Books like 'How to Plot a Payback'
Readers who enjoyed How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny from hate to love grumpy sunshine office forced proximity cheerful heroine famous heroine cold hero m-f
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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... -
Where It All Began by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAvailable only through Lucy's newsletter, this free book is the prequel to the popular Blue Moon series and is set in 1985. John Pierce has plans for these two hundred rundown acres. He sees a farm, a family, a future. He’s not about to drag someone in on the ground floor, not before he’s put in the work to turn rubble into home... -
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Planes, Reins, and Automobiles by Kate Watson
She's sunshine. He's frostbite. They've got 1,600 miles to go before Christmas—and he's about to discover his new enemy might be his anonymous online soulmate. Oliver Fletcher has one goal, and he's not happy about it: get home for his brother's wedding... -
I Can't Even by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsEllodie Cassandra Solaire made a single, solitary New Year’s resolution. That resolution was set in stone, and she wouldn’t be breaking it, no matter what. It was simple: Say yes to every person who asks her out on a date until she finds a boyfriend. Easy, right? Wrong. She breaks that New Year’s resolution three months into the year after a guy gives her serial killer vibes...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love m-f suspense contemporary military humor length-medium -
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Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Watson
Lucy Jane. The first rule of touring? Don’t fall for your crew. Especially not the grumpy, emotionally caged, impossible-to-read sound guy who acts like tolerating pop-country singers is pure torture. Patrick “Patty” O’Shannan clearly doesn’t want to be here. He does his job and barely looks at me unless it’s to scowl...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine office contemporary humor length-medium glimpses-kisses audiobook -
Blame It On The Bikini by Barbara Freethy
"I cannot wait for more of this series, I want everybody’s backstory and everybody’s happy ever after. And if there’s an empty apartment at Ocean Shores, it’s mine! ! " Robin - Goodreads. She traded courtrooms for camera clicks. He traded affection for acquisition... -
The Deal by R.L. Mathewson
Some people marry for love. Some marry for money. Quinn and Dylan married for revenge. From New York Times Bestseller author R. L. Mathewson comes a new twist in the Neighbor from Hell series, where ultimatums, fake marriages, and revenge turn into something they never saw coming. Quinn Bradford needed to make a choice:. Get married or lose everything... -
Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers. She's got a lot of baggage. .. literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real. For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but. So why can't he stay away? Knox and Fiona's story! Finally! -
A Holly Jilly Christmas by Emma St. Clair
My life is nothing like the movies we make at the studio where I work--especially not when it comes to relationships. Which means that there will be absolutely NO romance between me and Case, the grumpy exec I've had a crush on from our very first not-so-meet-cute. We're simply two coworkers scouting the town of Sheet Cake, Texas as a location for filming. That's it...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love cold hero office grumpy sunshine christmas humor christian -
Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be a quick meeting. I’ve been trying to break into acting for years, and now I’m FINALLY up for a lead role in a romcom movie. It’s a huge step up from barista #3, especially considering who’s supposed to play my love interest—Adam Stone...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine from hate to love contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
Hawaii Can Suck It by MéLisa Ryun
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI’m supposed to film him. Not fall for him. I’m Camila Morales—cargo pants-wearing, scrunchie-collecting, videographer to Reece Dare—a growly, tattooed YouTube adrenaline junkie. He’s hot, sure, when he’s not judging me for smiling (calls it a sign of weakness)... -
One Enchanted Moment by Sarah Morgan
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsUSA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan will sweep you away with her Puffin Island series! Life has just thrown Skylar Tempest a serious curveball. So she’s returned home to Puffin Island to regroup among friends. Unfortunately, that means seeing Alec Hunter, who’s become a big-deal TV historian. Sky’s never liked the cynical Alec, and the feeling was mutual. But maybe that was then... -
Enticing Her Love: Sutton Steele by Melissa Foster
Pro: Stuck sharing a bed with my hot, broody boss. Con: He’s trying to get me fired. Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone... -
Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks
A knight in shining armor? Hardly. More like my worst enemy wrapped in a swoon-worthy tux…. When Brooks Salinger saves me from heartbreak at a wedding, I never expect to see him again—let alone find him back in my life, set to destroy my family’s bookstore. But when he offers me a wild deal—pretend to be his girlfriend at a ritzy wedding in exchange for saving the store—I reluctantly agree... -
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Fiona and the Fixer by Vanessa Vale
A bad boy fixer and a bombshell detective can work together on opposite sides of the law. .. or so I hear. I’m an overworked fixer who needs a break. When I’m asked to cat-sit in Coal Springs, I’m all for a few boring days. Except there is no break, and there’s no chance to be bored... -
Greek Secret by Francesca Catlow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSet on the sun-drenched island of Corfu, Greek Secret is the perfect romantic getaway for fans of Karen Swan, Kate Frost and Paige Toon. When Ruby arrives in Corfu, she’s greeted by a sparkling sea, hot sand and a new future... -
Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood
The companion novel to Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell follows Theo Eliott’s best friend Cynthie Taylor as she’s pulled back into a fake PR relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, the one costar she swore she’d never work with again. When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity famous heroine m-f contemporary humor slow burn length-medium -
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane series. Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what. All’s fair in love and…medicine? Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love m-f small town humor suspense contemporary length-medium -
The Grump's Bodyguard by Latisha Sexton
It was love at first sight . . . or at least, love at first bloody nose. Thor. If there’s one thing the Marines taught me, it’s that you don’t quit until you’ve completed your mission. Or you die trying. And by the way Clover Mason keeps shooting fire at me from those violet-colored eyes of hers, it just may be the latter... -
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting? When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off for the West... -
Over & Out by Claire Wilder
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIntroducing a brand new enemies to lovers romance from USA TODAY Bestselling Author Claire Wilder! Three months ago, a dirt bike accident stole my confidence, my beloved ride, and the one thing that made me feel alive. Now I’m going through the motions in my coastal tourist town, totally adrift… and trying not to think about the stranger who pulled me from the wreckage...Categorized as:
from hate to love office forced proximity m-f grumpy sunshine humor length-medium contemporary -
The Maverick of the Mountain by Tessa Klein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe’s big. He’s bearded. AND HE HAS A CHAINSAW! ? You Only Live Once. .. My temporary tattoo feels more like a prescient warning than a gentle reminder after I nearly careen off an old mountain road during the worst storm I’ve ever encountered. I should’ve stayed in town. I should’ve thrown out the hand-drawn map the local gave me... -
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 cold hero m-f contemporary humor length-novella dual-pov -
Betting on the Best Friend by Melanie Jacobson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI 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... -
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Salt Love by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat do you do when you find out your husband’s cheating on you, your aunt just passed away in Florida, and your boss gave the promotion to your work nemesis, so you threaten him with bodily harm in the middle of a board meeting? Well, after getting escorted out of the building by security, I fly straight to Sunshine Key to deal with my aunt’s estate...Categorized as:
office grumpy sunshine m-f contemporary found-family mature couple humor length-medium -
Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThese three women are the toughest juries they’ll ever have to plead their case to. THIS BOX SET INCLUDES…. Clean Slate (Charity Case #0. 5). Moving two thousand miles away wasn’t my plan, but when family needs you, you come. Before I can head back to my hometown of Chicago though, I have two men to say good-bye to. Neither one of them will be happy to hear the news... -
Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHigh school teacher Brooklyn Briggs has always been great with chemistry but terrible with relationships. When a guy drops into her life—literally—and offers to coach her into getting a date with her longtime crush, she's willing to accept any help she can get. Even if her new flirting coach is her brother Houston's best friend, the guy who drove her crazy all throughout high school...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love m-f contemporary siblings-bff dual-pov multicultural humor -
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... -
She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant
Micah Taylor is an eternal optimist, but with every first date that fails, her faith in true love weakens. When offered the chance to help reopen the lodge where her parents were married, Micah is determined to prove her worth and show her boss that she has what it takes to be a great event planner...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine office m-f contemporary age difference humor glimpses-kisses -
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity grumpy sunshine cold hero m-f contemporary humor sports -
The Gossip and the Grump by Pippa Grant
He's the last man I should've picked for a one night stand. .. See that guy over there? The insanely tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, scowling, “I don’t drink coffee” suit? Surprise! He’s the new owner of my family’s mountain café. The café that has been my life purpose since I was born in the kitchen there almost thirty years ago...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine from hate to love forced proximity office cold hero m-f humor contemporary -
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rules. Nora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
Home Is Where You Park It by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a giant of a man who grunts for words and barks out orders, yet circumstances require I be his fake girlfriend and spend the weekend with him in an isolated cabin. And of course there’s only one bed. Just my luck…But I need this commission check that only Boston can guarantee me...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love m-f contemporary humor small town military -
Strictly The Worst by Carrie Elks
Enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity collide in this sizzling romantic comedy set on a lush tropical island. Linc Salinger and I have nothing in common. He’s a smooth PR executive; I’m his disciplined office rival. And he’s just stolen the project I’ve been working on for months. After tough negotiation I manage to bargain my way back on, but there’s a catch...Categorized as:
office from hate to love m-f humor suspense contemporary length-medium explicit-open-door -
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Fa-La La-La Land by Brittany Larsen
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s got a list to finish. He’s got a song to escape. Neither planned on falling in love this Christmas. Stella Sparks has no time for love—not when her 30 Before 30 list is calling and her new job depends on reviving rockstar Rhys James’s image before he headlines Winter Lights Live... -
