Books like 'The Buy-In'
Readers who enjoyed The Buy-In by Emma St. Clair also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny second chances marriage of convenience grumpy sunshine single-mother
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Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn her twenties, Rachel Walsh was a mess. Since her spell in rehab, though, she's come a long way on the road to recovery - and now, she's ready to go back to where it all began. But this time, the student has become the teacher. She used to hate the staff in charge of treating her addiction. Now, she's one of them.Rachel's finally got herself on track - but life never stops being messay... -
Dirty Little Midlife (fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBrooding, grumpy Des has a problem. He needs a date to his family's Thanksgiving reunion for reasons he'd...rather not say.Single mother and all-around hot mess Mia has an even bigger issue: She can't afford her rent, and her new landlord Des is a major you-know-what.So, they make a deal. One simple weekend away in exchange for a serious rent reduction... -
Heavy Petting by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsHe's her best friend. A reformed bad boy turned hot teacher. And after one spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding... her husband.Jordan Benoit and Fletcher Landry have been best friends since they were six. He's always been The Guy. When she needed picked up, cheered up, or lifted up--like literally, to see the stage at a concert--Fletcher was the guy... -
The Grump's Bodyguard by Latisha Sexton
It was love at first sight . . . or at least, love at first bloody nose.ThorIf there’s one thing the Marines taught me, it’s that you don’t quit until you’ve completed your mission. Or you die trying. And by the way Clover Mason keeps shooting fire at me from those violet-colored eyes of hers, it just may be the latter... -
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The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 24 ratings"The perfect escape for readers wanting to get away."—Booklist One woman takes the vacation of a lifetime in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold a family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.Single mom Robyn Caldwell needs a new plan for her future. She has always put her family first. Now, with her kids grown, she yearns for a change... -
Jingle Bell Hell by Denise Grover Swank, A.R. Casella
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s a sexually repressed control freak. He’s a muscular ex-con with heavier baggage than Santa’s toy bag. They’re everything each other never wanted.MaryI’m usually the first person on my block to decorate for Christmas. This year? Humbug.My six-year-old son, Aidan, just had a meltdown after learning some hard truths from a drunk Santa impersonator, and I can no longer deny we both need help... -
Lead Me Knot by S.L. Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSometimes the temptation is too much to deny.Falling into bed with my best friend’s brother was an accident.What happened right after… not so much.With abs more defined than the Texas Hill Country and a killer smirk I can’t ignore, the “boy next door” is all grown up and too hot for his own good.My heart races for a man who’s forbidden.My breath catches each time his hand brushes against mine... -
Knocking Boots by Jordan Marie
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI’ve always heard, don’t fall in love with a cowboy. I just didn't listen. I've sworn off men. They’ve never given me much in life, except a bun in the oven and grief. My kids are my life and all that truly matter. Until him. Jansen Reed is a living fantasy straight from the old west. Sexy drawl, tight jeans and that glint in his eyes that make my knees weak... -
Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson
When the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses...Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she's turned it all around...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine single-mother contemporary age difference christmas humor from hate to love clean -
Treasured by Thursday by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThe seventh and final tale in the dazzling, heartwarming, pulse-racing Weekday Brides series. Gabriella Masini: She’s a woman haunted by her past, with the scars to prove it. She believes that fairy tales are for other people... -
Making Whoopie by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThis marriage of convenience is about to get sticky. Getting hitched for the health insurance is not Jocelyn Asher’s idea of romance.But the hospital quote has really frosted her cookies, and suddenly, “I’m rich. We should just get married,” sounds a whole lot more swoony.Especially when the man proposing is this gorgeous. And takes her to parties featuring champagne and petit fours... -
The Consequence of Rejection by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA standalone second chance romance by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken. You know the universe is trying to tell you something when you get struck by lightning, but only after getting hit on by the elderly, almost getting run over by a semi, and running into the one who got away... -
