Books like 'Mess With Me'
Readers who enjoyed Mess With Me by Claire Wilder also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town suspense marriage-of-convenience grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc arranged-marriage forced-proximity
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The Resurrection of Wildflowers by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt took me a while to learn that sometimes no matter how much, or how hard you love someone, or something, you have to let them go. You can’t save a sinking ship.Sometimes, you have someone else you have to be strong for, who needs you more.You make a choice.A devastating one.And you hope, maybe one day, they’ll come back to you... -
The Hero I Need by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a hilariously intense small-town love story where two star-crossed hearts and one snarly tiger ignite a romance up-roar.He knew I was trouble the instant I showed up with a stolen Bengal tiger.But Grady McKnight didn't flinch like a sane person—he took us in.Bruce the tiger found shelter. I met a hero grump. And Grady got a hot mess... -
Sheriff Daddy by Laylah Roberts
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGeorgina James had always strived to be better, smarter, stronger, faster.Frankly, it was exhausting.Drawn back to Wishingbone, she keeps running into the handsome, overprotective, entirely-too bossy sheriff.Ed doesn’t know why he’s so intrigued by the closed-off FBI agent. But there’s something about her that tugs at his every Daddy instinct...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine law-enforcement suspense adult -
Playing with Lies by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA no-strings kinda guy and a forever kinda woman…what could go wrong?I had a stalker and I knew just who to ask for help—Detective Dalton Neary. My own personal Prince Charming. The problem was, he turned out not to be so charming, at least not in the forever kind of way I was looking for. He was a good-time guy with a sexy smile and a goat game that should be illegal. But not the man for me...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc law-enforcement forced-proximity bodyguard romance -
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Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat chance does a small-town girl have with a world-famous rock star?Two years after his wife’s death, rock star Garrett Hayes hasn’t moved on. But he has moved out of L.A. Where better to escape his past than a small town in the Northern California mountains? If only he could get the townsfolk of Wildwood to leave him the hell alone... -
Rocked Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEx-bodyguard and moody Irishman Colin Daly needs three things:To figure out how to have a real job after his longtime client no longer needs him.To find some really good Irish whiskey in the land of homemade moonshine.To stop having dirty dreams every time he hears young, beautiful, recently-discovered-thanks-to-social-media music sensation, Hayden Ross, sing...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity bodyguard fake-relationship suspense -
Overruled by Bella Matthews
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“You gonna catch me if I fall, Becks?” I should have known those words, whispered to my best friend’s brother, would come back to haunt me . . . But I had no idea he’d be the only one who could save me when my world threatens to come crashing down. Becket Kingston is a lot of things... -
Off Duty Volume 2 by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty Volume 2 is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“John-Henry Somerset: Sold!”Somers enters a charity bachelor’s auction without telling his boyfriend. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty.“Pretty and Pink and Perfect”Hazard plans a toddler’s birthday party. This story takes place before The Rational Faculty...Categorized as:
crime suspense slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc law-enforcement romance -
Ranger by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSydney Ward woke up on the wrong side of life—that’s what it feels like when cancel culture claims another victim... -
Making Whoopie by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis marriage of convenience is about to get sticky. Getting hitched for the health insurance is not Jocelyn Asher’s idea of romance.But the hospital quote has really frosted her cookies, and suddenly, “I’m rich. We should just get married,” sounds a whole lot more swoony.Especially when the man proposing is this gorgeous. And takes her to parties featuring champagne and petit fours... -
Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother. Any woman who did, ended up dead—or so the rumor goes. Townies call it a curse. But I’ve lived it, and I won’t survive it again.I’m not a cop anymore, but I’ve seen enough danger to know that Laney Young, the beautiful stranger who just showed up in my small town, is running from it...Categorized as:
suspense slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity age-gap billionaire -
Finding Home by Lauren Rowe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’m Caleb Baumgarten, the “bad boy” drummer of Red Card Riot. The world knows me as C-Bomb, but I assure you, it’s Lil Miss Rule Follower, Aubrey Capshaw, who’s the human equivalent of an atomic bomb. After tragedy strikes and the toddler with half my DNA inside her loses her beloved mommy, I get the bright idea to hire my daughter’s remaining lifeline, her “Auntie Aubbey,” as my live-in nanny...Categorized as:
suspense age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn billionaire grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc -
Dirty Little Midlife (Fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSingle mom Mia has a problem. Her new landlord Des just raised her rent, and even in her dreams, Mia wouldn’t be able to afford it.Not that she’d want to dream of Des. Ever.To make matters worse, Des is big, grumpy, and apparently his heart is made of granite. He’s not willing to meet Mia in any sort of middle.Suffice it to say, Mia’s forties aren’t off to a good start.Until...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc fake-relationship forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
Love Notes & Lifelines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe job was simple. Always answer the phone—no exceptions—then solve the caller’s catastrophe as efficiently as possible.The rules were simpler. They contact you, not the other way around. Never give them your real name, number, or any personal information not required to help a newly single dad keep his head above water.And never, ever get involved with a caller... -
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Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws, Erin Mallon
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA brand new spicy small town romance by Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Amy Daws. This book is the start of a mountain man spinoff series based on the three Fletcher brothers featured in her previous release, Last on the List.Coming April 11Help Wanted: Grumpy Mountain Man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn suspense romance -
Wrapped Up with a Ranger by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan a grumpy former Ranger find lasting happiness in a marriage of convenience with a sunny single mom?After losing his leg, former Army Ranger Holt Steele is building a new life and a new business with his friends. Sure, he never expected to put small-town baker on his resume, but he finds he likes the quiet, simple life... -
Sterling Brick by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLove wasn’t part of the blueprint when high school sweethearts reunite in their small town. But this former military man never forgot the girl he left behind and he’s more determined than ever to rebuild their relationship brick by brick and heart by heart.Getting locked in the men’s restroom during my mother’s funeral wasn’t exactly how I expected to run into my high school sweetheart...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn romance contemporary military small-town -
Awaken My Heart by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAbraham:I already had my happy ending. Childhood sweethearts, my late wife and I made four beautiful kids together who are now grown and married off themselves. I’m content to be their old dad, tending to my ranch and my tomato plants. Until Emily Carson and her tempting curvy body and her smiles that she hands out like candy, crashes into my life making me want things I have no business wanting...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance insta-love small-town -
Off Duty by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHazard and Somerset: Off Duty is a collection of short stories. It includes the following: “Tickets to the Gun Show” Emery Hazard just wants to take his boyfriend to a concert, but some people are assholes...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc suspense slow-burn romance -
The Reason I Married Him by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new marriage of convenience romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh out loud, enemies-to-lovers small town standalone delivers the perfect happily ever after. He proposed . . . and I said yes.Normally a jovial occasion for a couple in love, but this proposal has a very different feel... -
One Little Heartbreak by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSethI never realized getting adopted at thirty-two years old was a thing, then I met the Westbrooks. They’re a family that grows every time a wayward soul crosses their path, and now I’m an honorary member. A former spy, I was married at twenty-two—a father at twenty-six and a widow by thirty. To say my life is in transition would be an understatement...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity billionaire suspense romance -
Glass Skulls by L.M. Terry
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen I was a little girl, I was rescued by the president of the Rebel Skull’s daughter.I’ll never forget the day she brought me to the warehouse. To me, it looked like a castle. I remember thinking how fortunate she was to live in such a magical place, and to have a family … a dad. I got lucky that day, because her father decided to take me in... -
Wild Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSometimes you need the dark to protect the lightQuinn Sawyer is a mystery.She’s an heiress. She’s a backcountry guide.She has a suite in a mansion, but she sleeps in the woods.I can’t make sense of her. I shouldn’t care.My job is to keep her safe, not get to know her.She’s my best friend’s little sister. She’s a client.And she can never be mine... -
The Wife Situation by Lyra Parish
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe grumpy billionaire accuses me of stealing, has me fired, and now wants me as his temporary wife…I think he’s lost his mind.Easton Calloway needs a wifey pronto, and he chooses me to temporarily fill the position. While I want to tell him to eff off, I can’t walk away from the temptation. So I do what any broke actress living in New York City would do, and agree to the terms and conditions... -
