Books like 'Not What I Expected: Special Edition'
Readers who enjoyed Not What I Expected: Special Edition by Jewel E. Ann also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny angst from hate to love forbidden love single-mother secret-relationship suspense strong heroine age difference
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The Red Files by Lee Winter
Ambitious Daily Sentinel journalist Lauren King is chafing on LA’s vapid social circuit, reporting on glamorous A-list parties while sparring with her rival—the formidable, icy Catherine Ayers. Ayers is an ex-Washington political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic, vicious tongue keeps everyone at bay...Categorized as:
suspense age difference from hate to love angst heroine sleuth mystery f-f contemporary -
Falling for Mr. Bad by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s a badass musician and mechanic with no patience for overinflated egos. He’s a billionaire with no time for drama. Going head-to-head has never been so much fun...or so dirty. Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and loads of heart make this sexy enemies-to-lovers, close proximity, forbidden, workplace, small town standalone romance unputdownable... -
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.63 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... -
Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers.She's got a lot of baggage...literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real.For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but... -
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Dirty Little Midlife (fake) Date by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBrooding, grumpy Des has a problem. He needs a date to his family's Thanksgiving reunion for reasons he'd...rather not say.Single mother and all-around hot mess Mia has an even bigger issue: She can't afford her rent, and her new landlord Des is a major you-know-what.So, they make a deal. One simple weekend away in exchange for a serious rent reduction... -
I Can't Even by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEllodie Cassandra Solaire made a single, solitary New Year’s resolution.That resolution was set in stone, and she wouldn’t be breaking it, no matter what.It was simple: Say yes to every person who asks her out on a date until she finds a boyfriend.Easy, right?Wrong.She breaks that New Year’s resolution three months into the year after a guy gives her serial killer vibes...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity contemporary military humor length-medium -
Wicked Heart by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvery single thing you want is going to require you to be uncomfortable. Those words had been shared with her by the one man she didn’t think she could take a chance on. She just didn’t know that he was right, or that he was going to be the one making her uncomfortable. Nash Wilder Christopherson was the world’s golden boy. For fifteen years, she watched Nash race from the safety of her phone...Categorized as:
suspense angst from hate to love strong heroine humor grumpy sunshine friends to lovers pregnancy -
Hauling Ashe by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLife might be a highway but the last thing this grumpy silver fox expected was a cross-country road trip with a ray of sunshine."My sister is driving to California. She could give you a ride.""What?" Tucker Ashe and I say in unison.Mae FoxSurely, my older sister has lost her mind. There is no way I'm driving her insufferable – albeit sexy silver fox – boss two thousand miles... -
Love to Hate You by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter her husband left her for her best friend, Hayden Young moved to Hope Valley looking for a fresh start for her and her daughter. The last thing she expected was to run into the man who had rocked her world in the middle of the wine section of the local grocery store... -
Strike a Chord by J.B. Salsbury
Taylor Marsten looks like a guy.How was I supposed to know there was a woman hiding beneath her baseball hat and baggy clothes? I piss off the stubborn roadie one time, and she starts a prank war. Back and forth we go using public humiliation as a weapon. Our situation turns complicated when I find myself searching her out. I want to piss her off just to receive retaliation... -
Claim by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe showed me a side of myself I never dreamed existed. Olivia’s professor promised her lessons she couldn’t learn in class.What he didn’t expect was to find peace from his tormented past in her arms. Now, that past has caught up to both of them, ripping them apart even when he vowed she was the person who mattered most... -
Fields' Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPoppy Fields, social influencer and secret spy, is on Grand Cayman. Her mission? Maid of honor at her mother’s wedding to Russian billionaire Yurgi Prokorhov. No surprise, Chariss Carlton is a difficult and demanding bride.When Poppy witnesses a murder, her days change from irritating to dangerous... -
Grit by Elizabeth Hunter
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe’s been patient; she’s been busy. Patience is running out. Melissa Oxford is a widow with a ranch, an orange grove, a goat-obsessed ten-year-old, and not enough time. She doesn’t have time to make friends. She doesn’t have time to stop and chat, and she definitely does not have time for a boyfriend. Which is fine, because Cary Nakamura is far from being a boy...Categorized as:
