Books like 'Can't and Won't'
Readers who enjoyed Can't and Won't by Lydia Davis also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary literary-fiction humor university
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Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow long does it take to mend a broken heart?Jess expects life on the Isle of Skye to be calm and peaceful. But when she falls for her colleague things quickly become complicated. Rory comes with a whole load of baggage, but she just can’t seem to stay away from him. When Elspeth is forced to take a break from work, she evaluates what her future holds... -
![The Summer Escape by Hannah Ellis]()
The Summer Escape by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCould it be more than just a holiday romance?Single-mother Beth desperately needs a break.Grieving the loss of her mother, she sets off to the Isles of Scilly with her five-year-old daughter, Ellie.Their holiday cottage is utterly charming, but it’s meeting Trystan – the owner of the cottage – that makes Beth’s stay so perfect... -
![Finding Love by Judith Keim]()
Finding Love by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs Regan Sullivan continues to work with her sisters, Sheena and Darcy, to meet their Uncle Gavin’s challenge to make the Salty Key Inn a success, she wonders why she can never find the man of her dreams. Her sisters are happily settled with men they love... -
![Finding Family by Judith Keim]()
Finding Family by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSheena Sullivan Morelli and her sisters, Darcy and Regan, work to complete their Uncle Gavin’s challenge of turning his rundown hotel into a profitable operation within one year. Winning means earning a share in their uncle’s sizable estate. More than that, it determines how they’ll spend the rest of their lives. Sheena wants to stay on at the hotel, overseeing the hotel operation... -
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![All for Victory by Beverley Watts]()
All for Victory by Beverley Watts
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIf you’re looking for the perfect holiday read, with lots of romance and laugh out loudcomedy, then curl up with the latest entry in the Dartmouth Diaries...It’s not often that a fledgling career in Event Management kicks off with the wedding of a Hollywood superstar... -
![Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan]()
Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou're six years old. Mum's in hospital. Dad says she's 'done something stupid'. She finds it hard to be happy.So you start to make a list of everything that's brilliant about the world. Everything that's worth living for.1. Ice Cream2. Kung Fu Movies3. Burning Things4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose5. Construction cranes6. MeYou leave it on her pillow... -
![Crazy Thing Called Love by Ali Parker]()
Crazy Thing Called Love by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWant the most romantic honeymoon experience you can get? I’m your gal.Unfortunately, it isn’t by experience that I know these things.Love doesn’t come easily to an overworked type-A planner who manages romance at the most luxurious resort in the Virgin Islands.I have far too many boxes to check to be checking out anything but forms, schedules, and rose petals.God, the rose petals in this place... -
![The Nanny and the Heartthrob by Krista Sandor]()
The Nanny and the Heartthrob by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThings couldn’t get worse for Harper Presley. Her music career is nonexistent, she’s got pennies in the bank, and her grandmother is on the cusp of losing her house. What’s a gal to do? Go to Vegas and seek a last chance opportunity. What she didn’t expect was to wake up in her birthday suit next to pop star Landon Paige with a massive diamond on her ring finger... -
![Rise of the Machine by Erin Mallon, Joe Arden]()
Rise of the Machine by Erin Mallon, Joe Arden
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAtticus and Neil are the newly crowned "hottest male narration team" for Mmm-Mmm romance, and they're flying high on the praise.Nothing can get them down.Until Vera and Cameron usher a mysterious voice onto the scene and shake the foundation of the audiobook industry itself... -
![Having You Is Never Enough by E.L. Todd]()
Having You Is Never Enough by E.L. Todd
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhile Cayson is battling his decision about medical school, he notices Slade’s peculiar behavior. Slade never seems to be where he says he is, and it’s clear he’s hiding something from everyone. Cayson is certain he has a girlfriend, and the more Slade denies it, the more hurt Cayson feels... -
![Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins]()
Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWinner of the 1999 Paterson Poetry Prize Over the past decade, Billy Collins has emerged as the most beloved American poet since Robert Frost, garnering critical acclaim and broad popular appeal. Annie Proulx admits, "I have never before felt possessive about a poet, but I am fiercely glad that Billy Collins is ours... -
![The Lost House of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary]()
The Lost House of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn enchanting story about forgotten family secrets that will transport you to the charming village of Sandy Cove on the beautiful Irish coast.Allegra Casey is searching for a new beginning. So when she discovers an engagement ring buried in the sand near her home in Cape Cod, the last place she expects it to lead her is to the west coast of Ireland... -
![You're So Vain by Whitney Dineen]()
You're So Vain by Whitney Dineen
