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
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Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 3 by Fujita
A tall, quiet gamer boy and a geeky girl whose life revolves around yaoi manga are old friends, but when they start working in the same office, they decide to date. It's a relationship of convenience at first, but could it become something more? This manga comedy is now a hit streaming anime! Extra-long book includes 2 Japanese volumes! SUMMER ROMANCE FOR NERDS... -
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 Not. Lenny’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... -
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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 slow burn -
The Lost Letters by Brittney Sahin, Joseph Cannata
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 19 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 -
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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. And has Tess really seen the last of the predatory Red Bycraft? -
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 secret child slow burn contemporary -
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 -
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... -
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... -
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. .. but Wakana has a secret plan the other two don't know about! !Categorized as:
m-f cheerful heroine strong heroine shy-hero humor contemporary length-short high-school -
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... -
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... -
Twenty-four Three by K.C. Mills
A shot in the dark. A mistaken identity. A undeniable attraction. An injured hitman finds himself depending on a stranger and for Carter Reed trust is not something he’s willing to extend. Unfortunately when it comes to McKenna Smith, Carter can either allow her to be his saving grace or risk loosing something more precious than trust…his life. Stakes are high... -
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... -
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A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 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... -
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... -
How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor
She’s merry and bright. He’s…. not. But something between them is warming up. Megan Sheridan just landed the perfect holiday a quiet week in the mountains house-sitting an event venue while the owners are away. Check the mail, answer the phone, keep the pipes from freezing—easy. The only trouble? No one told Megan she’d be sharing the farmhouse with a very grouchy, very handsome farmhand...Categorized as:
m-f grumpy sunshine small town cheerful heroine sweet heroine competent heroine cold hero humor -
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 -
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
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
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 -
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
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
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... -
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Betting on the Best Friend: a Sweet Romantic Comedy by Melanie Jacobson
I helped all my roommates find love. Now they want revenge. When my besties present me with a plan to find the man of my dreams, I pass. Easily. Until my recent ex of five years very publicly announces his engagement to someone he just met. If dating shows him I’m happy and thriving, I’m all in. But after half a dozen nightmare dates, I’m having doubts...Categorized as:
angst m-f friends to lovers slow burn cheerful heroine sassy heroine contemporary humor -
Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott
He’s allergic to Christmas. I’m practically made of tinsel. What could go wrong? I’m not saying Gage Lockett is the actual Grinch … but if someone in town woke up tomorrow to find all the candy canes missing, my money’s on him. The man glares at twinkle lights like they personally insulted his mother...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine m-f slow burn small town cheerful heroine sweet heroine cold hero christmas -
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... -
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... -
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... -
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 -
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 -
Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg
A captivating new seaside romance brimming with mystery from USA Today bestselling, Christy Award-winning author Melissa Tagg. Abandoned 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
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 -
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 -
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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 -
Wrong Number, Right Grump by Piper Cook
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWrong number. Right timing. I left my ex the world’s most unhinged breakup voicemail—complete with colorful language, a few creative threats, and a playlist he could shove where the sun doesn’t shine. Only…I vented to the wrong number. Worse? The stranger listened to my rambling rant and had the nerve to respond...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cheerful heroine sassy heroine cold hero m-f contemporary humor length-novella -
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 -
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 -
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... -
Christmas With a Crank by Courtney Walsh
A second chance with your first crush. Doesn’t happen often. For Liam Fisher, that first crush was his next door neighbor, Olive Witherby. Childhood was lazy summers, treehouse stargazing, and endless games of hide and seek at Pine Creek, the Christmas tree farm that’s been in Liam’s family for generations... -
Duke-ing it Out by Jami Albright
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s game, set, and match when this pro football player turned trainer squares off against a gorgeous tennis player with an attitude as big as Texas. Duke Wayne returns to his hometown for one reason and one reason only—reckless pro tennis star Sienna Ramsey has lost her ever-lovin’ mind. His feisty client is ready to throw her career away in favor of a simple life... -
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 -
The Crush by Karla Sorensen
You know that girl from your past that you can’t quite stop thinking about? The one that you pushed away because you had a goal that seemed so much bigger, so much more important than any crush you might have had? That’s Adaline Wilder for me. Nothing came before football. Not in college, and not in my five years in the pros...Categorized as:
strong heroine friends to lovers new adult angst independent heroine sassy heroine m-f sports -
Sweet Sunshine 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 -
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Rock Chick Redux by Kristen Ashley
In Celebration of 20,000 Likes on Facebook! Bonus Rock Chick footage. Oh yes…it’s always nice to get a little bit more. Download Rock Chick Redux. And thank you to my Facebook Rock Chicks for rocking my world! Rock On! See the story using the link in Official url. -
That Secret Crush by Meghan Quinn
USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings more humor and heart with the third novel of her Getting Lucky series: a story about breaking curses and laying your heart on the line... -
Red Flags Only by Storm Sterling
Jove Rogue is a certified maniac. And… also my pen pal? Which is, uh, cool. Totally cool. Really. No panic attacks here! It’s not like I thought my pen pal and closest confidant was a girl or anything. Obviously I knew it was our small town’s walking red flag - and not the cute kind that comes on mailboxes. No, no. Jove is not cute. For one, no one that huge would ever be considered cute... -
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 -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers independent heroine sassy heroine strong heroine m-f humor contemporary audiobook -
The Project by R.L. Mathewson
From New York Time’s bestselling author of the Neighbor from Hell series comes a heartwarming romantic comedy about the only thing that matters when you’re about to lose everything that you’ve ever wanted. The one person that you can’t live without...
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