Books like 'The Mandolin Lunch'
Readers who enjoyed The Mandolin Lunch by Missouri Vaun also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance forced proximity third-person-pov dual-pov office small town independent heroine poor heroine single-mother
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Hotel Queens by Lee Winter
Ice meets fire in this opposites-attract lesbian romance, as layered, sassy, and smart as its characters. Over one long night at a bar in Las Vegas, two powerful hotel executives meet, flirt, and challenge each other—having no clue they’re rivals after the same dream deal.Brilliant ice queen Amelia Duxton is a hotel vice president who thrives on control, truth, and efficiency...Categorized as:
dual-pov queer third-person-pov independent heroine office f-f cold heroine contemporary -
![Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden]()
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 -
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![Falls From Grace by Ruby Landers]()
Falls From Grace by Ruby Landers
Savannah Grace is a huge star in Nashville. At least, she was. Her hit band Twice Struck topped the country music charts for almost a decade until her high profile marriage to her bandmate and co-writer publicly exploded. Now she’s fading from the spotlight and her own life, just trying to keep her head above water. Brynn Marshall is a little lost...Categorized as:
queer office single-mother forced proximity poor heroine third-person-pov f-f found-family -
![Better Than Expected by Haley Cass]()
Better Than Expected by Haley Cass
Hannah Dalton had a lot of expectations in her life. Growing up watching her mother struggle for everything they had, she resolved to make sure she did everything she could to make those hardships worthwhile...Categorized as:
queer single-mother third-person-pov friends to lovers f-f bisexual angst contemporary -
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![Breaking Character by Lee Winter]()
Breaking Character by Lee Winter
Life has become a farcical mess for icy British A-lister Elizabeth Thornton. America’s most-hated villain stars in a top-rated TV medical drama that she hates. Now, she’s been romantically linked to her perky, new co-star, Summer, due to the young woman’s clumsiness. As a closeted actress, that’s the last thing Elizabeth needs...Categorized as:
office dual-pov third-person-pov queer forced proximity f-f age difference cold heroine -
![These Thin Lines by Milena McKay]()
These Thin Lines by Milena McKay
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSome lines should never be crossed...In the heart of Paris, Chiara Conti is a Queen trapped in an Ivory Tower of haute couture, fortune and lovelessness. Lonely and dejected, she’s longing for inspiration, for direction, for understanding.When Vi Courtenay falls at her feet, losing her shoe like a veritable Cinderella, events are set in motion that will unravel their carefully fashioned lives... -
![Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden]()
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]()
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 forced proximity third-person-pov dual-pov sports f-f from hate to love explicit-open-door -
![The Love Conspiracy by J.J. Arias]()
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 -
![The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley]()
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 office queer dual-pov third-person-pov f-f age difference cold heroine -
![Cover Story by Rachel Lacey]()
Cover Story by Rachel Lacey
Rachel Lacey, author of Stars Collide, serves up a steamy tale of Hollywood fame and subterfuge about a glamorous actress and the sexy bodyguard posing as her girlfriend.Natalie Keane is one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, but she’s paid a steep price for her fame. After she was stalked eight years ago, the ensuing media frenzy almost broke her...Categorized as:
queer office forced proximity contemporary f-f length-medium fake relationship bodyguard-heroine -
![Chemistry by Rachael Sommers]()
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:
office dual-pov third-person-pov queer from hate to love f-f age difference contemporary -
![Ready or Not by Melissa Brayden]()
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... -
![Temptation by Kris Bryant]()
Temptation by Kris Bryant
Cassie Miller is broke. Her parents cut off all funding when she dropped out of medical school, and graduate school is expensive. A full-time nanny job at the Wellington estate is the answer to her problems, except working for beautiful, successful Brook Wellington wasn't in the job description. Brook has always had a head for business...Categorized as:
office single-mother queer contemporary f-f cold heroine class difference length-short -
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![A Life Worth Living by Monica McCallan]()
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 office queer contemporary f-f from hate to love age difference length-medium -
![The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair]()
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:
office forced proximity dual-pov queer f-f age difference contemporary boss & employee -
![Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae]()
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...Categorized as:
office forced proximity dual-pov third-person-pov queer f-f contemporary from hate to love -
![Fated Love by Radclyffe]()
Fated Love by Radclyffe
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat do you do when your carefully planned life takes a wrong turn into hell? When Quinn Maguire, a dashing young trauma surgeon, unaccountably accepts a position as an ER physician, her new boss, Honor Blake, suspects that Quinn is hiding a dark secret. While the two declare an uneasy truce in an effort to work together, both struggle with mutual, and unexpected, attraction... -
![Say Cheese by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod]()
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:
office queer forced proximity small town third-person-pov f-f from hate to love age difference -
![Just for Show by Jae]()
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... -
![Impulse Buy by Jae]()
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 queer f-f contemporary childfree-couple cold heroine competent heroine -
![The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey]()
The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhen a driven businesswoman from Boston collides with a free-spirited artist on a Vermont mountainside, they share a memorable—and steamy—night, but life soon pits them against each other over the fate of a family business.Emily Janssen prefers to play it safe... -
![First Position by Melissa Brayden]()
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:
office forced proximity queer third-person-pov dual-pov f-f from hate to love new adult -
![Say Cheese by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod]()
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:
office queer dual-pov third-person-pov small town f-f from hate to love age difference -
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![Spindrift by Anna Burke]()
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 -
![Reservations of the Heart by T.B. Markinson]()
Reservations of the Heart by T.B. Markinson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsCan two wounded souls find solace together? 41-year-old doctor Stella Gilbert used to have it all. Her career was on fire, and she had a picture-perfect family--until she was blindsided by her wife doing the unthinkable... -
