Books like 'Not What I Expected'
Readers who enjoyed Not What I Expected by Jewel E. Ann also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny age difference from hate to love forbidden love single-mother independent heroine cold heroine secret-relationship
-
Beard with Me by Penny Reid
‘Beard With Me’ is the origin story of Billy Winston and Scarlet St. Claire (aka Claire McClure) and is just the beginning of their epic love story. No one is better at surviving than Scarlet St. Claire and making the best out of circumstances beyond her control is Scarlet’s specialty... -
Thick by Scott Hildreth
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBOBBI - Tate Reynolds was muscular, tattooed, and handsome. Seeing beyond his physical attributes allowed me to understand that the man beneath all the muscles was a compassionate, kind, and understanding romantic. I wanted him so bad I could taste it. There was only one real problem. He was an inmate in prison. And, I was a prison guard. TATE - Bobbi Madden was gorgeous... -
The Devil You Know by Elizabeth O'Roark
There’s a devil on my shoulder, and every Monday morning she announces herself. She’s this delicious flame in my chest, a flurry of whispered suggestions in my ear. Suggestions I ignore…because every single one of them is about Ben Tate.Ben—Stealer of Clients, Evicter of Homeless Women, Nemesis... -
The Grumpy Player Next Door by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAn enemies-to-lovers / sports / grumpy-sunshine / neighbor romanceI, Tillie Jean Rock, am not in love with my brother’s teammate... -
-
Falling for Mr. Bad by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s a badass musician and mechanic with no patience for overinflated egos. He’s a billionaire with no time for drama. Going head-to-head has never been so much fun...or so dirty. Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and loads of heart make this sexy enemies-to-lovers, close proximity, forbidden, workplace, small town standalone romance unputdownable... -
Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers.She's got a lot of baggage...literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real.For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but... -
The Guy on the Left by Kate Stewart
It started with a lie. A night of blurred lines between a teacher and a student. I wasn’t her student, yet it was the single most defining night of my life. I’ve never been the man she thinks I am. Most people have no idea about the life I’ve lived or the words that ring true when it comes to me—still waters run deep...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love forbidden love cold heroine single-mother christian sports humor -
Good Vibrations by Kayley Loring
A former model, a grumpy lawyer, and a single dad walk into an audition for a children's musical… They’re all Miles Brodie. It’s only cute if you aren’t the director who’s being bribed to cast his daughter. DEAR MS. CROSS,Re: Our discussion1. True. Casting my daughter as the lead in your musical could be considered bribery if people find out I’m investing in it, but no one needs to know.2... -
Dirty Little Midlife (fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBrooding, grumpy Des has a problem. He needs a date to his family's Thanksgiving reunion for reasons he'd...rather not say.Single mother and all-around hot mess Mia has an even bigger issue: She can't afford her rent, and her new landlord Des is a major you-know-what.So, they make a deal. One simple weekend away in exchange for a serious rent reduction... -
The Red Files by Lee Winter
Ambitious Daily Sentinel journalist Lauren King is chafing on LA’s vapid social circuit, reporting on glamorous A-list parties while sparring with her rival—the formidable, icy Catherine Ayers. Ayers is an ex-Washington political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic, vicious tongue keeps everyone at bay...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love cold heroine heroine sleuth mystery suspense f-f contemporary -
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFinn Sawyer hates everything about being back in Sawyers Bend. He walked away from his family years before, living off his wits and skills in the kitchen, refining his craft as he worked his way across Europe. Then the father who left him for dead is murdered, and the will offers Finn a chance at his dream... -
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFinn Sawyer hates everything about being back in Sawyers Bend. He walked away from his family years before, living off his wits and skills in the kitchen, refining his craft as he worked his way across Europe. Then the father who left him for dead is murdered, and the will offers Finn a chance at his dream... -
One Bossy Disaster by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA wild twist of fate throws together two total opposites in this steamy and hysterical grumpy sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Trust me, I'm not falling for a human porcupine.I don't do older men with baggage a mile long.Billionaires? Nope, I'm Miss Independence, thank you very much... -