Dirty Little Midlife Secret by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLily Viceroy arrived in Heart’s Cove with a suitcase by her side and two eensy weensy secrets tucked into the corners of her heart.Well, that’s if “eensy” and “weensy” are code for “terrifying” and “dire.”Clearly, the only thing for Lily to do is to engage in a good ol’ bout of denial... -
With This Fling by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLaura Bennett has spent her life taking care of other people and running the Dip and Twist. Happily spending her time being single and carefree, she has no intention of settling down or falling in love. With an ever-growing family, she’s a mother to them all, and she loves every minute of it. But her baby is getting married, and her oldest has her own life changes she’s dealing with... -
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Big, Bossy Problem: An Accidental Baby Romance by Lilian Monroe
Being a dog walker isn’t as glamorous as you might imagine.Unless, of course, you’re walking a tech billionaire’s German shepherd mix... -
Stay With Me by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLife moves on. Only people who have never lost anyone they loved with all their heart can blindly believe those words. What if I didn’t want to move on? What if I wanted to wake up every morning with that familiar ache in my chest, knowing I’d never see her again? But, life can change in a moment... -
Beach Please by Melanie Summers
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA hilarious and heartwarming story that’ll have you snort-laughing, swooning, and sighing with happiness… Lola Gordon's dreams of a thriving surf shop were shattered when her ex vanished with all the money in their business account, leaving her on the brink of losing everything... -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTuckerI spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that.Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
My Wife by Ellie Hall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s a new Mr. Mom. She’s a jilted bride. When her role as the nanny develops into a marriage of convenience, will playing house become less of a game?LiamI don’t know what I’m doing. In fact, I have no idea where this kid came from. I mean, I know that part, but when he showed up on my doorstep, not only did I have to put everything on hold, but my hockey coach threw me into the sin bin...Categorized as:
marriage of convenience grumpy sunshine hockey contemporary sports humor length-long audiobook -
Starlight on Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs sweeps readers away to a sun-drenched summer on the shores of Willow Lake in a stunning tale of the delicate ties that bind a family together… and the secrets that tear them apart… When caregiver Faith McCallum arrives at the enchanted, lakeside estate of Avalon's renowned Bellamy family, she's intent on rebuilding her shattered life and... -
Forever Entangled by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsRyan Parker had always loved Sienna Ashton, but gave up on his fantasy years ago. After working as an undercover FBI Agent in Los Angeles, Ryan gets a phone call telling him to come home to the small town of Keeneston, Kentucky. The woman he thought he was over is now in serious trouble. Sienna Ashton fell in love with Ryan Parker too late... -
Valentine Nook by Lulu Moore
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLando Burlington, the eleventh duke of Oxfordshire, is back on the market as England’s most eligible bachelor. It’s a title he’d sooner burn to the ground, especially following the fallout of his ‘almost’ wedding. It doesn’t help that his mother is trying to set him up with every single woman in the country, none of whom he’s interested in... -
Nailed by You by Nikki Mays
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsKellie has had it with men! Especially good for nothing sperm donors who never see their daughter! The only men who don’t get on her nerves are her father, brother and Mason Ross. The first two for obvious reasons and the last one, well...he’s just Mason. Sweet, silly and more handsome than any man should ever be. Too bad a man like him can have any woman that he wants... -
Things I Remember by Kelsey Humphreys
It shouldn’t be a surprise that my marriage is ending, since it was secretly a business arrangement to begin with. It’s time to let it go. I have accepted that.Apparently, my almost-ex-husband has not.Susan Canton loves her family and their business. Typical first-born, she’s an achiever, a leader... -
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It's Always Sonny by Kate Watson
Sunshine always melts ice eventually. And I’m starting to feel the burn.People may call me an “overachieving ice queen,” but I would do anything for the people I love.So when my friends ask me to host an event at their famous farm, I’m more than happy to help…until I discover I’ve been set up.The “event” is actually a reunion for my ex’s family...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine second chances forced proximity contemporary sports m-f found-family football -
