Books like 'Starting Back'

Readers who enjoyed Starting Back by Stephanie Rose also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  friends to lovers  single-mother  dual-pov  office  men in uniform

  • Stay for Me by Corinne Michaels

    Stay for Me by Corinne Michaels

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 27 ratings
    From New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes the final poignant love story in the Arrowood Brothers Series.Hollywood taught me everything I know about relationships—except how to be in one. As an actor, I became an expert at faking it. Faking that I wasn't affected by my childhood. Faking that I was okay. Faking that I knew how to save the day, the girl, the whole damn world...
  • Captivating Anika by Freya Barker

    Captivating Anika by Freya Barker

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Anika Jones has her future carefully plotted out and is checking the boxes, one by one, despite the bumps thrown in her path. This last one is a challenge, but she manages to stay on track; her salon is thriving, and she just bought a house. Unfortunately, when one of her employees runs into trouble, she inevitably gets sucked in, throwing her carefully paced life off-balance...
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  • The Bodyguard and the Bombshell by Lexi Blake

    The Bodyguard and the Bombshell by Lexi Blake

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…The Bodyguard…Nate Carter left Australia’s elite SASR unit after a tragic accident. Shattered by the experience, he thought taking a job in the States might be a good way to start over. His father’s former employer, McKay-Taggart, has a position for him in the bodyguard unit...
  • Give Me Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

    Give Me Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

    Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life...
  • Pretty Incredible by Lacey Black

    Pretty Incredible by Lacey Black

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Blair Hooking up with my best friend’s brother was a mistake…an unforgettable one. It’s always in the back of mind and having returned to town has brought all those feelings rushing to the surface. This time, I’m only here to cover my dad’s patients and help run the clinic—all work and no play. I haven’t even seen Gabe Rhodes since the steamy night we shared after he rescued me from a snowstorm...
  • A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne

    A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    It 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...
  • Marry Your Best Friend by Hope Ford

    Marry Your Best Friend by Hope Ford

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    I love all the foster boys I was raised with. But there’s always been something special about Gabriel Gray.For years I’ve tried to hide my attraction to him, because I know it’s one-sided.Gabe is fiercely protective of me, but that’s as far as his affections go.He’s older than me–something he reminds me of often - and he takes his role of caring for me seriously...
  • Jacob by V.H. Nicolson

    Jacob by V.H. Nicolson

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Once upon a time… You know the story… prince meets princess. Evil thwarts their love, and the prince must fight for her heart. Good always wins and there is a stunning wedding at the castle on the hill. I used to dream of having a fairy tale love story of my own, but I don’t think the author of mine got the memo because right now, I’m shackled to a bed, scared for my life...
  • Before I'm Gone by Heidi McLaughlin

    Before I'm Gone by Heidi McLaughlin

    Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin tells a poignant story about living life to the fullest―and savoring the small moments along the way. Palmer Sinclair has never needed anyone’s help. A successful loan officer, she’s all work and no play...
  • Too Young To Fall In Love by Lacey Black

    Too Young To Fall In Love by Lacey Black

    Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    KellenI love my job. Bartending is more than just serving drinks to customers at the hottest bar and restaurant in Stewart Grove. It’s the people I work with and those I meet along the way. I know how to have a good time. Just one flirty little grin and the ladies are like putty in my hands. But they know the score: I’m a one and done guy, not looking to ever fall into the trap of love...
  • Mr. Cocky by Leslie North

    Mr. Cocky by Leslie North

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I lie down for just a second…The next thing I see is the chiseled and extremely grumpy face of my billionaire client, Theo Barnes, looking down at me.If I’m Goldilocks, he has all the grouchiness of three bears. I was overworked and overstressed juggling photographing his fleet of yachts with my other projects.Add in a super comfy bed on one of his yachts and I’m out.Now I’m about to be fired...
  • Love You Again by Julia Kent

    Love You Again by Julia Kent

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    An unexpected rescue rekindles an old romance between a single dad widower and a woman caught in a small town scandal that made her flee the one place where she belongs. Can a second chance at first love end in a happily ever after?Luke Luview has given up on love...
  • Aidan by L.K. Shaw

    Aidan by L.K. Shaw

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    At twenty-eight, I’m not supposed to be raising my three orphaned siblings and trying to run our family’s pub alone. When dangerous men come to collect on Da’s debt—one I can’t pay—I go to the only person who might be able to help. My closest friend, Aidan. Only he’s not who he says he is...
  • A Borrowed Boyfriend by Angela R. Casella

