Books like 'It Should Have Been Us'
Readers who enjoyed It Should Have Been Us by Anna B. Doe also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town sports drama friends-to-lovers second-chances grief steamy enemies-to-lovers
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Gin Fling by Lucy Score, Claire Kingsley
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA slow grin spread across his face and I had to turn away from the wattage. It was like staring at the sun. The handsome sun that was making my core temperature rise and causing a hormone dump in my brain. — Shelby Thompson Personal trainer Jonah Bodine discovers more than he bargained for with the half-siblings he didn’t know he had in small-town West Virginia...Categorized as:
drama enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn steamy -
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:
sports suspense family enemies-to-lovers found-family forced-proximity multi-pov steamy -
Smolder by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s on the rebound, and he’s on the prowl. Aurora “Rory” Pike gave up her dream of becoming an opera superstar long ago. Now she’s content to teach music to the children of Snow Creek while helping her family recover from the wildfire that devastated them... -
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...Categorized as:
family friends-to-lovers slow-burn grief forced-proximity steamy romance contemporary -
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Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSince the moment our lives fell apart, the only thing that mattered was making a good life for my son. A life where he was happy and safe. I just never expected to find that safety with a hockey player known for his brutal dominance on the ice and his recklessness off it.But Cope Colson is so much more.The gentle way he makes sure we’re okay. The playful care he shows my son...Categorized as:
sports suspense forced-proximity found-family slow-burn friends-to-lovers athlete multi-pov -
Untaken Twin by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA forbidden romance.There’s only one thing worse than your fiancé dying . . .It's having to look into his face every single day.Or should I say - the face of his twin.So I left.I never knew promises were made. Then broken.And I surely never expected those promises to be about me.When I return to my hometown and see his face, the heartache I’ve been running from is front and center...Categorized as:
angst enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn steamy adult -
How to Say I Do by Tal Bauer
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsOpposites attract, sure. But when Manhattan glitz collides with Texas grit, will love be enough?Noël:Manhattan is my heart and soul. In the cutthroat world of elite public relations, I’m one of the princes. I manage global superstars, predict the up-and-coming trends, easy. And social media? That’s my specialty. I can make you, hon, and launch you straight to the stratosphere...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers found-family angst forced-proximity family grief multi-pov slow-burn -
Good Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third novel in New York Times bestselling author Kelly Elliott’s Meet Me in Montana series shows how family and true love can heal a broken past.After her mother died in a car accident when she was only five, and her father was determined not to show any emotions toward his only daughter, Timberlynn longs for a normal family... -
Strong Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe fourth, and final novel in New York Times bestselling author Kelly Elliott’s Meet Me in Montana series fires up the passion in a story about forgiveness and finding your soul mate.Dirk Littlewood had the world at his feet and a life he claimed to love. He was a world-champion bull rider with plenty of women to keep his nights busy and make his inner loneliness nothing but a delusion... -
The Worst Wedding Date by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe’s a tattooed shirtless bad boy. My best friend’s brother. And the jerk on the other side of my bed.I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother , but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade...Categorized as:
family drama enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn steamy romance contemporary -
Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great.Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest.So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest... -
Keep This Promise by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI am about to lose everything.My home. My name. My future.My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity second-chances friends-to-lovers steamy slow-burn angst family -
This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love … and biggest frenemy... -
Redeeming by Bella Matthews
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom USA Today and Amazon Top 5 Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes a Brother’s Best Friend, Surprise Pregnancy, Spicy Sports Romance.Callen Sinclair has been the bane of my existence since I was six years old.You’d think that would have been my first red flag.I mean... you’d be wrong, but you could think it...Categorized as:
sports family friends-to-lovers enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family multi-pov steamy -
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The One for Me (The Arrowood Brothers) by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNew York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels brings a new endearing friends-to-lovers story to life in the third STANDALONE in the Arrowood Brothers series.Devney Maxwell has been my best friend since we were six years old, but she has no idea I’m in love with her.Even when I’m on the road playing professional baseball, she’s my home—the only one I’ve ever known... -
Favorite Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe boy next door isn’t next door anymore.He’s in Vegas, preparing for the upcoming NFL season, and I’m still stuck in the small Midwestern town where we grew up.We should be together, but people wanted us apart. They won. Secrets are uncovered and lives are forever torn apart.Maybe it was a mistake to try to recapture what we once had after everything we’d been through... -
Honest Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s not the boy next door anymore, and I’m not the girl I used to be, either.His life is in the spotlight as one of the most popular professional football players on the Vegas Aces, while I can’t afford to have my secrets exposed. But as we work together on a project benefitting our small Midwestern town, we easily slip back into the friendship we once shared... -
