Books like 'After the Shut Up Ring'
Readers who enjoyed After the Shut Up Ring by Cate C. Wells also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town friends-to-lovers kind-mc slow-burn forced-proximity found-family domestic-drama angst
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Hidden Miles by Claire Kingsley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 20 ratings“I wasn’t ready for this. Hannah deserved a man who was whole, not a broken shell. But I couldn’t resist her. Couldn’t resist this. It felt too good. And would that be so bad? To have something that felt good for once?” My name is Leo Miles, and I’m not a hero. I came home broken—wounded and scarred. It’s been five years, and I haven’t left my family’s land. Not once...Categorized as:
angst cheating domestic-drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn suspense -
Ember by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsINKED PROTECTOR REUNITES WITH A SINGLE MOTHER.Rocco Caldo is tall, dark, and handsome, but not interested in love. Loyal to a fault, he can’t turn away an old friend in need or a beautiful woman on the run…especially when they have unfinished business.Rebel Bishop is a single mom, looking for shelter, not a handout...Categorized as:
domestic-drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers suspense abuse adult audiobook book -
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:
suspense forced-proximity found-family slow-burn friends-to-lovers multi-pov romance sports -
Broken Love Story by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen one man’s death exposes a complex web of lies, three couples discover the true meaning of love, loss and redemption.Samantha I had the perfect life; a husband who loved me, and two kids who were my world. Until someone else answered his phone and my perfect life shattered. When he died, I was left with answers he couldn't give me and a box full of lies. He left me broken... -
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Stealing Home: St. Michaels Duet - Book 2 by Harlow Cole
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTo what lengths would you go to earn forgiveness? Would you beg? Would you borrow? Would you steal? Ashley I’ve given up. On my childish dreams. On getting out of this town. On love. On him. On everything. I’m barely treading water. Brayden I’m the man with it all. The pinstriped jersey covering my back garners easy cash, flashy cars and fast women...Categorized as:
angst cheating domestic-drama friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn athlete audiobook -
Triple Dare by C.M. Owens
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRUBY KROSS Who is Corbin Sterling to me? That's what people always want to know. He was my first friend. He was the love of my life. And he was my only heartbreak. The problem is that I love the big jerk, and I've refused to give up our friendship, even if it does mean it'll eventually ruin me. So, to answer the question... Corbin Fucking Sterling is the Bane of my existence; that's what he is...Categorized as:
angst cheating domestic-drama friends-to-lovers multi-pov adult alpha-mc billionaire -
Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTrust doesn’t come easily when you’ve been running for as long as I have, which is why moving in with a man I barely know is such a bad idea.Shepard Colson is all golden-boy charm and devastating good looks. But I know what it’s like to be taken in by easy smiles and the promise of forever—I have the scars to prove it...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity found-family friends-to-lovers slow-burn multi-pov angst kind-mc -
Stay Anyway by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsStella Getting pregnant in college wasn’t part of the plan, but I’ll never regret giving birth to the best part of me. Even if my parents did disown me for it. A fresh start in a small town seems like a good idea, until a handsome stranger shows me a little kindness and has me feeling things, I thought I’d never feel again… things I have no business feeling about a man I just met...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers slow-burn found-family kind-mc romance contemporary small-town new-adult -
Cheesy on the Eyes: Fake Dating Romcom by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDating is hard. Dating in a small town? Impossible.Leave it to my little brother to come back home announcing he knocked up his fiancée and the wedding has been moved…to next month.When he tries to set me up with one of his football buddies, I tell him I’ll be bringing my own plus-one.Only problem? I’m hopelessly single.Enter Sullivan Scott, AKA my hero... -
The Fisherman Series: Special Edition by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFEATURED IN THIS EDITION:• Special Edition Cover• A foreward from the author• The Naked Fisherman• The Lost Fisherman• Bonus content: select chapters from Fisher's point of viewUSA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Jewel E...Categorized as:
angst cheating domestic-drama forced-proximity friends-to-lovers kind-mc multi-pov adult -
Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratings"Kissing you feels like catching the sun…" At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend. But she's not the same girl Max once knew...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers slow-burn found-family angst romance young-adult contemporary coming-of-age -
