Books like 'Digging Deep with the Gardener'
Readers who enjoyed Digging Deep with the Gardener by Violet Rae also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure steamy age-gap realistic grumpy-sunshine insta-love military forced-proximity female-mc
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The Hero She Wants by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe last thing he wants is to trek into the jungle to save the President’s daughter.Shepherd “Shep” Barlow left the military behind. All he wants is to stay on his Colorado mountain—alone, with no interruptions, and no people. He especially likes to avoid people.Then his former commander arrives, asking him to risk his life on a deadly mission to Central America...Categorized as:
military forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc insta-love romance suspense -
Operation: Healing Angel by Margaret Kay
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsColonel Samuel ‘Big Bear’ Shepherd, retired on paper only. A West Point Graduate, he served his entire career in the Special Operations Command where he made the necessary contacts to make his agency, Shepherd Security, a reality... -
Ivory's Fight by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFalling in love has no place in a mission of revenge.Abducted as a baby, Ivory Smith was trained to be one thing; a killer. Rescued before she could fulfil her captor's purposes now she works for Prey Security's Artemis Team taking down human traffickers...Categorized as:
military insta-love grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance suspense -
Command and Control by Jemma Westbrook, Janice Whiteaker
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSix months ago I baited a sinfully handsome but wickedly dangerous man.He didn’t bite.I wanted to work for his company. Desperately. Did all I could to prove my worth and plead my case.To no avail.Until the night I come home to find his card on my kitchen counter...Categorized as:
military forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap romance contemporary -
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Bad Boy Bachelor Christmas by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Grinch ain’t got nothing on me.The only good and green thing about Christmas is the money it rakes in.I’m not interested in carols, candies, or dealing with extra-Christmassy type people.Until I hire one. A hot college student joins my design team.She makes up for her annoying jovial spirit with her sexy curves.And her willingness to give herself to me.If only that was enough... -
Jax by Mary Kennedy
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJackson "Jax" Diaz is the quiet, unassuming member of the REAPER team. He stayed in the background, performed his job, and was happy to do so. He loved his brothers and their families. Joining the team as a young man, he had the privilege of watching some of the children grow up. One in particular, always had his heart... -
Damaged Grump by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a hysterical office romance where the grumpiest boss claims the good girl and loses his scorched heart.Our meet cute was one big sip of ugly.He pushed my hell-no buttons, wearing an indestructible smirk.I offended his warped morals in front of his starry-eyed minions.Then I got my sweet reward for doing the right thing...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor military action-adventure adult -
Tempt by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsYou’ve heard the story about the wedding planner who falls for the groom?Well, this is the one where she falls for his father.And that groom? He’s my ex.I didn’t realize who the gruff, gorgeous older man was the night he rescued me from a creep in a Manhattan hotel bar...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor insta-love military -
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLife might be a highway but the last thing this grumpy silver fox expected was a cross-country road trip with a ray of sunshine."My sister is driving to California. She could give you a ride.""What?" Tucker Ashe and I say in unison.Mae FoxSurely, my older sister has lost her mind. There is no way I'm driving her insufferable – albeit sexy silver fox – boss two thousand miles...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor steamy action-adventure -
The Five Minute Mistake by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe's my instructor. He's off limits.And he's the twist I never saw coming.On paper, Nash Jennings is intimidating as hell. Former Navy SEAL, notorious loner, and the grumpiest sniper on the West Oaks SWAT team. But I don't buy it. I think he's actually a nice guy under that armor he wears, and I'm determined to draw him out. Make him my friend. Perhaps even make him smile... -
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:
military grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc female-mc steamy romance contemporary -
One Bossy Dare by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a howling funny office romance where two bitter insta-rivals stumble into the sweetest love.It was one little dare with razor-sharp teeth—work for him.Yes, he's a fire-breathing grump and gazillionaire bachelor.Yes, I just gave him an ego check he'll never forget.Yes, he's still offering me the job dreams are made of...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor military -
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... -