Now's The Time by Harlow James
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratings“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man... -
-
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife might be a highway but the last thing this grumpy silver fox expected was a cross-country road trip with a ray of sunshine."My sister is driving to California. She could give you a ride.""What?" Tucker Ashe and I say in unison.Mae FoxSurely, my older sister has lost her mind. There is no way I'm driving her insufferable – albeit sexy silver fox – boss two thousand miles... -
Love to Hate You by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter her husband left her for her best friend, Hayden Young moved to Hope Valley looking for a fresh start for her and her daughter. The last thing she expected was to run into the man who had rocked her world in the middle of the wine section of the local grocery store... -
Hot Mess Summer by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe’s a romance writer who, against her better instinct, is finding love in the friend zone in a fun, sexy, and unpredictable romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.Who buys a cottage in a New England fishing village on a whim? A stressed-out, twice-divorced romance writer and single mother looking for a fresh start, that’s who... -
Hot as Heller by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe man asked me to valet his damn car. Look, I left LA for a reason. I’ve had my fill of big Hollywood stars and their even bigger egos. I want something genuine. Something real. And it doesn’t get any realer than being the new sheriff of Aster Valley, Colorado. That is, until entitled Finn Heller appears on the scene, handing me the keys to his convertible like I’m his personal servant...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love contemporary humor m-m insta-love height-difference queer -
Grit by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe’s been patient; she’s been busy. Patience is running out. Melissa Oxford is a widow with a ranch, an orange grove, a goat-obsessed ten-year-old, and not enough time. She doesn’t have time to make friends. She doesn’t have time to stop and chat, and she definitely does not have time for a boyfriend. Which is fine, because Cary Nakamura is far from being a boy... -
Attachment Theory by Kayley Loring
Dear Mr. Brodie,I hope this email finds you well. Your well-being and personal growth are of the utmost importance to me, as a therapist. As such, I have decided it is in your best interest to continue individual therapy with another practitioner. This is due to the potential for boundaries being crossed between us.Attached is a list of colleagues I would recommend for you...Categorized as:
age difference forbidden love single-mother contemporary humor insta-love strong heroine actors -
Flutter by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe can’t stand her, and best believe, the feeling is mutual. Her life is the complete opposite of what he desires. So, why can’t they keep their hands off each other? Forrest Nash is a smug know-it-all... -
Van by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVince Morrison, known to most people as Van. Good with his hands, be it crafting a piece of wood, playing his guitar, or pleasing a lover—he excels at them all. Friendly, flirty, and talented, he’s cool under pressure, and hot everywhere else. But he keeps his heart closed, even as his interest and emotions are tested. Olivia Rourke works alongside him at BAM... -
The Secret by May Archer
Micah Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little... yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year... maybe the century. But now he's in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love secret-relationship m-m humor contemporary office queer -
Cop Daddy Next Door by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNote to self: never ever lose your pants while at the town’s lookout point… I’m a former bad boy turned one of the newest cops in Crescent Cove. No matter what, I’m determined to earn the respect of my fellow cops—and my law enforcement family, including my older brother Brady—as the new guy.My new next door neighbor is also my new sister-in-law... -
-
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME.BUT IT'S YOU HE WANTS.At thirty-nine, Solène Marchand is a devoted mother, a dedicated colleague and a considerate ex-wife.But it's a long time since she's felt like herself.So when someone comes along who seems to see her - to want her - for who she really is, the attraction is instant. And so begins a jet-setting, earth-shattering secret love affair... -
