Books like 'Cakewalk'
Readers who enjoyed Cakewalk by Claire Hastings also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports m-f small town insta-love height-difference sweet heroine athletes curvy heroine forced proximity
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Where It All Began by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAvailable only through Lucy's newsletter, this free book is the prequel to the popular Blue Moon series and is set in 1985. John Pierce has plans for these two hundred rundown acres. He sees a farm, a family, a future. He’s not about to drag someone in on the ground floor, not before he’s put in the work to turn rubble into home... -
Myles by Riley Edwards
Former Delta Operator Myles Simms doesn’t know when to quit. The concept so foreign to him he can’t give up on Delilah Watts. A woman he’s never met—a woman who might be the enemy yet he’s compelled to save her. Intel Specialist Delilah Watts never imagined sending an email would be deadly. Kidnapped and left to die, yet she regrets nothing...Categorized as:
m-f caretaking forced proximity hurt-comfort sweet heroine tortured heroine sweet-hero contemporary -
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Love By Design by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA sexy Christmas novella that’s a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and Holidate. Holland McQuaid works for the toughest designer in New York City. It’s a dream job. It’s heaven and hell at the same time. But when she gets her lucky break, and the job turns into something she never expected, it comes with strings... -
Planes, Reins, and Automobiles by Kate Watson
She's sunshine. He's frostbite. They've got 1,600 miles to go before Christmas—and he's about to discover his new enemy might be his anonymous online soulmate. Oliver Fletcher has one goal, and he's not happy about it: get home for his brother's wedding...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine sports m-f height-difference sweet heroine cold hero sweet-hero -
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Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsListening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutes. We’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor
She’s merry and bright. He’s…. not. But something between them is warming up. Megan Sheridan just landed the perfect holiday a quiet week in the mountains house-sitting an event venue while the owners are away. Check the mail, answer the phone, keep the pipes from freezing—easy. The only trouble? No one told Megan she’d be sharing the farmhouse with a very grouchy, very handsome farmhand...Categorized as:
m-f grumpy sunshine caretaking forced proximity small town sweet heroine cold hero sweet-hero -
Hoping for Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAll her life, Grace Ryan was the “fat girl. ” Taunted and teased and ignored by her peers, she tried every diet ever invented to no avail. Desperate to change her life as her twenties slipped away, she decided it was time for drastic measures and had lap-band surgery. More than a year later, she's lost 130 pounds and is venturing into the dating world for the first time... -
Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott
He’s allergic to Christmas. I’m practically made of tinsel. What could go wrong? I’m not saying Gage Lockett is the actual Grinch … but if someone in town woke up tomorrow to find all the candy canes missing, my money’s on him. The man glares at twinkle lights like they personally insulted his mother...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine m-f small town sweet heroine cold hero sweet-hero christmas contemporary -
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae. . He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae... -
Wreck by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTHOMAS. Not too long ago my future was all mapped out. Then two brutal swings of a steel bat wielded by a maniac wrecked my world. The adrenaline high I used to get from pitching a perfect game is gone. The major league dreams I counted on have vanished. And the peace of mind I took for granted is shattered. The thrills I seek out now are self-destructive. I know this and I can’t stop... -
One Night Valentine by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not a question of IF this football star can resist the curvy florist but rather WHEN he’ll give in…. Cruz. It is said that you only want what you cannot have. I hate to be a cliche, but that statement rings true for me. In my case it’s not what I want, but rather who. Tara Brooks. Sweet, funny, and my little sister’s best friend... -
Coen by Sawyer Bennett
Coen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity tortured hero grumpy sunshine athletes m-f from hate to love contemporary -
Make Me Trust Again by Anna B. Doe
After leaving my abusive ex-husband, I’m determined to make a life for my son and me, but nothing could have prepared me for him. Chase Williams. Broody. Damaged. Reclusive. He’s been keeping to his ranch ever since he retired from the army. The scars on his body tell a story of pain and loss, and there is no denying the demons of the past hiding behind his serious gaze...Categorized as:
m-f caretaking forced proximity hurt-comfort insta-love small town sweet heroine cold hero -
