Books like 'Wallflower: A Grumpy Sunshine Small Town Romance'
Readers who enjoyed Wallflower: A Grumpy Sunshine Small Town Romance by Samantha Leigh also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary grumpy sunshine office hockey cowboys sports age difference cold hero forced proximity
-
Made For You by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comesA brand new stand-alone enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine sports romance.A spin-off from the Only One seriesVivienneI did the last thing I ever expected to do. I bought a boat. A beautiful boat that was all mine to spend the summer on.Only thing I was looking forward to was the calm being on the water brought me...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity grumpy sunshine cold hero hockey contemporary athletes dual-pov -
Dreaming About Forever by Mandi Blake
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHer handsome bodyguard is doing a great job protecting her from reporters, but she may need to protect her heart. Former child sitcom star Alicia Carver loves the spotlight, but since launching her pop music career, the dirtier side of the business has been out to tear her apart...Categorized as:
cowboys office forced proximity christmas contemporary christian length-medium audiobook -
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 office grumpy sunshine contemporary humor length-medium glimpses-kisses -
Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlexander Palomino is a man defined by the ghosts of his past, of which there are his parents, his daughter, his wife…, and Jess.He’s a man defined by the promises he’s made. To never be like his abusive father, to never love again, never trust again, and to sever their ties for good.In the wake of their heart-wrenching end, Alex’s rash decision throws lives into chaos, including his own... -
-
Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAlexander Palomino is a man defined by the ghosts of his past, of which there are his parents, his daughter, his wife…, and Jess.He’s a man defined by the promises he’s made. To never be like his abusive father, to never love again, never trust again, and to sever their ties for good.In the wake of their heart-wrenching end, Alex’s rash decision throws lives into chaos, including his own... -
One Night Valentine by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not a question of IF this football star can resist the curvy florist but rather WHEN he’ll give in…Cruz It is said that you only want what you cannot have. I hate to be a cliche, but that statement rings true for me.In my case it’s not what I want, but rather who. Tara Brooks. Sweet, funny, and my little sister’s best friend... -
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 age difference cold hero office grumpy sunshine christmas humor christian -
Hot Shot by Kat Baxter
coming in... -
Huge Pucking Play: A Silver Fox Hockey Romance by Alix Vaughn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLost in Vegas with no phone, no money, and no way to find my friends, I ended up in the arms of a silver fox. He left me breathless—and pregnant.Garrett “Huge” Hughes lives up to his nickname in more ways than one—if you know what I mean. I’ve always had a thing for older men, and he is as hot as they come—devastatingly handsome and an absolute master between the sheets... -
Protector of Misty Mountain: An ex-military, age gap, mountain man romance by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe walked into my world like she belongs here… but I don’t let people stay.JuniperThe mountains were supposed to be my escape—a place to rebuild, to breathe, to prove to myself that I could make it on my own. But from the moment I set foot in Misty Mountain, one mountain man has made it his mission to send me packing. Griffin Calloway...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine forced proximity contemporary military length-novella -
The CEO I Hate by Leslie North
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
Penalty Zone by Heather Leighson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCaleb It’s fine. Everything’s fine. I can handle working with Leo Griffin—my idol, my secret obsession… and my best friend’s dad. No big deal.Except his amber eyes track me like prey, and every glance makes me want to drop to my knees and submit. I can resist. It’s the only option. He’d never want someone like me anyway… right?LeoThe complication of Caleb Benz blindsides me, rattling my core... -
Overdrive by Caitlyn P. Tajon
She’s the rookie with something to prove. He’s the reigning champion with everything to lose.Aurélie Dubois has spent her life chasing speed. When her twin brother is forced off the Formula 1 grid, she steps into his seat with no apologies. The world isn’t ready for a female driver. And they’re especially not ready for her... -
Summer Camp Secret by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen Aspen Fairchild finds herself face-to-face with Brooks Hennessey, a pro hockey player with a heart as guarded as her own, a simple act of kindness turns into a night they can’t forget. Neither can the media. When the playful lie about their engagement goes viral and lands them in the same cabin at Camp Firefly Falls, Brooks proposes continuing the charade for the week... -