At First Sight by M. S. Parker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSixteen years ago, I lost Belle, the love of my life, in a tragic car accident.Devastated, I left Scotland to work in Uncle Ben's brokerage firm in Manhattan. Dedicating my life to the job, I rose to the top of the ladder, next in line to head the billion-dollar company.Belle, however, never left my heart. Every year––on our anniversary––I dine at the restaurant where we first met... -
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The Hero She Craves by Anna Hackett
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe last thing he expects on his ship is the off-limits woman he can’t stop thinking about—his best friend’s daughter.After a tough military career as a Navy SEAL, and a member of a covert Ghost Ops team, Lorenzo “Ren” Santoro now calls a research ship home. The ocean, very few people, and solitude…it’s all he needs...Categorized as:
military age-gap forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance suspense -
One Bossy Disaster by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA wild twist of fate throws together two total opposites in this steamy and hysterical grumpy sunshine romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.Trust me, I'm not falling for a human porcupine.I don't do older men with baggage a mile long.Billionaires? Nope, I'm Miss Independence, thank you very much...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap forced-proximity humor female-mc romance -
Bad Boy Bachelor Thanksgiving by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere’s only one thing I want spread out on my Thanksgiving table this year, and it’s not a turkey. It’s my new hire.My assistants keep quitting, and apparently I’m the problem. Surely not.I just haven’t found the right one. Until her.And of all places to find her—a pumpkin farm.There’s no way she’s cut out to work in my world, but I find myself offering her the job anyway...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc classics female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor action-adventure adult -
Marked for Obsession by Anna Blakely
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s a former Navy SEAL with an attitude. She’s a sweet, sexy woman with a target on her back. Together they have an unknown enemy with only one thing on their agenda…to kill them both.Jax Monroe makes no apologies about who he is or what he wants. A self-made man, there isn’t anything he needs...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine military action-adventure adult book contemporary -
Tactical Bear by Candace Ayers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsParker is fighting extinction— Of her own shifter species! She’d already be mated. If not for those bullying polar bears. They've scared away all decent prospects. Maxim has met the one But, she’s an activist with silly notions. And she wants nothing to do with him. As a Tactical Bear, he’ll need all his strategic skills... -
His Redemption by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHis Redemption – Alpha Security 4 An Alpha Man and Curvy Woman Romance Olivia My whole life is my daughter. And when I can’t protect her, Johnny does. He’s everything I could ever want in a man. Even though he tells me he’s not a good man, I just laugh at him. I have come to learn that he is one of the best. Johnny I meet her daughter first... -
Vegas Daddy by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWarning – Do Not Spend Your Holiday Drinking in Vegas.May cause you to wake up married to a domineering single daddy…It all started with me running away from the altar of h*ll.And ended with the most erotic night of my life in the city of Sin.Zane is older. Ex-military. And a HOT single dad.But our fairytale came to an end - with the cartel on my tail.Months later we meet again... -
Mistletoe Summer by Abby Tyler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn alternative cover edition for this ASIN B07TRXGPD8 can be found hereIt was love at first sight. For their dogs.Cody Jones didn't expect to ever return to Applebottom, planning a long life of military service and world travel. But a devastating injury in Iraq narrows his options, so he begrudgingly helps his mother expand her doggy bakery until he figures out what’s next... -
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:
steamy age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary small-town -
Unbreakable Bond by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s my best friend’s daughter and I have no business wanting her the way I do. Especially since it’s my fault that her dad died. Call it survivor’s guilt, if you must, I just know, I’m to blame.Still when she comes to me for help, I can’t refuse her. Which means sleeping on my sofa so she can take my bed.Emerson is temptation personified... -
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Smith by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe’s the last woman in the world he’s allowed to fall for. And the only woman he wants.There I was minding my own business, building my real estate empire, and loving life. So the last thing I needed was a series of threatening letters as I worked on my latest fix and flip sending my loving, protective dad into over-the-top-protective dad mode from the other side of the world...Categorized as:
military grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance suspense contemporary -
Swagger and Sass by Autumn Jones Lake
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author, Autumn Jones Lake, sometimes white knights arrive on a motorcycle to rescue you from drowning in three feet of water... Ladies love the c*ck. No, seriously, my road name is Rooster, and women flock to me. The feeling’s mutual, but life is too short to fall in love with anyone in particular... -
