Books like 'The Barkeep and the Bro'
Readers who enjoyed The Barkeep and the Bro by A.J. Truman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town mlm lgbtq age-gap boss-employee grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc
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The Resurrection of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt took me a while to learn that sometimes no matter how much, or how hard you love someone, or something, you have to let them go. You can’t save a sinking ship.Sometimes, you have someone else you have to be strong for, who needs you more.You make a choice.A devastating one.And you hope, maybe one day, they’ll come back to you... -
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMy new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy...Categorized as:
slow-burn forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary -
Cash by Jessica Peterson
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsButting heads leads to knocking boots in this wildly sexy enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town cowboy romance by Jessica Peterson.My dad and I have been estranged for years. But as his only living relative, it’s no surprise I inherit his massive cattle ranch when he dies...Categorized as:
forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family slow-burn boss-employee romance -
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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
Make Me Fall by Riley Nash
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI've committed myself to order and perfection in all things. I'm Gray Freeman, the lawyer who has never lost a case, who doesn't tolerate mistakes, and I do away with any unpredictable variables that enter my life—change, feelings, relationships.The very last thing I need is Jonah: a cocky boy fifteen years younger than me with dimples and the devil in his crooked smile...Categorized as:
age-gap boss-employee cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine lgbtq -
And All Their Stars by Riley Nash
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWe’re complete opposites, the sun and the moon, things that were never meant to touch.Everything changed the day this brooding, high-powered lawyer found his forever in a scrappy farm boy from Iowa. Jonah’s my sun, the center of my orbit. Separately, we’re lost souls. Together, we make something unforgettable... -
Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother. Any woman who did, ended up dead—or so the rumor goes. Townies call it a curse. But I’ve lived it, and I won’t survive it again.I’m not a cop anymore, but I’ve seen enough danger to know that Laney Young, the beautiful stranger who just showed up in my small town, is running from it...Categorized as:
slow-burn found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity age-gap romance -
Wild Temptation by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAsher Wild is a temptation I can’t resist.He’s my grumpy boss.He didn’t want to hire me,But as a favor to a friend -- he gave me a chance.Besides proving I’m a good worker, and can make a difference on his peach farm.It seems I can’t stop throwing myself at him. I didn’t think Asher would rock my world...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc boss-employee forced-proximity romance contemporary -
Finding Home by Lauren Rowe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’m Caleb Baumgarten, the “bad boy” drummer of Red Card Riot. The world knows me as C-Bomb, but I assure you, it’s Lil Miss Rule Follower, Aubrey Capshaw, who’s the human equivalent of an atomic bomb. After tragedy strikes and the toddler with half my DNA inside her loses her beloved mommy, I get the bright idea to hire my daughter’s remaining lifeline, her “Auntie Aubbey,” as my live-in nanny...Categorized as:
age-gap forced-proximity found-family slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
The Art of Husbandry by Jay Hogan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen life drowns you in lemons, to hell with making lemonade. I wanted to burn the whole world. But eighteen months from the day my life was torn apart, I’m tired of the anger. Tired of the nightmares. Tired of putting one foot in front of the other just trying to survive. Three months on a high country sheep station in the middle of nowhere is exactly the reboot I need. A chance to break free... -
Hand Picked by May Archer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOnce upon a time, I moved to Vermont… and wound up accidentally sort of married.Webb Sunday is the straight single dad next door.He’s lumberjack-gorgeous,Strong and steady as the trees in his family orchard,A grumpy fairytale prince...And entirely off-limits.Or so I thought.Until the drunken night the two of us walked into a bar…And landed ourselves in the middle of small-town history... -
Love Notes & Lifelines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe job was simple. Always answer the phone—no exceptions—then solve the caller’s catastrophe as efficiently as possible.The rules were simpler. They contact you, not the other way around. Never give them your real name, number, or any personal information not required to help a newly single dad keep his head above water.And never, ever get involved with a caller...Categorized as:
forced-proximity found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn boss-employee romance -
Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws, Erin Mallon
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA brand new spicy small town romance by Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Amy Daws. This book is the start of a mountain man spinoff series based on the three Fletcher brothers featured in her previous release, Last on the List.Coming April 11Help Wanted: Grumpy Mountain Man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap forced-proximity found-family slow-burn romance -
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Awaken My Heart by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAbraham:I already had my happy ending. Childhood sweethearts, my late wife and I made four beautiful kids together who are now grown and married off themselves. I’m content to be their old dad, tending to my ranch and my tomato plants. Until Emily Carson and her tempting curvy body and her smiles that she hands out like candy, crashes into my life making me want things I have no business wanting...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family forced-proximity romance insta-love -
Christmas on Firefly Hill by Garrett Leigh
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe single dad and the rootless vagabond. Expect: a shy, hunky firefighter and an ethereal dancer down on his luck. A sizzling contemporary MM age-gap holiday romance. Mild hurt-comfort, found family, and friends-to-lovers galore. Firefighter Logan Halliwell doesn’t have much time for romance. A relentless work-life-balance and an expensive divorce have sucked the festive cheer from his days...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine lgbtq mlm -
Jaxon by Kate Oliver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeahWho knew buying a run-down house would be so much work? It was hers, though, and while it might not be much, to Leah Day, it was perfect because it meant she was free from her cheating ex-husband. What she wasn’t prepared for was the roof to leak into her bedroom… She also wasn’t expecting her hot neighbor to come marching over to scold her for climbing onto the roof...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary steamy -
Easton by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEastonI’m the youngest Swift brother. The one who’s always in trouble and can’t get his life together. I wouldn’t know where to start, and ever since my twin died, I can’t bring myself to care. After my last “situation,” Dad washed his hands of me. And though my brothers should’ve done the same, they stood up for me, fracturing their relationship with him too... -
Rough Country by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGood fences do NOT make good neighbors, especially when that neighbor is a city boy with more dollars than sense.Emery McAvoy is a walking disaster who should never be allowed to step foot on another ladder. Heck, I’d bet my favorite Golden Girls T-shirt that he rearranged his entire life because his ten-year-old daughter likes ponies...Categorized as:
mlm lgbtq grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family forced-proximity age-gap -
Handy by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy new neighbor may be grumpy but he's also hot, and very good with his hands…I definitely overestimated my own handyman skills when I bought this fixer-upper. I have to say, the view from my new place is worth it though. Especially around seven o'clock every morning when my big, furry bear of a neighbor drinks his coffee shirtless on his back porch.He's dedicated to the bear thing too... -
Pick Me by May Archer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe job at Sunday Orchard was supposed to be temporary.A chance to gain some work experience. To have some fun. To get away from my overprotective brothers. To maybe, possibly encounter some lumberjacks in their natural habitat before moving on to the dream career that awaited me in the city.I had not expected to be welcomed into a family of gorgeous and weirdly efficient lumberjack-types myself...Categorized as:
age-gap boss-employee cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine lgbtq -
Stay by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA scorching hot small town, age gap, single father/nanny romance by USA Today bestselling author Willow Aster...Categorized as:
age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
Chasing Riddick by Alexandra St. Pierre
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFinn Summers can’t feel fear.This causes Finn to take unnecessary risks — especially when it comes to his favorite sport in the world:Surfing.When Finn hears a rumor about a beach called Leviathans — located in the small town of Stars Cove California — the promise of twenty-five-foot swells is too exciting for him to pass up.However, Leviathans beach has a dark history... -
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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary fiction -
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Resting Beach Face by D.J. Jamison
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's the only man who doesn't want me...and the only one I really need.Cash and Declan's story is coming soon in Resting Beach Face! This will be Book 4 of Swallow Cove, which follows a tight-knit group of friends in a quirky lake town... -
Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIt’s been a long time since Walker Ironside left behind Scotland and the memories that haunt him. Yet after years of traveling the world as a bodyguard, Walker misses his homeland enough to return. To a village in the Scottish Highlands that plays host to an exclusive members-only club, Ardnoch Estate...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn found-family romance -
The Brazen One by Daisy Jane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny by Ann Einerson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI, Marlow Taylor, need to stop fantasizing about the hot, single dad next door.Should I have agreed to nanny his cute six year old who loves my dog Waffles? Absolutely not.But her dad seems to think he can do everything himself. ( no one can)3 reasons why I absolutely cannot fall for Dylan 1. He’s grumpy and doesn’t seem to like me very much2...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family forced-proximity slow-burn romance -
Naughty or Nice by Sophie Snow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRora Stanley hates Christmas.But when her best friend needs a Santa photographer for her family’s toy store, Rora is forced to return to her Christmas-obsessed hometown for the holidays.Henry Whitten loves Christmas.And a few weeks in Wintermore, Wyoming playing Santa is exactly what he needs as he stands at a career crossroads...Categorized as:
age-gap forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary -
Hot Zone by Jacki James
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf there is one thing Mars Allen knows, it’s that his best friend’s father, Samuel Sheridan, is totally off limits. Too bad the sexy fire chief would be the perfect Daddy. The release date on this book may change... -
Drama! by A.J. Truman
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy arch nemesis is now my fake boyfriend. Can you say drama? Uptight drama teacher Everett and cocky jock Raleigh must pretend to be boyfriends at an upcoming wedding in order for Everett to save face in front of his mega-famous ex... -
A Cowboy in the Streets by Elizabeth Bright
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today best selling author Elizabeth Bright comes a new grumpy/sunshine, single dad, steamy romance set in wild and beautiful Colorado.Working as the head trainer at Lodestar Ranch is my chance to prove I have what it takes as a woman in a man's world. The only problem? My boss is the world’s grumpiest cowboy… and I can’t keep my eyes off him...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap forced-proximity found-family boss-employee romance -
Virgin Skin by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI know I have to keep my hands off of my best friend’s son, but it’s hard… really, really hard…I didn’t know the guy I picked up in the bar last night was Hero’s son. To be fair, he didn’t even know he had a son until today. I guess we’re all just scrambling to put on our poker faces.Keeping my hands off of Milo is hard enough thanks to his lickable dimple, flirty smiles, and virgin skin... -
Promise Me Never by Nichole Greene
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be a carefree summer, a chance for me to shed my bookworm ways and get some experience under my belt. Literally. Instead I find myself thrown in the path of the grumpy and frustratingly sexy, Luke Stone. He’s my grandpa’s right hand man on the ranch which makes him inescapable.After tragically losing my wife I swore off love...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn romance western -
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The Little Things by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’ll admit, I made more than my fair share of stupid decisions, but all it took was an accidental felony and a teensy kitchen fire to turn my life upside down.When my parents cut me off, selling my swanky Los Angeles apartment and shipping me off to some ranch in the middle of nowhere to teach me a lesson, I thought it was the worst thing that could happen to me...Categorized as:
age-gap forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family boss-employee slow-burn -
Downpour by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRay:Rule #1 of almost dying: Make sure someone knows your passwords. It’s hard to cancel your phone plan if you’re dead.Rule #2 of almost dying: Make sure your house is clean before you walk up the steps to the pearly gates. It makes selling off your life easier.Back-up plans are for people who plan on losing...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity found-family slow-burn boss-employee -
Merry with Me by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new grumpy-sunshine standalone holiday romance.BlakelyWhen my boss tells me I’m taking over the planning of the annual Christmas gala, I can barely contain my excitement. Not only is it a huge opportunity, but I also love all things Christmas...Categorized as:
forced-proximity slow-burn age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance workplace -
Mountain Boss by S.J. Tilly
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen the flannel-wearing mountain man is your boss... your enemy... and more than a little obsessed with you...Categorized as:
forced-proximity found-family age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc boss-employee slow-burn -