A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t date the women I work with. It cost me three tattoo guns, a job, five motorcycle tires, and I’m not even counting the t-shirts I never got back. It feels different with Frankie but she comes with a little daughter and a crap load of other baggage. I’m not the guy you take home to your parents, let alone your child... -
Crashing Into You by Melanie Shawn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKennedy Dawes knew her perfect partner was out there…but she was beginning to wonder if he was playing hide and seek in camouflage in the woods because she sure as hell couldn’t find him... -
Rival Desires by M. S. Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Rival Desires, where the rivalry is fiery, but the romance? It's downright scorching. Meet Cory charming, socially awkward, and co-owner of the established Palo Alto finance firm Gracen & McCrae. Enter Rylee Palmer, the brilliant, enigmatic head of the new game-changer in town, Palmer Money Management... -
Set My Heart Bonfire by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's a dashing millionaire who thinks everything in life is one big joke, probably because he bathes in piles of money each morning. He’s also my new neighbor, and after a humiliating experience in the cemetery that is my backyard, he becomes my shadow, showing up everywhere just to annoy me. I’m not a fan of happy people...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine from hate to love m-f contemporary super rich hero humor small town length-medium -
Save the Drama for Your Mama by Rich Amooi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsForget meet-cute. This is a meet-disaster. Melody. Cooper Galloway was my bookstore crush for all of five minutes. Then he opened his mouth and ruined my fantasy. Things go from bad to worse when I arrive for my new job and HE greets me at the door... -
West of Port by Carina Taylor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSydney is out for revenge no matter what it takes—including teaming up with a grumpy, retired cop who wants nothing to do with her. West has retired from the police force. Completely burnt out, he doesn't want to protect anyone anymore. All he wants is to be left alone so that he can refinish his new-to-him sailboat. Unfortunately for him, a woman shows up asking for his help—needing his help...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine office contemporary mafia insta-love age difference humor -
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine from hate to love m-f humor contemporary dual-pov new adult -
A Business Proposal, Vol. 7 by Haehwa, Perilla
Ha-ri made a deal—go on one blind date for her BFF and pretend to be a super-vixen to end all of her unwanted marriage set-ups! Unfortunately, instead of easy money, Ha-ri’s got a headache. Her date is Taemu, her company’s hot new CEO, and he’s got his own plans to get his family to back off by marrying whoever shows up on the date...Categorized as:
office from hate to love m-f contemporary humor boss & employee super rich hero length-medium -
A Fish Out of Water by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI knew trying to make a fresh start on Marbella Island would mean reinventing myself. I'm only here while I work my way up to my dream role in a major motion picture in Hollywood. Which explains why I took a role playing a mermaid in the island production of In So Deep . What I didn't count on? Ben. The charmer who just took a job as a water sports instructor. Everyone loves Ben. Everyone but me... -
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Flowers and Financiers by Alina Jacobs
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn my defense, I never claimed to be professional. .. At least that’s my excuse for why I mistook a billionaire for a waiter, made off-color comments and accidentally dumped a plate of food all over him. Embarrassing myself is a daily occurrence, just like my unpaid bill notices. But being in a wedding instead of planning one is not...Categorized as:
from hate to love grumpy sunshine forced proximity m-f contemporary super rich hero humor suspense -
The Atelier Assignment by Annie Dyer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHer assignment is to not fall in love with him…. Zeke Brooksbank is in need of a wake-up call. One that shakes him out of the grump he’s permanently in and turns him into a reasonable human being. I’m not staying at his country residence to tame the beast. I’m meant to be cataloguing his art collection, not fangirling over his own paintings, or becoming attached to his little daughter... -
Tempt Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTwo enemies. One bed. What could possibly go wrong? Our new general manager is the most difficult man on the planet. The night before Drake begins working at my family's hotel, he finds me in the bar, trying to get rid of a boring date. But the guy won’t take even a not-so-subtle hint. Then Drake surprises me and comes to our table, but only to reprimand ME about dating in our workplace...Categorized as:
office from hate to love m-f forced proximity contemporary humor super rich hero rich heroine -
Big, Bossy Surprise by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBonnie Delmar should be grateful for her new job. And she is! Being a nanny to a billionaire is a good gig. She’s more than grateful for the opportunity to work for Arlo Noble…until she meets him. That broad-chested, dark-haired, dark-eyed hunk? Yeah…she slept with him. Awkward... -
Temptress by Jessica Prince
Who knew the grumpy single dad next door would turn out to be The One? As Sloane Chambers stood at her window and creeped on the new guy moving in next door, she was immediately drawn to the tattoos, muscles, and the way his jeans hugged his perfect . . . frame. But when she caught him hacking up her rose bushes with a chain saw, the battle was on...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cold hero from hate to love forced proximity m-f contemporary humor alpha male -
The Nemesis Pact by Ashley Lynn East
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe Nemesis Pact – a banter-filled, witty, and hilarious rom-com perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood, and Christina Lauren. 💼🏔️ Enemies-to-lovers. Fake dating. A surprise corporate retreat. Abby was left at the altar four years ago...
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