Books like 'It Had to Be You'
Readers who enjoyed It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports athletes from hate to love alpha male suspense strong heroine cruel hero office slow burn
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Caught by Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s set on pleasure, but she’s all business. Sizzling chemistry and a surprising connection set this sexy love story in motion. But is it enough to last forever? Find out and fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast... -
Lucky Bastard: A Hero Club Novel by Kaylee Ryan
Emma When my best friend Aubrey asked me to tag along to an event with her, I never could have imagined that it would be the day that my life changed forever.He’s arrogant and demanding and doesn’t take a hint. Landon Barker, the quarterback for the Hermosa Beach Trojans, is a player on and off of the field. He’s got his sights set on me as his next play, but I see right through him... -
Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her... -
Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsListening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutesWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us.But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
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Knockout by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt 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... -
A Real One Captured My Heart by K. Renee
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHave you ever been in a situation where the best thing for you to do, is the hardest thing? That’s the same dilemma Shanice Davis finds herself in after finding out her husband does not love her the same way she loves him. Throwing caution to the wind, Shanice decides to live her best life while on a girl’s trip to Mexico. Gia, Shanice’s best friend only concern is her daughter...Categorized as:
friends-benefits cheating alpha male other-man-woman contemporary african-american black-mc -
Sassy in Lingerie by Penelope Sky
I'm not sure how it happened.But I've fallen in love with my family's enemy.I try to move on but I can't.He's the only man I want.Now I have to choose between the man I love.And my family... -
Stone by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFirst, hate. Then, want. But in the end? Heartbreak. My celebrity life was supposed to be easy, and this movie was the biggest break of my career. But from the moment Officer Levi Fox gave me a speeding ticket on my way into town, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side. Dominant. Cocky. Callous... -
Coen by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCoen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed... -
Finding Infinity by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 17 ratings"Finding Infinity" as described by Colin... "Fine Charlie.” Colin says dropping his hands in defeat. “Here's what I want. I want everybody to back off and let me play football. I want you to go back to practicing medicine because I’m ready for you to be happy again - not this forced shit that you keep trying to sell me... -
Stitched Up Heart by Tarina Deaton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs an Air Force medic, Bree Marks saw the worst the War on Terror had to dish out. Now a physical therapist, she uses her experience to help other veterans heal from their physical wounds; while she battles her own emotional damage. Blaming himself for his best friend’s suicide, former Army Ranger Jase Larken, retreated from life... -
Love Irresistibly by Julie James
HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS… A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine athletes alpha male possessive hero sports sassy heroine office -
Carson's Choice: A SEALs of Honor World Novel (SEALs of Honor) by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCarson is pleasantly surprised by the job Levi assigns him, until Carson hears all the details. An elderly friend of Ice’s believes someone is out to kill her. But she has no proof, no suspects, no motives. The police think she’s imagining things and won’t look into the case any further. However, after meeting this lady … and her granddaughter, Carson has his own suspicions... -
Heller's Girlfriend by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTilly Chalmers’ life is complicated. Her boyfriend is demanding more attention while her boss, Heller, is always a distracting temptation...Categorized as:
strong heroine suspense alpha male possessive hero slow burn office other-man-woman love triangle -
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Jax by E.M. Moore
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI had real love once. The all-consuming, toe-curling kind of love.Fate had other plans for the two of us though.Ruled by a world of dangerous men, I did something reprehensible. I did what I needed to survive. I betrayed Jax—the only man who ever truly cared whether I lived or died.Years later, I remain a brokenhearted plaything. A puppet to maneuver around a chess board... -
Incredible You: A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom the USA Today Bestselling author of Magnificent Bastard comes a sexy, flirty, dirty standalone…on ice. They say Jake “The Dragon” Falcone earned his nickname by setting fire to the ice his first season in the NHL. But just between us ladies, I’m pretty sure he earned it for the dragon in his pants. From my first hug as his fake girlfriend, it’s clear he’s packing below the belt... -
Braved by Dr. Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes a brother's best friend, forced proximity romantic suspense ...Juliana Lozano has spent years living as the rebellious one of the family, a reputation she’s embraced. No one is surprised by her string of boyfriends that her brother would never approve… then again no one realizes all those flirtations aren’t what they seem... -
Collateral Damage by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPride tore them apart… Warrant Officer Honor Girard made the worst mistake of her life in walking away from the man she promised to marry—and she knows it. An attack on base unexpectedly pushes them together and in the aftermath she realizes she can’t let him go a second time. Only he’s not willing to let her back in... -
Taken by Cynthia Eden
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel, the Last Option Search Team (LOST) returns— and for one agent, the hunt for a serial killer just got very personal . . . HE SWORE TO PROTECT HER . . . Bailey Jones somehow survived her harrowing abduction by the infamous Death Angel... -
Twilight Sins by Naomi West
