Books like 'Playing with Words'
Readers who enjoyed Playing with Words by Kelly Elliott also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town friends-to-lovers slow-burn female-mc insta-love epic family
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Whisper of Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Bradens are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series. Tempest Braden adores her family and her small hometown, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be confining... -
Perfectly Toxic by C.M. Owens
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBELLA New life. New job. New home. New goals... I vowed to make drastic changes and to never fall back into old habits. But then Ethan Noles showed up and blew all my good intentions to hell. I should have stayed away. I shouldn't have played his game. But I did. Now I just hope I don't regret it. ETHAN Bella is the type of girl you can't help but chase, because she doesn't want to be caught... -
Running with a Sweet Talker by Jami Albright
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe's a take-no-prisoners fireball. He's a sweet-talking charmer. It could be love...if they don't kill each other first. Hotshot lawyer Luanne Price may not believe in happily ever after, but she'd do just about anything to earn her absentee father's love. So when he waltzes back into her life with a plan for her to marry his business associate, she foolishly agrees... -
Sweet, Sexy Heart by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDiscover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.In SWEET, SEXY HEART.. -
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Crushing on Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Bradens are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series. . In CRUSHING ON LOVE... Steve Johnson is living his life's passion watching over the Colorado Mountains as a ranger and wildlife consultant... -
Through His Eyes by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe moment I saw her walk through the door of Forbidden Ink, I knew she was the one. With her wide hips, thick thighs, and perfect breasts, she’s every man’s wet dream. Add to that her dark, soulful eyes, pouty lips, and a body covered in gorgeous art, and I knew I needed to make her mine... -
Desire After Dark by Marie Force
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTobias “Slim” Jackson has the perfect life as a pilot on Gansett Island in the summer and in Florida in the winter. He’s happiest when he’s in the air, or at least that was the case before last summer when he met Erin Barton, Gansett Island’s newest lighthouse keeper. Now he can’t seem to find his usual enthusiasm for flying, winter in the sunny South or anything that doesn’t include her... -
Love After Dark by Marie Force
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPaul Martinez has been run ragged by the demands of managing the family’s landscaping business and his mother’s battle with dementia. It’s been so long since he had sex, he can’t remember the last time... -
Dream Big, Stella! by Ashley Farley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen a young woman summons the courage to take a chance on life, she discovers the career and man of her dreams.Stella Boor’s biological father is a nameless, faceless sperm donor. At least, that’s what her parents have led her to believe... -
Love and Lingerie by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEverything is coming together for Harper Grayson. She has a family she adores, a quaint little house that’s all hers, and a puppy to keep her warm at night. Plus, her lingerie shop, Kiss Me Goodnight, is successful. With her eyes now set on an expansion the moment the empty building next door finally becomes available, things are finally aligning perfectly for Harper... -
Untaken Twin by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA forbidden romance.There’s only one thing worse than your fiancé dying . . .It's having to look into his face every single day.Or should I say - the face of his twin.So I left.I never knew promises were made. Then broken.And I surely never expected those promises to be about me.When I return to my hometown and see his face, the heartache I’ve been running from is front and center... -
Sanibel Moonlight by Hope Holloway
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNearly a year has passed since Eliza arrived for a “few days” on Shellseeker Beach. She has overcome grief, forged lifelong relationships, and finally found a place where her heart can sing.Most of all, she’s found a second chance at romance…but must face one last and unexpected challenge or this new love will slip through her fingers like moonlight on the water... -
Waiting For Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSometimes the best offense is a good rebound... Adam McCarthy has had a really bad week. In addition to nearly losing his three brothers in a tragic boating accident, his now ex-girlfriend has double-crossed him right out of the successful computer company he founded in New York City... -
River of Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRiver rafting and adventure company owner Sam Braden works hard and plays harder. He's fast, focused, and determined--and never at a loss for a willing woman to share his time with. The trouble is, the only woman he wants refuses him at every turn. Physician assistant Faith Hayes escaped her painful past and built a safe, happy life in Peaceful Harbor... -
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Finding Ronan's Heart by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“The boys.” “The Callaghan Triplets.”“Three of a kind.”All his life, Ronan Callaghan has been part of a group. Always looking out for his brothers. Never seen as an individual or judged on his own merits.When his brothers veer onto their own path, he finds himself alone. Restless. Then he meets her. Beth. A waitress who sees him just for himself. None of the trappings of his wealth or family... -
Hold on to My Heart by Bella Andre
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAshley Sullivan’s whole world changed when she got pregnant at seventeen. After the father of her child ditched her and their son, she bypassed college, shelved her plans to see the world, and went straight to managing the family café in Bar Harbor, Maine. For the next eleven years, she poured her entire heart into raising her amazing son, Kevin... -