The Wild Card: A Small Town Fake Dating Sports Romance by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt was supposed to be harmless. One fake date with a football player.Except Harry Westbrook is the exact opposite of harmless. My first mistake? Underestimating that boyish smile, those playful eyes, the charming words on those perfect lips. He claims to have a crush on me. But, as hot as he is, I'd bet he's scheduling booty calls like a dentist booking teeth cleanings... -
A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t date the women I work with. It cost me three tattoo guns, a job, five motorcycle tires, and I’m not even counting the t-shirts I never got back. It feels different with Frankie but she comes with a little daughter and a crap load of other baggage. I’m not the guy you take home to your parents, let alone your child... -
Collide by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMy hot professor’s past tore us apart. But he won’t give up on our future.I thought I knew who Sawyer Redmond was. I was wrong.But he’s fiercely determined to keep me, and I can’t avoid him. He’s everywhere—in class, at events, in my head.He forces me to discover a side of myself I never knew. One that terrifies me almost as much as it excites me.He says our secrets can bring us closer... -
The One I Love by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Sexy, Friends to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Small-Town Romance by bestselling author Chelle Sloan.I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved my childhood best friend, Amelia.Her big brown eyes and beautiful smile have had a hold on me since we were teenagers.Hell, I even love her kids as if they were my own.Now, she’s divorced, and after twenty years, it’s time to make my move... -
The Love Interest by Kayley Loring
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDear Fiona,I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over... -
Big Bossy Surprise: A surprise pregnancy romance by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBonnie Delmar should be grateful for her new job.And she is! Being a nanny to a billionaire is a good gig. She’s more than grateful for the opportunity to work for Arlo Noble…until she meets him That broad-chested, dark-haired, dark-eyed hunk?Yeah…she slept with him. Awkward...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love super rich hero forced proximity office contemporary humor -
Mister Billions by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBossy. Infuriating. Sexy as sin... I can't stand the man.And he's waiting for me at the altar.I'm up to my eyeballs in unpaid rent. So is half this town.Cannon Kingston is the devilish, arrogant billionaire with the power to save us all. But he wants something in return...My hand in marriage.The terms of our twisted contract are simple... -
Hot Single Dad by Claire Kingsley
Reasons I need to stop fantasizing about Linnea: 1. She’s too young for me. 2. She’s my daughter’s nanny. I could stop there, couldn’t I? I’m already a cliché. The single dad who’s hot for the nanny. But it gets worse. 3. She’s my sister-in-law. My wife died when our daughter was a baby, and Linnea was just a quiet teenager. I barely knew her... -
Scrooge and the Girls Next Door: A Holiday Rom Com by Melanie Jacobson
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses...Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she's turned it all around...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love single-mother christmas contemporary grumpy sunshine humor clean -
-
Misconception: A Rock Star Romance by Julia Wolf
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI know rock stars. I grew up in the business, and now I make a living managing their tours. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.Lots and lots of ugly.All that ugly is why I’ve sworn off dating rockers, but sleeping with them, well...I’ve been known to make the occasional exception.One sultry night in Vegas, Mo Aronson, lead singer of Unrequited, becomes one of those exceptions... -
Dirty Talking Rival by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDespite growing up in rival towns, Grady Rock and I were high school best friends.But now?Now, he’s my biggest enemy. My dirty-talking, master-baking, grudge-holding, hot-as-sin enemy.All I wanted was to help my mom run her bakery after a family emergency left her unable to do it herself.Never mind that I can’t bake. Or that I never wanted to move home again... -
Third and Long by K.T. Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHIRD AND LONG is a scorching sports romance filled with humor, suspense, and football-related excitement...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love new adult humor sports super rich hero contemporary strong heroine -
Irish Rebel by L.K. Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaitlínAfter finally convincing my over-protective family to let me visit my uncle in Dublin, I know this may be my only chance to experience everything I’ve always wanted: Adventure. Excitement. Freedom.Until I’m introduced to the man assigned to be my bodyguard. With his silver-flecked hair and wicked scar, Roarke radiates power and danger. Everything I’m drawn to...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love mafia forced proximity contemporary suspense alpha male humor -
