Books like 'The Design of Us'
Readers who enjoyed The Design of Us by Sajni Patel also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny south asian multicultural grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love
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Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPro: 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... -
![Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Watson]()
Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Watson
Lucy JaneThe 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 contemporary office humor length-medium glimpses-kisses -
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![Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks]()
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... -
![Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil]()
Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 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 -
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![Anger Banger by S.M. Shade]()
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... -
![The CEO I Hate by Leslie North]()
The CEO I Hate by Leslie North
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Hating Game meets a much hotter Morning Glory—if the grumpy media exec was her brother’s best friend, and this time they actually kissed.Liam Lockhart is my brother’s best friend, a decade older, and the kind of mistake I swore I’d never make twice.Two years ago, we kissed—hard, hot, unforgettable—until he shoved me away like I was a mistake he couldn’t afford. Message received... -
![Perfectly You by Claudia Y. Burgoa]()
Perfectly You by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsUSA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings us a light-hearted small-town romantic comedy full of a swoon-worthy billionaire, single dad romance, and big laughs. I need a massive break.So long to my cheating boyfriend and betraying roommate.Goodbye hectic emergency room and long hours... -
![Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs by Dana LeCheminant]()
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... -
![Vixen's Guide to Christmas by Chelle Sloan]()
Vixen's Guide to Christmas by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGUIDE TO LOVE (& CHRISTMAS) RULE #27: Make your list. Check it twice. Because Santa knows how naughty you've been. I haven't written a letter to Santa since I was eight years old, but maybe this year I need to. Dear Santa, I promise, no matter what "he" told you, I've been good this year. I didn't know he was my business rival when I slept with him. I didn't know he hated me...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love christmas office contemporary humor length-medium -
![Home Is Where You Park It by Marika Ray]()
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... -
![Once Upon a Grump by Penelope Bloom]()
Once Upon a Grump by Penelope Bloom
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll I wanted was a fresh start.Instead, I got him.Mr. Mysterious Millionaire in His Tower.Mr. Don't Dare Question Me.Mr. Grumpy With a Side of Fine.Well, he’s about to get introduced to his newest employee,Ms. Doesn’t Give A Flying Toot.All right, all right. I’m exaggerating a bit. I give one or two toots, but I just got finished fleeing the ruins of my former life... -
![Never Meant to Stay by Trisha Das]()
Never Meant to Stay by Trisha Das
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsA bighearted romantic comedy about family and finding the perfect match set against the exuberant backdrop of contemporary Delhi. Home has always been a temporary arrangement for Samara Mansingh, a wayfaring wedding photographer and the daughter of a diplomat. When her father is uprooted once again, Samara needs a place to stay in Delhi. Next the Khanna family... -
![Men or Paws by Rich Amooi]()
Men or Paws by Rich Amooi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWatch a dog for three weeks, get fifteen thousand dollars. Piece of cake, right?Wrong.First, I have to stay in my client’s guesthouse while he’s in the main house working on an important project. That may not sound so bad, but HE is Hollywood’s Bad Boy, Rocco Romano, voted “Sexiest Man Alive.”The guy could charm the pants off a mannequin.Luckily he’s not my type.Seriously... -
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![Save the Drama for Your Mama by Rich Amooi]()
Save the Drama for Your Mama by Rich Amooi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsForget meet-cute. This is a meet-disaster.MelodyCooper 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... -
![Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente]()
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...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine friends to lovers contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
![Tease by Camilla Stevens]()
Tease by Camilla Stevens
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“Hello, neighbor. Going down?” Miss PinkThat’s what I call her.Her “real” name is too ridiculous to repeat.Besides, my nickname for her is more than apt. Everything about her is pink, from the pink champagne she gets delivered by the caseload, to the tiny pink feathers I find randomly breezing down the hallway of our apartment building in her wake.It’s ridiculous…in the most addictive way... -
![Flowers and Financiers by Alina Jacobs]()
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 contemporary super rich hero humor suspense m-f -
![The Atelier Assignment by Annie Dyer]()
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... -
![The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz]()
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 14 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 forced proximity friends to lovers contemporary humor menage length-long -
![Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by Lilian Monroe]()
Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the author of Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge comes a deliciously witty and lighthearted romance brimming with misadventures, misdeeds, misunderstandings…and one perfectly mismatched couple.A notorious rule follower, the old Daphne Davis could do no wrong. But lately she can’t get anything right...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine from hate to love forced proximity contemporary humor office audiobook -
![The Trip by Robin Alexander]()
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... -
![Rare Blend by Michelle Naomi Mosley]()
Rare Blend by Michelle Naomi Mosley
