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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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 -
![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 -
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![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 -
![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 contemporary -
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![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 -
![A Life Worth Living by Monica McCallan]()
A Life Worth Living by Monica McCallan
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 31 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 -
![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 -
![Fated Love by Radclyffe]()
Fated Love by Radclyffe
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 25 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... -
![Reality In Check by Emily Banting]()
Reality In Check by Emily Banting
From the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of Broken Beyond Repair comes a new sapphic celebrity ice queen romance — read as a standalone or as the second book in the South Downs Romance series.Sculptor Arte Tremaine is thrown into the hospitality industry when her beloved late grandmother bequeaths her and her sister a charming yet rundown country hotel with zero guests...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity small town office independent heroine third-person-pov dual-pov f-f -
![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... -
![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 -
![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 -
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![The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey]()
The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey
When 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... -
![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 -
![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 independent heroine poor heroine third-person-pov f-f length-medium -
![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... -
![Reservations of the Heart by T.B. Markinson]()
Reservations of the Heart by T.B. Markinson
Can 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... -
![Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley]()
Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
![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... -
![A Perfect Fit by Kellan McKnight]()
A Perfect Fit by Kellan McKnight
Ella 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 -
![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 -
![Something New by Jacqueline Ramsden]()
Something New by Jacqueline Ramsden
The “something new” at your sister’s wedding is supposed to be your sexuality, right?Thea Cooper is heading to her sister’s wedding in Montana for Christmas. The problem is that her ex is going to be there, and her mother is hoping they’ll rekindle their romance. All Thea wants is to enjoy the lodge, the holiday, and celebrate her sister...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity small town independent heroine dual-pov third-person-pov christmas f-f -
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![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 -
![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... -
![Charm City by Monica McCallan]()
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 -
![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 -
![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 -
![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... -
![Foxy Lady by Cara Malone]()
Foxy Lady by Cara Malone
Foxes make terrible pets but they’re fantastic wingmen.Sydney Young has dedicated her life to animals. She’s a wildlife rehabilitator on call around the clock for rescue missions all over the state and every last one of her friends are veterinarians. Waiting at home for her is a rambunctious fox too tame to be released...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity small town office single-mother dual-pov third-person-pov humor -
![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 -
![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... -
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![Lucky in Love by Cara Malone]()
Lucky in Love by Cara Malone
Sometimes luck means landing exactly where you need to be.Jules Wakefield’s family has rescued rabbits for decades, but with her parents gone and her veterinary practice demanding all her time, Jules desperately needs a successor. She decides to run an essay contest – the winner must love bunnies...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity small town poor heroine dual-pov third-person-pov f-f length-short -
![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... -
![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... -
![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... -
![Paper Love by Jae]()
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...Categorized as:
dual-pov forced proximity third-person-pov office queer f-f contemporary from hate to love -
![Scaredy Cat by Robin Alexander]()
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... -
![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... -
![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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![Chef's Kiss by Stephanie Shea]()
Chef's Kiss by Stephanie Shea
Valentina Rosas has always known what she wants. Mostly. Sort of. At least, she does now. And what she wants is the coveted staging role at Gia, San Francisco...Categorized as:
office third-person-pov dual-pov single-mother queer f-f age difference contemporary -
![Not Only One Bed by Sienna Waters]()
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... -
![I Do by Cheyenne Blue]()
I Do by Cheyenne Blue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA fabulous twin-swap lesbian romance where the toaster oven could double as a wedding gift.Accountant Allie Lane would do anything for her injured twin sister, including pretend to be her to save Sophie’s fledgling event-planning business. All Allie has to do is fake being a lesbian for a few weeks and co-ordinate a rural gay wedding festival. Simple... -
![Capture the Moment by KC Luck]()
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]()
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... -
![Make Her Wish Come True by A.L. Brooks]()
Make Her Wish Come True by A.L. Brooks
A lesbian romance where the realest thing about a fake relationship is all the possibilities.Abby Baxter’s burning ambition to be a reporter gets a boost when her journalist friend offers her a deal: Fake-date a woman for a story she’s writing on finding love, and she’ll swing Abby a co-writing credit. It’s a dream come true after so long looking for her big break...Categorized as:
dual-pov third-person-pov single-mother queer christmas f-f contemporary fake relationship
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