Fans pick 92 books like All Out of Love

By Lori Wilde,

Here are 92 books that All Out of Love fans have personally recommended if you like All Out of Love. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Matchmaker's Playbook

Alyssa J. Montgomery Author Of A Spanish Seduction

From my list on makeover romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian USA Today bestselling romance author who writes contemporary romance and uses the pen name Alyssa James to write medieval romance. I think the makeover trope resonates with me because although I’m no beauty queen now, I was definitely an ugly duckling in my teens. For reasons best known to him, my father insisted on close-cropped hair, and financial circumstances dictated out-of-style hand-me-down clothing. After university, I found my own style, but it wasn’t until I was accepted as an international flight attendant that I believed that I couldn’t be all that ugly if Qantas employed me!

Alyssa's book list on makeover romances

Alyssa J. Montgomery Why did Alyssa love this book?

This story was a funny, sexy romance and I loved the slow-burn as Ian falls for a woman, Blake, who is off-limits for a number of reasons. I also really loved the banter between the characters. Maybe it’s because I’m a speech pathologist, but I absolutely love dialogue in the books I read. I think it quickens the pace of the book and can reveal so much about the characters.

Although the plot was fairly simple, this book was so much fun, and it ticked all the boxes for me! 

By Rachel Van Dyken,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Matchmaker's Playbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Wingman rule number one: don't fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus-and he's ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he's putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her…


Book cover of The Ugly Duchess

Alyssa J. Montgomery Author Of A Spanish Seduction

From my list on makeover romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian USA Today bestselling romance author who writes contemporary romance and uses the pen name Alyssa James to write medieval romance. I think the makeover trope resonates with me because although I’m no beauty queen now, I was definitely an ugly duckling in my teens. For reasons best known to him, my father insisted on close-cropped hair, and financial circumstances dictated out-of-style hand-me-down clothing. After university, I found my own style, but it wasn’t until I was accepted as an international flight attendant that I believed that I couldn’t be all that ugly if Qantas employed me!

Alyssa's book list on makeover romances

Alyssa J. Montgomery Why did Alyssa love this book?

Eloisa James has long been one of my favourite authors, and I love her witty stories in the Regency romance genre, as well as her friends-to-lovers and second-chance tropes in this story. 

The hero, James, had always cared about the heroine, Theodora, who is known in London society as The Ugly Duchess. She wasn’t ugly–just “mannish” and dressed by her mother in a way that didn’t capitalize on her looks.

I liked the fact that she grew in herself and that her transition wasn’t instant. I also loved that James didn’t fall in love with her simply because of her looks but because of her capabilities and her growth in personal confidence.  

By Eloisa James,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ugly Duchess as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than Eloisa James' - Julia Quinn

How can she dare to imagine he loves her... when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion. Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime . . . until she discovers that James desires not her heart, and certainly not…


Book cover of The Princess Diaries

Alyssa J. Montgomery Author Of A Spanish Seduction

From my list on makeover romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian USA Today bestselling romance author who writes contemporary romance and uses the pen name Alyssa James to write medieval romance. I think the makeover trope resonates with me because although I’m no beauty queen now, I was definitely an ugly duckling in my teens. For reasons best known to him, my father insisted on close-cropped hair, and financial circumstances dictated out-of-style hand-me-down clothing. After university, I found my own style, but it wasn’t until I was accepted as an international flight attendant that I believed that I couldn’t be all that ugly if Qantas employed me!

Alyssa's book list on makeover romances

Alyssa J. Montgomery Why did Alyssa love this book?

Cinderella was probably the first romance I ever encountered where a makeover took place, but the second most memorable from my youth was definitely this story.

Mia’s journey to the throne in Genovia is such a roller coaster. Resistant to the initial plan, I love Mia’s growth, and I adore her personality. A bit of a misfit with geeky looks (prior to the makeover, of course!), I love how engaging her character is, and I love the uplifting laugh-out-loud moments that leave me with a light, feel-good vibe.

I also love that she ends up falling for someone who’s been a constant support in her life and who knows and loves Mia for herself rather than her royal title.

