Books like 'Friend Zone Hell'
Readers who enjoyed Friend Zone Hell by Marika Ray also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny western friends to lovers virgin heroine forced proximity praise-kink caretaking dual-pov working class heroine
-
Heartless by Elsie Silver
Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me.Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes. He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges... -
The Lost Fisherman by Jewel E. Ann
It’s been five years since I’ve seen him. An unexpected event takes me back to the place where it all began. But I’m no longer the naive young woman he once knew. And he’s no longer the man who took nearly everything from me...Categorized as:
new adult small town alpha male friends to lovers possessive hero m-f humor age difference -
How to Say I Do by Tal Bauer
NoëManhattan is my heart and soul. In the cutthroat world of elite public relations, I’m one of the princes. I manage global superstars, predict the up-and-coming trends, easy. And social media? That’s my specialty. I can make you, hon, and launch you straight to the stratosphere. My life is champagne glitter and starlight, and everything around me is gold... -
A Taste of Whiskey: Sasha Whiskey by Melissa Foster
Sasha Whiskey is done being the good girl. She’s ready to wrangle in the one man not looking to be caught and give him a taste of Whiskey. With any luck, one taste won’t be nearly enough. Come along for the steamy, emotional ride in this friends-to-lovers, forbidden romance... -
-
Get Bucked by Lani Lynn Vale
Darby has always been ‘that’ guy. The guy that no man, woman, or child wants around their loved one. See, a long time ago he made some bad decisions. Those bad decisions have haunted him ever since. No matter what he does, people still see him as the town’s screw up. The boy that sold his soul to the Devil. Years later, he’s turned himself around... -
Seeing Red by Bailey Hannah
All Cassidy Bowman wants is one night of recklessness… and to get back at her ex.Cassidy has strict she doesn’t date locals, she doesn’t sleep with men she isn’t dating, and she doesn’t do anything that might jeopardize her good girl reputation. But after a run-in with her ex-boyfriend—and a few too many drinks—she’s ready to buck those rules and get revenge... -
Crazy Heifer by Lani Lynn Vale
I fell in love with his rope skills. I stayed because somehow he took hold of my heart and made it his. Callum Valentine didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Then again? When a man is calling a woman fat right in front of your table, it’s kind of hard not to intervene. Especially when the town’s most beautiful creature ever is the one being called fat. Desi just wants to be left alone... -
Hot for Love: Nick Braden by Melissa Foster
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance families. All Love in Bloom books can be enjoyed as stand-alone novels or as part of the larger series.In HOT FOR LOVE.. -
Mending a Malone by Laylah Roberts
Jaret Malone has a problem . . .A five-foot-two curvy, crazy problem. One who doesn’t seem to take no for an answer.After his last relationship ended disastrously, he has had no interest in getting involved with someone else.Especially not some insane woman who seems to think that her grandmother left him to her in her will.Nobody tells a Malone what to do . .Categorized as:
cheerful heroine m-f possessive hero alpha male disabilities and marks western humor contemporary -
Faking Mr. Right by K.C. Crowne
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Let's make this fun and really give them something to talk about." Levi's nothing like I remembered.Once the nerd from school two years my junior. Desperately trying to hide his crush. Now he's built like a stallion. Tall enough to tower any man. And pulls off a flannel shirt like no mountain man I know.But there lies a scorned heart in his chest. Jaded and broken...Categorized as:
friends to lovers alpha male contemporary pregnancy age difference humor super rich hero urban -
Just a Cowboy's Best Friend by Jessie Gussman
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen Teagan Lepley is asked to cat-sit by a kindly lady in town, she wasn't expecting the neighbor to be so "friendly." So she asks her best friend to hang out with her so she can honestly say she's busy. What she wasn't expecting was the entire town to think that there is - finally - something more going on between her and her best friend...Categorized as:
friends to lovers christian western military humor contemporary cowboys length-short -
Lone Star Sheriff by Kat Baxter
CalebI’ve known Madison Crawford was mine since we were teenagers. Timing, circumstances, and my good manners have kept me from claiming her as my own. Now, the ex who left her at the altar is back asking for a second chance, and I’m done playing by the rules. She thinks I’m nothing more than a stick-in-the-mud, but she’s about to find out what happens when I’m not in uniform. No more Mr... -
The One I Stood Beside by Piper Rayne
It’s the classic story— best friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing. Jude would do anything for me. He’s stood by my side since we were six, and I’ve done the same for him... -
