Books like 'A Pessimist's Guide to Love'
Readers who enjoyed A Pessimist's Guide to Love by Jennifer Hartmann also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town drama grumpy-sunshine angst cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers slow-burn
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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... -
Loving Romeo by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsDemi Crawford was Magnolia Falls royalty.I was the boxer from the wrong side of the tracks.She was the epitome of everything good, while I was broody and rebellious.We couldn’t be more different.Her family was enemy number one which made her guilty by association.I despised her before I even knew her.It was easier that way.But now she’d moved in next door to me, and she was everywhere I turned...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity multi-pov steamy friends-to-lovers drama -
From Air by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jewel E. Ann parachutes into the burning, hazardous heart of love in a sexy yet dramatic romance set in Big Sky country.When Jamie Andrews moves in with a house full of firefighters, things start heating up fast...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn angst steamy -
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... -
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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 multi-pov 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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn steamy -
Starting Over Scottish: A Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance by Tricia O'Malley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings... -
Could Be the One: (Lucas and Becca) by Claire Kingsley
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’ve always been the good girl, doing what people expect. But when I find myself dumped, instead of engaged, I realize it’s time for a change. I want to stop being so timid. Take risks. Find my naughty side. And who better to help me than my friend Lucas? Sure, Lucas is sexy as sin, with a smile that turns my brain inside out and a body that makes me think a lot of very bad girl thoughts...Categorized as:
steamy friends-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn romantic-love contemporary audiobook small-town -
Broken Dreams by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat could possibly go wrong fake dating the gorgeous single dad in a small town? The answer, you fall for him. It started out perfect. Grady Whitlock needed a plus one for his business meetings, and I needed a date for a wedding.We had a plan. It was a good one.Until it wasn’t.I was not supposed to have feelings for him...Categorized as:
drama friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn grief -
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 -
What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiam has always preferred spending his life inside books, only looking up to occasionally growl at customers in his shop. Until the day someone new comes to town. A woman who could keep up with him, someone who sees beyond his guards, who makes him want something decidedly non -fiction for a change. The only problem is, Riley has a secret. One that just might tear them apart... -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again...Categorized as:
forced-proximity friends-to-lovers steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov 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:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity multi-pov steamy romance contemporary -
Don't Go Away Mad by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsJasperThe kitchen: it’s my domain, where I create the best burgers in the Midwest. I’m the man behind the grill at Burgers and Brew, the restaurant and bar I co-own with my best friends. Every night, we’re packed, the demand has never been this high. It’s the only way I want it, thriving and pushing myself to be the very best.Then she started her new business across the street from mine...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn -
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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 forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn steamy romance -
Shattered Dreams by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMontgavin Township will never be the same when one night changes the lives of six people. The course of their lives and the trajectory of the town sets them on a collision course for disaster.CharlieIt was supposed to be a regular day out.Three couples celebrating the last days of summer.When tragedy struck.I thought I was going to marry her.Instead, I was burying her...Categorized as:
angst grief friends-to-lovers multi-pov forced-proximity slow-burn steamy grumpy-sunshine -
Forcing You Away by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs I search for a fresh start, a friend convinces me to move to his small town. Considering I don’t have a place to live, his little sister offers me her spare room.She’s every man’s dream—witty, down to earth, and gorgeous as hell—too bad she’s off-limits. Unspoken words and stolen glances have me eager to please her in all the forbidden ways...Categorized as:
angst forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn adult age-gap audiobook -
Forsaken Oath by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeau Carter: kingpin, blue-eyed playboy from across town, and the only man I’ve ever shared my secrets with.And now, my fiercest competition.I never planned on racing in the Gauntlet, but with my sisters depending on me, winning this tournament is the only way to keep our heads above water. I work for a crew that trades in secrets, and Beau runs the underground races that keep this town alive...Categorized as:
slow-burn friends-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy multi-pov -
