Books like 'Make Me Merry'
Readers who enjoyed Make Me Merry by Marie Johnston also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town friends-to-lovers age-gap grumpy-sunshine steamy cheerful-mc found-family grumpy-mc
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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... -
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMy new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy... -
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... -
Starting Over Scottish: A Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance by Tricia O'Malley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings... -
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Drink It Up: The Donovans by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsQuinn Donovan is a single dad with too much on his plate. He is surrounded by his wild and crazy family at home and at work while raising two little girls who are the light of his life. When a complete stranger swoops in to help him when he needs it most only to then disappear without a word, it seems he’s lost his chance to get to know her... -
Wild Side by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJamesonLast man standing. I’ve watched all three of my friends fall in love with no desire to ever follow in their footsteps. Collectively, we own the hottest restaurant, bar, and brewery in town. They are a few of the places I find peace, a refuge against this cruel world. When I’m on the stage playing music, everything just seems to fade away.Until I saw her...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult book contemporary -
Maybe We Won't by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA sexy and soul-stirring novel about love, family, and rediscovering what matters most by Melissa Foster, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe We Will.When workaholic Boston attorney Deirdra de Messiéres is passed over for a well-deserved promotion, she takes a two-month hiatus to show her boss just how much he needs her and heads home to Silver Island... -
And All Their Stars by Riley Nash
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWe’re complete opposites, the sun and the moon, things that were never meant to touch.Everything changed the day this brooding, high-powered lawyer found his forever in a scrappy farm boy from Iowa. Jonah’s my sun, the center of my orbit. Separately, we’re lost souls. Together, we make something unforgettable... -
Wild Temptation by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAsher Wild is a temptation I can’t resist.He’s my grumpy boss.He didn’t want to hire me,But as a favor to a friend -- he gave me a chance.Besides proving I’m a good worker, and can make a difference on his peach farm.It seems I can’t stop throwing myself at him. I didn’t think Asher would rock my world...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance contemporary small-town -
The Roommate Mistake by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn injured rugby star, his pregnant roommate, and one rule they can’t Don’t date the owner’s daughter. It was supposed to be an easy house- and dog-sitting gig while the owner was gone for a month. But when my sportsing landlord comes home unexpectedly, injured and in need of a new arrangement, we end up as accidental roommates instead...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy age-gap romance -
Lilah by Ashlyn Montgomery
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsHe'd never met someone with such a bubbly personality. Not to mention the wildness and odd phrases she'd say every five minutes. He hates it. He hates how he can't stay away from it. He hates what she does to him; it's not like him to chase after some girl. She gets under his skin like no other.She'd never met someone with such a bad attitude. He's ill-mannered and menacing...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap friends-to-lovers found-family romance contemporary -
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 found-family friends-to-lovers steamy romance -
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 found-family romance insta-love small-town -
Reckless Fate by Kate Crew
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDaisy WellsI never planned to kiss Kye that night, but with him being the only one not scared of my ex, it became my only chance to get back at him. But now, I’m pretending to be the girlfriend of the town troublemaker while trying to not let that be known to my father... -
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Heartache & Playdates by Shawna Renae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Love isn’t like milk. It has no expiration date.” ~ Nonna Russo Maddox CruzSingle dad. Tech billionaire. Genius. That is what people saw when they looked at me. Those adjectives might all be true, but inside I was still a kid who grew up in the system and was raised by the streets. Which was why I had no plans to attend my 20 year high school reunion...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy contemporary billionaire small-town alpha-mc -
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:
found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance contemporary -
Make You Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsA sexy firefighter. A much younger Nanny. The heat between them could burn down a small country. He doesn't believe in forever. And she won't settle for anything less.Jace King is a smoking hot firefighter, a single dad and my new boss.He's also the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult -
Mister Baby Daddy by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll my life, I've been in love with my best friend. All my life I've waited for him to notice.I'm done waiting. I'm moving on with my life...I'm having a baby.I really need to get over Walker Kingston.My lifelong infatuation with my best friend is sort of embarrassing. The tall, broody hunk of farmer has always been my fierce protector, my constant hero, my knight in flanneled armor...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult book -
Jaxon by Kate Oliver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLeahWho knew buying a run-down house would be so much work? It was hers, though, and while it might not be much, to Leah Day, it was perfect because it meant she was free from her cheating ex-husband. What she wasn’t prepared for was the roof to leak into her bedroom… She also wasn’t expecting her hot neighbor to come marching over to scold her for climbing onto the roof...Categorized as:
