Books like 'Defending Hayden'
Readers who enjoyed Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town sports suspense multi-pov athlete friends-to-lovers animals steamy
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Loving Romeo by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsDemi Crawford was Magnolia Falls royalty.I was the boxer from the wrong side of the tracks.She was the epitome of everything good, while I was broody and rebellious.We couldn’t be more different.Her family was enemy number one which made her guilty by association.I despised her before I even knew her.It was easier that way.But now she’d moved in next door to me, and she was everywhere I turned...Categorized as:
sports suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov steamy friends-to-lovers -
Finn Rhodes Forever by Stephanie Archer
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe guy who broke my heart is now an arrogant, too-hot firefighter… who’s hell-bent 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... -
Unraveling Him by Claire Kingsley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA Small Town Family Romance. She’s the sunshine to his storm cloud Stoic, growly Evan Bailey has enough on his plate. A growing business, a pack of brothers who drive him crazy, a gossip-loving small town, and a rivalry that runs deeper than any family feud. Love? That’s a hard pass. He already learned the hard way that he’s better off alone. Fiona Gallagher has a problem...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov steamy suspense -
Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat chance does a small-town girl have with a world-famous rock star?Two years after his wife’s death, rock star Garrett Hayes hasn’t moved on. But he has moved out of L.A. Where better to escape his past than a small town in the Northern California mountains? If only he could get the townsfolk of Wildwood to leave him the hell alone... -
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Starting Over Scottish: A Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance by Tricia O'Malley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings... -
Out of the Darkness by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov steamy suspense -
Wild Side by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJamesonLast man standing. I’ve watched all three of my friends fall in love with no desire to ever follow in their footsteps. Collectively, we own the hottest restaurant, bar, and brewery in town. They are a few of the places I find peace, a refuge against this cruel world. When I’m on the stage playing music, everything just seems to fade away.Until I saw her...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult book contemporary -
Southern Hotshot: An Enemies to Lovers Romance by Jessica Peterson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLusting after the woman trying to steal my job is stupid. Sexting with her? That’s a game-changing fumble.Emma Crawford became enemy number one the second she stepped foot on Blue Mountain Farm. She might think I’m just a dumb jock, but I know she’s a stuck-up wine snob who believes she’d be a better exec than me.She can take my position over my dead body...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine sports steamy adult alpha-mc -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 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...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov romance contemporary -
Home Sweet Home by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeoEveryone has a past they’re trying to outrun, myself included. My time in the military left me with scars, both physically and emotionally, which is why I keep to myself. Since returning home to Stewart Grove, I work a lot so I have little time to think. To remember. I’m just content to make it through the day.Then I meet Kallie Carpenter...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc female-mc steamy romance military contemporary -
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery single thing you want is going to require you to be uncomfortable.Those words had been shared with her by the one man she didn’t think she could take a chance on. She just didn’t know that he was right, or that he was going to be the one making her uncomfortable.Nash Wilder Christopherson was the world’s golden boy.For fifteen years, she watched Nash race from the safety of her phone... -
Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsIf people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love...Categorized as:
athlete cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports -
The Mr. Right Checklist by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA free-spirited proposal planner and a grumpy professor form a hilarious and unexpected situationship that just might lead to more in this steamy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov animals female-mc romance -
Unforgettable by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsBack then, I had it all.Wicked fastball. Killer instinct. Cocky grin. Full package. (And believe me, I knew how to score.)My senior year, I was a first round draft pick with a two-million-dollar signing bonus. Before I could even legally buy myself a beer, I made my Major League debut. Point is, I was invincible.Until one day I wasn’t...Categorized as:
athlete cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports steamy -
