Book picks similar to
Grumpy As Hell by Marika Ray


ku
rom-com
contemporary
firefighters

Boston


Alexis Alvarez - 2016
    His Boston accent, chiseled abs and easy-going nature have women flocking to him. But when he meets author Abby, whose brains are bigger than his biceps, he sets out to prove that he's more than just a pretty face.Abby is thrilled—and a little breathless—when Parker agrees to work with her on her next book release. However, they soon discover that while opposites may attract, that doesn't mean that they can overcome their differences. Especially when Parker's supermodel ex-girlfriend reappears.Will they be able to see the big picture and accept each other as they are, or will their differences close the book on their chance at love?

Morgue to Love


Megan Montgomery - 2021
    Smythe is the youngest, Medical Examiner in Nashville, Tennessee, only I didn't know it last night when she was between my legs and just Soula.This morning, we meet again as our careers cross paths and if I wasn't concentrating on not spilling my guts from the nasty fumes of this D.O.A., it'd be awkward as hell.Our eyes meet over the autopsy table......ahem......cough......the autopsy table absolutely covered in melted, gooey human remains that are long past recognizable...I open my mouth to speak. The name, Soula, is right there on my tongue. Unfortunately, so is the stench (and taste) of putrescine. When I wake up on a scratchy, tweed couch with a pounding headache, Soula's handing me something steamy in a Dolly Parton mug. She's just as beautiful in her light green scrubs as she was naked in my bed last night, but her expression is clear—she wants nothing more to do with me.But I want everything to do with her.

Frenemies with Benefits


Kelly Myers - 2020
    I’ve spent my life running away from my past.And for so long, that’s worked.Not anymore.Now my past is out to get me in the form of Zach O’Malley.He was my first crush, but that was then.My name is still Beatrice Dobbs, but everything else has changed. I’m an adult now. I don’t want to go back to my troubled past.Plus Zach is from the wrong side of the tracks. Sure, back when I was in high school, I had a thing for the Bad Boy, but not anymore.And on top of that, he’s trying to get me to reconnect with my mother. I haven’t spoken to her since I was eighteen, and I would rather re-take the SAT’s than see her again.And yet, I can’t seem to push Zach away.He’s no good for me.But maybe – just maybe– my teenage self was onto something.What’s the harm in a little bit of fun?

Stiff Competition: A Graves Brothers Romance


Kim Linwood - 2018
    Big ego. Huge… plans? Carter Graves is as smooth as the weave of his designer suit, and just as out of my price range. He sweeps into Wittville ready to wheel, deal and melt some panties, quickly topping my short list of men I love to hate and would hate to love. Before I know it, he’s got his sexy eyes set on me and his talented hands all over my business. My family’s business, of course. What were you thinking? The contract he waves in my face will turn my quiet little life upside down, but it’s his seductive smile that threatens to do the same to my heart. If he really thinks being the hottest guy in town is enough to make me roll over and let him turn us into just another faceless franchise, he’s got another think coming. I’m not signing unless he can convince me he wants more than just another notch on his resume. Or his bedpost. There’s just one problem with my strategy. The harder I make him work, the harder it will be to watch him go. Stiff is a full length stand-alone romance with no cheating and a resounding happily ever after.

His Takeover


Piper Sullivan - 2018
    Relax and enjoy!