Marisa Castilla’s life is in need of a rewrite. Her ex-boyfriend/boss just fired her, the guest room she’s occupying is about to be taken over by a newborn, and she’s drowning in student loan debt. Swallowing her pride, she reaches out to her estranged father and makes the temporary move to Red Mountain, leaving behind her beloved city and corporate ambitions... -
![My Favorite Hero by Melanie Moreland]()
My Favorite Hero by Melanie Moreland
In a house full of rules, the only one they can't follow… is staying away.Jesse ThorneLocal hero, firefighter, loner, and now grumpy landlord.She wasn’t what he expected.His new tenant is a walking disaster wrapped in sunshine, breaking every rule he sets and driving him insane.Controlling her? Impossible.Ignoring her? Even harder.And he’s not sure he can stop it... -
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![The Fastball by Emily Childs]()
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... -
![Going Down by Cat Wynn]()
Going Down by Cat Wynn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColin Rush is an overworked hotshot at a Big Four consulting firm. His neighbor Emma Smith is a cutesy but reserved first grade teacher who’s never so much as glanced in his direction. Needless to say, Colin’s positive that Emma’s not his type, and, in turn, Emma thinks Colin is an intimidating player, and probably a jerk. Frankly, they avoid each other at all costs... -
![Isabelle and the Beast: A Sweet Rom-Com Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Marie Soleil]()
Isabelle and the Beast: A Sweet Rom-Com Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Marie Soleil
It 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... -
![Runaway Love by Lea Coll]()
Runaway Love by Lea Coll
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA dream wedding, a bride with cold feet, and the mountain man that comes to her rescue.I never thought that, on my wedding day, I would literally bolt from my wedding, and into the arms of a grumpy mountain man. Emmett offers me a much-needed respite from the chaos, inviting me into his cabin to "hide out" until all the wedding guests leave...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity christmas contemporary humor small town length-medium -
![Luca & Ivy and the Four Calling Birds by Ellie Hall]()
Luca & Ivy and the Four Calling Birds by Ellie Hall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWould you rather be stranded in a snowstorm with Miss All-things Christmas or the Grinch?IvyIf you ever find yourself on the run, do not, I repeat, do not drive off the road and into an icy pond. Should you have such an accident, do not wander into the woods to a chalet with a blazing fire. But if you lose feeling in your toes and go inside to warm up, do not, I repeat, do not, doze off...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love christmas contemporary humor length-short -
![A Wedding Mismatch by Kaylee Baldwin]()
A Wedding Mismatch by Kaylee Baldwin
Let’s play a Two truths and a lie.1. I am a self-help influencer who is a hot mess.2. If I don’t get some quiet time between planning my sister’s wedding to finish my book, Happily Single, I’m in hot water with my publisher.3. I’m blackmailing the hot grump next-door into letting me live with him until this book is done...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity contemporary humor glimpses-kisses found-family length-medium -
![Make My Heart Malt by Gia Stevens]()
Make My Heart Malt by Gia Stevens
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA sizzling hate to lovers, unrequited crush, standalone sports romance by romantic comedy author Gia Stevens… Dessa should have been mine... until my brother kissed her first. Ten years is a long time to be infatuated with your former best friend, especially when she’s dating your brother... -
![A Brooding Bodyguard by Angela R. Casella]()
A Brooding Bodyguard by Angela R. Casella
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s not easy being famous. Okay, you already hate me...can we start over?SinclairI’m Sinclair Jones, best known for playing a woman ten years younger than me on TV. Or at least I was until I quit my job and moved to Asheville.I came here to find myself. Instead, I tried—and failed—at a bunch of hobbies before landing a gig I don’t suck at: being the fake girlfriend of a reality TV outdoorsman...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love office suspense humor mystery contemporary -
![Luv Arranged by N.M. Patel]()
Luv Arranged by N.M. Patel
Luv (un)Arranged is a Steamy, Desi Arranged Marriage contemporary romance, packed with before-marriage courting, the magical engagement period, and living with the in-laws after marriage. Just like a Bollywood Masala movie, it's full of Romance, Dancing, and a very, chaotic Indian Family.Kriti PandyaThe eldest daughter of the Pandya family... -
![Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma]()
Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma
Veera Mathur has been through a lot in the past year. Both of her friends found soul mates, the man she fell in love with got engaged to another woman, and her father fired her before selling the family company... -
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![Love Inn Books by Erin Branscom]()
Love Inn Books by Erin Branscom
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe doesn’t believe in love.She’s a romantic at heart.He’s her sworn enemy…and her new boss.Preston Steele is a buttoned up, Ivy League lawyer from an affluent prominent Boston family.He ditches the city life and moves to small town Freedom Valley to start over where he finally feels like he belongs.His new friends think he could use some fun and love in his life... -
![Dirty Business by Sylvia Hart]()
Dirty Business by Sylvia Hart
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMy anonymous one-night-stand is the billionaire who bought my family’s resort. Now my dreams are going up in smoke… and Dante’s holding the match.I never meant to fall in lust with the handsome stranger. But a spilled drink, a charming smile, and a game of chance later, I’m left moaning his name. It’s incredible.Until it isn’t...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love dual-pov super rich hero contemporary humor length-long -
![& Then They Wed by Riya Iyer]()
& Then They Wed by Riya Iyer
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA roommates to lovers romcom with a grumpy chef MMC and a sunshine doctor FMC who fall in love over street-food dates and terrible jokes. Rian Shetty had a plan. His business was profitable. He was listed amongst the top up-and-coming restaurateurs in the world. He might even get a second Michelin star any day now... -