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 friends-to-lovers slow-burn angst multi-pov romance contemporary -
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...Categorized as:
forced-proximity friends-to-lovers found-family angst suspense romance contemporary western -
Sterling Streak by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLove was a losing battle for this country music darling and a single dad, baseball star until one night brings them together and one small town sets the playing field for a possible winning streak.They call me Lady Boss. Maneater. Queen. But beneath the makeup, blond wig, and glitzy costumes, I’m just a country girl who likes to sing. I don’t hate men, I’m just struggling to find a good one...Categorized as:
forced-proximity multi-pov slow-burn cheating domestic-drama friends-to-lovers romance sports -
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My Kinda Song by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAbby Summer has been in love with one man most of her life, but he doesn’t know she exists. For years, Abby has watched him go home with woman after woman, not even noticing the one who stands loyally beside him. That’s why a dating site is the perfect solution to Abby’s problems: get over Levi and move on to someone else... -
Claim Me Forever by A.L. Jackson
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA single dad sheriff doing his best to protect his town. A gorgeous stranger caught trespassing. A love never expected…So, it turns out the town sheriff is a total cinnamon roll. A big, burly, grumpy, hot as sin, cinnamon roll. He found me hiding out on private property. Trespassing. I lied and told him I was only there because I was out of cash and had to sleep in my car...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity found-family friends-to-lovers multi-pov slow-burn kind-mc angst -
Romeo Falling by Jesse H. Reign
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat happens when he’s your Romeo…but you’re no Juliet? Romeo and I were friends long before we were lovers. Best friends. Ride or die. What started as an innocent kiss slowly unraveled and shattered, giving way to years of tears and total obsession.Now I’m back in the small town I call home, staring straight into the face of the only man I’ve ever loved…or hated...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers cheating domestic-drama angst slow-burn forced-proximity found-family romance -
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... -
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 -
Key to Hell by Alex Grayson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe highly anticipated conclusion of the Hell Night Series. Emo's story.Death. Destruction. Pain. A soulless void. It's his life. It's his reality. Emo doesn't feel. Anything. His soul is dark and filled with hatred. People in the small town of Malus watch him with fear, with reverence. Exactly the way he prefers it. Guilt surrounds him, caging him in an ominous past he refuses to let go... -
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:
suspense slow-burn found-family friends-to-lovers forced-proximity multi-pov romance contemporary -
Simply Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsShe’s looking for Mr. Right. I can offer her Mr. Right Now.That’s my specialty.He’s my best friend’s older brother.He was also my teenage crush and completely out of reach.But we had our secrets—moments that nobody knew about.I’d tucked them away in a safe place, and that’s where I’d planned to keep them.He’d moved to the city, and I’d moved on...Categorized as:
angst forced-proximity found-family friends-to-lovers multi-pov adult book coming-of-age -
She Was Mine First by M. Robinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a determined billionaire used to getting what he wants, and she’s prepared to marry the wrong man to prove to them she’s moved on. But neither of them is ready to let go of the past…A small-town, friends to lovers, second chance romance from Wall Street Journal & USA Bestselling Author M...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers angst slow-burn cheating domestic-drama multi-pov romance contemporary -
Eleven Eleven by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter my divorce, I decide to move across the country away from family and friends for a new start.What I don’t expect is him.He’s only supposed to be a one-night stand, but fate has other plans.The next time I see him it’s because I’m on a date with his dad...Categorized as:
found-family forced-proximity cheating domestic-drama angst suspense romance contemporary -
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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 romance contemporary small-town -
Dreams of You by Carina Adams
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDean Cullen.Boy next door. My best friend’s big brother. I’d known the arrogant, bossy, domineering jackass my entire life.Falling in love with him would be such a cliché.Not to mention, the town’s golden boy (insert eye roll here) had big plans to get the hell out of Dodge and they didn’t include me. Which was fine. I had my own life mapped out, far from his...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers angst cheating domestic-drama slow-burn multi-pov romance young-adult -