    A Borrowed Boyfriend by Angela R. Casella

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 13 ratings
    On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it that I want to see my fake boyfriend naked? Marnie What’s worse than being left at the altar? Becoming a meme because one of your nearest and dearest took a video of you running—and falling—down the aisle and made it internet famous. Yup, I’m that Marnie Jones. My sister is for-real famous, which only makes people more interested in my predicament...
  • Kickstart My Heart by Lacey Black

    Kickstart My Heart by Lacey Black

    Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    WalkerThere’s nothing better than a packed house on a Saturday night, and co-owning the hottest restaurant and bar in town with my best friends, isn’t so bad either. We put everything into Burgers and Brew. My job is to keep the alcohol moving and the patrons coming back for more. I won’t let anyone break my focus.That was until I saw her.As much as I try, I can’t fight it...
  • Second Chance by L.B. Dunbar

    Second Chance by L.B. Dunbar

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    Another 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...
  • After All by Heidi McLaughlin

    After All by Heidi McLaughlin

    Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars
    · 31 ratings
    From New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin comes a heartfelt story about overcoming great loss and forgiving past sins to find happiness again. Brooklyn Hewett hasn’t set foot in Cape Harbor for fifteen years—not since an accident claimed the love of her life, Austin Woods. Desperate to move forward, Brooklyn has focused on raising her daughter for the past fourteen years...
  • Rockstar Lost by Taryn Quinn

    Rockstar Lost by Taryn Quinn

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Forever is the lyric I have on repeat. I’m a rockstar on a mission, ready to leave the glamorous music scene behind. But only if I have my best friend, Felicity Hudson, by my side. And in my bed, clad in nothing but her tattoos. Now that I’m back in my small town near Crescent Cove, I have a weekend to blast the friend zone to pieces with the one woman I’ve always loved...
  • Cheap Trick by Emily Goodwin

    Cheap Trick by Emily Goodwin

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Danielle Cross has spent her whole life running from breakups and troubles. She’s never stayed in the same place for long…until now.The moment she walks through the doors of Logan Dawson’s bar, there’s an attraction between them neither can deny. And when Danielle needs a date to her sister’s wedding, Logan is the man for the job...
  • How to Get Lucky by Lauren Blakely, Joe Arden

    How to Get Lucky by Lauren Blakely, Joe Arden

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    A sexy standalone romance written by #1 NYT Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely and Award-Winning Romance Narrator Joe Arden! Every man knows there are lines you don't cross. Like this one -- don't bang your boss's little sister.Too bad I didn't know sexy, clever, irresistible London is related to the guy who signs my paychecks...
  • Waiting for Willa by Kristen Proby

    Waiting for Willa by Kristen Proby

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Waiting for Willa From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes the newest installment in her beloved Big Sky Series… Max Hull left Cunningham Falls a long time ago. Thanks to his killer instincts and business smarts, he’s come back to town richer than anyone’s wildest imagination...
  • Dr. Fake Fiance by Louise Bay

    Dr. Fake Fiance by Louise Bay

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 31 ratings
    What’s a heartbroken American to do when she’s in London trying to get over her ex? Find herself a fake fiancé. Obviously. I’m walking past Big Ben, trying to get over the world’s worst break up, when I slam into a hot hunk of British man. And pour scorching hot coffee all over him...
  • Code Name: Ghost by Sawyer Bennett

    Code Name: Ghost by Sawyer Bennett

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    I knew the risks of this job when I signed on with Jameson Force Security. Knew my time as a marine would prepare me for the danger I would face. But no amount of training could have ever prepared me for the helplessness of watching my teammates die, the agonizing mental and physical pain of torture, or the despair of captivity...
  • Seeking Shadows by K.E. Osborn

    Seeking Shadows by K.E. Osborn

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    What if the woman I fell for was in love with someone else? The man who claimed her heart is my VP, the same man I need to respect and follow his orders. But now that I'm no longer a prospect, it's difficult to find my place...
  • Dylan by Apryl Baker

    Dylan by Apryl Baker

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Dylan ~Six years ago, Dylan Jenkins lost his daughter in a tragic car accident, and his wife took her own life because she couldn’t live with the guilt of surviving. The loss of his family turned him into a hard, cold man. He quit his job as an LAPD detective and moved to New York where he took a position with Kincaid Security & Investigations. Viktor Kincaid and his company saved his life...
  • Burn So Bad by J.H. Croix