Chasing Harlow by Jay McLean
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat started as a bet can only end in heartache.Moving to the middle of nowhere right before my senior year wasn’t ideal.Then again, neither was my brother dying.The move was supposed to be a fresh start.A new town, a new school, a new mindset.Too bad my past indiscretions followed me.Enter Jace Rivera, the literal boy next door.Jace is loved by the town. Admired by his peers...Categorized as:
sports angst forced-proximity found-family slow-burn friends-to-lovers grief enemies-to-lovers -
Late Nights & Love Lines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe job was simple. Answer the phone, solve the single dad’s dilemma, and move on.I’m the temporary solution.The fill-in.The short-term Single Dad Hotline Helper until a more suitable one can be found.I don’t get attached, I don’t stick around, and I certainly don’t fall for the single dad.Until the job said, “Hold my beer,” and tipped my world upside down...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers found-family multi-pov enemies-to-lovers drama romance contemporary small-town -
Bases Loaded by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlexis is backed into a corner as she looks between two doors. Behind door number one is the man her father is pushing her to marry, the man who’s good for her brand and her future. Behind door number two is me: the bad boy of baseball who happens to be the man she has fallen in love with.I wish we could just run away together. I promised I’d wait for her no matter how long it took... -
Running Wild: A Novel by K.A. Tucker
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling between the safe route and the one that will only lead to more heartbreak.Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman...Categorized as:
angst enemies-to-lovers family friends-to-lovers grief second-chances slow-burn steamy -
When Wrecked Meets Ruined by Emery Rose
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRidge McCallister. King of the junkyard. God of the gridiron. Cypress Springs’ beloved bad boy. With just a wink and a smile, he has most girls at his beck and call. Good thing I’m immune to his (debatable) charms.Don’t get me wrong, he is beautiful. With the body of a Greek god and the face of a fallen angel, who could resist? Too bad he’s so… Ridge... -
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... -
Perfect Wreckage (The Wrecked Series) by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMy past taught me to play it safe.To stay far away from handsome men who promised it all.My life was good without them. Stable, secure, predictable. But one kiss showed me that I’d been playing it safe for far too long.One night, and all I wanted was more of his wildfire.One challenge and my carefully constructed walls tumbled down... -
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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...Categorized as:
drama enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grief multi-pov second-chances -
Seeing Red by Bailey Hannah
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAll Cassidy Bowman wants is one night of recklessness… and to get back at her ex.Cassidy has strict rules: she doesn’t date locals, she doesn’t sleep with men she isn’t dating, and she doesn’t do anything that might jeopardize her good girl reputation. But after a run-in with her ex-boyfriend—and a few too many drinks—she’s ready to buck those rules and get revenge...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers enemies-to-lovers found-family steamy multi-pov forced-proximity romance western -
Alone with You by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine... -
June First by Jennifer Hartmann
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWant to know what happens to a man who barely claws his way out of a tragedy, only to fall right into the arms of the one girl in the world he can never have?Another tragedy, that’s what.When I was six years old, my father made a choice that altered the course of my entire life. Because of what he did, the only girl I ever loved became the only girl I couldn’t have...Categorized as:
angst drama family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grief multi-pov second-chances -
The Deeper I Fall by Erika Kelly
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's a rough and rugged hockey player. She's a posh British princess. To win an enormous inheritance, they’re forced to live together.This is not going to go well.When his former hockey coach passes away, Declan Cadell is shocked to learn the man left him a cattle ranch. Well, not exactly. He’s got one little hurdle to jump first... -
The Varsity Dad Dilemma by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings★ A new sexy, small town sports romance from USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin! ★What’s worse than having Rider Kingston, the star quarterback, give you the big brushoff because he doesn’t want to get serious? You’d probably think living across the street from him where you get a first-hand view of his hookups, right? That’s what I thought...Categorized as:
angst athlete drama enemies-to-lovers friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances sports -
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:
drama enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn adult -
Worth the Risk by K. Bromberg
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg comes a new, sexy standalone about taking chances and finding love when it’s least expected. Or wanted.This whole contest was supposed to be easy. I know, I know. Famous last words.It’s a long story, but I messed up at work. Big time. To earn back the trust of my boss, I promised to save one of our magazines. Yep...Categorized as:
angst drama enemies-to-lovers family friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances slow-burn -
On the Shore by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's the GOAT of the NFL. She's a hot-headed reporter who despises him. They're in the same small town for the summer. What could possibly go wrong?I'm more than aware of the responsibilities that come with being a quarterback in the NFL.The upside—I get to do what I love every day, which is play football.And I make more money than I know what to do with...Categorized as:
sports family enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn found-family friends-to-lovers steamy -
Tempting by Bella Matthews
