Books like 'Initiation'
Readers who enjoyed Initiation by R. Collins also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary grumpy sunshine forced proximity multicultural friends to lovers
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My Best Friend's Wish: Work Husband Series by Blue Saffire, Natasha Snow Designs
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAward winning, Bestselling, Author Blue Saffire presents My Best Friend’s Wish Work Husband Series DarioWhen I was younger, I believe I heard something I shouldn’t have. After what I overheard, I don’t believe our mother just up and left us. I was a kid. I didn’t have money, power, or respect to get the answers I needed back then. Not until now... -
Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA 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... -
Deja Brew by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWithin the struggling cafe Deja Brew, trouble percolates beneath the coffee beans. The shop’s owner, Shale, is forced into a dangerous game by a cartel, and when her shipment vanishes, it's game on.Shale's only hope is an unexpected Junior. Her only regular, and a local hacker with a knack for saving the day... -
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 13 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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His Wounded Heart: Small Town Romance by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s my soulmate. But will I be enough to heal his wounded heart?SimonThe Navy’s been my life. Being a SEAL is all I ever wanted, commanding them a dream come true. But I lost sight of everything else and missed the big things—things going on right in front of me. How could I not see how much my sister needed me? I knew her husband was off and should have checked him out...Categorized as:
forced proximity friends to lovers military age difference contemporary length-medium -
The Pretend Fiancé Fiasco by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA reclusive former celebrity, a recovering good girl, and small town trouble...It started as a joke. After a string of bad boyfriends, I made up a fake boyfriend so people would quit asking when I was going to meet a grumpy lumberjack trying to save his mama’s inn in my adopted hometown.When my grandma demanded proof from afar, I sent her a picture of me and my “boyfriend...Categorized as:
forced proximity friends to lovers grumpy sunshine humor contemporary m-f found-family length-long -
The Problem with Falling by Brittainy C. Cherry
Willow Kingsley is everything I don’t need in my life. She’s sunshine and chaos dressed in a flower crown. She’s a wildflower in a world I’ve spent years trying to keep simple and quiet. She talks too much, smiles too easily, and doesn’t understand the meaning of personal space. Worst of all, she’s staying in my house for the summer, turning my carefully guarded world upside down... -
What's It Gonna Take by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGarrethFrom the first moment I saw Reagan Turner at the bar and restaurant I help manage, I was drawn like never before. She was dating someone at the time, which meant she was off-limits, until the jerk broke up with her. I can’t get her out of my head, can’t stop wanting to kiss those perfectly lush lips. Fighting this attraction has been my kryptonite.So, I give in to temptation... -
Love Songs Suck by Becky Monson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA reluctant woman, a determined popstar, and the song that started it all.After growing up in Nashville with two musician parents, I promised myself one thing—I would never, ever fall in love with anyone who had anything to do with the music scene. I will take my stable, albeit boring, accountant boyfriend, thank you very much, and live securely ever after. At least that was the plan... -
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... -
Too Young To Fall In Love by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsKellenI love my job. Bartending is more than just serving drinks to customers at the hottest bar and restaurant in Stewart Grove. It’s the people I work with and those I meet along the way. I know how to have a good time. Just one flirty little grin and the ladies are like putty in my hands. But they know the score: I’m a one and done guy, not looking to ever fall into the trap of love... -
High Country Hero by Elle James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLauded for his daring rescue of a medical team captured by Islamic State terrorists, Navy SEAL Enrico “Rico” Cortez feels like anything but a hero. His friend and fellow teammate lost his life during that rescue. Plagued by PTSD, Rico leaves the Navy. Reluctantly, he accepts his only job offer, joining the Brotherhood Protectors in Colorado... -
The Cost of Forgetting You by Hannah Bird
Falling in love with a Parker must be genetic. It's the only way Delilah Ridgefield can make sense of the mess that is her life. Some other things that are genetic? The hazel eyes she shares with her mom, the need to care for others that she gets from her dad, and her father's dementia diagnosis, which brings him back into her life after years of radio silence... -
A Christmas Auction: A Marriage Auction Novella by Audrey Carlan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series…“’Tis the Season,” some people say, as if the month of December could somehow magically make the world a better place. Fat chance of that happening in Sin City.In my world, nothing is merry and bright. More like dark and dank... -
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The One I Need by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant... -
Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity sports fighters contemporary humor length-long -
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.44 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 to the West...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor menage length-long -
The Pocket Pair by Emma St. Clair
