Books like 'Fish Out of Water'
Readers who enjoyed Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery action / adventure outdoors grumpy-sunshine humor grumpy-mc forced-proximity cheerful-mc
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The Dom Identity by Lexi Blake
13 ratingsA man with everythingMichael Malone seems to have it all. A wealthy, loving family. A job that fulfills him. Friends he can count on. But something is missing. He’s spent years watching his brother and close friends get married and start families, but it hasn’t happened for him. When an assignment comes up to investigate fallen Hollywood star Vanessa Hale, he jumps at the chance... -
Conquered by Riley Edwards
14 ratingsDylan Welsh was the last man standing…until Sawyer Glasgow brought him to his knees.Dylan wasn’t ready for Sawyer. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth of his past. He wasn’t ready to admit he’s fallen in love with the sweet, sexy woman who captivated him from the moment he saw her. He’s especially not prepared to face the hurt he’s caused Sawyer. But to keep her, he must do all three...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult alpha-mc -
The Medic by Anna Hackett
16 ratingsShe’s a tough former soldier trying to resist the charming medic who’s going all in to claim her.Former Norwegian special forces soldier Siv Pederson is making a new start in San Francisco. New country, new job at Norcross Security, and her new rule: no men...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc family female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult -
Inevitable Disclosure by Nicky James
12 ratingsQuaid is adrift in MPU. With his partner on extended leave, he’s alone and unsure if he wants to continue working on missing persons cases now that his sister’s case is closed. When the missing teen he’s been seeking for a week turns up dead, it’s the icing on the cake.Maybe it’s time to explore a different career path... -
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Playing with Lies by Riley Edwards
12 ratingsA no-strings kinda guy and a forever kinda woman…what could go wrong?I had a stalker and I knew just who to ask for help—Detective Dalton Neary. My own personal Prince Charming. The problem was, he turned out not to be so charming, at least not in the forever kind of way I was looking for. He was a good-time guy with a sexy smile and a goat game that should be illegal. But not the man for me...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance mystery law-enforcement -
The Protector by Anna Hackett
14 ratingsFor a ballerina in the line of fire, the only man who can keep her safe is a scarred, battle-hardened soldier.One minute Saskia Hawke is dancing on stage, and the next she’s been abducted by a very wealthy, very powerful man with connections. Whisked away to a country estate, she’ll do anything to escape, and prays the former soldier she can’t stop thinking about will come to rescue her...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc family female-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult -
Serve 'N' Protect by Tee O'Fallon
10 ratingsAmbushed and left for dead, U.S. Secret Service K-9 Officer Markus York is on the mend and laying low in a safe house while his team tracks down his attacker. But Markus isn’t good at sitting still. Even with his K-9, Ghost, for company, he gets restless and decides now is the perfect time to do some repairs around the house…and inadvertently tears open his wounds...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult assassins audiobook -
Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
18 ratingsThe Devil is in the details . . . Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries)... -
Ivy's Delta by Elle James
12 ratingsAfter years of resisting his teammates’ good intentions, big, bad and cranky Delta Force soldier, Magnus “Duff” McCormick, agrees to a blind date. Memories of his wife who died on their honeymoon derail his date with the beautiful redhead his friends introduce him to. When his date is attacked and almost stolen away, Duff comes to the rescue and sticks to her like glue, memories be damned...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult book contemporary -
Sweet Child O' Mine by Lexi Blake
13 ratingsA look into the life at McKay-Taggart on the day Charlie and Ian have their babies... -
Brother's Keeper III: Luke by Stephanie St. Klaire
6 ratingsLuke O’Reilly has seen it all, done it all, and lived through it all. When a career ending injury forces him to retire from the military, he struggles to adapt. Luke was born to be a soldier, not conform to the nine-to-five mediocrity of everyday life. He needs to protect and serve like he needs his next breath... -
The Fallen One by Brittney Sahin