    Burn So Bad by J.H. Croix

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Levi Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and hate can always turn into love. Lucy hates me. She especially hates how much I want her. I should give up the chase, but I can’t. It’s more than a spark between us. It’s a bonfire. Fate rolls the dice and lands Lucy right where I want her. She needs my help, and I need her. One taste, and I’m lost...
  • Where Forever Ends by K. Street

    Where Forever Ends by K. Street

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔—𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘. Then: I was a wife. Married to a man who was my world and the father of my child. Then, one day, half of my heart was ripped out of my chest. Now: I’m a widow. A single mom who has spent the last nine months trying like hell not to drown in an ocean of grief...
  • Her Billionaire Bargain by Taryn Quinn

    Her Billionaire Bargain by Taryn Quinn

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Hiring 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...
  • Ten Firemen's Ignition by Nicole Casey

    Ten Firemen's Ignition by Nicole Casey

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    They say playing with fire is dangerous, but with ten men like these, I’m ready to ignite. Back in my hometown to investigate an arson case, I never expected the sparks to fly in more ways than one. It's my first time back since my mom's death tore my life apart, a past I vowed to leave behind...
  • Wild Kisses by Skye Jordan

    Wild Kisses by Skye Jordan

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery...
  • Engage by June Gray

    Engage by June Gray

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    PART FIVE OF JUNE GRAY'S DISARM SERIES The past has a way of catching up... A long time has passed since Elsie's heart was broken, since the person who always shielded her from pain broke her heart. Just when she begins to rebuild, Henry returns and upends everything all over again...
  • Wrapped in Love by Lexi Ryan

    Wrapped in Love by Lexi Ryan

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    A one-night stand with the boss was never in her plans. Neither was falling in love . . . The rumors are true. I am a hot mess with an awful track record at love. Single mom. Down on her luck. Yeah, I’m bad news. So if the hardest part of moving back home to Jackson Harbor was going to be people talking? I’d be fine. I’ve kept my chin up through worse than their decade-old gossip...
  • How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty

    How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 12 ratings
    I’m a librarian. Dylan’s a rockstar. We can’t possibly be a match despite what the meddlesome matchmakers of the small town of Winter Falls think.No one is more surprised than me when Dylan walks into a wall the first time he catches sight of me. Even more surprising? He immediately asks me out.Um, I don’t think so...
  • The Wrong Guy by Lauren Landish

    The Wrong Guy by Lauren Landish

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 26 ratings
    Best of friends with benefits―and more in common than they ever expected―in a funny and sexy romance by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Landish. Wren Ford is the city attorney for Cold Springs―a job she takes seriously...
  • How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty

    How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    I’m a librarian. Dylan’s a rockstar. We can’t possibly be a match despite what the meddlesome matchmakers of the small town of Winter Falls think.No one is more surprised than me when Dylan walks into a wall the first time he catches sight of me. Even more surprising? He immediately asks me out.Um, I don’t think so...
  • Collide with Me by Claudia Y. Burgoa

    Collide with Me by Claudia Y. Burgoa

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    USA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa continues a romantic comedy series of enemies who become lovers. A romance where opposites attract and being different leads to falling in love. I love routine. Schedules. Stability.And I’m about to travel across the country with an actual chicken and the one man who I would schedule a root canal to avoid.How did this happen? Let me back up...
  • Up to the Challenge by Terri Osburn

    Up to the Challenge by Terri Osburn

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    Opposites attract in a sexy tale of unexpected love When the Dempsey patriarch suffers a heart attack, Lucas Dempsey steps up to keep the doors of the family restaurant open. The proverbial prodigal son returns home to Anchor Island—putting family first and his quest to make partner at his high-powered law firm on hold...
  • Hot Chicken by L.M. Fox

    Hot Chicken by L.M. Fox

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    Hot Chicken A Man of the Club Christmas in July Series Novella You’re invited to a Candy Cane Key Christmas in July festival with The Man of the Month Club.Matt Returning to my hometown to help care for my ailing mother wasn’t on my radar at age twenty-six.But neither was Ellie Albright.This small seaside town and its obsession with Christmas had me packed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice...
  • One Week Wingman by Lila Monroe