Do I have feelings for my sister's best friend? Of course not. That would be stupid, considering my sister once threatened to castrate me if I ever hurt Val. Hurting her is the last thing I want to do, which is all the MORE reason I can't have feelings for her. Val deserves the world, and I'm NOT the man who can give it to her... -
The Idiot by Dianna Roman
You can't pick who you love...nor can you run from them.Murphy Malone loves his orchard, his mother, and his dog. Life is great until he can't stop thinking about what he's missing—someone to share it all with. When he realizes that his love for his best friend, Jesse Carver, runs deeper than the bonds of friendship, it just makes things worse...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity grumpy sunshine m-m queer-awakening contemporary queer bisexual -
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 forced proximity contemporary from hate to love m-f -
Why the Star Stands Still by Rose Christo
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratings"Your dad's Indian. Your mom's black. Why are you white?" Skylar St. Clair's been getting questions like these all his life. Skylar's home is the Nettlebush Indian Reserve; his family, the hundreds of Plains Shoshone living there. Skylar can't help it if he better resembles his biological mother, a woman whose untimely death left him with more secrets than memories... -
May's Ride with Thunder by Eve London
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHe’s the protector she didn’t know she needed; she’s the love he never thought he deserved.AshleyWhen the Savage Bones MC targets my family’s ranch, I’m desperate for help. I turn to Thunder, a much older member of the Mustang Mountain Riders, and offer him the only thing I have. When he turns me down, I’m left questioning everything...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity age difference contemporary bikers length-novella -
Old-Fashioned Rancher by Audrey Bell
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhen the surly, divorced rancher meets his match in the pretty local florist, he soon finds the ice around his cold heart beginning to melt. But is he willing to change his bachelor ways to keep this woman who makes him feel alive again? GradyEven though I have my hands full with running High Plains Ranch, my daughter won't stop heckling me about dating again... -
Rockaway Bride by Pippa Grant
A Rock Star Kidnaps a Runaway Bride… Kidnapping the bride seemed like a good idea at the time. Her fiancé stole my fortune, so I stole his woman. Tit for tat. Or tat for tit. However you want to look at it. The one thing I didn’t expect? Willow Honeycutt, preschool teacher, boy band super fan, is completely crazy. And somehow she’s turned the tables on me...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine humor contemporary length-medium explicit-open-door -
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Pining by Stephanie Rose
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA slow-burn, friends-to-lovers standalone holiday romanceThe bad guy never gets the girl. In the eyes of the law, I’ve paid for my youthful mistakes but I know I can never undo the damage I’ve caused. When I stepped out of my cell, I vowed to live a good life, make the right choices, and avoid temptation at all costs. Until her. She’s not a choice, she’s a compulsion. A craving... -
Deja Brew All Over Again by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTrouble has always had a way of finding me, but I never expected to be carjacked by a hot girl in a wedding dress.As the official family screw-up, not many people count on me for anything but a good time. But Maisy Romero and her little brother need a knight in shining armor, and they need him yesterday... -
Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
Caution by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLike every hardworking member of Harper Security Ops, Forrest Hickman takes time away from work to relax and recharge. And he often does that while riding his snowboard on the slopes of his favorite ski resort.He wasn’t sure anything would be better than some time alone to clear his head. That is, until he meets someone to spend his break with... -
Rule Breaker by Stacey Lynn
Spending the night in jail isn’t exactly how I planned to spend Christmas, but I’ve had worse holidays… Now that I’m out, it’s time to accept my real punishment. Coaching ten-year-old terrors on the ice, in my non-existent free time. My Coach thinks it’d be good for me. Remind me where I came from. He should know I’ve tried every day of my life for the last ten years to forget... -
Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSo let me get this straight... For the next few days I’ve got myself a grumpy fake husband who’s also kind of my...bodyguard?I guess that’s a better way to spend the weekend than binge-watching reality television, especially since it’s kind of my fault we’re on the run from the mob and I need a protector.Oops... -
Jesse's Girl by Hannah Brixton
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBuckle up, Buttercup…Three nosy relatives, two jobs, one fledgling side hustle, and zero roommate prospects. No wonder Ada Russo is saltier than the rim of a margarita glass. When her brother’s best friend lands in Lennox Valley needing a place to stay for the summer, Ada’s spare room is the logical choice... -
The Two of Us by Taylor A. Torres
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSometimes holding on to pain means letting go of love.If there’s no place like home, that’s more than okay for Mara Makinen. In fact, she prefers it that way. Going back to the place where she made the worst mistake of her life? Not ideal... -
Can't Bucking Wait by Elle Thorpe
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve wanted to be a big city doctor my entire life. I studied hard. Got into Harvard. Then moved across the other side of the country, leaving my family’s small-town ranch and bull riding school behind. I’ve hated every moment since. My older sister’s wedding is the perfect excuse for an extended trip back home... -
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... -
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Love You From Afar by Morgan Paige
