Books like 'Below Grade'
Readers who enjoyed Below Grade by Elle Keaton also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery small town mlm age-gap crime slow-burn lgbtq grumpy-sunshine
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Highball Rush by Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRough around the edges Gibson Bodine takes his lone wolf image seriously. The tough guy. The bad boy. Gibson lives alone. Works alone. He doesn’t do love. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. In Bootleg Springs—home of moonshine and the nosiest neighbors in West Virginia—secrets don’t keep forever... -
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:
crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity slow-burn adult audiobook book contemporary -
Exodus by Kate Stewart
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCan you live a lie?It’s a ghost town, this place that haunts me, the one that made me.It’s clear to me that I’ll never outgrow Triple Falls or outlive the time I spenthere.I can still feel them all, my boys of summer.Even when I’d sensed the danger, I gave in.I didn’t heed a single warning. I let my sickness, my love, both rule and ruinme...Categorized as:
age-gap crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine slow-burn adult alpha-mc -
Broken Vow: A Dark Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsI’ll Protect Her… Whether She Likes It Or Not. Riona Griffin is gorgeous, intelligent, and iron-willed. My perfect woman, except she hates my guts.She thinks she doesn’t need anybody. But she needs me.She’s being hunted by an assassin who never misses his mark.I’m going to stay by her side, day and night, keeping her safe... -
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Conquered by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDylan Welsh was the last man standing…until Sawyer Glasgow brought him to his knees.Dylan wasn’t ready for Sawyer. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth of his past. He wasn’t ready to admit he’s fallen in love with the sweet, sexy woman who captivated him from the moment he saw her. He’s especially not prepared to face the hurt he’s caused Sawyer. But to keep her, he must do all three...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn action-adventure adult alpha-mc -
The Keeper of Bees by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmery Hazard has pretty much everything under control. He and his fiancé, John-Henry Somerset, are more in love than ever, despite the stress of wedding preparations hanging over them. His business as a private investigator is growing. He’s even enjoying time with his growing circle of friends... -
Under Your Skin by Lee Winter
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat do a stolen food-delivery robot, a woman from the past, and a bizarre scheme to microchip military veterans have in common? The infamous Caustic Queen, Washington DC bureau chief Catherine Ayers, would love to find out but she has a lot on her plate right now. She and her fiancée, reporter and Iowa girl Lauren King, are busy wedding planning in Lauren’s home town... -
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:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance suspense mystery law-enforcement -
The Finish Line by Kate Stewart
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsSecrets and Lies...I’ve lived the entirety of my life wrapped up in subterfuge for one purpose—revenge.Through the years, I lived more as an enigma than a man.For so long, I denied I had a beating heart of my own. Until her. Until she unearthed the starving vessel inside, forced me to acknowledge it, forced me to understand that I’m capable of bleeding the same as any other.For that, we paid...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn -
Fractured Sky by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsDamaged. Broken. Destroyed. I’ve heard it all. A single moment of trusting the wrong person shattered my life into pieces, and my family has never looked at me the same. It’s impossible to convince them that I’m anything more than the broken girl they rescued all those years ago.Until I meet him.Ramsey’s grumpy demeanor and menacing scowl scare most of the world away. But not me...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn abuse action-adventure -
King Me by Lucy Lennox
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFalcon: Three years ago I arrived at the scene of an art heist to find Kingston Wilde tied to a radiator, claiming to be an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was only later I learned he was actually, the elusive art thief I’d been tracking for years. And I was the one who’d let him sweet-talk his way out of my grasp...Categorized as:
age-gap crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity lgbtq mlm slow-burn action-adventure -
Tallowwood by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.Sydney detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone — and that’s exactly how he likes it... -
Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Devil is in the details . . . Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries)...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc crime grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine action-adventure adult audiobook -
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:
forced-proximity slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance suspense contemporary -
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Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFinn Sawyer hates everything about being back in Sawyers Bend. He walked away from his family years before, living off his wits and skills in the kitchen, refining his craft as he worked his way across Europe. Then the father who left him for dead is murdered, and the will offers Finn a chance at his dream...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance suspense billionaire contemporary -
SWAT Ed.: Fox & Bull by A.E. Via
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA fox can set many traps to catch his target—but this one only needs one to catch his.Dominic “Bull” Walker is used to the simpler things in life. Give him his own land to work, a strong horse, and twelve hours of daylight, and he is a contented man. But when someone threatens to take away the successful ranch that took him two years to rebuild, he’ll accept any help he can get to defend it... -