By Meg Cabot,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Princess Diaries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

'You're not Mia Thermopolis any more, honey,' Dad said. 'You're Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. Princess of Genovia.'

A PRINCESS?? ME??? Yeah. Right.

One minute Mia's a totally normal Manhattan fourteen-year-old. Next minute she's heir to the throne of Genovia, being trailed by a bodyguard, taking princess lessons with her uncontrollable old grandmere, and having a makeover with someone called Paolo. Well, her dad can lecture her till he's royal blue in the face, but no way is Mia going to turn herself into a style-queen. And they think she's moving to Genovia? Er, hello?

Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries…


Book cover of Ugly Ducklings Finish First

Alyssa J. Montgomery Author Of A Spanish Seduction

From my list on makeover romances.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian USA Today bestselling romance author who writes contemporary romance and uses the pen name Alyssa James to write medieval romance. I think the makeover trope resonates with me because although I’m no beauty queen now, I was definitely an ugly duckling in my teens. For reasons best known to him, my father insisted on close-cropped hair, and financial circumstances dictated out-of-style hand-me-down clothing. After university, I found my own style, but it wasn’t until I was accepted as an international flight attendant that I believed that I couldn’t be all that ugly if Qantas employed me!

Alyssa's book list on makeover romances

Alyssa J. Montgomery Why did Alyssa love this book?

How many of us have dreaded attending the ten-year high school reunion? Although I’d never been called ‘Metal Mouth’ or “Queen Geek”—and as school captain, I wasn’t unpopular—I was still the girl who stood out with the longest school uniform skirt, the shortest hair, and military-grade polished school shoes courtesy of my father. No high school romances for me! 

So, when former high school sports star Wiley falls head over heels with former geek and now doctor Payton, I rooted for her. However, I also empathised with Wylie, who’s trying to escape his sports-jock reputation and earn respect as a lawyer. Add great dialogue and some other great issues where healing needed to take place, and I found it an absorbing read.

By Stacy Gail,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ugly Ducklings Finish First as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Metal Mouth. Queen Geek. Dr. Payton Pruitt heard it all growing up. But she's over it, and attending her ten-year high school reunion is the perfect way to prove it to herself. Even if there's only one person she's interested in seeing in Bitterthorn, Texas: Wiley Sharpe.

Now a respected lawyer, Wiley didn't live down to the label Most Likely to Be Slapped with a Paternity Suit. But recent acts of vandalism suggest someone still sees him as a heartbreaker, and the reunion seems a likely place to find the culprit. Instead, Wiley comes face-to-face with his old pal Payton—and…


Book cover of Emerald Blaze

L.R. Braden Author Of A Drop of Magic

From my list on urban fantasy brings magic to modern world.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been obsessed with fantasy stories for as long as I can remember, but the books I read growing up usually took place “somewhere else.” When I first started seeing books that brought magic to a world that resembled mine, I fell in love. Reading magic in a modern setting brought it home and made it real. Now, I gobble up every story I can find that brings magic to the mundane, and I even write my own. I hope the books on this list inspire you to look for the magic in your own life, as they have for me.

L.R.'s book list on urban fantasy brings magic to modern world

L.R. Braden Why did L.R. love this book?

Enchanting, action-packed, and full of heart, this book is everything an urban fantasy novel should be. I picked this book up at a library sale, not realizing it was a later book in a series, but the story stood on its own and made me want to run out and buy the rest. The idea of magic families as corporations was unique and intriguing, and Andrews handled it beautifully.

The plot was tightly woven and intense enough that I had trouble setting the book down and blew through it in a few days. I loved the two main characters and their lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers backstory that set up just the right amount of heat for me.

By Ilona Andrews,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Emerald Blaze as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything...except the hearts of those who wield it.

As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers-powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the…


Book cover of Not Another Bad Date

Angela Moody Author Of No Safe Haven

From my list on to read – over and over again.

Why am I passionate about this?

My book, No Safe Haven was written about the American Civil War, most specifically about the Battle of Gettysburg. It was a story I came across while on vacation in Gettysburg. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History and the historical novel genre is one I love. It gives me an opportunity to explore past worlds and try to learn the lessons of the past to apply to the present and hopefully to the future. When I learned about Tillie Pierce’s experience surviving the Battle of Gettysburg, I knew I had to tell her story.