![When We're Meant to Be by Skye Von Triessen]()
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]()
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:
office dual-pov third-person-pov queer f-f contemporary friends to lovers competent heroine -
![Aubrey McFadden is Never Getting Married by Georgia Beers]()
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 single-mother contemporary f-f bisexual -
![Back to September by Melissa Brayden]()
Back to September by Melissa Brayden
Hannah Shephard likes her life, her job, and her perfectly cozy apartment around the corner from her shop. She’s never been one to take big risks and would much rather stay in on a Friday night with a warm cup of decaf and her favorite mystery novel, so why do her friends insist she needs more? Plus, Hannah has bigger problems to focus on. She’s in trouble...Categorized as:
forced proximity office queer contemporary f-f open-door famous heroine rich heroine -
![Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd]()
Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMattie Belman’s life has gone from dismal to desperate. After the loss of her acting career, her marriage, and her usual optimism, she’s back home teaching high school theater. Maybe it’ll be a fresh start.St. Rita’s arrogant soccer coach Jillian Reed sees Mattie’s musical as an outrageous distraction for her champion players. When Jillian declares war, Mattie is far too stubborn to back down...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity office from hate to love contemporary f-f cold heroine sports -
![Perfect Rhythm by Jae]()
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 small town third-person-pov forced proximity f-f contemporary asexual-heroine -
![Eyes Like Those by Melissa Brayden]()
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... -
![Beginner's Bet by Fiona Riley]()
Beginner's Bet by Fiona Riley
Ellison Gamble owns the most successful luxury real estate firm in Boston, but the accomplishment feels hollow when she comes home to an empty house.Institutionalizing her mother for her own safety was the hardest thing Katie Crawford has ever done. The costs are becoming more than she can manage, and her only solution is to sell her childhood home that has fallen into disrepair...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov poor heroine queer contemporary f-f age difference pregnancy -
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![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:
single-mother queer third-person-pov age difference humor f-f length-long contemporary -
![French Kissing: Season Five by Harper Bliss]()
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... -
![All the Little Moments by G. Benson]()
All the Little Moments by G. Benson
A successful anaesthetist, Anna is focused on herself, her career, and her girlfriend. Everything changes abruptly when her brother’s and sister-in-law’s deaths devastate her and her family. Left responsible for her young niece and nephew, Anna finds herself dumped and alone in Melbourne, a city she doesn’t even like...Categorized as:
office queer independent heroine single-mother third-person-pov f-f contemporary length-long -
![Not the Marrying Kind by Jae]()
Not the Marrying Kind by Jae
Small-town florist Ashley Gaines loves her little flower shop and putting together the perfect bouquets for weddings and other happy occasions. Her own love life, however, is far from blossoming. Ash has decided that staying in the closet is safer than risking her heart again. Local bakery owner Sasha Peterson hasn’t had much luck mixing it up with romance either...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov third-person-pov small town queer f-f secret-relationship contemporary -
![Love Like This by Melissa Brayden]()
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]()
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... -
![Waiting in the Wings by Melissa Brayden]()
Waiting in the Wings by Melissa Brayden
If you don’t get lost, there’s a chance you may never be found. Jenna McGovern has spent her whole life training for the stage. She’s taken dance classes, voice lessons, and even earned her performance degree from one of the most prestigious musical theater programs in the nation...Categorized as:
office forced proximity queer contemporary f-f second chances career professional length-medium -
![The Trip by Robin Alexander]()
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... -
![Blurred Lines by Olivia Lucas]()
Blurred Lines by Olivia Lucas
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThis week is not going to plan…So far, I’ve been stood up, taunted by a kid, and dunked in coffee. And that was just on my way to my job interview.I almost couldn’t believe it when the hot stranger who crashed into me in the coffee shop came to my rescue. Unfortunately, this stranger has a name – Natalie Dalton – and she might’ve also popped up at my job interview. And then on a night out... -
![Body Check by J.J. Arias]()
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... -
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![The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell]()
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...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov single-mother queer f-f contemporary from hate to love fake relationship -
![The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill]()
The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGrieving over the loss of her family and feeling like her life is unraveling, Lindsey McDermott quits her job, gets a puppy and retreats to her grandparents’ home in the Texas Hill Country. She spends her solitary days walking childhood trails and reminiscing, trying to reconcile the conflict within her as she struggles with survivor’s guilt... -
![Under a Falling Star by Jae]()
Under a Falling Star by Jae
Falling stars are supposed to be a lucky sign, but not for Austen. Her new job, as a secretary in an international games company in Portland, OR, isn’t off to a good start. Her first assignment—decorating the Christmas tree in the lobby—results in a trip to the ER after Dee, the company’s second-in-command, gets hit by the star-shaped tree topper... -
![Must Love Silence by Lucy Bexley]()
Must Love Silence by Lucy Bexley
Reese Walker doesn’t like people. What she likes is silence and being left alone. The thing she loves most about recording audiobooks is that she doesn’t have to leave her Chicago apartment to do it. And she hasn’t for nearly a year... -
![Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell]()
Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Dream: rich and famous screenwriter of hilarious sapphic rom coms.The Reality: pushing out trashy celebrity gossip for cash.The Grand Plan: advance career by engineering a celebrity takedown.Fran Underhill’s adoration for the entertainment industry is in flames, transformed into a loathing of celebrity culture and all those who benefit from it... -
![Dance with Me by Georgia Beers]()
Dance with Me by Georgia Beers
Is there anything worse than your I-don’t-do-commitment ex finally getting married? Not according to Scottie Templeton. Factor in living with her grandma, her rattletrap car, and never-ending job struggles, and Scottie’s stressed...Categorized as:
third-person-pov dual-pov single-mother queer f-f contemporary from hate to love angst
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