All American Bad Boy by Weston Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne hot night changed everything.As a kid, all I ever wanted to do was fly. I was born a pilot.And I’m the best fighter pilot in the world. They call me Dice because of my dicey aerial maneuvers.Safety and security aren’t my first concern. Living big is.Right before our next big show, we’re forced to work with a new inspector.You know, the nerdy guys in Levi’s and New Balance sneakers... -
SEAL's Pregnant One-Night Stand by Leslie North
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA one-night stand leaves this Navy SEAL with a surprise... It was just supposed to be one night of no-strings-attached fun, but now Sofia Popov has become the center of former Navy SEAL Ian Campbell’s life...Sofia turns out to be the teacher of Ian’s teen son, Gavin—the same teacher who meets him in the hospital when Gavin suffers a seizure at school... -
Dauntless Protector by Jade Dollston
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFormer Navy SEAL, Beau “Shark” Atwood, is the epitome of the three Bs: bossy, brawny, and broody. For years he’s been focused on his military career and then building his security business. The rest of the time he spent taking care of his younger sister, Blaire, and her daughter, Carrie. But his girls are good now... -
Fighting for Reese by Katie Reus
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s a grumpy security expert…Reese doesn’t do relationships. Especially not with tall, sexy men with golden retriever energy. Nope, she prefers her men brooding and silent—with no strings attached. So when she hooks up with her gorgeous coworker after their friends’ wedding, she does what any sane woman would do. She runs...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity female-mc military romance contemporary -
Bulldog by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s done being alone.BulldogI protect the Ride or Die Bar.I’m a loner. I do my job, but I’ve built walls around myself and never let anyone in.That is, until she walks in the door.There’s something about her that just draws me in and I can’t walk away.KateMy friends drag me to the biker bar thinking it would be fun to see some real, true to life bikers... -
The Captain's Little Girl by Pepper North
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThough Captain Mark Cunningham has wanted beautiful waitress Cricket Wilson to be his little girl for years, he's old enough to be her father and he's always told himself he isn't right for her. But when the battle-hardened special forces officer barely makes it home alive from a dangerous assignment, he decides it is time to do what he should have done ages ago and claim her as his... -
My Millionaire Marine by Sofia T. Summers
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStep #1: Refuse my marriage proposalStep #2: Get a new jobStep #3: Take my eyes off my hot new bossThe first two steps were fairly simple, but it’s obvious that I have zero control over my own eyes.In my defense, I didn’t know that he was my boss when I first saw him.I had no idea that he was a millionaire and a former marine pilot... -
Daddy's Obsession by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Protect my daughter." Not what I expected from an old friend.But when I locked eyes with her, there was no turning back. Raquel has a magnetic sensual beauty,Along with the strength and resilience of a lioness. The loss of my wife left my little girl and I empty.Now Raquel is proof that even a monster can escape his own darkness... -
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The General's Desire by Tess Summers
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen it comes to Ron Thompson– his career, the Marines under his command, his women – he’s in charge. Period. The sooner Brenna Roberts realizes that, the better. Ron I’m a decorated Marine general who doesn’t have time for relationships. I’ve tried –they just don’t work out—and I’ve never lost sleep over it. Then I meet her. Brenna is easily the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on... -
Her Covert Protector by Victoria Paige
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne night of passion may bind their futures forever.John Garrison is a master of disguise.He’s as skilled at slipping into cover identities as he is at evading personal attachments.So when a sexy, brainy crime analyst challenges his life as a spy, the urge to run is as strong as his hunger for a sinful taste.Nadia Powell is a geek at heart... -
Matched to the Mercenary (Seeking Curves) by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s going to be mine.She’s my friend’s little sister.She should be off-limits.But I never was one to follow the rules.I was sent to protect her, but one look at her, and I want more.She’s smart, beautiful, and curvy, and she consumes my every thought.But I’m a mercenary.I have enemies all over the world, and I travel more than I’m home.I have plans to make...Categorized as:
age-gap female-mc forced-proximity insta-love military steamy 21st-century action-adventure -
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:
age-gap cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor insta-love -
Fate by Abby Brooks
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe shouldn’t have kissed me. But I shouldn’t have liked it.Garrett Cooper is grumpy. Bossy. Rude. We’re supposed to work together to save my family’s hotel, but sparks fly every time we’re in the same room. And not the good kind.Things get off to a rough start between us, and that’s on me…partially...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy action-adventure adult -
