Books like 'Make Me Stay'
Readers who enjoyed Make Me Stay by Anna Cove also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance queer angst grumpy sunshine caretaking second chances found-family betrayal neurodivergent
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In the Long Run by Haley Cass
Free-spirited and easygoing Taylor Vandenberg left her hometown of Faircombe, Tennessee as soon as she could, and in the twenty-five years since, she has rarely looked back. She wouldn’t change anything about how her life has turned out – having traveled to nearly every country, never staying anywhere long enough to feel stifled...Categorized as:
queer small town angst grumpy sunshine career professional competent heroine strong heroine f-f -
Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
A long time ago, Logan Maletis and Rosemary Hale used to be friends. They spent their childhood summers running through the woods, rebelling against their conservative small town, and dreaming of escaping. But then an incident the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals. After graduation, they went ten years without speaking... -
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... -
These Thin Lines by Milena McKay
Some 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... -
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Then & Now by Monica McCallan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsLily Connor has focused all her energy into becoming a successful wedding planner, and after five years, she’s on the precipice of taking on more responsibility at Southerland Wedding Company. When the chance finally presents itself, it comes with a complication she couldn’t have dreamt up in her worst nightmares... -
Where the Heart Leads by Ally McGuire
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 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:
queer caretaking neurodivergent found-family career professional competent heroine f-f humor -
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... -
The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter
This funny opposites-attract lesbian romance digs up the awkward truth about what really matters in life.Ambitious ice queen and corporate lawyer Felicity Simmons has spent her life focused on one thing: scuttling up the career ladder. She’s achingly close to taking charge of a media empire for her boss when she’s sent to investigate a South Bronx charity that helps homeless people’s pets... -
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... -
Like First Love, Again by J.J. Arias
When the one who got away comes back...Real estate broker Tori Cruz has spent years building a life of structure and control — keeping her heart, and her past, carefully locked away. But when Mia Falcon, her childhood best friend and secret first love, crashes back into her life after fourteen years apart, everything Tori thought she buried comes rushing back.Mia didn’t mean to find Tori again... -
Cigar Club by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFallon Foster is Whiskey Springs' self-proclaimed token lesbian. She isn't a token any longer. After her year-long affair with best friend, Andi Maguire ends, Fallon hopes to earn the trust and win the heart of the town's newest resident, Riley Main. Ghosts from the past still haunt Fallon and Riley. Informed by loss and betrayal, the pair endeavors to find their way to each other... -
If the Shoe Fits by E.J. Noyes
Jana Fleischer loves her life—wonderful family, best sister in the world, awesome soon to be sister-in-law, fabulous job, and a never-ending stream of men to chew through and spit out...Categorized as:
caretaking competent heroine career professional queer angst found-family strong heroine f-f -
30 Dates in 30 Days by Elle Spencer
Veronica Welch has made it. She’s about to be named a partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City. She’s on top of the world, except for one tiny ridiculous thing: she promised herself she’d be married by thirty-five. After a drink too many, she accidentally lets her “life plan” slip to Bea, her steadfast, ever meddling assistant, and now Bea won’t let the idea go...Categorized as:
queer angst grumpy sunshine second chances found-family strong heroine career professional f-f -
Separate Like Stars by Diana Kane
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOn paper, Jordan Cohen has it all. With numerous bestsellers under her belt, a number of blockbuster movie adaptations to her credit, and a high profile relationship with one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars, what more could she possibly ask for? Maybe for Olivia Bradley, the only woman to ever break her heart, to exit her life as quickly as she’d re-entered it...Categorized as:
second chances angst queer f-f friends to lovers from hate to love contemporary audiobook -
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The Next Chapters: An On the Same Page Novella by Haley Cass
Gianna Mäkinen has been in love with her best friend Riley Beckett for her entire adult life. She’d long accepted that her place in life was Riley’s best friend, and that was okay. It was more than okay.She never imagined that she would have the opportunity to confess her love to Riley, to marry her, to have a herd of children with her...Categorized as:
queer caretaking found-family strong heroine career professional f-f new adult contemporary -
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 found-family strong heroine competent heroine career professional poor heroine f-f -