Stirred by Charity Ferrell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI don't want him. I can't do this. That's what my ex said after our son was born, leaving me a single dad. These days, my world consists of two things: Noah and my bar. Until her—the woman I want—but can never have. My ex’s sister wasn’t supposed to be stirred into the mix. Even though I try to push her away, my son falls in love with her...Categorized as:
angst cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn steamy -
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... -
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 -
Come To Me by J.H. Croix
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA broody ex-military pilot and a sassy yoga teacher collide in a small town.Diego is distracting. He shows up in my yoga class with his smokin’ hot bod and enough brawn to set the world on fire. Cue the melting.He oozes the rugged hero vibe, rides a motorcycle and flies planes in the wilds of Alaska. He’s all man and then some...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn steamy action-adventure adult -
Bad Taste In Men by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“You’ve been moping around long enough. Let me show you how these guys should be treating you.” Bailey Davis does not have bad taste in men. She’s just had some relationships that haven’t worked out. That’s totally normal. And she now has one broken engagement. Big deal. And an ex-fiancé who cheated on her. Okay maybe she has bad taste in men. At least the ones she plans to marry...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers steamy multi-pov forced-proximity contemporary small-town fiction book -
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 multi-pov romance contemporary -
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A Lodge Affair by Rachel LaBerge
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIvy Lawson loves a to-do list, hates surprises, and the only outdoor activity she’s interested in is brunch on a patio. After catching her long-term boyfriend—and co-worker—cheating, she’s thrown into leading a high-profile client event at The Emerald Canopy Lodge. AKA: her nightmare destination. Ivy finds herself desperate and anxious to get her job done and leave the lodge as soon as possible...Categorized as:
slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity multi-pov romance contemporary -
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Matchmaking a Roommate by Angela Casella, Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s her next makeover project. She’s his next mistake.IvyI’m Ivy Anders, popular romance novelist and small-town success story. Or so they say. I tell myself I’m only back in my hometown because my father had a heart attack, but that’s not the full story.I can’t go home. And the longer I stay, the less I want to...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity steamy multi-pov angst -
Call Me Crazy by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIt was the perfect plan.I needed a wife—temporarily—in order to inherit the family business.And she needed a favor—the kind that takes nine months to deliver.We had it all worked out, from the no-touching policy on our wedding night (her rule) to the no-falling-in-love decree (mine)...Categorized as:
angst cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov -
Mistletoe Baby by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI wasn't looking for my very own Cinderella...but I found her.Braking too fast when it's snowing? Bad.Crashing your new sports car? Worse.Kissing a beautiful stranger with lips that taste like vanilla who flees without sharing her digits...or even her name? Worst of all.But I was determined not to leave small town Crescent Cove before Christmas without finding my gorgeous mysterious woman... -
Every Time I Fall by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings you Every Time I Fall, a sexy standalone romance about a woman learning to love herself and the guy who’s loved her all along.He’s my brother’s best friend.The hot guy with the heart of gold I’ve never let myself want.Guys like Dean don’t go for girls like me.Curvy. Thick. A big girl... -
One Last Play by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe could be the one. I’ve spent twelve years caring for my niece Maddie who I adopted after my sister died. Having a daughter has made me picky when it comes to the women I spend time with. Not to mention dealing with the pressure of being a college football coach. But when I spot MJ at a mutual friend’s wedding, something draws me toward her... -
Shadowed Obsession by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsbook two coming this...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn multi-pov steamy grief -
Homebound by Meredith Trapp
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s Texas's toughest bull rider, and he’s determined to win her heart.Dakota and Wyatt. Storm and sunshine. Growing up, they were as inseparable as a pair of cowboy boots. The best of friends—or so Dakota thought... -
Everything But You by Harlow James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”I hate that part in a wedding, where everyone waits on pins and needles to see if someone has a reason why the couple shouldn’t get married.So, when I ran into my high school sweetheart and found out that she was engaged, I said my peace before she ever walked down the aisle... -
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Christmas On Stardust Lane by Garrett Leigh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA scarred ex-biker with a hardened soul. The hot new nurse in town guarding his own bruised heart. Tam Dubois is used to being alone. With a body that bears the marks of his mistakes, he’s grown to like it. But scratching out a living with pen and ink is tough, the numbers don’t work, and the only solution he can think of gives him the opposite of Christmas cheer.A lodger...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn multi-pov grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc angst -
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...Categorized as:
angst cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn -
WHERE TIME STANDS STILL by N.S. Perkins
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTwenty-six-year-old Wren Lawson knows she will soon forget who she is. With early familial Alzheimer’s disease written in her genes, it’s a fact she’s wrapped her whole life around; to indulge in friends or romance is a risk for everyone around her—one she’s not keen on taking. Throwing herself into her work as a lawyer is the only thing she can do...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn adult -
I Could Never by Penelope Ward
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new forbidden, enemies-to-lovers story… It all started with an unexpected phone call.Two years after my fiancé passed away in an accident, his father died suddenly, leaving Brad’s adult, special-needs brother with no one to care for him... -
A Lifetime Kissing You by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCharlesI have a great family, a successful career, and never struggle to find the company of a man when I want it, and I do—often. The loss of my brother years ago is the one dark spot in an otherwise perfect life. But at forty-three, my world suddenly feels emptier than it should. Something’s missing...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn grief angst steamy -
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... -
The Summer I Destroyed You by Elizabeth O'Roark
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“Destroying other people isn’t going to make you feel any better.”“That suggests you’ve never destroyed an enemy before. It’s actually quite fulfilling.”EMMYElliott Springs has small-town values, cobblestone streets, perfect scenery. These are things I don’t care about. What I do care Revenge...Categorized as:
slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov angst -
The Summer I First Saw You by Elizabeth O'Roark
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn angsty, age gap, forbidden romance from bestselling author, Elizabeth O’ Roark.Once upon a time, my buddy’s niece was a toddler in a swim diaper following me around the beach. Now Daisy’s twenty-one, the loveliest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, and blackmailing me into letting her stay for the summer.If she’s not bent over on my deck in yoga pants, she’s in a bikini that covers far less...Categorized as:
forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy -
Forbidden Dreams by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMontgavin Township will never be the same when one night changes the lives of six people.When the single mom moves in next door, it's your enemy's soon-to-be ex-wife.Lines are drawn, and I have to remember not to cross them.BradyFor once, my life was calm.Behind us was the threat our distillery was going to be shut down...Categorized as:
forced-proximity multi-pov grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy friends-to-lovers drama -
The Sweetest Obsession by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFalling for the best thing that never happened brings sweet mayhem in this steamy, gripping, and heartfelt small-town grumpy-sunshine standalone romance. My brother's best friend owned my heart until the day he drenched it in kerosene and burned it down.Grant flipping Faircross is so not the reason I'm coming home...Categorized as:
drama grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy romance -
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Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsIn the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man…King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time—in bed and out—and that’s exactly how he prefers it...Categorized as:
angst cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov slow-burn -
A Love Like That by Jenna Hartley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter my wife died, I never expected to fall in love again, let alone with her much younger sister. Elle's too young for me, though.Too vibrant and cheerful to be saddled with a grumpy widower and two little kids.Besides, she's only here for a few months before she moves on to follow her dreams.And there's no way we could be together even if she were staying...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grief grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov -
Second to None by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA stand alone second chance grumpy sunshine romance about Josie & Maddox by USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde...Maddox Nelson is the only boy I’ve ever loved.And the only one to break my heart.I thought I was over that long ago. After drowning the heartbreak in two failed marriages, I should want safe and easy, and Maddox is nothing but complicated...Categorized as:
angst cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn steamy adult -
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... -
Rebel by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the surface, Cameron Hass always seems a bit risky. First to take the dare, last to leave the tracks in the face of an oncoming train, the Boston rebel has always liked to flirt with danger. But underneath, he’s terrified. Not about breaking an arm or getting pulled over for driving twice the speed limit, but about the man he’s going to become when he graduates from Welles Academy...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc drama romance -
Tight Spot by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a fake relationship feels a little too real…. I’m in a Tight Spot. I’m not a nice guy. I’m too rude. Too gruff. I want to be left alone and stay in my lane as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Too bad management has a sudden problem with my image and all the fines I’ve been racking up. Now I’m told I need to settle down, shape up…or they’re shipping me out...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy multi-pov friends-to-lovers slow-burn forced-proximity
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