Cuffed by You by Nikki Mays
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKayla has had a pretty crappy year. Cheating husband? Check. Getting arrested for trying to drown him? Check. Getting handcuffed by the world’s hottest cop? Check. Raising four kids alone? Check. Cheating ex-husband being a complete nuisance? Check. Obviously, it makes sense that she wants to stay as far away from the opposite sex as possible. The only thing she cares about is her family and work... -
Stolen by the Master Chief by Fiona Davenport
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsArrow Hamlin was being a good samaritan when he stopped to help someone with a flat tire. He never expected his act of kindness would lead him to the woman who was meant to be his. Or that she’d be on the run from a dangerous situation.Sage Elsher was stunned by a violent encounter in her own home. She had no idea who to trust until Arrow came to her rescue... -
Redeem My Heart by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShelby silently nursed a crush on Dane all through high school, despite the fact that he was way out of older, handsome, and dating the most popular girl in school. Years later when he returns, wounded, after serving abroad, Shelby accidentally starts a rumor that they’ve been secretly dating...Categorized as:
military insta-love age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
Declan by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe’s everything she’s never had. She’s everything he didn’t know he needed.Having lost her parents at a young age, raised by her beloved uncle, Michele King is now a successful business owner, providing meals for people by day and getting lost in books each night. A somewhat lonely life…which she attempts to remedy by dating a man she met online...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor military steamy action-adventure -
Confessed by Nicola Rendell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA brand new dirty, sexy, funny standalone romance.... Lucy Burchett is the heiress to a notoriously disastrous family, and she's left home for good. But when she runs a big, black pickup off the road, totaling it, she finds herself stuck in the middle of nowhere with the driver. He's got a body to die for and a hair-trigger temper. Vince Russo looks like a felon, but he's also pretty funny...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor insta-love -
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Scarred Hero by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe doesn’t deserve love. She disagrees.I spent the last year of my life trying to get over my injuries and losing my friend.I knew I was destined to be alone and never even considered that I could have love in my future.And then I met Hope.She’s everything I’m not. She’s happy and sees the good everywhere.While I have seen the very worst in people and know what this world is capable of...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine insta-love military steamy action-adventure adult -
The Client by KanyeInterruptedMe, Kimber Lee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRule #1: Always be armed and alert when you're on duty. Rule #2: Treat everyone and everything with suspicion. Rule #3: Be unobtrusive. and Rule #4: Do not fuck the client. It's taken Lena years to shed her wild child image and be taken seriously by her family. With three older brothers and a father who thinks she's porcelain, she's used to having to prove herself... -
The Proposal Playbook by Samantha Chase
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s a former Navy SEAL from the school of hard knocks.She’s a cheery wedding planner writing a guide to happily ever afters.Who knew cupid’s arrow could come in the form of a five-pound bag of flour?When Daisy Sinclair gleefully offers to help her brother come up with the perfect proposal, she has no idea how time-consuming the project will become...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor military action-adventure adult -
Kissing Games by Evie Alexander
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe might have made it to Hollywood, but he’s about to show her what she’s missed…When actress Valentina arrives in Scotland to film Braveheart 2, she’s at breaking point. Driven by demons, she’s worked without a break since she was a teen and can’t stop now. Everyone she loves depends on her. But something’s missing. Despite all the glitter and glamor, she’s never really lived...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc classics female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor military -
Bond of Love by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Letters From Home make all the difference. Ben Fowler, an Army mechanic on tour in Afghanistan, loved listening to his squad member read letters from his sister. Alicia Newton’s letters to her twin brother kept them as close as ever. When tragedy strikes, she relies on his friend, Ben, to fill the void. As Ben and Alicia help each other with shared grief, they grow closer... -
Baring Brando by Mia Madison
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“You should always wear my clothes … when you wear anything at all, that is.” Sasha Brando Adamo is not my type. He’s too rough, too aggressive. But when he touches me, nothing else matters. I know I should keep things purely physical, but I fall for him anyway. Just when I’m starting to think we have a chance, I learn the hard way that only fools fall in love...
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