Books like 'Not Like Before'
Readers who enjoyed Not Like Before by Lily Seabrooke & Jacqueline Ramsden also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance grumpy sunshine queer trans-heroine sweet heroine bisexual cold heroine famous heroine
-
Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton
Olivia Sachdeva’s life is flawless. With a first from Oxford and as the youngest partner at Bentley lawyers, she expects high standards from everyone. Her only indulgences are eating iced desserts and repeat watching romcoms, especially those featuring Kate Laurence – pure escapism and cinematic perfection...Categorized as:
queer famous heroine bisexual grumpy sunshine cold heroine sweet heroine contemporary humor -
![The Headmistress by Milena McKay]()
The Headmistress by Milena McKay
A chance encounter. An unforgettable night. And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it’s with a roar and not a whimper.Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to re-evaluate everything...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine bisexual cold heroine queer f-f age difference office secret-relationship -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden]()
Just Three Words by Melissa Brayden
Sometimes the one you want is the one you least suspect... Accountant Samantha Ennis craves order and structure. As the bookkeeper at the boutique advertising agency she owns with her three best friends, it’s her job to apply logic to the chaos. When one of those best friends, laid back Hunter Blair, moves in to share her loft apartment, Sam’s carefully organized world is thrown wildly askew...Categorized as:
bisexual queer f-f contemporary friends to lovers forced proximity length-medium open-door -
![The Fixer by Lee Winter]()
The Fixer by Lee Winter
A naive activist is hired by a corporate villain but doesn’t realize it. Cue one awkward farce, a twisty puzzle, and the slowest of slow burns in this opposites-attract, ice queen romance.Nine years ago, aloof, icy Michelle Hastings chose career over love. She’s now living with that choice as she rules a secret corporation catering to the rich and powerful.Enter Eden Lawless... -
-
![Breaking Character by Lee Winter]()
Breaking Character by Lee Winter
Life has become a farcical mess for icy British A-lister Elizabeth Thornton. America’s most-hated villain stars in a top-rated TV medical drama that she hates. Now, she’s been romantically linked to her perky, new co-star, Summer, due to the young woman’s clumsiness. As a closeted actress, that’s the last thing Elizabeth needs...Categorized as:
cold heroine grumpy sunshine queer famous heroine sweet heroine f-f age difference contemporary -
![A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay]()
A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay
What makes an Ice Queen?Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, she’s ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct.Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, won’t bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown...Categorized as:
cold heroine queer age difference f-f second chances contemporary boss & employee length-medium -
![Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters]()
Honey in the Marrow by Emily Waters
An enemies-to-friends-to-lovers lesbian romance about finding heart, hope, and second chances you never thought you’d have.Stella Carter is a former criminal prosecutor and new widow facing down middle age alone in Los Angeles. Without being a prestigious lawyer and someone’s wife, she’s not sure who she is anymore or where her life is headed...Categorized as:
bisexual queer from hate to love f-f age difference friends to lovers contemporary length-medium -
![Destination You by J.J. Arias]()
Destination You by J.J. Arias
Fantasy Becomes Reality in this Super Steamy Age-Gap, Ice Queen RomanceWhen 27-year-old free-spirit Taylor Lopez flies back to Miami to attend her high school reunion, she doesn’t expect to run into Mrs. Alonso — her former history teacher — at the airport...Categorized as:
bisexual queer cold heroine sweet heroine f-f age difference contemporary childfree-couple -
![Truth and Measure by Telanu]()
Truth and Measure by Telanu
The Devil Wears Prada fanfiction:Andy doesn't leave Miranda in Paris, and learns that a single decision can change your life. But the main thing about decisions? You don't get to stop with one...Categorized as:
bisexual queer age difference f-f pregnancy contemporary from hate to love explicit-open-door -
![About That Kiss by Harper Bliss]()
About That Kiss by Harper Bliss
What if the greatest role of your life is playing your true self?Ida Burton used to be Hollywood’s sweetheart until the best roles started drying up in her forties.When Ida lands one of the leads in a big-budget lesbian rom-com, it's not only a chance at reviving her dwindling career. Maybe this movie can be an opportunity to finally burst out of the closet she's forced herself into...Categorized as:
