Books like 'Love & Ruin'
Readers who enjoyed Love & Ruin by J.A. Owenby also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance psychological university female-mc coming-of-age enemies-to-lovers literary-fiction family
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Seducing Kaden by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA student-teacher forbidden romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Standalone with an HEA and no cliffhanger. Kaden The woman I love will never be mine because she already belongs to another. I’ve tried everything to forget her, but it’s impossible when she occupies a starring role in my dreams... -
Departed: David and Sara by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRecently widowed Sara Ness moves to Cliffside Bay to hide from her painful past and the scandal that cost her far too much. With a baby daughter to raise alone, the peaceful privacy of small town life, and the comfort of the local grief support group, are just what the heiress needs... -
Marred: Kyle and Violet by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKyle Hicks started with nothing. Now he's a self-made man. And as luck would have it, his latest project as a real estate developer lands him in Cliffside Bay with his very best friends, The Dogs. At the end of his grueling work days, Kyle's got just enough time left for his buddies and not much else... -
Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne career-ending mistake sends Lance Mullen home to Cliffside Bay in search of a fresh start. And in no time at all, home begins to feel like the place he was always meant to be. With his beautiful new beach house, his friends and family close by, and a profitable business to grow, life really is good. That is until his heart tries to wreck everything... again... -
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What Now?: New for 2021! The hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? by Shari Low
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? from Shari Low.Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right. Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Blue Ink by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlotte Wilde gives her heart to the wrong men. The last one left with her life savings and their nubile neighbor. Her first published cozy mystery is a flop. Her literary agent’s about to dump her. She has a serious case of writer’s block. And she’s dead broke. Which is how she finds herself in rural Idaho looking after her former boss's elderly mother-in-law. While Mrs... -
Jilted: Nico and Sophie by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDespite being young and romantically inexperienced, Sophie Woods is an old soul who believes in true love, working hard at her bar, and always trusting her instincts. And from the moment she meets Nico, she knows without a doubt that he is her one-and-only... -
The Story of Our Secrets by Shari Low
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsColm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past.Shauna, his second wife, adored him. But one night she broke their marriage vows, and didn’t get time to ask Colm’s forgiveness.Jess was the first Mrs O’Flynn... -
Third Chances by Ivy Smoak
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDaphne - I've always regretted not being confident enough to talk to my college crush. When he shows up during my friend's bachelorette party, I refuse to let my second chance slip through my fingers.Rob - It was impossible to forget the beautiful brunette from campus. But I've always known she wasn't one night stand material. So I kept my distance... -
Margaritas at the Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn upscale hotel like The Beach House Hotel sometimes attracts surprise guests….Ann and Rhonda continue overseeing their Beach House Hotel along the Gulf Coast of Florida and providing guests with a lovely experience of good eating, relaxation, and the privacy many of them require... -
Blue Twilight by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDeath came between them in high school. Will solving a painful cold case bring them together at last?Carlie Webster remains haunted by the past. After a messy failed marriage sends her packing for her small hometown, she relives the memories of her sister’s thirty-year-old unsolved murder... -
Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis, Fiona Jayde Media
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBrad: I’m in love with my best friend’s girl. She knows it. He knows it. Everyone knows it. Faye will never be mine, but try telling that to my stupid heart. An endless rotation of girls streams in and out of my bedroom in a desperate attempt to forget her, but nothing eases the horrid ache in my chest. Rejection isn’t anything new for me, but it hasn’t gotten any easier... -
The Correspondent by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe can’t stand him. He loathes her. Fate has other plans.When a snowstorm strands these enemies in an abandoned cabin, will they begin to see each other in a whole new way?After fighting her way out of poverty, Stormi Collins is finally going places... -
Montana Promises by Kim Law
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s falling for his brother’s ex—as if he needs another reason to go. Nate Wilde is ready to leave Birch Bay. He’s been home too long as it is and extending his visit means risking fantasies of staying for good. Wants and desires never work out for him, though. With good comes bad, and he’s had enough bad to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, his siblings need him... -
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Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsZane Shaw isn't the type to cower in a corner, until he meets Honor Sullivan. She's the most phenomenal woman he's ever met, but he's been burned before and so he's doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn't left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be. Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn't just any man... -
Missed: Rafael and Lisa by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReturn to the beloved beach town of Cliffside Bay, where USA Today bestseller Tess Thompson spins another emotional, intriguing tale about overcoming adversity and finding strength in love in this standalone story about Lisa and Rafael. After years of struggling as a starving actor, Lisa Perry's dreams are finally coming true...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction family contemporary womens-fiction psychological sad fiction -
