Books like 'The Friendship Study'
Readers who enjoyed The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary bisexual m-f friends to lovers grumpy sunshine shy-hero friends-benefits pegging hurt-comfort sweet heroine
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What Lovers Do by Jewel E. Ann
How did Scottsdale’s sexiest pet store guy get dumped by his wife, forced into shared custody of their dogs, and fall for Dr. Sophie Ryan, the world’s most unavailable bachelorette? What starts out as a disastrous first meeting involving a coffee catastrophe and mistaken flirting, turns into an unconventional friendship.Fake phone sex. Dog park dates. And eighteen holes of golf...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst friends-benefits sweet heroine working class hero sweet-hero m-f humor -
![Heading Home to Lavender Cottage by Alison Sherlock]()
Heading Home to Lavender Cottage by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWith nowhere else to go, Harriet Colgan has returned to the sleepy village of Cranfield to sell her beloved aunt and uncle’s cottage, the only place she ever called home.When she arrives at Lavender Cottage, Harriet discovers plans to replace the beautiful lavender fields, her uncle’s pride and joy, with an industrial warehouse... -
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![Samson by Marie James]()
Samson by Marie James
Who says you can’t fall in love at seven years old? I know I did. The love I felt for my babysitter, Camryn Davison at such a young age transformed over time. By the time I was a teen that love turned into fantasies I knew would never come true. By the time I saw her again at twenty-one I was determined to make those fantasies a reality... -
![Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black]()
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLeoEveryone has a past they’re trying to outrun, myself included. My time in the military left me with scars, both physically and emotionally, which is why I keep to myself. Since returning home to Stewart Grove, I work a lot so I have little time to think. To remember. I’m just content to make it through the day.Then I meet Kallie Carpenter... -
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![Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless]()
Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless
By twenty-four, Carter Stevenson has stuttered and ticced his way to debilitating shyness. Although his friends accuse him of letting his Tourette's dictate his life, Carter moves from Los Angeles to a quiet California town. He'll keep his head down and avoid people. He doesn't anticipate his new neighbor, Ethan Hart, crashing into his solitude and forcing him to get out and live... -
![Uninhibited by Melody Grace]()
Uninhibited by Melody Grace
He’ll teach her a pleasure beyond her wildest dreams… Alicia Wright isn’t the kind of girl to make out with a stranger in a dark alley. She’s spent years playing it safe, pining after the perfect man – who’s about to marry someone else...Categorized as:
insta-love tortured hero sweet-hero competent heroine sweet heroine angst m-f contemporary -
![The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez]()
The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe world owes you nothing. It took losing the woman I loved and facing the paralyzing task of moving on without her for me to truly understand that. Consumed by regret and razor-sharp memories, I’d resigned myself to a life of loneliness until a survivor from the same plane crash that took my fiancée stormed into my life.Remi Grey was chaos and sunshine, fire and freedom... -
![The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini]()
The Wedding Menu by Letizia Lorini
How many weddings does it take to fall in love?One year ago, Amelie had it all.Almost engaged to her high school sweetheart, close to her childhood best friend, and cooking at her dad's restaurant: her life was exactly what she’d ordered.Until Ian, an opinionated wedding-hater, popped up out of nowhere and proved she might like something off menu.***One year later, Amelie has lost it all... -
![Stay Together by Kaylee Ryan]()
Stay Together by Kaylee Ryan
RushtonFrom the moment I see her, I’m hooked. There’s just something about Crosby that has me eager to know her. One thing’s for sure, I can’t stay away from the new kindergarten teacher with the kind smile and secrets in her brown eyes.There’s no hiding in a small town, and she’s suddenly everywhere... -
![Pink Bits by J.B. Heller]()
Pink Bits by J.B. Heller
Did you know the medical term for a butt crack is intergluteal cleft? My name is Reagan, and spouting random facts like this one at inopportune moments is my affliction. I’m chronically awkward, socially inept and completely lack a filter. Believe it or not, men do not find these attractive traits...Categorized as:
friends to lovers working class hero neurodivergent m-f new adult humor contemporary length-short -
![If You're Ready by Estie Enders]()
If You're Ready by Estie Enders
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSix months ago, Fallon McCann had it all: a house filled with memories, a fulfilling career, a loving fiancé, and a half-planned wedding. Now, her fiancé’s dead, her once-colorful walls have been painted over in shades of gray, and she’s packing up her life in search of a new beginning.When the man responsible for her fiancé’s death shows up on her doorstep, she surprises even herself...Categorized as:
m-f friends to lovers hurt-comfort forbidden love small town contemporary length-medium slow burn -
![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 caretaking small town sweet heroine competent heroine cold hero humor -
![Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis]()
Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis
He’ll help unleash the new woman in her… Special Ops soldier Griffin Reid doesn’t exactly have happy memories of growing up in Sunshine, Idaho. He’s only come back to recover from a war injury, and while he refuses to admit he’s in a weakened state, he finds comfort in the last person he’d expect. Kate Evans teaches fourth grade science in Sunshine, the place she’s always called home... -
![Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell]()
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:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine m-f contemporary forced proximity from hate to love -
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![One Night with the Player (Club Curve) by Eve London]()
One Night with the Player (Club Curve) by Eve London
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA brother's best friend. A sister's forbidden desire. OliviaThe man who ruined me for any other is coming home. He thinks he won't have to deal with me, but I’m waiting for him. I need answers only he can provide, and I won’t rest until I get them. The only problem is… once I see Leo Steele, the feelings I’ve kept locked up inside break free... -
![Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper]()
Jericho Candelario's Gay Debut by R. Cooper
Jerry Candelario, known as Potts to almost everyone, has spent his entire adult life focused on raising his siblings and his young niece. But the home he fought hard to make is starting to feel empty now that everyone has grown up and moved out and his precious baby niece has suddenly become a teen with a life of her own...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer small town shy-hero sweet-hero m-m contemporary multicultural -
![Just My Type by Tara Sivec]()
Just My Type by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsLive in the best small town in the world? Check. Have the greatest job ever working on my family's pumpkin farm? Check. Marry the town pharmacist and have a nice, quiet life with our son? Check-check. "Oh, I'm sorry...Categorized as:
friends to lovers insta-love cold hero m-f humor contemporary single-mother length-short -
![Blue by M.L. Nystrom]()
Blue by M.L. Nystrom
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsBlue’s life is in shambles.He has to fight off his MC brotherhood on a drug problem threatening his town, balance his time as a father while dealing with a vicious custody battle with his ex, and somehow manage the huge load of responsibilities of his job. All the while, he is fighting his attraction to the quiet shopkeeper who lives just across the street from him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers tortured hero sweet heroine angst bikers contemporary single-father length-short -
![Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio]()
Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo authors, an intertwined plot, and one heck of an alluring ending to their highly-anticipated bestselling books... With her fantasy series, Bridget Paige is the newest member of the New York Times Bestseller list. Except no one knows who she is. To the world, she's Bridget. To those behind the scenes, she's introverted Paige Booker... -
![Strong Enough by Cardeno C.]()
Strong Enough by Cardeno C.
A Book in the Family Series When twenty-two-year-old Emilio Sanchez sees handsome Spencer Derdinger walking by his construction site, Emilio makes it his goal to seduce the shy professor. Getting Spencer into bed isn’t difficult, but Emilio soon learns that earning the trust of a man deeply hurt will take time and patience...Categorized as:
insta-love tortured hero working class hero shy-hero hurt-comfort queer sweet-hero contemporary -
![When The Walls Come Down by Harper Robson]()
When The Walls Come Down by Harper Robson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDylan"Quirky." Ugh, I hate that word. The PC term these days is 'neuro-divergent', but I prefer to be called autistic. It's often a huge advantage to have a brain that works differently, but I sometimes wish it was easier to connect with other people...Categorized as:
queer neurodivergent hurt-comfort bisexual friends to lovers sweet-hero m-m contemporary -
![A Flowering of Ink by K.L. Noone]()
A Flowering of Ink by K.L. Noone
One misdirected card ... and a chance at love.Professor Burne Cameron loves his job and his environmental research. Unfortunately, three months of field work on a tiny island can get pretty lonely, especially when even his brother forgets his birthday. That is, until an unexpected letter arrives ... and Burne finds himself fascinated by the mysterious sender... -
![Doors by Clover Down]()
Doors by Clover Down
Levi He is a professional cuddler. He’s always been good with people and after a rough youth, he understands loneliness and pain. Or he thought he did until he knocked on Noelle Shaw’s door. He could never have prepared for meeting her—not for the storm in her eyes or the way she constantly surprises him.Levi thought he was there to help her, but maybe he had it backward... -
![Alette by pourthemoon]()
Alette by pourthemoon
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe cold man fell in love with the kind girl because he knew that she deserved the world and that he wanted to be the one who gave it to her. ♡Alette Faye was a sweet girl. She was exceptionally kind and had an air of simplicity. Between her part-time job at the bakery, her classes, her time spent tending to her flowers and walking in the fields, she didn't get the opportunity to experience much... -
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![Above and Beyond by Lucy Lennox, Sloane Kennedy]()
Above and Beyond by Lucy Lennox, Sloane Kennedy
Lucky Two years ago I humiliated myself by declaring my love to an older man who clearly didn’t share my feelings. And that’s fine. One day Zach will come around. Meanwhile, I’ve built a life for myself in northern Montana, pursuing my college degree while working hard toward certification in high-risk alpine search and rescue on the side... -
![Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold]()
Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDoes my husband's heart still miss me now that it beats in the chest of another man? Lub-dub A heartbeat more familiar than Easton’s own Lub-dub He vowed to love his husband until death do they part. And then the worst happened. Lub-dub His heart kept another man alive. River. A stranger in the world with Easton's husband's heart pumping the blood that warms his skin... -
![Love Directions by A.F. Zoelle]()
Love Directions by A.F. Zoelle
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsElias ForthwrightHoroscopes always seemed a bit woo-woo to me, but I don't know how else to explain why it feels like the cosmic universe is pushing me in the direction of the mysterious North Easton, who miraculously comes into my life at just the right time. We’re nothing alike, but for the first time since my mom passed away, life is finally fun again thanks to him...Categorized as:
queer hurt-comfort insta-love friends to lovers m-m contemporary queer-awakening humor -
![Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach]()
Lightning Strikes Twice by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsReturning home to Seattle from a twenty year absence in London...Victoria discovers that time has not erased her feelings for an unrequited love. It soon becomes obvious that with true love, lightning can sometimes strike twice.This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book... -
![Gravity by Mia Monroe]()
Gravity by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe was only meant to be a hookup. Until he became my coworker.Only I could ruin the hottest potential hookup ever. One look at the gorgeous ginger, and I was done for. I summoned every bit of courage I had, then panicked. As is my way. I managed to put it behind me until he became my new coworker. Now, every day is a reminder of my insecurities and what might have been... -
![Maddie by Annabella Michaels]()
Maddie by Annabella Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter witnessing firsthand just how dirty and underhanded a life in politics can be, Maddie Vanderhorne steps off the campaign trail to follow his passion. Starting his own event planning business is the best decision Maddie’s ever made, quickly winning over his clients with his vibrant and outgoing personality... -
![Rhodie by Cleo Browne]()
Rhodie by Cleo Browne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTuesday Tombs’ greatest assets are her family and her genius mind. She’s a whirlwind of sass with a thirst for justice. Her latest target? To infiltrate Devil’s Rose MC. But things take a turn when she encounters Rhodie, the MC’s imposing Enforcer. His gruff exterior and soft spot for her throw a confusing wrench in her well-laid plans... -
![Whispers at Seaside by Addison Cole]()
Whispers at Seaside by Addison Cole
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSweet with Heat: Seaside Summers features a group of fun, flirty, and emotional friends who gather each summer at their Cape Cod cottages. They’re sassy, flawed, and so easy to relate to, you’ll be begging to enter their circle of friends! IN WHISPERS AT SEASIDE.. -
![The Sebastian Guarantee by Krista Sandor]()
The Sebastian Guarantee by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPhoebe Gale is a genius behind the keyboard, but her love life is a catastrophe. She’s sick of guys trampling on her heart.Spoiler Alert: that’s about to end.She’s been invited to a conference where she’ll get the chance to flaunt her tech talents and show these creeps exactly what they’re missing.Hell hath no fury like a computer nerd scorned... -
![Bear's Best Friend by Raleigh Ruebins]()
Bear's Best Friend by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a ray of sunshine. I’m a loner lumberjack. We don’t make sense……But my straight best friend keeps ending up in my bed.Sawyer Hendricks is the best friend I’ve ever had—the Goose to my Moose, and the shoulder I’ve cried on even though I’m not the crying type. The difference between us? Sawyer brightens any room in an instant, and I’m the gruff guy wearing flannel who’d rather be alone... -
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![Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall]()
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
People come as well as go.Twelve years ago, Edwin Tully came to Oxford and fell in love with a boy named Marius. He was brilliant. An artist. It was going to be forever.Two years ago, it ended.Now Edwin lives alone in the house they used to share. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to a build a future from the fragments of the past... -
![Lethal by Reese Knightley]()
Lethal by Reese Knightley
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA traitor with stolen information.Adam Campbell, 33, blacklisted CIA agent, needs to get covert information into the right hands. Alone and on the run, his world suddenly stops when he discovers the identity of the Pegasus operative who is on his tail. Arranging a meeting just to gaze into the eyes of the man he’s always loved, Adam is set up and almost killed... -
![Sweet as Pie by Beth Bolden]()
Sweet as Pie by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLuca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn't have it any other way.Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family's restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he's about to get an overdose of sweetness...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine hurt-comfort insta-love queer m-m height-difference contemporary length-medium -
![Black by Quin, Perin.]()
Black by Quin, Perin.