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFamily drama is something Lutéce Choate struggles to avoid. With a mother who’s an award-winning country western song writer, an aunt who’s a Country Music Hall of Famer, and a brother who’s a rock star, it hasn’t exactly been a low-key kind of life, and she’s ready for a break... -
![A Friend in Need by Hannah Ellis]()
A Friend in Need by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s nothing quite like a baby to turn your world upside down … Just when it seems things can’t get any crazier, Marie and Brian are now navigating the ups and downs of parenthood!As Marie is thrown into the world of playgroups and sleep deprivation, she finds maternity leave isn’t quite the year-long break she anticipated...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction contemporary fiction womens-fiction female-mc friendship book -
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![Avah Maldita by simplychummy, Karen Ramirez]()
Avah Maldita by simplychummy, Karen Ramirez
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Avah Chen is living large, and she is always in charge. She finds herself in good company of her fabulous friends in high places and unexpected ones from around the corner. You would think there's no stopping this little fierce maldita dahil tila nasa kanya na ang lahat - magarang bahay, matagumpay na negosyo at iba pang karangyaan... -
![Noises Off by Michael Frayn]()
Noises Off by Michael Frayn
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNoises Off, the classic farce by the Tony Award—winning author of Copenhagen, is not one play but two: simultaneously a traditional sex farce, Nothing On, and the backstage “drama” that develops during Nothing On’s final rehearsal and tour... -
![A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley]()
A Patchwork Family by Cathy Bramley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'A book full of warmth and kindness. I loved it.' Sarah Morgan, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Wedding in December'A warm hug of a book.' Phillipa Ashley, bestselling author of A Perfect Cornish ChristmasLove, friendship and family come in all different shapes and sizes...Gina has been going with the flow for years - she'd rather have an easy life than face any conflict... -
![Rose by Li-Young Lee, Gerald Stern]()
Rose by Li-Young Lee, Gerald Stern
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn this outstanding first book of poems, Lee is unafraid to show emotion, especially when writing about his father or his wife. "But there is wisdom/ in the hour in which a boy/ sits in his room listening," says the first poem, and Lee's silent willingness to step outside himself imbues Rose with a rare sensitivity... -
![The Collected Stories by Amy Hempel]()
The Collected Stories by Amy Hempel
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Collected Stories of Amy Hempel gathers together the complete work of a writer whose voice is as singular and astonishing as any in American fiction. Hempel, fiercely admired by writers and reviewers, has a sterling reputation that is based on four very short collections of stories, roughly fifteen thousand stunning sentences, written over a period of nearly three decades...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction university adult anthologies contemporary female-author fiction -
![Lucky Harbor Collection 2: Lucky in Love, At Last, Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis]()
Lucky Harbor Collection 2: Lucky in Love, At Last, Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSpend the Summer in Lucky Harbor! Lucky in Love Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine... -
![Mistletoe Kisses by Ali Dean, Alley Ciz]()
Mistletoe Kisses by Ali Dean, Alley Ciz
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAre you ready to fall in love under the mistletoe?Join fourteen bestselling authors as they take you back to some of their favorite worlds, with this collection of all-new young and new adult short stories.‘Tis the season for friendship, family, first love, and FEELS... -
![Easter on Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross]()
Easter on Lovelace Lane by Alice Ross
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Dillon Delaney’s life might be far from perfect, but it’s one he’s grown accustomed to. Which is why, when his mother announces her ‘most fabulous idea’ of dispatching him to Lovelace Lane to stay with a grandad he barely knows, he has more than a few reservations... -
![Just One Kiss by C.A. Harms]()
Just One Kiss by C.A. Harms
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat do you get when you mix Tequila with a house full of rowdy Fraternity brothers who have no boundaries? A cucumber, a pink thong, and a bottle of lube. Oh yeah, and super glue. There is always super glue… Parties, drinking, and plenty of mornings where you can’t remember what you did the night before...that was my life. Yet, there was one memory that lingered in my mind... -
![The Permanence of Pain by Desiree Lafawn]()
The Permanence of Pain by Desiree Lafawn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo broken people don’t make a whole. But together, they might have a chance at redemption. Regina O’Shea is used to being tested. As a talented salesperson and strong-willed woman in a male-dominated industry, she has to be prepared for whatever they throw at her. But losing her lover to her good friend and client is the one thing she never expected—and her walls start coming down... -
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![Stolen by You by Lindsey Hart]()
Stolen by You by Lindsey Hart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInfiltrating Mr. Hotshot's house in the middle of the night?Yes, that was the plan.Getting my hands on his family jewels?Definitely what I was going for.And I mean actual jewelry, not the other round ball kind of things, alright.Now, catching the guy practically naked in his house?Oh God, definitely not what was supposed to happen... -