6 ratingsFrom Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author Brittney Sahin, comes a sizzling love story between a morally gray hero who doesn’t believe in second chances, and the woman who will make him question everything. Five years ago, a phone call forever changed my life as I listened to my wife being murdered half a world away... -
Poison and Prejudice by Chelsea Field
14 ratingsWhen Izzy agreed to become an undercover poison taster, she didn’t anticipate that it might involve driving around the streets of Los Angeles with a corpse in the trunk. Because the police asked her to. She also didn’t think finding a body together could be considered a bonding experience until she met Connor’s family... -
Roaming Wild by Tracey Devlyn
8 ratingsShe's loved him forever... The last thing traveling nurse Evie Steele expects to find aboard the RV housing her mobile health clinic is her brother’s best friend. As always, Deke’s close proximity stirs her forbidden desires and long-suppressed dreams. But his sudden reappearance in her life and curious interest in her patients makes Evie wonder what he’s hiding. .. -
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Home Again: Starting Over by Becki Willis
10 ratingsThings in The Sisters are heating up, and Madison Reynolds is in the hot seat. When a local woman dies in a most unconventional way, In a Pinch takes on the quirky case and once again, Maddy finds herself in the middle of a would-be murder investigation. Even with the help of her grandmother and best friend Genny, this case may be too hot to handle... -
The Five Minute Mistake by Hannah Shield
10 ratingsHe's my instructor. He's off limits.And he's the twist I never saw coming.On paper, Nash Jennings is intimidating as hell. Former Navy SEAL, notorious loner, and the grumpiest sniper on the West Oaks SWAT team. But I don't buy it. I think he's actually a nice guy under that armor he wears, and I'm determined to draw him out. Make him my friend. Perhaps even make him smile... -
Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
10 ratingsFrom the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in a new series.Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, trapped in her old hometown for the summer... -
One Bossy Dare by Nicole Snow
20 ratingsWall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a howling funny office romance where two bitter insta-rivals stumble into the sweetest love.It was one little dare with razor-sharp teeth—work for him.Yes, he's a fire-breathing grump and gazillionaire bachelor.Yes, I just gave him an ego check he'll never forget.Yes, he's still offering me the job dreams are made of...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine humor suspense action-adventure -
No Room for Error by Julie Moffett
12 ratingsTrouble follows me, Lexi Carmichael, like a little black cloud. At least according to my boyfriend, Slash: brilliant hacker, national treasure and vault of secrets. Even I have to admit he could be right. After a series of high-profile cases at my cyberintelligence firm, I was looking forward to a simple job... -
No Woman Left Behind by Julie Moffett
12 ratingsMy mother's life goal has been to see me, geek extraordinaire Lexi Carmichael, happily married. So bringing my first boyfriend, Slash, home for dinner has me hyperventilating. Things get a lot worse when bullets start flying over our corn chowder... -
No Test for the Wicked by Julie Moffett
12 ratingsA Geek's Worst Nightmare: Going Back to High School Returning to high school is not something I ever wanted to do over—it was awful the first time around. So why do I have to go back as part of a new undercover assignment? Because the universe loves playing jokes on me, obviously... -
Laugh or Death by Camilla Chafer
14 ratingsWhen a broken man arrives in town desperate to locate his missing girlfriend, loved-up PI Lexi Graves is determined to reunite the lost loves. However, the further Lexi delves into the case, the more it appears that the missing woman doesn't want to be found... -
No Place Like Rome by Julie Moffett
14 ratingsA Lexi Carmichael Mystery Italy might seem like a long way to go to hide after a disastrous date. But when sexy uberhacker Slash (no, that's not his real name) asks me to go with him to Rome on an investigation, the timing is sort of perfect... -
Duty and the Beast by Chelsea Field
14 ratingsIsobel Avery's first six months as an undercover poison taster haven't exactly been easy. But this week will be worse. Two people with nothing in common are found dead. Apparently poisoned by an artificial intelligence security system. Now Izzy needs to find out whether robots are taking over the world or if there's a geeky murderer on the loose... -
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Have Mercy by Hannah Shield
8 ratingsThe only way to save his best friend’s sister…is to marry her.Ruby Whitestone just found her ex’s dead body. And the police think she did it. But as a single mom, she knows how to fend for herself. No fairytale hero is going to swoop in to save her. Not her brother, the Bennett Security bodyguard. Certainly not Chase, a West Oaks police officer and her brother’s best friend... -
