meet her... -
![Still Brazen by M. Malone, Nana Malone]()
Still Brazen by M. Malone, Nana Malone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHow the hell did I, the perpetual bachelor, end up accidentally married in Vegas—to my client? As soon as I find out who’s trying to kill her, we’ll get a quickie divorce...or will we? I was never supposed to be married. I was never supposed to fall in love. I was never supposed to put her in danger. But now that she’s back in my life I wonder if some things shouldn’t stay in Vegas... -
![Just A Kiss by Carrie Elks]()
Just A Kiss by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's the one woman he shouldn't want... Caitie Russell's big brother is getting married. As the proud owner of Holiday Magic, Caitie is the obvious choice to organise the perfect Christmas wedding. Piece of cake, right? If it weren't for one gorgeous, man-shaped problem... Her brother's best friend, Brecken Miller. He was her first crush. Her first kiss. Her first broken heart... -
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![A Change of Heart by Hannah Ellis]()
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... -
![Somebody to Lean On by Jess Mastorakos]()
Somebody to Lean On by Jess Mastorakos
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDo I want to kiss my best friend? Yep. Always have. Too bad it’s not that simple.Jackson Wilson and I are long-distance co-guardians of our friends' daughter, and even though we're best friends and we're totally committed to Phoebe, this isn't a romcom where the best friends get together in the end.Unfortunately .But now, Phoebe and I have nowhere to go but Jackson's tiny Tennessee town... -
![The Chameleon Effect by Joe Arden]()
The Chameleon Effect by Joe Arden
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLights. Camera. Action…I've got everything it takes to make it in Tinseltown: confidence, charisma, and a killer chin. Now all I need is a chance.But Los Angeles is full of hot, young hunks, and talent might not be enough to separate me from the cookie-cutter crowd.Well, you know what they say: fake it till you make it.So I devise a wild scheme to get noticed... -
![Say You'll Stay by Susan Mallery]()
Say You'll Stay by Susan Mallery
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to Wishing Tree, where the magic of Christmas in July will bring you home in this heartwarming story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.Some heartbreaks hit harder than others. For Shaye Harper, the last one was so bad she swore off men for good... -
![Fake Start by Jasmin Miller]()
Fake Start by Jasmin Miller
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou know that awkward moment when your agent tells you to fake date your best friend’s sister so you can get the endorsement deal of your dreams? No? Call me crazy for considering it, but why not? Daisy’s my friend, after all, and I’ve gotten quite close to her and her two awesome boys over the last few years since her douche-nozzle husband divorced her... -
![All the Wright Moves by K.A. Linde]()
All the Wright Moves by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sexy brother's best friend roommates romance set in the world of the Wrights from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde…When I moved in with my brother’s best friend, I thought it was temporary.Weston Wright would be in LA with my brother for six months. I’d get the place to myself to get back on my feet. A perfect plan.Until he comes back and asks me to stay...Categorized as:
friends to lovers m-f siblings-bff contemporary alpha male angst humor forced proximity
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