Books like 'Rival'
Readers who enjoyed Rival by Penelope Douglas also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Alannah by L.A. Casey
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsAlannah Ryan is plagued by an old face haunting her dreams, turning her waking hours into a mess of worry. Talking it out with the person she loves the most isn’t a possibility, not when the same face haunts him, too. To protect the love of her life from another burden, she keeps her fear to herself, even as that fear begins to consume her... -
On the Record by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFor political reporter Liz Dougherty, election day—a day of looking toward the future and saying goodbye to the past—seems like a fitting time to start a new relationship. But feelings for her former flame still linger... The sexy second book in bestselling author K.A. Linde’s Record series decides whether it’s better to pick up the pieces and move on...or to pick up right where you left off...Categorized as:
alpha male cheating forbidden love college cruel hero angst independent heroine secret-relationship -
For the Record by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWith Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her... -
Commitment by Nia Forrester
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt was obvious to everyone but them they were all wrong for each other. Riley is a free-spirited boho writer and Shawn is a magnetic and charismatic rapper, riding the highest crest of his career. She doesn't understand his world and he sure as hell doesn't understand hers. And what's worse, while he's never committed to any woman before, she's committed to someone else...Categorized as:
cheating cruel hero angst independent heroine other-man-woman betrayal contemporary love triangle -
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A Rose By Any Other Name... by Helen Bell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen insecure sophomore Emma gets a part-time job, she’s thrilled. The job is a six-week long project where she’ll be coding a website for a martial arts studio. For Emma, a computer science major, it’s perfect—a great way to gain some real world experience. But her excitement quickly evaporates when she finds out that her boss is Ryan Damon, the mean, arrogant guy she has slammed into, twice... -
Craving Lucy by Terri Anne Browning
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning’s New Adult series. One kiss can change everything… I wished I’d known that before I’d kissed my best friend. Things are different now. We can’t go back. I’m not even sure I want to go back. I guess the question is…...Categorized as:
new adult virgin heroine alpha male cheating other-man-woman contemporary friends to lovers -
Somebody Else's Sky by Jessica Hawkins
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIf I closed my eyes, I could still see them—all blonde sunshine, ocean-blue eyes, and long limbs. The glint of Lake’s gold bracelet. Pink cotton candy on Tiffany’s tongue. My scenery may have changed from heaven to hell, but some things never would: my struggle to do right by both sisters. To let Lake soar. To lift Tiffany up. The sacrifices I made for them, I made willingly... -
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... -
Laws of Physics: Space by Penny Reid, Fiona Fischer
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAll she wants is forgiveness, and all he wants is revenge... From the New York Times Bestselling Author Penny ReidOne week.Private cabin.Famous physicist.Still an unrepentant slacker...Categorized as:
new adult angst dual-pov from hate to love second chances forced proximity contemporary humor -
On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn emotional and angsty grumpy x sunshine hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?When Harper Dixon discovers her father is the Lakeshore U Lakers new assistant coach, she wonders if her life can get any worse.Enter Mason Steele.Arrogant. Cold. With enough ice around his heart to freeze anyone who gets too close...Categorized as:
sports new adult dual-pov forced proximity from hate to love college angst contemporary -
Stealing Her by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFROM THE #1 'NEW YORK TIMES' BESTSELLING AUTHOR COMES AN UNEXPECTED LOVE STORY OF FAMILY, SECRETS, AND THE MOST INTIMATE OF DECEPTIONS. My estranged twin brother, Julian, was always the wonder boy - and soon-to-be CEO of our ruthless father's corporation. My mother and me? Left behind...Categorized as:
super rich hero new adult angst forced proximity other-man-woman m-f contemporary love triangle -
Give Me Your Answer True by Suanne Laqueur
“What I feel has no name…” Suanne Laqueur’s award-winning debut novel The Man I Love thrilled readers with its memorable characters and depth of emotion. Erik Fiskare’s journey of love, recovery and forgiveness captivated hearts but also left questions unanswered. Now Daisy Bianco has a chance to tell her story...Categorized as:
angst cheating second chances new adult other-man-woman m-f contemporary explicit-plentiful -
The Hitman by Jordan Silver
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDrake Cisco is a hit-man with an agenda. Ten years ago, his dad offed himself when he was accused wrongfully of stealing from the town's leading citizen. The fact that the black Drake was dating the man's white debutante daughter at the time had a lot to do with the way things went down, and once Drake figures this out, he's out for blood...Categorized as:
virgin heroine possessive hero pregnancy alpha male m-f betrayal insta-love contemporary -
Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEmilia Wentworth would do anything for her sister. For three years, Emilia has lived in the past, feeling her sister's pain and hating those who are to blame, including one of the Sloan brothers. Finally, she has had enough. The only way to be free is to create a Burn List with all the people who have ever hurt her sister... -
