Books like 'The Ordeal of Being Known'
Readers who enjoyed The Ordeal of Being Known by Malia Rose also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny forced proximity queer sports dual-pov found-family
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How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune
Sequel to How to Be a Normal PersonA How to Be Novel Josiah Erickson wants to be a movie star. The problem with that is so does half of Los Angeles. But he’s on his way, what with memorable roles as a TV show background cadaver and a guy in a commercial for herpes medication. All he needs is his big break...Categorized as:
forced proximity queer found-family m-m contemporary humor friends to lovers sunny hero -
Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden
Sleeping with the enemy has never been so complicated. Twenty-eight-year-old Brooklyn Campbell is having a bad day. A speeding ticket, a towed car, and a broken heel are all working against her laid-back vibe. To top it all off, her birth mother, whom she's never met, has requested contact. The only bright spot is an impromptu date with a beautiful and mysterious brunette... -
Hopelessly Bromantic by Lauren Blakely
A sexy, passionate, utterly addictive, roomies-to-lovers MM romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely!Look, when I met the sexy, witty Brit on the streets of London last night, I had no idea who he was. He was just that hot guy I wanted to have a drink with so I asked him out for my first evening in town. One thing almost led to another... -
Double Play by A.K. Landow
LAYTONEveryone thinks I have it all. The all-American superstar baseball player. The golden boy of Philly. The notorious playboy.In reality, I’m just a lonely man who knows his career is hanging on by a thread.Then an opportunity presents itself. My team is sold, and the new owners want to keep me around... -
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Seth by Carly Marie
Be yourself because everyone else is taken. But what if that risks everything you know? Seth Johnson has worked his entire career to be remembered more for his skill than as an openly gay NHL player. Finding a boyfriend has been pushed to the back burner. As for exposing his softer side, the side that loves lace and lingerie? It’s not happening... -
Hot Heir by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIf I had to pick a bride of convenience, my first choice would NOT be Peach Maloney.My fiftieth choice would NOT be Peach.Top spot on my list of occupational hazards? Yes. Royal pain in the crumpets? Yes.A bride of convenience? No.But I’ve unexpectedly gone from royal bodyguard to monarch, having inherited a crown that was stolen from my family long before my birth...Categorized as:
dual-pov forced proximity found-family sports contemporary from hate to love humor m-f -
That First Flight by Jenn McMahon
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSomething tells me, nothing I do can stop myself from feeling things for my roommate.I’ve always wanted to be a chef.But the same day two pink lines showed up on the test, was the day I gave up chasing my own dreams to put my daughter first.I didn’t expect that to lead to a life of being scrutinized by my parents for every single move I made.After years of it, I was done... -
Waiting Game by G.A. Mazurke, Serena Akeroyd
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMia's a curvy, nerdy cam girl.I’m a professional hockey player who just got traded to the New York Stars.She's also the best one-night stand I’ve ever had and I sure wouldn’t mind making her a permanent fixture in my life.But we have a problem—she betrayed a mutual friend and I just can’t get past that...Categorized as:
sports found-family dual-pov hockey contemporary ice-skating secret-relationship super rich hero -
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son...Categorized as:
found-family forced proximity new adult from hate to love grumpy sunshine contemporary humor -
A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...There's always time for tea... unless you've lost your teapot…Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran...Categorized as:
found-family forced proximity grumpy sunshine small town contemporary humor length-medium -
Under the Radar by Melanie Moreland
When two new roommates discover their mutual crush, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Moreland takes us on a journey of falling in love.One of the Donner boys. Troublemakers.That was the reputation that followed Chase his whole life. Until he grew up and realized he could do better. Be better.But that choice cost him. His freedom, his family, his chance at love... -
It's Always Sonny by Kate Watson
Sunshine always melts ice eventually. And I’m starting to feel the burn.People may call me an “overachieving ice queen,” but I would do anything for the people I love.So when my friends ask me to host an event at their famous farm, I’m more than happy to help…until I discover I’ve been set up.The “event” is actually a reunion for my ex’s family...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports found-family contemporary grumpy sunshine m-f football humor -
The One I Hate by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate Simon Banks.I also hate tequila. The first makes my blood boil with his devilish smirk and giant…ego. The second makes me do questionable things. Specifically, with Simon. Fine. Whatever. It’s a blip on my radar. Even though I can’t stop thinking about memories of our night…or his hands…and that mouth...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov found-family from hate to love pregnancy contemporary suspense humor -
