Books like 'Playing for Keeps'
Readers who enjoyed Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny friends to lovers shy heroine virgin heroine possessive hero beta hero from hate to love height-difference male-pov
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Beard Science by Penny Reid
Make a deal with the devil and you might get what you want, but will it be what you need? Jennifer Sylvester wants one thing, and that one thing is NOT to be Tennessee’s reigning Banana Cake Queen. Ever the perpetual good girl and obedient daughter, Jennifer is buckling under the weight of her social media celebrity, her mother’s ambitions, and her father’s puritanical mandates... -
Becoming A Vincent by C.M. Owens
When you live in a place where “turbo speed” internet is a slight step above dial-up, men carry on nine-year beard-growing challenges out of stubborn pride, and your brothers do things like nail all your panties to the outside of your cabin just for funsies, you tend to be a little crazy. You can call it a "locational" hazard, if you will. That’s Tomahawk for you... -
Talk Nerdy To Me by C.M. Owens
Despite the fact it seemed like Base Masters was all over Sterling Shore, I'd never really known much about him, aside from random factoids. Things like...he's a semi-estranged cousin of one of my brother's friends, plays guitar in a local band, and he doesn't get mentioned much unless he's on stage. Until.. -
Fire & Brimstone: A Neighbor from Hell by R.L. Mathewson
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsWhat happens when a Bradford with questionable OCD, a tempter and a reputation for making his employees cry falls for the woman that refuses to accept the fact that he’s fired her and was terrifyingly more of a Bradford than he was? Well, we can’t share that here, because it would be seriously inappropriate, but we’re sure that you can see where this is leading… To the altar or a stint in... -
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That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn
USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings more humor and heart with the fourth novel of her Getting Lucky series: a story about breaking curses and finally finding that swoony feeling. I'm single . . . so single it's painful. Yup, ladies, Brig Knightly--that's me--is still a lonely bachelor, stumbling through the streets of Port Snow, looking for the girl he's supposed to end up with... -
Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison
Layla Dupree has given up on love.She’s waded through all of the fish in the sea, each one more disappointing than the last. Apparently owning the bakery at Inglewild’s most romantic destination does not help one’s love life—despite her best efforts. All she wants is a partner who gives her butterflies, not someone who ghosts her at dinner and leaves her with the check... -
Unscripted With Mila by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom NYT bestselling author Melanie Moreland comes a story of finding love, acceptance and happiness when you least expect it. Mila Morrison prefers the silent company of her keyboard to that of people. She lives vicariously through the characters she creates.Nicholas Scott only feels comfortable when he’s playing the role of someone else. He would rather be anyone but himself... -
A Breath of Fresh Air by Jessica Redland
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
Making Room For You by M.A. Clarke Scott, MaryAnn Clarke
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of The Art of Enchantment, comes Making Room for You, an inspiring, heart-warming enemies-to-lovers romantic women’s fiction tale... -
Mourning Wood by Heather M. Orgeron
She’s hard up.He’s just hard…After an ill-fated one-night stand, Wyatt Landry was the last person I ever expected to see again.By design, mind you, as I spent the last two years avoiding him.He was only ever meant to be a good time—a really good time—and now, thanks to one teensy little mistake, he’s back in my life and wielding an entirely different set of tools... -
Handle With Care by Helena Hunting
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsHE WANTS TO LOSE CONTROL. Between his parents’ messed up marriage and his narcissistic younger brother, Lincoln Moorehead has spent the majority of his life avoiding his family. After the death of his father, Lincoln finds himself in the middle of the drama. To top it all off, he’s been named CEO of Moorehead Media, much to his brother’s chagrin... -
Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
Out of the Darkness by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe light had been snuffed out of Xander Caine’s world a long time ago, leaving him to suffer in darkness. After a tremendous loss, he closed himself off from anyone and everyone, content to live alone in the shadows. Then a woman blew into town with the force of a hurricane and shook everything up. Sage Winthrop was looking to start over... -
My Choice Is You by Mel Dau
Covina Hurley has lived a privileged life as the daughter of a retired major league baseball player. With privilege comes shelter, and with shelter comes ignorance to many life experiences. When she makes the choice to open herself up to new experiences, she never thought that love would be one of them... -
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Cinder by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOlive Thornbury only had one crush in high school, and his name was Asher Gallo. She was smitten with him from the first time she had laid eyes on him. But instead of acting on how she felt, she kept her nose stuck in a book, finding safety in the words rather than emotions.Asher had never thought of Olive as anything more than a friend. She was aloof, preferring to read books...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sweet heroine dual-pov alpha male contemporary suspense humor insta-love -
Chasing Her Fire by Claire Kingsley