A Gift-Wrapped Holiday by Amy Aislin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMal's first priority is giving his six-year-old son the best Christmas ever, a goal made trickier by a recent move to New England after losing his job. As a single dad, he's not looking for romance—especially not with a blond California boy ten years his junior... -
Like I Pretended by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPretending to be in love never felt so real. Henry Lu hates being a superstar. Action movies have left a sour taste in his mouth and filming a queer period drama on the Yorkshire coast sounds like the perfect antidote. Meeting grumpy coffee shop owner, Alex, is the cherry on top... -
Meant To Be: A Prequel Daddy Novella by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPJ couldn't be more surprised that he needs a Daddy in the bedroom...Joel and PJ met as pre-teens at Takoda Outreach Center. They’ve shared every secret, first as best friends, then roommates. But now that they’ve graduated from college, adulting presents circumstances and unforeseen problems that they never saw coming... -
System Overload by Saxon James
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKellerBanging my son’s bestie was a total accident that will never, ever happen again. I’m sure of it.While he might be gorgeous and caught me in a weak moment, when it comes right down to it, my son has been my entire life for the last twenty-six years. I don’t know how to be anything other than his dad.But with Molly heading off to Seattle, he leaves me with a parting gift: Will.His best friend... -
Things I Forgot About by Kelsey Humphreys
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"He is off limits. Complicated. Not right for me at all. He's trouble, wrapped up in an expensive navy suit. But I never could stay out of trouble..."Kat Canton is a woman with a plan. Though a rebel at heart, she’s had to stay focused since becoming a single mom at seventeen...Categorized as:
age-gap boss-employee grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance small-town -
Jaxon by Ruby Raynes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings***Jaxon - Love in Ink - Book 2***AlexMy life is going fine. Okay, it was going fine until I found myself both homeless—my trusty car Trixie on her last leg—and in need of a fake fiancé. What I don't expect is for Jaxon, my long-time crush and the owner of Ink Me, to come swooping in like a knight in shining armor...Categorized as:
mlm age-gap lgbtq found-family forced-proximity romance contemporary friends-to-lovers -
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Love...It's Wild by Jeannine Colette
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFalling in love has never been this wild… I’m a woman who knows my own worth. And more than anything, I deserve love. Wild, passionate, all-consuming love. What I did not deserve was being forced to hang around my small town to watch the jerk who left me at the alter fawn over his new wife. Instead, I ran. Right into him. Robert Bronson is my friend’s grumpy brother-in-law...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn forced-proximity found-family age-gap romance -
Golden Hour: A Porch Bitches Novel by Chelsie Hart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey say to mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy. If only.June McCawley has been the golden girl of Maple Creek, Illinois since she was old enough to walk. The people in her town have always been in her corner, active participants in her successes. But after she experiences a professional tragedy, June loses faith in herself and the girl everyone always said was perfect. Enter Grady Nash...Categorized as:
forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn found-family romance contemporary -
My Mountain Man Recluse by Sadie King
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s his best friend’s daughter.She’s off limits.She’s half his age……and she’s totally irresistible…My Mountain Man Recluse is a forbidden love, short and steamy romance featuring an ex-military recluse and the curvy innocent woman he can't stay away from...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance forbidden-love small-town -
Bear by Jacki James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen two big, strong men who are both accustomed to being in charge fall in love, you have to wonder… Who’s the Daddy?One thing Ty Ingalls knows is when you’re six-foot-three and two hundred and twenty-five pounds, people make assumptions about you. And Ty doesn’t like to disappoint people. He has been the go-to guy for everyone’s problems for as long as he can remember... -
Banger by Kiki Clark
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf there was one thing Kevin knew, it was that his BFF’s ex was bad news.Hank is arrogant, a sloppy drunk, and a complete flirt. And he didn't treat Kevin’s friend the way he deserved.Enough said.It doesn’t matter that everyone else has forgiven and forgotten what happened between Hank and Kevin’s bestie. He won’t let himself fall for the older man’s sweet words or endearments... -
To Hold a Hidden Pearl by Fearne Hill
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNominated in five categories in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group Awards 2020-2021. Also an Honourable Mention in the 20-21 Rainbow Romance Awards...
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