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The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsMy name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie. I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble. According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk. My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural... -
Man Candy by Vanessa Vale
From USA Today best-selling author Vanessa Vale, a small-town billionaire romance with a hot-as-puck hockey hero and a wannabe romance writer.I’m looking for Mr. Right. Date after blind date, they’re all duds. None of them meet the requirements on my Man List.Until Dex James.My brain? It says he’s all kinds of wrong.He’s young. In town on vacation. A lazy billionaire.He’d only be a fling...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov forced proximity contemporary humor super rich hero insta-love grumpy sunshine -
Beneath the Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAre you ready to fall in love with a Laker? When Connor Morgan wants something, he goes after it and doesn’t stop until he gets it. Enter Ella Henshaw. She’s the love of his life. Beautiful. Loyal. He has their future all mapped out. When Ella watches Connor take a nasty hit on the ice, she prays it isn’t going to ruin his final season with the Lakers. Or compromise his shot at going pro... -
Curveball by E.J. Blaise
Cass Morgan is used to hitting home runs.Sunday Lane is the strike he never saw coming.An MLB legend and a single mom.Ordinarily, their paths would never cross. But when a career-threatening injury and a cross-country move put them in each other’s paths, two pink lines forever entangle their lives.One night.One drink.One encounter that changes everything...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov forced proximity pregnancy single-mother age difference contemporary new adult -
Made For Me by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comes a brand new stand-alone friends to lovers sports romance. A spin-off from the Only One seriesChaseEveryone expected me to play hockey.I was good at it, but I was better at being a doctor.So I hung up the skates and joined Doctors without BordersBut there is no place like home, so now I’m back...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov forced proximity found-family sassy heroine contemporary humor friends to lovers -
Full Throttle by Brittany Ann
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFull Throttle is the final book in The Burnout Series. Dominique He was the boy next door, my escape from my splintered home. I fell in love with him too early, thought about him too much, and hoped for something he could never give me–a fairytale. He pushed me away, but I followed. I chased the ghost of Cain Donovan across the country, heart racing for him and him alone...Categorized as:
found-family sports forced proximity dual-pov mafia angst friends to lovers from hate to love -
Quitting the Quarterback by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy Pro Football, Single Mom, Forbidden Doctor/Patient Romance from Amazon Top Ten Bestselling author Lisa Suzanne.I went to Vegas to celebrate my divorce, and the pro football star was there celebrating his new contract. I heard someone call his name, and I wasn't about to miss my chance to get with the man my ex had idolized... -
Ella Gets the D by Tanvier Peart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe end of my marriage was the beginning of my happily ever after. What happens when you hear your husband putting dents in your mattress with another woman?Leave and never look back!Easier said than done when you're a stay-at-home mom, share two kids with the no-good cheater, and have a savings account that laughs in your face on the daily...Categorized as:
found-family sports forced proximity age difference single-mother contemporary black-mc humor -
So Flocked by Sarah Estep
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAfter the wedding, they’ll go their separate ways and no one will ever know what happened in the lighthouse.Jordy Taylor is a disaster. Over the hill by professional football standards, the veteran quarterback isn’t ready to hang up his pads just yet, but his team might have other plans... -
A Make Out to Remember by Dulcie Dameron
There’s nothing more damaging to one’s ego than realizing your Mystery Midnight Make Out Partner from two years ago has no recollection of you…Britta Gracen is happy for her bestie, Liss, and the once-in-a-lifetime love she found with pro snowboarder, Alden Beaumont.It’s Alden’s friend, Cash, that gets under her skin…Why? Because two years ago after a concert, she and Cash kissed.Not once...Categorized as:
dual-pov forced proximity sports from hate to love mystery age difference contemporary humor -
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Play Maker by Nikki Hall
Friends without benefits. For now.MacLast year, I only wanted three things out of a good time, a date with Wonder Woman, and a shot at playing and singing in the same Superbowl. This year, I can’t bring myself to care. Until Blue. The quiet girl with the rainbow hair refuses to let me suffer alone, and I’m starting to think losing everything is worth finding her...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov forced proximity friends to lovers college humor contemporary new adult -