-
Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a hockey player in possession of a bad reputation must be in want of a fake girlfriend.Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, a disgraced hockey player who needs a place to hide out for a few months while he figures out how to get back on his team... -
Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin
Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, the prodigal son of Winterhaven's sheriff, who needs a place to stay for a few months. He's taciturn and every bit as beastly as his fans' nickname for him would imply—nothing like the handsome, charming bookstore owner she's in love with from afar...Categorized as:
sports hockey cold hero grumpy sunshine contemporary length-medium glimpses-kisses audiobook -
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 age difference office contemporary humor m-f glimpses-kisses -
Top Shelf by Teagan Hunter
I have two goals this season:1. Prove to the Seattle Serpents I’m more than just the old guy.2. Don’t fall for my captain’s stepsister.In my defense, I had no clue who Vanessa was when we met. We were in a different city. How was I supposed to know she’s my teammate’s stepsister?Now she’s in Seattle, still healing from her divorce, and apparently, she’s here to stay...Categorized as:
sports hockey age difference forced proximity cold hero humor contemporary secret-relationship -
Tight Fit by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s okay to admit I’m scared.Outside forces are working hard to tear us apart, but we’ve teamed up against them. It’s the internal struggles we’re battling that could spell the ultimate end.When Ben makes a public show to prove how committed we are, I’m left confused as I struggle to figure out whether his feelings for me are real or if they’re part of the act...Categorized as:
age difference sports forced proximity friends to lovers contemporary length-short m-f audiobook -
Chaos by E.J. Blaise
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLottie Jackson is not a good person.Reckless, bad-tempered, and perpetually mad at the world, she’s no stranger to making bad decisions. When the worst of them gets her kicked off her family’s ranch, it takes one just as bad to get her back.Except this time, she isn’t the resident grumpy little sister making a mess of her life—she’s the resident grumpy ranch hand fighting to get it back on track... -
Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray, Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn the cutthroat world of professional sports, I’m the agent who always calls the shots. Until a decade-old feud with hockey superstar Banks Bennet resurfaces, and I’m forced to play nice. When his agent drops him and rumors of a trade swirl through the league faster than a puck on a breakaway, I find myself in the dreaded role of Banks’s new agent...Categorized as:
hockey sports office forced proximity from hate to love contemporary mature couple humor -
Wild Temptation by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAsher Wild is a temptation I can’t resist.He’s my grumpy boss.He didn’t want to hire me,But as a favor to a friend he gave me a chance.Besides proving I’m a good worker,And can make a difference on his peach farm.It seems I can’t stop throwing myself at him.I didn’t think Asher would rock my world... -
Southern Hotshot by Jessica Peterson
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsLusting after the woman trying to steal my job is stupid. Sexting with her? That’s a game-changing fumble.Emma Crawford became enemy number one the second she stepped foot on Blue Mountain Farm. She might think I’m just a dumb jock, but I know she’s a stuck-up wine snob who believes she’d be a better exec than me.She can take my position over my dead body...Categorized as:
office grumpy sunshine forced proximity sports cowboys from hate to love contemporary dual-pov -
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... -
-
Bound to Burn by Paula Dombrowiak
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA sexy, age gap, rockstar romance with a bit of a slow burn, a strong sassy heroine, a grumpy alpha hero, low angst and a happily ever after.Love has a way of blazing through you like poison, leaving you breathless but still wanting more. On the way down it burns like whiskey, coats your throat like a love song, and enters your belly with the force of a hurricane.I told myself never again...Categorized as:
age difference office cowboys contemporary rockstars alpha male mature couple length-medium -
Lucky Puck by Raine Miller, Brit DeMille
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPucks are flying in this forbidden, dating-the-boss, office romance at Vegas Crush headquarters bringing the new GM and the team's nutritionist together after a one-night puck with surprising consequences. But first, they'll have to shoot around that pesky no-fraternization policy in this steamy hockey love story. "Lucky Las Vegas. It’s true I’ve had some major puck luck in this city...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports age difference office hockey contemporary insta-love forbidden love -
