Books like 'Not What I Expected'
Readers who enjoyed Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny age difference from hate to love forbidden love single-mother independent heroine cold heroine secret-relationship
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The Red Files by Lee Winter
Ambitious Daily Sentinel journalist Lauren King is chafing on LA’s vapid social circuit, reporting on glamorous A-list parties while sparring with her rival—the formidable, icy Catherine Ayers. Ayers is an ex-Washington political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic, vicious tongue keeps everyone at bay...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love cold heroine heroine sleuth mystery suspense f-f contemporary -
![Dirty Little Midlife (fake) Date by Lilian Monroe]()
Dirty Little Midlife (fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBrooding, grumpy Des has a problem. He needs a date to his family's Thanksgiving reunion for reasons he'd...rather not say.Single mother and all-around hot mess Mia has an even bigger issue: She can't afford her rent, and her new landlord Des is a major you-know-what.So, they make a deal. One simple weekend away in exchange for a serious rent reduction... -
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![Falling for Mr. Bad by Melissa Foster]()
Falling for Mr. Bad by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShe’s a badass musician and mechanic with no patience for overinflated egos. He’s a billionaire with no time for drama. Going head-to-head has never been so much fun...or so dirty. Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and loads of heart make this sexy enemies-to-lovers, close proximity, forbidden, workplace, small town standalone romance unputdownable... -
![Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne]()
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFinn Sawyer hates everything about being back in Sawyers Bend. He walked away from his family years before, living off his wits and skills in the kitchen, refining his craft as he worked his way across Europe. Then the father who left him for dead is murdered, and the will offers Finn a chance at his dream... -
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![Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas]()
Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers.She's got a lot of baggage...literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real.For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but... -
![Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens]()
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating...Categorized as:
single-mother age difference from hate to love contemporary office humor m-f height-difference -
![Cop Daddy Next Door by Taryn Quinn]()
Cop Daddy Next Door by Taryn Quinn
Note to self: never ever lose your pants while at the town’s lookout point… I’m a former bad boy turned one of the newest cops in Crescent Cove. No matter what, I’m determined to earn the respect of my fellow cops—and my law enforcement family, including my older brother Brady—as the new guy.My new next door neighbor is also my new sister-in-law... -
![Three Reckless Words by Nicole Snow]()
Three Reckless Words by Nicole Snow
A runaway bride brings trouble and temptation to a stone-hearted single dad in this emotional and scorching hot romance by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Is there any coming back after you blow your own wedding to pieces?I braced for the fallout when I left my emotionally unavailable groom.I expected the tears, the family wrath, the drama galore... -
![Runaway Bride's Guide to Love by Chelle Sloan]()
Runaway Bride's Guide to Love by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA swoony, age gap, brother’s best friend, runaway bride romance from bestselling author, Chelle Sloan... -
![Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson]()
Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWhen the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses...Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she's turned it all around...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love single-mother contemporary grumpy sunshine christmas humor clean -
![Mister Billions by Cassie-Ann L. Miller]()
Mister Billions by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBossy. Infuriating. Sexy as sin... I can't stand the man.And he's waiting for me at the altar.I'm up to my eyeballs in unpaid rent. So is half this town.Cannon Kingston is the devilish, arrogant billionaire with the power to save us all. But he wants something in return...My hand in marriage.The terms of our twisted contract are simple... -
![The One I Love by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Love by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Sexy, Friends to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Small-Town Romance by bestselling author Chelle Sloan.I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved my childhood best friend, Amelia.Her big brown eyes and beautiful smile have had a hold on me since we were teenagers.Hell, I even love her kids as if they were my own.Now, she’s divorced, and after twenty years, it’s time to make my move... -
![One Bossy Disaster by Nicole Snow]()
One Bossy Disaster by Nicole Snow
A wild twist of fate throws together two total opposites in this steamy and hysterical grumpy sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Trust me, I'm not falling for a human porcupine.I don't do older men with baggage a mile long.Billionaires? Nope, I'm Miss Independence, thank you very much... -
![Collide by Piper Lawson]()