Sexy firefighter Logan Bailey is an expert at putting the wet stuff on the hot stuff—on and off duty. But he just did the unthinkable, and it wasn’t trading in his tube socks. He slept with his nemesis. His mortal enemy. The crazy redhead he loves to hate. Cara Goulding.And no matter how much he wants to lie to himself, he has to admit, it was mind-blowing... -
Rushing In by Claire Kingsley
She’s the one girl he can’t have. With his dimpled grin and devilish charm, firefighter Gavin Bailey is hot as a five-alarm fire and twice as dangerous. The youngest of five brothers, he’s the daredevil of the family. Until the unexpected strikes and he finds himself sidelined. Skylar Stanley’s life didn’t just fall apart. It exploded. Spectacularly... -
Scenes from the Hallway by Penny Reid
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsYou know who I am. I swear too much, I crack too many jokes, and I got a thing for Kat Tanner; a messy thing, a distracting thing, a getting-in-the-way-of-everything thing; a thing that makes being in the same room with the woman torture. Sometimes it's the good kind. Mostly, it's not. What you don't know is how it all started...Categorized as:
office alpha male working class hero friends to lovers rich heroine humor contemporary new adult -
Heller's Punishment by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn her latest adventure, rookie security officer Tilly Chalmers has three new assignments to cope with - chaperoning a devious addict to a rehabilitation clinic; live-in security for a strange and isolated religious cult; and protecting a national TV host in a damaging court case...Categorized as:
friends to lovers strong heroine bad boys alpha male possessive hero slow burn office suspense -
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
Riptide by Kathryn Nolan
Avery Dacosta never expected to find a protester in front of her office.Especially not now, when she’s this close to achieving a professional milestone years in the making: building a luxury hotel on Playa Vieja, San Diego’s untouched beach paradise.Finn Travis, local surfer and all-around nice guy, never expected to find himself the leader of Playa Vieja’s resistance... -
Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy requirements for a man are simple. Must love books. Must NOT love hockey. Which is why I will never be interested in my neighbor, the aloof and mysterious Felix Jamison, no matter how many books I see him hauling into his apartment. Unless he loses his pro hockey skates, I’m out. But then he shows up at my symphony concert. And I catch the sweet strains of Dvorak floating across the hall... -
Put Me in Detention by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratings"You got married on your divorce-cation?" That would unfortunately be correct. I was hanging with the girls, celebrating my divorce when I saw him, my crush, sitting in the corner of the bar all alone. Being single and looking for a wild night, I asked him if he wanted to join me. To my delight, he said yes... -
How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHow 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... -
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Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsWhat does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners. Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back. And now another poor rocket is ready to launch... -
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
I Think I Might Need You by Christina C. Jones
Joia Love is all about… well, Joia. Her primary interests right now are how creative she can get with her video camera, how much weight she can bench press, and her social media brand. A man doesn’t even factor into her top five. Especially not Theodore Graham, the ex-boyfriend committed to becoming her next boyfriend... -
Perfection by R.L. Mathewson
Zoe is used to taking care of herself and has long ago accepted that if anything bad was going to happen, it was going to happen to her. So when she loses her job over something most bosses would probably be happy with and her life starts going down hill from there she doesn't expect it to get any better... -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 15 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:
friends to lovers independent heroine strong heroine humor contemporary sassy heroine -
Neighbor from Hell: Collection Part I by R.L. Mathewson
The New York Times Best Selling Series.... The collection of the first four Neighbor from Hell Novels: Playing for Keeps, Perfection, Checkmate and Truce Playing for Keeps: Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to start changing... -
The Worst Wedding Date by Pippa Grant
He’s a tattooed shirtless bad boy. My best friend’s brother. And the jerk on the other side of my bed.I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother , but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade... -
Dating-ish by Penny Reid
There are three things you need to know about Marie Harris: 1) She’s fed up with online dating, 2) She’s so fed up, she’s willing to forego the annoyance and consider more creative alternatives, and 3) She knows how to knit. After the most bizarre and irritating first date in the history of human kind, Marie is looking for an alternative to men... -
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:
bad boys strong heroine alpha male possessive hero slow burn office love triangle mystery -
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My Brother's Forbidden Friend by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI’ve gone from crushing on my brother’s best friend to wanting to crush him. Cameron Baker and I have a few things in common. The first being that we were both born and raised in our small Alaskan town. Second, is that we hide our feelings and keep our hearts closed off from anyone who could break them.But hiding my feelings is harder to do with Cam than most... -
Tempt Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 13 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 rich heroine from hate to love forced proximity contemporary humor super rich hero -