The Wedding Winger by Delancey Stewart
Sly Remington has a plan. And it does not involve falling in love with his high school crush, the literal girl next door. But sometimes, fate makes plans of its own...Pro hockey has always been my destiny. And now that I’m right wing for the Wilcox Wombats? It’s my past and present… but I’m not so sure if it’s my future...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity found-family contemporary humor single-mother friends to lovers athletes -
Huck by Lulu Moore
You don’t date the Coach’s daughter. It’s the first thing you learn in Hockey 101.Except whoever made that rule had never met Nora Campbell.She came into my life like the blondest ray of sunshine, and I thought all my dreams had come true.Then I found out who she was...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity dual-pov found-family contemporary office friends to lovers forbidden love -
The Trip by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWho wants to take a road trip with two old, bickering women and a complete stranger? Not Jill Savoy. She finds herself behind the wheel of her father’s sacred Winnebago anyway, responsible for her grandmother and adopted aunt, both of whom are mischievous teenagers in old bodies, and then there’s Shay. The last thing on Shay Macaluso’s mind was a vacation... -
The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis
Beloved New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis begins a new series—Sunrise Cove—set near beautiful Lake Tahoe, with a heartwarming story of found family and love.During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane... -
Just My Luck by Rebecca Rennick
Emma Johnson has the worst luck. No really, she does. Murphy’s Law never applied to anyone better. If something can go wrong, it usually does. Thankfully she’s figured out a way to deal with her bad luck curse, by becoming a risk assessment analyst. Until she gets blindsided by her boss who decides AI is cheaper than her... -
The Christmas You Crash by Piper Hale
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOne blizzard. One cabin. One uninvited hockey player. Ho, ho, humbug. Normally I love Christmas. The lights, the snow, the cozy traditions. Then my parents divorced. Intent to avoid awkward holiday drama, I head to our family’s secluded cabin for a nice, relaxing week alone.At least that’s the plan until Ryder Hanson shows up uninvited and dressed like a serial killer... -
Never Mine by Bryce Oakley
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat if their fake relationship wasn’t ever just pretend?Sage Carson has a messy reputation. Sure, she’s a soccer star with World Cup trophies and Olympic medals, but she’s almost as well known for her rebellious behavior off the pitch. She’s left enough gorgeous women with broken hearts in her dust to fill a roster. That was, until she got injured... -
Pick One by May Archer
I once lived a fairly quiet existence as a math professor. Then Teagan Donahue crashed into my life like a shooting star. Now every day's a holiday, and my very best friend is also the guy I can't stop fantasizing about.The guy I'm madly in love with.The guy I'm ready to turn down my dream job for... -
Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNeed an Escape to New Zealand?Valentine's Day. Even a hard man needs a soft side. Marko Sendoa isn’t a beach man. He’s not an Auckland man. He’s a hard man. Born Basque tough, raised in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done... -
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When Sparks Fly: An absolutely addictive lesbian romance novel by Kristen Zimmer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe room is dark, except for the streetlights coming through the blinds. I can barely see her, but I feel her. She pushes me up against the wall and we kiss harder than we ever have before. I’ve been waiting so long for it to happen, and finally, it’s going to. Then the bedroom door flies open, and someone screams her name…Britton Walsh has never had a home... -
Just for Me: A Rugby Romance by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLuke Armstrong doesn’t want to be a pioneer or an inspiration. He just wants to be a prop.What’s it like to be the first All Black to come out while he’s still playing rugby? Luke has spent over thirty years not wanting to find out, but hiding has become so hard. He’s a man who doesn’t get tired, but now, he’s soul-weary... -
Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce
Maren and Locke both exist in the same world of professional golf—he's the number one player in the world while she just takes his picture.Never mind that Locke unintentionally leads the press to believe that he and Maren are dating, because when she confronts him, he couldn't care less... -
Pumped by Linden Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEverestOwen and I do not get along. He thinks I'm irresponsible and I find him arrogant and uptight. Good thing we only see each other when my sister and his brother pester us into attending family events.But when a fatal car accident leaves our niece orphaned, my brother-in-law and I are forced to raise her together--as long as we don't strangle each other first...Categorized as:
forced proximity found-family dual-pov sports queer from hate to love grumpy sunshine hurt-comfort -