![The Paris Roommates: Dean by Ava Miles]()
The Paris Roommates: Dean by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmily in Paris meets Friends in International Bestseller Ava Miles’ hilarious new heartwarming story about the world's most likeable hero following his dreams and looking for love with the help of an unlikely group of friends.If only love was all bonbons and champagne... -
![More of You by Laura Pavlov]()
More of You by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLife is sweet until it’s not… I followed my dreams when I wanted to follow my heart. I spent the summer touring with the band. Cruz Winslow is the love of my life and being with him 24/7 was amazing, until it came to an end. I needed to go back to school while he finished up his commitment to Exiled.But, that one decision threatened to tear us apart... -
![You Are Here by David Nicholls]()
You Are Here by David Nicholls
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMarnie is stuck.Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that increasingly feels like it's passing her by.Michael is coming undone.Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells... -
![Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary]()
Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heart-warming page-turner set on the Irish coast, where secrets hide, romance is waiting and there is every chance to make a new beginning… Jasmine Delon feels completely lost: having just broken up with the man she thought was the love of her life, all she knows is that she can’t face living alone in her empty apartment in Paris... -
![Snowed In by Melanie Shawn]()
Snowed In by Melanie Shawn
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Free-Spirit… Nikki Maguire does what she wants, says what she wants, and lives by her own set of rules. She is an intoxicating combination of beauty, sex-appeal and sharp wit that men find irresistible. Unfortunately for them, none have ever come close to holding Nikki’s attention, and settling down is not even on her radar... -
![Land Ahoy! by Cressida McLaughlin]()
Land Ahoy! by Cressida McLaughlin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHilarious and touching, The Canal Boat Cafe series will appeal to fans of Game of Scones, Wickham Hall and The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe.Summer Freeman has been trying to make a go of the Canal Boat Café, but her love life is in rough waters... -
![Vinyl Cafe Unplugged by Stuart McLean]()
Vinyl Cafe Unplugged by Stuart McLean
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBestselling author and radio storytelling sensation Stuart McLean revisits the heartwarming and hilarious friends from his iconic Vinyl Cafe.Dave and his wife Morley would no doubt tell you that life is what you make it. Unfortunately for them, that means a compilation tape of mistakes, miscues, misunderstandings, and muddle... -
![The Overcoat, and Other Tales of Good and Evil by Nikolai Gogol]()
The Overcoat, and Other Tales of Good and Evil by Nikolai Gogol
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWith the publication of "The Overcoat" in 1842, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) inaugurated a new chapter in Russian literature, in which the underdog and social misfit is treated not as a figure of fun or an object of charity, but as a human being with as much right to happiness as anybody else...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction university action-adventure adult anthologies classics contemporary -
![Smarty Pants by Marika Ray]()
Smarty Pants by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first time I met her, she was running away from her own wedding.The second time I met her, she tried to get me fired from my job.The third time? I had to haul her drunk self off the bar before she completed her amateur—and hot as hell—striptease.She’s messy, chaos in human form, and not at all who she claims to be...Categorized as:
university humor literary-fiction contemporary small-town womens-fiction steamy fiction -
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![The Carrot by Virginia Gray]()
The Carrot by Virginia Gray
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the perfect job was dangled right in front of you? The only catch: Fix an unfixable problem—oh, and it’s in the middle of nowhere. Would you leave your friends, your lover, your world? Would you sacrifice your reputation and your pride? Would you sell your very soul? Susan Wade has designed a fabulous future for herself... -
![An NSB Wedding by Alyson Santos, Aly Stiles]()
An NSB Wedding by Alyson Santos, Aly Stiles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey say every happily ever after needs a wedding. Heaven knows after the hell we’ve survived, we deserve the mother of all HEAs. All the pieces are in place. All the players, assembled. The Wedding of the Century is locked and loaded.Too bad nothing’s fair in love, rock, and wedding planning. Too bad sometimes epic happiness requires an epic fail. Guess we should have seen it coming... -
![Australian Obsession by Flora Ferrari]()
Australian Obsession by Flora Ferrari
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy brother’s best friend is an inked bad boy from Australia…and I’m completely obsessed.I decide to escape the cold of the Northern Hemisphere’s brutal winter to get closer to the older man of my dreams... -
![Selected Stories by William Trevor]()
Selected Stories by William Trevor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Trevor was our twentieth century Chekov.--Wall Street Journal Selected as one of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year. Four-time winner of the O. Henry Prize, three-time winner of the Whitbread Award, and five-time nominee for the Booker Prize, William Trevor is one of the most acclaimed authors of our era... -