Angela's book list on to read – over and over again

Angela Moody Why did Angela love this book?

A romance novel by one of the funniest writers I’ve encountered in a long time. Her stories are racy, but the humor is outstanding leaving me to laugh out loud on any number of occasions. I’ve recently discovered Rachel Gibson and I highly recommend her books if you’re looking for humor in love and life. 

By Rachel Gibson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Not Another Bad Date as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They say that opposites attract... which might explain why sexy, successful Adele Harris is such a loser-magnet! Frankly, she attracts so many weridos and nut-jobs that she's beginning to think that she's cursed. And it's about to get worse.

When Adele heads home to Cedar Creek, Texas, she runs into her first-ever bad date - the delicious Zach - and it seems he wants a second chance. Like she'd ever let him (big ol' drop-dead-gorgeous him) near her heart again. Uh-huh. No way. Ain't never gonna happen...


Book cover of Lonestar Sanctuary

Carmen Peone Author Of Captured Secrets

From my list on romance that rope you into cowboys and love.

Why am I passionate about this?

Because I have lived on an Indian reservation for more than three decades, own and train horses, have competed in horse shows and competitions, have worked with one of my sons on a cattle ranch, and I’ve been happily married for almost forty years, writing contemporary Western romance became the perfect fit. I love reading clean romance stories with strong female characters. My degree in Abnormal Psychology from Eastern Washington University has proved useful in my development of characters and their fears, the lies they believe, and how to overcome their struggles.  

Carmen's book list on romance that rope you into cowboys and love

Carmen Peone Why did Carmen love this book?

Lone Star Sanctuary is one of those books that stirs up emotions and leaves you thinking about the characters and storyline for years. The Bluebird ranch in Texas Hill country is a place I’d love to live, and Allie Siders and Rick Bailey are folks I’d love to sit down with on a cool summer evening and swap stories. Infuse the plot with a daughter who won’t speak due to a traumatic event, and you have a tale of folks who want safety first and foremost, then they make a plan to help heal broken hearts. 

By Colleen Coble,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lonestar Sanctuary as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the quiet safety of the Bluebird Ranch, old promises resurface and unexpected love brings new hope.

Though tragedy has wrecked her life, Allie Siders holds on to the hope that her five-year-old daughter, Betsy, will speak again. But with a stalker out for revenge, all Allie can think about now is their safety. She must sever all ties and abandon life as she knows it. She heads to the peaceful Bluebird Ranch, nestled deep in Texas hill country, and to the only person who can help them.

The ranch is a sanctuary for abused horses, and also for troubled…


Book cover of Texas Roads

Lynelle Clark Author Of Love at War: A Love Story

From my list on provoking plotlines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a very realistic person, curious by nature, who loves a good thrill. A good twist—no matter the genre—that has all the above recommendations captures my attention. A feel-good chick flick or book does nothing for my curious side but adds a twist or two and you have me hooked. Love at war is that kind of book. It has a few twists that touch on important topics and leave you with a few thoughts to think about afterward. Life is not only marshmallows and sprinklers. Life is real and I like my books like that, too. Therefore, I call myself a multi-genre author. I don’t want to be bound by one genre.

Lynelle's book list on provoking plotlines

Lynelle Clark Why did Lynelle love this book?

This was an unforgettable series that captured so much of the heart. The characters were incredibly real with the main characters playing an integral part throughout the series. All seven books are worthy of your time. It’s emotionally crafty and gut-wrenching at times with a powerful message weaved into the story. 

By Cathy Bryant,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Texas Roads as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From this bestselling page-turner series of stand-alone novels comes a dramatic romance of one woman's search for home and the Texas rancher who teaches her what home really means.A disillusioned heiress wants nothing more than a place to call home. With lovable-but-quirky town folks, quaint country charm, and loads of business potential, Miller's Creek seems like the perfect place to start over. But Dani's dreams of finding home are crushed when malicious rumors and a devastating secret propel her down a road she never expected to travel.Though a Texas politician questions the arrival of this city gal in the hometown…


Book cover of Valley of Shadows

Victoria Costello Author Of Orchid Child

From my list on realist that use magic to say hard things.

