Books like 'Cruel North'
Readers who enjoyed Cruel North by J.B. Salsbury also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary secret child from hate to love sassy heroine cold hero angst second chances super rich hero single-mother pregnancy
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The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee spins a dazzling tale of long-lost relatives, overnight riches, and unexpected romance in the dramatic second book of The Heirs series.Sarah McNeilly is a rare find in the tabloid industry. She won’t ignite gossip. She finds the truth. And for once, that’s what her boss wants... -
No Easy Dare by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsSecret heir. Pompous womanizer. King of lies. And my protector. Hunter McQuaid is definitely a fish out of water. Or maybe a shark out of the tank. He's a cocky, arrogant, playboy. Something he shouldn't be considering he can barely scrape together the rent for his craptastic apartment. After an ill-advised one-nighter with him, I end up pregnant. Which puts me in a precarious position... -
Billionaire Unreachable ~ Wyatt by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhat happens when the man you think you despise turns out to be a completely different guy beneath the surface? I didn't like Wyatt Durand. He might be my friend's older brother, but he was unpleasant, sarcastic, and the grumpiest guy on the planet. It didn't matter to me that he was a breathtakingly gorgeous, ultra-wealthy billionaire with the very prestigious Durand last name... -
Ruthless Rival by K.C. Crowne
Cold. Ruthless. Killer.I am King of the Nicolaevich Bratva.Respected and feared by all.I get what I want - and what I want most is Sandra Antonov.But the last thing I ever imagined desiring…Was making her my Queen.And I'll give my Queen all her little heart desires.Except for one thing: Her freedom. SandraHere’s some advice you never asked for...Don’t sleep with your captor... -
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Implied Consent by K.C. Mills
Gray Jordan, former Chargers quarterback and franchise player, learned a lot of tough lessons throughout his career. However, the worst of all was that no amount of money and fame can protect your heart. After a very public scandal, he quietly walked away from the one thing he loved the most: football... -
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 pregnancy angst from hate to love forced proximity dual-pov strong heroine humor -
ALLURE by Nina Lane
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 36 ratings"We both want this so badly. I can feel it resonating between us like the hot pull of our first attraction, tangible and intense." After lies and betrayal almost destroy their marriage, Dean and Olivia West reignite their blissful passion. The medieval history professor and his cherished wife are determined to fix their mistakes and fall in love all over again... -
Keep This Promise by Corinne Michaels
I am about to lose everything.My home. My name. My future.My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me... -
Jameson Fox by Nina Levine
Rule number one if you’re going to fake marry a billionaire: only marry him if you like him and he likes you. Everything is too hard if you hate each other.Jameson Fox is the most infuriating, arrogant, frustrating, presumptuous, self-important alphahole I have ever met.He stole my company from me five years ago. Now, he’s made me an offer I can’t refuse: fake marry him, and he’ll give it back... -
Billionaire Unknown by J.S. Scott
I was perfectly content with my life. My career was booming. I traveled. I did as much charity work as I possibly could for the homeless, and I was perfectly happy with the choices I'd made. At least...I was--until my sister, Dani, came up missing. As an international correspondent, she traveled to war-torn countries, and she'd stepped a little too far over the line... -
The Empty Jar by M. Leighton, Laura Jennings
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratings10 hours, 33 minutesThree months touring Europe. Romantic. Dazzling. Unforgettable. The trip of a lifetime.But some lifetimes are shorter.We couldn’t have known it would work out this way.No one could. No one could’ve guessed that something so beautiful could be so tragic.But it is tragic.Yet so, so beautiful.That’s what sacrifice is—beauty and tragedy... -
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... -
Can't Help Falling In Love by Erika Kelly
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhat happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas…The moment Beckett O’Neill retires from professional sports, he swears off schedules and commitments. His new gig has him hopping from one exotic location to the next. No strings, no responsibilities. Nothing that will tie him down.Until he runs into her, the woman who stole his heart for a night in Vegas.. -
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... -
