Books like 'The Nerd & the Ex-Con'
Readers who enjoyed The Nerd & the Ex-Con by Sage Abbott also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town steamy mlm lgbtq age-gap friendship humor family
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Letting Go at 40 by L.B. Dunbar, Stella Hunter
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA bereaved widow finds herself with a chance at love after loss with the most unlikely of people: her late husband’s best friend.Anna Kulis has lost her husband. Their love was a perfect kind of love; a once in a lifetime experience. She never intended to find love again. Never expected to have this attraction stirring inside her... -
Not Part of the Plan by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author comes a new installment to the Blue Moon small town romance series. A womanizing bad boy with a motorcycle and sexy-as-sin smile is not part of Emma’s life plan. She moved cross-country to be close to family and finally settle down in hippie, trippy, nosey Blue Moon Bend... -
Fools by Lucy Lennox, May Archer
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTucker Wright’s Clues for Life:What’s a 4-letter word for an utterly oblivious, totally commitment-phobic, heartbreakingly gorgeous man with a pet pig named Bernadette? That’d be D-U-N-N, as in Dunn Johnson, my very best pal and fishing buddy since I moved to Licking Thicket... -
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... -
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Small Town Swoon by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOnly in the movies does the Hollywood heartthrob fall for the small town diner waitress.So when Dashiel Buckley returns to Cherry Tree Harbor for a wedding, I’m determined not to let my massive crush on my best friend’s older brother hijack my good sense.(It happened once before. Do not recommend.)But when my hand is injured, it’s Dash who steps in at the diner... -
A Change of Heart by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe was never meant to fall for her best friend’s brother...Seren has had a soft spot for her best friend’s brother for as long as she can remember. But when she starts to see Kit as more than just a friend, she knows she’s on dangerous ground.Avoiding him is probably her best course of action, but that’s easier said than done when you live on a tiny island... -
Secrets by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWill their secrets be too much, or exactly what the other needs?Larson knows two things: Doms think he’s too big to be a little, and he’ll never find a Daddy. He buries himself in work at the firehouse, the homes he remodels, and creating stunning woodwork, all while telling himself that he’s happy... -
The Art of Husbandry by Jay Hogan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen life drowns you in lemons, to hell with making lemonade. I wanted to burn the whole world. But eighteen months from the day my life was torn apart, I’m tired of the anger. Tired of the nightmares. Tired of putting one foot in front of the other just trying to survive. Three months on a high country sheep station in the middle of nowhere is exactly the reboot I need. A chance to break free... -
The Fire by May Archer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJAMIE Parker Hoffstraeder is gorgeous, cocky, and totally irrational. He also broke my heart when he left town eleven years, four months, and twenty-eight days ago. Not that I’m counting. I don’t mind admitting it: I was young. I got burned. I learned my lesson... -
If Only In Our Dreams by Fae Quin
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes a meet-cute, a long nap, and a sexy-ass bicep is just what the doctor ordered.Ben Montgomery - I’m not sure if I’ve ever believed in love at first sight. In my forty-five years on this earth, the only sort of love I’ve known is the unconditional, soul-healing kind I have for my twin daughters... -
Zane by Nicole Edwards
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsVanessa Carmichael will never forget that horrible day for as long as she lives. With Zane fully on the mend from the brutal attack he suffered right in her very own yard, she knows she should be grateful, which she is. She also knows that walking away from Zane might be the only way to keep him safe... -
Love You More by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsColleen Luview's love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she's ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room.She's untouchable now, and it's not her fault... -
Don't You Wanna Stay by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Money Pit meets Fixer Upper in the next installment of the Men of the Misfit Inn series. After a lifetime spent trying to prove he's not a screw-up, contractor Wyatt Sullivan is ready to take his YouTube channel, DIWyatt, to the big time. But he needs more than the one-man flips that built his reputation...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers forced-proximity multi-pov drama steamy humor contemporary small-town -