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Blindsided by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat if Romeo wore hockey skates, and Juliet was raised on a farm next door?As a life-long Vermonter, there are three beliefs I’ve always held true:1. Our family farm is everything2. Hockey is a close second3. The Todds next door are our sworn enemiesBut this season will test everything I stand for. I have an illicit side job that could cost me my hockey scholarship...Categorized as:
new adult sports from hate to love college secret-relationship m-f contemporary hockey -
Fourth Quarter by K.T. Quinn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s my first day working for the Salt Lake City Stallions marketing team.But instead of running their Twitter account?They give me the worst assignment possible: Being the Personal Assistant to Dominic DeMarco.Dominic is the team’s smoldering bad-boy. Whether flicking off cameras or getting into fist-fights at bars,The tattooed running back refuses to be controlled... -
Over My Dead Body by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsComing Soon ..Categorized as:
new adult sports alpha male dual-pov second chances pregnancy contemporary secret child -
Forbidden Lyrics by Kelsie Rae
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI didn't know who Dove's sister was when we first met.I didn't know that I'd been fooling around with her for a few months before Dove walked into my life.I didn't know that––if I've done the math correctly––I could be the father to her sister's child.But I do know this.Dove has the voice of an angel, and the heart of one too.I might not deserve her, but I refuse to let her go... -
Shallow by Georgia Cates
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNick Hawke wants his car fast and his girls faster. He blows through them quicker than his muscle car races down the drag strip in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother’s abandonment... -
Red Flags by Skye Warren
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren comes a sexy romance about a young woman who runs away with the circus and finds love, seduction, and danger...Sienna Cole wants to escape the small town of Forrester. Logan Whitmere, the handsome owner of Cirque des Miroirs, offers her a way out... -
All the Wrong Plays by C.W. Farnsworth
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe’s got all the right moves. And makes… all the wrong plays. Will Aster excels at two soccer and self-sabotage. Following a viral incident involving him and the club owner’s wife, his only option to continue playing is overseas on FC Kluvberg—a team known for not tolerating scandal. A last chance and a harsh wake-up call. Sophia Beck has spent her life avoiding football...Categorized as:
sports secret-relationship college virgin heroine angst new adult alpha male friends to lovers -
Love Unrehearsed by Tina Reber
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsThere is no rehearsal for true love. When A-list film actor Ryan Christensen ducked into her pub to escape his screaming fans, never in a million years did Taryn Mitchell think her life was about to change forever...Categorized as:
pregnancy alpha male college angst super rich hero possessive hero strong heroine new adult -
If by Randi Cooley Wilson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIf you knew love would hurt you, would you fall? If you knew love would leave you, would you let it go? If you knew love could never be, would you try? From bestselling author Randi Cooley Wilson comes a gut-wrenching love story about heartbreak, second chances, and letting go. The ifs that linger between the pages of this novel will break your heart and stay with you long after the final chapter... -
Broken Boys Can't Love by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOff-limits. That’s what Jude is to me. My older brother doesn’t trust me with his player of a best friend. Which is totally fine, because I’m not interested. As Jude and I reluctantly become friends, I start to see that there’s more to him than others notice. But I still won’t go there, not when I have a crush on someone else...Categorized as:
college forbidden love new adult sports bad boys forced proximity from hate to love alpha male -
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Falling into Forever by Lauren Abrams
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Out of habit, of madness, or the need to shatter even the last piece of myself, I raise my arms slightly. I need…I need so much to touch him, to feel his arms around me, to throw myself headfirst into what I told myself I would never do again. I need the weight of his skin on my own. I need to forget. I need to remember... -
Crave by Ketley Allison
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI convinced New York's cockiest, crankiest, hottest chef to take my virginity.Three months later, I have to step back into his life ... telling him I'm pregnant with his baby.It was supposed to be a rebellious one-night-stand with the hottest, sexiest, most short-tempered chef in the city...Categorized as:
new adult pregnancy from hate to love angst sports super rich hero contemporary tortured hero -
Before Now by Cheryl McIntyre
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsPark Reed is a bastard in every sense of the word. He hasn't always been this way. But after his heart was broken by the only girl he ever loved, being heartless gets him through the day and allows him to fill his nights with the nameless girls he has no intentions of seeing again. He now lives his life following his ever-growing list of “life lessons.” Lucy Braden is everything Park is not... -
The Line Between by Tamsyn Bester