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Time to Bounce by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLoneliness is overwhelming in its intensity. There are times you think you can cope, that you can make it despite the hollow feeling in your chest. Then there are the times when you realize you can’t breathe through the pain of loss. When Gable Buchanan Carter walks into Athena’s life, it’s like a light is switched on inside her chest. Suddenly she can breathe... -
Heart of the Billionaire - Sam by J.S. Scott
Sam and Maddie are here! Billionaire Sam Hudson has pretty much lived his life with no apologies because he tries never to do anything that he’s sorry about…except for what he had done in the past to Dr. Madeline Reynolds. Many years and regrets later, Sam meets up with Maddie again by chance; his brother Simon is marrying Maddie’s best friend and the two of them are forced to be civil... -
Kissing the Rival by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratings**Kissing the Rival is part of a multi-author series following a group of friends. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone novel.Charlotte I’m not just kissing the rival… I’m falling for him. Spencer Pennington has always been a shameless flirt, but when it came to being the best in our MBA program, all bets were off, and the competition was on... -
Matchmaking The CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsJake Whitley and I start on the wrong foot. And then it goes downhill from there.After my career implodes, I’m determined to make a living with my new event planning business.But Jake and I are at odds from the moment I step on his private plane.He wants to get rid of me. I want to throw his grandmother the celebration of a lifetime…on his property in Martha’s Vineyard... -
That First Flight by Jenn McMahon
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSomething tells me, nothing I do can stop myself from feeling things for my roommate.I’ve always wanted to be a chef.But the same day two pink lines showed up on the test, was the day I gave up chasing my own dreams to put my daughter first.I didn’t expect that to lead to a life of being scrutinized by my parents for every single move I made.After years of it, I was done... -
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... -
The Proposal by Adriana Locke
Breaking Rugby’s bad boy marries his best friend’s little sisterIf Renn Brewer would’ve asked me to marry him, I would’ve said no.Why?One, his reputation precedes him. His name is in the headlines at least once a month. Two, he’s not just my brother’s best friend. They’re teammates. And three, I’m in my self-care era.Unfortunately, a version of me equates self-care with bad choices... -
The Rebel by Marni Mann
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsOne bed. Two stranded strangers. Three wildly passionate nights. A thousand secrets between them. After getting trapped in a blizzard, my private jet grounded, with no hotel room available within miles, I met a woman at the bar. Rowan. A knockout blessed with killer curves, gorgeous emerald eyes, and a mouth that should be illegal... -
The Grump by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI love my job. So when a grumpy grouch wants to shut us down, I’m ready for the fight of my life.I was heading for serious career burnout until my dream job came true. Making pralines for a living has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So it comes as quite a shock when I find out that the owner wants to shut down the LeBlanc-Broussard confectionery because it’s not profitable... -
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... -
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Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale
Mavis always assumed that she would be in a hospital with the good drugs when her time came. Not in the middle of the road, with no one around but the damn town mechanic that hated her.But there she was, having a rock star’s baby, with no one to rely on but the one that let it be known around every turn that she was a horrible person... -
The Billionaire's Salvation ~ Max by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBillionaire Max Hamilton thought he was finally starting to find contentment, more than two years after losing his wife Mia in a tragic drowning accident. He'd been reunited with a sister he hadn’t realized existed. Finally he had family again, a reprieve from the pain and loneliness that had haunted him since his devastating loss...Categorized as:
alpha male super rich hero possessive hero cruel hero contemporary sweet heroine length-short m-f -
Wethering the Storm by Samantha Towle
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 62 ratingsMusic journalist Tru Bennett has done the impossible: capture the heart of rock-star bad boy Jake Wethers. Now they’re busy planning a wedding and navigating their new life together in the US. Of course Tru misses London and her best friend, Simone, but living happily ever after with Jake in LA is going to be great…right? Wrong...Categorized as:
second chances alpha male pregnancy possessive hero secret child cruel hero angst dual-pov -
