Books like 'Protective Heart'
Readers who enjoyed Protective Heart by Brighton Walsh also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity steamy alpha-mc
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The Mistletoe Kisser: A Small Town Love Story by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRyan Sosa, grumpy former corporate accountant, has had it up to here with surprises. He didn’t see getting fired coming. And he certainly didn’t anticipate flying across the country to the world’s hippie-est, happiest, most annoying town to save his great-uncle from some mysterious emergency... -
Show Me Forever (The Maxwell Brothers) by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI moved to Chicago six months ago, determined to finally open my own bakery. My landlady was this sweet woman who treated me like her granddaughter. Then she sold the house. Now the devil himself is my landlord and neighbor since I live in the guesthouse on his property. Declan Maxwell is moody, unreasonable, and takes himself far too seriously. Unfortunately for me, he’s also damn sexy... -
Caught by Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s set on pleasure, but she’s all business. Sizzling chemistry and a surprising connection set this sexy love story in motion. But is it enough to last forever? Find out and fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor -
Mending a Malone by Laylah Roberts
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJaret Malone has a problem . . .A five-foot-two curvy, crazy problem. One who doesn’t seem to take no for an answer.After his last relationship ended disastrously, he has had no interest in getting involved with someone else.Especially not some insane woman who seems to think that her grandmother left him to her in her will.Nobody tells a Malone what to do . .Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy adult -
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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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor adult book -
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... -
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 grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult book contemporary -
Drink It Up: The Donovans by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsQuinn Donovan is a single dad with too much on his plate. He is surrounded by his wild and crazy family at home and at work while raising two little girls who are the light of his life. When a complete stranger swoops in to help him when he needs it most only to then disappear without a word, it seems he’s lost his chance to get to know her... -
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:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor -
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:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult -
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... -
Dirty Little Midlife (Fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSingle mom Mia has a problem. Her new landlord Des just raised her rent, and even in her dreams, Mia wouldn’t be able to afford it.Not that she’d want to dream of Des. Ever.To make matters worse, Des is big, grumpy, and apparently his heart is made of granite. He’s not willing to meet Mia in any sort of middle.Suffice it to say, Mia’s forties aren’t off to a good start.Until...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy adult -
The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsShe'll save Christmas just to spite him... When a late season hurricane hits Merry, Connecticut, city manager and single dad Noah Yates has to inform the already devastated residents that there won't be a Christmas Festival this year. No festival means no tourism dollars. A disaster of epic proportions for his hometown... -
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Matchmaking a Single Dad by Angela Denise, Angela Casella
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey’re all wrong for each other…but sometimes two wrongs do make a right.ColeThe only woman I need in my life is my eight-year-old daughter, Jane. As a widowed brewery owner, I don’t have the time or inclination for anything more serious than a one night stand... -
On Thin Ice (Bedroom Games) by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Winter Games have begun… I’m the life of the party. A little loud and some buzz kills might say obnoxious, but if you’re around me I guarantee you’ll have a good time. Unless your name is Demi Harrison. If that’s the case, you’d act like I’m the devil incarnate and go out of your way to avoid me. Which makes zero sense because at the last Olympic Games I rocked her world... -
Shaken by Bella Matthews
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSawyer Kingston is an A**hole.The thing is, he’s got everyone fooled. To them, he’s the gorgeous billionaire who owns the hottest bar in the city.To me, he’s the cocky jerk whose favorite pastime has always been torturing me.The only thing we’ve ever agreed on is our mutual dislike for each other. But that was before I moved in next-door to him, and we shockingly agreed on something else...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity humor female-mc -
The Gruff Loner's Bargain by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBrook:I might be down on my luck, but I’m determined to open the best all-inclusive wedding venue in the U.S. But first, I have to scope out the competition. The only problem is I need a fake fiance to pull it off. Even worse, the only man available to do the job is the annoying handsome Landry Hendricks. Because of course I need the help of the one man in town who hates me...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers alpha-mc steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