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Make Me Your Villain by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook 2 of the Battle Crows MC with Shine and Iris.Flaws—he has them.Laws? He breaks them.Dues? He’s paid them.Scars? He bares them proudly.Lessons? He’s learned them.Problems? He has one.Her name is Iris, and she’s the one thing in his life that he can’t control...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov steamy suspense action-adventure -
The Runaway by Jess Mastorakos
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCould rescuing a runaway bride would be the detour I never knew I needed?I had a plan. But then, my cross-country road trip to my new duty station started with me getting dumped. Two seconds later, I got roped into bringing a family friend’s niece, Nikki, and her teenage daughter on the road with me.To make matters worse, I’m aiding Nikki’s escape from her own wedding...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc female-mc contemporary small-town military -
On the Shore by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's the GOAT of the NFL. She's a hot-headed reporter who despises him. They're in the same small town for the summer. What could possibly go wrong?I'm more than aware of the responsibilities that come with being a quarterback in the NFL.The upside—I get to do what I love every day, which is play football.And I make more money than I know what to do with...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers steamy multi-pov athlete -
Forsaken Oath by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeau Carter: kingpin, blue-eyed playboy from across town, and the only man I’ve ever shared my secrets with.And now, my fiercest competition.I never planned on racing in the Gauntlet, but with my sisters depending on me, winning this tournament is the only way to keep our heads above water. I work for a crew that trades in secrets, and Beau runs the underground races that keep this town alive...Categorized as:
suspense friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy multi-pov romance -
Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSummer won't last forever.Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov romance contemporary fiction -
Fireworks with Three Mountain Men by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA childhood friend wants to make me his.And his two equally HOT buddies are itching to join the party.With all this sexual tension between the four of us...I'm feeling sparks like the Fourth of July!! Three rugged Mountain Men.Two fierce UFC fighters.And one VERY lucky lady. Dylan is protective, strong and as big as the mountains he calls home...Categorized as:
athlete cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine sports action-adventure -
Otterly Irresistible by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat happens when a smoking hot, but grouchy vet meets a sunny and sassy optimist? An opposites attract, grumpy boss, small town romance that's otterly irresistible. Broody wildlife veterinarian Griffin Foster is done. Done trying to save the world. Done getting attached... -
Say You Do by Weston Parker
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy brother is an idiot; he's getting married. And I’m in charge of getting things together since our folks are gone. Lucky me. The guy who thinks love is for the birds and worn-out 80s songs. I honestly don’t have time for this drama. I run a billion-dollar company, have women to entertain, and am working on my plans to rule the world. No, seriously...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov steamy action-adventure -
Heartbreak & Cupcakes by Shawna Renae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlex VaughnThe last thing I wanted was to be named San Francisco’s Most Eligible Bachelor. The title alone was misleading. I wasn’t a bachelor. I was a widower and single father. One who wasn’t available or interested.Well... there was one person who might have piqued my interest. Cupcake Girl. But interest and intent are two very different things... -
Dirty Beasts: Rev by Jasinda Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe are the cast-offs, the forgotten, the broken; we are dark, dangerous men haunted by our violent pasts. The Guardian collects us, rehabilitates us, and gives us a new lease on life…if we follow a few, simple rules: Once you’re in, there’s no going back; never take a life; loyalty to the brotherhood above all. Seems simple, right? It is, until SHE stumbles into Sin... -
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Wild Card by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s crazy how three seconds can change your life.For Steve Pelham, those three seconds happened in a doctor’s office. His wife—the girl he had been madly in love with since elementary school—was given a terminal diagnosis. Years of being dragged through an endless cycle of betting on science and miracles to save the love of his life? Useless...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc suspense romance contemporary small-town -
What Hurts Us by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAsking Layla Mousavi to be my fake fiancé wasn’t the weirdest thing I had done this week. It didn’t even crack the top ten. Not when my days were filled with escaped pigs, radioactive casseroles, and cow-induced car crashes._____________The population of Falls Creek, North Carolina, is a collective menace to society...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy friends-to-lovers female-mc romance contemporary -
Upping the Ante by Emma St. Clair