Wedding at the Riverview Inn by Molly O'Keefe
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAn emotional tale of a magical inn, a wedding gone terribly wrong and a woman searching for a second chance.Alice has hit rock bottom. Once a Michelin-starred chef, she is now drowning in debt, working the line at a chain restaurant and drinking too much. The last person she ever expected to come knocking with a job offer and a fresh start is her ex-husband, Gabe... -
A Christmas Auction: A Marriage Auction Novella by Audrey Carlan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series…“’Tis the Season,” some people say, as if the month of December could somehow magically make the world a better place. Fat chance of that happening in Sin City.In my world, nothing is merry and bright. More like dark and dank... -
Perfectly You by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsUSA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings us a light-hearted small-town romantic comedy full of a swoon-worthy billionaire, single dad romance, and big laughs. I need a massive break.So long to my cheating boyfriend and betraying roommate.Goodbye hectic emergency room and long hours... -
When Hearts Surrender by Victoria Lum
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA cold, reclusive billionaire, a dark family curse, and an arranged marriage with the one woman he’s forbidden to love.All my life, restlessness has haunted me, as if a piece of my soul were missing. Then, I met him.A mysterious, charismatic bad boy in a leather jacket who whisked me away on the ride of a lifetime.For the first time, I felt truly alive... -
On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn emotional and angsty grumpy x sunshine hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?When Harper Dixon discovers her father is the Lakeshore U Lakers new assistant coach, she wonders if her life can get any worse.Enter Mason Steele.Arrogant. Cold. With enough ice around his heart to freeze anyone who gets too close...Categorized as:
dual-pov forced proximity from hate to love angst grumpy sunshine sports new adult college -
Doctor of the Heart by Grace Maxwell
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe’s a billionaire doctor with a supportive family. I’m an artist who can’t keep a day-job while taking care of my little sister. We’re opposites in every way.My BFF and I are going out to meet men. Lots of men!I’ve been focused on other more important things, but when my best friend insists we do something fun, I give in. It’s been a long time...Categorized as:
super rich hero alpha male from hate to love contemporary friends-benefits length-medium -
Savor You by Kristen Proby
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the next sizzling romance in Kristen Proby's New York Times bestselling Fusion series, two celebrity chefs compete in a culinary competition, but resisting each other will prove to be the greater challenge. Cooking isn't what Mia Palazzo does, it's who she is. Food is her passion . . . her pride . . . her true love... -
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Ladies' Man Exposed by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA serial womanizer ghosted by the hottest woman he’s seen?Yep. That’s my story.There’s nothing I can’t do, and no one I can’t have.Leaving women with a fake number after one hot night is my trick. And yet… this girl bested me.For the first time in a long time, I’m intrigued.She snuck out in the middle of the night while my dumbass was sleeping... -
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... -
Until I'm Yours by Kennedy Ryan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan delivers a scorching romance where one man must earn the trust of a woman with diamond-hard defenses in order to win her heart.The world knows her face . . .Mean girl. Goddess. Bitch. Supermodel Sofie Baston has earned those labels . . . yet they don't scratch the surface of who she really is...Categorized as:
angst alpha male dual-pov super rich hero contemporary new adult beta-hero length-long -
Sinful Enemy by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes an enemies to lovers, surprise baby, standalone romance.If knew what was good for me, I would’ve stayed away.But then again, I’ve never been much for following the rules.She was all work and no play and an enemy to my father’s ranch— making her an enemy to me and my legacy.A drunken one-night stand with Ms...Categorized as:
pregnancy from hate to love dual-pov forced proximity angst sassy heroine alpha male contemporary -
The One I Hate by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate Simon Banks.I also hate tequila. The first makes my blood boil with his devilish smirk and giant…ego. The second makes me do questionable things. Specifically, with Simon. Fine. Whatever. It’s a blip on my radar. Even though I can’t stop thinking about memories of our night…or his hands…and that mouth... -
In Hate With My Boss by Lexi Calder
