Cover of Protecting You

Protecting You

Claire Kingsley

Bailey Brothers #1

contemporary romance(32k)

Best friends since childhood, Grace and Asher finally risk everything for love — only to have it torn apart.

Content Warnings
sexual assault (past or present)

Description

One night brings them together. Another night tears them apart.Grace Miles misses her easy friendship with Asher, but growing up means growing apart. And really, how could he fall for her when they spent their childhood getting muddy in the creek and splitting sticks of gum? But this summer, something feels different. If Grace didn’t know better, she’d think Asher was flirting with her. Those dark eyes, hard body, and wicked smile make her insides swirl and her heart dare to hope for things she’s convinced herself she’ll never have.Falling for your best friend shouldn’t be complicated, but for Asher Bailey, loving Grace is anything but simple. The road to romance isn’t smooth thanks to his pack of wild brothers who are protective of the girl next door, a take-no-sass grandmother, a small town where gossip is a spectator sport, and a feud that spans generations. But Asher realizes his feelings are too big to ignore.Loving her isn’t the risk. Losing her would be.And one night, one kiss, changes everything. Finally admitting their feelings is the beginning of their happily ever after. Until their fairy tale love story is tragically interrupted, and neither of them will ever be the same.Author’s note: Lifelong soulmates, ridiculous pranks, brother shenanigans, and a feuding town. Protecting You is the Bailey Brothers series origin story. Be there when it begins and fall in love with this wild band of unruly brothers.The Bailey Brothers series is meant to be read in order and Grace and Asher’s story concludes in book two, Fighting for Us.Content warning: attempted sexual assault

Bailey Brothers series

Books like this

Cover of To Catch a Firefly

To Catch a Firefly

Emmy Sanders

contemporary romance
(23k)

A neurodivergent man has secretly loved his wild, free-spirited best friend for years — but how do you hold onto a firef

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

8 tropes in common

Cover of Summer's Road (Seasmoke Friends #1)

Summer's Road (Seasmoke Friends #1)

Kelly Moran

contemporary romanceSeasmoke Friends #1
(180)

He's been silently in love with his best friend for years — but she's about to choose someone else.

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

8 tropes in common

Cover of Beyond the Blue

Beyond the Blue

T.J. O'Shea

contemporary romance
(840)

A numbers-driven widow meets a golden retriever detective and discovers love wasn't in her calculations.

slow burnsmall towngolden retriever hero

7 tropes in common

Cover of Pieces of Home

Pieces of Home

Becca Neil

contemporary romance
(1k)

Two broken men — a trauma survivor and a disabled recluse — find each other on a California beach and slowly heal.

friends to loversslow burnsmall town

8 tropes in common

Cover of You & Me

You & Me

Tal Bauer

contemporary romance
(27k)

A widowed dad volunteers for his son's football team — and falls hard for the other team dad, his first-ever crush on a

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

7 tropes in common

Cover of Fool Hearts

Fool Hearts

Emmy Sanders

contemporary romancePlum Valley Cowboys #1
(11k)

Two cowboy best friends, decades of pining, and one barn moment that changes everything.

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

8 tropes in common

Cover of Love and Other Words

Love and Other Words

Christina Lauren

contemporary romance
(834k)

A decade of silence, one chance reunion, and the first love she never stopped carrying.

friends to loversslow burnsmall town

8 tropes in common

Cover of Promises

Promises

Marie Sexton

contemporary romanceCoda #1
(12k)

A small-town gay man falls for his new best friend — who insists he's straight.

forbidden romancefriends to loverssmall town

8 tropes in common

Cover of Just Friends

Just Friends

Saxon James

contemporary romanceNever Just Friends #1
(9k)

He came home for closure, not to fall harder — but his oblivious best friend won't let him leave.

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

8 tropes in common

Cover of Hands Down

Hands Down

Mariana Zapata

contemporary romance
(52k)

She walked back into the NFL star's life for a favour — but he was always the one who got away.

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

7 tropes in common

Cover of Wait for It

Wait for It

Mariana Zapata

contemporary romance
(116k)

A woman raising her nephews after tragedy slowly falls for the quiet, steady man next door.

friends to loversslow burnsmall town

8 tropes in common

Cover of Wanted (Wanted, #1)

Wanted (Wanted, #1)

Kelly Elliott

new adult romanceWanted #1
(29k)

A linebacker pursues his best friend's guarded sister, but her painful past keeps pushing him away.

forbidden romanceslow burngolden retriever hero

8 tropes in common

Cover of Artistic License

Artistic License

Elle Pierson

contemporary romance
(3k)

A shy art student can't stop sketching the brooding security guard who thinks no one could ever want him.

friends to loversslow burnsmall town

7 tropes in common

Cover of Meeting Mrs. Garret

Meeting Mrs. Garret

Raquel De Leon

contemporary romance
(586)

A college student and a lonely married woman become friends — until something undeniable changes between them.

forbidden romancefriends to loversslow burn

8 tropes in common

Cover of We Could Be So Good

We Could Be So Good

Cat Sebastian

historical romanceMidcentury NYC #1
(22k)

A scrappy Brooklyn reporter and a disaster heir fall softly, secretly in love in 1950s New York.

forbidden romancefriends to loversgolden retriever hero

9 tropes in common

Cover of Chemistry Lessons

Chemistry Lessons

Jae

contemporary romanceChemistry Lessons #1
(2k)

Two best friends agree to three experimental dates to prove there's no chemistry — they're wrong.

friends to loversslow burn

6 tropes in common

Cover of The Guy in the Window

The Guy in the Window

Cara Dee

contemporary romance
(4k)

A man mid-divorce slowly falls for his nephew's father — the guy he keeps seeing through the window.

forbidden romancefriends to loversgolden retriever hero

7 tropes in common

Cover of Leo Loves Aries

Leo Loves Aries

Anyta Sunday

contemporary romanceSigns of Love #1
(10k)

A straight guy sets out to matchmake his new roommate — and slowly realises the stars had other plans.

friends to loversslow burn

6 tropes in common

Cover of Shock & Awe

Shock & Awe

Abigail Roux

contemporary romanceSidewinder #1
(9k)

A stolen kiss between two battle-bonded Marines unravels everything they thought they knew about each other.

friends to loversgolden retriever heromorally grey hero

7 tropes in common

Cover of Divine River

Divine River

Marina Vivancos

contemporary romance
(655)

A closeted small-town woodworker finds it hard to stay hidden when a sunshine city boy shines light on him.

friends to loverssmall towngolden retriever hero

6 tropes in common