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI always thought a person had to be a ghost to haunt you, but Everett Thompson is very much alive, and to make matters worse, he's my fiancé's brother.For years, I promised myself I would stay away from him. I tried putting as much distance between us as possible, yet here we are on a twelve hour road trip together... -
Falling for Your Brother’s Best Friend by Emma St. Clair
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsOlder brothers are the worst. Older brother's best friends, however, are the BEST. Except when they don't seem to return your feelings... My crush on my brother's best friend, Mason, has grown into something totally unmanageable over the years. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's not a crush at all, but something bigger I'd rather not name... -
Holiday Rogue by Rebecca Zanetti
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDanger and Mistletoe are a Deadly CombinationBosco Albertini learned the hard way that focusing on his career is a lot safer than investing in love. So when he meets his sweet new neighbor, he puts her firmly in the friend zone, despite her soft hazel eyes, sharp wit, and tempting curves... -
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That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump by Julie Christianson
BRADYYeah, I shouldn’t have kissed Natalie Slater.Not on the porch. Or at the beach. Or in the storage closet. Especially not the storage closet. But to be fair, she kissed me first. Six months later, I’m still thinking about it.Trouble is, I’ve made promises that tie me to our small town, while Natalie can’t wait to escape. I’ve got no business pursuing her or my secret ambitions... -
Better Off Wed by Portia MacIntosh
Pre-order the brand new laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers romantic comedy from international bestseller Portia MacIntosh!Save the date...!Olivia can’t believe it when her boyfriend, Teddy, proposes out of the blue... -
The Valentine's Bet: A Sweet RomCom by Kristine W. Joy
What happens when a hopeful romantic bets a grumpy skeptic that love really exists?Now that I’ve landed my dream job in NYC, I’m finally ready to find Mr. Right.What better way to meet new people in a big city than a speed dating event?Or so I thought—until I got stuck with the biggest cynic in the room... -
Friends Don't by Leah Dobrinska
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heartfelt and hilarious romantic comedy, loosely inspired by While You Were Sleeping.As the oldest of three sisters, Poppy Kasper doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t the glue holding her siblings—and their lives—together. So moving across the country to Cashmere Cove, the hometown of her new boyfriend, is completely out of character... -
Waking Up Married by Reese Ryan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWill these friends’ temporary Vegas marriage lead to forever? Find out in this Bourbon Brothers novel from Reese Ryan!What’s wrong with a little fake marriage between friends?Their night on the town is a blank, but when Zora Abbott and Dallas Hamilton awaken in a Vegas hotel room, they’re man and wife... -
The Doctor Who Stole Christmas by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA grumpy doctor.A wicked blizzard.And only one bed in sight.What could possibly go wrong?I never expected to find myself trekking through a blizzard...All to deliver "vital documents" to the elusive Dr. Grump's remote cabin...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine contemporary super rich hero christmas length-medium -
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Tanner by Katy Regnery
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery is back with an addictive six-book series featuring the Stewarts of Skagway!When Tanner Stewart learns his crazy ex is returning for a summer in Skagway, he places a personal ad, looking for someone to pose as his fiancée for the summer. Enter McKenna Cabot, a commitment-phobic college professor from Seattle caring for her aging grandmother... -
A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook one in the brand new and utterly enchanting series by bestselling author Jaimie Admans. A picture-perfect town; a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street... Will a kiss at midnight change her life forever? Sadie Winters has spent her whole life doing as she's told... -
Smooth Hoperator (Love on Tap) by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter tanking my career in politics, I’m looking for new direction. But my GPS must be broken because it keeps leading me to a kooky librarian’s front steps.It’s not easy, but I’m doing my best to let go of my old ambitions and embrace the simple life of slinging beer at my family’s brewery. But some powerful players from my past are determined to cause problems for my family and me... -
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... -
My Ex's Dad is Coming to Town by Eve London
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSometimes, love finds you in the most unexpected places... like in the arms of your ex’s dad.WinterThis Christmas was supposed to be about getting away from the mess I left behind, not cozying up to the grumpiest man I’ve ever met—who also happens to be my ex’s father. But Cole’s steady presence and the way he sees past my defenses make me feel safe in a way I never thought possible...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity age difference christmas contemporary length-novella -
The Trail Often Crossed by Ambar Cordova
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn this spicy sports romance, a woman has to face her attraction to the new man in town, who happens to be her newest rival.Everything she touches dies.Roe has always been a trailblazer. From a very young age, she learned that life has its own twists and turns, and the only way of making it out the other side is on your own...Categorized as:
multicultural forced proximity grumpy sunshine sports contemporary suspense male-pov found-family
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