famous heroine queer bisexual f-f office contemporary secret-relationship length-medium -
![Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton]()
Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton
Jessica Lambert, movie star and ingénue, is in danger of burning out. Returning to London for the premiere of her latest film, she’s recognised everywhere she goes. When she runs away through the streets of London, she’s taken in by the beautiful and more mature Anna...Categorized as:
bisexual famous heroine queer f-f age difference contemporary angst class difference -
![The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley]()
The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley
Anna is the newest member of an elite ballet company. Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around. Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company...Categorized as:
cold heroine queer grumpy sunshine sweet heroine f-f age difference forced proximity office -
![Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae]()
Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae
At a singles auction where no one was bidding on love, a warmhearted ER nurse finds herself dating a prickly doctor in this enemies-to-lovers lesbian romance.Ellie Fisher loves most things about being a nurse in the emergency department…just not working with Regina Novak, an icy attending physician who acts as if she’s God’s gift to medicine.The dislike is completely mutual...Categorized as:
cold heroine sweet heroine queer grumpy sunshine f-f contemporary office from hate to love -
![Temptation by Kris Bryant]()
Temptation by Kris Bryant
Cassie Miller is broke. Her parents cut off all funding when she dropped out of medical school, and graduate school is expensive. A full-time nanny job at the Wellington estate is the answer to her problems, except working for beautiful, successful Brook Wellington wasn't in the job description. Brook has always had a head for business...Categorized as:
cold heroine queer contemporary f-f office class difference single-mother length-short -
-
![The Fifth Surgeon by Faith Prize]()
The Fifth Surgeon by Faith Prize
Nadia Keating has barely started her cardiothoracic fellowship training, but she already has the archetype nailed—she’s direct, uncompromising, and suffering from a God complex.Before she can focus on her impressive research, deeply closeted Nadia has a personal project: getting her inconvenient attraction to women out of her system. She picks a stranger online for a one-night stand...Categorized as:
cold heroine queer grumpy sunshine f-f office length-medium contemporary boss & employee -
![Reality In Check by Emily Banting]()
Reality In Check by Emily Banting
From the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of Broken Beyond Repair comes a new sapphic celebrity ice queen romance — read as a standalone or as the second book in the South Downs Romance series.Sculptor Arte Tremaine is thrown into the hospitality industry when her beloved late grandmother bequeaths her and her sister a charming yet rundown country hotel with zero guests...Categorized as:
bisexual queer grumpy sunshine sweet heroine famous heroine f-f age difference from hate to love -
![The Forever and The Now by K.J .]()
The Forever and The Now by K.J .
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBron McIntyre, forty-two, has it all together. Terrific job. Loving family. No desperate need for a girlfriend but would be interested if one came along. Bron McIntyre is Teflon.Kate Agostino, forty-eight, is not Teflon. Yes, she has a terrific job. But a loving family? Not really. And her personal life is rapidly disintegrating and turning into dust... -
![A Breathless Place by Harper Bliss]()
A Breathless Place by Harper Bliss
The date is set. Six months from now, former music icon Isabel ‘Izzy’ Adler will die.Since she lost her voice ten years ago, Izzy’s been to hell—and hasn’t found her way back. She would rather die than live without the instrument that used to define her.When journalist Leila Zadeh is brought in to finish her biography, Izzy’s desire to end her life is profoundly challenged... -
![Vanessa: A Mrs Middleton Novel by Melissa Tereze]()
Vanessa: A Mrs Middleton Novel by Melissa Tereze
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThey are made for each other. But can their love survive the ultimate test? After her white-roses-and-sunflowers wedding, Vanessa is living a dream. Her cold, lonely house finally feels like a home. She has her beautiful Emma to love for the rest of her life, plus a daughter and a grandchild to grow old with. What could go wrong?Plenty, her persistent insecurities whisper... -
![The Stepmother by Melissa Tereze]()
The Stepmother by Melissa Tereze