The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree talented women are brought together by a man they all love, becoming his Desert Flowers, who work together to save his hotel from being ruined by the company buying it…When Lily Weaver is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, and to come to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc family fiction womens-fiction psychological sad contemporary -
A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBeth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade... -
The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTake the warmth and wit of Maeve Binchy and the secrets and twists of a Liane Moriarty and you get the utterly original and compelling voice of Carmel Harrington, a voice that has captured the hearts of readers around the world. Set on a beautiful leafy street in Dublin, the novel explores the unlikely friendship between two neighbours...Categorized as:
family female-mc literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
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... -
Keep by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Gentry boys were never supposed to be a success story. In their bleak prison hometown their very name was a curse and everyone expected the boys would follow the same path as the vicious generations that came before them. But everyone was proven wrong. And on this wedding day of dreams they will all gather to watch one of their beloved daughters marry her prince... -
The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything. Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter... -
The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was supposed to be a night to forget. After a night of sizzling passion, they agreed to never contact each other again. Fate disagreed.Jamie Wattson has no use for men who leave and as far as she’s concerned, they all do. She’s focused on running her inn and spending time with girlfriends. Life is simple and she wants it that way... -
The Desert Flowers - Willow by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe power of love and the strength of women working together are proved once again.When Willow Sanchez is asked to help Alec Thurston, the man for whom her parents work and who’s always treated her as the daughter he once lost, she doesn’t hesitate to leave Boston and come back home to Palm Desert, California...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc family womens-fiction contemporary small-town slow-burn psychological -
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Life Goes On by Kelly Moore
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHappy go lucky Olivia McDill adores her fairy-tale life, married to the man of her dreams. It’s a love that should’ve lasted a lifetime…then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. She learns too quickly that life can be unfair, and she’s left trying to pick up the pieces and make sense of things on her own... -
What the Heart Remembers by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOverview TWO LOVERS. ONE CHANCE AT HAPPINESS....When Max Martinelli returns to Paris in search of her lost love, what she finds will change her life forever. For three years the memory of Julien Marceau has haunted Max. Her life is stuck on hold simply because she can't stop wondering what would have happened if she had gone back... -
The Desert Flowers - Rose by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree talented women brought together by a man’s love…When Rose Macklin is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, by coming to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate. He’s dying of cancer and needs her help overseeing the sale of his hotel, the Desert Sage Inn, to another hotel group...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc family womens-fiction psychological sad contemporary religion -
A Summer of Secrets by Kay Correll
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA woman with a secret. A man who will never forgive her. Cece Stuart hadn’t planned on ever finding love and she’s made her peace with that. Really, she has… Zach is over women and their secrets. Really, he is… But fate laughed at them, as it often does, and threw them together finishing up a new wedding venue at Sweet River Lodge... -
Three Complete Novels: Heaven/Dawn/Ruby by V.C. Andrews
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis volume features the first novels in three thrilling V.C. Andrews' series: "Heaven, Dawn, " and "Ruby"--an unprecedented hardcover collection--complete and unabridged--at an inviting price! Available... -
The Key to the Last House Before the Sea by Liz Eeles
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTears trickling down her cheeks, she recognises her grandmother’s writing scrawled across the manila envelope. Inside is an engraved key that sits heavy in her hand. Will the tumbledown cottage be the start of a new life – or will it tear her life apart?With her back to the sparkling sea, single mum Nessa stands in the doorway of the stone cottage her grandmother left behind... -
Shattered by Control by B.B. Hamel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsYou're my wife, you will sleep in my bed. When a brutal shooting forces me onto the sidelines of a raging mafia war, I need a discreet physical therapist to help get me back in the game.That’s how gorgeous Mirella Falconet stumbles into my life.I offer her the world: money, power, whatever she wants, so long as she keeps her mouth shut and does her job...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers family female-mc action-adventure adult alpha-mc book contemporary -
Hearts on Fire by Julia Gabriel
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Julia Gabriel does an amazing job with this devastatingly, heartbreaking love story." — RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars, Top PickReturn to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Julia Gabriel’s new series about love, family, and second chances ... The 300-year-old town of St. Caroline, Maryland, is part fishing village and part summer playground for the wealthy and powerful... -
Finding Me by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSheena Sullivan Morelli and her sisters, Darcy and Regan, receive the unexpected news that their Uncle Gavin Sullivan, the black sheep of the family, has left them a hotel on the Gulf coast of Florida. The gift comes with a twist. They must live together for one year at the hotel and prepare the hotel to receive guests within a year... -
Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn unusual inheritance leads to a life-changing journey in a novel of romance, secrets, and the treasure of found family.Blythe Harmon is on the fast track to a life she never wanted... -
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In Her Father's Shadow by Quinn Avery
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSienna Rivers’s aspirations for a normal childhood came crashing down the night they discovered her father was a serial killer. Once her mother’s illusion of a perfect family is destroyed, Sienna is sent to live with the only other “family” she knows... -
Riversnow by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA famous actress goes head-to-head with a powerful politician when she dares to name her abuser publicly in this small-town romance ripped from the headlines by USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson. Genevieve Banks is one of Hollywood's most successful actresses. While on set in the small Oregon town of River Valley, she forms a deep friendship with her handsome male co-star...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction female-mc romance fiction contemporary audiobook womens-fiction -
To Provence, with Love by T A Williams
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEscape to the south of France with this perfect feel-good summer romance! Anything is possible… Struggling writer Faye Carter just can’t believe her luck... -
The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc literary-fiction audiobook book contemporary domestic-drama -
Say You Love Me by Sarah J. Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Jeremy Wyatt is the biggest playboy you’ll ever meet. He’s a great attorney and a decent friend, but he’s an ass to women. He’s all about the conquest, and then he loses interest. You’re too good for a guy like him. And I don’t want to have to break his arms for messing with you. You’re young, Lena. And a little naive. A man like Jeremy would eat you up and spit you out... -
Cub Creek by Grace Greene
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the heart of Virginia, where the forests shelter secrets and the creeks run strong and deep ~ Libbie Havens doesn’t need anyone. She’s fine on her own. When she chances upon the secluded house on Cub Creek she purchases it. She’ll show her cousin Liz, and other doubters, that she can rise above her past and live happily and successfully on her own terms... -
How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsVicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious... -
Winter Magic on Railway Lane by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJoin the residents of Railway Lane for one last magical adventure… Globetrotting Libby Jacobs has lost her job but is looking forward to spending more time in her home village of Cranfield.She dreams of turning her chocolate making hobby into something more permanent. There’s only one problem - Ethan Connolly...Categorized as:
family female-mc coming-of-age romance fiction audiobook contemporary womens-fiction -
Christina by Leanne Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy entire life I’ve lived with shadows lurking behind what otherwise appears like the perfect family. My mother often disappears into her bedroom for days at a time because her life becomes too much to deal with. I never understood it. I know there are family secrets. I hear the whispers and innuendos. But no one wants me to know the truth. The thing is: I’m not a little girl anymore... -
The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet by Susan Ward, Andrea McKay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Some secrets are meant to be kept forever. What no one ever tells you is that secrets hurt you and never the ones you lie to. They are your solitary hurt and shame. The people you withhold them from go on with their lives. They live. They fuck. They love. They are unharmed by your silence and the words you haven’t yet shared.” ~Chrissie Parker “We have a perfect life together... -
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The Truth She Knew by Andrew Brown
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMama didn’t want me. In fact, she would’ve traded my soul back for someone different if God would’ve let her, but he didn’t, so she was stuck with me. For eighteen-year-old Lacey, life at home is a rollercoaster. She doesn’t think she’ll ever be good enough to truly deserve Mama’s love. But when Lacey enters college and meets Walker, everything starts to change...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc literary-fiction university adult anthologies contemporary -
The Ties That Bind Us, Part One by Danda K.
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 :𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗.𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑖𝑡.𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕.𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚕, 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎, 𝚜𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers female-mc coming-of-age literary-fiction romance dark contemporary mental-illness -
His Uptown Girl by Liz Talley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife doesn't follow rules... Jazz pianist Dez Batiste knows this all too well. It's taken him years to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina swept away what mattered most. His musician's soul is still lost in the wreckage, but he's after a brand-new future by opening an Uptown jazz club. Too bad the distractingly sexy Eleanor Theriot is getting in his way... -
Prove Me Right by Anna Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne weakness can change everything. Meara and Liam were friends before they could talk, in love since they could drive, and planning their future before they graduated high school. In order to start the life they’ve always dreamed of, Liam just has to finish his tour with the band. He doesn't want anyone else. Liam's only ever had eyes for Meara, and he can't wait to finally get home to her... -
Change of Heart by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEmerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica... -
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library...
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