Two Wrongs Made Right by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJust because my brother found love doesn’t mean I have to.I’d rather focus on other things.Like money.It never gives you sleepless nights that drive you insane.But the single mom I hooked up with at my brother’s wedding?She’s got me sweating.I can’t get her out of my head.Those curves.That smart mouth.She’s the right kind of trouble.But I’m the wrong kind of guy.Or not.She’s been wronged before... -
Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale
Mavis always assumed that she would be in a hospital with the good drugs when her time came. Not in the middle of the road, with no one around but the damn town mechanic that hated her.But there she was, having a rock star’s baby, with no one to rely on but the one that let it be known around every turn that she was a horrible person... -
Shortcake by Katana Collins
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThat awkward moment when your one-night stand is the new sheriff in town...And he's here to arrest you.Yep. A reformed bad girl should never fall into bed with a cop.Conrad Meyer is everything I’ve always tried to avoid. A know-it-all, grumpy, goody-two-shoes with piercing eyes and a distractingly sexy body.And to top it all off? He's a cop... -
Secret Babies for My Brother's Best Friend: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Meg Summers
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m trapped in a hotel room with the grumpy NFL superstar I’ve had a crush on since I was a teenager…And there’s only one freaking bed!Trevor Lightning was my first love.He was the man I gave my innocence to.And he was the one who broke my heart.He’s also my older brother’s best friend and teammate.And the sexiest, most infuriating man I’ve ever laid eyes on... -
Big, Bossy Surprise by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBonnie Delmar should be grateful for her new job.And she is! Being a nanny to a billionaire is a good gig. She’s more than grateful for the opportunity to work for Arlo Noble…until she meets himThat broad-chested, dark-haired, dark-eyed hunk?Yeah…she slept with him. Awkward.But the worst part?Judging by the blank look on his face, their mind-blowing night didn’t register as a blip on Arlo's radar... -
Next In Line by Amy Daws
What happens when the cute mountain man you made out with in an ice fishing shack turns out to be your brother’s best friend? A whole lot of awkward, that’s what. Maggie’s mind is reeling when she discovers the guy she became tangled up with at Marv’s Bait & Tackle isn’t a stranger like she thought... -
-
Anyone But the Boss by Sara L. Hudson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens when a handsome but stuffy, old-money bachelor with no people skills spends a night in Las Vegas with a shy marketing exec in the midst of a quarter-life crisis?A black-eye in the shape of a dildo for starters.Thomas Moore is known for being a grump with a condescending attitude and no sense of humor...Categorized as:
from hate to love age difference contemporary super rich hero cold hero office humor found-family -
Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristan Higgins is back with a hilarious and heartwarming new story about a rich girl who discovers that a little hard work may be just the thing she needs... After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions... -
Stroker by K.M. Neuhold
Is there an easy way to tell your lifelong best friend that you secretly married his brother eight years ago? Asking for a friend…When Gates shows up needing a place to crash, I offer him my spare room. Whatever happened between us nearly two decades ago is water under the bridge. I don’t lie awake at night wondering what could have been. Nope, definitely not... -
Going Down Easy by Erin Nicholas
Hot fling or real thing? There are no Big Easy answers in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas’s sultry series. As far as flings go, single dad Gabe Trahan is pretty sure that Addison Sloan is his best bet. Once a month, Addison comes to New Orleans and then…It. Is. On. Until Addison returns to New York, it’s just hot, happily-no-strings-attached sex. And beignets... -
Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne
As a leading columnist for Stiletto , Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancé would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1... -
One Bossy Offer by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsInheriting a bad-tempered boss brings the sweetest insanity in this roaring funny and shamelessly steamy grumpy-sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Grandma left me the life of my dreams with one ginormous catch.Miles flipping Cromwell.Workaholic king of grumps. Control freak. Older billionaire next door...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
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.