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat's worse than a surprise blind date?Finding out your date is a mob boss...And ending up pregnant with his baby.My BFF pulled a bait-and-switch on me.Instead of drinks with the girls, I'm at this bar to meet a blind date."He's nice and normal and handsome!" she promises.Only one of those three is correct.Yakov Kulikov is as gorgeous as they come—and ten times as dangerous...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine alpha male suspense from hate to love mafia contemporary super rich hero -
Confessions of a Litigation God by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWARNING, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF THE RISK from Matt Connover, Litigation God: Please do not attempt to read my story in public, as my sexual proclivities have been known to cause squirming in your seat, squeezing of your legs together and unintentional moaning, sometimes with spontaneous bursts of laughter at random moments... -
The Rules We Break by Katelyn Taylor
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRules.Some people say they are meant to be broken,but not these ones.These are designed to protect me, to make sure I never feel the pain I did almost ten years ago.The dull but present pain I still feel every time my past taunts me.From the Loyalties that have remained broken, I built my Walls high and tall, creating these Rules to make sure all Hearts,most of all mine, will stay guarded...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love suspense strong heroine alpha male office friends-benefits age difference -
Blocked by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAxel: Playing for the Seattle Sockeyes is a dream come true. Yet in less than twenty-four hours, my life is a hot mess, and my dream has turned into a nightmare. It all starts when I have a one-night stand with my teammate's estranged wife, only I'm not aware she's married, let alone his wife. Now she's stalking me, my teammate hates me, and I'm madly attracted to his sister... -
Warning Track by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsColleen Callahan is exactly where she’s always dreamt of being.From a young age, she’s been groomed to take over as general manager of the Packton Pistons, her family’s professional baseball dynasty. Except she never expected her father would have to go to prison for the role to become hers.The public, and even her own family, are counting on the first female to wear the title to fail... -
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Crank by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsCrank is a standalone romance in a new small town, blue-collar series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. Join readers everywhere as they fall in love with the delicious Gibson Boys. This is one mistake Sienna Landry can’t buy her way out of...Categorized as:
cheating from hate to love alpha male grumpy sunshine rich heroine office cold hero other-man-woman -
The Billionaire's Salvation ~ Max by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsBillionaire Max Hamilton thought he was finally starting to find contentment, more than two years after losing his wife Mia in a tragic drowning accident. He'd been reunited with a sister he hadn’t realized existed. Finally he had family again, a reprieve from the pain and loneliness that had haunted him since his devastating loss... -
Good Time Boyfriend by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA new town. A new bar. A new life.At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.I moved to Denver to try to piece my family back together, but I have no idea how to do that.Then the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen walks into my bar, and I think things are looking up.She needs a fake boyfriend for the night and I’m all too eager to play along... -
Good Time Boyfriend by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA new town. A new bar. A new life.At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.I moved to Denver to try to piece my family back together, but I have no idea how to do that.Then the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen walks into my bar, and I think things are looking up.She needs a fake boyfriend for the night and I’m all too eager to play along...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends-benefits suspense from hate to love contemporary humor military -
The Buried Hours: A Novel by R.S. Grant
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs she following a path of redemption or an enemy’s revenge? A crime reporter’s traumatic past comes back to haunt her in a twisting novel of lies, betrayals, and killer secrets.Investigative crime journalist Signe Gates’s life became a nightmare the day she was kidnapped and drugged... -
The Rules We Break by Katelyn Taylor
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRules.Some people say they are meant to be broken,but not these ones.These are designed to protect me, to make sure I never feel the pain I did almost ten years ago.The dull but present pain I still feel every time my past taunts me.From the Loyalties that have remained broken, I built my Walls high and tall, creating these Rules to make sure all Hearts,most of all mine, will stay guarded... -
Infinity. by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsColin McKinney has wanted three things since he met Caroline “Charlie” Collins when he was a junior at Texas A&M University: to make her his wife, play professional football, and have a family. In the first three books of the Infinity Series, Colin and Charlie met, fell in love, broke apart, reunited eight years later, and got married... -
Love To Love You: A Love/Hate Novella by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a long year of heartache and loss, Chase and Arianna pulled together the shattered pieces of their hearts and rebuilt a relationship that is stronger and more secure than ever before. Letting go of the mistakes of their past, their focus is on the future—their happily ever after... -
HEAT by C.A. Harms
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeckett Montgomery is a well-known detective in the New York area. He takes his job seriously and has little time for anything else. During an investigation in to a series of break in’s of an apartment building on 32nd St., he finds himself getting a little too involved. What had always in the past been his job, now felt as if it was so much more... -
Just One More Moment by Carly Phillips
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShe thinks happily ever after only happens in romance novels.He can’t wait to prove her wrong…Falling in love is not on Raven Walsh’s agenda. Running from her past keeps her way too busy for that. She can, however, handle a friends-with-benefits scenario with the hot billionaire who co-owns The Back Door bar...Categorized as:
office friends-benefits sassy heroine alpha male m-f friends to lovers super rich hero contemporary -