steamy age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary -
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 found-family steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance -
Easton by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEastonI’m the youngest Swift brother. The one who’s always in trouble and can’t get his life together. I wouldn’t know where to start, and ever since my twin died, I can’t bring myself to care. After my last “situation,” Dad washed his hands of me. And though my brothers should’ve done the same, they stood up for me, fracturing their relationship with him too...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance mlm contemporary -
Handy by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMy new neighbor may be grumpy but he's also hot, and very good with his hands…I definitely overestimated my own handyman skills when I bought this fixer-upper. I have to say, the view from my new place is worth it though. Especially around seven o'clock every morning when my big, furry bear of a neighbor drinks his coffee shirtless on his back porch.He's dedicated to the bear thing too... -
Venom & Vengeance by Emma Slate
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s grumpy. Older. An ex-con.Did I mention I’m totally hot for him? After a near fatal run-in with the cartel, I turn to Viper for protection. He’s muscle for his motorcycle club, and the next thing I know I’m living in a biker clubhouse with my own personal bodyguard. Viper makes me feel safe…and desired. No wonder I can’t keep my clothes on around him... -
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 friends-to-lovers found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
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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 grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family steamy friends-to-lovers romance -
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... -
Come To Me by J.H. Croix
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA broody ex-military pilot and a sassy yoga teacher collide in a small town.Diego is distracting. He shows up in my yoga class with his smokin’ hot bod and enough brawn to set the world on fire. Cue the melting.He oozes the rugged hero vibe, rides a motorcycle and flies planes in the wilds of Alaska. He’s all man and then some...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy action-adventure adult book -
Resting Beach Face by D.J. Jamison
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's the only man who doesn't want me...and the only one I really need.Cash and Declan's story is coming soon in Resting Beach Face! This will be Book 4 of Swallow Cove, which follows a tight-knit group of friends in a quirky lake town...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers age-gap found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance mlm -
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:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers found-family romance contemporary -
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Dirty Promises by Aubrey Bondurant
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Oakley Winters travels to her best friend’s wedding, the last thing she expects is to be stranded on the side of the highway by her date. Luckily, a handsome stranger stops to rescue her. But it turns out her hero isn’t a stranger after all. Max Brooks dreads a return to his small town, but it’s impossible to say no to his sister’s request to attend her wedding... -
Matchmaking a Roommate by Angela Casella, Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s her next makeover project. She’s his next mistake.IvyI’m Ivy Anders, popular romance novelist and small-town success story. Or so they say. I tell myself I’m only back in my hometown because my father had a heart attack, but that’s not the full story.I can’t go home. And the longer I stay, the less I want to...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance contemporary -
Naughty or Nice by Sophie Snow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRora Stanley hates Christmas.But when her best friend needs a Santa photographer for her family’s toy store, Rora is forced to return to her Christmas-obsessed hometown for the holidays.Henry Whitten loves Christmas.And a few weeks in Wintermore, Wyoming playing Santa is exactly what he needs as he stands at a career crossroads...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary small-town -
3 SEAL Daddies for Christmas by Ava Gray
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI swore I wouldn’t come back to my hometown. The moment I arrive home, three blasts from the past want to make me their Christmas miracle. When my brother tragically died, it left my life in a pile of ash. But an unexpected return to Harbank Spring reunites me with his three military best friends who’d do anything to take care of me...Categorized as:
age-gap steamy friends-to-lovers found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
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A Cowboy in the Streets by Elizabeth Bright
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today best selling author Elizabeth Bright comes a new grumpy/sunshine, single dad, steamy romance set in wild and beautiful Colorado.Working as the head trainer at Lodestar Ranch is my chance to prove I have what it takes as a woman in a man's world. The only problem? My boss is the world’s grumpiest cowboy… and I can’t keep my eyes off him...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap found-family friends-to-lovers romance western -
Shaken by Charity Ferrell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA see yourself out note isn’t how you want to celebrate the morning after your first one- night stand.The first time I meet Archer Callahan is when I block him in a parking spot.The second is a fender bender.The third is at a bar, drinking away our problems, and finding our way to his bed.I never expected to see him again...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult alpha-mc -
A Simple Life by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom NYT bestselling author Melanie Moreland comes a feuding to lovers standalone romance -John Elliott is a busy man. He runs his farm and his business, keeping to himself, with no time for anything else in his life.Quinn Harper is a single mother, looking for a fresh start.The small town she picked seemed perfect—until her first run-in with John... -