![Rhoda: A Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist]()
Rhoda: A Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOver the past ten years, Gilchrist fans have enjoyed glimpses of headstrong, redheaded Rhoda in five previous collections. Here, for the first time, are the collected Rhoda stories - including two new ones - offering a full-blown portrait of a woman worth waiting for: one of contemporary literature's most enchanting characters, in all her wicked glory... -
![Casting Off by Cressida McLaughlin]()
Casting Off by Cressida McLaughlin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSummer Freeman has embarked on a new life afloat. She’s taking the Canal Boat Café on a scenic journey and is meeting old friends and new. Among the new is Claire from the bohemian boating community who is keen to take Summer under her wing. Mason, the handsome photographer from Willowbeck, seems intent on tracking her down, but Summer has discovered that Mason isn’t all that he seems to be... -
![Straddling the Edge by Julie Prestsater]()
Straddling the Edge by Julie Prestsater
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSummer McGallian … the scandalous home wrecker from Against the Wall and Between The Sheets. The one who stole her co-worker’s fiancé, the other woman, the one people whisper about and stay away from. Only for Summer, things aren't always as they appear and she knows that better than anyone... -
![Venus in Fur by David Ives]()
Venus in Fur by David Ives
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA young playwright, Thomas, has written an adaptation of the 1870 novel Venus in Fur by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (after whom the term “masochism” was coined); the novel is the story of an obsessive adulterous relationship between a man and the mistress to whom he becomes enslaved... -
![Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair]()
Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJean Collins is in a coma. She stepped out into the middle of the road without looking and was run over by a motorbike. But what had distracted her? And why was she carrying a box of vanilla slices? For Jean's daughter Anne, these questions are the least of her concern... -
![Spring Beginnings by Georgia Hill]()
Spring Beginnings by Georgia Hill
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA new charming three part series for fans of sweet romance! Is this the start of something wonderful? Millie’s working all hours to make her seaside café a success, so when a rival multi-national café chain opens its latest branch just around the corner, stealing away her customers, it means WAR! Millie’s remaining loyal customers step up – and a new arrival in town, the gorgeous, enigmatic...Categorized as:
humor literary-fiction adult anthologies contemporary fiction holidays womens-fiction -
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![Steamy Proposal by Lindsey Hart]()
Steamy Proposal by Lindsey Hart
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI absolutely HATE him. Don’t ask me why but I asked my brother’s best friend to take my v-card. Annnnd he refused. Totally, squarely and completely shot me down for even asking him such a thing. Now, ask me again why I hate him. Ok, so I probably have no right but still, you would totally do the same thing if the arrogant jerk outright laughed and rejected you right in your face... -
![Country Rivals by Zara Stoneley]()
Country Rivals by Zara Stoneley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlternate cover for: B01CC8L9XEDashing eventer Rory is ready to button up his breeches and settle down. His gorgeous wife, Lottie, wants a bank balance in the black so she can protect the beautiful family estate for future generations... -
![Meet Cute by Melanie Shawn]()
Meet Cute by Melanie Shawn
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEvelyn I’d heard people talking about the smoking hot guy that opened up a tattoo parlor just off the plaza, so even before I met Nick, I knew he was sexy as hell. What I didn’t know about him was that he was also sweet, kind, and funny. Or that he had a daughter I would adore from the second I met her. Or that when I was with them, I would truly know what it felt like to be home... -
![Secret Life of a Hollywood Sex & Love Addict by Brianne Davis]()
Secret Life of a Hollywood Sex & Love Addict by Brianne Davis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“WOW! THIS BOOK! It’s so different from what I usually read, but I really enjoyed it, and highly recommend you pick up a copy.” —Emily Giffin, New York Times Best-Selling Author of The Lies That Bind"A powerful, raw and vulnerable read.”—Olivia Munn, actress, The Newsroom"Unflinchingly candid. Unspeakably sexy. And oh, so curiously entertaining... -
![The Arrangement by P.G. Van]()
The Arrangement by P.G. Van
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNiha could not deal with the not-so-glamorous side of the movie industry anymore and decides to run away from it all. Where does she end up? In a small town where she crashes her car, causing a lot of damage to the town. The accident is a blessing in disguise, allowing her to stay out of the limelight... -
![Falling to Centerpieces by Ellie Cahill]()
Falling to Centerpieces by Ellie Cahill
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe plan: best friends Clio and Nicole take a fun road trip across Michigan to deliver the centerpieces to their friend Katie’s wedding, giving the groom’s cousin, August, a ride for the big day. Nicole planned everything, from borrowing her mom’s minivan, to hotel accommodations, and the perfect amount of sight-seeing along the way...
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