Books like 'Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go'
Readers who enjoyed Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go by Kay Acker also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance queer bisexual slow burn neurodivergent small town competent heroine independent heroine single-mother
-
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. She would pursue the career she dreamed of, she would marry someone trustworthy and kind, and she would try to give her own daughter everything her mother gave her, only without the struggle... -
![Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters]()
Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters
An enemies-to-friends-to-lovers lesbian romance about finding heart, hope, and second chances you never thought you’d have. Stella Carter is a former criminal prosecutor and new widow facing down middle age alone in Los Angeles. Without being a prestigious lawyer and someone’s wife, she’s not sure who she is anymore or where her life is headed...Categorized as:
bisexual queer slow burn competent heroine career professional from hate to love f-f age difference -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links / Remove ads -
![Where the Heart Leads by Ally McGuire]()
Where the Heart Leads by Ally McGuire
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA stunt car driver, an MI5 agent, a gigolo… Finn Montoya tells everyone she meets she has a different profession. It’s all part of keeping people at a distance while still being a part of the world around her. Really, she’s an accomplished writer who has taken being a mystery to heart. At least that way, she can stay safe. Under no circumstances can her past catch up with her...Categorized as:
single-mother queer neurodivergent career professional competent heroine f-f humor mental illness -
![Shifting Gears by Jazz Forrester]()
Shifting Gears by Jazz Forrester
A spicy, small-town, opposites attract lesbian romance about learning to let go, no matter the cost. Workaholic Eleanor Cromwell blows into rural Canada, laser focused on her real estate development project. Given the locals already hate her father’s company, she plans to hide away in a cabin and conceal her identity to get the job done. And then her car breaks down…...Categorized as:
queer small town career professional f-f contemporary class difference audiobook canada -
-
![The Forever and The Now by K.J .]()
The Forever and The Now by K.J .
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon. Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust... -
![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. -
![Beyond Any Experience by Anne E. Terpstra]()
Beyond Any Experience by Anne E. Terpstra
Olivia Northman’s world shattered the day she lost her wife to a drunk driver. Three years later, she still struggles with grief and the demands of being a single parent to their autistic son, Ben. After her first attempt at a new relationship crumbles, she retreats to the simple, the predictable. It’s what’s best for her son, and her heart. Ellie Vasquez isn’t simple or predictable... -
![Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers]()
Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers
A sweet toaster-oven lesbian romance that asks whether the one we’re meant to be with might be right under our nose. Reserved tattoo artist Riley Foster has just moved apartments and can’t take her eyes off the single mom who lives next door...Categorized as:
queer competent heroine single-mother bisexual friends to lovers f-f contemporary queer-awakening -
![The Summer of Our Discontent by Robin Alexander]()
The Summer of Our Discontent by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA fun summer read. Faith Leblanc is looking for that special someone, but her tactics have branded her somewhat of a womanizer. A few doors down, Rachel Chauvin is looking for the same, but her conservative style hasn’t yielded any keepers, either. Neither woman is willing to consider the other as a prospective partner, mostly because they’ve hated each other for nearly four decades... -
![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:
queer small town slow burn career professional competent heroine f-f contemporary dual-pov -
![The Pining Paradox by Monica McCallan]()
The Pining Paradox by Monica McCallan
Six months ago, Hallie Thatcher’s parents sold The Stone’s Throw Inn, where she’s lived and worked for her entire life. Everything is changing around her, and she’s been trying to adjust. Really. Even when it means navigating her new promotion at the inn. Helping to plan her best friend’s wedding to Hallie’s new boss... -
![A Very Miller-Cooper Wedding by Erica Lee]()
A Very Miller-Cooper Wedding by Erica Lee
Charlie Miller and Reagan Cooper have been through a lot in the three years since they started dating. What started as a fake dating scheme between Reagan and Charlie’s brother, Jamie, turned into an everlasting love affair between Charlie and Reagan instead. Now the two are engaged and finally ready to plan their dream wedding. The countdown is on - one year until their big day… finally...Categorized as:
queer small town f-f contemporary christmas length-short explicit-open-door lgbtqia hate -
![July by Nicole Pyland]()
July by Nicole Pyland