Wild With You


J.H. Croix - 2021
    Croix!✔️ Single father with axe-swinging hotness✔️ Polar opposites attract✔️ Barn burner chemistry with a serious slow burn✔️ Meet cute, corgi includedWhen a grumpy hotshot firefighter meets a homecoming queen from the city, all bets are off.I don’t have time for romance, much less for prissy Madison Glen. The first time I meet her, I kiss her. The second time I meet her, she's breaking into my neighbor's house. She swears up and down she’s not a criminal. Maybe not, but she is definitely a distraction I don’t need. I’ve got my hands full with my mouthy daughter and an insanely busy life as a hotshot firefighter. It doesn’t surprise me at all to learn Madison was homecoming queen in high school. She’s stubborn, impractical, and she’d win the contest for least-likely to survive in small town Alaska. She’s also sultry and sassy. She’s everything I don’t need. It doesn’t matter what I tell myself though. I can’t keep my hands to myself when she’s around, and she kisses like a dream.Graham & Madison’s story is perfect for readers who love small town romance, hotshot firefighters, single father romance, alpha heroes, smart sassy heroines, frenemies to lovers, hate to love, opposites attract, slow burn, emotional romance with a dash of angst, plenty of steam and swoon, and a deeply protective grumpy hero.*A full-length, standalone romance.

Saddler's Secret


Nicole Rodrigues - 2019
    Heartbreaking circumstances thrusts me into motherhood, and on the plane ride home, I break down, kissing a total stranger and the angel offered me a solution; Saddler Enterprises. I've climbed the ladder and worked my ass off for months, and in walks, Adam, our intern. I try to keep things professional but all of a sudden, I start to find him funny and charming. His kiss electrifies me but that's precisely when shit really hits the fan.Suddenly, I'm on the mysterious Machlin Saddler’s radar. Big, bad CEO that never makes his way to our floor, now makes it his new stomping grounds. He lights my body on fire like no one has before. He's alluring and gorgeous and I'm being pulled in two different directions. Only the new intern isn't who I think he is. He's the perfect stranger from the plane I took to start my new life with Kenzie. The perfect stranger I kissed. The perfect stranger I hate.Genevieve LangstonThe breathtaking woman I haven't been able to keep my mind off of, has been my downfall. I need her like a lion needs prey but I can't screw up the plan. She'll hate me, hell she already does, but the line between love and hate is very, very thin.

Office Grump


Nicole Snow - 2020
    I'm his lowly assistant. Some rules are carved in stone.That's my mantra until we're sharing a sunset too beautiful for life.Alone with wandering lips, whispered secrets, and disaster in the making.The plan was simple: punch the clock, get paid, and keep hating my boss.What's the blueprint when the office grump brings me to my knees?Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance with the banter, intrigue, and slow-burn love worthy of a Happily Ever After. The bossman from Hades meets the hellion he totally can't stand—until he can't live without her.

Going Down on One Knee


Christina Hovland - 2018
    Sure, she's got the lucrative job. She's got the posh apartment. But her sister nabbed Velma's Mr. Right. There has to be a man out there for Velma. Hopefully, one who's hunky, wears pressed suits, and has a diversified financial portfolio. He'll be exactly like, well... her sister's new fiancé.Badass biker Brek Montgomery blazes a trail across the country, managing Dimefront, one of the biggest rock bands of his generation. With the band on hiatus, Brek rolls into Denver to pay a quick visit to his family and friends. But when Brek's sister suddenly gets put on bed rest, she convinces Brek to take over her wedding planning business for the duration of her pregnancy.Staying in Denver and dealing with bridezillas was not what Brek had in mind when he passed through town, but there is one particular maid-of-honor who might make his stay worthwhile.Velma finds herself strangely attracted to the man planning her sister's wedding.Problem is, he ticks none of the boxes on her well-crafted list. Brek is rough around the edges, he cusses, and doesn't even have a 401(k). But trying something crazy might get her out of the rut of her dating life--so long as she lays down boundaries up front and sticks to her plan...Going Down on One Knee is book one of the Mile High Matched series. If you love a hunky, tattooed wedding planner this book is for you.

More Than 'Just' Friends


Mia Ford - 2019
    Jay Wylett: Army Officer, Strong, Charismatic, Perfect.  Also, the man I love.  Wait…did I just say love? In love with a military man? No way! Well, this can’t happen. I can’t get into the love boat, For me it’s a sinking ship. And to prevent myself from drowning, I agree to a ‘just friends’ kind of arrangement, The problem? I think, I am falling for Jay, And this relationship is turning out to be ‘more than just friends.’ Suddenly, I’m convincing myself that everything’s going to work out just fine,  Even the baby that we made together!

