Books like 'Hold Back the River'
Readers who enjoyed Hold Back the River by Ashley Dill also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny mystery small town new adult angst m-f friends to lovers hurt-comfort slow burn
-
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or NotLenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost... -
![Beard Necessities by Penny Reid]()
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
Billy Winston’s family is going to see him happy and in love if it’s the last thing they do. No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers new adult sweet heroine cold hero m-f tortured heroine humor -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Forever Starts Tonight by Karla Sorensen]()
Forever Starts Tonight by Karla Sorensen
It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with Jax Cartwright for half my life. A terrible decision, really, and not just because he’s my brother’s best friend or he’s ten years older than me. Thanks to an overprotective family, he’s ignored me for years, but still, I can’t get his grumpy a** out of my head...Categorized as:
m-f cheerful heroine cold hero grumpy sunshine competent heroine sweet heroine angst contemporary -
![Blood Feud by J.D. Nixon]()
Blood Feud by J.D. Nixon
Book 3 in the Little Town series.A seemingly inexplicable and shockingly violent crime in the beautiful rural locale of ‘Little Town’ has devastating personal and professional consequences for its two police officers, Senior Constable Tess Fuller and her partner, Sergeant Finn Maguire... -
-
![Resolution by Adriana Locke]()
Resolution by Adriana Locke
From USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a workplace romance between a grumpy, alpha architect and his new client—who just so happens to have the blueprint to bring him to his knees. Romance is not in Wade Mason’s portfolio. This is tragic...Categorized as:
christian grumpy sunshine cheerful heroine cold hero m-f contemporary humor super rich hero -
![The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata]()
The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom Joseph Cannata and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin comes the love story of Jesse and Ella told from a unique perspective in this companion novella to the international bestselling novel The Broken One.Step back into the Falcon Falls Security world and experience it like never before...Categorized as:
tortured hero sassy heroine friends to lovers m-f humor military contemporary length-short -
![Savor It by Tarah Dewitt]()
Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
Summer won't last forever. Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants... -
![Blood Sport by J.D. Nixon]()
Blood Sport by J.D. Nixon
At first glance, the small mountain settlement of Mount Big Town, or ‘Little Town’ as the locals call it, seems to be a pleasant and peaceful rural haven. Senior Constable Tess Fuller and Sergeant Finn Maguire know better though, kept fully occupied trying to maintain some law and order in a town dominated by the huge feral Bycraft family...Categorized as:
mystery slow burn new adult angst small town grumpy sunshine competent heroine independent heroine -
![That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn]()
That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn
USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings more humor and heart with the fourth novel of her Getting Lucky series: a story about breaking curses and finally finding that swoony feeling. I'm single . . . so single it's painful. Yup, ladies, Brig Knightly--that's me--is still a lonely bachelor, stumbling through the streets of Port Snow, looking for the girl he's supposed to end up with... -
![Time by Penny Reid]()
Time by Penny Reid
From the New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reid A (brokenhearted) physicist. Now an infamous (who is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!! UGH!) musician. The worst has already happened. Mona has learned that she has nothing figured out and plans are meaningless. After leaving her in Aspen, Abram is now breaking sales-records, rising to rock star fame almost overnight. Mona can’t seem to escape him... -
![A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland]()
A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe BRAND NEW uplifting novel from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland Rosie feels like there's something missing in her life.She loves her job as the manager of Willowdale Hall Riding Stables, caring for the horses and teaching children to ride, and she loves the home she shares with her mother in the beautiful Lake District... -
![My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 4 by Shinichi Fukuda]()
My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 4 by Shinichi Fukuda
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA loner boy and a flashy girl find common ground via cosplay in this sweet and spicy romcom!The preparations for Marin and JuJu's group cosplay steadily advance...until at long last, the costumes are complete!!That should just leave the photo shoot..Categorized as:
m-f cheerful heroine strong heroine shy-hero humor contemporary length-short high-school -
![Caught by Love by Melissa Foster]()
Caught by Love by Melissa Foster
He’s set on pleasure, but she’s all business. Sizzling chemistry and a surprising connection set this sexy love story in motion. But is it enough to last forever? Find out and fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast... -
![Suit by B.B. Easton]()
Suit by B.B. Easton
"Since when are you into guys in ties? You only like guys who look like they rob guys in ties. At gunpoint."It was true. By 2003, my type had been well-established. There might as well have been a giant sign on my heart that said, "Good Guys Need Not Apply."Which is exactly why I had to friend-zone Ken Easton... -