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 found-family small town competent heroine f-f contemporary christmas length-short -
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... -
Accidental Honeymoon by Miranda MacLeod
Would you marry a woman you hate for a life-changing inheritance?Monica’s business has been hit hard by a global recession, her ex-girlfriend is selling the house out from under her, and the hot handy ma’am, Ray, who was hired to fix up the place, turns out to be the most annoying woman on the planet... -
Patty's Potent Potion by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhen Shawna Haydel was sixteen years old, she dropped Ashton Guidry’s name into a potion that would supposedly make Ashton fall in love with her. She knew it was silly, but she clung to one irrational thread of hope their friend Patty’s concoction would grant her heart’s desire... -
Heart of the Storm by Ally McGuire
Sometimes a storm is just what you need to clear the skies ahead.When Amber Archer inherits a mysterious house from relatives she thought were long-dead, she sees it as her ticket out of the current chaos consuming her New York life. A little time out in the sticks can’t hurt, can it?Nestled in the middle of nowhere is The Willows, the premier racing stables in Kentucky owned by Rowan Payton... -
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 found-family small town career professional competent heroine strong heroine christmas f-f -
Fragments of the Heart by Ally McGuire
Love can be the most thrilling expedition of all.Archeologist Kelly Pierce lives for adventure, weaving a tapestry of exploration, seeking out artifacts that whisper stories of the past. Always ready for the next expedition, she never thought Oklahoma would be on her map.Shawn Scott thrives in predictability...Categorized as:
competent heroine neurodivergent queer grumpy sunshine caretaking second chances f-f contemporary -
At Seventeen by Gerri Hill
Madison Lansford and Shannon Fletcher met when they were ten years old. Madison—daughter of wealthy parents and Shannon, daughter of their live-in maid and cook—became fast friends, yet both knew their place in life.There was never a doubt that they would become lovers . . . there was also never a doubt that Madison would marry and maintain her social standing in the community...Categorized as:
second chances angst queer contemporary f-f friends to lovers length-medium explicit-open-door -
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Loved and Lost by Stephanie Kusiak
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBlake Fortnier and Rachel Kaplan are the perfect couple. Fifteen years into a marriage that will seemingly last forever, a tragic accident tears them apart. After reaching the end of her rope, Blake is blessed with the chance to relive her life. She can right her wrongs, live life to the fullest and change the course of fate, or so she hopes... -
Call of Love by Lee Haven
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeparated by fear. Reunited by fate. Will they get a second chance at life and love?Parker Snow left home at nineteen after being abandoned by her family for loving her foster sister, Kate Cain. She joined the Marine Corps and has had little contact with her parents since. But when she’s transferred back to Washington D.C... -
Don't Quit Your Daydream by Adrian J. Smith
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens in the elevator doesn’t stay in the elevator. When Laura Finch’s business partner hires Skylar to bring their company to the next generation, Laura sees red. An obnoxious millennial isn’t someone she wants to work with—they’re known for failing their side hustles... -
Heal their Hearts by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Georgia Samuels lives her life with no commitments other than the love of her job, and the flashy little apartment overlooking the Thames. That is until tragedy strikes and her sister, Aston, and Aston's husband Ben are both killed when the plane they're returning home on crashes, leaving the family rocked, and three kids orphaned... -
Can We Skip to the Good Part? by Melissa Brayden
Ella Baker is tired of being an afterthought in her own life. First, her fiancé dumps her six days before the wedding. Then her family jets off on a world tour—without her. And just when she thinks it can’t get worse, her longtime employer forgets to lay her off...That is, until now. It’s time for a reinvention, starting with something totally out of joining a book club... -
Intersection: 10th Anniversary Edition by Nancy Ann Healy
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen FBI agent Alexis Toles was dispatched to New York to investigate threats sent to Congressman Christopher O’Brien, the last thing she expected to find was romance. But during her investigation, Alex finds herself in a love affair with the congressman’s ex-wife, all while discovering the convoluted conspiracy behind the threats... -
Thrust by Rachel Spangler
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFencing prodigy Jess Kidman has always been ahead of her peers. At the age of thirteen she made the varsity team, won a state championship, came out, and fell head over heels in love with her team captain, Lauren Standish...Categorized as:
queer second chances small town competent heroine strong heroine contemporary sports f-f -
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... -
Is It Casual Now? by Eada Friesian