The Big Kill by Elise Sax
8 ratingsProgress is being made on Gladie’s house and her impending wedding. Meanwhile, her best friend Bridget is ready to give birth. But all of that takes a backseat to Gladie’s discovery in her grandmother’s attic about her father... -
No Such Thing As A Free Ride by Shelly Fredman
10 ratingsPuff piece reporter, Brandy Alexander is determined to win the battle of self improvement. She is eating better (or at least telling people she is) working out (if sparring with a guy who fishes doughnuts out of the gutter and eats them counts) and checking her impulsive behavior at the door. But it's hard to stay on track when her own therapist gives her up as a lost cause... -
No Strings Attached by Julie Moffett
10 ratingsOops, I did it again… Leave it to me, Lexi Carmichael, to become a target for an elite organization of cyber criminals simply by being in the wrong place at the right time. As if I weren't already freaking out about planning my best friend's bachelorette party, I now have to keep my eyes peeled for people trying to kill me... -
No Living Soul by Julie Moffett
10 ratingsAlthough I never expected it, my work as a computer geek has me traveling around the world, solving mysteries and fighting bad guys. Sometimes with my friends, but always with trouble by my side... -
No Regrets by Julie Moffett
10 ratingsGeek girl Lexi Carmichael has tackled her share of formidable tasks, but nothing quite as daunting as serving as maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding When I agreed to stand by my best friend, Basia, on her big day, I had no idea what I was in for. Bouquets and unflattering evening wear I can handle... -
Second Chances in Chianti by T.A. Williams
10 ratingsAlice thought her future was set in stone, until her past came knocking... Alice Butler starred in a successful US sitcom until tensions in the cast and crew caused the show to be cancelled. Now, five years later and working towards her dream job in art history, she’s called back for a revival of the show...Categorized as:
humor family suspense contemporary womens-fiction psychological mystery action-adventure -
A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff by Anna Celeste Burke
10 ratingsMiriam Webster’s a woman with a few secrets—can she keep them after she and her spirited Dalmatian, Domino, find a body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff? When Miriam Webster moves into the Seaview Cottages active adult community, the last thing she expects is to find a body on the bluffs nearby... -
Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble
10 ratingsThere’s only one thing more dangerous than family secrets.Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist... -
Cold Wicked Lies by Toni Anderson
12 ratingsIn an effort to halt an armed standoff, FBI negotiator Charlotte Blood tries to unravel the mystery of a young woman’s death on a remote mountainside. Pity she has to fight her stubborn, sexy, Hostage Rescue Team counterpart every step of the way.As a highly skilled operative, HRT leader Payne Novak doesn’t have time to play detective or make nice with killers who flout the law...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc female-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine suspense action-adventure adult -
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The Great Jackalope Stampede by Ann Charles
12 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of the Kindle Bestselling Deadwood Mystery Series comes the hilarious third book in the Jackrabbit Junction Mystery series: THE GREAT JACKALOPE STAMPEDE!"There's nothing like a woman who wears a tool belt!"Praise for THE GREAT JACKALOPE STAMPEDE"Cool characters, a clever mystery, and a ton of laughs--The Great Jackalope Stampede delivers them all! If you haven't... -
Violet: A Dark Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark
12 ratingsHe Knows Her Secret… Violet Black is a talented singer and songwriter, but she’s barely scratching a living in London, working at a seedy club run by the Russian mafia. Standing onstage, Violet locks eyes with a massive, brutal-looking Bratva. Anton Vasilev is second-in-command to the biggest boss in Paris. He’s intelligent, ruthless, and completely fixated on Violet...Categorized as:
suspense grumpy-sunshine forced-proximity cheerful-mc grumpy-mc mystery contemporary poc-mc -
Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (29) by Janet Evanovich
26 ratingsStephanie Plum breaks the rules, flirts with disaster, and shows who’s boss in this “fast and fun” (Publishers Weekly) thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable... -
Shock and Awesome by Camilla Chafer