-
![Stay Wild by Kaylee Ryan]()
Stay Wild by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhat happens when your wandering heart is captured by your friend with benefits?ScarlettArcher Kincaid is supposed to be all the fun and none of the strings, but the longer I stay in Willow River, the more I feel roots pulling me to settle down.I plan to complete a one-year photography contract with Captured Moments, then move on to travel the world...Categorized as:
new adult strong heroine angst friends to lovers m-f friends-benefits humor insta-love -
![Blood Tears by J.D. Nixon]()
Blood Tears by J.D. Nixon
Is Senior Constable Tess Fuller really as resilient as she thinks? When faced with the tragic consequences of her own stubborn decision – further inflaming her lifelong feud with the large, revengeful, and violent Bycraft family – how will she cope? And can she rebuild her trust and relationship with her newly returned partner, Sergeant Finn Maguire, while they work a puzzling accidental death... -
![One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish]()
One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsI’m Poppy Woodstock.Romance author and wholehearted believer in Happily Ever Afters.A terminal case of writer’s block should be my biggest worry. Then I crash into him—literally—and fall into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Connor Bradley.Thief, rebel… and my new neighbor.One slip with the bad boy next door, and my life becomes stranger than any fiction I could ever write... -
![Tangle by Adriana Locke]()
Tangle by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSparks fly between a die-hard romantic and a sexy cynic in this fresh, funny romance from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers cheerful heroine m-f humor contemporary friends-benefits audiobook -
![Trouble by Adriana Locke]()
Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers independent heroine m-f humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Happy Endings at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett]()
Happy Endings at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsMusic sensation Aurora Storm finally has her career back on track, but then she’s caught up in a media storm. Desperate to distract from the story, she enlists the one man she trusts to pretend to be her boyfriend. Meanwhile, in the small seaside village of Mermaids Point, Nick Morgan never expected to see Aurora again. When she calls out of the blue needing his help, he agrees at once...Categorized as:
friends to lovers christian small town m-f christmas contemporary humor length-medium -
![Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid]()
Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid
Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most "fowl" need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another...Categorized as:
mystery new adult cheerful heroine cold hero grumpy sunshine small town competent heroine m-f -
![Wedding at Sea by Melissa Tagg]()
Wedding at Sea by Melissa Tagg
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLilian doesn’t remember anything about her life before the day Maggie Muir found her on her front porch—a toddler, abandoned and alone. And maybe that’s okay. She has a beautiful life at Muir Farm, including an adopted family she adores and a successful career as a lawyer. But she also has a secret . . . one that raises just as many questions about her future as it does her unknown past... -
![The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown]()
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFamily, wounded hearts, and a Texas bed-and-breakfast are in need of repair in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s inviting novel about down-home comfort and second chances.Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are due for a change...Categorized as:
small town friends to lovers christian m-f contemporary humor forced proximity audiobook -
![A New Song by Jan Karon]()
A New Song by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsJan Karon's millions of fans can't wait to sit down with her heartwarming and hilarious characters, who have a way of becoming family. In fact, readers and booksellers across the country kept Out to Canaan and At Home in Mitford on The New York Times bestseller list for months. In A New Song, Mitford's longtime Episcopal priest, Father Tim, retires... -
-
![Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman]()
Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsChoose the best phrase to describe Sibby Goldstein's 1) Sucky. 2) Really sucky. 3) Major suck-fest. D) All of the above. I started my day with a boyfriend and a job. I ended my day with a bottle of tequila. I'll let you connect the dots. Somehow, I wound up working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm not just talkin' about life... -
![The Overdue Kiss by Callie Thomas]()
The Overdue Kiss by Callie Thomas
My new rule to remaining single: don’t kiss the sexy math teacher.Maya:Books have always been my emergency escape. Whether I’m tuning out the chaos of my boisterous family or recovering from a cheating ex-boyfriend, the joy of reading calms my anxious heart.So what if I prefer to live in fictitious worlds to protect myself from heartbreak—it’s no big deal...Categorized as:
christian m-f slow burn small town cheerful heroine competent heroine sweet heroine strong heroine -
![Embrace The Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino, Reggie Deanching]()
Embrace The Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino, Reggie Deanching