Collide by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy hot professor’s past tore us apart. But he won’t give up on our future.I thought I knew who Sawyer Redmond was. I was wrong.But he’s fiercely determined to keep me, and I can’t avoid him. He’s everywhere—in class, at events, in my head.He forces me to discover a side of myself I never knew. One that terrifies me almost as much as it excites me.He says our secrets can bring us closer... -
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![Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar]()
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLife might be a highway but the last thing this grumpy silver fox expected was a cross-country road trip with a ray of sunshine."My sister is driving to California. She could give you a ride.""What?" Tucker Ashe and I say in unison.Mae FoxSurely, my older sister has lost her mind. There is no way I'm driving her insufferable – albeit sexy silver fox – boss two thousand miles... -
![Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne]()
Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne
As a leading columnist for Stiletto , Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1... -
![A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne]()
A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIt took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t date the women I work with. It cost me three tattoo guns, a job, five motorcycle tires, and I’m not even counting the t-shirts I never got back. It feels different with Frankie but she comes with a little daughter and a crap load of other baggage. I’m not the guy you take home to your parents, let alone your child... -
![Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale
Mavis always assumed that she would be in a hospital with the good drugs when her time came. Not in the middle of the road, with no one around but the damn town mechanic that hated her.But there she was, having a rock star’s baby, with no one to rely on but the one that let it be known around every turn that she was a horrible person... -
![Next In Line by Amy Daws]()
Next In Line by Amy Daws
What happens when the cute mountain man you made out with in an ice fishing shack turns out to be your brother’s best friend? A whole lot of awkward, that’s what. Maggie’s mind is reeling when she discovers the guy she became tangled up with at Marv’s Bait & Tackle isn’t a stranger like she thought... -
![Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne]()
Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThese three women are the toughest juries they’ll ever have to plead their case to.THIS BOX SET INCLUDES…Clean Slate (Charity Case #0.5)Moving two thousand miles away wasn’t my plan, but when family needs you, you come. Before I can head back to my hometown of Chicago though, I have two men to say good-bye to. Neither one of them will be happy to hear the news... -
![One Bossy Offer by Nicole Snow]()
One Bossy Offer by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsInheriting a bad-tempered boss brings the sweetest insanity in this roaring funny and shamelessly steamy grumpy-sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Grandma left me the life of my dreams with one ginormous catch.Miles flipping Cromwell.Workaholic king of grumps. Control freak. Older billionaire next door... -
![Just Say Yes by Lena Hendrix]()
Just Say Yes by Lena Hendrix
Getting tangled up with an Olympic rugby player seems like the perfect way to forget about how my life is falling apart. Until I discover he’s my ex-boyfriend’s best friend.Logan Brown walked into my small town with a charming grin and mischief in his eyes. He’s a world-class flirt and his confident masculinity is almost as distracting as those rugby thighs... -
![The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller]()
The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be harmless. One fake date with a football player.Except Harry Westbrook is the exact opposite of harmless. My first mistake? Underestimating that boyish smile, those playful eyes, the charming words on those perfect lips. He claims to have a crush on me. But, as hot as he is, I'd bet he's scheduling booty calls like a dentist booking teeth cleanings... -
![The Love Interest by Kayley Loring]()
The Love Interest by Kayley Loring
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDear Fiona,I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over...Categorized as:
age difference secret-relationship contemporary humor grumpy sunshine m-f length-medium -
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![The Secret by May Archer]()
The Secret by May Archer
Micah Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little... yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year... maybe the century. But now he's in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love secret-relationship m-m humor contemporary office queer -
![Beard in Hiding by Penny Reid]()
Beard in Hiding by Penny Reid
Propositioning the Iron Wraiths’ money man seemed like a good idea at the time… Diane Donner—recently divorced pillar of polite society—is craving danger. She’s tired of playing it safe and she knows just the sexy criminal motorcycle man to proposition for a good time. Problem is, she doesn’t actually know his name. Jason “Repo” Doe never takes risks... -
![Big, Bossy Surprise by Lilian Monroe]()
Big, Bossy Surprise by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBonnie Delmar should be grateful for her new job.And she is! Being a nanny to a billionaire is a good gig. She’s more than grateful for the opportunity to work for Arlo Noble…until she meets himThat broad-chested, dark-haired, dark-eyed hunk?Yeah…she slept with him. Awkward.But the worst part?Judging by the blank look on his face, their mind-blowing night didn’t register as a blip on Arlo's radar... -
![Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart]()
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine... -
![Washed Up by Kandi Steiner]()
Washed Up by Kandi Steiner
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIt was just another day in the Emergency Department -- until she was wheeled in through the doors.Amanda Parks, my childhood best friend's mom who I may or may not have secretly kissed before leaving for college.I haven't seen her in over a decade, and in so many ways, she hasn't changed. Same killer curves.Same hypnotizing eyes.Same reaction from my heart when I see her... -
![Quitting the Quarterback by Lisa Suzanne]()
Quitting the Quarterback by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy Pro Football, Single Mom, Forbidden Doctor/Patient Romance from Amazon Top Ten Bestselling author Lisa Suzanne.I went to Vegas to celebrate my divorce, and the pro football star was there celebrating his new contract. I heard someone call his name, and I wasn't about to miss my chance to get with the man my ex had idolized... -
![Flutter by Carrie Aarons]()
Flutter by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe can’t stand her, and best believe, the feeling is mutual. Her life is the complete opposite of what he desires. So, why can’t they keep their hands off each other? Forrest Nash is a smug know-it-all... -
![Irish Rebel by L.K. Shaw]()
Irish Rebel by L.K. Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCaitlínAfter finally convincing my over-protective family to let me visit my uncle in Dublin, I know this may be my only chance to experience everything I’ve always wanted: Adventure. Excitement. Freedom.Until I’m introduced to the man assigned to be my bodyguard. With his silver-flecked hair and wicked scar, Roarke radiates power and danger. Everything I’m drawn to...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love mafia forced proximity contemporary suspense alpha male humor -
![Two Wrongs Made Right by Ali Parker]()
Two Wrongs Made Right by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJust because my brother found love doesn’t mean I have to.I’d rather focus on other things.Like money.It never gives you sleepless nights that drive you insane.But the single mom I hooked up with at my brother’s wedding?She’s got me sweating.I can’t get her out of my head.Those curves.That smart mouth.She’s the right kind of trouble.But I’m the wrong kind of guy.Or not.She’s been wronged before... -
![Give & Take by Claire Wilder]()
Give & Take by Claire Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI shouldn’t be thinking about him.Even though he tells me he can’t stop thinking about me.I’m turning 41.He’s 26.I’m a serious person.He’s fun-loving and carefree.It’s all wrong. But every time Raphael LaForest looks at me, it feels so, so right. Just a glance and my whole body melts. The simple brush of his hand on mine and every last nerve ending is on fire.But that’s not all...Categorized as:
age difference cold heroine single-mother small town contemporary humor length-long m-f -
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![Third and Long by K.T. Quinn]()
Third and Long by K.T. Quinn
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTHIRD AND LONG is a scorching sports romance filled with humor, suspense, and football-related excitement...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love new adult humor sports super rich hero contemporary strong heroine -
![A Perfect Fit by Kellan McKnight]()
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:
age difference single-mother humor f-f queer length-long contemporary third-person-pov -
![Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter]()
Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn offbeat lesbian romantic comedy starring penguins, plotting, and payback.Muffin maker Olivia Roberts has had it with her awful exes taking advantage of her good nature. The theft of her nana’s beloved stuffed penguin is the absolute last straw.She puts up an ad at her local crime bookstore for a henchperson to help her enact a little mild revenge...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love cold heroine christmas contemporary office f-f humor -
![Thick by Scott Hildreth]()
Thick by Scott Hildreth
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBOBBI - Tate Reynolds was muscular, tattooed, and handsome. Seeing beyond his physical attributes allowed me to understand that the man beneath all the muscles was a compassionate, kind, and understanding romantic. I wanted him so bad I could taste it. There was only one real problem. He was an inmate in prison. And, I was a prison guard. TATE - Bobbi Madden was gorgeous... -
![Mr. Bloomsbury by Louise Bay]()
Mr. Bloomsbury by Louise Bay
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsHe's cold, rude and undeniably arrogant.That’s how Andrew Blake's best friends describe him.Bad luck for me that I’m his new assistant.Nothing I do is good enough.The more I try and please him, the more he ignores me.I’m beginning to wonder if there’s a heart in that tall, hard, gorgeous body of his... -
![Love Without Numbers by Jade Dollston]()
Love Without Numbers by Jade Dollston
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGiannaI hate my dad’s boss.I’d never actually met Auburn Bouvier, but I despised him on principle. He was a cold, demanding dictator who made his employees miserable.When I moved to New York City, it was inevitable that I would run into the head of the Bouvier fashion empire while visiting my dad at his office, and when I did, the man was nothing like I expected.He was worse... -