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's been the grumpiest boss a woman could ask for--or he WAS until I quit. But former football star Deacon Clark doesn't seem to be getting the memo. Instead, he tags along with me to Sheet Cake, Texas, where I'm hoping to start a new business.Deacon's only hope is to hire me back as his assistant. At least, that's what I thought. Until ... the very clear lines we've always kept start to blur...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance contemporary fiction -
A.D.I.D.A.S.: All Day I Dream About S*x by Frankie Love, C.M. Seabrook
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’ve loved her since we were ten years old, when she almost died in my arms. Dramatic? Not at all. I almost lost Joanne once, it’s not happening again. Thing is, she’s a scared little butterfly, living in a cocoon of her own making. It’s time for her to spread her wings. And her legs. Scandalous? Hell no. She wants it as bad as I do. I’m not the only one dreaming about it all day... -
Peony Red by J. Lynn Bailey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree years ago, Alex Fisher lost her husband and since then, she hasn’t been able to find her stride. She’s out of a job, out of time, and running on fumes. When she receives a personal invitation to visit the picturesque town of Granite Harbor, Maine, she jumps at the chance to start fresh. For game warden Eli Young, life is simpler when he’s exploring the back roads of Maine... -
Bro Code Hell by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiving with my older brother’s best friend wasn’t even my worst idea lately.Keeping it a secret from my brother was on the list too. Oh, and actually falling (literally) for Blaze Hellman—when every frown clearly said to stay away—was most definitely at the top of the list.I was kind of a genius normally...Categorized as:
steamy friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc female-mc contemporary small-town -
Six Secret Babies by Layla Valentine
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe tried to keep their fling under wraps,But six adorable babies aren’t going to stay hidden for long…HERThe Wenstown Wolves were in need of a new physical therapist, and apparently I was the only one they were interested in,Now I’m halfway across the country, making twice what I made in Seattle, and the team’s new management is an even more welcome surprise…Jason Munro is the buff, big-headed... -
Promise Me Always by A.L. Jackson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI should know better than to let Tessa McDaniels pretend to be my fiancée.I’m a dark, dangerous disaster who leaves destruction in his wake.But when she offers to pretend to marry me to help me get my kids back, I can’t refuse. They are the one thing I have left to fight for.Milo Hendricks found me at my lowest.Battered and broken by my ex with no place to call home...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov suspense adult audiobook -
Every Time I Fall by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings you Every Time I Fall, a sexy standalone romance about a woman learning to love herself and the guy who’s loved her all along.He’s my brother’s best friend.The hot guy with the heart of gold I’ve never let myself want.Guys like Dean don’t go for girls like me.Curvy. Thick. A big girl... -
Broken Player by Heather Ashley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe boy next door grew up to be one of the hottest rock stars in the world.When Maddox Everleigh escaped our hometown in the dead of night, he didn’t bother saying goodbye.I thought I’d never see him again, that he wouldn’t remember who I was if I did. I’d never quite forgotten his dark, hypnotic eyes and charming smile. He’d carved himself a permanent spot on my soul...Categorized as:
female-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy suspense adult anthologies coming-of-age -
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One Last Play by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe could be the one. I’ve spent twelve years caring for my niece Maddie who I adopted after my sister died. Having a daughter has made me picky when it comes to the women I spend time with. Not to mention dealing with the pressure of being a college football coach. But when I spot MJ at a mutual friend’s wedding, something draws me toward her...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov romance contemporary -
Shadowed Obsession by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsbook two coming this...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov steamy romance reverse-harem -
Homebound by Meredith Trapp
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s Texas's toughest bull rider, and he’s determined to win her heart.Dakota and Wyatt. Storm and sunshine. Growing up, they were as inseparable as a pair of cowboy boots. The best of friends—or so Dakota thought...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov romance western -
Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image... -
The Fake Zone by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA romance that will have you on the edge of your seat by USA Today Bestselling Author Mariah Dietz.Greyson Meyers can’t afford the distraction of a relationship. His focus is football and earning his degree to ensure his mom never has to work another day.Mila Atwool has it all together—at least, that’s what everyone thinks...Categorized as:
sports suspense friends-to-lovers multi-pov athlete grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc -
Somethin' About That Boy by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBanner Spurlock knew the moment that he walked into Kilgore High School and saw Perry Street that life was about to get interesting.Forced to move due to a problem at home, a problem in the form of his ex-best friend hating him for something that Banner’s father did, Banner doesn’t think very much could improve in his life...Categorized as:
athlete female-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov sports steamy suspense action-adventure -
Craving by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTHE WEDPOCALYPSE CONTINUES... Marlon St. James wants only one to be left alone. He has a house, a successful private security business, and endless peace and quiet. Things are exactly as they should be. Until Camilla. His brother thrusts soft, sweet, curvy Camilla Fox in front of Marlon and announces that she’ll be moving into Marlon’s house. Otherwise, she’ll be homeless. Fine...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov friends-to-lovers female-mc romance contemporary -
Falling by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Little Miss Sunshine and a Hot, Grumpy Rancher are forced to live together, what could possibly go wrong?To the small town of Landmark Mountain, Callum Landmark is a man of few words and considered to be the family grump. Uninvited and unexpected, I crash into his world like a wrecking ball and disrupt the delicate balance of his carefully constructed existence...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers steamy multi-pov animals suspense -
Break the Rules by Roxie Noir
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe’s my best friend’s kid sister. Now she’s not a kid any more. As a forest ranger, I believe in the simple life. I prefer cabins to apartments, trails over freeways, and trees to people. My life is orderly, predictable, and quiet. Until it’s hit by a woman I never saw coming -- Hurricane June. She’s fierce. She’s feisty...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov adult book -
The Sweetest Obsession by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFalling for the best thing that never happened brings sweet mayhem in this steamy, gripping, and heartfelt small-town grumpy-sunshine standalone romance. My brother's best friend owned my heart until the day he drenched it in kerosene and burned it down.Grant flipping Faircross is so not the reason I'm coming home...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy female-mc -
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Just Between Us by Lena Hendrix
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRoyal King is pure mischief wrapped in a cocky smirk and a heated stare. Five minutes in his small town and I knew he was going to be nothing but trouble. He’s an arrogant, tattooed playboy with a secret, and I’m the woman tasked with quietly cleaning up his family’s mess.I never dreamed he could be the mysterious stranger behind my hidden, late-night messages...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy romance -
No Plans for Love by Claire Wilder
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat's the harm in a quick fling?Do the interior design on this high-end lake house, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. What they didn’t say? I’d be in sudden forced proximity to Graydon Mitchell, the house’s way-too-sexy builder. My perfect life plan doesn’t include relationships—I won’t build my life around a man the way my mom did... -
The Careless Boyfriend by Erika Kelly
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGray Bowie broke the bro code: he fell in love with his best friend’s girlfriend. For years, he hid his feelings…until one terrible night, it all came to a head. Since her life blew up in high school, Knox Holliday has spent her time honing her skills as a couture wedding dress designer. But, just weeks before her debut, a freak accident wipes out her collection...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers athlete female-mc contemporary small-town womens-fiction friendship -
Shortbread & the Scotsman by Lana Dash
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAINSLIEThere is nothing like Christmas in the Highlands of Scotland. Our village is known for many festivals, but nothing compares to the Christmas Matchmaking Festival. People visit from all over the Highlands, but there is only one Scotsman that I wish to be matched with this Christmas. But after a kiss and a misunderstanding over the summer, he's given me the cold shoulder... -
Dangerous Curves by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe fire between them is hot enough to melt the ice for this curvy girl and her hockey-playing hero.LailaMoving to Broken Bend, Texas to take care of my grandmother is a no brainer. Finding out she signed me up for a dating app without my permission almost sends me packing. Until I realize my date is the hulking hockey player I’ve been fantasizing about for days... -
The Rogue by Jennifer Bernard
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGriffin Rockwell has returned to Rocky Peak Lodge with a secret. Not even his family knows why he left his beloved sport of motocross at the top of his game. Locals still consider him a hero, but these days the best he can do is play bodyguard to the fascinating new employee at his brother’s pub. As for their intense attraction, he can handle that. Right? Serena Riggs has a secret of her own...
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