Object of My Desire by R.L. Kenderson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA romance author, a cover model, a book signing … a crush. Ordinary women like me know we shouldn’t fall for beautiful men like Travis Zehler, one of the hottest cover models in romance fiction. But, sometimes, we can’t help ourselves. When I meet him at a book signing, my attraction to him is instant. I’m infatuated, and I can’t stop thinking about him... -
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Defender by Nicole Dykes
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTravis WyattAll I’ve ever wanted was to go to college and get out of Kensley. That small town is all I’ve ever known. I want to be free to be myself, not stifled by small minds in the football-loving town where I grew up.And then I blew my one and only chance.So now, I’m just stuck. Stuck in small-town life, with the same small-town people I’ve always known. Stuck where I don’t want to be... -
Taming Teddy by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsalternate cover edition of ASIN B01N2T0IRWTeddy: If there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s commitment. You don’t become an award-winning photographer by staying in one place. I’m always on the road, looking for the next shot, the next award, the next hot body. Which is how I end up on Dr. James Marian’s front porch in the middle-of-nowhere Alaska... -
Borrowing Blue by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBlue: When my ex walks into the resort bar with his new husband on his arm, I want nothing more than to prove to him that I’ve moved on. Thankfully, the sexy stranger sitting next to me is more than willing to share a few kisses in the name of revenge. It gets even better when those scorching kisses turn into a night of fiery passion... -
Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsTiller:As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul... -
No Vacancy by Stephanie Rose
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan a summer fling become the love of a lifetime? Perpetual good girl Caterina Longo is dependable to a fault. At 33, she’s never called in sick. Never had a one-night stand. Never taken a chance in her entire life... -
I've Got You by Becca Seymour
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a single dad and a newly outed veterinarian meet by chance, it takes red-cheeked conversations, a tentative friendship, and the willingness to put their hearts on the line to show these men they’re made for each other. Single dad Davis Jackson is busy balancing his coffee shop and being the best dad he can be. That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely... -
Fluke by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSEEKING AN EX-HUSBAND I need a fake ex-husband. Let me explain … I may have let it slip to my new co-workers that I have an ex-husband. Now they’re fascinated with the details, specifically with him. Why wouldn’t they be? He’s gorgeous, has exceptional skills in the bedroom, and is determined to win me back. But there’s a problem. He doesn’t exist...Categorized as:
humor friends-to-lovers forced-proximity multi-pov friendship family romance contemporary -
Devil's Own by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s nothing Devil loves more than giving Angel whatever he wants, especially when it’s what he wants too. The only question is… Does Raven want them?Of course, I’ve noticed Angel and Devil noticing me. I’ve felt their eyes and the deep pulse of their heated wanting... -
Color Me In by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCaleb White has been a lot of places and made a lot of decisions he isn’t proud of. He’s ready to settle down and figure out who he really is. Where better to do that than Last Chance, the home he was ripped away from at sixteen? A fresh start is in order, but he has no idea how to do that when he’s not even sure what he wants in the first place. Ryan Daily is a pro at hiding his insecurities... -
Take Me Home: A Small Town Rock Star Love Story by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA grammy-winning rock star falls for a small-town girl in this all-new standalone romance from author Carrie Elks.Gray Hartson is coming home. After years of playing to sold-out stadiums around the world, the tattooed singer is determined to build bridges with his sick father and reconnect with the family he left behind.But then he meets her . . -
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The Gift by May Archer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDanielI suck at relationships and don’t trust anyone, but there are reasons for that. For one thing, every person I’ve ever cared about has let me down. The only recent exception: O’Leary’s town veterinarian...my new best friend. I came to O’Leary for a fresh start. To pare things down to essentials. To forget about the failures in my past... -
