Books like 'Better Than Expected'
Readers who enjoyed Better Than Expected by Haley Cass also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance friends to lovers bisexual queer found-family angst single-mother
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The Blind Side of Love by Ingrid Díaz
2nd draft available here: ingriddiaz.com Julianne Franqui is a hot actress and secretly gay. On a trip to New York she sees the artwork of artist Kris Milano, whose talent is not the only thing she's attracted to. Undercover of email, she begins a correspondence with the artist . When she comes to New York for filming and finally meets her, will she tell Kris the truth .. -
![Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden]()
Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden
Sometimes the one you want is the one you least suspect... Accountant Samantha Ennis craves order and structure. As the bookkeeper at the boutique advertising agency she owns with her three best friends, it’s her job to apply logic to the chaos. When one of those best friends, laid back Hunter Blair, moves in to share her loft apartment, Sam’s carefully organized world is thrown wildly askew...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary forced proximity length-medium open-door -
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![Those Who Wait by Haley Cass]()
Those Who Wait by Haley Cass
Sutton Spencer’s ideas for her life were fairly simple: finish graduate school and fall in love. It would be a lot simpler if she could pinpoint exactly what she should do when she graduates in less than a year. Oh, and if she could figure out how to talk to a woman without feeling completely hopeless, that would be great too. Charlotte Thompson is very much the opposite... -
![Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters]()
Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters
An enemies-to-friends-to-lovers lesbian romance about finding heart, hope, and second chances you never thought you’d have.Stella Carter is a former criminal prosecutor and new widow facing down middle age alone in Los Angeles. Without being a prestigious lawyer and someone’s wife, she’s not sure who she is anymore or where her life is headed...Categorized as:
bisexual friends to lovers queer from hate to love f-f age difference contemporary length-medium -
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![Awaiting by Nicole Pyland]()
Awaiting by Nicole Pyland
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThis is book #4 in the Royalty Series.Alexandria – or Alex, as she preferred to be called – would one day be the next Queen of the United Kingdom. She would also be the first out lesbian who would take that title... -
![Damaged Goods by Eliza Lentzski]()
Damaged Goods by Eliza Lentzski
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNew from Eliza Lentzski: Damaged Goods – the sequel to Don’t Call Me Hero. The past few years had been difficult for former Marine, Cassidy Miller. She’d left the military, joined the Minneapolis city police, only to voluntarily remove herself from active duty... -
![Awaiting by Nicole Pyland]()
Awaiting by Nicole Pyland
This is book #4 in the Royalty Series.Alexandria – or Alex, as she preferred to be called – would one day be the next Queen of the United Kingdom. She would also be the first out lesbian who would take that title... -
![The Forever and The Now by K.J .]()
The Forever and The Now by K.J .
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 10 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 Flight Risk by Macon Leigh]()
The Flight Risk by Macon Leigh
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThings are going great for Baylee Lawrence. Her writing has won awards, been adapted into an outrageously successful movie, and she’s just achieved her childhood dream of selling out a storytelling show at the Ryman. It’s incredible. Her life is perfect—a series of grand adventures. She has no intention of changing anything... -
![Cigar Club by J.A. Armstrong]()
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... -
![Patty's Potent Potion by Robin Alexander]()
Patty's Potent Potion by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
![Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers]()
Love Next Door by Rachael Sommers
A sweet toaster-oven lesbian romance that asks whether the one we’re meant to be with might be right under our nose.Reserved tattoo artist Riley Foster has just moved apartments and can’t take her eyes off the single mom who lives next door...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer single-mother bisexual f-f contemporary queer-awakening competent heroine -
![Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue]()
Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue
Desperate situations call for desperate lies in this charming, fake-relationship lesbian romance.Andi Barrons has no time for kids or the chaos they bring—certainly not when she runs a high-end decorating business...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst single-mother queer f-f length-medium open-door contemporary -
![Separate Like Stars by Diana Kane]()
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:
angst friends to lovers queer f-f second chances from hate to love contemporary audiobook -
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![Enthralled by Her by Chelsea M. Cameron]()
Enthralled by Her by Chelsea M. Cameron
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThings might be going well enough, but I couldn’t see much to look forward to. Sure, I somehow had a thriving business repairing and rebinding books, and my parents had gifted me their vacation house after my apartment was turned into a co-op. Still, there wasn’t a whole lot of action and excitement in little Arrowbridge, Maine, but I was making the best of it, like I always did... -
![When We're Meant to Be by Skye Von Triessen]()
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... -
![The Stepmother by Melissa Tereze]()
The Stepmother by Melissa Tereze
Their connection flares hot in an instant…but is it doomed to fizzle out?After the death of her estranged father, Hayley McAllister plans to endure cold, wet England just long enough to tie up loose ends. Then she’s heading straight back to Ibiza, where she lives exactly as she pleases—performing her music, soaking up sunshine, and indulging in flings with gorgeous women...Categorized as:
bisexual angst queer f-f age difference contemporary lgbtqia hate explicit-open-door -
![Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley]()
Sprinkled in the Stars by Violet Morley
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAJ Beckett is just trying to get Parker, her seven-year-old autistic daughter, through life in one piece. As a paramedic, AJ puts others’ needs above her own; in her personal life, she keeps everyone an arm’s length away. That distance disappears when a chance run-in with actor Melanie Cooper leaves her sticky, angry, and fed up.Melanie Cooper has just signed her last movie...Categorized as:
single-mother queer f-f dual-pov neurodivergent contemporary age difference audiobook -
![Jericho by Ann McMan]()
Jericho by Ann McMan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWelcome to Jericho, Verginia.Librarian Syd Murphy flees the carnage of a failed marriage by accepting an eighteen-month position in Jericho, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds fall by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals... -
![Goddess of the Moon by Claire Highton-Stevenson]()
Goddess of the Moon by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDiana Maddox is a creature of comfort, she plays by the rules and she likes things done properly. Now, she finds herself in a bit of a rut. Single after an almost decade-long relationship with Jason, who cheated on her, Diana is sharing a flat with her sister and nephew. Her friends have all married and had families of their own, so there's only one thing for it, Diana decides...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary queer-awakening childfree-couple length-medium -
![Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong]()
Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFallon Foster serves up more than the most potent drinks at Murphy’s Law, the local pub in Whiskey Springs, Vermont. Fallon is the keeper of the town’s secrets. She’s heard tales of broken hearts, torrid affairs, closet cases, and the dreams of hopeful romantics. With a sensitive ear and a warm bed, Fallon is a legend in her small town. One thing still eludes her—love... -
![Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck]()
Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLove can weather the stormiest of hearts…Athena Storm, the resilient owner of a struggling tavern, has weathered many storms in her life. As she fights to keep her establishment afloat, she is convinced she does not have time for a relationship.Enter Kate Franklin, an ex-cop turned delivery driver who seeks refuge from her past... -
![At Seventeen by Gerri Hill]()
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:
angst friends to lovers queer contemporary f-f second chances length-medium explicit-open-door -
![Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford]()
Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s never done love long-term. But will faking it lead to forever?Finch Lachlan works hard and parties harder. But tired of her siblings judging her fun-loving ways, the head veterinarian at her family’s zoo vows to prove she can make it past the third date. And maybe she can begin with the hottie who just seized her attention with a sizzling kiss.Chef, Frankie Benedetti, craves a fresh start... -
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![Loved and Lost by Stephanie Kusiak]()
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]()
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... -
![Covenant by Ann McMan]()
Covenant by Ann McMan
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIndependent Publishers Awards (IPPY) Bronze Medalist in Mid-Atlantic Best Regional FictionCovenant continues the beloved saga of the residents of Jericho, a sleepy town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, where life and love have as many twists and turns as a winding mountain road.Six weeks have passed since the fateful unfolding of events at the town's Fourth of July celebration... -
![Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill]()
Behind the Pine Curtain by Gerri Hill
Jacqueline Keys was ostracized from her small hometown of Pine Springs, Texas when she was seventeen, sent away because she was gay. Her family was the largest employer in the county, owning Pine Springs Lumber, and her father was mayor of this small town. Her mother could not accept the fact that her only child was gay, could not tolerate the gossip about her family... -
![Paradise Pride by Lise Gold]()
Paradise Pride by Lise Gold
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLondon-based casino manager Meghan has no expectations of her two-week holiday in Spain; she’s just tagging along with her friend who’s visiting her love interest. When they arrive at a deserted hotel due to a booking fault and her friend leaves to see her boyfriend, she’s left with the bartender who stays on for the night... -
![Don't Quit Your Daydream by Adrian J. Smith]()
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]()
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... -
![Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes]()
Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA prominent figure amongst New York City’s fashion elite, Elena Vega is a successful businesswoman and single mother to an adorable three-year-old son, Lucas. Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out.At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas...Categorized as:
bisexual single-mother queer f-f contemporary age difference boss & employee length-medium -
![Spectrum by M.J. Duncan]()
Spectrum by M.J. Duncan
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSparks fly the moment Bryn Nakamura lays eyes on Anna Fitzpatrick, and not in a good way. Driven, reserved, and recovering from another encounter with a life she would rather leave behind, all Bryn wants is to forget about Anna and focus on her beloved vineyard—but Fate has other plans...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer f-f contemporary age difference from hate to love length-long -
![Broken Parts Included: A Sapphic Romance by Alyson Root, Tara Sullivan]()
Broken Parts Included: A Sapphic Romance by Alyson Root, Tara Sullivan
For as long as Lydia Archer can remember, her life has been a balancing act between a tireless battle with her health and the tireless search for "the one." She's put herself out there time and again, yet still, has found nobody prepared for the rollercoaster of her mystery ailment. Persistent pain and dismissive doctors are Lydia’s constant shadow... -