Their connection flares hot in an instant…but is it doomed to fizzle out?After the death of her estranged father, Hayley McAllister plans to endure cold, wet England just long enough to tie up loose ends. Then she’s heading straight back to Ibiza, where she lives exactly as she pleases—performing her music, soaking up sunshine, and indulging in flings with gorgeous women...Categorized as:
bisexual queer f-f age difference angst contemporary lgbtqia hate explicit-open-door -
![From Fan to Forever by Tiana Warner]()
From Fan to Forever by Tiana Warner
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn age-gap lesbian celebrity romance about how much you’d risk to have your dream.Talented A-lister Cate Whitney is the gorgeous middle-aged movie star almost every lesbian has a crush on.Rachel Janssen, an introverted medical physics student, is no exception. So when her celebrity crush starts filming near her Vancouver apartment, she can’t believe her luck... -
![Jericho by Ann McMan]()
Jericho by Ann McMan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWelcome to Jericho, Verginia.Librarian Syd Murphy flees the carnage of a failed marriage by accepting an eighteen-month position in Jericho, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds fall by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals... -
![Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong]()
Open Tab by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFallon Foster serves up more than the most potent drinks at Murphy’s Law, the local pub in Whiskey Springs, Vermont. Fallon is the keeper of the town’s secrets. She’s heard tales of broken hearts, torrid affairs, closet cases, and the dreams of hopeful romantics. With a sensitive ear and a warm bed, Fallon is a legend in her small town. One thing still eludes her—love... -
![The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter]()
The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter
This funny opposites-attract lesbian romance digs up the awkward truth about what really matters in life.Ambitious ice queen and corporate lawyer Felicity Simmons has spent her life focused on one thing: scuttling up the career ladder. She’s achingly close to taking charge of a media empire for her boss when she’s sent to investigate a South Bronx charity that helps homeless people’s pets... -
-
![Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd]()
Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMattie Belman’s life has gone from dismal to desperate. After the loss of her acting career, her marriage, and her usual optimism, she’s back home teaching high school theater. Maybe it’ll be a fresh start.St. Rita’s arrogant soccer coach Jillian Reed sees Mattie’s musical as an outrageous distraction for her champion players. When Jillian declares war, Mattie is far too stubborn to back down...Categorized as:
queer cold heroine from hate to love contemporary f-f forced proximity office sports -
![Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford]()
Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s never done love long-term. But will faking it lead to forever?Finch Lachlan works hard and parties harder. But tired of her siblings judging her fun-loving ways, the head veterinarian at her family’s zoo vows to prove she can make it past the third date. And maybe she can begin with the hottie who just seized her attention with a sizzling kiss.Chef, Frankie Benedetti, craves a fresh start... -
![Paradise Pride by Lise Gold]()
Paradise Pride by Lise Gold
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLondon-based casino manager Meghan has no expectations of her two-week holiday in Spain; she’s just tagging along with her friend who’s visiting her love interest. When they arrive at a deserted hotel due to a booking fault and her friend leaves to see her boyfriend, she’s left with the bartender who stays on for the night... -
![Unforgettable You by Chelsea M. Cameron]()
Unforgettable You by Chelsea M. Cameron
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAccording to my mother, I ruined my life the minute I quit ballet in college and destroyed her dreams of having a professional dancer in the family. My steady bartending job, friends, and fanfic hobby weren’t good enough apparently. Not that I cared what she thought anymore. Mostly. Things had been pretty conflict-free up until my new neighbor showed up and threw everything into chaos... -
![Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes]()
Popcorn Love by K.L. Hughes
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA prominent figure amongst New York City’s fashion elite, Elena Vega is a successful businesswoman and single mother to an adorable three-year-old son, Lucas. Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out.At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas...Categorized as:
bisexual queer f-f contemporary age difference boss & employee single-mother length-medium -
![In Development by Rachel Spangler]()
In Development by Rachel Spangler
From a young age, Cobie Galloway made a career of playing the girl-next-door on the silver screen. Only, she's not a teenager anymore. Ready to challenge herself artistically and earn the part she's always dreamed of, she's forced to face the realization that in order to win the roles afforded to edgier actresses, she might first have to audition by playing someone edgier in her day-to-day life...Categorized as:
bisexual famous heroine queer f-f forced proximity contemporary fake relationship competent heroine -
![Teach Me by Melissa Tereze, Jourdyn Kelly]()
Teach Me by Melissa Tereze, Jourdyn Kelly
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter years of separation and mutual longing, Vanessa Hughes and Emma Bradley are blissfully engaged. Everything about their new life together is wonderful, until Emma learns the children’s sport agency that sent her to Africa has gone bankrupt. Back when she was pining for Vanessa, Emma’s work was a godsend, both for her and for the kids who had nothing else good in their lives... -
![The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill]()
The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGrieving over the loss of her family and feeling like her life is unraveling, Lindsey McDermott quits her job, gets a puppy and retreats to her grandparents’ home in the Texas Hill Country. She spends her solitary days walking childhood trails and reminiscing, trying to reconcile the conflict within her as she struggles with survivor’s guilt... -
![Saving Mia by Anna Stone]()
Saving Mia by Anna Stone
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTo break free, she auctioned off the one thing she’s been saving...Mia Brooks needs money, fast. Deep in debt to help pay her sister’s medical bills, her loan shark is coming to collect. Her solution? Auctioning off the one thing she’s been saving—herself.The highest bidder is Cassandra Lee, self-made businesswoman and CEO... -
![For the Long Run by Cheyenne Blue]()
For the Long Run by Cheyenne Blue
An enemies-to-lovers lesbian sports romance about making it to the finish line.A koala ruined her life. Well, that’s how elite athlete Shan Metz sees it. When an idiot charity runner in a koala suit trips Shan during a community fun run, her knee blows out, destroying her dream of making the Australian Commonwealth Games team...Categorized as:
bisexual grumpy sunshine cold heroine queer sports f-f from hate to love contemporary -
-
![I Do by Cheyenne Blue]()
I Do by Cheyenne Blue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA fabulous twin-swap lesbian romance where the toaster oven could double as a wedding gift.Accountant Allie Lane would do anything for her injured twin sister, including pretend to be her to save Sophie’s fledgling event-planning business. All Allie has to do is fake being a lesbian for a few weeks and co-ordinate a rural gay wedding festival. Simple... -
![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... -
![Just Jorie by Robin Alexander]()
Just Jorie by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSome believe that special someone is out there just waiting to be found. Jorie Andolini is one of those people and has spent a lot of time envisioning that moment. She bumps into a woman at a grocery store, the woman drops a can of peas, Jorie picks it up, their eyes meet, and two souls connect... -
![Heart Block by Melissa Brayden]()
Heart Block by Melissa Brayden
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHappily ever after is easier said than done… Sarah Matamoros can’t complain. After immigrating from Mexico when she was nine years old, she’s content with the life she’s made for herself in sunny San Diego. She works hard at her mother’s housecleaning service by day and spends the evenings with her quirky eight-year-old daughter, Grace...Categorized as:
cold heroine grumpy sunshine queer f-f contemporary forced proximity class difference dual-pov -
![Teaching Hope by Sienna Waters]()
Teaching Hope by Sienna Waters
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIt’s time to learn a lesson...American high school teacher Ava Stanford has been betrayed in the worst way possible. So she takes a temporary job at a village school in England. She’s definitely not running away, but even she admits she’s got nothing to go home to.School receptionist Hope Perkins is hardly at her peak... -
![Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić]()
Sunstone: Mercy Book Three by Stjepan Šejić
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo women deal with modern themes of sex, relationships, and fetishism in this erotic romantic comedy."MERCY," Part Three. Loving someone means building a shrine within your heart dedicated to them. A shrine made of good memories and treasured moments. As the mercy arc reaches its third volume Anne is about to find the shrine of her heart ransacked by none other than the person it was devoted to... -