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJill Solomon has watched her friends fall in love over the past year and a half, and she feels like she’s the only single lesbian left in New Orleans. When her mother runs off unexpectedly, leaving Jill to take care of her ten-year-old sister, Jill worries that her entire life is about to change, and not for the better... -
![June by Erik Schubach]()
June by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe daughter of Mandy Fay Harris is all grown up and like her mother, is a force of nature. She is ready to come into her own and take London by storm! She never expected what what she would find while searching in New York for a scout for her music label and the new relationships she would form. This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book. -
-
![Pieces of Us by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod]()
Pieces of Us by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
The nanny is hot for her boss, but she’s been burned falling for a straight woman in the past. Julianna Bristol is on the brink of success as her fledgling video game design company goes after the opportunity of a lifetime. But her ex-husband is intent on making her fodder for late-night comedy...Categorized as:
queer bisexual slow burn competent heroine single-mother career professional small town f-f -
![Falling Together by Erica Lee]()
Falling Together by Erica Lee
Erin Corcoran doesn’t believe anyone in her life will actually stick around. Her dad was the first person to leave her. Then, many years later, it was her wife. A year after her divorce, Erin is still struggling as a single mom. When she decides to hire a babysitter to watch her son, Nolan, over the summer, the last thing she expects is to fall for the woman ten years her junior...Categorized as:
queer single-mother f-f length-medium contemporary pennsylvania third-person-pov dual-pov -
![Falling Hard by Jae]()
Falling Hard by Jae
Dr. Jordan Williams devotes her life to two things: saving patients in the operating room and pleasuring her latest conquest in the bedroom. Her idea of commitment is spending a few hours together in bed. Single mom Emma Larson is Jordan’s polar opposite. Family and fidelity mean everything to her... -
![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... -
![Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong]()
Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFallon Foster serves up more than the most potent drinks at Murphy’s Law, the local pub in Whiskey Springs, Vermont. Fallon is the keeper of the town’s secrets. She’s heard tales of broken hearts, torrid affairs, closet cases, and the dreams of hopeful romantics. With a sensitive ear and a warm bed, Fallon is a legend in her small town. One thing still eludes her—love... -
![Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford]()
Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s never done love long-term. But will faking it lead to forever? Finch Lachlan works hard and parties harder. But tired of her siblings judging her fun-loving ways, the head veterinarian at her family’s zoo vows to prove she can make it past the third date. And maybe she can begin with the hottie who just seized her attention with a sizzling kiss. Chef, Frankie Benedetti, craves a fresh start... -
![Mercy by Max Ellendale, Victoria Miller]()
Mercy by Max Ellendale, Victoria Miller
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsEx-rock star, Dusty Song, abandons her music career to become a U. S. Marshal tasked with safeguarding vulnerable people from the criminals set on silencing them. When Dusty first encounters the illustrious Honorable Judge Bidwell, she sees a woman marked by the cases she's tried. Years later, Dusty remembers the strong-willed, audacious woman as the unlikeable star of the courtroom...Categorized as:
queer career professional single-mother f-f contemporary bodyguard-heroine north-america usa -
![Paradise Pride by Lise Gold]()
Paradise Pride by Lise Gold
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLondon-based casino manager Meghan has no expectations of her two-week holiday in Spain; she’s just tagging along with her friend who’s visiting her love interest. When they arrive at a deserted hotel due to a booking fault and her friend leaves to see her boyfriend, she’s left with the bartender who stays on for the night... -
![A Song in Her Heart by T.B. Markinson]()
A Song in Her Heart by T.B. Markinson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn the heart of Nashville, where dreams and secrets collide, two women find themselves entangled in a love story that could shatter their worlds or make them whole. Hannah Taylor, a rising country music sensation, stands on the brink of superstardom. But beneath the glitz and glamour, she harbors a secret, one that could shatter her carefully crafted image and jeopardize her career... -
![Soul Unique by Gun Brooke]()
Soul Unique by Gun Brooke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGreer Landon is a successful art gallery owner. She has created an empire by discovering and developing new artists. When she agrees to visit an art school in Boston, she encounters a woman, Hayden Rowe, whose paintings take her breath away. Greer realizes Hayden is not a student, but lives in a remote wing of the school and the maddeningly frustrating headmaster is her mother... -
-
![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 small town single-mother competent heroine career professional humor f-f contemporary -
![Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley]()
Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley
AJ 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...Categorized as:
neurodivergent single-mother queer f-f dual-pov contemporary age difference audiobook -
![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:
competent heroine queer slow burn bisexual f-f contemporary dual-pov from hate to love -
![Up Against Her by Lisa Elliot]()
Up Against Her by Lisa Elliot
Skye, Head of Qualitative Research, loves her job exploring what makes people tick and generating insights for her clients. She’s worked her way up and is on the brink of a promotion at her top market research consultancy. But when she’s forced to merge her department and compete for the job she thought was hers, she’s seriously displeased... -
![In Development by Rachel Spangler]()
In Development by Rachel Spangler
From a young age, Cobie Galloway made a career of playing the girl-next-door on the silver screen. Only, she's not a teenager anymore. Ready to challenge herself artistically and earn the part she's always dreamed of, she's forced to face the realization that in order to win the roles afforded to edgier actresses, she might first have to audition by playing someone edgier in her day-to-day life... -
![The Wrong Date Deal by Jacqueline Ramsden]()
The Wrong Date Deal by Jacqueline Ramsden
Can the wrong date lead you to the right woman? Piper Sutton is looking for love and it’s not going well. After a string of dates, all she’s left with are odd stories to tell her friends, family, and strangers at the doctor’s office. But, when an unfortunately timed message leads her to August Carmicheal, she wonders if her luck is changing...Categorized as:
queer bisexual slow burn small town independent heroine career professional friends to lovers f-f -
![Touch the Sky by Katia Rose]()
Touch the Sky by Katia Rose
The first time I met her, Jacinthe Gauthier-Laframboise was running screaming after an escaped donkey while covered in manure. It wasn’t exactly a meet-cute, but luckily, I’m not looking for a relationship. Dating has been on the backburner ever since life threw a wrench and left me to raise my daughter on my own...Categorized as:
small town queer single-mother independent heroine f-f length-medium contemporary canada -
![Moments in Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan]()
Moments in Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan
The Montgomery Ink saga continues with a bonus romance between two strangers on a path of healing that leads to something far more. Zia Clarkson thought she found her happily ever after, not once, but twice. Her first love is now engaged, and her second love broke more than her heart. Heart and soul bruised; she’s not looking for a relationship. Ever... -
![The Secret of St. Claire by Robin Alexander]()
The Secret of St. Claire by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLighthearted romance, sweet and funny. Idyllic, quaint, and straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting is St. Claire, Louisiana—at least on the outside. Beneath the veneer, it’s anything but. That’s the secret of St. Claire. Born and raised in St. Claire, Lindsay Juneau’s life was seemingly full raising a six-year-old daughter and caring for her widowed mother... -
![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... -
-
![Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach]()
Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsReturning home to Seattle from a twenty year absence in London. .. Victoria discovers that time has not erased her feelings for an unrequited love. It soon becomes obvious that with true love, lightning can sometimes strike twice. This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book. -
![A Game Of Two Hearts by Iona Kane]()
A Game Of Two Hearts by Iona Kane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTess Kennedy isn’t where she thought she’d be at forty-six. She’s focusing on keeping things together as a single parent as she returns to a town that holds mixed memories. As she tries to build a new life for her family, she’s relieved that she’s finally in control of her own destiny. The last thing she’s looking for is a relationship. Rowan Russell is living her regular, predictable life... -
![Making It: A Novel by Laura Kay]()
Making It: A Novel by Laura Kay
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the author of Wild Things comes a heartwarming and relatable queer rom-com about an isolated young woman whose artistic celebration of her pet chinchilla suddenly launches her into the professional art world, reality TV fame, and first love. Isobel's life is just her, her mum, and her pet chinchilla, Abigail, in their council flat on the Kentish coast... -
![Just Jorie by Robin Alexander]()
Just Jorie by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome believe that special someone is out there just waiting to be found. Jorie Andolini is one of those people and has spent a lot of time envisioning that moment. She bumps into a woman at a grocery store, the woman drops a can of peas, Jorie picks it up, their eyes meet, and two souls connect... -
![That Woman Next Door by Harper Bliss]()
That Woman Next Door by Harper Bliss