The Fastball by Emily Childs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's the coach's aggravating daughter. He's the shy guy on first base. And they have no idea they're keeping the same secret. After a devastating accident that leaves his throwing hand in shambles, MLB first baseman, Dax Sage, finds out the woman handling the PR for his recovery is none other than the gorgeous, frigid daughter of his head coach... -
The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old? Patrick Griffin I hurt him. I didn’t mean to.Now he’s gone, and I deserve it.As a linebacker in the NFL, I've never found the right time to come out of the closet. Not even when I promised Cole I would... -
Kiss My Axe by R.M. Neill
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPerryYou know that saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Well, whoever said that never had the misfortune of meeting Roman Auclair.Sure, he’s sexy and wears a corset like nobody’s business, but he’s arrogant, entitled and so damn judgemental he should sit on the Supreme Court.I’d rather sleep with a porcupine than bunk with him... -
Wallflower in Bloom by Elise Kennedy
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPainfully shy plant mom Violet Parker is about to experience the thrill of a lifetime when her TV crush lands on her doorstep.Desperate to rehab his public image after a PR disaster, actor / playboy Jack Grant needs a wholesome fake girlfriend for the summer. Violet, meanwhile, needs help stepping out of her comfort zone so her fledgling flower and plant shop, Bloom, will thrive...Categorized as:
forced proximity found-family curvy heroine humor contemporary length-medium fake relationship -
Christmas in Paradise by Brittany Larsen
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCould an innocent fling turn into the real thing?I only want two things out of life: a career as a wedding planner extraordinaire and for Mom to stop treating me like a kid. Is that too much to ask? Probably.That is, until I get the chance to plan a televised, Christmas-themed wedding a thousand miles away from Mom in Paradise, Idaho. It seems like all my dreams might be coming true... -
Home Run Heart by Hailey Gardiner
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere have only ever been two things that Brooks Alden can say he truly baseball and Nora Foster, the girl he dated in high school.Returning home in the off-season gives Brooks an opportunity he never thought he’d get a second chance encounter with a now-divorced Nora. Suddenly, the hometown he’s avoided for so long becomes a place to make new memories together... -
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The Winning Score by G.K. Brady
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual. Can they make it through quarantine together?Quinn Hadley only does one thing as well as he plays hockey—wheeling the ladies. He’s the envy of his teammates. With puck bunnies on speed dial in every city, he never spends a night alone unless it’s by choice. He has a certain type—hot, blond, and easy... -
For Love or Scandal by J.J. Arias
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA sham wedding ignites an irresistible spark between a once-disgraced director and the wedding planner of her dreams.Laney Menendez, a once-celebrated Hollywood director, has a chance at a comeback. The catch? She must first marry her brother’s soap-star boyfriend to stop him from being outed by a tabloid... -
The Fate Philosophy by Sarah A. Bailey
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFollowing the long overdue break-up from her insufferable ex-boyfriend, Macie Cunningham was ready for a fresh start.She thought she’d find that new beginning when she impulsively moved to Los Angeles with her best friend, but after six months here, all she’s discovered is that her life is strenuously the same. The same career—one she’s not so sure she still loves... -
The Suit by Lulu Moore
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHave you ever met someone who makes your blood boil simply by existing? Or turn your notorious, ice-cool demeanor volcanic in a nanosecond? Perhaps smother your usual air of indifference with a lightning-charged thundercloud, threatening to strike at any moment?Because that’s what she does.It’s been seven peaceful years since I last saw Beulah Holmes... -
Rescued by the Single Dad by Whitley Cox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when the brewery prince falls for the mermaid and ends up endangering his entire kingdom?Welcome to San Camanez, a humble, peaceful little island in the Puget Sound and home to the McEvoy brothers. Four sexy single fathers—and one childless snack with a beard—who run a brewpub on the beach, raise their kids together, and hope to find love and happiness in the chaos that is life...Categorized as:
found-family forced proximity dual-pov suspense contemporary single-father mystery military -
On a Flight to Sydney by J.A. Forde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the very last thing you’re looking for turns out to be exactly what you need?Joss Morgan is perfectly happy with her life in Sydney, thank-you-very-much. She may be single, have only one true friend, and live alone… but she doesn’t need a man… or more friends… or anything at all...Categorized as:
forced proximity dual-pov friends to lovers contemporary military humor length-medium
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