Falling by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Little Miss Sunshine and a Hot, Grumpy Rancher are forced to live together, what could possibly go wrong?To the small town of Landmark Mountain, Callum Landmark is a man of few words and considered to be the family grump. Uninvited and unexpected, I crash into his world like a wrecking ball and disrupt the delicate balance of his carefully constructed existence...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc age-gap found-family friends-to-lovers steamy romance -
Latte Darling by S.J. Tilly
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI have a nice life - living in my hometown, owning the coffee shop I’ve worked at since I was 16.It’s comfortable.On paper.But I’m tired of doing everything by myself. Tired of being in charge of every decision in my life.I want someone to lean on. Someone to spend time with. Sit with. Hug.And I really don’t want to go to my best friend’s wedding alone... -
The Sweetest Obsession by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFalling for the best thing that never happened brings sweet mayhem in this steamy, gripping, and heartfelt small-town grumpy-sunshine standalone romance. My brother's best friend owned my heart until the day he drenched it in kerosene and burned it down.Grant flipping Faircross is so not the reason I'm coming home...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers age-gap steamy romance contemporary -
Reckless by Elsie Silver
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsTheo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package.And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal.But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak.The man is hard to trust—and even harder to resist.Make that impossible...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy age-gap contemporary western small-town -
A Gift-Wrapped Holiday by Amy Aislin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMal's first priority is giving his six-year-old son the best Christmas ever, a goal made trickier by a recent move to New England after losing his job. As a single dad, he's not looking for romance—especially not with a blond California boy ten years his junior...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult bisexuality -
A Love Like That by Jenna Hartley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter my wife died, I never expected to fall in love again, let alone with her much younger sister. Elle's too young for me, though.Too vibrant and cheerful to be saddled with a grumpy widower and two little kids.Besides, she's only here for a few months before she moves on to follow her dreams.And there's no way we could be together even if she were staying...Categorized as:
age-gap cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult alpha-mc -
Then There Was You by Jennifer Lee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThree simple rules.Two broken souls.One powerful connection.Devlin King was a sexy grump.A bitter divorcee.And for a few short months, my dirty little secret.The rules for our no-strings-attached relationship were simple:1. Keep it quiet.2. Keep it safe.3. Keep our emotions in check... -
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Tight Spot by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a fake relationship feels a little too real…. I’m in a Tight Spot. I’m not a nice guy. I’m too rude. Too gruff. I want to be left alone and stay in my lane as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Too bad management has a sudden problem with my image and all the fines I’ve been racking up. Now I’m told I need to settle down, shape up…or they’re shipping me out...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy friends-to-lovers age-gap romance sports -
Falling For the Grouch by Carolina Jax
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDashWhen my son had to leave our small hometown of Christmas, Texas, I couldn’t wait to leave with him, only to fall into a new fresh hell.Christmas 2.0 a/k/a Candy Cane Key.Everyone is in love down here. They love their town. They love their school.Let me tell you, True Love doesn’t exist. Romantic love is made up.There’s no one who can tell me differently.No matter how gorgeous she is... -
Innocent by Khloe Summers
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan this protective older man convince a curvy virgin to save herself for love, or will she auction it off to the highest bidder?JanieI've spent years trying to find love, but all I've found is heartache and debt.With no way to pay my college tuition, I follow a friend's advice.I auction my virginity online.At first, this seems like a great plan. I'm going to make out huge...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy insta-love small-town contemporary -
Love...It's Wild by Jeannine Colette
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFalling in love has never been this wild… I’m a woman who knows my own worth. And more than anything, I deserve love. Wild, passionate, all-consuming love. What I did not deserve was being forced to hang around my small town to watch the jerk who left me at the alter fawn over his new wife. Instead, I ran. Right into him. Robert Bronson is my friend’s grumpy brother-in-law...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy found-family age-gap romance contemporary -
Claimed by the Mountain Man by Mia Brody
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGrumpy mountain man seeks sunshine nanny to care for equally grumpy nephew.HaleI never thought I’d become a single dad at thirty-six. Then again, I never thought my half-sister would just abandon her tiny son. Now, it’s on me to raise the six-month old baby.I don’t have a clue what to do with a little one, but I know they need lots of loving...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance small-town disability stalking -
Stalked by the Mountain Man by Mia Brody
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThere’s only one man I’ve ever loved—my father’s best friend, my stalker.MackenzieHe follows me around town. He prowls around my house. He’s always in the shadows. My father’s best friend thinks I don’t know he’s the man stalking me.But here’s what he’s about to I’m as obsessed with him as he is me. And tonight, I want to tease him out of the shadows and into my bed...Categorized as:
age-gap grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance contemporary small-town
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