Stay Anyway by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStella Getting pregnant in college wasn’t part of the plan, but I’ll never regret giving birth to the best part of me. Even if my parents did disown me for it. A fresh start in a small town seems like a good idea, until a handsome stranger shows me a little kindness and has me feeling things, I thought I’d never feel again… things I have no business feeling about a man I just met...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers slow-burn insta-love romance contemporary small-town found-family kind-mc -
Always Her Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSome fates are too tempting to deny…When single-father Levi Steele offers to help his daughter’s beautiful aunt Tara find a home on Silver Island, their intense connection makes it even harder to resist the one woman he and his daughter can’t afford to lose... -
Unexpected Fall by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLife is full of ups and downs. Events that shape who you are, even those that are filled with heartbreak and tragedy. What do you do when actions bring devastation? How do you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward? One breath. One second. One minute. One hour. One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected fall... -
Can't Buy Me Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMary Larkin was hard at work as the office manager at the Green Mountain Country Store when Cameron Murphy brought her dad, Patrick, in to visit. That fateful first meeting, which took place in You’ll Be Mine , sets the stage for Mary and Patrick’s long-awaited romance in Can’t Buy Me Love ! Mary enjoys her predictable, satisfying life in Butler... -
The Dangerous One by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAlone is good. Alone with her is…better. Hunter Osborn left his family, his friends and his job as a park ranger after uncovering a disturbing crime scene. Haunted by nightmares and dark thoughts, Hunter relocated to a small cabin outside of Ridge Trail, Colorado, where he lives off the land (and mostly off the grid)... -
Southern Desire by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI always thought love was black and white. You meet the girl and within the first meeting you’d know if she’s the one. You live happily ever after. My concept was a little off, but it worked for me. I don’t waste my time with women I don’t see a future with. The day I met Whitney, I didn’t get hit with the love bug, nothing spectacular happened, at least not how I expected it to... -
Maybe We Should by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn emotional and sexy novel about guarded hearts, finding love, and families lost and found by Melissa Foster, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe We Will.After spending years wondering who she was, tattoo artist Cait Weatherby finally found her answers on the sandy shores of Silver Island... -
Tangle by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSparks fly between a die-hard romantic and a sexy cynic in this fresh, funny romance from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious... -
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The Wedding Dance by S.J. McCoy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMissy Malone is about to marry Dan Benson. You are cordially invited to attend the wedding, in Las Vegas. As you might expect, these two will encounter a few bumps on the way to their big day. But this is Missy and Dan—you know they’ll overcome any obstacle in their path. Their friends will all be with them on their journey toward wedded bliss... -
Love and Pancakes by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarissa Grayson’s dream went up in smoke. A devastating fire has ripped apart her family’s bed and breakfast, leaving her off-kilter and scrambling to repair the damage. What she doesn’t need, or have time for, is Rhenn Burleski. Sexy, confident, and dangerous to her heart. A man who clearly knows his way around the female body and will leave the moment the sheets start to cool... -
The Pet Doctor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a small-town veterinarian with a love for animals and naps. Haunted by a childhood trauma, she’s terrified of men. Can the truth about her past bring them closer together or tear them apart forever?Breck Stokes is back where he belongs. After years at university, he’s returned to Emerson Pass and taken over his mother’s veterinarian practice... -
Lost to You by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Seaside ChronicleNovember 1, 2022Keepin’ it ReelSeasiders,We all know the youngest Bradley sibling must be the most carefree of the bunch. Last this writer heard, Palmer was employed with at least five different jobs. Pet walker, house sitter, vet receptionist, nanny, and the least of my favorite, pooper scooper. To each her own, I guess... -
Never Too Close by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsVito Bianchi had given up on love years ago after his wife walked out the door. He immersed himself in his work, letting one day pass into the next so he didn’t dwell on what was missing in his life. But when he’s called out to a fire at the home of Star Falls newest resident, he couldn’t stop himself from being sucked in to her world...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers insta-love slow-burn female-mc romance in-uniform contemporary small-town -
Season for Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHis idea of permanence is the VW van that takes him from one gig to the next. . . Owen Lawry has made a living as a traveling musician and enjoys his footloose and fancy free lifestyle... -
Southern Secrets by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAmeliaNever make the same mistake twice is my motto.After being left in the dust of an old pickup truck, I promised that I would take care of myselfand never trust another man with a sexy smirk and cowboy boots.Then he showed up, and he's everywhere I turn, making me want something I shouldn't.AsherI grew up in foster care, and on my eighteenth birthday, I was set free... -
Southern Heat by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWillowAfter being left for dead, I was given a fresh start by my knight in shining armor.My protector.I never had a family before they took me in.But I don’t know how to stay or trust.I always had a bag packed and ready just in case I needed to escape again.Like they say, old habits die hard.Being in the shadows is lonely, but lonely is safe... -