![British Professor by Lydia Michaels]()
British Professor by Lydia Michaels
British professor is a sizzling, age-gap, student-teacher romance full of scandalous secrets from bestselling author, Lydia Michaels, family saga fans won’t want to miss! Sheilagh McCullough has been pretending to be someone else her entire life. When she takes her rebellious act too far, her overbearing brothers decide it’s time for her to grow up and face her future... -
![The Startling Inaccuracy of the First Impression by A.E. Radley]()
The Startling Inaccuracy of the First Impression by A.E. Radley
Woodlands Avenue is a peaceful and tranquil street, picturesque with Victorian-era homes and lined with trees. Verity Forsyth lives at 27A, and is enjoying her early retirement, active social calendar and occasional babysitting duties.Katie Ross is starting over, leaving her old home and her controlling ex behind and moving into a new apartment...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love humor contemporary f-f queer length-medium glimpses-kisses -
![You've Got To Be Kidding by Ali Parker]()
You've Got To Be Kidding by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe last time I saw my baby daddy, we were in the backseat of a limo at his brother’s wedding.Making magic—or a kiddo.No judging. There was a lot of liquor involved and the man is a god.He passed out before I could tell him my name, but payback is hell.I stole his pants for good measure. I’m sure he enjoyed that.It was supposed to be one night of fun...Categorized as:
from hate to love single-mother humor contemporary secret child pregnancy length-medium -
![Liberating Love by Michele Notaro, Sammi Cee]()
Liberating Love by Michele Notaro, Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAiden Finding out the man I slept with is my friend’s father is terrifying, but maybe forgivable since I didn’t know who he was… right? But falling into bed with him again… and again and again is probably not excusable. Maybe if Delaney got rid of his miles of muscles and stopped being so sweet to me, I could stop. I need to stop. If only I had the willpower—or the desire... -
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![Going Down Easy by Erin Nicholas]()
Going Down Easy by Erin Nicholas
Hot fling or real thing? There are no Big Easy answers in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas’s sultry series. As far as flings go, single dad Gabe Trahan is pretty sure that Addison Sloan is his best bet. Once a month, Addison comes to New Orleans and then…It. Is. On. Until Addison returns to New York, it’s just hot, happily-no-strings-attached sex. And beignets... -
![Realism: Sugar and Spice, Ink by Evan Grace, Silla Webb]()
Realism: Sugar and Spice, Ink by Evan Grace, Silla Webb
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOrdinary, typical, conformed, are words never used to describe me. I've never been one to play by the rules. It's my world, my life and I do things my way. I see the way they stare at my body covered in tattoos and my lavender hair, I just don't give a damn. There is only one thing in this world that can get me fired up, that's screwing with my daughter...Categorized as:
independent heroine single-mother humor contemporary single-father bff-parent length-medium -
![Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero]()
Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero
Playing a lead role in a book-to-movie adaptation with a wild fan base? Sign me up! The only downside is that I’m cast alongside Jacoby “Heartthrob” Hart—Hollywood’s golden boy. If only they knew he was an uppity, pompous snob.We don’t get along, and if you’re reading the tabloids, you’d assume it was because I “stole” his girlfriend, but they have it all wrong... -
![Misconception by Julia Wolf]()
Misconception by Julia Wolf
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI know rock stars. I grew up in the business, and now I make a living managing their tours. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.Lots and lots of ugly.All that ugly is why I’ve sworn off dating rockers, but sleeping with them, well...I’ve been known to make the occasional exception.One sultry night in Vegas, Mo Aronson, lead singer of Unrequited, becomes one of those exceptions...Categorized as:
age difference secret-relationship contemporary multicultural humor length-medium m-f -
![Enemy Daddy Next Door by Callie Stevens]()
Enemy Daddy Next Door by Callie Stevens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGiving my V card to the single dad next door is a very bad idea. Falling in love with him is an even worse one…Hunter Ricks seems like a very bad bet.He’s 43 years old, sexy as hell, and determined to sleep his way through the entire city whenever he’s not taking care of his four-year-old daughter... -
![For The Love of Easton : A Single Parent Romance and Sequel to For The Love of English by A.M. Hargrove]()
For The Love of Easton : A Single Parent Romance and Sequel to For The Love of English by A.M. Hargrove
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat could be more humiliating than your father telling an almost perfect stranger that you’re single?I’ll tell you what—proposing MARRIAGE to him!That’s exactly what my father did.He basically tried to barter me off like a horse.Admittedly, said single dude was a veritable smoke show. Besides being exceptionally panty-melting, he was also a complete jackass...Categorized as:
from hate to love single-mother new adult christian humor contemporary cheerful heroine length-long
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