Why am I passionate about this?

Like most children growing up with fairy tales and Bible instruction, I believed in miracles and magic. But it was the death of my father at age eight, then having his spirit return to my childhood bedroom to comfort and reassure me, that planted in me a core belief in dimensions beyond material reality. Other influences, including living as a neurodiverse woman and raising a neurodiverse son, working as a science journalist, and reading quantum physics, helped me re-embrace the liminal as part of my adult worldview. The most interesting novels to me often carry subtle messages and bring awareness to underrepresented people and issues, and many do this using magic and the fantastic.

Victoria's book list on realist that use magic to say hard things

Victoria Costello Why did Victoria love this book?

At first glance, Valley of Shadows is a straight-genre horror novel, with a gruesome whodunnit at its center.

We’re given a noble but flawed Mexican American hero, Solitario, searching for a band of ritualistic murderers, who, by the novel’s midpoint, have already slaughtered a dozen men, women, and children.

This leaves Solitario, like the reader, desperate to keep them from killing again, but clueless about who they are and how they select their victims. This mystery remains unsolved until a shocking perpetrator and motive emerge on the novel’s final pages.

An essential thread in Ruiz’s riveting story is its otherworldly cast of characters, including a parade of personable ghosts, two living bruja (Mexican witches), and both the mythology and practical applications of Aztec and Apache mystical traditions.

Readers will recognize these flourishes as directly traceable to the fantastical, politically charged magic realism style developed by masters of this genre, namely…

By Rudy Ruiz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Valley of Shadows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction

A visionary neo-Western blend of magical realism, mystery, and horror, Valley of Shadows sheds light on the dark past of injustice, isolation, and suffering along the US-Mexico border.

Solitario Cisneros thought his life was over long ago. He lost his wife, his family, even his country in the late 1870s when the Rio Grande shifted course, stranding the Mexican town of Olvido on the Texas side of the border. He’d made his brooding peace with retiring his gun and badge, hiding out on his ranch, and communing with…


Book cover of Love at First

Amelia Jones Author Of The Stage Kiss

From my list on romance that give the best Mr. Darcy hand-flex vibe.

Why am I passionate about this?

I exclusively read and write romance. I have since I was a teenager. If there is no love story with a happy ending, you can definitely count me out. I was first introduced to Pride and Prejudice in 11th-grade English. Maybe the first assigned book I read cover to cover and let me tell you—when Mr. Darcy expressed how ardently he admired and loved Elizabeth, I was a Darcy fangirl for life. I see Darcy everywhere. He's a romantic archetype who loves fiercely but struggles to express himself. He makes mistakes. He’s capable of changing his mind. To date, I’ve published ten romance novels across three pen names, and I have no plans to stop.

Amelia's book list on romance that give the best Mr. Darcy hand-flex vibe

Amelia Jones Why did Amelia love this book?

I adore Kate’s writing. She’s brilliant at it. This romance starts with Will making quick enemies with Nora when he moves into her treasured apartment building with plans to rent out a room as an AirBnB.

The tight-knit building community is up in arms over the stranger (Will) and they expect Nora to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Will has been pining over a girl he saw on a balcony for years—Nora as a child.

When I tell you I melted the first time he called her baby (also a classic sick-bed scene) I am not lying. Will loves Nora with his whole chest and he’ll move heaven and earth to win her hand. Poetry is involved.

By Kate Clayborn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Love at First as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“The most delightful cast of characters I've met in ages…a modern romance masterpiece.“ —New York Times bestseller Christina Lauren
 
“Constantly revealing new layers of lyricism…Love at First is poetry, then — sometimes an artful sonnet, other times halting free verse. But it's never anything short of miraculous.” —Entertainment Weekly, Grade A
 
“At the end I was left with that warm, glowing love for humanity that is always what I’m chasing when I read this genre: the sense of togetherness, of hope, of even unsolvable problems feeling less impossible. Because a good romance lets you forgive the people on the page.…


Book cover of The Matchmaker's Playbook
Book cover of The Ugly Duchess
Book cover of The Princess Diaries

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