Books like 'Loving the Tormentor'
Readers who enjoyed Loving the Tormentor by Lola King also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance small town university dark cruel-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family organized-crime
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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... -
Show Me Forever (The Maxwell Brothers) by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI moved to Chicago six months ago, determined to finally open my own bakery. My landlady was this sweet woman who treated me like her granddaughter. Then she sold the house. Now the devil himself is my landlord and neighbor since I live in the guesthouse on his property. Declan Maxwell is moody, unreasonable, and takes himself far too seriously. Unfortunately for me, he’s also damn sexy...Categorized as:
billionaire cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book -
Dukes of Peril by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe ruin of obsession, the madness of love, and the peril of duty. Remington Maddox broke my heart.Simon Perilini bruised my body.And Pretty Nick Bruin tried his hardest to steal my soul...Categorized as:
crime cruel-mc dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family gothic organized-crime -
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:
anti-hero billionaire cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc -
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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...Categorized as:
slow-burn forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary -
Cash by Jessica Peterson
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsButting heads leads to knocking boots in this wildly sexy enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town cowboy romance by Jessica Peterson.My dad and I have been estranged for years. But as his only living relative, it’s no surprise I inherit his massive cattle ranch when he dies... -
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 found-family slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc stalking dark -
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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
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... -
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... -
Riot Act by Callie Hart
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThis is not an act of kindness. Not an act of love. Not an act of forgiveness. You'll find no redemption here. This is the final riot. ACT ACCORDINGLY... -
Where We Belong by Ashley Munoz
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThey call him the Wolf.His club, his brothers, and even my best friend Callie.I didn’t really care what they called him, not when the only name I had ever called him was, coward.Because three months ago he snuck under my resilient heart, like the thief he is, and stole it.Then he broke it.Going home wasn’t an option, not when I promised Callie I’d stay...Categorized as:
enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc dark romance suspense -
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 enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult book contemporary -
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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...Categorized as:
billionaire forced-proximity found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc slow-burn romance -
Sinners Consumed by Somme Sketcher
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratings*PART 2 OF A DUET*My world is on fire, and I’m obsessed with the girl who lit the match.Bloodied knuckles and a lifeless body at my feet confirm it: Penny is my demise.My gentlemanly facade is nothing but a memory.My sins are seeping through my shirt like ink.I tried to leave her. Couldn’t do it.I tried to snuff the life out of her. Couldn’t do that, either...Categorized as:
anti-hero billionaire crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity gothic organized-crime -
You Have a Piece of My Heart by Willow Winters
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author, Willow Winters, comes an exclusive collection of sexy short stories with happily ever afters!This addictive collection has quick reads that can be read on their own and deliver all the desired feels of the romance genre...Categorized as:
anti-hero crime enemies-to-lovers organized-crime adult anthologies contemporary fiction -
Strike Zone by Ginger Walls
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWYATT:All my friends are under the impression I’m only at Newhouse to chase women and play baseball. Those are two of my favorite pastimes.The truth is, Newhouse is my chance to save my family’s farm. If I don’t get drafted, we’ll lose everything we’ve been working hard to keep.Then I hear her sing and she’s all I can think about. It’s messing up my game and putting my future in jeopardy... -
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:
dark grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc enemies-to-lovers found-family slow-burn romance -
Don't Go Away Mad by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsJasperThe kitchen: it’s my domain, where I create the best burgers in the Midwest. I’m the man behind the grill at Burgers and Brew, the restaurant and bar I co-own with my best friends. Every night, we’re packed, the demand has never been this high. It’s the only way I want it, thriving and pushing myself to be the very best.Then she started her new business across the street from mine...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine slow-burn adult book -
On the Shore by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's the GOAT of the NFL. She's a hot-headed reporter who despises him. They're in the same small town for the summer. What could possibly go wrong?I'm more than aware of the responsibilities that come with being a quarterback in the NFL.The upside—I get to do what I love every day, which is play football.And I make more money than I know what to do with... -
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:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family forced-proximity romance age-gap insta-love -
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... -
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The One I Hate by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI hate Simon Banks.I also hate tequila. The first makes my blood boil with his devilish smirk and giant…ego. The second makes me do questionable things. Specifically, with Simon. Fine. Whatever. It’s a blip on my radar. Even though I can’t stop thinking about memories of our night…or his hands…and that mouth... -
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... -
Finding Mayhem by Layla Frost