Loved by Liam by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLiam Callaghan is happy with the way things are.He has a successful business, a family he loves, and a life he thinks is fulfilling and complete.Until a favor for his brother brings him to her.She sparks something inside him. Something he had no idea he was missing.One touch and he knows Paige Winters is the woman he wants.She and her daughter become his focus. His world... -
Can't Fight the Moonlight by Barbara Freethy
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJustin Blackwood can't remember a time when he believed in the magic of anything, least of all love. A cynical businessman, who grew up in a broken home, he guards his heart with every breath he takes. His job has taken him all over the world and roots are the last thing he wants...until he meets a beautiful innkeeper in Whisper Lake... -
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The Calendar of New Beginnings by Ava Miles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe last thing international photojournalist Lucy O’Brien expected when she returned to her hometown was for her mother to ask her to shoot photos for a ‘Calendar Girls’-like calendar…Of course, it’s all for a good cause—raising money for breast cancer. Lucy agrees to help—ribald photos and all... -
Anything for Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAnything For Love is a USA Today BestsellerAfter Charlotte Sterling loses her last family member, she moves to Sterling House, her family’s Colorado mountain inn, to live a solitary life. As an erotic romance writer, her days and nights are filled with passion and intrigue—even if only fictional... -
Love at First Sight by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLove at first sight. That’s what it was when Rip Myers came up to me in kindergarten. From that point on, we were inseparable best friends. When I work up the courage to tell Rip I love him, I am met with rejection. He tells me he treasures our friendship too much. That statement might as well be a knife to my heart. I want to hold out hope that he’ll change his mind... -
One Last Risk by Nancy Stopper
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA guilt-driven firefighter, a widowed mother, neither is ready for love, but love has other plans. Firefighter Lucas Bennett had the carefree life he’d always wanted until a deadly blaze took the life of his company mate and best friend. Blaming himself was easy but pulling himself from the tailspin of guilt proved to be much harder... -
The Sound of Home by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne steamy summer night. One unforgivable betrayal. Two lives forever changed. Em MacCaslin was never an ordinary girl. A child music prodigy, she competed in elite competitions and performed with symphonies all over the world. At eighteen years old, her future couldn’t have been brighter. But all her dreams were shattered in one night. A night she doesn’t remember... -
Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there... -
All You Need is Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe family-run Green Mountain Country Store is cherished by locals as a reminder of simpler times. The Abbott children are determined to keep it that way - but their father has different plans? When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets... -
The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability... -
One Hundred Decisions by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Aspen Cove, where home and family take on a whole new meaning… Aspen Cove has offered Natalie Keane the peace and quiet she lacked growing up in foster care. While fear of getting too close to anyone has led her to settle on the outskirts of town, she’s found a happy routine, until life throws her a massive curveball in the form of the little brother she never knew existed... -
One Hundred Glances by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Aspen Cove, where seeing is believing …Artist Sosie Grant has always loved what Aspen Cove had to offer. It was a place to let her muse run wild. But when a bout with Lyme disease leaves her unable to paint, she comes back to Aspen Cove to say goodbye to the only life she’s ever known... -
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One Hundred Lessons by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Aspen Cove, where love lives and lessons abound for those willing to learn …Schoolteacher Mercy Meyer had dreams of the good life until her cheating husband stole them away. When the scandal broke, she moved to Aspen Cove to lick her wounds and start over... -
One Hundred Mistakes: An Aspen Cove Romance Book 16 by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome back to Aspen Cove, where love finds you, even when you’re looking the wrong way…As the personal assistant to popstar legend, Indigo, Deanna Archer moved to Aspen Cove for work (and maybe a certain sexy guitar player)... -
Finn by Chris Keniston
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Finn, book 6 in Farraday Country, a twist on the favorite 7 Brides for 7 Brothers theme set in cattle-ranching west Texas, with all the friends, family and fun that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Chris Keniston... -
Rescue Me by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHer company is failing. His plan could save it. Will their partnership move from business to pleasure?Carla “Carl” Stevenson takes a special joy in running the local timber mill. But when the economy takes a downturn, selling the family business may be her only heartbreaking option... -
The Inn by the Cove: A Sweet, Small Town Romance by Ellen Joy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe handsome investor wants to sell her family’s seacoast inn. So, why can’t she just hate him?Previously published as "Inn with You."Zoe has dedicated her life to working at the family inn, where she lives with her son, but the business has fallen on hard times. She has ideas about how to turn things around; but, her father owns the place and he’s stuck in his ways... -
A Place for Us by Olivia Miles
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the vein of the USA Today bestselling Oyster Bay series comes a new feel-good series about sisters navigating family life while finding love in a quaint, lakeside town. When Britt Conway was eighteen, she left Blue Harbor without a glance back, telling herself that she was closing the door to her painful past for good...
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