Books like 'Sweet Talk'
Readers who enjoyed Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny strong heroine competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero working class heroine sunny hero dual-pov first-person-pov
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If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov m-f competent heroine sweet-hero sunny hero single-father 20th century -
Taming A Maverick by C.M. Owens
Salem: Just some fun. Just one night of reckless, harmless, wild fun. That's what I told myself the night I hooked up with quite possibly the sexiest guy I've ever known. Only, I didn't want to KNOW him. Life is a series of temporary situations, or so it's always been for me... -
Talk Nerdy To Me by C.M. Owens
Despite the fact it seemed like Base Masters was all over Sterling Shore, I'd never really known much about him, aside from random factoids. Things like...he's a semi-estranged cousin of one of my brother's friends, plays guitar in a local band, and he doesn't get mentioned much unless he's on stage. Until.. -
There's Something about Scarlett by Hannah Ellis
Three years of marriage, then they’ll go their separate ways…Scarlett Mercer dreams of starting her own publishing company. But with no way to finance university, she might be stuck working in her aunt’s café indefinitely.When a chance encounter leads her to an extreme solution, she’s desperate enough to go through with it. Even if it means marrying a guy she’s only just met...Categorized as:
dual-pov competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero m-f neurodivergent new adult humor -
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Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
Stay Wild by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhat happens when your wandering heart is captured by your friend with benefits?ScarlettArcher Kincaid is supposed to be all the fun and none of the strings, but the longer I stay in Willow River, the more I feel roots pulling me to settle down.I plan to complete a one-year photography contract with Captured Moments, then move on to travel the world...Categorized as:
dual-pov strong heroine friends to lovers m-f friends-benefits humor insta-love contemporary -
Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster
She’s a romance writer who, against her better instinct, is finding love in the friend zone in a fun, sexy, and unpredictable romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.Who buys a cottage in a New England fishing village on a whim? A stressed-out, twice-divorced romance writer and single mother looking for a fresh start, that’s who... -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers independent heroine strong heroine m-f humor contemporary sassy heroine -
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery single thing you want is going to require you to be uncomfortable. Those words had been shared with her by the one man she didn’t think she could take a chance on. She just didn’t know that he was right, or that he was going to be the one making her uncomfortable. Nash Wilder Christopherson was the world’s golden boy. For fifteen years, she watched Nash race from the safety of her phone...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers dual-pov strong heroine m-f humor pregnancy sports -
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It's amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days... -
A Ticking Time Boss by Olivia Hayle
The golden angel who swooped in to save me from a nightmare first date turns out to be a billionaire vulture circling the company I work for.Carter Kingsley: My savior and ruthless corporate raider hell bent on destroying the newspaper I love. Oh, and my new boss.His first order of business? Cut half the staff. I should hate him. Easy, right?Wrong... -
Business Casual by B.K. Borison
Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can... -
Flirt by Adriana Locke
WANTED: A SITUATION-SHIPI’m a single female that’s tired of relationships ruining my life. However, there are times when a date would be helpful. If you’re a single man, preferably mid-twenties to late-thirties, and are in a similar situation, we might be a match.Candidate must be handsome, charming, and willing to pretend to have feelings for me (on a sliding scale, as the event requires)...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov first-person-pov competent heroine sweet-hero m-f office contemporary -
Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there...Categorized as:
friends to lovers independent heroine m-f humor new adult contemporary length-medium -
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Seatmate by Cara Bastone
I have exactly 5 hours and 10 minutes to get from Boston to New York City or the professional opportunity of a lifetime disappears. My only travel option? The second to last seat on a discount bus. Across from the bathroom. Wearing last night’s clothes (don’t ask). All worth it if I can make it in time.My nerves almost get the best of me, but then there he is, sitting down in the seat next to me... -
A Greene Family Christmas by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPreparing a Christmas to remember is no small feat with a family the size of the Greenes. Especially, when the woman who has always been the planner down to every minute detail falls ill, only five days before the holiday.The family has no choice but to scramble to ensure that nothing is amiss. Cookies need to be decorated, gingerbread houses assembled and decorations to be hung...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine m-f christmas contemporary humor age difference length-novella -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
The Last Sad Love Song by Kimberly Brown
“When wounds are healed by love, the scars are beautiful.” —David BowlesCalliope “Callie” Palmer is one year fresh out of a relationship with a heartbreaking end. Since she decided to focus on herself and her bakery, the last thing Callie was looking for again was love. When her best friend recruited her for a photoshoot with her fiancé, Callie had a feeling she was being set up...Categorized as:
m-f independent heroine sweet-hero dual-pov length-short explicit-open-door contemporary humor -
The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob by Pippa Grant
A rock star / single mom / fairy tale romcomYou don’t know me, but you do know me... -
