u/Frau-Pfau

Hi, book lovers! I'm looking for a vibe like:

FMC is in a long-term relationship with boyfriend - maybe they met younger (high school/college). They are physically attracted to each other, but that's as far as the connection goes anymore.

They are mismatched in what they like to do or how to spend their time and/or emotionally, intellectually, etc. She is smart and shy; he's the immature life of the party-type. His priority is a good time (over her too); she has grown up. His friends like her; her friends don't understand why she's still with him.

She doesn't know her worth since she's always just been his shadow and he doesn't invest in her, but she knows she doesn't want to live like this forever, and she ends it.

Cue MMC who has been just her friend for years and over time has developed feelings for her. He *sees* her worth and never understood how she could put up with the other guy for so long. He won't let the opportunity pass, now that she's single, to be the one to convince her how special she is. She finally experiences what it's like to be really valued and loved and sees her long-time friend as something more.

❤️:

Angst, longing, yearning, pit-in-stomach tension

Funny, witty banter

Spice

(This is also when I'd love to have an author on retainer and say: "Can you write something like this?")

Any recs that meet some of this vibe? Thanks!

I love the classic MCs meet each other, wrestle with it a while, and then fall madly in love.

But sometimes I like to be surprised or see a unique variation on the theme - or a new theme I haven't seen before. Since they are a little different, they don't seem to match responses for requests very often.

Here are some books I've liked:

{Hello Stranger by Katherine Center}

{The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston}

{The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston}

{The Wedding People by Alison Espach} - Trigger warning on this one from the start. It has a HEA, but the FMC is in a dark place from the beginning.

{P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connolly}

{Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall}

{Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle}

These all have HEAs, but I don't necessarily care if they do if the story is great. What are some not-like-the-others books that you've liked?