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙐𝙎𝘼 𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙖 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩… 𝘼 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨-𝙩𝙤-𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤.𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘳…I wasn’t looking for a lover. I wasn’t even looking for a friend. After my life imploded around me, I only wanted one thing...Categorized as:
anti-hero cheerful-mc crime dark found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine organized-crime -
Rough Country by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGood fences do NOT make good neighbors, especially when that neighbor is a city boy with more dollars than sense.Emery McAvoy is a walking disaster who should never be allowed to step foot on another ladder. Heck, I’d bet my favorite Golden Girls T-shirt that he rearranged his entire life because his ten-year-old daughter likes ponies... -
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...Categorized as:
stalking grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity dark romance contemporary -
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...Categorized as:
dark forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family romance contemporary -
Where We Ended by Ashley Munoz
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s been two years since I was traded to the Stone Riders Motorcycle Club. While it saved my life, I was forced to leave behind the only person that ever mattered to me.Dripping with tattoos, his hair as dark as his soul, the brooding president of the Death Raiders still holds my heart...even if he doesn't seem to know what to do with it...Categorized as:
dark crime found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc anti-hero forced-proximity -
Lot 62 by Nordika Night
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsEvery fairytale had a villain, and this way of life was ours. Coming from nothing and gaining something is a lot to handle. Can they hang on to it? A year after moving in together on Lot 62, Devon and Maddox have a whole new dynamic to adjust to—cohabitation. Merging their personalities and energies into one tiny trailer is a lot to handle, but so is their relationship... -
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:
forced-proximity slow-burn found-family 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... -
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Barbed Wire Hearts by Kendra Moreno
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsKate has always been a city girl. The city is all she knows, and she’s fine with that until an ex-boyfriend knocks on her door and destroys all her carefully made plans. Now, she has no choice but to run and get as far away from the city as possible. Head west. Move fast. She doesn’t stop until she finds herself in the mountains of Wyoming...Categorized as:
dark found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance reverse-harem western -
Kane by Lynn Raye Harris
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNotorious charmer Kane “Demon” Fox learned the hard way that love is a liability. Since losing his wife, he's built walls no one can breach—keeping his focus on the mission and his team. Feelings are a risk he can't afford to take ever again.Until a stranded beauty with haunted eyes makes him question everything.Daphne Bryant thought Sutton's Creek was far enough to outrun her past... -
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 -
Dirty Beasts: Rev by Jasinda Wilder
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe are the cast-offs, the forgotten, the broken; we are dark, dangerous men haunted by our violent pasts. The Guardian collects us, rehabilitates us, and gives us a new lease on life…if we follow a few, simple rules: Once you’re in, there’s no going back; never take a life; loyalty to the brotherhood above all. Seems simple, right? It is, until SHE stumbles into Sin...Categorized as:
dark grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc anti-hero organized-crime crime contemporary -
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...Categorized as:
slow-burn grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc enemies-to-lovers western romance age-gap -
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... -
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... -
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 -
Set My Heart Bonfire by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's a dashing millionaire who thinks everything in life is one big joke, probably because he bathes in piles of money each morning. He’s also my new neighbor, and after a humiliating experience in the cemetery that is my backyard, he becomes my shadow, showing up everywhere just to annoy me.I’m not a fan of happy people...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc enemies-to-lovers billionaire romance contemporary small-town -
The Brazen One by Daisy Jane
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult age-gap book -
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Bro Code Hell by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiving with my older brother’s best friend wasn’t even my worst idea lately.Keeping it a secret from my brother was on the list too. Oh, and actually falling (literally) for Blaze Hellman—when every frown clearly said to stay away—was most definitely at the top of the list.I was kind of a genius normally... -
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:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc billionaire found-family forced-proximity slow-burn romance -
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:
anti-hero billionaire cheerful-mc crime dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity gothic -
A Fractured Reign by Veronica Eden
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Crows are more than nightmares lurking in every shadow.They’re a brotherhood. Family. When threats creep in, they’ll protect what belongs to them.QuinnDoes a wrong make a right?In my case, it has to.The Kings gave me no choice, no chance to fold.I betrayed the guy who believed he was protecting me while I gave his secrets away.Now we’re enemies once more...Categorized as:
billionaire crime cruel-mc dark enemies-to-lovers forced-proximity gothic organized-crime -
Sick Bargain by Nordika Night
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAm I running from death… or racing towards it?Remiel Sauder has reached his breaking point. With no other choice, he leads his lifelong tormentor to Vile House, hoping to scare him off and increase his chances of survival. Vile House is well known, but he’s about to learn how deep their secrets and mysteries are rooted in the town’s history... -
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...
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