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Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for Jaxon, Addison and myself. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
Love in Tuscany by Maya Jean, J.J. Mulder
Spend the summer in Italy for charity! Everyone deserves a second chance, including wedding photographers. They may even catch a picture of a doctor finding his opposite, yet somehow perfect, match. Fall in love in Tuscany, before hitting the road on an adventure with a stranger...Categorized as:
height-difference forced proximity insta-love sweet-hero queer contemporary m-m age difference -
Craving In The Mountains by Olivia T. Turner
What do you do when you’re in a funk that won’t quit? I tried. - Sleeping all day (check). - Binge watching Stranger Things all day (check). - Feeling sorry for myself all day (check). But nothing works. My funk gets funkier. Depression looms. So I do something drastic to shake myself out of it. I head to the Greene Mountains to go parachuting with my crazy cousin and his wild friends... -
The Love You Win by Piper Hale
One broken heart. One winning bid at a date auction. One hot, grumpy hockey player. What could go wrong? According to my best friends, five months is too long to nurse a broken heart. They’re determined to push me out of my nest made of sweatpants and sadness. I need to date; they say. They have the perfect plan; they say...Categorized as:
sweet heroine cold hero athletes hurt-comfort insta-love m-f sports height-difference -
Perfectly Complicated Christmas Romance by Grace Worthington
He's allergic to Christmas. She practically bleeds tinsel. Their holiday collision is about to get complicated. Single mom Janie Bennett has one pull off the perfect Christmas pageant for her kindergarten class. What she doesn't need is the world's grumpiest hockey player ruining her holly-jolly plans. Enter Rourke Riley, Mr...Categorized as:
sports m-f grumpy sunshine forced proximity sweet heroine athletes cold hero sweet-hero -
Home Is Where You Park It by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a giant of a man who grunts for words and barks out orders, yet circumstances require I be his fake girlfriend and spend the weekend with him in an isolated cabin. And of course there’s only one bed. Just my luck…But I need this commission check that only Boston can guarantee me...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity small town m-f contemporary from hate to love humor military -
Rule Breaker by Stacey Lynn
Spending the night in jail isn’t exactly how I planned to spend Christmas, but I’ve had worse holidays…. Now that I’m out, it’s time to accept my real punishment. Coaching ten-year-old terrors on the ice, in my non-existent free time. My Coach thinks it’d be good for me. Remind me where I came from. He should know I’ve tried every day of my life for the last ten years to forget...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine sports forced proximity m-f athletes friends to lovers contemporary single-mother -
Tame The Player by Hope Ford
Holden is a professional baseball player on the injured list. His only goal is getting back on the field… until he meets me. Everyone knows about Holden Gray's reputation. He goes through women faster than most baseball players go through sunflower seeds. When he becomes my next physical therapy patient, I'm determined to keep things professional...Categorized as:
sports athletes insta-love sweet-hero m-f forced proximity contemporary super rich hero -
Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis
T. J. Wilder is the perfect package of breathtaking adventure and raw sex appeal. Even better, he's about to reconnect with the one woman he's never been able to forget. .. Get Your Pulse Racing. To Harley, the landscape around Wishful, California, is exhilarating, untamed, and more than a little dangerous. The same could be said for T. J...Categorized as:
athletes sports small town forced proximity height-difference m-f contemporary second chances -
The Story of Us by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA football fanatic sports columnist. A sexy Italian soccer player. When in Rome . . . Maggie Lane, a sports columnist and diehard football fan, is not exactly enthused when her editor-in-chief sends her to Rome, Italy, to write a feature story on Italian soccer star Marco Valenti. The last thing she wants to do is spend three weeks covering soccer right before the American football season begins... -
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Her Giant Lumberjack by Clara King
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s a seven-foot giant who feels like a beast. She’s a curvy beauty looking for her happily ever after. Duke. Life isn’t easy when you look like a monster. With my scarred face and hulking frame, people see a freak, not a man. So I keep to myself, rarely leaving the safety of my workshop. Then Ariana walks into my life. She wants me to build her a bookcase. Sounds easy enough...Categorized as:
curvy heroine insta-love m-f age difference disabilities and marks contemporary length-novella -
The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsApril Baird is determined to finish an Ironman—even if it is 140. 6 miles of misery in the form of swimming, cycling, and running. The distance would be daunting enough, but April is certain she has an Ironman curse. What else could explain the events that have caused her to DNF the last three years? Now, her coach has even bailed... -