Second Chance by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAnother romance for the over 40. Can one sexy silver fox face the woman he once left behind but never let go? Her. A widow at forty-four, her husband left her a letter. Contact Denton. Once upon a time, the three of them had been best friends. Mati Rath isn’t sure she should look back. Her heart isn’t ready, or so she thinks. Him. A pleading phone call forces him to make a decision...Categorized as:
second chances single-mother friends to lovers contemporary humor length-long audiobook -
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 17 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... -
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting?When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off for the West... -
A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t date the women I work with. It cost me three tattoo guns, a job, five motorcycle tires, and I’m not even counting the t-shirts I never got back. It feels different with Frankie but she comes with a little daughter and a crap load of other baggage. I’m not the guy you take home to your parents, let alone your child... -
Captivating In Love (The Maverick Billionaires) by Bella Andre, Jennifer Skully
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGideon Jones came back from war a changed man. Though the Maverick Billionaires claim he’s one of their own, he knows he doesn't deserve to be part of their tightly knit unit. Just like he doesn't deserve Rosie Diaz—an amazing mother…and an utterly captivating woman that he can't stop dreaming about... -
Thinking 'Bout You by Claire Hastings
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTo the world, he’s Dustin Wild, country star with a megawatt smile and a voice smooth as whiskey. To me, he’ll always be Dustin Wilder, the small-town boy who stole my heart…then broke it.It’s been seven years since Dustin rolled out of our rural Georgia town, chasing his dream, promising he’d be back. Except that never happened... -
Man Find by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn anonymous chat forum. Two lonely people. And the summer everything changed. Camden Bergen is Colorado royalty. An heir to the Bergen Mountain Sports empire, he could have the world at his fingertips. Instead, he’s shouldering the pain of his past, across the ocean, hidden away from everyone but his anonymous online friend known to him only as Mountain Daisy... -
Hot for the Handyman by Whitley Cox
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's got just the right tool to fix her broken heart ...Welcome to Seattle, the Emerald City and home to The Single Moms of Seattle. Three sexy single ladies who drink a ton of wine every Saturday night, bitch about life, have each other's backs, are the ultimate mama bears, and hope to one day, just maybe find love again.This is Bianca’s story ...Bianca’s life is insane... -
Playing Along: A Small Town Second Chance Romance by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen I came back to Sin Valley, the mission was simple—avoid the ex-girlfriend who broke my heart. At all costs.Too bad I just (accidentally) moved in next door to her. And her battery-operated boyfriend(s). Plural.Crap! No matter how hard I try to steer clear of Desiree Grant, fate keeps tossing us together.And, so far? It’s not going too well for me...Categorized as:
single-mother second chances multicultural military humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
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Two Wrongs Made Right by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJust because my brother found love doesn’t mean I have to.I’d rather focus on other things.Like money.It never gives you sleepless nights that drive you insane.But the single mom I hooked up with at my brother’s wedding?She’s got me sweating.I can’t get her out of my head.Those curves.That smart mouth.She’s the right kind of trouble.But I’m the wrong kind of guy.Or not.She’s been wronged before... -
Give & Take by Claire Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI shouldn’t be thinking about him.Even though he tells me he can’t stop thinking about me.I’m turning 41.He’s 26.I’m a serious person.He’s fun-loving and carefree.It’s all wrong. But every time Raphael LaForest looks at me, it feels so, so right. Just a glance and my whole body melts. The simple brush of his hand on mine and every last nerve ending is on fire.But that’s not all...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine single-mother age difference small town contemporary humor length-long m-f -
Run with It by M.L. Nystrom
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe struggle is real. Beverly spends so much of her time juggling her four kids, a dead-beat ex, and two jobs that she never has time for herself or another man in her life. Then Connor moves in next door. Connor is healing from a hard break from his family and is working to find his own identity. He has no interest in joining another one. Then he meets his neighbor... -
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:
single-mother grumpy sunshine dual-pov humor contemporary suspense length-medium m-f -