    One Week Wingman by Lila Monroe

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Fake date. Real trouble. Fall for a new trope-tactic, fake dating rom-com read from USA Today bestselling author, Lila Monroe! Sebastian Wainwright is handsome, British, and charming… and the last man you can rely on. Bartending at Mavericks, I’ve seen his love-em-and-leave-em routine up close, and I know better than to become another notch on his king-sized bedpost...
  • Come Away With Me by Erika Kelly

    Come Away With Me by Erika Kelly

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Can the handsome loner win the heart of the single mom? He's about to find out on their Vegas road trip.Single mom Skylar James is absolutely not interested in the broody, inked artist who works in her brother’s motorcycle repair shop. She’s focused on her four-year-old son and her thriving business as an image consultant...
  • Happy New Year, Baby by Laura Marie Altom

    Happy New Year, Baby by Laura Marie Altom

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    DON'T LET HIM DIE! These are the last words ice climber and former Navy SEAL, Brody Crawford, hears before his twin brother plunges to his death--with his pregnant wife watching and screaming in horror. Fast forward a year and Colby is frozen with not only grief but guilt, avoiding friends, his parents, and especially, his brother's widow--Lilliana. A woman he's always secretly adored...
  • It Doesn't Have to Be This Hard by Christina Hovland

    It Doesn't Have to Be This Hard by Christina Hovland

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    From USA Today bestselling author Christina Hovland comes a single parent, #DateMyCelebrityDad, forced proximity romance. Divorce her Beverly Hills check. Set the neighborhood dumpster on fire with her nightstand buddy… check. Her hunky celebrity chef neighbor rushes to her aid? Sigh. Check mate...
  • Wet Dreams by Emily Bishop

    Wet Dreams by Emily Bishop

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I knew with one look. She’s the one. The face of my modeling agency empire. What are the chances I would find her working at the local diner? Years of fake Barbie’s have built a fortress around me. Demi’s not like the others. We have a real connection. One that makes it hard to keep it professional. I’ll smile. She’ll blush. I’ll rise to the occasion. She’ll bend over backwards to accommodate...
  • The Second Chance Fixer Upper by Grace Worthington

    The Second Chance Fixer Upper by Grace Worthington

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Single moms don’t get second chances, right?In Hallmark movies, yes.In reality, doubtful.Especially when you have a five-year-old interrupting your “alone time” with the man of your dreams...
  • Low Tide by Dawn Lee McKenna

    Low Tide by Dawn Lee McKenna

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    In Apalachicola, Florida, sinister things are afoot, as sinister things tend to be.Lt. Maggie Redmond is called to a crime scene on St. George Island, where she is met with the body of Gregory Boudreaux. The medical examiner calls it a suicide, but no one knows that Maggie has a horrible connection to the dead man...
  • After This by Erin Nicholas

    After This by Erin Nicholas

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 7 ratings
    A trip home for a friend's wedding turns out to be nothing she expected... and everything she's ever wanted.Heather would do anything for a friend, so when her college bestie and roommate needs a last-minute date for a wedding, she doesn’t hesitate. She hops a plane to Baltimore — current bestie in tow. But they’ve barely arrived before those plans have changed...
  • Hot for a Cop by Whitley Cox

    Hot for a Cop by Whitley Cox

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Drawn together by the future, torn apart by the past. 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 Lauren's story ... Being a single mom was never the plan for Lauren...
  • Love You Fiancee by Julia Kent

    Love You Fiancee by Julia Kent

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    There once was a man named Kell, Who fell under Rachel Hart’s spell. In public he proposed, Wearing dubious lemur clothes, Never guessing he’d end up in zipper hell. Kell Luview has decided to make Rachel Hart his wife after two perfect years together, and the man has plans. Big plans...
  • Evermore With You by Erin Spencer

    Evermore With You by Erin Spencer

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Can a shattered heart risk a second chance at love? Happiness evades my everyday life despite time passing. My heart hasn’t healed. It can’t. Not after all I lost. When I meet Rowan, I savor the light he brings into my life. His patience, sense of humor and understanding chase away the shadows of sorrow I carry from my past. It’s easy to fall for him...
  • Jett by Sawyer Bennett

    Jett by Sawyer Bennett

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 16 ratings
    Jett Olsson isn’t looking for anything serious and she’s not looking for anything at all, so why does it seem so hard to keep it professional?I love my life—the thrill of being on the ice as part of the Arizona Vengeance, the rush of winning, the adoration of the fans. And if that adoration means I don’t have to spend the night alone, well even better...
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