Game Day by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIn the heat of victory, I asked her to be mine forever. We’d both triumphed in our own way:. Nova broke free from her past. I led my team to a championship and discovered life beyond the court. Our journey to "I do" was supposed to be easy. Except…. The hottest resort in Aspen is only available is on short notice. A new season with the Denver Kodiaks looms on the horizon... -
Unexpectedly Hers by Jamie Beck
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBy day, bashful wallflower Emma Duffy works at her family’s bed-and-breakfast. By night, she secretly pens erotic romance hot enough to melt the snow in their cozy Rockies town. But Emma’s real life is about to heat up when her mother books the entire inn to a professional snowboarder, hoping the publicity will put them on the map...Categorized as:
sports small town m-f athletes contemporary length-medium third-person-pov audiobook -
Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother. This is book 1 featuring Val & Felix. -
Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis
Breaking rules and breaking hearts. Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble - and trouble with love - draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways...Categorized as:
small town cold hero height-difference caretaking sweet-hero m-f contemporary suspense -
Holding on to Chaos by Lucy Score
“I want to be upfront with you. No surprises, no secrets. I want you, Eva. And I think you might be it for me. ”. Eva is a hot mess running from her past and doesn’t mind telling a fib or two to protect her secrets. It’s too bad that she moved to the nosiest small town in the world with Sheriff Sexy—the tall, built human lie detector...Categorized as:
small town insta-love m-f sweet-hero tortured heroine humor contemporary men in uniform -
Forget Me Not by Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson welcomes you back to Catalina Cove, where love is waiting to be reclaimed…. Ashley Ryan never doubted that her husband, Devon, was the love of her life. Even now, three years after Devon died in a car wreck while on a business trip, Ashley can’t bring herself to move on... -
Doors by Clover Down
Levi He is a professional cuddler. He’s always been good with people and after a rough youth, he understands loneliness and pain. Or he thought he did until he knocked on Noelle Shaw’s door. He could never have prepared for meeting her—not for the storm in her eyes or the way she constantly surprises him. Levi thought he was there to help her, but maybe he had it backward... -
Found by the Mountain Man: An OTT Mountain Man Romance by Sadie King
I’ve been an orphan, a delinquent, a soldier, and a sniper. But I’ve never been in love, until I stumble upon the lost girl sheltering on my land. She’s battered and bruised with scars on the inside. I take her in, I heal her. And when she tells me about her past. I do what I do best. Whatever it takes to protect her. I was a sniper in the army. But I’m not looking for redemption... -
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Ghost Dance by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novel in the sexy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series. He had it all. And lost it in an instant. The night Dmitri Nazarenko won hockey’s Holy Grail, he lost more than he ever bargained for. With a world of guilt weighing him down, Dima can never forgive himself for his tragic misjudgment... -
Romancing the Quarterback (Galentine's Getaway) by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA curvy gal plus quarterback steamy instalove short. Mina. All I want to do is spend some time with my girlfriends on our valentines getaway, not go toe-to-toe with the burly, cover model worthy guy who's staying in the room next door. And when I find out he's a pro football player, that lands him firmly in the swipe left category. Palmer... -
Extreme Devotion by Cami Checketts
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn extreme sports athlete desperately in love; an independent woman afraid to trust. Can they both let go of their fears and embrace their future? Jex Steele lives for his insane stunts and his flirtations with Pearl Jacobsen-Davenport. He prays for the day the independent Pearl will change her last name to one syllable—Steele... -
Wild in Love by M.V. Kasi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSoniya hates the handsome, arrogant man who had kissed her several years ago and disappeared. He appeared into her life again, only to kidnap her on the night before her wedding. Rohan is an ex-Air Force pilot asked to rescue a politician's daughter held hostage near a forest. It was supposed to be a simple task, until the maddening woman put up a fight...Categorized as:
tortured heroine tortured hero grumpy sunshine found-family contemporary length-short -
Love To Love You: A Love/Hate Novella by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a long year of heartache and loss, Chase and Arianna pulled together the shattered pieces of their hearts and rebuilt a relationship that is stronger and more secure than ever before. Letting go of the mistakes of their past, their focus is on the future—their happily ever after. Happily ever after…... -
