Books like 'The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea'
Readers who enjoyed The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth O'Roark also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny forced proximity famous heroine forbidden love from hate to love love triangle rich heroine secret-relationship m-f
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Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
Billy Winston’s family is going to see him happy and in love if it’s the last thing they do. No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated...Categorized as:
angst new adult forced proximity sweet heroine cold hero dual-pov m-f tortured heroine -
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or NotLenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost... -
Shortcake by Lucy Watson
Things Emelia Anderson would rather do than share a house with Benjamin Crawford: 1) Get strapped to a chair in a restaurant full of loud-chewers. 2) Parachute into the Australian Outback armed with only a blowdart. 3) Live her best life as an ice road trucker in the Alaskan Tundra... -
Forever Starts Tonight by Karla Sorensen
It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with Jax Cartwright for half my life. A terrible decision, really, and not just because he’s my brother’s best friend or he’s ten years older than me. Thanks to an overprotective family, he’s ignored me for years, but still, I can’t get his grumpy a** out of my head...Categorized as:
m-f cold hero dual-pov grumpy sunshine forbidden love sweet heroine age difference angst -
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Laws of Physics by Penny Reid
One week.Home alone.Girl genius.Unrepentant slacker.Big lie.What’s the worst that could happen?Mona is a smart girl and figured everything out a long time ago. She had to. She didn’t have a choice...Categorized as:
forced proximity new adult dual-pov m-f angst grumpy sunshine from hate to love forbidden love -
Made For You by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comesA brand new stand-alone enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine sports romance.A spin-off from the Only One seriesVivienneI did the last thing I ever expected to do. I bought a boat. A beautiful boat that was all mine to spend the summer on.Only thing I was looking forward to was the calm being on the water brought me...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov grumpy sunshine from hate to love cold hero m-f contemporary sports -
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... -
Identical Disaster by C.M. Owens
JAX My life was simple... until Bo Brendon crashed into my lap. Shy girls aren't my thing, yet somehow, she's under my skin and in my head. It's a f*cking nightmare. Yet it's a nightmare I don't want to give up. BOLIVIA (BO) Jax Marshall was an accident. A really sexy, smart, incredibly smooth, hot... accident...Categorized as:
new adult dual-pov first-person-pov forced proximity other-man-woman sweet heroine rich heroine m-f -
Falling for Mr. Bad by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShe’s a badass musician and mechanic with no patience for overinflated egos. He’s a billionaire with no time for drama. Going head-to-head has never been so much fun...or so dirty. Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and loads of heart make this sexy enemies-to-lovers, close proximity, forbidden, workplace, small town standalone romance unputdownable... -
Enticing Her Love: Sutton Steele by Melissa Foster
Pro: Stuck sharing a bed with my hot, broody boss Con: He’s trying to get me fired Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone... -
One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsI’m Poppy Woodstock.Romance author and wholehearted believer in Happily Ever Afters.A terminal case of writer’s block should be my biggest worry. Then I crash into him—literally—and fall into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Connor Bradley.Thief, rebel… and my new neighbor.One slip with the bad boy next door, and my life becomes stranger than any fiction I could ever write... -
Good Vibrations by Kayley Loring
A former model, a grumpy lawyer, and a single dad walk into an audition for a children's musical… They’re all Miles Brodie. It’s only cute if you aren’t the director who’s being bribed to cast his daughter. DEAR MS. CROSS, Re: Our discussion 1. True. Casting my daughter as the lead in your musical could be considered bribery if people find out I’m investing in it, but no one needs to know. 2... -
Space by Penny Reid
From the New York Times Bestselling Author Penny ReidOne week.Private cabin.Famous physicist.Still an unrepentant slacker.What’s the worst that could happen?Mona’s meticulously planned allotment of relaxation is thrown into chaos by the unscheduled appearance of her older brother’s band of friends, including the one person she'd hoped to never face again... -
Time by Penny Reid
From the New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reid A (brokenhearted) physicist. Now an infamous (who is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!! UGH!) musician. The worst has already happened. Mona has learned that she has nothing figured out and plans are meaningless. After leaving her in Aspen, Abram is now breaking sales-records, rising to rock star fame almost overnight. Mona can’t seem to escape him... -
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The Lie by Karla Sorensen
Rule number 1 for the team owner’s daughter? Don’t date the players. Especially not hotheaded tight ends with tattoos and impulse control problems. That’s why Dominic Walker is completely off my radar. Sort of. Babysitting the team troublemaker when he’s forced to volunteer for the foundation where I work means I can’t exactly avoid him. I wish I had though...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine rich heroine new adult from hate to love cold hero m-f dual-pov -
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love. Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome. 2) A person’s undoing 3) Joshua Templeman Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office... -
Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers.She's got a lot of baggage...literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real.For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but... -
The Space Between by Sarah Ready
The love we choose can change everything.A fateful night in Central Park leads Andrea and Jace to one life-changing conclusion-they're meant to be.Andrea Leighton-Hughes is no stranger to wealth-she's the daughter of one of the richest men in Manhattan and has been used as a chess piece in her family's business empire since she was born...Categorized as:
love triangle new adult dual-pov found-family m-f contemporary humor friends to lovers -
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... -
Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA knight in shining armor? Hardly. More like my worst enemy wrapped in a swoon-worthy tux… When Brooks Salinger saves me from heartbreak at a wedding, I never expect to see him again—let alone find him back in my life, set to destroy my family’s bookstore.But when he offers me a wild deal—pretend to be his girlfriend at a ritzy wedding in exchange for saving the store—I reluctantly agree... -
My Brother's Forbidden Friend by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsI’ve gone from crushing on my brother’s best friend to wanting to crush him. Cameron Baker and I have a few things in common. The first being that we were both born and raised in our small Alaskan town. Second, is that we hide our feelings and keep our hearts closed off from anyone who could break them.But hiding my feelings is harder to do with Cam than most... -
Tempt Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTwo enemies. One bed. What could possibly go wrong? Our new general manager is the most difficult man on the planet. The night before Drake begins working at my family's hotel, he finds me in the bar, trying to get rid of a boring date. But the guy won’t take even a not-so-subtle hint. Then Drake surprises me and comes to our table, but only to reprimand ME about dating in our workplace...Categorized as:
rich heroine from hate to love forced proximity m-f contemporary humor super rich hero office -
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother... -
The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini
How many weddings does it take to fall in love?One year ago, Amelie had it all.Almost engaged to her high school sweetheart, close to her childhood best friend, and cooking at her dad's restaurant: her life was exactly what she’d ordered.Until Ian, an opinionated wedding-hater, popped up out of nowhere and proved she might like something off menu.***One year later, Amelie has lost it all...Categorized as:
new adult m-f other-man-woman forced proximity sweet-hero forbidden love sweet heroine angst -
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Happily Letter After by Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward
From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes a love story about taking chances, and the surprises that come with them.My love story all started with a letter.Only it wasn’t from the man I’d eventually fall in love with. It was from his daughter. A sweet little girl named Birdie Maxwell who’d written to the magazine that I worked for... -
Dirty Flirty Enemy by Piper Rayne
He’s the arrogant Manhattan realtor with billboards advertising his six-pack more than his expertise in negotiations. I’m the competing broker who stupidly moved across the hall from his office. From day one, I’ve been his sworn enemy. Okay, so I might have accidentally stolen one of his clients... -
Just One Taste by Carly Phillips
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsOne grumpy billionaire.One sassy-sweet supermodel.Add in a tropical private island paradise.What could go wrong?As owner and CEO of Dirty Dare Spirits, thirty-three year old, Asher Dare has it all. Money. Power. Women whenever he wants. A private island retreat when he doesn’t. People he trusts? He can count those on one hand... -
Dirty Talking Rival by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsDespite 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:
new adult dual-pov m-f from hate to love secret-relationship first-person-pov contemporary humor -
Knockout by Jessica Prince
It wasn’t fair that the man I hated with a passion was so freaking gorgeous.Things in Layla Fox’s life were going great. She had a fantastic job, amazing friends, and a killer apartment. There was just one tiny glitch in all that perfect. Her upstairs neighbor was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome . . . and she hated the man with every cell in her body...Categorized as:
from hate to love grumpy sunshine cold hero m-f dual-pov sassy heroine forced proximity slow burn -
Sail by M. Mabie
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis isn’t just a two-year long one-night stand. It’s my life. This is my life. Our life. It isn’t just some careless affair. I’ve made the worst decisions a woman could, but I’ll earn my second chance. She can try keeping all the guilt for herself, but I’m just as much to blame. Loving Casey wasn’t my biggest mistake. Fighting it for so long was... -
One Bossy Disaster by Nicole Snow
A wild twist of fate throws together two total opposites in this steamy and hysterical grumpy sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Trust me, I'm not falling for a human porcupine.I don't do older men with baggage a mile long.Billionaires? Nope, I'm Miss Independence, thank you very much...Categorized as:
age difference forced proximity grumpy sunshine from hate to love dual-pov forbidden love m-f humor -
Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's her rock star crush, her go-to fantasy, and he's offering to make all her dreams come true... Rock star Malcolm Strong is used to being in control. Of the band. Of his feelings. Of the woman he has tied to his bed. He never gets close enough to get hurt. He never wants to. Until Lacey. The sassy brunette is working on the band's latest music video... -