Ryder by T.L. Drake
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMiaI’ve been in love with Ryder since I was fourteen years old, admiring the older man from afar, knowing I can never have him. My grandfather didn’t want this life for me, so he put a do not touch order on me with his club, keeping me at arm’s length for more than half my life. I’ve made it known, painfully, that I wanted him. But Ryder had never shown a hint of interest in me... -
The Renegade Billionaire by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s got two reasons for getting out of bed every morning: Running his family’s empire and ruining his father. Braxton Reyes doesn’t have time for anything else in his life. At least not until his grandfather’s will is read. The only man Braxton ever trusted has just derailed everything he’s worked for... -
Runaround by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCan two people perpetually moving in opposite directions ever end up in the same place? Or will love just keep giving them the runaround? Webb Bryant is intimately acquainted with every type of trouble there is. Trouble is all he’s ever known and the only constant in his life. Webb’s a man constantly on the move. He’s a drifter. A wanderer... -
Dear Heart, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt all started with an ad."House sitter needed for the summer, free room and board."Guess I missed the part about the cocky basketball player sleeping down the hall...Finn Richards is hot, cruel, broken beyond repair. Oh, and did I mention hell-bent on making me quit?Whatever. It's not like his charms work on me, anyway...Categorized as:
angst cheating domestic-drama forced-proximity multi-pov slow-burn suspense betrayal -
Don't Forget Me Tomorrow by A.L. Jackson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen my best friend's little sister walks in on me moaning her name, it's all over. All restrains are shattered, and ever boundary demolished. Nothing will be the same. For years, I've tried to keep my distance from Dakota Cooper. She's everything I've ever wanted and the one thing I can't have...Categorized as:
suspense friends-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family slow-burn multi-pov angst romance -
Hold on to Hope by A.L. Jackson
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . . Evan Bryant wasn't your typical hero. But he was mine. Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know. My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever. The day I’d needed him most, he walked away... -
The Secret Hook-Up by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWatching too many women settle for mediocre men has made me lose my taste for relationships, but when I see Duncan Lavoie again after all this time, suddenly I’m starving...Categorized as:
forced-proximity friends-to-lovers slow-burn multi-pov kind-mc found-family romance sports -
Flower by Jaclyn Combe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAvaI am the pretty blonde cheerleader adored by all.The popular girl, living that so-called perfect life.But when my childhood sweetheart betrays me in the worst possible way, my entire world comes crashing down around me.They say you should always expect the unexpected in life. But the one thing I never expected… was him.MasonI am the high school nerd...Categorized as:
cheating domestic-drama friends-to-lovers kind-mc multi-pov suspense book contemporary -
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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 multi-pov forced-proximity contemporary small-town steamy fiction book -
All Autumn by Sandra Owens
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAutumn Stratton has it all. Or so she thinks until she catches her two-timing husband with his pants around his ankles. There is much Autumn can forgive but infidelity isn’t one of them. Since she obviously can’t trust her judgment in men, she decides they are only good for one thing… Connor Hunter has been friends with Autumn since the first grade, and she’s like a sister to him...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers cheating slow-burn angst domestic-drama romance contemporary steamy -
Because of Me by Katie Pearson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe aspires to be the girl he deserves.Becca Mills is desperate to give her son a better life. To do that, she heads to a new town where nobody knows her, except her mother and her mother’s dealer. When Becca meets Dereck, a tatted mechanic who enjoys making her blush and earning her smile, things get complicated...Categorized as:
slow-burn forced-proximity suspense friends-to-lovers romance dark contemporary small-town -
Firefly Effect by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor years, tales of the Firefly Man were nothing more than elaborate rumors spread by residents in the Great Smoky Mountains.Until the night Evelyn Vaughn stumbled upon a dead body in the woods.Fear gripped her, and silence stole her voice.All while she watched the boy she was with that night take the fall.Fourteen years later, Evelyn is nothing more than a shell of her former self...Categorized as:
suspense slow-burn friends-to-lovers multi-pov romance contemporary mystery small-town -