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... -
Love Me by Ashley N. Rostek
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsColt is my comfort.He’s the first one to hold my hand when life becomes hard.Creed is my support.He always has my back, is always ready to help me battle the world or my insecurities.Keelan is my joy.He effortlessly makes me laugh and exudes a light even when days become dark.Knox is my strength.He holds me together even when I want to break... -
Wayward by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmery Hazard is trying to plan his wedding, even though his fiancé, John-Henry Somerset, isn’t exactly making things easy for him. To be fair, Somers has been distracted lately; his father is running for mayor in a hotly contested election, and their hometown is splintering under the weight of divisive politics... -
Transactional Dynamics by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmery Hazard is ready for Valentine’s Day. He’s made reservations months in advance, he’s ordered flowers, and he’s got a boyfriend he wants to treat right—even if John-Henry Somerset occasionally lets the dishes sit in the sink a little too long. They even have an extra reason to celebrate this year: Somers has received a special commendation for his police work... -
Loathing a Landon by Ruth Cardello
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCooper Landon knows what it’s like to be left behind, lied to, and betrayed. At sixteen, angry and broke, he tried to rob a small-town hardware store. Instead of money, what he got was a good beating and a second chance. Pete Glenford took him in, taught him he wasn’t worthless, welcomed him into his family, and gave him a purpose... -
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:
slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity age-gap enemies-to-lovers romance -
The Headmistress by Milena McKay
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA chance encounter. An unforgettable night. And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it’s with a roar and not a whimper.Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to re-evaluate everything... -
Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling... -
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Montana Storm by Josie Jade, Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKill first, ask questions later.It’s the instinct former-SEAL Jude Williams must fight every time someone touches him. His six months being tortured in an enemy prison camp may be long over, but he’s got scars—all over his body and mind—keeping that time at the forefront of his psyche... -
The Best Gift by Eli Easton
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith help from a Christmas miracle, two bruised hearts find joy again.Greg Cabot is the third generation to run Cabot’s Christmas Wonderland and tree farm in rural Vermont. But this year will be his last. Since the death of his son, Sam, in Afghanistan, Greg no longer has the heart to run a business based on holiday cheer... -
Pieces of a Life by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable.He played the piano and baseball.I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten.We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations.We were also forbidden to be more than friends.But that didn’t stop us... -
Reckless Trust by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s a long-awaited homecoming…but not everyone’s happy about her return. Five years ago, Tilly Taylor’s father did something that cost her everything. Her home. Her friends. And all the trust she’d ever earned. Now she’s back, and ready to prove to everyone that she’s nothing like Martin Taylor. Unfortunately, the small town of Misty Peak doesn’t forgive or forget so easily...Categorized as:
crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
There with You by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor Regan Penhaligon, there’s no better place to run to than the exclusive Ardnoch Estate in the remote Scottish Highlands. Her impulsive behavior has finally caught up with her and Regan’s visit with her sister, Robyn, is an opportunity to hide from someone who has grown dangerously obsessed with her...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn adult -
Body and Soul by Lucy Lennox, Sloane Kennedy
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOz: Escaping the international modeling scene to design my own fashion collection is the first step to shucking my bobble-headed supermodel reputation and proving to the world I’m more than just a pretty face. But the minute I have to accept roadside help from the sexy man next door, I feel like the airhead people think I am... -
Fatal Felons by Elle Thorpe
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPlease note this is the third and final book in a trilogy, and this blurb contains spoilers for books 1 and 2. Start the series with Locked Up Liars, and Solitary Sinners before reading on!When a judge declared Heath guilty and sentenced him to death row, everything we’d been fighting for went up in flames.We have no excuses. No appeals. No freedom.Now, there’s only one way out...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc crime enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine lgbtq -
Be Still My Heart by Emily McIntire, Sav R. Miller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSkelm Island, Maine has always been known for two things: lobsters and its broken lighthouse.But when corpses start showing up in the water, the isolated town becomes the face of a cryptic investigation.At the heart of which stands Lincoln Porter, a grumpy ex-SEAL whose lobstering business seems to attract more dead bodies than fish... -
Heart2Heart: Volume 5 by Lucy Lennox, A.M. Arthur
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsVolume five in the best-selling charity anthology is coming soon! Featuring brand new stories from incredible authors:AM Arthur - Alice Winters - Daryl BannerEM Lindsey - Jodi Payne - K Webster - Kate HawthorneLouisa Masters - Lucy Lennox - Mia Monroe - Neve WilderRiley Hart - SE Harmon - Spencer Spears - Tal... -
Vandal: An MM Bully Romance by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI have a secret. A deep and painful secret that has been feasting on my insides. Clawing at my heart and lacerating it in a slow and painful agony. If Wyatt thinks that he can just walk into my life and rattle things up,he’s got another thing coming.He’s nothing to me.Scum.Dirt.As good as dead.You see, I have a secret, but so does he... -