![Lord of the Manor by Aven Ellis]()
Lord of the Manor by Aven Ellis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI hate Nicholas Banfield, Viscount Longwood. He’s cocky. Annoying. And most of all, he’s a liar.So why is he living rent-free in my head every hour I’m awake, and sometimes when I’m asleep?It may have something to do with the fact that I’m working on his historic estate. And . . . I may have had a crush on him that one summer when we were nineteen... -
![The Problem with Perfect by Jillian Liota]()
The Problem with Perfect by Jillian Liota
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBellamy Mitchell is a meticulous planner. When her old flame returns to Cedar Point engaged, blowing apart her vision for the future, she claims to have a serious boyfriend. The problem? The first single guy she can think of is her brother’s much older, closed-off best friend.Rusty Fuller likes to keep people at a distance... -
![I Do [Hate You] by Sienna Blake, Sarah Willows]()
I Do [Hate You] by Sienna Blake, Sarah Willows
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRemember that time when you woke up naked and handcuffed to Sydney’s biggest player the day before your wedding to someone else?Yeah, well… neither do I.James Kane.Arrogant Playboy Billionaire.He eats companies for breakfast and pu$$y for dinner.My brother’s best friend. And totally off-limits.Which is why nobody knows that James and I have a wedding…situation... -
![The Lying Game: A sweet grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom by Sara Jane Woodley]()
The Lying Game: A sweet grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom by Sara Jane Woodley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGetting trapped in a rundown motel with a grumpy stranger wasn’t how this night was supposed to end, but at least I’ll never have to see him again. Until he becomes my new roommate…When a dating disaster leaves me heartbroken, muddy, and stranded on the side of the road in the pouring rain, the last thing I expect is for an impossibly hot (and impossibly grouchy) man to offer me a ride home... -
![Barefoot Lake by Kim Swizz]()
Barefoot Lake by Kim Swizz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhen her mother passes away from a long battle with cancer, Alice’s life is tilted on its axis. After ending her flat-lined, disastrous relationship, she flees Boston for the lake house her mother left behind in Wilcox Grove, New Hampshire. The presence of so much nature all around her is jarring enough on its own, but her quaint new home also seems determined to sabotage her... -
![The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman]()
The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.A year in a gorgeous Italian castle…When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job – management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included... -
![Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne, Anthony LeDonne]()
Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne, Anthony LeDonne
From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne--and her real life husband and high school sweetheart, Anthony LeDonne--comes a new holiday romcom that is sure to warm even the coldest heart.Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn't get worse... -
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![You Kissed Me First by Cala Riley]()
You Kissed Me First by Cala Riley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKatieA fourteen day Caribbean Cruise with my sister and her entire wedding party.Sounds like Heaven, right?Except Barrett, her fiancés brother, also happens to be the jerk who cheated on me a month before the wedding, leaving me to scramble to find a new roommate.As if the universe hates me, the only room available is with the groom’s best friend, Dominic, who is a womanizing, arrogant player... -
![Miles Apart by Tanvier Peart]()
Miles Apart by Tanvier Peart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTest-driving the best friend of my best friend's husband between the sheets is off-limits. I know it, and so does Miles.We're not friends and only tolerate each other in small doses whenever our paths cross. Miles Walker is a pain in my side who challenges me to no end. But he's also my mirror who sees all of me, even the parts I try to hide. Fate seems hell-bent on bringing Miles and me together...Categorized as:
from hate to love multicultural contemporary black-mc humor african-american length-medium -
![Lights, Camera, Christmas by Kara Kendrick]()
Lights, Camera, Christmas by Kara Kendrick
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA Man of the Month Club NovellaHe’s a hometown classic. She’s a Hollywood has-been. Can he convince her that holiday magic still exists?My agent tells me this is my last chance. I need to sparkle in this cheesy made-for-TV holiday movie or my career is over.P.S. I HATE the holidays...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity christmas contemporary humor insta-love length-novella -
![Ship Fate by Dulcie Dameron]()
Ship Fate by Dulcie Dameron
A quirky marine archeologist and a grumpy jaded fisherman are forced to spend the summer together.Or drown trying... Shipwrecks and heartbreaks are oddly similar. Both are reminders that all it takes is one devastating blow to sink something that was once beautiful. Then all you're left with is a pile of wreckage that clutters up the oceanOkay, so analogies aren’t Perry Ford’s strong suit...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine from hate to love contemporary humor length-short m-f glimpses-kisses -
![A Manny for Christmas by Sara Madderson]()
A Manny for Christmas by Sara Madderson
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMOLLYSingle parenting is not what Nancy Meyers made it out to be. There isn’t a hydrangea or hot younger doctor in sight. Not even a charming widower with an improbably festive home.Instead, my life is all flaky ex-husband, messy kitchen, grimy (if gorgeous) kids, and an alarm call at the arse-crack of dawn each day. To top it off, I have no childcare. I’m desperate...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love christmas contemporary humor small town length-medium -
![The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin]()
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCan you ever swear off love, in the city of love? Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower...
![I Do [Hate You] by Sienna Blake, Sarah Willows](https://s3.amazonaws.com/romance.io/books/small/65461c45c112bf11fe97f7cd.jpg)
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