Daddy's Little Darling by Laylah Roberts
She was desperate, homeless and alone… Charlie was used to fending for herself. She wasn’t necessarily that good at it, considering she was currently living in her car, but it was the only life she knew. She didn’t have family or friends and she certainly wasn’t used to anyone caring about what she did... -
-
Cash by Jessica Peterson
Butting 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... -
Sunshine and Sammy by Melanie Moreland
Luke Adler lives for his ranch. It’s the only reason he agreed to get on board with his sister’s grand plan for guests staying on the property.Nothing prepares him for the force of nature that is Samantha Morrison. When she arrives on his ranch to help construct this new part of his business, what he expects and what he gets are two entirely different things.He expects a no-nonsense businessman... -
A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Award-winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon delivers a charming contemporary tale about a brawny rancher, a brainy beauty--and a beast of a predicament...Ranch owner Jesse Pleasant always felt too big for his desert town--literally--and too brutish to fit in with his charming, cowboy brothers...Categorized as:
small town m-f sweet-hero disabilities and marks multicultural western humor contemporary -
Brave Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHunter Shaw is handsome, charming, and a minor celeb on the collegiate team roping circuit. Not to mention, he looks damn fine in a cowboy hat. So it’s no surprise when he’s ardently pursued to be the star on a new streaming network’s debut program—a reality dating show... -
Before the Sunset by Laura Pavlov
He’s an actor in need of an image makeover. She’s determined to show her ex-fiancé that she’s moved on. A fake relationship between two best friends is the perfect solution. Or is it?Reese Murphy has been my best friend since before we took our first steps.She’s the yin to my yang.The peanut butter to my jelly...Categorized as:
new adult sunny hero sweet heroine small town dual-pov first-person-pov forced proximity alpha male -
Rally by Devney Perry
Pregnant. Homeless. Broke. Not what I’d expected for my senior year in college. Neither was Rush Ramsey. We met the day I went camping and got stranded on the side of a gravel road. I didn’t believe in white knights who freed damsels in distress. Life had taught me that if something bad could happen, it probably would. The only person who would save me was me. But Rush Ramsey rescued me that day... -
Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
A small Wyoming town is about to learn a few lessons from a new schoolteacher with the courage to win the heart of a man who swore he had nothing to give.... Mary Elizabeth Potter is a self-appointed spinster with no illusions about love. But she is a good teacher and she wants Wolf Mackenzie s son back in school...Categorized as:
tortured hero virgin heroine alpha male small town friends to lovers height-difference m-f dual-pov -
Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsCade Davies had too much on his plate to pay attention to newest resident of Keeneston. He was too busy avoiding the Davies Brothers marriage trap set by half the town. But when a curvy redhead lands in Keeneston, the retired Army Ranger finds himself drawn to her. These feelings are only fueled by her apparent indifference and lack of faith in his ability to defend himself... -
Running After a Heartbreaker by Jami Albright
“This is a bad idea.” “The worst.” He placed his hands under her butt and lifted. “Should I stop?” “I’ll murder you if you do.” Hailey Odom’s life is out of tune. The bar she owns with her father is a Texas-sized money pit that she has four months to save. Her mean as a snake ex-husband is breaking their daughter’s heart daily... -
Chute Yeah by Lani Lynn Vale
Candy Ray Sunshine--Yes, that is my real name, thank you very much, Mom and Dad--knew two things. One, she was going to work her butt off and open her very own coffee shop, even if she had to die doing it. Two, Banks Valentine was the world’s worst ex-boyfriend in the history of ex-boyfriends. Even if they were only boyfriend and girlfriend for one evening...Categorized as:
alpha male friends to lovers m-f humor western cowboys from hate to love contemporary -
-
Rootbound by Tarah Dewitt
You really can't go home again.Tait Logan is proud of the life she’s built for herself. Despite her world-shattering divorce, not having any genuine connections with other humans apart from her sister Ava, and the fact that the remainder of her family is estranged from her life, she’s happy…happy-adjacent, at least... -
Daring Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRose Shaw has no idea what she wants. She put aside passion for practicality, earning her degree in a subject she likes, but doesn’t love. Same for her job as an junior architect. And don’t even get started on her personal life…been there, done that, got betrayed for her effort... -
The Badge and the Bad Boy by Lena Hendrix