age difference single-mother humor contemporary friends to lovers silver-fox length-medium -
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A Greene Family Christmas by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreparing a Christmas to remember is no small feat with a family the size of the Greenes. Especially, when the woman who has always been the planner down to every minute detail falls ill, only five days before the holiday.The family has no choice but to scramble to ensure that nothing is amiss. Cookies need to be decorated, gingerbread houses assembled and decorations to be hung...Categorized as:
christmas age difference contemporary humor friends to lovers grumpy sunshine length-novella -
Be Mine This Time by M.A. Clarke Scott, MaryAnn Clarke
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of The Art of Enchantment, comes Be Mine This Time, a compelling, heart-warming story of second chances, divided loyalties and the power of love to heal the wounds of the past. Vancouver family mediator Kate O’Day adores her work in couple’s reconciliation, despite her own tragic history with relationships... -
Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThese three women are the toughest juries they’ll ever have to plead their case to.THIS BOX SET INCLUDES…Clean Slate (Charity Case #0.5)Moving two thousand miles away wasn’t my plan, but when family needs you, you come. Before I can head back to my hometown of Chicago though, I have two men to say good-bye to. Neither one of them will be happy to hear the news... -
Kat, Knight Watch by Danielle Norman
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI never believed in love at first sight...Until the ATM ate my debit card, And Jackson Boudreaux stepped in to save the day. All business, in his nine to five banker suit--I couldn’t help but wonder what he was hiding under that perfect form. I was leather and handcuffs. He was ties and cuff-links, But it didn't matter that we were from two different worlds... -
Enchanting The CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsShe’s a white-picket-fence kind of girl, but I only do casual. My first mistake? Asking her to be my roommate. Gabe: When someone’s down on their luck, I like to help out. Diane needed a place to stay, and my attic was empty. How hard could it be to have a temporary roommate? It turns out—very hard. Living with her is turning out to be physically impossible... -
Van by Melanie Moreland
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVince Morrison, known to most people as Van. Good with his hands, be it crafting a piece of wood, playing his guitar, or pleasing a lover—he excels at them all. Friendly, flirty, and talented, he’s cool under pressure, and hot everywhere else. But he keeps his heart closed, even as his interest and emotions are tested. Olivia Rourke works alongside him at BAM... -
The Secret by May Archer
Micah Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little... yeah. And I swear, I'd think that even if his family's business wasn't my biggest competition. It's time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that's what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year... maybe the century. But now he's in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought...Categorized as:
age difference from hate to love secret-relationship m-m humor contemporary office queer -
Far From Destined by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan continues her sexy new contemporary stand-alone series with a broken heart and the shattered soul that can heal them both.Macon Brady remembers every moment he lay on the ground, a bullet in his chest, his life bleeding out with each pulse. Yet his nightmares aren’t the only thing keeping him up at night... -
Jingle Bell Hell by Denise Grover Swank, A.R. Casella
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe’s a sexually repressed control freak. He’s a muscular ex-con with heavier baggage than Santa’s toy bag. They’re everything each other never wanted.MaryI’m usually the first person on my block to decorate for Christmas. This year? Humbug.My six-year-old son, Aidan, just had a meltdown after learning some hard truths from a drunk Santa impersonator, and I can no longer deny we both need help... -
Christmas Miracles at the Little Log Cabin by Helen J. Rolfe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA snow-covered log cabin surrounded by Christmas trees brings plenty of surprises for Holly … do you believe in Christmas miracles? Holly is looking for a change and even though not everyone agrees with her career choices, she’s determined there’s more to this life than the long hours she works as an editor in New York City... -
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The Anti-Heroes Collection by Parker S. Huntington, L.J. Shen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling authors L.J. Shen, Parker S. Huntington, and Ava Harrison comes a collection of three full-length standalone romances, featuring filthy anti-heroes and the sassy women who tame them. Includes never-before-seen bonus epilogues!Shattered Dynasty by Ava HarrisonTrent Aldridge is the devil.Rich. Arrogant. Sinfully handsome.He holds my inheritance in his hands... -