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Meow!”There it was.The sound that made my knees buckle.He purred, neck stretched, eyes half-lidded.With those cat ears, in his hair.And the tail, that he flicked.A ray of sun in the drizzling rain. I’d been a traveler, floating adrift, while he’d stayed in one place. How was I supposed to know he’d become my anchor? My light. My everything... -
![Run Away With me, Girl 2 by Battan]()
Run Away With me, Girl 2 by Battan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMaki's first love was her high school classmate, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation, saying they were now "too old to be fooling around dating girls... -
![The Truest Thing by Samantha Young]()
The Truest Thing by Samantha Young
Nine years ago, Emery Saunders moved to Hartwell to start her life over as a bookstore owner. Her inability to trust people made it hard for her to find a place in the small community until Jessica Lawson moved to town and befriended the shy beauty.But there was one person in Hartwell who tried to befriend Emery long before Jessica arrived…Jack Devlin has his secrets...Categorized as:
friends to lovers angst sweet heroine cold hero m-f contemporary second chances new adult -
![Love Comes Silently by Andrew Grey]()
Love Comes Silently by Andrew Grey
Caring for a loved one with cancer is tough. Doing it alone is overwhelming—especially when that loved one is a child. But ever since Ken Brighton’s partner left him, Ken has spent his days at the hospital with his daughter, Hanna, hoping for a miracle... -
![On The Honey Side by Staci Hart]()
On The Honey Side by Staci Hart
No one can ever have Keaton Meyer.Least of all me.The brooding construction manager is a man of myth and legend, rarely seen in the wild. Once upon a time, he was the star quarterback, the smiling homecoming king, royalty in our small town. Until tragedy struck. And then he disappeared completely.Now he’s resurfaced, and I can’t keep my eyes off him...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine small town cold hero tortured hero working class hero m-f humor -
![Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn]()
Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
The acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A... -
![Most of You by E.M. Lindsey]()
Most of You by E.M. Lindsey
There he was…Shirtless.Wearing glasses.Chopping wood like some kind of fantasy lumberjack.And Emil was officially helpless.Moving to the East Coast, Emil was there for two things exactly: to become a better person, and to face the part of his past he’d spent his entire life avoiding.He most certainly hadn't planned on falling in love... -
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![Blindside by N.R. Walker]()
Blindside by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsMark Gattison has avoided love and commitment his entire adult life. Not interested in more than a one night stand or a brief encounter in a bathroom stall, he is the epitome of a good time.Will Parkinson is the guy who defends him, the guy who puts up with him, the guy Mark calls his best friend.When Will becomes unsettled and a little distant, Mark takes it upon himself to find Will a boyfriend...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer angst disabilities and marks hurt-comfort m-m contemporary humor -
![Bodyguard's Obsession by Mink]()
Bodyguard's Obsession by Mink
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsNothing surprises me anymore. At least nothing did … Until she fell into my arms. Fiona is young, beautiful, and a superstar. It’s my job to protect her from her crazy fans and one particularly dangerous stalker. It’s not my job to watch every little move she makes, to hang on her every word, and to imagine what it would be like to get a taste of her...Categorized as:
insta-love sweet heroine cold hero m-f contemporary suspense alpha male bodyguard-hero -
![Cold Winter Nights by Sue Laybourn, Jay Aheer]()
Cold Winter Nights by Sue Laybourn, Jay Aheer
Beauregard Stone lives a life of solitude in the snow-blanketed town of Windeville, Maine. The burly, gruff lumberjack is a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He hasn’t spoken much since his husband died eight years ago. Now, each day bleeds into the next as Stone loses himself in his woodshop and lumber- hauling business...Categorized as:
queer childfree-couple grovel hurt-comfort insta-love small town cold hero tortured hero -
![Leaning Into the Look by Lane Hayes]()
Leaning Into the Look by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGrant Kostas made a career based on his looks before joining his family’s real estate firm. He may not love his job but he’s better at sales than he thought. And when he’s poised to bring in the biggest account of the company’s history, even his father is impressed. Unfortunately, the extra attention highlights Grant’s personal life. His parents accept that he’s gay... -
![Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart]()
Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis, Al Stewart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTom; shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night, wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days, a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?Getting married… It seems only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby... -
![Dirty Sweet Duet by Laurelin Paige]()
Dirty Sweet Duet by Laurelin Paige
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIncludes Sweet Liar and Sweet Fate.British ad exec Dylan Locke isn't looking for love. He isn't looking for fate. He's definitely not looking for Audrey Lind. She's pretty, far too young, and overly romantic--in short, exhausting.But when the girl, young enough to be his daughter, literally lands in his lap and asks for his expertise, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested...
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