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Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Carolina Cougars keep fighting for love as the Second Chances series from bestselling author L. P. Dover continues! In Defending Hayden, a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take the pain away. No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin... -
Envy by Sandra Brown
Living on a remote island under an assumed name, novelist Parker Evans guards his secrets well. Fascinated by this reclusive genius, publisher Maris Matherly-Reed decides to pursue him. But this new project threatens an old commitment, a commitment at the very center of her life. Envy has all the ingredients of a Sandra Brown beach read bestseller...Categorized as:
suspense possessive hero slow burn cruel hero cheating rich heroine career professional cold hero -
From Now Until Infinity by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEight years have passed since Colin and Caroline “Charlie” ended their college romance. A chance meeting reunited them confirming that time had not diminished their love for each other. Now, they have to turn their passionate reunion into a legitimate and sustainable relationship. Charlie’s medical practice is in Houston. Colin is the starting quarterback for Dallas... -
The Game by H.J. Bellus
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsBorn to shine. Groomed to dominate. Levi Wilks is destined only to be a champion… Number one on the field, in the record books, and in every fans’ heart. This star QB is perfection from head to toe. Only his looks rival his talent on the field... -
A Risk on Forever by N.S. Perkins
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 14 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... -
Believe by Natalie Gayle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat Reviewers are Saying: "a wonderful slow burning love story of trifling ordeals and the power of the human spirit" Kawehi Reviews "I fell even more in love with Natalie Gayle's stories, characters, and writing style. She knows how to knock you out with inspiration, heat, and heart." Rochelle's Reviews "Dane... -
The Lying Game: A sweet grumpy/sunshine, small town romcom by Sara Jane Woodley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cold hero from hate to love suspense contemporary forced proximity humor -
Smoke and Shadows by Victoria Paige
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWhen someone close to Viktor Baran becomes a target of an assassin, he vows a hellfire of a payback. But the enemy is cunning and avoids the trappings of the digital web, preferring to strike out from the shadows. Drawing on old-fashioned cloak and dagger methods to investigate the enemy’s hatred for the Guardians, he uncovers a link to a past he is reluctant to revisit... -
Charmed By You: A Stark Security Novella by J. Kenner
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Kenner comes a new story in her Stark Security series…Former vigilante-for-hire Simon Barré has one steadfast rule: stay far away from celebrities. Too bad Simon’s first assignment at Stark Security is to protect A-list actress Francesca Muratti...Categorized as:
suspense sassy heroine alpha male from hate to love contemporary forced proximity anthologies -
On the Edge by K. Bromberg
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA spicy, only-one-bed Formula 1 romance from New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg. Surely this can’t be the only solution to overhaul my tarnished rep – faking a romance with the good girl intern?But that’s what my agent says. Just a few months of taming my ways—of shedding Formula 1’s party boy image—will land me a lifetime branding deal. One I desperately need... -
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Bouncer by Kim Jones
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI was born a 1%ER. I earned the right to be a King.For the past ten years, I’ve dedicated my life upholding the legacy that is Kings of Carnage Motorcycle Club. My job as a Nomad is to ensure that King Nation thrives as a whole. And that the poor decisions of one charter doesn’t determine the fate of the patch...Categorized as:
from hate to love sassy heroine strong heroine alpha male new adult contemporary bikers -
Falling in Reverse by Julia Wolf
Ronan Walsh.Delicious Irish accent. Built like a slab of marble. Infuriatingly controlling.My new bodyguard...All I want is to rock hard with my band, The Seasons Change, and finally live my life exactly how I please. No one telling me what to do, no constraints, total freedom.Too bad I’ve managed to piss someone off.Crazed fan or bitter ex, it doesn’t really matter, since the result is the same... -
Trouble by Tia Louise
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLegend has it, the man you kiss at a wedding is the man you’ll marry.In my case, it’s nothing but trouble... Spencer Carrollton is a dark-haired, hazel-eyed beast.When I collided with him at my cousin’s wedding, I wasn’t looking for love. But his naughty eyes flashed, his full lips curled into a knowing smile, and I should have run.I didn’t. I kissed him instead...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love alpha male grumpy sunshine office cold hero contemporary super rich hero -
Red by Erica Spindler
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThey defied the odds and found red hot fame.Becky Lynn Lee was a nobody. Everybody told her so--the ladies who snubbed her at Opal's Cut 'n Curl, the boys who hurt her and used her, the family who didn't want her. But Becky Lynn had dreams. And when it came time to dream for real--or die a slow death in Bend, Mississippi--Becky fled to a world where dreams do come true...Categorized as:
cheating suspense sweet heroine other-man-woman contemporary mystery tortured heroine -
What Happens at the Lake by Vi Keeland
When life took an unexpected turn, I decided to get out of New York for a while. What better place to go than the idyllic small town my father spoke about so fondly when I was growing up? Laurel Lake held the title America’s Friendliest Town for seventeen years running, and friendly was just what I needed right now. Unfortunately, friendly wasn’t the welcome I got when I arrived... -
Hard Place by Emily Goodwin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCold. Callous. Cocky.A total playboy with abs for days, a panty-melting smirk, and a face the gods themselves would be jealous of.And he’s my new boss.None of that matters, because as a single mom, men like Alexander Harding are the last thing I need. What I do need is this job, so I’m going to keep my head down, work hard, and avoid that asshole as much as humanly possible...Categorized as:
from hate to love office cold hero tall-heroine super rich hero contemporary single-mother
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