Loved Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEven though they’d never dated, Lily Shaw always just assumed she’d eventually end up with Ben, the boy who’s been her bestie since they were toddlers. So she’s understandably shocked to learn he’s getting married—and having a child with his fiancée. Shocked…but not terribly upset. The truth is, she's been feeling butterflies every time she’s near a particular horse trainer on her parents’ ranch... -
Some Sort of Happy by Melanie Harlow
Skylar Nixon is a twenty-seven year old failed actress with no Plan B. After a humiliating stint on a reality TV show crushes what’s left of her childhood dream, she finds herself back in her hometown with no money saved, no college degree, and no confidence she’s anything but a joke—a small town starlet who couldn’t hack it in the big city...Categorized as:
shy-hero friends to lovers nerdy-hero dual-pov strong heroine grumpy sunshine first-person-pov m-f -
Dirty Talking Rival by Pippa Grant
Despite growing up in rival towns, Grady Rock and I were high school best friends.But now?Now, he's my biggest enemy. My dirty-talking, master-baking, grudge-holding, hot-as-sin enemy.All I wanted was to help my mom run her bakery after a family emergency left her unable to do it herself.Never mind that I can't bake. Or that I never wanted to move home again...Categorized as:
dual-pov m-f friends to lovers first-person-pov contemporary new adult humor military -
Out On a Limb by Josie Watts, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsNever work for your family. Especially when that family consists of an octogenarian going through a mid-life crisis.Now, instead of running Sweet Side Gardens, my grandad's popping little blue pills and sneaking into closets with my friends’ grandmas…Leaving me to handle everything else.And I was doing a pretty good job up until the night I found myself dangling from a tree.Topless...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers dual-pov nerdy-hero humor office contemporary suspense -
The Friend Situation by Lyra Parish
After the charming billionaire and I successfully play matchmaker, he asks me to be his fake fiancée. Saying yes might be the biggest slip-up of my life, but what are friends for?Weston Calloway is the last man I imagined meeting after one of my boring breakups. But there he was, in a dive bar, drinking cheap whiskey, looking like my next favorite mistake... -
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Perfect Match by Eliza McLane
They couldn't be more different, but wild-at-heart (and in bed) Rose and sweet-but-square Tyler have to make it through a romantic Valentine's weekend to win the prize at the end - all while proving they're certainly, definitely,really not the perfect match the dating app proclaims them to be..Categorized as:
m-f dual-pov first-person-pov shy-hero nerdy-hero strong heroine humor forced proximity -
Mine To Love by Natasha Madison
Presley After my sisters’ disastrous weddings, I’m never going to get married. I’ll just stay single forever. It doesn’t matter that I’m in love with my brother’s best friend. Or that Bennett and I shouldn’t even be friends with benefits. Until the positive sign tells me I’m pregnant. Bennett I fell in love with Presley when she was eighteen and asked me for a favor...Categorized as:
friends to lovers strong heroine m-f contemporary humor sassy heroine pregnancy explicit-open-door -
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
Riptide by Kathryn Nolan
Avery Dacosta never expected to find a protester in front of her office.Especially not now, when she’s this close to achieving a professional milestone years in the making: building a luxury hotel on Playa Vieja, San Diego’s untouched beach paradise.Finn Travis, local surfer and all-around nice guy, never expected to find himself the leader of Playa Vieja’s resistance... -
Betting on the Brainiac by Melanie Jacobson
An intense programmer and a hard partying social butterfly have nothing in common...But the sparks fly anyway when Madison Benedict offers Oliver Hayes a quiet space to work in the daylight hours of Austin's premiere nightclub where she makes major bank working bottle service for VIPs...Categorized as:
m-f nerdy-hero sweet-hero marriage of convenience contemporary humor length-medium glimpses-kisses -
Love Scammed by Rilzy Adams
It’s the blind date to end all blind dates.When Monae Alexander turns up to Miami International Airport to meet her best friend, Tempest, for their anti-Valentine’s Day girls’ trip to Turks and Caicos, she realizes she’s been scammed... -
Boomerangers by Heather M. Orgeron
Boomerangers [boo-muh-rang-ers] noun, informal: an adult that moves back home to live with a parent after a period of independence. Spencer I love sex. I love the power, the intimacy, the euphoria it brings. Too bad I’m not having any . . . You’d think as New Orleans’ most renowned sex therapist that I’d be swimming in single men. In a way, I am . . -
Not As Planned by Harlow James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“So you’re single?” “Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked...Categorized as:
m-f dual-pov first-person-pov competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero contemporary humor -
Dating-ish by Penny Reid
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris: 1) She’s fed up with online dating, 2) She’s so fed up, she’s willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and 3) She knows how to knit. After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of human kind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men... -
Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
If people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine dual-pov m-f first-person-pov humor sports contemporary -
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Break the Rules by Roxie Noir
She’s my best friend’s kid sister. Now she’s not a kid any more. As a forest ranger, I believe in the simple life. I prefer cabins to apartments, trails over freeways, and trees to people. My life is orderly, predictable, and quiet. Until it’s hit by a woman I never saw coming -- Hurricane June. She’s fierce. She’s feisty...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov shy-hero grumpy sunshine m-f competent heroine sweet-hero nerdy-hero -
John by Jenna Myles