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThere are three things I know about Owen Bennett: He’s worth billions. He’s smoking hot. He’s a total asshole.Oh, and he’s my new boss. Which, I guess is technically four things. But who’s counting? Not Owen. Because all he can do is stare at my chest and make rude comments. He’s unprofessional, lazy, and the single most infuriatingly sexy man I’ve ever met in my life...Categorized as:
from hate to love super rich hero sassy heroine angst alpha male contemporary office humor -
Tangled Up by Tia Louise
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe's broody, he's driven, and he's coming back to claim what's his.“First, do no harm…”It’s the start of my oath as a doctor, and breaking that oath is how I began my career.Only I didn’t just do harm, I watched a man die right in front of me.And not just any man—a man I hated.I thought his death would bring me peace, but it haunts me to this day...Categorized as:
super rich hero second chances alpha male angst christian contemporary suspense length-medium -
Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat’s a brokenhearted romance novelist to do when an interview accidentally turns her into the villain? I’ll tell you one thing—the plan definitely wasn’t to turn to the man who taught me that happily ever afters exist only on the page...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love contemporary friends to lovers m-f -
Save Me by Amanda Heath
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsSave Me can be read as a standalone. “I don’t care! Do you hear me? I don’t care Pierce!” She screams at me. She is pissed and breathing fire. She has never looked so beautiful to me. Well when I can see her face and she isn’t turning away from me. “You care. You can pretend you don’t, but you do. You came all the way out here.” I pause grabbing her hand and swinging her around to face me... -
Kiss Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLast night, he was a sexy stranger I couldn't get enough of.Today, he's my new boss, who I can't seem to please.Bad luck seems to follow me. Last night, I grabbed a drink at the bar near my new workplace.I met the most sophisticated man when he “stole” my table. We bantered and danced, and I went home with a stranger for the first time in my life... -
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Broken Bridge by Nana Malone
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne miscalculation.One misstep had cost me everything. I lost my sister and my wife.I will burn down the world to get them back. Even if I have to become someone they fear.Forget vows, forget brotherhood. All I have left is rage. I have made promises I intend to keep.I will right the wrongs of The Elite, ensure vengeance for Emma, even if it cost me my soul... -
Ruthless Hawke by Gwyn McNamee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove can be ruthless, especially when you’re a Hawke.You have to be ruthless to be a Hawke.Our empire in New Orleans has only grown over the years.And protecting it falls on my shoulders.Whether it’s in the courtroom or in the streets, I do whatever it takes to get the job done.We’ve already suffered and lost enough.I won’t let anything threaten my family or what we’ve built...Categorized as:
pregnancy dual-pov secret child single-mother second chances alpha male contemporary suspense -
Meant For Me by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa brings an enemies-to-lovers romance where the billionaire grump can’t help but fall for Ms. Sunshine.I never thought I'd be the proud owner of a quaint small-town bookstore, but life has a funny way of surprising us.With my virtual BFF's encouragement to seize the day and follow my heart... -
Her Billionaire Bargain by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHiring an interior designer to redo my McMansion led to me…falling in love with a total stranger? And trying to figure out how to make her fall in love with me. Shelby Wilde is a driven single mom who started an up-and-coming design firm, Designing Women, with three friends. She is not looking for love. Or lust. Or my particular brand of chaos with a side of many happy moments while naked...Categorized as:
single-mother super rich hero dual-pov alpha male contemporary small town office length-medium -
Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt was supposed to be a quick meeting.I’ve been trying to break into acting for years, and now I’m FINALLY up for a lead role in a romcom movie. It’s a huge step up from barista #3, especially considering who’s supposed to play my love interest—Adam Stone... -
After the Vows by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa comes a new emotional, suspenseful, best friend’s little sister romance. His mission is to save the worldBut can he keep his promise? I’m still unsure how I got here.There was Vegas.Alcohol involved.And rumor has it, Elvis was our witness.All that happened ten years ago. Ten. Tall, dark, and delicious, Seth Bradley is some sort of Double-O-Seven...
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