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo ice queens meet for one steamy night. Will it all end when their night is no longer anonymous?Jamie Kettlehouse is known by many pen names, so when she picks up a mysterious woman at the bar, it’s just another fun night. Always career minded, Jamie publishes an article that goes viral, yet instead of pushing her career forward she’s on the verge of being fired...Categorized as:
strong heroine queer from hate to love age difference dual-pov contemporary f-f length-medium -
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 caretaking found-family small town career professional friends to lovers f-f length-medium -
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Next Time by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPayton Foret agrees to play wingwoman for her best friend. She never dreamed that when she walked into the bar that night that she’d meet her soul mate. Though their only physical contact was a simple handshake, Payton begins to believe in love at first sight. There’s only one problem—the woman of her dreams is already in a relationship with someone else... -
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 found-family small town poor heroine competent heroine career professional f-f length-short -
A Dare to Remember by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
Fifteen years ago, a game of Truth or Dare ended in a kiss that would forever change two women’s lives. Can they open up their hearts after years of hurt?After years away, Clara Chandler finds herself back in her Vermont hometown, nursing wounds from a shattered life in New York City...Categorized as:
queer grumpy sunshine second chances small town career professional f-f humor length-medium -
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... -
Heart Block by Melissa Brayden
Happily ever after is easier said than done…Sarah Matamoros can’t complain. After immigrating from Mexico when she was nine years old, she’s content with the life she’s made for herself in sunny San Diego. She works hard at her mother’s housecleaning service by day and spends the evenings with her quirky eight-year-old daughter, Grace... -
Passionate Rivals by Radclyffe
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOnetime lovers, unexpected rivals...Emmett McCabe never expected to see Sydney Stevens—a woman with whom she'd shared a brief, incendiary connection before it all went up in flames—again. Luckily, ascending the cutthroat ladder of a high-pressure surgery residency to reach the top spot makes it easy to ignore what's missing in her life. Then Sydney reappears after nearly five years... -
A Shot at Gold by Nicole Pyland
Elodie Booker was a phenomenon. No one had ever taken the sport of archery by storm the way she had. Trophies and accolades piled up around her even in her first years in the sport. Then, something terrible happened. She lost the only father figure she had ever known after losing person after person in her life... -
Before You Go by Melissa Tereze
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRyann Harris has everything she needs. A thriving tattoo studio and the woman she loves by her side.But Ryann’s world is turned upside down when she discovers lies and deceit.With the belief that she has no comeback, Ryann makes a drastic decision. She heads towards the river.And then she meets Lydia Nelson.Both are at the river railings for different reasons... -
Take Two by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThey were the perfect couple until pride got in the way…Gina needs Sophia Rossi, a popular actor, to be the grand marshal of the local Pride parade. Sophia needs to convince her meddling mother she has a steady girlfriend in order to survive a month of filming in her hometown... -
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... -
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The Summer You Were There Vol. 4 by Yuama, ゆあま
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAt the start of summer, Kaori suggested to her writer classmate Shizuku that they should pretend to date to give Shizuku material to write about. Together, they've not only gone on dates and grown closer, Kaori has also helped Shizuku face her past. But now, as Kaori sits in a hospital bed thanks to her chronic illness, she tells Shizuku that they should break-up. Shizuku is shocked... -
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... -
The Christmas Inheritance by Addison Clarke
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie Monroe loves everything about Baxter Tree Farm. From the smell of the pine trees to the shimmer of Christmas lights, Charlie is at home on the farm. Having managed the farm since graduating high school, Charlie considers herself an expert on all things Christmas trees. Her dream is to continue to grow the place she loves so much and make it a must visit place in Maine... -
Amanda's Dragonfly by Alexi Venice
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Amazon Bestselling Author Alexi VeniceAlexi Venice’s bestselling SAN FRANCISCO MYSTERY SERIES is a crime drama that tests the bonds of love and loyalty among Dr. Jen Dawson, Detective Tommy Vietti, and District Attorney Amanda Hawthorne. Amanda Hawthorne is a powerful District Attorney in San Francisco, defined by her beauty and own brand of justice... -
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... -
Against Doctor's Orders by Radclyffe
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThere’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 strong heroine career professional queer f-f contemporary doctors boss & employee
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