Books like 'Not Quite by the Book'
Readers who enjoyed Not Quite by the Book by Julie Hatcher also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny office m-f forced proximity small town independent heroine cold hero
-
Wild Open Hearts by Kathryn Nolan
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 36 ratings“I’ve heard that boys with motorcycles have less-than-noble intentions.” “Not a boy,” Beck said. “And you heard right.” Luna da Rosa is America’s Vegan Best Friend. The self-made billionaire is a flower-crowned hippie whose Instagram feed is as popular as Wild Heart - her vegan makeup company. When she’s not changing the cosmetics industry, she’s dazzling her online fans with kombucha recipes... -
Spring Tides at The Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
Welcome back to the Starfish Café - where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships.A new season...As winter turns to spring, Hollie - owner of The Starfish Café - is feeling content as she settles into her new life with her loving boyfriend, Jake, and their adorable dog Pickle... -
Resolution by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a workplace romance between a grumpy, alpha architect and his new client—who just so happens to have the blueprint to bring him to his knees. Romance is not in Wade Mason’s portfolio. This is tragic... -
A New Dawn at Owl's Lodge by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsCould one chance meeting change your life forever?Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer's assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn't truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be.. -
-
The Start of Something Wonderful by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAutumn Laine has lost her creative sparkle. After losing her grandad and her job as an illustrator in quick succession, she is at a crossroads in life and needs a break. Spending time with her parents in Paris, even in the artistic community of Montmartre, doesn't appear to be the answer... -
Rocked by Love: Jillian Braden by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat happens when a rock star with no plans of settling down finds out he has a teenage daughter, his manager is embezzling from him, and the woman he’s hired to design his tour wardrobe is breathing fire? Come along for the snarky, emotional, and insanely sexy ride as Jillian and Johnny get caught up in a storm that just might be bigger than both of them...Categorized as:
forced proximity office small town m-f from hate to love contemporary boss & employee humor -
A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe BRAND NEW uplifting novel from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland Rosie feels like there's something missing in her life.She loves her job as the manager of Willowdale Hall Riding Stables, caring for the horses and teaching children to ride, and she loves the home she shares with her mother in the beautiful Lake District... -
The Mistletoe Kisser by Lucy Score
Ryan Sosa, grumpy former corporate accountant, has had it up to here with surprises. He didn’t see getting fired coming. And he certainly didn’t anticipate flying across the country to the world’s hippie-est, happiest, most annoying town to save his great-uncle from some mysterious emergency... -
Suit by B.B. Easton
"Since when are you into guys in ties? You only like guys who look like they rob guys in ties. At gunpoint."It was true. By 2003, my type had been well-established. There might as well have been a giant sign on my heart that said, "Good Guys Need Not Apply."Which is exactly why I had to friend-zone Ken Easton... -
Enticing Her Love: Sutton Steele by Melissa Foster
Pro: Stuck sharing a bed with my hot, broody boss Con: He’s trying to get me fired Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone... -
One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsI’m Poppy Woodstock.Romance author and wholehearted believer in Happily Ever Afters.A terminal case of writer’s block should be my biggest worry. Then I crash into him—literally—and fall into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Connor Bradley.Thief, rebel… and my new neighbor.One slip with the bad boy next door, and my life becomes stranger than any fiction I could ever write... -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
independent heroine m-f humor contemporary friends to lovers sassy heroine strong heroine audiobook -
Reckless by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 26 ratings“How did you get in here?”That’s not what you want to hear when you’re staring into the sea-green eyes of the hottest man you’ve ever seen. Yet I suppose it’s a fair question, considering I’m an uninvited stranger standing in Boone Mason’s kitchen.If you think that’s bad—just wait. It gets worse...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary humor christian insta-love single-mother audiobook -
Can't Help Falling by Courtney Walsh
All it takes to start a fire is one single match. . . Owen Larrabee is not my soulmate. He wasn't when I confessed my love to him on his wedding day, and he isn't now. I should probably say that I wasn't the bride when that happened. I don't have the best timing. He’s got a temper, he's moody, and he has a history of being misunderstood and making big mistakes...Categorized as:
office m-f small town contemporary grumpy sunshine friends to lovers men in uniform humor -
-
The Potter's House by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSometimes facing up to the past is the only way to create a better future…Since the tragic death of his father, Lowen Treneary has kept to himself in his pottery studio on the remote island of Bryher.His quiet life is just the way he likes it.Until Pippa comes along.The local café owner plunges his peaceful existence into chaos and brightens his days while she’s at it... -
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFamily, wounded hearts, and a Texas bed-and-breakfast are in need of repair in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s inviting novel about down-home comfort and second chances.Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are due for a change...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity m-f friends to lovers contemporary humor christian audiobook -
Riverbend Reunion by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBack home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage... -
The Village of Lost and Found by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsScandal hit party girl Lucy Conway needs to leave London fast, so she packs her bags and escapes to the sleepy village of Cranbridge to take care of her beloved Uncle Frank.But the country village isn’t quite as idyllic as she remembers. To make matters worse, her Uncle’s pride and joy, The Cranbridge Times, is close to going out of business... -
Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a warm and romantic novel about a marriage in trouble, two conspiring kids, and the meaning of long-lasting love. After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple...Categorized as:
forced proximity small town humor second chances mature couple contemporary length-medium audiobook -
The Price Of Scandal by Lucy Score
“I’m the fixer your board hired to clean up your mess.” “So you show up here, break into my house, and take a bath?” Emily Stanton’s perfect life just became a disaster. She has a trust fund brother looking for a handout, a father who is more board member than dad, and a mother who thinks she should give up on this whole billionaire CEO thing and meet a man with a pre-nup and a yacht...Categorized as:
forced proximity office m-f humor contemporary from hate to love rich heroine career professional -
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 contemporary grumpy sunshine humor length-medium glimpses-kisses -
Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there...Categorized as:
independent heroine m-f humor new adult contemporary friends to lovers length-medium audiobook -
Doughn't Let Me Go by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIt was just supposed to be one night. No kissing. No feelings. A wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am tangle in the sheets and we go our own ways. Only it’s a small town, and I was bound to run into the irresistible Porter Jones again. I just didn’t expect it to be at my job interview…which he’s conducting... -
One In Vermillion by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the third book in a new trilogy.Liz Danger is stuck in her hometown of Burney, Ohio, because her insane employer has rented a house there for the summer, which means she has three more months of trying to get a copy edit done, babysitting a seven-year-old, and figuring out what to do with three hundred and ninety-two teddy bears...Categorized as:
m-f small town independent heroine cold hero humor mystery suspense explicit-open-door -
-
Tempt Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsTwo enemies. One bed. What could possibly go wrong? Our new general manager is the most difficult man on the planet. The night before Drake begins working at my family's hotel, he finds me in the bar, trying to get rid of a boring date. But the guy won’t take even a not-so-subtle hint. Then Drake surprises me and comes to our table, but only to reprimand ME about dating in our workplace...Categorized as:
office m-f forced proximity contemporary humor super rich hero rich heroine from hate to love -
Clap Back by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBeing a twin is great. What isn’t great is having the hots for the same woman your twin does. Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. Since Auden Carter made that mistake in his teens, he’d promised himself never to do that to his brother again. Hence why he’s tried so hard to stay away from Maven, the sexy bakery owner that seems to have been put on this planet to tempt him... -
Owen North by Nina Levine
A steamy forbidden office romance from USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nina Levine.My one-night stand is my new boss.I met him at the society wedding of the year.The man every woman in New York wants.He's rich.Devastatingly good looking.Charming.Mr. I-Could-Blow-Your-Mind.And yes, he did blow my mind.It was just supposed to be one night.I told him I don't date...Categorized as:
office m-f contemporary humor super rich hero alpha male sassy heroine friends to lovers -
Give Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe was my first love. Now he's my roommate. And he won't stop until he wins me back.Conned out of my business I have no other choice but to move back home to Chicago. I’m determined to rebuild everything, but I’m so broke that I can’t even afford to pay rent.Then my first love, Sam Maxwell, unexpectedly pops back into my life and turns out to be my knight in shining armor...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f humor super rich hero friends to lovers contemporary length-short audiobook -
The Village of Happy Ever Afters by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMolly Hopkins has happily watched all of her friends’ dreams come true on Riverside Lane.Deciding to follow her passion for baking, Molly with the help of her friends takes the plunge and opens a Tea Garden in the village hoping to make it a summer to remember!Meanwhile, after a rather public end of his marriage, Logan Armstrong trusts no one but his beloved Grandad... -
Come Rain or Shine by Sarah Bennett
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere are worse fates than growing up knowing that you will one day inherit a vast and magnificent Cotswolds country estate, but for Rhys Travers it has always felt like a huge responsibility.Juniper Meadows is home to much of his extended family, not to mention the many local businesses that operate on the estate, so there’s no time to sit back and enjoy the view... -
Knockout by Jessica Prince
It wasn’t fair that the man I hated with a passion was so freaking gorgeous.Things in Layla Fox’s life were going great. She had a fantastic job, amazing friends, and a killer apartment. There was just one tiny glitch in all that perfect. Her upstairs neighbor was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome . . . and she hated the man with every cell in her body... -
Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe's her rock star crush, her go-to fantasy, and he's offering to make all her dreams come true... Rock star Malcolm Strong is used to being in control. Of the band. Of his feelings. Of the woman he has tied to his bed. He never gets close enough to get hurt. He never wants to. Until Lacey. The sassy brunette is working on the band's latest music video... -
A Summer Wedding at the Cotswolds Candy Store by Hannah M. Lynn
Going to the chapel, but will they get married? After the holiday romance to beat all other holiday romances, it’s back to regular life for Holly Berry, and the sweet shop is busier than ever. With Jamie and Fin’s wedding coming up, Holly is rushed off her feet, making sure their big day is perfect.So when her handsome boyfriend comes to visit, she is both elated to see him and overwhelmed... -
Flipping Love You by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s the tattooed bad boy her mama warned her about. She’s his hot mess — but mostly hot — next door neighbor. Until a two-night-stand gives them the surprise of a lifetime... Jillian Morris is a workaholic who forgets to watch the time. And to eat. And to change her shoes. And to keep even a house-plant alive. And to have any kind of a personal life...Categorized as:
small town independent heroine m-f contemporary humor age difference insta-love pregnancy -
-
How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor
How is it possible for the chemistry between two chefs to be hotter than a ghost pepper yet colder than liquid nitrogen?When THE Tatum Elliott shows up to run the catering kitchen at my family’s farm and event center, I don’t trust her anymore than I did back in culinary school.But like it or not, she’s here. On my territory. My turf...Categorized as:
office forced proximity m-f contemporary humor second chances from hate to love length-medium -
Mine To Cherish by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThings are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day.Aren't they?ClarabellaDid I want to get married today?It's hard to say when he proposed in front of over a hundred people.Everything happened so fast, and I thought it was just nerves.It was not.The knock on the door showed me that what I was feeling was more than just cold feet.I was a runaway bride...Categorized as:
forced proximity office small town m-f friends to lovers contemporary from hate to love dual-pov -
Late Nights & Love Lines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe job was simple. Answer the phone, solve the single dad's dilemma, and move on.I'm the temporary solution.The fill-in.The short-term Single Dad Hotline Helper until a more suitable one can be found.I don't get attached, I don't stick around, and I certainly don't fall for the single dad.Until the job said, "Hold my beer," and tipped my world upside down...Categorized as:
small town m-f humor contemporary single-father friends to lovers super rich hero audiobook -
The Secret to Happiness by Jessica Redland, Lucy Brownhill
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsDanniella is running from her past, so when she arrives at the beautiful seaside resort of Whitsborough Bay, the last thing on her mind is making friends. After all, they might find out her secrets... Alison is fun, caring and doesn't take herself too seriously. But beneath the front, she is a lost soul, stuck in a terrible relationship, with body confidence issues and no family to support her... -
The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAfter escaping her parents’ unhappy marriage to sleepy Cranbridge a long time ago, Belle Clarke dreams of staying at The Black Swan Inn forever.But with the rundown Inn threatened with closure, Belle may be forced to leave, unless a buyer can be found … quickly.So, when her oldest friend Pete Kennedy returns from working abroad with a plan to save the Inn, Belle should be overjoyed...Categorized as:
small town m-f christmas contemporary friends to lovers humor length-medium audiobook -
The Benefactor by Nana Malone
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI am many things. billionaire, rogue, rebel. But I never figured myself for a thief.My money can buy power, control, access. Even oaths of loyalty.The one thing it can't buy is her...or her safety.I vowed to protect her...I failed...I can't, under any circumstances, fail again. In order to save her, I'll have to give up the one thing that I value most--control.The Canary Jewel is the key... -
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane seriesLove Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter whatAll’s fair in love and…medicine?Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity m-f humor suspense contemporary from hate to love length-medium -
Searching for Steven by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Sarah Peterson accepts her Auntie Kay’s unexpected offer to take over her florist’s shop, she’s prepared for a change of job, home and lifestyle. What she isn’t prepared for is the discovery of a scarily accurate clairvoyant reading that’s been missing for twelve years. All her predictions have come true, except one: she’s about to meet the man of her dreams. Oh, and his name is Steven... -
Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis
Meet cute... Run for the hills—temporarily . That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival... -
I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones
Jaclyn Love is a magnet for trouble - it seems to follow her wherever she goes. Unfortunately for Kadan Davenport, she also seems to be a magnet for him - even after a disastrous first impression that leaves him - literally - black and blue. Jaclyn is busy trying to find some sort of balance, and Kadan is just trying not to get swept up in the chaos...Categorized as:
forced proximity office small town independent heroine m-f humor contemporary age difference -
-
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... -
Not Part of the Plan by Lucy Score
From the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author comes a new installment to the Blue Moon small town romance series. A womanizing bad boy with a motorcycle and sexy-as-sin smile is not part of Emma’s life plan. She moved cross-country to be close to family and finally settle down in hippie, trippy, nosey Blue Moon Bend...Categorized as:
m-f small town humor contemporary caretaking length-medium explicit-open-door audiobook -
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...Categorized as:
forced proximity cold hero m-f contemporary humor sports age difference from hate to love -
What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala
Liam has always preferred spending his life inside books, only looking up to occasionally growl at customers in his shop. Until the day someone new comes to town. A woman who could keep up with him, someone who sees beyond his guards, who makes him want something decidedly non -fiction for a change. The only problem is, Riley has a secret. One that just might tear them apart...Categorized as:
m-f small town cold hero humor contemporary length-short explicit-open-door competent heroine -
Salt Love by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat do you do when you find out your husband’s cheating on you, your aunt just passed away in Florida, and your boss gave the promotion to your work nemesis, so you threaten him with bodily harm in the middle of a board meeting?Well, after getting escorted out of the building by security, I fly straight to Sunshine Key to deal with my aunt’s estate...Categorized as:
office m-f contemporary grumpy sunshine found-family mature couple humor length-medium -
A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...There's always time for tea... unless you've lost your teapot…Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran...Categorized as:
forced proximity small town found-family grumpy sunshine contemporary humor length-medium audiobook
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.