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The Pretend Fiancé Fiasco by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA reclusive former celebrity, a recovering good girl, and small town trouble...It started as a joke. After a string of bad boyfriends, I made up a fake boyfriend so people would quit asking when I was going to meet a grumpy lumberjack trying to save his mama’s inn in my adopted hometown.When my grandma demanded proof from afar, I sent her a picture of me and my “boyfriend...Categorized as:
forced-proximity fake-relationship grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn suspense romance -
Stay by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA scorching hot small town, age gap, single father/nanny romance by USA Today bestselling author Willow Aster...Categorized as:
age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
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:
age-gap forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc billionaire suspense slow-burn -
Just My Luck by Lena Hendrix
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsYou might think it’s reckless for a single mom to enter into a marriage of convenience with her boss...You would be correct.To make matters worse, Abel King is a grumpy local brewer with a criminal past. He also happens to be my boss and a total stick-in-the-mud. Every time I come to work with a smile and wave, I’m lucky if I can get a grunt in response... -
Heartbreak & Cupcakes by Shawna Renae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlex VaughnThe last thing I wanted was to be named San Francisco’s Most Eligible Bachelor. The title alone was misleading. I wasn’t a bachelor. I was a widower and single father. One who wasn’t available or interested.Well... there was one person who might have piqued my interest. Cupcake Girl. But interest and intent are two very different things...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary fiction -
Off Limits by Emma Creed
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRanching isn’t easy, especially not in Fork River. The days are long, the competition is ruthless, and there’s always someone out there waiting to take what’s yours.For my family to survive things have to go back to the way they were.The Carsons used to run the town, we were feared, but my father changed that legacy by thinking he could run things legitimately... -
Wild Card by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s crazy how three seconds can change your life.For Steve Pelham, those three seconds happened in a doctor’s office. His wife—the girl he had been madly in love with since elementary school—was given a terminal diagnosis. Years of being dragged through an endless cycle of betting on science and miracles to save the love of his life? Useless...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity billionaire suspense romance contemporary -
Hide and Peak by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlluring. Sexy. Liar. The newest stranger in Strutt's Peak has a mouth as loud and captivating as the bright tattoos drawn all over her body. But she's no stranger to me. Because I’ve met her.I’ve kissed her lips.And I'm the only one who knows her secret.She’s supposed to be dead.Now, I hide the truth and keep her safe. Pretend we never met. Try to forget I ever touched her...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn billionaire romance -
What Hurts Us by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAsking Layla Mousavi to be my fake fiancé wasn’t the weirdest thing I had done this week. It didn’t even crack the top ten. Not when my days were filled with escaped pigs, radioactive casseroles, and cow-induced car crashes._____________The population of Falls Creek, North Carolina, is a collective menace to society... -
Man Splain by Vanessa Vale
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's literally my job to make sure everything goes to plan. I'm really f-ing good at it. But when the beautiful coffee shop owner refuses a corporate loan to keep her business afloat solely because we had a slightly-drunk quickie, it makes me crazy. Insane. Frustrated. Turned on. Especially when I discover the stubborn woman chooses instead to be a cam girl to pay her bills... -
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A Lodge Affair by Rachel LaBerge
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIvy Lawson loves a to-do list, hates surprises, and the only outdoor activity she’s interested in is brunch on a patio. After catching her long-term boyfriend—and co-worker—cheating, she’s thrown into leading a high-profile client event at The Emerald Canopy Lodge. AKA: her nightmare destination. Ivy finds herself desperate and anxious to get her job done and leave the lodge as soon as possible...Categorized as:
slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance contemporary small-town -
Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIt’s been a long time since Walker Ironside left behind Scotland and the memories that haunt him. Yet after years of traveling the world as a bodyguard, Walker misses his homeland enough to return. To a village in the Scottish Highlands that plays host to an exclusive members-only club, Ardnoch Estate...Categorized as:
suspense age-gap bodyguard grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn -
Hero's Heart by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe was out of the game.He should've stayed that way.When a former FBI colleague asks Callum Webb to rescue the kidnapped daughter of an American bigwig in eastern Europe, Callum’s just got one word for him...No.Okay, actually two words: hell, no.Callum is out of the international law enforcement game and has been for a long time...Categorized as:
suspense age-gap crime bodyguard law-enforcement grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc -
The Brazen One by Daisy Jane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
Hard Knock Hero by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's nobody's hero...except hers.Out of all the diners in all the small towns, he had to walk into mine.Aiden Shelborne has left his Army days long behind. He’s out of the warrior business. And he never meant to stop in Hartley, Colorado at all. But when trouble comes for a woman he’s just met, he finds himself stepping in.Jessi Novo didn’t ask Aiden to play her savior...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap slow-burn romance -
If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny by Ann Einerson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI, Marlow Taylor, need to stop fantasizing about the hot, single dad next door.Should I have agreed to nanny his cute six year old who loves my dog Waffles? Absolutely not.But her dad seems to think he can do everything himself. ( no one can)3 reasons why I absolutely cannot fall for Dylan 1. He’s grumpy and doesn’t seem to like me very much2...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc billionaire forced-proximity slow-burn suspense -
The Doctor Who Stole Christmas by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn grumpy doctor.A wicked blizzard.And only one bed in sight.What could possibly go wrong?I never expected to find myself trekking through a blizzard...All to deliver "vital documents" to the elusive Dr. Grump's remote cabin...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity billionaire small-town workplace -
Sinners Condemned by Somme Sketcher
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratings*PART ONE OF A DUET*No good ever comes from a red-head in a stolen dress with her worldly possessions at her feet.I should have known she was trouble when smoke and sin followed her into my bar and she challenged me to a game.She may have won my watch, but she started a war.As she slipped my Breitling off my wrist and onto her own, she gleefully announced she was the luckiest girl in the world...Categorized as:
age-gap billionaire cheerful-mc crime forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine organized-crime -
One Last Play by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe could be the one. I’ve spent twelve years caring for my niece Maddie who I adopted after my sister died. Having a daughter has made me picky when it comes to the women I spend time with. Not to mention dealing with the pressure of being a college football coach. But when I spot MJ at a mutual friend’s wedding, something draws me toward her...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn romance sports -
Temptress by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWho knew the grumpy single dad next door would turn out to be The One?As Sloane Chambers stood at her window and creeped on the new guy moving in next door, she was immediately drawn to the tattoos, muscles, and the way his jeans hugged his perfect . . . frame. But when she caught him hacking up her rose bushes with a chain saw, the battle was on...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap forced-proximity romance contemporary small-town -
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Shadowed Obsession by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsbook two coming this...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn romance reverse-harem -
Slay by Abbi Glines
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRumorThere are moments in life when you make a decision. Accept who you are. What you have become. This was one of those times…The fairytale I thought I’d found had become a nightmare so quickly after I said, “I do.” Which was the reason I ran when I had the chance. Not thinking about the consequences. Just knowing I had to get free before it was my life that was taken...Categorized as:
organized-crime age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn billionaire suspense crime romance -
Promise Me Never by Nichole Greene
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be a carefree summer, a chance for me to shed my bookworm ways and get some experience under my belt. Literally. Instead I find myself thrown in the path of the grumpy and frustratingly sexy, Luke Stone. He’s my grandpa’s right hand man on the ranch which makes him inescapable.After tragically losing my wife I swore off love...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity slow-burn romance western -
Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBefore Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah--and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart.Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team. Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity fake-relationship slow-burn romance sports -
One Night by Lena Hendrix
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDuke Sullivan is the oldest brother of my family’s hated rival. He also happens to be my good morning text and the man I have no right to have a secret crush on. Duke is strictly forbidden.After months of keeping our friendship hidden, the stars align, sparks ignite, and we finally give into temptation...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn organized-crime crime -
Alexander: Alexander's Story by E.L. Stevens
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlexander Palomino is a man defined by the ghosts of his past, of which there are his parents, his daughter, his wife…, and Jess.He’s a man defined by the promises he’s made. To never be like his abusive father, to never love again, never trust again, and to sever their ties for good.In the wake of their heart-wrenching end, Alex’s rash decision throws lives into chaos, including his own...
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