Sudden Response by R.L. Mathewson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsJosephine (Joe for short) and Eric, the EMT crew of Echo 17 have been best friends since they were eight years old. They've been through a lot together over the years, but nothing like what they're about to experience. As the only man in Joe's life it's Eric's job to be there for her and take care of her even while he drives her crazy, especially if he's driving her crazy... -
Zane's Rebel: A Curvy Girl Instalove Romance by Loni Nichole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor once in his life, this strait-laced attorney is ready to throw caution to the wind. Too bad his sassy, rebellious soulmate refuses to take the risk.ZaneI take on the sassy-mouthed heiress’s case because she needs a good defense. She’s being sued by her father’s former business partner, who wants to destroy her. The odds in this small-town are stacked against her... -
Finn Rhodes Forever by Stephanie Archer
The guy who broke my heart is now an arrogant, too-hot firefighter… who’s hellbent on getting me back.This summer, I have one goal: field work. I need it to finish my PhD. I never expected Finn Rhodes to offer help. He broke my heart twelve years ago, and now that he’s back in town, I want nothing to do with him.Finn wants one thing—me.We were inseparable as kids until everything changed... -
Kissing The CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat’s that they say about the best laid plans? They are easily derailed. Especially when my high school crush is the CEO of the competition, and his matchmaking grandmother is plotting to bring us together. After getting the promotion of my dreams, I’m determined to prove to my boss that I’m the right person for the job...Categorized as:
bad boys dual-pov friends to lovers from hate to love contemporary humor super rich hero insta-love -
Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over He started to work the laces of his boots loose. Toeing them off, he tugged his t-shirt over his head. "Oh my God. What are you doing?" Paige's voice barely rose above the spray from the showerhead. "I'm washing your damn hair... -
Sadie and the Bad Boy Billionaire by Emma St. Clair, Jenny Proctor
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI will NOT fall for the smart-mouthed, pretty-boy billionaire who owns Oakley Island. But his yacht is another story …Love and happily-ever-after? It’s not for me. I’m much happier keeping everyone at arm’s length, focusing on my government cybersecurity work.But then I push things a little too far and hack my way into trouble... -
He's Going Down by Kelly Siskind
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA one-night stand goes wrong in this steamy and hilarious enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy! It started as a normal birthday celebration. Was there wine? Of course. Did I let loose with my best friends? Absolutely. Did I have one glass too many and follow a tattooed bad boy into a bar? Cue mortification. I don’t do reckless, or wild nights of hot sex. Correction: I didn’t used to... -
Heller's Decision by J.D. Nixon
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsTilly Chalmers’ new job as a researcher for a major TV star is turning out to be more eventful than she ever expected. Always on the lookout for a high rating story for her famous boss, she tangles with adult movie stars, and the man who inspired a couple of blood-thirsty young murderers... -
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The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMy name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie. I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble. According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk. My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural... -
Strawberry Fields for Never: An Enemies to Lovers Sweet Romantic Comedy by Kate Watson
She’s the desperate CEO hired to rebrand a sleepy Southern orchard. He’s the stubborn heir determined to see her fail.All’s fair in love and farming.As CEO of my marketing firm, my friends’ careers rest on my shoulders. And my shoulders—and company—are failing. Rebranding a famous farm is my final chance to fix what I’ve broken, and nothing can get in my way... -
Love You More by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsColleen Luview's love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she's ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.She's untouchable now, and it's not her fault... -
Best Frenemies by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsGoing tit for tat with the man you hate is all fun and games until things get literal…and the jerk sees you naked.My beach getaway was only supposed to include three relaxation, wine, and fun in the sun.Mack Houston, on the other hand, should have never— ever— been involved.In no uncertain terms, he’s the bane of my existence.The thorn in my side.The sexy Mr...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity office dual-pov contemporary humor grumpy sunshine -
Wild Thing by Cassie Miller
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen I went back to that dingy motel room with the tempting stranger from the bar, I had no idea that he was my older brother's best friend. And my soon-to-be roommate. I'm Karli Brighton, reigning Queen of Epic Screw-Ups. With twelve med school rejection letters burning a hole in my back pocket, I'm back in my quirky hometown for the summer... -
Davo by N.R. Walker
When Fergus Galloway takes on a research trip to a tiny mining town in the far Western Australian outback, he’s as far from Sydney as he can get. Which is entirely the point. He arrives in Pannalego totally unprepared for the baking heat, unprepared for the people who call it home, unprepared for the craziness and the laughs...Categorized as:
friends to lovers small town forced proximity beta hero working class hero humor m-m contemporary
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