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsKennedy: There’s a fine line between love and hate, so fine that you don’t know you’ve lost balance until it’s too late. I’m not sure exactly when I lost my balance, all I know is that he was to blame. Dane Winters. The boy who’d spent most of his life hating me for reasons I never understood. Dane: It was no secret that I hated her, but only I knew why. She was off-limits...Categorized as:
from hate to love bad boys forbidden love alpha male new adult angst cruel hero college -
The Senior by Monica Murphy
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEli Bennett.Magnetic. Outspoken. Infuriating.Top ranked college quarterback. Sexy. Funny.Oh, and now my ex-boyfriend.When he makes me choose between him or a once in a lifetime opportunity, I surprise us both -- and don’t choose him. He can’t tell me what to do. Besides, he’ll get over my so-called betrayal and we’ll be back together in no time...Categorized as:
new adult sports from hate to love second chances pregnancy alpha male possessive hero college -
Love You Never: An Enemies-to-Lovers Forced Proximity New Adult Sports Romance by Jennifer Sucevic
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt all starts with a little game of truth or dare...That was my first mistake. I've never been able to resist a dare and he damn well knows it. Trust me, I realize it's a personal flaw I need to work on.My second mistake?If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was when I agreed to a frenemies-with-benefits situation in order to get him out of my system once and for all...Categorized as:
new adult sports angst college from hate to love dual-pov forced proximity forbidden love -
Hate So Bad: A High School Bully Romance by Nina Lincoln
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYou’ll never survive here, Princess. You’re weak. You can’t fight. You…don’t…belong.I thought the hardest part of moving would be grieving my greatest loss. I thought wrong. Dropped into a savage school with no rules where violence was king, I stood out like a sore thumb... -
Pump Fake by Fiona Davenport
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBrady Summers thought there wasn’t anything he wanted more than the starting quarterback spot for the New York Nighthawks. Then Talia Finch needed him to play fake boyfriend to rescue her from a persistent creep, and all he could think about was how to make the pretty brunette his.Talia doesn’t know the reason the hunky quarterback gave her for extending the pretense was just an excuse...Categorized as:
sports new adult virgin heroine pregnancy dual-pov super rich hero possessive hero alpha male -
Work of Art by Monica Alexander
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsEleven years ago, Harper Connelly was unceremoniously dumped by her high school boyfriend during the same week her mom kicked her out of her house. So she moved across the country and started over. It was all she could do. Now she’s one of the most sought after female tattoo artists in the country, she has a successful business, and she has great friends...Categorized as:
pregnancy new adult angst second chances strong heroine tortured heroine contemporary secret child -
Reveling in Sin by Meghan March
Reveling in Sin is the third book in New York Times bestselling author Meghan March's epically romantic and addictive Sin Trilogy.Whitney Gable is the kind of woman you fight to the death to protect. To keep. To cherish. I’ve finally learned my lesson, and it’s time to prove I’m the man who’s worthy of her.I don’t care what it takes, because failure is not an option...Categorized as:
alpha male angst super rich hero forbidden love new adult second chances m-f contemporary -
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Undeniable by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKarlie and Holden's story (This is a New Adult Contemporary Romance recommended for readers 18+ it contains graphic language, sex, and deals with mature subject matter) Karlie Reed has been crushing on Holden Marks for as long as she can remember. The problem? He’s eight years older than her and her brother’s best friend. One night, when things get out of hand, they make a pact...Categorized as:
pregnancy second chances alpha male virgin heroine bad boys new adult contemporary fighters -
Reject Me by Jennifer Foor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPeyton Hutchinson and Jamey Billings were an unlikely couple from the start. They'd been together for a while, half of it in secret, but she's ready to get serious and take things to the next level. She moves in with Jamey, forcing him to label what they are to each other, and he's not pleased about it... -
One Blissful Night by A.M. Hargrove
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow much are you willing to trust a liar?“Promise you won’t break my heart, Brax.”He promised. I believed.Brax Kent was a liar.He shattered every possible piece of me.Several years passed before I got through an entire day without shedding a tear.My existence was hollow, empty, bleak.Hate was the only thing that pushed me through the day...Categorized as:
sports new adult from hate to love dual-pov forced proximity betrayal contemporary humor -
Cold and Broken by Nichole Greene
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“No one touches the new girl. No one befriends her. Otherwise they risk the wrath of the Titans.”Moving her senior year of high school was not Lilith’s idea of a great plan. She would have much rather stayed with her best friend Zion for their final year of school. Her dad had different plans though; this new job was too good to pass up, and she knew she needed to go with him... -