Dare Me by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDare Me is part two of the Dare to Try trilogy and should only be read after Dare You.The moment Bash “Miss Razzle Dazzle” Vogel sashayed into Lieutenant Kieran Bailey’s life, both their worlds were turned upside down. What started as an easy friendship quickly morphed into sizzling chemistry that neither one could deny... -
Falling for my Brother's Best Friend by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLet’s say you’re an independent, self-sufficient woman who runs the family company and you find yourself falling for your little brother’s best friend. Now, more than ever, you need to count all the reasons why you need to abandon falling.Abandon Falling #1 – He’s a womanizer. Hasn’t had a serious relationship a day in his life and changes women more often than he changes his sheets... -
Employing Patience by Saxon James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsArtWhen it comes to regrets, I have none. My life is perfect. I own a bar, work hard, party harder, and smother my niblings in all the love they deserve. I don’t need to settle down, as much as my sister might want me to.But then Joey Manning walks into my office and leaves me all but begging to give him a job … and wanting to give him so much more... -
Trapped with the Mountain Man by Lilah Hart
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHe's a firefighter trying to prove himself. But now he's trapped in a tattoo parlor with a woman he can't resist.I was just trying to warm up.The tattoo parlor where I work is freezing cold, so at closing time, I decide to hop in one of the few tanning beds in the building and warm up.But when the security alarm goes off for some reason, a hunky firefighter breaks in to save me... -
Just A Kiss by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe's the one woman he shouldn't want... Caitie Russell's big brother is getting married. As the proud owner of Holiday Magic, Caitie is the obvious choice to organise the perfect Christmas wedding. Piece of cake, right? If it weren't for one gorgeous, man-shaped problem... Her brother's best friend, Brecken Miller. He was her first crush. Her first kiss. Her first broken heart... -
Shaun's Salvation by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRomance is the last thing Shaun wants, but what if it’s exactly what he needs – and deserves?A selfless son barely holding onShaun doesn’t have much of a life. When he’s not working in the restaurant in Portland, Maine, he’s home looking after his dad, who has dementia... -
Redemption by E. Davies
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“I’ll make up my own mind about you.” Months after he was mugged in Houston, legal secretary Jasper Barnes is still hiding out in Hidden Creek. Self-defense classes would boost his confidence. Problem is, the guy offering them is Chad Allaback, and he has a reputation, to say the least... -
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 -
Starts With a Bang by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe best way to get over a cheating jerk is to get under someone new. Dominic isn’t looking for love or salvation at the Thirsty Cowboy. He needs a temporary escape from the drudgery his life has become, and the universe provides him with the sexiest distraction he’s ever seen. Sven is a sucker for sad eyes, thick thighs, and a Royal Cosmopolitan... -
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Loving My Omega by C.W. Gray
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSam and Teague have been best friends for years. Now that they are both single, can friendship become more?Hurting from a break-up, Sam moves home to Hobson Hills to take care of his great-aunt. After a year passes, he realizes the only thing he misses from his life in Seattle is the one man that has always been there for Sam, his best friend, Teague... -
Levi's Love by K.C. Wells
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUnrequited love hurts like hell Levi Brown has loved Noah White since he was a teenager, but Noah isn’t looking for a relationship. Every time Levi sees him, his heart aches for what it cannot have. Because dear Lord, he wants Noah, in his life, in his bed.Especially in his bed. The only reason Levi is still a virgin is because he was waiting for Noah. Except Noah doesn’t want him... -
Dirty Promises by Aubrey Bondurant
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Oakley Winters travels to her best friend’s wedding, the last thing she expects is to be stranded on the side of the highway by her date. Luckily, a handsome stranger stops to rescue her. But it turns out her hero isn’t a stranger after all. Max Brooks dreads a return to his small town, but it’s impossible to say no to his sister’s request to attend her wedding... -