I never planned on getting out of prison. I did what I did to keep my brother safe, and I could live with that.But now I'm out, and I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Everything is too loud, too busy, too overwhelming. And for a man who's used to every decision being made for him...well, let's just say I'm on the verge of doing something stupid to get sent back.Until she walks in, that is... -
Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley
Two high school BFFs reunite and endeavor to fix each other’s lives in this geeky romance from the author of Love, Comment, Subscribe.Tam Doan dumped her boyfriend after he threw away her gourmet cheese. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than that, but the point is, he had it coming...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov sweet-hero m-f contemporary new adult multicultural humor -
The Worst Wedding Date by Pippa Grant
He’s a tattooed shirtless bad boy. My best friend’s brother. And the jerk on the other side of my bed.I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother , but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade... -
Hello Tease by Kelsie Hoss
Men view love as a game. One you can walk away from.At least that’s what the men in my life have taught me. My dad ran off when I was young, and just when I thought I was getting my own happily ever after, my ex left me on my own with two kids.Trying to pick up the pieces, I move to a small town where I can have help from my children’s grandparents...Categorized as:
dual-pov grumpy sunshine m-f single-mother humor contemporary suspense length-medium -
Billionaire Boss by Julie Capulet
Our deal was simple. One night. Fake names. No strings attached.Until it turns out he’s my new boss...I couldn’t believe my luck when I got sent to a work conference in Hawaii. Living the dream after years of pulling myself up by my bootstraps.The sand, the palm trees and the blue water were straight out of a romantic fantasy.So was the guy at the beachfront bar, let’s be honest. Blue eyes...Categorized as:
dual-pov friends to lovers grumpy sunshine m-f first-person-pov super rich hero contemporary office -
A Collision of Stars by Georgia Stone
One summer. One bucket list.No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which is unfortunate, as a barista in a busy London coffee shop. Bored, cynical and deathly sarcastic, she’s built up walls for a reason. Despite attempts from her best friend to shake up her routine, Ava refuses to do anything to disrupt her carefully curated life... -
Somebody to Lean On by Jess Mastorakos
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDo I want to kiss my best friend? Yep. Always have. Too bad it’s not that simple.Jackson Wilson and I are long-distance co-guardians of our friends' daughter, and even though we're best friends and we're totally committed to Phoebe, this isn't a romcom where the best friends get together in the end.Unfortunately .But now, Phoebe and I have nowhere to go but Jackson's tiny Tennessee town... -
Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo authors, an intertwined plot, and one heck of an alluring ending to their highly-anticipated bestselling books... With her fantasy series, Bridget Paige is the newest member of the New York Times Bestseller list. Except no one knows who she is. To the world, she's Bridget. To those behind the scenes, she's introverted Paige Booker... -
The Fast Lane by Sharon M. Peterson
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA totally hilarious friends-to-lovers, brother’s best friend romantic comedyHe’s the only person who can give me a ride to my brother’s wedding, and he’s also the one man I absolutely CANNOT have feelings for. My brother’s best friend is strictly off limits… Isn’t he?I should have known my mom would go totally overboard packing for my brother’s big day... -
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I Think I Might Want You by Christina C. Jones
Jemma Love is beholden to no one, and wants nothing more than to keep it that way. She’s built a lifestyle around the things she enjoys most – traveling, good food , and good… company. She doesn’t need anything else. Except… Levi Anders throws a bit of a wrench in those plans... -
Ale's Fair in Love and War by Sylvie Stewart
An Enemies-to-Lovers RomanceHollis Hayes is the worst neighbor in the entire history of neighbors.She’s also the hottest.F.M.L.I don’t have time to fight with the dog groomer next door. There’s a brewery to run, siblings to rein in, and a mom to look after. So if Hollis thinks I’ll roll over and let her drive me out of business, she’s not nearly as smart as she thinks she is... -
My So-Called Sex Life by Lauren Blakely
I’ve got a list of people I absolutely don’t ever want to be stuck with on a boat, or a plane, or a train, and it starts and ends with the broody, grumpy, too-sexy-for-my-own good Axel Huxley. Also known as this romance novelist’s number one nemesis. The man is legendary for his mighty pen and his even mightier scowl... -
One Last Play: A Sporty Romantic Comedy by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShe could be the one. I’ve spent twelve years caring for my niece Maddie who I adopted after my sister died. Having a daughter has made me picky when it comes to the women I spend time with. Not to mention dealing with the pressure of being a college football coach. But when I spot MJ at a mutual friend’s wedding, something draws me toward her...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers m-f sunny hero first-person-pov dual-pov sports humor -
Southern Snow by B.R. Goodwin
For the last three years, Georgia has called the quirky southern town of Sugartree home, dutifully moving back to manage her parent’s coffee shop after her father suffered a heart attack and finding contentment in her busy schedule and the occasional shenanigans of her three younger siblings...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero sunny hero christmas christian contemporary -
Change of Pace by Kayla Grosse
JESSE REEVES wants to live life to the fullest. After a Kawasaki Disease diagnosis and an ICD implant, she’s determined to make every moment count—including tackling her carefully curated bucket list.First on the list? A no-strings-attached one-night stand.Enter ASHER JAMISON, a charming stranger who helps her check that box. Their night together is everything she hoped for, and then some...
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