Waiting for You by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBailey Gray is tired of her perfectly planned life. Everything about her life has been organized and lived out to the expectations set of her parents. She is the class valedictorian, has perfect grades, the perfect friends, a perfect boyfriend, basically perfect life...or so everyone thought. That's when she realizes the path planned isn't always the path chosen...Categorized as:
alpha male bad boys virgin heroine possessive hero college cruel hero angst high-school -
If Forever Comes by A.L. Jackson
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIf Forever Comes, the final chapter in the New York Times Bestselling The Regret Series Christian Davison’s life is complete. With a ring on Elizabeth’s finger and his daughter at his side, he’s ready to run headlong into their future. Elizabeth Ayers never believed she would again find this kind of joy—the joy of a family and the wholeness found in the touch of the man she’s always loved...Categorized as:
alpha male second chances pregnancy college cruel hero dual-pov contemporary secret child -
Rushing In by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.01 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe favor seemed simple: Keep my new stepsister out of trouble for one summer. I’ve never met Grace Lee, but Mom tells me she’s a quiet and artsy college student with a troubled past. When I agreed to let her stay with me, I thought it was no big deal. I expected to share my apartment with a sullen girl who’d spend hours locked in her room...Categorized as:
new adult sports college alpha male forbidden love angst tortured heroine stepsibling -
Love You Now by M Robinson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCover & Blurb coming soonBook 2 in the Love Hurts Duet from Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author M. RobinsonThe conclusion to Jackson Pierce and Harley Jameson's story...Categorized as:
new adult angst alpha male bad boys from hate to love sports cruel hero contemporary -
King of Nothing: An Academy Bully Romance by Jacie Lennon
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe’s the one thing he wants nothing—and everything—to do with.CorbinI’m one of the kings at Almadale Prep.I act the part, put on the mask, do my duty.But lies and betrayal aren’t a game to me, no matter how well my fellow kings play.So, when Landry arrives, invading my life and my thoughts, I try to forget her... -
Like Hate: A Bully Romance by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarperLove causes hurt, hurt causes hate.I’ve learned this the hard way.I fell for a guy who is made up of angry bones, a dark heart, and eyes that can see my soul.One night changed everything.Now when he looks into my heart, he pulls out the weakness and he uses it to his advantage.He taunts me, breaks me down, and is trying to destroy my first year away at college... -
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My Pet by C.M. Steele
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNervous, scared, and completely unqualified. That’s the way I walked into Jack Shaw’s office building. I walked out with my stomach in knots for a completely different reason. My heart is pounding like I had actually went running.My head and heart war with quitting or working through the fiery desire he stimulates through me. At the end of the day, I leave the decision to him...Categorized as:
new adult super rich hero virgin heroine alpha male pregnancy m-f contemporary age difference -
Reckless King by Maya Hughes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn irresistibly steamy college sports romance. Heath Taylor. Laid back. Easy going. Fastest guy on two skates and chill to a fault, at least that’s what they say. Until Kara. Three nights together and I’m done for. Her laugh, her smile, the way my hand curves around her waist. She’s the one. Not a doubt in my mind...until I walk into my last class of the semester... -
Enemy Dearest (Monreaux Brothers) by Winter Renshaw
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI loved him. I lost him. And now he’s back. August Monreaux was a stormy sea of a man, the dark between the stars, an electric chill cutting through a crowded room—all wrapped into one wicked, beautiful package. He was also off-limits. My entire life, I was kept a safe distance from the notoriously virulent Monreauxs, banned from so much as breathing the same air...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love forbidden love vengeance bad boys virgin heroine contemporary -
Possess Me Slowly by Joya Ryan
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMegan Riley has always lived her life right—right boyfriend, right college, right career…right up until she discovers that her boyfriend is engaged to another woman and “debriefing” her boss was an expected part of her job description. Heartbroken and desperate to start fresh, Megan takes a job as a night manager at a swanky hotel in New York City... -
Baby Daddies: A Me, Myself & I Collection by Fiona Davenport, Elle Christensen
This collection is jam packed with baby making goodness. It features three, all-new stories from the duo behind Fiona Davenport.Her Doctor's Baby by Fiona Davenport: She was hoping he could help her get pregnant, but she never expected it to be the old-fashioned way.Her Neighbor's Baby by Rochelle Paige: She didn’t expect to join her friend's baby craze..Categorized as:
alpha male pregnancy virgin heroine dual-pov super rich hero m-f contemporary insta-love -
Second Chance Vow: Discreet by M. Robinson
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author M. Robinson comes a second chance romance.From the moment I laid eyes on her, Kinley was mine. At fifteen years old I was determined to make it happen, but we were on and off for years until I got it right between us and finally made her my wife.We were supposed to be forever. So in love. So devoted.So consumed with each other...Categorized as:
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