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsExamples of things I shouldn't be doing:1. Staring at how nicely Evan Walker fills out his Wranglers.2. Sneaking around after dark, hoping we don’t get caught.3. Fantasizing about a life with a man who isn’t supposed to exist.He’s a criminal, a dangerous man with connections to the Chicago mafia.And I'm a cop...Categorized as:
forced proximity small town new adult mafia contemporary western humor sassy heroine -
Forever Enough by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNot long out of college, Mackenzie Reeves has found herself halfway across the country, relocated from Atlanta, Georgia, to small-town Hamilton, Montana. But it’s not just a fresh start—it’s an escape. For years, she’s been trying to steer clear of the abusive stepfather who’s made her life hell and turned her mother into someone she doesn’t recognize... -
Downpour by Maggie Gates
Ray:Rule #1 of almost dying: Make sure someone knows your passwords. It’s hard to cancel your phone plan if you’re dead.Rule #2 of almost dying: Make sure your house is clean before you walk up the steps to the pearly gates. It makes selling off your life easier.Back-up plans are for people who plan on losing... -
Romancing the Cowboy (Galentine's Getaway) by Nichole Rose
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen this older cowboy rescues a hot mess author from a crazy bull, she learns a whole lot more than she anticipated. If growly cowboys, sassy heroines, and laugh-out-loud comedy make your heart pitter-patter, you'll love Cord and Cassia's steamy-sweet story!Spying on a bossy cowboy lands this hot mess romance author in hot water.Cassia MurphyI'm used to getting fan mail from readers... -
Homebound by Meredith Trapp
She’s Texas's toughest bull rider, and he’s determined to win her heart.Dakota and Wyatt. Storm and sunshine. Growing up, they were as inseparable as a pair of cowboy boots. The best of friends—or so Dakota thought...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity small town m-f new adult sweet-hero possessive hero dual-pov -
Wishing Hearts by Emmy Sanders
A shameless flirt. A single dad. And an unexpected chance at love. HarrisonWhen I left Plum Valley ten years ago, I never thought I’d return. But a call about animals in crisis brings me back to the town that inadvertently broke my heart.What I don’t expect? Sam. The animal control officer looks every bit a cowboy wet dream, and for whatever reason, he’s latched on to me like a dog with a bone...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov m-m single-father cowboys hurt-comfort contemporary humor -
Twice the Malone by Laylah Roberts
She’d never had a one-night stand in her life . . .Until the night she met them.Gorgeous. Seductive. Charming. And wild.So she threw caution to the wind and had one crazy, hot night with two men she’d never see again.Yeah. Turns out, she didn’t have that sort of luck. What she had were two Malone men. One = wanted to devour her, the other wanted to destroy her.Scarlett Jean is a woman in trouble...Categorized as:
possessive hero m-f caretaking praise-kink sweet heroine alpha male sunny hero western -
Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life... -
-
Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr
For the second time in a year a woman arrives in the small town of Virgin River trying to escape the past. John “Preacher” Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of a wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises... -
Malone's Heart by Laylah Roberts, Golden Czermak
Those Malone’s are back!This is Butch’s story . . . the blurb is coming soon... -
Lone Star Best Friend by Kat Baxter
A Friends-to-lovers/Curvy Girl RomanceJohnnyHarper Rhodes and I were just kids when we promised to be each other’s first everything. I’m not sure if she thought I was kidding or lying. All I know is she’s left town because she thinks I got another woman pregnant. Little does she know I’ve been saving everything for her. Every kiss. Every touch. Every filthy-fueled fantasy. I’m tired of waiting... -
Make Me Stay by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsNever trust a man who wears nothing more than a cowboy hat and ripped jeans who asks if you’d like to save a horse and ride a . . . well, you get the picture.Being a travel photographer has its perks but when Colton Langston collides into me and offers to model, he’s an unexpected surprise for my current project... -
No More Secrets by Lucy Score
#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lucy Score brings to life the "nosiest small town in upstate New York," Blue Moon Bend, in a charming and compelling, sexy romantic comedy with an intriguing loner on the slow path to healing and an ambitious out-of-towner who just keeps slipping past his defenses...Categorized as:
forced proximity new adult friends to lovers alpha male dual-pov small town contemporary military -
Make Me Stay by Kennedy Fox, Aiden Snow