Love...It's Wild by Jeannine Colette
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFalling in love has never been this wild… I’m a woman who knows my own worth. And more than anything, I deserve love. Wild, passionate, all-consuming love. What I did not deserve was being forced to hang around my small town to watch the jerk who left me at the alter fawn over his new wife. Instead, I ran. Right into him. Robert Bronson is my friend’s grumpy brother-in-law... -
Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 13 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 forced proximity office contemporary from hate to love humor audiobook -
Whipped by J.J. Arias
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf she can’t get through to her in the office, she’ll smash into her on skates. . .Newly minted lawyer Cheyenne Flores-Moore is excited to start her career at one of the most prestigious law firms in Miami. That is, until she meets her mentor Erica. It seems that no matter what she does, she can’t win her over - something the perennially sunny Cheyenne has not experienced before... -
A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWhen Matthias Phillips imagined the new caretaker for his mother with ALS, the last thing he had in mind was a gorgeous twenty-something who didn’t look like she had a day of experience in the field. However, his mother has always been stubborn, and despite his objections, she’s insistent: it’s Adelaide Samson she wants him to hire... -
Man Candy by Vanessa Vale
From USA Today best-selling author Vanessa Vale, a small-town billionaire romance with a hot-as-puck hockey hero and a wannabe romance writer.I’m looking for Mr. Right. Date after blind date, they’re all duds. None of them meet the requirements on my Man List.Until Dex James.My brain? It says he’s all kinds of wrong.He’s young. In town on vacation. A lazy billionaire.He’d only be a fling...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine forced proximity hockey contemporary humor super rich hero insta-love -
Love You Always by Stacy Travis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA sexy, small-town, grumpy-sunshine romance by bestselling author Stacy TravisEver heard the one about the rom-com princess who gets swept off her feet by her fake fiancé?Yeah, that’s not my story.I’m an actress whose reputation is currently circling the drain, thanks to a string of public relationship disasters. All I want is to adopt a baby and leave my tabloid trainwreck days behind me...Categorized as:
age difference sports office dual-pov contemporary small town length-medium audiobook -
Hard Boss by Iona Rose
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJulietteHudson Sinclair is such a grumpy, snarly, arrogant nightmare no one on the temp agency's books is willing to take on the job of replacing his secretary while she is off sick.Well, here I am, it’s my first day at the agency and I should probably give it a pass as my first job too. At least, that would be the prudent thing to do, but ‘prudent’ is not on my list of virtues... -
Just This Once by Sophie Andrews
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m a single mom trying to keep my head above water. He’s the one night stand I was never supposed to see again.As a divorced parent of two teenagers and the manager of a bed and breakfast about to undergo a major renovation, I don’t have time for a relationship.But when a charming, younger guy approaches me during a night out, I give in to the desire to relieve some stress and invite him home... -
-
A Steel Heart by Amie Knight
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFive seconds. A deafening blast. Pain. Silence. That was all it took for an IED to end my life as I knew it. The man I was shattered in a hard wave of sound and debris that rained down on me like death itself. And six months later, after waking up to an inescapable hell, I found myself wishing that death had found me. Until her... -
The End of Us by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens when a stalker threatens your life and you’re flown to a private beach house with your sexy new bodyguard? You break the rules and hope he falls madly in love with you.The End of Us is an age gap, bodyguard, forced proximity standalone romance... -
Reserved by Ashley Jacobs, S.S. Rich
Reserved is a spicy contemporary age-gap romance about a perky entrepreneur and the brooding billionaire who always gets what he wants–and he has his sights set on her.- Grumpy/sunshine- He falls first- Insta-love- Opposites attract- Possessive MMC- Lots of spice- Guaranteed HEACamiIn the Bay, Van Costa is synonymous with ruthless... -
Mr. Smithfield by Louise Bay
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsWanted: American nanny for an adorable four-year old. Must be able to handle a moody, brooding, sexy British boss. I’m a single father, a lawyer and some say the most serious man in London. I’m completely focused on raising my four-year-old daughter... -