Losing My Breath by J. Rose Black
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA Marine never says die. Neither does his princess.Battle lines are drawn when sheltered debutante Meridian Daly moves across the hall from grumpy former special forces Marine Callan Brand. Situated a bit closer than advertised to 'crime alley', Meridian’s neighbor finds himself grudgingly guarding the pampered princess out of habit... -
A Better Place by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAfter James Cole's wife walked out on him, he put his dreams aside to raise his daughter. But now she's grown and he's ready for more. When the opportunity arises to own a restaurant, his life-long dream, he can't deny that it's meant to be. And for more reasons than one. He’s kept his heart closed off since the day his wife walked away... -
Better Daddy by Brittanee Nicole, Jenni Bara
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the Authors of the Mom Coms comes a laugh out loud new series featuring three single dads. Fatherhood has never been so hilarious. Sloane Marie Murphy is the only woman I've ever loved. She's my favorite person, the mother of my child and my soon to be ex-wife... -
Rock And A Hard Place by Juliana Smith
Sometimes history repeats itself, sometimes it rewrites itself entirely in this second chance, parent-trap-style romantic comedy. Someone was playing a cruel joke on Marigold Wells. And she had a feeling she knew exactly who it was. Ever since their divorce seven years ago, Marigold’s ex husband, Liam, had been making it his personal mission to push her beyond all her boundaries... -
907 For Keeps Way by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEveryone in town wants the smoldering personal trainer. He has his sights set on a curvy (and newly divorced) single mother. Cherry Falls is filled with returning characters and iconic destinations that will begin to feel like family. When you leave the city, and drive into Cherry Falls, it’s like you’ve finally come home... -
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
A second chance with your first crush.Doesn’t happen often.For Liam Fisher, that first crush was his next door neighbor, Olive Witherby.Childhood was lazy summers, treehouse stargazing, and endless games of hide and seek at Pine Creek, the Christmas tree farm that’s been in Liam’s family for generations... -
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Our Options Have Changed by Julia Kent, Elisa Reed
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHaving it all is a fantasy, right? Chloe Browne knows all about fantasy. Fantasy is her job. And she’s very, very good at what she does. As director of design for the O Spa chain, a sophisticated women’s club that is trending its way into being the Next Big Thing, Chloe’s ready to take on the world. One baby at a time... -
Falling for Meadow by Kels Stone, Denise Stone
Meadow Macrae was the beginning of it all for me. My first kiss. My first time. My first heartbreak. We were two kids with dreams that were too big for our town in the Scottish Highlands. We planned on forever, but when the day arrived, she left me waiting at the airport with just a text message telling me that she wasn't coming...Categorized as:
second chances single-mother contemporary first-person-pov dual-pov m-f siblings-bff scotland -
Bayou Tonight by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA prequel to Gotta Be Bayou, book one in the Badges of the Bayou series She’s so not his type. But he’s been thinking about her for almost a year now.He needs to figure out a way to get over her.Though kissing her at their friends’ wedding probably isn’t it…FBI agent Spencer Landry is looking for a sweet, bubbly sunshine at home to balance out all the darkness he sees in his work... -
Tempt Me With Forever by Maria Luís
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNever trust a bad boy. That's what Beauty Influencer Lizzie Danvers tells her YouTube subscribers after getting dumped on Instagram. Lizzie may have the devil's luck in choosing men, but she's determined to prove that the age-old "once a playboy, always a playboy" theory is bulletproof. All she needs is thirty days and one sexy commitment-phobe to do it.. -
Until Lydia by E.M. Shue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCan a wild mama bear and an orderly Tennessee State Trooper fight the BOOM? There are two sides to Lydia Roark. The wild, fun-loving woman who fights hard to protect bears and other animals. And the strait-laced, doting mother of twins who dresses properly and covers her tattoos so not to embarrass her husband. But when her life blows up in a silicon, Botoxed way, her fiery side is unleashed...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine single-mother contemporary suspense mystery possessive hero abuse humor -
Fret Me Not by Sarah Estep
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThere's a fine line between love and fake....Rockstar Sam Shoop has retreated to his secluded cabin In Crane Cove for some privacy. Unfortunately for him, the residents haven’t gotten the memo and want to set him up with every available person they know...
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