Collide by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy hot professor’s past tore us apart. But he won’t give up on our future.I thought I knew who Sawyer Redmond was. I was wrong.But he’s fiercely determined to keep me, and I can’t avoid him. He’s everywhere—in class, at events, in my head.He forces me to discover a side of myself I never knew. One that terrifies me almost as much as it excites me.He says our secrets can bring us closer... -
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... -
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JINXED by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDrakeThey call me a flirt. ‘Detective Sl()ts-A-Lot’ when they’re feeling frisky, because my morals are loose, and my choice in women, according to the haters, is unfussy.But they don’t know I’ve been watching her.Waiting for her.The problem is, she’s half my age, and has no business being with a man like me.***RoryThey call me clumsy.Jinxed.And when they’re feeling a little dramatic, doomed...Categorized as:
age difference forced proximity angst new adult suspense humor contemporary length-medium -
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLife might be a highway but the last thing this grumpy silver fox expected was a cross-country road trip with a ray of sunshine."My sister is driving to California. She could give you a ride.""What?" Tucker Ashe and I say in unison.Mae FoxSurely, my older sister has lost her mind. There is no way I'm driving her insufferable – albeit sexy silver fox – boss two thousand miles... -
Steal by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 23 ratings**Release day special 99 cent, jumps to $3.99 after 24 hours** Steal, the follow-up standalone rockstar romance to the #1NYT Bestseller Keep… It's easy to lose yourself in someone you love...Categorized as:
angst new adult from hate to love famous heroine humor contemporary office length-medium -
Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son...Categorized as:
new adult found-family from hate to love grumpy sunshine forced proximity contemporary humor -
The Shake Off by Lulu Moore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMy name is Ace Watson, and I’m having an existential crisis.I finished last season as one of the league's best pitchers. Baseball’s smooth-talking boy wonder. The future of The New York Lions.I'm starting this season as the worst.And I don't want to sound dramatic, but the fault lies entirely with Payton Lopez... -
Fake Around and Find Out by S.M. Shade
An enemies-to-lovers, fake relationship romantic comedy.The Happy Haven Trailer Park is not where I hoped to be at age twenty-five.Circumstances have left me without a job or a car in a small town where work is scarce. When my insufferable neighbor approached me with a very indecent proposal to co-star in his videos on the Lonely Hands app, I had to resist the impulse to punch him in the mouth...Categorized as:
from hate to love grumpy sunshine dual-pov new adult found-family humor contemporary length-medium -
Show Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI moved to Chicago six months ago, determined to finally open my own bakery. My landlady was this sweet woman who treated me like her granddaughter. Then she sold the house. Now the devil himself is my landlord and neighbor since I live in the guesthouse on his property. Declan Maxwell is moody, unreasonable, and takes himself far too seriously. Unfortunately for me, he’s also damn sexy... -
Next In Line by Amy Daws
What happens when the cute mountain man you made out with in an ice fishing shack turns out to be your brother’s best friend? A whole lot of awkward, that’s what. Maggie’s mind is reeling when she discovers the guy she became tangled up with at Marv’s Bait & Tackle isn’t a stranger like she thought... -
Meet Hate Love by Stevie J. Cole
I hated Vance Morgan, my arrogant office mate, more than anyone in the world. And yet, there I was, on a Paris-bound flight, cramped in the small space by his six-foot-four, arrogant frame. And why? Because after the sexy, thieving bastard stole my dream assignment, I found out he had a Lonely Fans page. One dedicated to pictures of his man-meat stick in front of world monuments...Categorized as:
new adult forced proximity from hate to love m-f first-person-pov dual-pov sassy heroine sweet-hero -
Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThese three women are the toughest juries they’ll ever have to plead their case to.THIS BOX SET INCLUDES…Clean Slate (Charity Case #0.5)Moving two thousand miles away wasn’t my plan, but when family needs you, you come. Before I can head back to my hometown of Chicago though, I have two men to say good-bye to. Neither one of them will be happy to hear the news... -
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The Prodigal by Kristy Marie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThe Prodigal is a steamy, frenemies to lovers, forbidden romance full of delicious angst and heart-wrenching revelations. Arrogant. Indifferent. Uncompromising. Remington Potter was a sarcastic jerk with a body of an avenging angel. He screamed good times and bad decisions. But that’s not what made us friends. His saving me that one night did—even if he denied it... -
The Holiday Stand-In by Kortney Keisel
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe's everything I've ever wanted. Too bad he's my boyfriend's twin brother.When my boyfriend says he’s too busy working—again—to spend the holidays with me and my family, I’m sure Christmas is ruined.Not only will I be alone, but my family is convinced he doesn't love me... -
The Love Interest by Kayley Loring
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDear Fiona,I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine secret-relationship m-f contemporary humor length-medium -
Sweet Sunshine (the Pembrooke series) by Jessica Prince
She’s a romantic at heart. Chloe Delaney had three very specific wishes, growing up. She wished to stay settled in the small mountain town of Pembrooke, where she grew up, to one day be her own boss, and to fall in love with a man who would be willing to go to the ends of the earth for her...Categorized as:
m-f grumpy sunshine caretaking other-man-woman sweet heroine cold hero dual-pov humor -
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rulesNora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...
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