Secret Keeper by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat started as a typical night out with my team, became the best night of my life.Picking up a smoking hot blonde, I take her back to the hotel, expecting the evening to go down like any other.But nothing about her is average… she’s sassy, witty and throws me off my game. After one incredible night, I wake up wanting to see her more than I want to go to hockey practice...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity office hockey contemporary forbidden love super rich hero athletes -
The Way You Shine by Amelia Chasen
DelaneyBecoming the nanny for Cole, the older single dad, who's as grumpy as he is quiet–was a curveball I never saw coming.After leaving a toxic relationship, quitting my mundane accounting job, and living in my car, the cautious Cole Campbell helps me get back on my feet.He gives me a job, a room in his countryside home, and a sense of security I’ve never once had in my chaotic life... -
Hate You Up Close by Morgan Paige
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHate You Up Close is a STANDALONE novel following Love You From Afar. A new job. A new city. This was supposed to be a fresh start for me.I expected the move to come with challenges, but no one could have prepared me for him. My new boss - Elliot Thompson.He’s cold, selfish, miserable, and the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. I hate that he smells of whiskey and leather... -
Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLynn Brooks is officially over it.With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she's determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks...Categorized as:
sports age difference grumpy sunshine contemporary friends to lovers athletes humor length-medium -
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:
age difference grumpy sunshine forced proximity christmas contemporary length-novella -
Tender Heart by Alexandra Banks
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s hidden himself from the world. She’s desperate to escape it. But fate—and a crumbling lighthouse—has other plans.Callum McCreary has spent two decades in self-imposed exile, keeping watch over the weather-beaten lighthouse his father once tended to on a remote island off the coast...Categorized as:
age difference forced proximity cold hero grumpy sunshine contemporary suspense length-medium -
-
The Stud by Xavier Neal
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFrom USA TODAY BESTSELLING author Xavier Neal comes a laugh-out-loud, off-limits, hockey romance!He wants her...even more than she hates him.Loose lips sink ships...Which isn't a problem unless it causes her twin sister - who you might be in love with - to hate you.And, of course, if it could get you traded from your dream team due to becoming a PR problem you swore you wouldn't be...Categorized as:
sports office hockey forced proximity grumpy sunshine age difference from hate to love contemporary -
The Chad Next Door by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTorn between a quiet life and the chaos of unexpected love, Private Investigator Chad Briggs is set to find out if a snowstorm can melt his heart in Laketown. When Hope, the all too attractive—and far too young—woman next door, Chad’s life is thrown into a whirlwind he would rather not face, but he doesn’t have much of a choice...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine age difference forced proximity contemporary mystery humor suspense length-short -
Whiskey Wednesdays: Book 3 in the Palm Springs Poolside Series by J. L. Brannick
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsConnor McCoy’s professional hockey nickname is The Hammer. And the first time we met, that’s exactly what he did to me. He hammered orders, barked instructions, and interrupted me three times. Then he tried to walk off before I could tell him I was not his latest assistant.But the intense, hot-as-sin man spectacularly outdoes himself when he almost gets me charged with felony burglary... -
Resist by Mari Carr
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThis one-night stand is going into overtime.The Stingrays call goalie Coulton Moore their gentle giant. The tall, imposing man is the team’s rock, their steadying influence on and off the ice. However, that mild disposition disappears completely when the beautiful bartender he’s been lusting after from across a crowded bar is attacked... -
The Joy of Us by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat happens when your rental cabin ends up being a scam and you’re forced to stay with a sexy lumberjack? You try to avoid him and his annoying Christmas spirit because the last thing you have time for is love. The Joy of Us is a reverse grumpy/sunshine, close proximity romance... -
Lucky Score by Kenna King
***Stuck-together, stranger-to-lovers, Steamy Hockey Romance***Seven and BrynnAs the last line of defense for the Hawkeyes hockey team, I've mastered the art of keeping my guard up, both on and off the ice...Categorized as:
sports hockey forced proximity age difference grumpy sunshine contemporary length-medium open-door
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.