Cop Daddy Next Door by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNote to self: never ever lose your pants while at the town’s lookout point… I’m a former bad boy turned one of the newest cops in Crescent Cove. No matter what, I’m determined to earn the respect of my fellow cops—and my law enforcement family, including my older brother Brady—as the new guy.My new next door neighbor is also my new sister-in-law... -
TJ: Sins of the Father by Nicole James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFROM WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR NICOLE JAMES COMES A ONE-NIGHT STAND, SURPRISE PREGNANCY, MC ROMANCE!TJ—The beautiful tattoo artist told me to leave her alone after what I thought was an amazing night together.Maybe she was just trying to get her bad boy fill... -
TJ: Sins of the Father by Nicole James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFROM WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR NICOLE JAMES COMES A ONE-NIGHT STAND, SURPRISE PREGNANCY, MC ROMANCE!TJ—The beautiful tattoo artist told me to leave her alone after what I thought was an amazing night together.Maybe she was just trying to get her bad boy fill... -
Scrooge and the Girls Next Door: A Holiday Rom Com by Melanie Jacobson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses...Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she's turned it all around...Categorized as:
age difference christmas from hate to love single-mother contemporary grumpy sunshine humor clean -
A Co-Worker's Crush by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t date the women I work with. It cost me three tattoo guns, a job, five motorcycle tires, and I’m not even counting the t-shirts I never got back. It feels different with Frankie but she comes with a little daughter and a crap load of other baggage. I’m not the guy you take home to your parents, let alone your child... -
Crossing the Line by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSome lines are meant to be crossed.Trent Montgomery knew all about loyalty and responsibility. Tracking down his friend’s long-lost sister and making sure she was safe was just another job, a favor from someone he cared about. He wasn’t supposed to get attached. But when he started to fall for the woman who had been hiding from the world, things got a lot more complicated than he ever expected... -
Collide by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMy hot professor’s past tore us apart. But he won’t give up on our future.I thought I knew who Sawyer Redmond was. I was wrong.But he’s fiercely determined to keep me, and I can’t avoid him. He’s everywhere—in class, at events, in my head.He forces me to discover a side of myself I never knew. One that terrifies me almost as much as it excites me.He says our secrets can bring us closer... -
Short Stack 2 by Lily Morton
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens after the happy ending?Drawn together for the first time, this is a collection of Lily’s short stories about some of the much-loved men from her books. Follow them through wet and windy marriage proposals, surprise workplace visits, and a very entertaining ghost tour... -
The One I Love by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Sexy, Friends to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Small-Town Romance by bestselling author Chelle Sloan.I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved my childhood best friend, Amelia.Her big brown eyes and beautiful smile have had a hold on me since we were teenagers.Hell, I even love her kids as if they were my own.Now, she’s divorced, and after twenty years, it’s time to make my move... -
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One Enchanted Moment by Sarah Morgan
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsUSA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan will sweep you away with her Puffin Island series! Life has just thrown Skylar Tempest a serious curveball. So she’s returned home to Puffin Island to regroup among friends. Unfortunately, that means seeing Alec Hunter, who’s become a big-deal TV historian. Sky’s never liked the cynical Alec, and the feeling was mutual. But maybe that was then... -
Attachment Theory by Kayley Loring
Dear Mr. Brodie,I hope this email finds you well. Your well-being and personal growth are of the utmost importance to me, as a therapist. As such, I have decided it is in your best interest to continue individual therapy with another practitioner. This is due to the potential for boundaries being crossed between us.Attached is a list of colleagues I would recommend for you...Categorized as:
age difference forbidden love strong heroine single-mother contemporary humor insta-love actors -
Euro Dreams by Kate Stewart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFrom the international and USA Today best-selling author of The Plight Before Christmas and The Ravenhood Trilogy comes a laugh-out-loud, romantic dramedy full of spice, swoon, and ALL OF THE FEELS.I don’t remember booking a first-class ticket to hell… An all-expense paid trip to Europe... -
Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale
Mavis always assumed that she would be in a hospital with the good drugs when her time came. Not in the middle of the road, with no one around but the damn town mechanic that hated her.But there she was, having a rock star’s baby, with no one to rely on but the one that let it be known around every turn that she was a horrible person... -
Turkeys by Lucy Lennox, May Arhcer
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHunter Jackson’s Sage Advice for a Happy ThanksgivingWhen your turkey-thieving, town-abandoning, former childhood friend reappears in Licking Thicket after fifteen long years, looking like a snack and smelling like all your favorite treats put together, it might be tempting to, well, dig in.Don’t... -
Welcome To Winterville by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe's the kind of man who always gets what he wants. But this time she's going to make him work for it...When a ruthless company buys Holly Winter’s small home town, she’s determined to stop them.But then she comes face to face with the CEO. Josh Gerber is handsome, smooth, and disgustingly successful. He’s also the man that Holly spent a night with eight years ago... -
Flutter by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe can’t stand her, and best believe, the feeling is mutual. Her life is the complete opposite of what he desires. So, why can’t they keep their hands off each other? Forrest Nash is a smug know-it-all... -
A Little Christmas Spirit: A Novel by Sheila Roberts
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe best Christmas gifts—family, friendship and second chances—are all waiting to be unwrapped in this sparkling new novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts.Single mom Lexie Bell hopes to make this first Christmas in their new home special for her six-year-old son, Brock. Festive lights and homemade fudge, check. Friendly neighbors? Uh, no... -
Third and Long by K.T. Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHIRD AND LONG is a scorching sports romance filled with humor, suspense, and football-related excitement...Categorized as:
age difference strong heroine from hate to love new adult humor sports super rich hero contemporary -
Irish Rebel by L.K. Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaitlínAfter finally convincing my over-protective family to let me visit my uncle in Dublin, I know this may be my only chance to experience everything I’ve always wanted: Adventure. Excitement. Freedom.Until I’m introduced to the man assigned to be my bodyguard. With his silver-flecked hair and wicked scar, Roarke radiates power and danger. Everything I’m drawn to...Categorized as:
age difference suspense from hate to love mafia forced proximity contemporary alpha male humor -
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Jingle Bells & Mistletoe by Sammi Cee
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJonathan watched all of his friends fall in love, get married, and grow their families. All he’s ever wanted is a relationship as wonderful as the one his parents have always had...Categorized as:
christmas angst age difference m-m humor friends to lovers contemporary hurt-comfort -
One Hundred Desires by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s all work.He’s all play.Can they meet in the middle for love?Vivian Armstrong has taken control of Vortex, her family's security business, and she’s determined to prove her worth. She may be the youngest of seven and the only woman bodyguard on the team, but she’s every bit as tough as her older brothers...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love contemporary forced proximity humor sassy heroine length-short -
Two Wrongs Made Right by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJust because my brother found love doesn’t mean I have to.I’d rather focus on other things.Like money.It never gives you sleepless nights that drive you insane.But the single mom I hooked up with at my brother’s wedding?She’s got me sweating.I can’t get her out of my head.Those curves.That smart mouth.She’s the right kind of trouble.But I’m the wrong kind of guy.Or not.She’s been wronged before... -
Borrowed by Victoria Ashley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI was never supposed to want to keep her.She was meant to be borrowed.Mine for six days and not a day longer.She doesn’t belong to me.She belongs to someone else.My brother…The closest person I have outside of the screaming fans and paparazzi—a constant in my new life— other than the whiskey I drown myself in to numb the pain left by someone else...Categorized as:
from hate to love angst suspense super rich hero humor forced proximity new adult contemporary -
Rival Desires by M. S. Parker
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to Rival Desires, where the rivalry is fiery, but the romance? It's downright scorching.Meet Cory charming, socially awkward, and co-owner of the established Palo Alto finance firm Gracen & McCrae. Enter Rylee Palmer, the brilliant, enigmatic head of the new game-changer in town, Palmer Money Management... -
Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn offbeat lesbian romantic comedy starring penguins, plotting, and payback.Muffin maker Olivia Roberts has had it with her awful exes taking advantage of her good nature. The theft of her nana’s beloved stuffed penguin is the absolute last straw.She puts up an ad at her local crime bookstore for a henchperson to help her enact a little mild revenge...
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