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmbrace The Suck is book 8 in the OPS Protector Romance series and should be read in order.I should have just stayed home. I thought I could get away and relax. But that was scrapped the first day when Dash and FNG followed me on vacation. It was supposed to be a trip to reset my brain... -
![This Moment by Kelly Elliott]()
This Moment by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsKian Carter is stuck in a rut. A successful lawyer in his parents’ New York City office, he’s sick and tired of their greed, their lifelong insistence on putting their powerhouse practice above all else—including Kian and his siblings. So he does what he should have done long ago, what his brother and sister did…Kian turns his back on law...Categorized as:
mystery grumpy sunshine friends to lovers new adult found-family contemporary humor length-medium -
![A Forever of Orange Blossoms by Ava Miles]()
A Forever of Orange Blossoms by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMillions of readers have fallen in love with Ava's bestselling books...come join the family.International Bestselling Author Ava Miles’ feel-good series, The Merriams, is back with a humorous and heartwarming story about a playboy without a cause and a woman whose dreams were diverted by family responsibility—and, of course, everyone’s favorite matchmakers to guide the way... -
![Enemies to Lovers by Gena Showalter]()
Enemies to Lovers by Gena Showalter
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes another scorching Original Heartbreakers tale featuring an aloof bad boy and the rowdy Southern belle who rocks his world… Millionaire video-game creator Lincoln West has a dark and tragic past. The sought-after bachelor lives by a rigid schedule and a single rule—one relationship per year, lasting no more than two months. No exceptions... -
![Sunflower Alley by Ava Miles]()
Sunflower Alley by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMillions of readers have fallen in love with Ava's bestselling books...come join the family. International Bestselling Author Ava Miles’ acclaimed family series, The Merriams, returns with an inspiring story about a hero with nothing to live for and a heroine who shows him the power of second chances… And, of course, everyone’s favorite matchmakers to guide the way... -
![Knockout by Jessica Prince]()
Knockout by Jessica Prince
It wasn’t fair that the man I hated with a passion was so freaking gorgeous.Things in Layla Fox’s life were going great. She had a fantastic job, amazing friends, and a killer apartment. There was just one tiny glitch in all that perfect. Her upstairs neighbor was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome . . . and she hated the man with every cell in her body...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cold hero m-f small town independent heroine sassy heroine slow burn strong heroine -
![Jed Had to Die by Tara Sivec]()
Jed Had to Die by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe happiest day of Payton Lambert's life was the day she graduated high school and watched Bald Knob, Kentucky get smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. She wanted more for her life than a tiny town where everyone knows your business and you can’t find a decent cup of coffee for at least forty miles...Categorized as:
mystery small town sassy heroine friends to lovers new adult competent heroine m-f humor -
![Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell]()
Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe's her rock star crush, her go-to fantasy, and he's offering to make all her dreams come true... Rock star Malcolm Strong is used to being in control. Of the band. Of his feelings. Of the woman he has tied to his bed. He never gets close enough to get hurt. He never wants to. Until Lacey. The sassy brunette is working on the band's latest music video... -
-
![Mine To Love by Natasha Madison]()
Mine To Love by Natasha Madison
Presley After my sisters’ disastrous weddings, I’m never going to get married. I’ll just stay single forever. It doesn’t matter that I’m in love with my brother’s best friend. Or that Bennett and I shouldn’t even be friends with benefits. Until the positive sign tells me I’m pregnant. Bennett I fell in love with Presley when she was eighteen and asked me for a favor...Categorized as:
sassy heroine friends to lovers strong heroine m-f contemporary humor pregnancy explicit-open-door -
![The Quit List by Katie Bailey]()
The Quit List by Katie Bailey
He quit believing in love a long time ago. She won't quit until she finds The One... and he's everything she's NOT looking for. Holly Greene is on a mission to find her happily ever after. And her journey to love does not include a detour to Bad Boy Bartenderville, population Jax Grainger...Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult grumpy sunshine m-f slow burn sassy heroine cheerful heroine cold hero -
![Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg]()
Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg
A captivating new seaside romance brimming with mystery from USA Today bestselling, Christy Award-winning author Melissa TaggAbandoned as a toddler, Sydney Rose has spent years wondering who she really is, homesick for a life she's never lived...Categorized as:
christian new adult mystery m-f small town friends to lovers slow burn cheerful heroine -
![Fighting for Us by Claire Kingsley]()
Fighting for Us by Claire Kingsley
How long would you wait for the love of your life? The Asher Bailey who comes home to his quirky small town isn’t the same man who put a ring on Grace’s finger. He’s bigger, harder, haunted. Forced to give up Grace and everything else that was good in his life for a prison sentence he barely survived...Categorized as:
friends to lovers small town cold hero angst strong heroine tortured hero slow burn hurt-comfort -
![Unforgettable by Melanie Harlow]()
Unforgettable by Melanie Harlow
Back then, I had it all.Wicked fastball. Killer instinct. Cocky grin. Full package. (And believe me, I knew how to score.)My senior year, I was a first round draft pick with a two-million-dollar signing bonus. Before I could even legally buy myself a beer, I made my Major League debut. Point is, I was invincible.Until one day I wasn’t... -
![Hard by Donna Alam]()
Hard by Donna Alam
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA man walks into a coffee shop and gets offered a job in p0rn. Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Or every man’s fantasy. Until I remember I’m trying to be a good man. A single father. One who doesn’t do casual relationships, Let alone get paid for sex. But for those curves and that mouth? Any man might change his mind. ~*~ It was an honest mistake . . -
![My True Love by Melissa Foster]()
My True Love by Melissa Foster
Can a man who resents the hand he’s been dealt and a woman who spends her days grateful for every little thing find true love in each other’s arms—or are their differences stronger than both of them? Find out in this funny, sexy, heartfelt romance, and fall in love with Grant and Jules on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, and midnight rendezvous...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine small town cheerful heroine sweet heroine tortured hero m-f humor -
![Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry]()
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry... -
![What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala]()
What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala
Liam has always preferred spending his life inside books, only looking up to occasionally growl at customers in his shop. Until the day someone new comes to town. A woman who could keep up with him, someone who sees beyond his guards, who makes him want something decidedly non -fiction for a change. The only problem is, Riley has a secret. One that just might tear them apart...Categorized as:
m-f small town competent heroine cold hero new adult hurt-comfort humor contemporary -
![Wild Irish Rose by Ava Miles]()
Wild Irish Rose by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMillions of readers have fallen in love with Ava's bestselling books...come join the family. International Bestselling Author Ava Miles kicks off her new series with an irreverent hero, two well-intentioned matchmakers, and a heroine as beautiful as a wild Irish rose... -
-
![Reset by Janet Elizabeth Henderson]()
Reset by Janet Elizabeth Henderson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFormer soldier Ryan Granger’s life has become all about numbers:13 months since he was shot in the head7 months spent in a coma6 months since he woke, a changed man5 hours since he’d been kidnapped4 minutes since he’d opened his eyes in an underground cavern3 minutes since he’d heard a woman calling for help…Two strangers trapped together.One impossible way out... -
![Love, Delivered by A.N. Boyden]()
Love, Delivered by A.N. Boyden
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo years ago, Noah Porter would have been described by his closest family and friends as charismatic, outgoing, the life of the party, and a social butterfly. That all changed when Noah became the victim of a mass shooting at a popular nightclub. Noah escaped with his life, but his two best friends weren't so lucky.Noah now suffers from PTSD, agoraphobia, anxiety, and depression...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cold hero tortured hero friends to lovers new adult contemporary humor bwwm -
![The Crash Course by Elvie Everly]()
The Crash Course by Elvie Everly
She saved his life... Now he'll save her love life Reese Vann has a couple of goals for her sophomore year of focus on her classes, determine how to handle her overprotective sister, and work up the courage to ask out Caleb, the boy she's been crushing on for a year now. Rescuing a stranger from near-certain death is not part of the plan... -
![Sweet Sunshine (the Pembrooke series) by Jessica Prince]()
Sweet Sunshine (the Pembrooke series) by Jessica Prince
She’s a romantic at heart. Chloe Delaney had three very specific wishes, growing up. She wished to stay settled in the small mountain town of Pembrooke, where she grew up, to one day be her own boss, and to fall in love with a man who would be willing to go to the ends of the earth for her...Categorized as:
m-f grumpy sunshine small town cheerful heroine sweet heroine competent heroine cold hero humor -
![The Roomie Rulebook by Crystal Kaswell]()
The Roomie Rulebook by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOliver is my best friend's older brother. He's brooding, bossy, and painfully off limits. But all rules are off when I move in as his new roommate. When I need a place to crash, I go straight to the guy I know best. My best friend's older brother, Oliver. Who's right in the middle of enjoying his alone time. No big deal, right? It's not like I'm going to die of embarrassment... -
![Stop Ghosting Me by Tara Sivec]()
Stop Ghosting Me by Tara Sivec
Harvest Grove News:Another Halloween season is upon us! As usual, please be mindful of the movie fans traveling from Vine Street to Cinnamon Way. Favorite bar owner, Ford Prescott, is back in town for his yearly stay, making this his sixth October in Harvest Grove! Be sure to welcome him warmly when you see him at the Wicked Pub and Grub...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst cold hero m-f strong heroine competent heroine sassy heroine small town
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