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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... -
Criminal Past by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt all starts to go wrong at the shooting gallery. Emery Hazard and his boyfriend, John-Henry Somerset, just want to enjoy the day at the Dore County Independence Fair. At the shooting gallery, though, Hazard comes face to face with one of his old bullies: Mikey Grames. Even as a drugged-out wreck, Mikey is a reminder of all the ugliness in Hazard’s past... -
Sheriff's Secret by K. Webster
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a steamy and emotional MM romance!When you’re the sheriff of Brigs Ferry Bay, certain things are expected of you.Marry a local girl, settle down, have a few kids. You know, the small-town dream.But I’ve got a secret I’m terrified will get out.I’m gay.Not bi. Not curious. Not confused.Just gay.So, settling for that dream won’t be happening... -
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 grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn romance contemporary audiobook -
Hitched by Lucy Lennox, May Archer
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFormer Marine Percy “Champ” Champion has never encountered a problem he can’t handle. Flying bullets? Daring jungle rescues? Building Champion Security from the ground up? Making people seriously regret using his hated first name? No problem. He’s gotten the job done without a hitch each and every time... -
Hold Me Until Morning by A.L. Jackson, Erin Mallon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI should have known I’d be playing with fire when I found the sexy as hell woman moving in next door...It was pouring rain, so I figured the neighborly thing to do would be to lend a hand.I nearly dropped to my knees when I realized who she was.Hailey Wagner.It’s been six years since I’ve seen her, and she’s always been the one person on earth who is off-limits...Categorized as:
forced-proximity slow-burn age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc crime romance -
Gone Too Deep by Katie Ruggle
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder... George Holloway has spent his life alone, exploring the treacherous beauty of the Colorado Rockies...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc crime forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn action-adventure adult -
Bourbon & Secrets by Victoria Wilder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother.Any woman who did, ended up dead. It wasn’t just a rumor. It was my reality. I buried my wife along with too many secrets surrounding the night she died.Now, I’m a single dad with two priorities above everything else: raising my two girls and making great bourbon...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers age-gap forced-proximity slow-burn romance contemporary suspense western -
Lotus by Jennifer Hartmann
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTo the rest of the world, he was the little boy who went missing on the Fourth of July.To me, he was everything.My heart hasn't been the same since he disappeared, but I've learned to build my life around that missing piece.Twenty-two years later, the last thing I expect is for that missing piece to come back.His name is Oliver Lynch, and this is his story.This is our story... -
Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNash Hartley has always been my everything: Protector. Partner in crime. Best friend. The person who was there for me in my darkest hour. But my heart wanted so much more. So, when I knew for certain Nash didn’t feel the same about me, I tried to move on. What a mistake that turned out to be... -
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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... -
Perfectly You by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUSA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings us a light-hearted small-town romantic comedy full of a swoon-worthy billionaire, single dad romance, and big laughs. I need a massive break.So long to my cheating boyfriend and betraying roommate.Goodbye hectic emergency room and long hours...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult billionaire book -
Erik's Redemption by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe difference between delight and devastation…a single moment.Until recently, Hannah Jacobs thought she was living. One look at her new neighbor, and she knows she was simply surviving. Going through her days hiding behind a mask, similar to the broken man next door. Together, they slowly realize they want more…happiness, love, a future...Categorized as:
forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc audiobook contemporary military suspense -
The Bird Catcher by Michael Robert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHappily married, Seattle furniture designer, Ben, comes home early from work on his thirtieth birthday. After finding his husband of twelve years already celebrating in the shower with the party planner, Ben decides he needs a fresh start.Logan, a twenty-five-year-old residing in Idaho, is trying to escape from an emotionally abusive relationship... -
January's Ride with Six by Eve London
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA rebel's heart and a biker's duty collide in a forbidden love that threatens everything.GingerLiving under the control of the Savage Bones is like existing in a cage where freedom remains just out of reach. The night I run, desperation fueling my steps, I crash into Six. He’s at the core of everything I’ve been told to fear...Categorized as:
age-gap enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity romance small-town steamy action-adventure mystery -
Seth by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections.Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single.Software engineer Caroline Crowell is a dead woman walking. When the top-secret lab she’s working in goes up in flames and she barely makes it out alive, she knows her time is up...Categorized as:
forced-proximity enemies-to-lovers crime slow-burn romance military contemporary suspense
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