Caution by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLike every hardworking member of Harper Security Ops, Forrest Hickman takes time away from work to relax and recharge. And he often does that while riding his snowboard on the slopes of his favorite ski resort.He wasn’t sure anything would be better than some time alone to clear his head. That is, until he meets someone to spend his break with...Categorized as:
found-family suspense friends-to-lovers forced-proximity romance audiobook contemporary small-town -
Feels Like Home by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAndy Simpson never expected to be raising his teenage twin sons alone. Then again, he also never expected to walk into his house and see his wife with another man. In their bed. Or that it wasn’t her first time. Bitterness threatened to wrap around his heart, darkening every part of his life. But a brightness he wasn’t even looking for entered their lives and wouldn’t let it take hold... -
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...Categorized as:
angst domestic-drama found-family friends-to-lovers slow-burn adult book contemporary -
So Flocked by Sarah Estep
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter the wedding, they’ll go their separate ways and no one will ever know what happened in the lighthouse.Jordy Taylor is a disaster. Over the hill by professional football standards, the veteran quarterback isn’t ready to hang up his pads just yet, but his team might have other plans...Categorized as:
forced-proximity found-family multi-pov friends-to-lovers kind-mc romance contemporary sports -
It Should Have Been You by Laura Ashley Gallagher
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA decade of distance, a lifetime of secrets, and an attraction that refuses to fade…Beth was only looking for one last night of adventure when she met Logan, just before her departure for an internship in London. The attraction between them was undeniable, and a wild ride on the back of his Harley was a temptation she couldn't resist...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn found-family suspense romance small-town billionaire -
Waiting for Her by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOur relationship was such a cliché. Friends to lovers. High school sweethearts. Then... driven by insecurities, I broke Grady Ryan’s heart. I was weak, afraid to love, and even more afraid to be loved. There are secrets I’ve kept buried but I can’t forget what we once shared. I’ve been given a second chance and this time, I’m prepared to fight for him...Categorized as:
cheating domestic-drama friends-to-lovers multi-pov adult audiobook book contemporary -
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Noah's Journey by C.A. Harms
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe years that were taken can never be repaid. The memories stolen can never be returned. But I had to move forward…for him, my son. Noah had spent years wondering what he could have done differently. Wondering what he’d done wrong to make Stacey leave. The heartache from her absence and the what-ifs of their past eventually turned to anger—and then disgust... -
Made for You by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne decision. Two lives ripped apart. For Holden Warner and Emylie Sanchez, the road back to each other has been long and jagged. Each of them hiding from the truth, but unwilling to move on from the love they share. When life no longer allows them to run from their past, they soon realize they’re two souls who will never fit anywhere except … with each other... -
Navarro by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy late wife made a bet with me: if I marry her brother, I have to take his last name. “That's the rule. You marry two Navarros, you become one of us.” Renée always did have a sense of humor—even as she was dying—but I’ll never love anyone the way I loved her. Falling for my brother-in-law? Psh. Desi’s almost twenty years younger than me and far too pretty. Besides, my son would never forgive me... -
Yesterday Is Gone by Hj Bellus
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey say going home is easy, and in all reality, it should be. Just not for me. The small, one-horse town that gave me my roots, that made my soul thrive, is also the place I never wanted to set foot in again. I left everything behind and never looked back. Until now. With the death of the man who raised me, I’m forced to return to Boone... -
Meet Me in the Blue by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMeet me… in the place where the sun kisses the horizon and sinks into blue shades of you and me.Meet me there… where everything was always perfect. You and me and the damp grass at dawn and the gray dirt in the late evening rain.Meet me where we were ourselves and not these two people who can’t even say I love you... -
The One I Left Behind by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s the classic story—boy goes off into the world to fulfill his dreams and leaves the girl behind.Not every boy returns home, and I wish Ben Noughton wouldn’t have come back to our small ranching town at all after he retired from playing professional football.I figure it’s a quick layover for him. He always wanted out of this town and off his family’s ranch...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers found-family slow-burn angst forced-proximity suspense romance contemporary
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