Falling For His Fake Fiancè by J.B. Heller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat’s a guy to do to save his MLB career after one too many of his exploits hit the tabloids? Marry his housekeeper, apparently…. I’m a pretty laid back guy who doesn’t take much outside my job seriously, preferring to party my way through life. But my poor decisions have landed me with The Bad Boy of Baseball, title. I’m totally cool with it, management however, is not... -
Thawed by the Hot Hermit Mountain Man: A Steamy Curvy Girl Instalove Age Gap Romance by Raven Moon
She’s a city girl in a snowstorm. He’s a handsome hermit who can’t help but keep her warm. I rented this cabin for a week of relaxation, but a blizzard broke a window on my first night and nearly buried me. I might have died if the cabin’s hot owner didn’t get his rough hands on me before I froze…. Wyatt is gruff, quiet, and downright the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen... -
Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance by Abby Greyson
This is a dual POV, kisses only, sports romance and the fourth standalone in the interconnected Accidentally In Sports Series. A star shortstop. A benched heart. A second chance sparked by fate—and a sassy pup. David. I saw my brother and best friend fake-date their way to true love, but that’s not for me...Categorized as:
sports m-f forced proximity insta-love sweet heroine sweet-hero tortured hero athletes -
A New Year's Proposition: A billionaire age gap instalove romance by Olivia Sinclair
She's looking for a fresh start - he's offering forever. .. Cora. Sterling Grace is a billionaire with influence and connections (in addition to being panty-melting gorgeous and a decent guy). So of course I ask him for help after serving at his New Year's Eve bash. It's time for a fresh start - to put my local reputation behind me and make something of my life... -
My Grumpy Valentine by Nyla Lily
I fell for Penelope the moment my best friend introduced her as his new girlfriend. She wasn’t mine to want, but that didn’t stop me. I stood by as their relationship flourished, watched her walk down the aisle, and tried to bury my feelings beneath forced smiles. Leaving Hope Peak was my only option to give up on the woman of my dreams... -
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Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke
Neighbors to lovers can be a risky proposition in this funny, sexy, and swoony romantic comedy between a single mother and the grumpy man next door by USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. When Gabrielle Solomon falls, she falls hard. Even if that means literally toppling over a porch railing in nothing but a flimsy towel—right in front of her sexy new neighbor... -
Fake The Game by Julia Jarrett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI’m the bad boy of baseball. And she’s the good girl who’s meant to repair my image. Falling in love with my pretend girlfriend is not part of the plan…. My life is a mess. My career is in serious jeopardy because of one stupid decision that had disastrous results. I’m stuck on the injured list, for who knows how long, and losing endorsements because of my reckless behaviour... -
Cold Winter Nights by Sue Laybourn, Jay Aheer
Beauregard Stone lives a life of solitude in the snow-blanketed town of Windeville, Maine. The burly, gruff lumberjack is a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He hasn’t spoken much since his husband died eight years ago. Now, each day bleeds into the next as Stone loses himself in his woodshop and lumber- hauling business...Categorized as:
height-difference hurt-comfort insta-love small town cold hero tortured hero contemporary m-m -
Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis
From the New York Times bestselling author of Double Play, Rescue My Heart, The Trouble with Paradise, and the Lucky Harbor novels. .. After a woman claims she’s pregnant with Wade O’Riley’s love child, Major League Baseball’s most celebrated catcher and ladies’ man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image...Categorized as:
athletes sports forced proximity sweet heroine m-f contemporary friends to lovers fake relationship -
Taylor by Mary Warren
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhen a surprise snowstorm traps Taylor, a star defenseman, and Alice, the coach’s daughter, in a cozy cabin over the holidays, the magic of the season works its charm. With the outside world blanketed in snow, Taylor and Alice discover a surprising connection that blossoms into a beautiful romance...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity insta-love athletes hockey christmas contemporary length-medium -
Sliding Home by Kate Angell
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWHO’D BEEN SLEEPING IN KASON RHODES’S BED? The left fielder for the Richmond Rogues had returned from six weeks of spring training in Florida to find someone had moved into his mobile home. That person was presently in his shower. And no matter how sexy the squatter might be, Kason wanted her out. He had his trusty dobie, Cimarron; he didn’t need anyone else in his life...
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