Mother Bucker by Elle Thorpe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGetting pregnant then realising your baby daddy is a cheating, lying, scumbag? That happened.But then Abel James walks into my life. One hot look from the broad-shouldered cowboy and I’m ready for all the sexy fun I won’t be having once I start showing.Only one problem. He’s my father’s best friend and almost twenty years older than me.He’s off limits. I’m completely forbidden... -
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... -
The F Word by Misti Murphy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFalling for my donor daddy isn’t part of the plan. It must be the hormones!Jane.I’ve dreamed of being a mother forever.But then my ex left me for his perfect new girlfriend and their matching corgis.And my health robbed me of time.So I’m taking matters into my own hands.I’m going to have a baby alone.Well, except for one tiny detail. The donation I need to get the ball rolling... -
Grumpy Bear by Slade James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHooking up with an employee is not on my to-do list.Making sure other men have a good time is my business, even if it means suppressing my own desires. It’s opening weekend at my clothing-optional campground, guests are starting to arrive, and I’ve got a pool party and a few hundred peoples’ vacations to save while battling Mother Nature’s tantrums... -
Convincing Cole by Jaclyn Quinn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCole Sullivan Life's been pretty amazing. Moving back to my hometown of Coral Pointe Inlet and opening Shore Thing Management with my four best friends is the best decision I've ever made. Falling back into old habits with an ex? Not so much... -
Return to Blackcreek by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis December it's time to go back... Wes and Braden Braden plans a surprise weekend getaway for him and Wes. Two days alone in a cabin with his husband? There’s no telling what kind of trouble they can get into. Wes isn’t fooled though. He knows this weekend is about more than just a sexy escape... -
Whiskey Throttle by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLincoln I’ve done a good job getting over my past. I’m not only proud of who I am, but revel in it. Still, I don’t let myself get too close to people. With closeness comes questions and those pesky feelings, and I’m having none of that. I’ve got a great job, friends, I’m cute and twinky, and my bed’s never empty. What more do I need? Except I can’t stop sleeping with Rush Alexander... -
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Game On by Riley Hart, Devon McCormack
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCARTER Relationships--who needs 'em? As a personal-assistant-extraordinaire to one of the top PR firms in Los Angeles, I've dedicated most of my life to errand-running and people-pleasing. But when it comes to men, as much as I love to please them in the bedroom, I'm way too busy to give more than that. Fortunately, as far as my options go.. -
Stroker by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIs there an easy way to tell your lifelong best friend that you secretly married his brother eight years ago? Asking for a friend…When Gates shows up needing a place to crash, I offer him my spare room. Whatever happened between us nearly two decades ago is water under the bridge. I don’t lie awake at night wondering what could have been. Nope, definitely not... -
Christmas Wish List by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn need of work and a change of scenery, Aussie ex-pat Jayden Turner agrees to a short-term chef position at a Bed and Breakfast over the Christmas holidays. After all, how hard could it be in a small town in the mountains of Montana? What he finds is a grand old house in a beautiful town, and his new boss is gorgeous, gay, and single... -
A Little Bit like Desire by Brooke Blaine
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat if you had everything in the world you wanted...except the man you never knew you needed? Shaw Jennings, the seductive, enigmatic owner of Body Electric Tattoo works hard and plays even harder. He’s built a life he’s proud of, and though that doesn’t include a significant other, he’s got plenty of sexy men to keep his bed warm at night... -
Roommate Arrangement by Saxon James
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPayne:In search of: room to rent.Must ignore the patheticness of a forty-year-old roommate.Preferably dirt cheap as funds are tight (nonexistent).There’s nothing sadder than moving back to my hometown newly divorced, homeless, and lost for what my next move is.When my little brother’s best friend offers me a place to stay in exchange for menial duties, I swallow my pride and jump at the offer... -
Flirt by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSassy-mouthed Stevie Devore has always had a crush on the local fire chief. Gorgeous silver fox, Evan Paige, is way out of Stevie's league, however, not to mention the chief has always been a ladies' man, but when Stevie turns twenty-one, he decides he's tired of only daydreaming about Evan...
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