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNever trust a man who wears nothing more than a cowboy hat and ripped jeans who asks if you’d like to save a horse and ride a...well, you get the picture.That should’ve been enough for me to walk away.I’ve been warned on several occasions about southern men - with their sexy accents, charming manners, and the ability to easily get any woman in bed - which is something I’ll be avoiding... -
Man Fast by Krista Sandor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDenver's biggest playboy is about to get schooled. Brennen Rich, powerful, and a former pro skier—nothing and no woman is off-limits to Brennen Bergen. Part of the billion-dollar Bergen mountain sports family, he’s reigned supreme over the Denver social scene with his playboy antics. But that’s about to change when he meets Abby Quinn and gets schooled on the MAN FAST... -
Cowboy Haven by B.A. Tortuga
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen Heath Barron leaves Texas for Northern New Mexico, he thinks he's getting a luxury house rental for a steal, getting away from his ex, and finding a home for his newborn triplets. What he finds is a broken down trailer, a freezing winter, and the feeling that he's at rock bottom in his life. Again.Former rodeo champ Kolt Cordova has a good life... -
Man's Best Friend: A Fake Relationship/Husky Man-Curvy Girl Romance (Love At First Bark) by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA Fake Relationship/Husky Man-Curvy Girl RomanceBeckettI’m not good with first impressions, especially if the person I’m trying to impress is a gorgeous woman who our mutual friends are sure is my “perfect woman.” So when I bungle my blind date with the curvy bombshell, I’m sure I’ve missed my one shot...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity alpha male anthologies humor western contemporary pregnancy -
The Meaning of Life by BA Tortuga
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen tragedy strikes in the parking lot of a rodeo event, bullfighter Jasper Dean loses his best friend Kayla, inherits her barrel racing horse, her pack of dogs, and her two babies, who also happen to be his biological kids. He has no idea what to do about any of it, and JD struggles to juggle all of his new responsibilities...Categorized as:
friends to lovers tortured hero cowboys western single-father hurt-comfort m-m death -
-
That Touch by Alexis Winter
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA Small Town Friends to Lovers RomanceI didn’t mean to fall in love with my best friend’s wife.We were just kids when it happened.Now, a decade and a half later she and I have bonded over tragedy—she lost the love of her life and I lost my best friend.I always knew Dolly was gonna break my heart—but the truth is, she never even got the chance. The second she saw my best friend Dean, I was history...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers dual-pov contemporary humor super rich hero western secret-relationship -
Accidentally on Purpose by Dr. Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsReese Barker didn’t mean to introduce Decker Connolly as her boyfriend, but it just kind of slipped out. Returning home to Wyoming to help her mom recover from surgery was supposed to be a breath of fresh air. Instead, her mom’s marital expectations seem to reach even higher than the surrounding Teton peaks... -
The One I Left Behind by Piper Rayne
It’s the classic story—boy goes off into the world to fulfill his dreams and leaves the girl behind.Not every boy returns home, and I wish Ben Noughton wouldn’t have come back to our small ranching town at all after he retired from playing professional football.I figure it’s a quick layover for him. He always wanted out of this town and off his family’s ranch...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers forced proximity sports single-mother football contemporary western -
Kissing My Crush by C.A. Harms
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAmaraTyler Collins has always been the object of my affection. He just doesn’t know it.I’ve spent years admiring him, fantasizing about him, but never once making a move.That is until I see him across the room, already a few beers in and drunkenly decide to press my lips to his. One minute I’m sharing a drink with a friend, and the next, I’m Kissing My Crush...Categorized as:
friends to lovers dual-pov alpha male contemporary humor men in uniform western length-short -
Falling by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.24 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:
forced proximity alpha male new adult grumpy sunshine age difference contemporary abuse humor -
That Feeling by Alexis Winter
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShe’s one of those girls—Mysterious, driven, all kinds of sexy.The first time I saw her wrapped up in skintight denim and a cowboy hat riding a mechanical bull, I knew she was trouble.The kind of trouble you spend all night praying never ends and a decade trying to forget.But somehow, after losing a bet, I not only promised her a date but I tasted her cherry red lips...Categorized as:
new adult forced proximity alpha male friends to lovers contemporary western humor super rich hero
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.