![Squid Hugs by Erik Schubach]()
Squid Hugs by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsZilrita was at the top of her game, managing the most successful record label in Europe, London Harmony. There was nothing that could derail the squid hugging goth woman, except the smile of the woman she secretly longed for, their receptionist, Jennifer... -
![Crossing Lines by K.D. Williamson]()
Crossing Lines by K.D. Williamson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNora Whitmore has been through the ringer both professionally and personally. Now, her life is more than she ever thought it could be, especially with Kelli McCabe in it. The walls have come down, and she is open to new people and experiences. Kelli McCabe watched all the broken pieces of her life come together... -
![In the Distance There Is Light by Harper Bliss]()
In the Distance There Is Light by Harper Bliss
Two women lose the man they love. All they have left is each other. After her partner dies in a terrible accident, Sophie thinks she'll never recover... -
![Back to September by Melissa Brayden]()
Back to September by Melissa Brayden
Hannah Shephard likes her life, her job, and her perfectly cozy apartment around the corner from her shop. She’s never been one to take big risks and would much rather stay in on a Friday night with a warm cup of decaf and her favorite mystery novel, so why do her friends insist she needs more? Plus, Hannah has bigger problems to focus on. She’s in trouble...Categorized as:
famous heroine queer contemporary forced proximity f-f office open-door rich heroine -
-
![Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters]()
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Opposites attract in this playful and laugh-out-loud rom-com from Lambda Award finalist Karelia Stetz-Waters.Cade Elgin has a life and career in New York City, and she's determined to get back to both as soon as possible after her aunt's funeral in Portland... -
![Two is a Pattern by Emily Waters]()
Two is a Pattern by Emily Waters
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA charged lesbian romantic suspense set in the early nineties, with gripping twists, turns, and surprising secrets.A mission gone wrong leads to rising-star CIA operative Annie Weaver quitting her job and reinventing herself as a college student. But the CIA, desperate for her skills, refuses to let her go without a price... -
![Not in the Script by K.E. Morrison]()
Not in the Script by K.E. Morrison
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie Evans leads an ordinary life. Boring in fact, by many people's standards. So, when she unexpectedly finds herself tutoring a student on set at Pinewood Studios, the last thing she imagines is that the lead actress is none other than a global superstar, Robyn White...Categorized as:
famous heroine queer contemporary f-f forced proximity office rich heroine career professional -
![Marigold by Melissa Brayden]()
Marigold by Melissa Brayden
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen enemies fall into temptation, love brings out the most delicious flavor of all.Marigold Lavender lights up every room she enters. Then she’s left to turn out the lights and head home alone. Soft on the inside and a go-getter on the outside, Marigold just wants to make sure everyone else is okay before worrying about herself...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cold heroine queer contemporary from hate to love f-f third-person-pov dual-pov -
![On the Rocks by Georgia Beers]()
On the Rocks by Georgia Beers
No straight women. No parents of students. Nobody under thirty-five. Vanessa Martini makes no apologies for her dating checklist. She’s been up close to enough messy breakups to know what havoc they wreak in life. Just because people see her as fun and happy, and just because she loves her life in general, that doesn’t mean she can’t be careful. Or discerning. Or, okay, fine, super picky...Categorized as:
queer bisexual contemporary f-f third-person-pov dual-pov cheerful heroine single-mother -
![One Last Shot by Lily Seabrooke, Jacqueline Ramsden]()
One Last Shot by Lily Seabrooke, Jacqueline Ramsden
Ava couldn’t be less like her popstar twin sister—and now she needs to take her place.A two-month tour impersonating her pop-sensation twin sister Eva—or Nova on stage—sounds like Ava Blakely’s worst nightmare. For one thing, she can’t sing, and being on a stage is her idea of torture.But it might be the only way to save Eva’s pregnancy...Categorized as:
famous heroine queer forced proximity f-f contemporary dual-pov length-medium open-door
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