Sometimes what you're running from is exactly what you need. Olivia Chevalier is perfectly happy living a quiet life of solitude with her two cats in the tempestuous countryside of Brittany. Olivia’s peace is disrupted when heartbreaker extraordinaire Marie Dievart moves in to the holiday home next door after an event at work makes her flee her everyday life... -
![Teaching Hope by Sienna Waters]()
Teaching Hope by Sienna Waters
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIt’s time to learn a lesson. .. American high school teacher Ava Stanford has been betrayed in the worst way possible. So she takes a temporary job at a village school in England. She’s definitely not running away, but even she admits she’s got nothing to go home to. School receptionist Hope Perkins is hardly at her peak... -
![Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić]()
Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo women deal with modern themes of sex, relationships, and fetishism in this erotic romantic comedy. "MERCY," Part Three. Loving someone means building a shrine within your heart dedicated to them. A shrine made of good memories and treasured moments. As the mercy arc reaches its third volume Anne is about to find the shrine of her heart ransacked by none other than the person it was devoted to... -
![Birds of a Feather by Laina Villeneuve]()
Birds of a Feather by Laina Villeneuve
Adrienne Stecher has always known she’s different, and she’s fine with her place on the spectrum. She loves her job and her apartment, and she’s happy to help out her grandfather a few times a month. If she could just get the peacocks that plague his neighborhood to stop destroying his yard, she’d be set... -
![Against Doctor's Orders by Radclyffe]()
Against Doctor's Orders by Radclyffe
There’d been a Rivers at the helm of Argyle Community Hospital for six generations, and Harper Rivers was set to take her father’s place whenever he decided to hang up his shingle. Unfortunately, the board of directors had other ideas—they accepted a buyout offer from a health care conglomerate with plans to close the hospital’s doors to the community that depended on it...Categorized as:
competent heroine career professional queer f-f contemporary doctors boss & employee dual-pov -
![Two is a Pattern by Emily Waters]()
Two is a Pattern by Emily Waters
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA charged lesbian romantic suspense set in the early nineties, with gripping twists, turns, and surprising secrets. A mission gone wrong leads to rising-star CIA operative Annie Weaver quitting her job and reinventing herself as a college student. But the CIA, desperate for her skills, refuses to let her go without a price...Categorized as:
bisexual queer forced proximity f-f age difference contemporary suspense length-short -
-
![Fitting In by Amanda Radley]()
Fitting In by Amanda Radley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsStarting a new job is hard. Especially if you’re the boss’s daughter. Heather Bailey has been in charge of Silver Arches, the prestigious London shopping centre, for several years. Financial turmoil brings a new investor to secure the future and Heather finds herself playing office politics with the notoriously difficult entrepreneur Leo Flynn... -
![The Thing About Tilly by G. Benson]()
The Thing About Tilly by G. Benson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTwo friends since university, each holding something back. Tilly’s been running from her secrets for far too long. Evie, carrying a buried flame for Tilly since they met, has always been there to welcome Tilly back with open arms. That is, after all, what one does for a friend. When Evie unexpectedly falls pregnant, she’s left with a lot of hard decisions to make...Categorized as:
queer bisexual neurodivergent small town single-mother career professional f-f length-medium -
![Run To You by Georgia Beers]()
Run To You by Georgia Beers
Welcome to Junebug Farms, a successful, well-known animal shelter in upstate New York, where every day brings something new—love, stress, heartbreak, warmth—and not just from the animals. Catherine Gardner knows what it means to work hard. Growing up with little, it's pretty much all she's done for most of her life. As the bookkeeper for Junebug Farms, she handles the money...Categorized as:
queer competent heroine career professional small town f-f contemporary audiobook open-door -
![Crossroads by Radclyffe]()
Crossroads by Radclyffe
Dr. Hollis Monroe specializes in short-terms relationships, typically eight months or less. As an obstetrician dealing with high-risk pregnancies, she spends all her time and energy in caring for women at a nice, comfortable professional distance until she delivers their babies and can walk away. They're happy, she's satisfied, and no one gets hurt. The perfect relationship... -
![Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes]()
Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA prominent figure amongst New York City’s fashion elite, Elena Vega is a successful businesswoman and single mother to an adorable three-year-old son, Lucas. Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out. At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas...Categorized as:
bisexual single-mother queer f-f contemporary age difference boss & employee length-medium -
![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...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