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![The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill]()
The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGrieving over the loss of her family and feeling like her life is unraveling, Lindsey McDermott quits her job, gets a puppy and retreats to her grandparents’ home in the Texas Hill Country. She spends her solitary days walking childhood trails and reminiscing, trying to reconcile the conflict within her as she struggles with survivor’s guilt... -
![Where the Heart Is by Lily Seabrooke]()
Where the Heart Is by Lily Seabrooke
Kissing her childhood friend on a family Christmas vacation is probably a bad idea…The Jackson family is primed to explode over Christmas—with Stella’s parents hiding their divorce proceedings from the family during a two-week vacation to the cozy Christmas town of Bellsford, Stella and her sisters are under strict orders not to cause drama... -
![Before You Go by Melissa Tereze]()
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... -
![Operation: Secret Santa by M.J. Duncan]()
Operation: Secret Santa by M.J. Duncan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen Holly Burke saw who she’d drawn for Secret Santa, she knew she had to do something to make it special. It was Christmas, after all, and if anyone deserved some extra Christmas cheer, it was Mo Davy... -
![Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach]()
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... -
![Sleigh Bells Ring: A Sapphic Romance by Alyson Root, Tara Sullivan]()
Sleigh Bells Ring: A Sapphic Romance by Alyson Root, Tara Sullivan
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Nicole Robinson, Christmas means returning to the family home in Hebden Bridge with her sister Beth and their brother Liam, who has lived with permanent delays since a childhood accident. Though Beth and Nicole have grown up and moved away, every December the Robinson kids reunite for a month of family and festive traditions... -
![The Summer You Were There Vol. 4 by Yuama, ゆあま]()
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... -
![Finally Loved by Jacqueline Ramsden]()
Finally Loved by Jacqueline Ramsden
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan you meet The One in the middle of being dumped?Neve thought she’d finally found someone who would love her, but here she is, getting dumped again. Perhaps it would be less embarrassing if it were happening in private—and with words she hadn’t heard time and time again. Or, perhaps she’s destined to never find real love... -
![Just Jorie by Robin Alexander]()
Just Jorie by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome believe that special someone is out there just waiting to be found. Jorie Andolini is one of those people and has spent a lot of time envisioning that moment. She bumps into a woman at a grocery store, the woman drops a can of peas, Jorie picks it up, their eyes meet, and two souls connect... -
![Every Little Thing by Lily Seabrooke]()
Every Little Thing by Lily Seabrooke
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe end isn’t the best time to realize you’ve been in love all along.Bakery owner Harper has her secrets. She’s always kept to herself, constantly on a career climb that only she can see, with no one allowed close—except the one person in Bayview who won’t take no for an answer.Paisley’s fallen into bed with Harper twice already over their years of friendship, but it’s never meant anything... -
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![Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić]()
Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo women deal with modern themes of sex, relationships, and fetishism in this erotic romantic comedy."MERCY," Part Three. Loving someone means building a shrine within your heart dedicated to them. A shrine made of good memories and treasured moments. As the mercy arc reaches its third volume Anne is about to find the shrine of her heart ransacked by none other than the person it was devoted to... -
![No After You by Nicole Pyland]()
No After You by Nicole Pyland
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDani Wilder only intended to go to a fundraiser and donate money to a worthy cause. She had no idea that she’d meet the love of her life that night. There were only a couple of problems with that chance meeting. Dani had a boyfriend. That chance meeting – it was with Peyton Gloss, the world’s most famous music star, who also happened to be a woman. Peyton had only planned on performing that night... -
![The Loudest Silence by Olivia Janae]()
The Loudest Silence by Olivia Janae
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKate, an up and coming cellist, is new to Chicago and the ‘Windy City Chamber Ensemble’. During her first rehearsal, she is surprised and intrigued to meet Vivian Kensington, the formidable by reputation board president who also happens to be…deaf.As Kate treads the waters of a rocky relationship with the young and foolhardy Ash, she develops a tentative friendship with her cold-hearted boss...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers bisexual single-mother queer f-f contemporary disabilities and marks -
![The Thing About Tilly by G. Benson]()
The Thing About Tilly by G. Benson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTwo friends since university, each holding something back.Tilly’s been running from her secrets for far too long. Evie, carrying a buried flame for Tilly since they met, has always been there to welcome Tilly back with open arms. That is, after all, what one does for a friend.When Evie unexpectedly falls pregnant, she’s left with a lot of hard decisions to make... -
![Run Away With me, Girl 2 by Battan]()
Run Away With me, Girl 2 by Battan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaki's first love was her high school classmate, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation, saying they were now "too old to be fooling around dating girls... -
![Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz]()
Whenever You're Ready by Rachel Runya Katz
After reconnecting on a road trip, two friends must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this funny, emotional sapphic romanceNia and Jade had been inseparable ever since their best friend, Michal, introduced them at her tenth birthday party...Categorized as:
queer friends to lovers found-family forced proximity humor contemporary f-f length-medium
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