One Hot Daddy


Sarah J. Brooks - 2021
    But that was enough to conceive his baby. I thought I’d never see him again – but now he's back and turns my life upside down.He's a gorgeous soldier on a mission to save the world.I'm a waitress that's just trying to make ends meet.Yeah, we come from completely different worlds.Yet, we share one unforgettable passionate night together.I give him my number, but he never calls.Instead, he goes to a war-torn country saving lives.And now, two years later, he’s back.A smoking hot firefighter in our small town.When he walks into the sports bar where we once met, he nearly sets me on fire.It’s how I feel when I’m with him — safe and protected.I even wonder if I should tell him that the sweet little girl I take care of is not my niece.She’s our precious daughter Luna.The butterflies in my stomach tell me to give our family a fresh new chance –but then the fear of losing everything makes me doubt if I should ever see him again.I’ve been burned before. Can I really trust that Ace will stay with me this time?

Risky Business (Wrecked Roommates)


Kelsie Rae - 2022
    Yes, I climbed into Jake Jensen’s lap and kissed the crap out of him in a crowded bar to make my ex jealous.Yes, I lied to my family and told them I’m in a relationship with the guy, even though he doesn’t know my name or my family’s connection to one of the hottest software companies in the US.Yes, I’m now on my way to convince him to be my fake boyfriend for my father’s company retreat in exchange for...whatever the heck he wants if it’ll get me out of this mess.And no, I’m most definitely not interested in his smoldering eyes or the way his hands feel against my body.Because whatever’s burning between us?It isn’t real.We’re both a means to an end.And there’s no convincing me otherwise.

Bachelor Society


Sara Ney - 2020
    Rules are involved. Prizes.Laugh it up, but I’m no loser. Enemy number one to my single status? My irresistible neighbor, Abbott Margolis. She with her evil cat Desdemona, and Sexy AF pencil skirts. She’s kind and beautiful and hilarious. We can’t get involved, no matter how much her meddling grandmother pushes us together. But if I was going to lose this bet for anyone? It would be for Abbott. Let’s face facts: I’m a bastard, unwilling to settle down. Especially when there’s a bet to win.

The Opposite of You


Rachel Higginson - 2017
    All men. Famous last words, right? You’re expecting some epic tale of reluctant love and my dramatic change of heart? Well, you’re not going to get it. I’m stubborn. And headstrong. And I’ve just survived the worst three years of my life. After escaping an abusive boyfriend to live in hostels and cheap hotels while I worked my way across Europe, I’ve come to two conclusions. The first? Now that I’m back home, I’m going to squander my expensive culinary degree on a food truck that caters to the late night drunk crowd. The second? I’m going to prove to the bastard across the plaza that my street food is better than his fussy five course monstrosities.Killian Quinn might be Food and Wine’s Chef to Watch Out For. He might have a Michelin Star. He might have every food critic in the city wrapped around his too-large fingers. But he’s also pretentious and unbearably arrogant and the very opposite of me. So he can keep his unsolicited advice and his late night visits and his cocky smiles. I want none of it. Or him. I want the opposite.

Faking It as the Maid


Emily James - 2020
    I’m desperate, so I concoct a scheme and temporarily take my friend’s job as a maid.But I’m not prepared for him.Gorgeous. Sexy as hell. Millionaire property tycoon, and of course, arrogant jerk.I met him at a bar and he tried to hit on me. When I ignored him, he thought it was because I couldn’t speak English. Figures he’d be my new boss. Now I have to keep up the charade or risk him finding out I don’t actually work for Heavenly Help, the Romanian cleaning agency he hires.Can I keep up the charade of being his maid or will cleaning his mansion make me dirtier than ever?FAKING IT AS THE MAID is a standalone romance, suitable for readers aged 18 or over, due to mature content and sexual themes.