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom USA Today and Amazon Top 5 Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes a Fake Dating, Teach Me, Spicy Sports Romance.A little white lie never hurt anyone . . . or so I thought.One fake date and we’d go our separate ways, at least that’s how hockey’s hottest golden boy—Nixon Sinclair—convinced me this would work. But it turns out, Nix had other plans...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers found-family forced-proximity multi-pov athlete family steamy -
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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:
enemies-to-lovers angst grief friends-to-lovers multi-pov forced-proximity slow-burn steamy -
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... -
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... -
Ever Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe’s hockey’s golden boy, my new client, and the man I’ve avoided for the last nine years. I was hired to fix him—but he’s not the only one who’s broken.Hawk Madden was my first love.I thought he would be my forever.But life wasn’t always fair.And grief could be a cruel beast.Fight or flight?I’d always run.But now he’s back in my life after all these years.With one look.One touch.One kiss...Categorized as:
athlete forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov second-chances sports adult book -
No Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll I want is my happy ending with the boy next door.Every time we get close, something threatens to break us. Half-sisters, town gossips, and jealous exes throw punch after punch, but we hold on tight to each other as we attempt to navigate the chaos.With his life in the spotlight as a professional football player, I start to feel like it might always be like this... -
Someone to Love by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Seaside ChroniclesJanuary 3, 2023On the HookSeasiders,News on the beach is Braxton Bradley has caught the eye of Seaside’s very own darling, Harlee Tilson. Now, this might come as a shock to many of you, since the eldest Bradley sibling has been rumored to have made a vow to never marry. After all, his fishing charter has always been his number one love... -
Silent Chaos by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBraxtonOur senior year, I promised my girl forever. Forever, as it turned out, wasn't enough. She told me so in her actions. When she took a match to my life, burning it to ash. I headed to LA with my band—Raging Chaos—like we always planned, while Kaylee went to college, taking my damaged heart with her. This was where our story was supposed to end. Only six years later, our lives collide again...Categorized as:
angst enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers second-chances steamy adult -
Somebody to Love by Wendy Vella
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe was the bad boy no one trustedBailey’s burned out and not sure what leads her back to Ryker Falls, but has a feeling it’s got something to do with closure. Bad boy Joe Trainer was once her soulmate, but she isn’t sure she has a soul anymore. Finding he’s made something of his life is a shock, as he’d been on a one-way trip to hell when she left...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers steamy multi-pov enemies-to-lovers romance contemporary small-town fiction -
Kissing the Rival by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCharlotteI’m not just kissing the rival… I’m falling for him.Spencer Pennington has always been a shameless flirt, but when it came to being the best in our MBA program, all bets were off, and the competition was on.Fast-forward a few years, and all it takes is a bar at a failed wedding and my silly kiss-rating system to lock lips with the enemy... -
That First Flight by Jenn McMahon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSomething tells me, nothing I do can stop myself from feeling things for my roommate.I’ve always wanted to be a chef.But the same day two pink lines showed up on the test, was the day I gave up chasing my own dreams to put my daughter first.I didn’t expect that to lead to a life of being scrutinized by my parents for every single move I made.After years of it, I was done...Categorized as:
forced-proximity found-family friends-to-lovers slow-burn multi-pov steamy romance contemporary -
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Forgiven by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn a split-second, a car crash killed almost everything between them. Ten years later, can one accidental ride fix tattered spirits, uncertain futures, and broken hearts? Lily Grantham has always done what she’s been told. The daughter of a senator, she grew up as the good girl of Fawn Hill, and carried that torch right on through to adulthood. Her only wild streak? Bowen Nash... -
Falls Boys by Penelope Douglas
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe HELLBENT Series—a spin-off to the Fall Away series—is coming! “The kids are growing up—different from their parents but the same in so many ways…” ARO Hawken Trent. So polite. So sweet. Such an upstanding young man. A virgin, too, I hear. He never gets naughty with a girl. Probably because Jesus told him not to. And now here he is, trying to be the hero by protecting another girl from me...Categorized as:
angst drama enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn -
Just Like That by Lena Hendrix
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe’s my sister’s ex, a stubborn jerk, and completely off-limits.Getting a man to give up custody of a son he didn’t know existed should have been easy. Trouble is, nothing with JP King is ever easy.Suave, grumpy billionaires aren’t supposed to have strong hands or filthy mouths, and I never expected our snippy banter to be so much fun...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity found-family multi-pov steamy suspense slow-burn -
Taste by Melanie Harlow
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo.But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days.With one small bed.Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin--but not me...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers family forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn steamy adult -
Bountiful by Sarina Bowen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNo last names. No life stories. Those were the rules. Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on. Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life... -
Bourbon & Bonfires by Andrea Johnston
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLandon Montgomery has suddenly found himself the lone bachelor in his group of friends. With a new career handed to him and a string of unsuccessful blind dates behind him, Landon is ready to search for love. A chance meeting and immediate attraction have him wondering if things are about to turn around or if he’s stuck in the single life forever...
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