Heartache & Playdates by Shawna Renae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Love isn’t like milk. It has no expiration date.” ~ Nonna Russo Maddox CruzSingle dad. Tech billionaire. Genius. That is what people saw when they looked at me. Those adjectives might all be true, but inside I was still a kid who grew up in the system and was raised by the streets. Which was why I had no plans to attend my 20 year high school reunion...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy alpha-mc humor contemporary billionaire -
The One I Hate by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate Simon Banks.I also hate tequila. The first makes my blood boil with his devilish smirk and giant…ego. The second makes me do questionable things. Specifically, with Simon. Fine. Whatever. It’s a blip on my radar. Even though I can’t stop thinking about memories of our night…or his hands…and that mouth... -
Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNeighbors to lovers can be a risky proposition in this funny, sexy, and swoony romantic comedy between a single mother and the grumpy man next door by USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke.When Gabrielle Solomon falls, she falls hard. Even if that means literally toppling over a porch railing in nothing but a flimsy towel—right in front of her sexy new neighbor...Categorized as:
humor grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers female-mc romance -
The Wild One by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJasper Westbrook. Code name: Swoon Machine.My best friend's older brother.Melter of ovaries. Destroyer of panties.And suddenly...a single dad.Guys like Jasper—I bet you know the type? The chiseled arms. The wavy hair. The melt-your-brain-cells smile.Good thing I'm a smart girl—Honey Hill's former child prodigy, to be precise—I should know better than to fall for this playboy's charm... -
His Christmas List by T.L. Swan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHis Christmas list....The inaugural first year of Christmas short stories by T L Swan.Every year I will add a new short story to this collection and it will be live to download for 28 days only.Merry Christmas my beautiful readers, thank you so much for giving me a chance and reading my books.You really have made all my wishes come true... -
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 steamy adult book contemporary -
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The Right Stuff by Brill Harper
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter being cleaned out by her bigamist embezzling husband, socially awkward academic Tru Stanhope finds herself with one remaining asset: a dive bar in the podunk town of Brazen Bay. Well, half a bar. The other half is owned by the infuriatingly hot Nash McKendrick... -
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... -
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 forced-proximity humor female-mc -
Man Splain by Vanessa Vale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's literally my job to make sure everything goes to plan. I'm really f-ing good at it. But when the beautiful coffee shop owner refuses a corporate loan to keep her business afloat solely because we had a slightly-drunk quickie, it makes me crazy. Insane. Frustrated. Turned on. Especially when I discover the stubborn woman chooses instead to be a cam girl to pay her bills...Categorized as:
forced-proximity steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc humor 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:
humor forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance contemporary -
Enforcing the Rules by Nicole James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Nicole James, comes a standalone, enemies-to-lovers, steamy biker romance.Utah—I’m the Enforcer for the RBMC’s Durango Chapter, hunting down the two-bit scumbag who stole from my club.He’s a dead man walking.The problem is a sexy little hellcat named Kate keeps getting in my way.She’s a bounty hunter and after the same trash as me...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy humor romance contemporary -
Set My Heart Bonfire by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's a dashing millionaire who thinks everything in life is one big joke, probably because he bathes in piles of money each morning. He’s also my new neighbor, and after a humiliating experience in the cemetery that is my backyard, he becomes my shadow, showing up everywhere just to annoy me.I’m not a fan of happy people...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc enemies-to-lovers humor romance contemporary small-town -
The Brazen One by Daisy Jane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy adult -
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 alpha-mc humor enemies-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc -
Knockout by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt wasn’t fair that the man I hated with a passion was so freaking gorgeous.Things in Layla Fox’s life were going great. She had a fantastic job, amazing friends, and a killer apartment. There was just one tiny glitch in all that perfect. Her upstairs neighbor was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome . . . and she hated the man with every cell in her body...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor adult -
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That Feeling by Alexis Winter
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s one of those girls—Mysterious, driven, all kinds of sexy.The first time I saw her wrapped up in skintight denim and a cowboy hat riding a mechanical bull, I knew she was trouble.The kind of trouble you spend all night praying never ends and a decade trying to forget.But somehow, after losing a bet, I not only promised her a date but I tasted her cherry red lips...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy -
Temptress by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWho knew the grumpy single dad next door would turn out to be The One?As Sloane Chambers stood at her window and creeped on the new guy moving in next door, she was immediately drawn to the tattoos, muscles, and the way his jeans hugged his perfect . . . frame. But when she caught him hacking up her rose bushes with a chain saw, the battle was on...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity alpha-mc humor romance -
True Colors by Amy Knupp
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNot much bothers him… until his best friend’s little sister moves to town. Carefree personal trainer Drake North is long on charm and short on connections that do more than skim the surface. His main ties are to his family and his best friend, so when his friend’s little sister moves to town, Drake promises to look out for her...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity female-mc humor romance contemporary -
True Blue by Amy Knupp
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe was jilted on her wedding day. He’s the best friend waiting in the wings. Lexie Gallagher is starting to think she’s better off alone. Her family fell apart years ago. Her relationships all end in disaster. Is she the common denominator who causes everyone to leave? Everyone but her best friend, Gabe, who whisks her away from the scene of the latest breakup...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity female-mc humor romance -
Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son...Categorized as:
humor enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance -
Shaken by Charity Ferrell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA see yourself out note isn’t how you want to celebrate the morning after your first one- night stand.The first time I meet Archer Callahan is when I block him in a parking spot.The second is a fender bender.The third is at a bar, drinking away our problems, and finding our way to his bed.I never expected to see him again... -
Rigid by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWomen don’t stay... no matter how much you love them.And I can’t chance it with her... because when she leaves me... I wouldn’t survive it.I’m not a nice guy. I don’t even try to be.I take what I want and then I move on.I never thought about having a wife and kids...Until I met Emily.She makes me want things I know I shouldn’t.So I’m mean to her. I’m not proud of it, but it is what it is...Categorized as:
alpha-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc friends-to-lovers steamy adult age-gap anthologies -
Grumpy As Hell by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe town’s hottest firefighter just put out the fire in my pants. Literally.Ace Hellman. Star quarterback. Grumpy-as-hell firefighter. Chief pain in my ass.He’s beyond arrogant, inducing women to fake emergencies just to see his sexy swagger as he comes to save them. Not me though. That fire was a total accident. I swear...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy -
Spill the Sweet Tea by Lyra Parish
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSome describe me as a quirky, free-spirited journalist who charges her crystals by moonlight.They’re not wrong.My instincts ensure I know everything that goes on in my small town. And not much surprises me. But when the man who destroyed my heart returns to care for his family’s business, I’m shaken to the core.After our messy breakup, Hayden Shaw swore he’d never come back to Valentine, Texas...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy female-mc alpha-mc humor -
Let Your Hearts Be Light by Fae Quin
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA stranger is just someone you haven’t been forced to spend Christmas with yet.Baxter: As a 42-year-old single father the last thing I expected before Christmas was for my daughter to sign me up for a community matchmaking event... -
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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 forced-proximity friends-to-lovers humor female-mc romance -
Latte Darling by S.J. Tilly
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI have a nice life - living in my hometown, owning the coffee shop I’ve worked at since I was 16.It’s comfortable.On paper.But I’m tired of doing everything by myself. Tired of being in charge of every decision in my life.I want someone to lean on. Someone to spend time with. Sit with. Hug.And I really don’t want to go to my best friend’s wedding alone... -
Wilder With You by Serena Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWho knew pretending could be so hot?Clark: It started as a joke. After all, I’d never pretend to date a woman just to get my mom and sister off my back.I would, however, pretend to date her to get her ex-husband off hers.Now the two of us, the wilderness warrior and the wedding planner, are stuck sharing a very small tent...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy action-adventure -
Falling for the Grinch by Amy Alves
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe kissed the wrong man, and she liked it.No longer content waiting for the love of her life to walk into her bakery, Dani Reed decides this holiday season, she's going to fulfill some long-awaited fantasies. This Christmas will be all about self-discovery. . . and pleasure.But a certain fire chief is getting in the way of her sexy plans...Categorized as:
alpha-mc cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor adult -
Lost & Found in Copper Ridge by Harlow James
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt all started with Jack & Diane…And no, not the couple from the popular 80’s song—the couple that signed a five-dollar bill with their names and the location of The Livingston Cabin in Copper Ridge, Colorado.And I just so happened to acquire that five-dollar bill on the same day of the funeral of a close friend AND the day I was supposed to be getting married.Coincidence? Perhaps...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor adult book -
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...
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