14 ratingsWhen a thief who preys on the super rich women of a high-end dating website turns up in Montgomery, it’s up to Private Investigator, Lexi Graves, to lure him out before he goes to ground. To make matters worse, he's evaded capture numerous times, and this might be the last chance to catch him before he retires altogether from the high stakes game... -
Weapons of Mass Distraction by Camilla Chafer
14 ratingsWhen a client drops dead during Lexi’s spin class, she’s not too surprised. After all, it’s a tough class. But within days, another death occurs, this time, on the treadmill. Then, when her running partner bites the dust, it becomes personal. Sent undercover, Lexi takes a job as Montgomery’s newest gym instructor in a bid to find the killer... -
Kissing in Action by Camilla Chafer
14 ratingsWhen Lexi gets her latest gig, tracking down a blackmailer guilty of extorting thousands of dollars from the country’s hottest girl band, it’s practically a dream come true. However, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous doesn’t turn out to be as much fun as she hoped... -
Poison is the New Black: by Chelsea Field
14 ratingsWhen Mr. Black becomes the top suspect in a murder investigation, Isobel Avery is roped into helping Etta, her Glock, and her greyhound clear his name. Except her boyfriend Connor is warning her to stay out of it, the new client she’s protecting from poison threats requires her full attention, and oh yeah, Izzy thinks Mr. Black might be guilty… He did once try to beat her to a pulp after all... -
Take Down by Fern Michaels
14 ratingsChristmastime is here, and justice is the gift that keeps on giving for the Sisterhood and their menfolk in the third part of an exhilarating series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels. Victory is sweet, but for the Sisterhood and their allies, it’s also short-lived... -
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel by Liliana Hart
18 ratingsCan ghosts really talk?J.J. Graves is about to find out when her past comes back to haunt her. Too bad her life was just beginning to seem normal.J.J. and Jack set off together on a mission to uncover the secrets of J.J.'s felonious parents... -
No Brainer by A.J. Lape
6 ratingsTwo weeks before junior year, Darcy hops a plane to Orlando for a little R&R with her best friend Dylan and his family. Fresh off the heels of solving three murders in Valley, she is ready to sit back and enjoy the vacation capital of the world…maybe if you're a noun. Darcy Walker, however, is nothing but verb... -
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High Stakes by Nicolette Pierce
6 ratingsContinue Nadia Wolf’s adventure in this second book. Nadia Wolf has had enough and she’s fighting back! It comes down to this: Kill or be killed. Nadia doesn’t like those options but she is far from safe from Dagor’s clutches. Not only does she have to worry about saving her neck, but now she has a new roommate taking over her apartment; Muffin . . -
Cashing Out by Nicolette Pierce
6 ratingsMarried. To Ian. No matter how many times Nadia’s predicament crosses through her mind, it always ends with the same question; what in the world have I done? If it wasn’t bad enough that Nadia fled the scene the morning after, it seems her husband jumped ship too. It’s only when cryptic postcards from Africa start piling up that she realizes how far Ian jumped... -
Beyond the Thistles by Samantha Young
6 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:
suspense family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance contemporary -
Erik's Redemption by Nyssa Kathryn
6 ratingsThe difference between delight and devastation…a single moment.Until recently, Hannah Jacobs thought she was living. One look at her new neighbor, and she knows she was simply surviving. Going through her days hiding behind a mask, similar to the broken man next door. Together, they slowly realize they want more…happiness, love, a future...Categorized as:
suspense forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc audiobook contemporary military -
Chasing Grace by Edith Lalonde
6 ratings⭐️ PACKED WITH ACTION AND SIZZLING WITH COMBUSTIBLE CHEMISTRY AND SUSPENSE! ⭐️CHASING GRACE is a fast-paced, full-length standalone novel with a guaranteed happily ever after.Catch the bad guy…Black ops soldier Chase Mackenzie’s goal is singular. On the hunt to capture a terrorist, he needs to remain laser-focused... -
Reach For The Spy by Diane Henders
8 ratingsBook 3 of the Never Say Spy seriesMiddle-aged bookkeeper Aydan Kelly never wanted to moonlight as a spy, but she doesn’t have a choice. Working with computer networks in a secured building sounds safe, but it turns out the job’s a killer – literally.When Aydan’s trusted co-worker is shot while committing an apparently treasonous act, Aydan embarks on a secret mission to clear his name...
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