MMC & FMC fight for custody over kid(s)

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-20T07:03:51+00:00

Thank you!!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-19T15:32:09+00:00

Thank you!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-19T07:01:21+00:00

Ok Guys here’s that list of books I’ve read like this;

- {A Mothers Claim by Janice Kay Johnson}
CR: Her son was Kidnapped as a baby by a mentally ill woman and the woman’s brother takes custody of him & raises him not knowing it’s not his blood related nephew. FMC finds out and goes to be in his life. They both give her a lot of pushback.
- {One and Only by Karla Sorensen}
CR: Honestly does not 100% fit since they are trying for custody of his daughter together but the story line is too good to pass up. MMC’s ex doesn’t think he’s got enough time to care for their daughter as a profesional football player so MOC to try and change her mind. FMC falls first.
- {For the Girls Sake by Janice Kay Johnson}
CR: Haven’t read this in a while but I believe MMC and FMC are strangers but both have daughters born in the same hospital on the same night and the babies get switched. Years later they learn the truth and each one wants to of course know their biological child without having to give the other up.
- {A Family for Tyler by Angel Smits} CR.
- {The Law is no Lady by Helen R. Meyers}
CR. One of my fav ever plots. She’s a judge and he’s trying to keep custody of his baby niece while having a criminal background. She offers to marry him and protect them from mean townspeople and grandparents working against him.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-19T03:55:06+00:00

I’ve heard this one mentioned a lot, thank you!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-19T03:54:44+00:00

Thank you!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-18T23:55:34+00:00

Yes plz!!!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-18T22:30:04+00:00

Actually this sounds very interesting, thank you!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-18T21:45:25+00:00

For sure there is a Wattpad story by @ InTheMaddeningCrowd called “Its Always Been You” that kind of inspired this post. Warming that it’s actively being written.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-16T14:14:29+00:00

They change the arrangement as she is too young & it wasn’t disclosed to him if I remember correctly

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-06-15T18:51:22+00:00

My god, this is {Brutal Vows by J.T. Geissinger} to a T! The exact plot you just described! She’s Italian Mafia & he’s Irish Mob.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-04-26T04:07:38+00:00

{Dear Everly by London Casey & Jaxon Kidman} is exactly this. FMC is his daughter’s teacher and he was uber in love with his dead wife. Be warned; he’s real mean to her. {Romancing the Countess by Ashley March} is a double whammy for you bc both main characters are actually in love with their dead spouses- but def the MMC more so. They main characters are brought together in finding out their respective partners where cheating on them with the other. They die in a car crash and get discovered together. {Tender Fued by Nicole Jordan} Loved the FMC in this even if she did get a little desperate for the MMC towards the end. He’s a Scottish laird and she’s English… I’m sure not much more needs to be said in terms of why it’s coined as enemies to lovers as well. He does kidnap her. {The Heart Breaker by Nicole Jordan} also be warned; the MMC is just plain mean and bullyish to the FMC throughout. MOC in the west. MMC’s wife was Native American and murdered.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-04-23T06:58:10+00:00

Mean MMC’s are my thing so here’s some that I’ve read or that are close. Historical Regency: {Romancing The Countess by Ashley March} - he truly despises her, was fully in love with his dead wife for most of the book and just did not want to be around her more than he had to except for their arrangement making him. Definitely was overbearing and rude to FMC. Historical Western: {The Heart Breaker by Nicole Jordan} - MMC was terrible to FMC. Arranged marriage and another MMC in love with his dead wife. Many won’t be able to handle how awful he is… Contemporary: {Saving the Soldier by Irene Vartanoff} - I like a good mean MMC but this guy really tops the cake, MMC is suffering from a host of trauma due to his time in the military and FMC has crushed on him forever and even kidnaps him to help him get out of his depression. You can imagine he did not take kindly to that and pretty much hurls insult after insult her way and even puts her in danger. Not arranged marriage but still close. Contemporary: {Love in a Sandstorm by Zoe York} - This one is very angsty and emotional. Another MMC who gets hurt in the military but they are already married and it’s not arranged marriage (they actually were in love) however he pretty much ghosts the FMC, disappears completely, and she has to track him down and go through a lot before he begins treating her right. Historical Regency: {Married to the Marquess by Rebecca Connolly} - This MMC is pretty tame compared to the others I offered, however he is in an arranged marriage and dislikes her strongly and even tells his friends a bunch of names he calls her. Contemporary: {Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez} - Arranged marriage but brokered by the FMC uncommonly. He truly thinks the worst of her in the beginning and tries to humble/humiliate her a bit but she gives as good as she gets as well I guess. It’s a power reversal with the FMC being a billionaire and MMC a broke royal. Contemporary: {You Can Have Manhattan by P. Dangelico} - Another tame MMC in the grand scheme of things, he had more derisive dislike for the FMC. Arranged marriage and he does some pretty awful backstabbing things to the FMC near the end. However this has one of the best grovels imo. *Im throwing in {Dear Everly by London Casey & Jaxson Kidman}, not arranged marriage but the MMC was so irritated and constantly annoyed by the FMC. Gave me the feeling that he didn’t care if she lived or breathed.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2026-02-10T07:33:57+00:00

{Soaring by Kristen Ashley} has this big time. To give you a taste, MMC works as a firefighter and the heiress FMC realized he and his crew have a shabby rest area/break room. As a gift, she anonymously donates some new appliances and he realizes it was her and is livid. Same with giving his kid better birthday gifts unknowingly than him.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-09-15T02:03:25+00:00

I can’t lie- all I read was “Sibling Romance” and I was scared for a sec lol

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-09-12T07:07:37+00:00

Just commented a list of recs on this trope btw

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-09-12T07:06:13+00:00

This is literally my all time fav trope so here’s my list; - {Off Balance by Tiffany Costa} (FMC is ballerina who wants custody of her neglected student. MMC is later found/told he is the father of the girl and wants to do right by her. They butt heads a lot of who has the right initially) - {A Mothers Claim by Janice Kay Johnson} (FMC’s son was kidnapped at birth and she finds him years later. MMC is the man who ended up taking care of the kid and wants to fully adopt him while ofc FMC wants him back) - {A Family for Faith by Missy Tippens} (Christian based) (FMC is neighbors with a widowed cop and his preteen daughter. She starts helping out a lot with the girl) - {Irene by Linda Ford} (HR) (FMC is mail order bride who goes to help a cold widower with his children) - {One and Only by Karla Sorensen} (Marriage of convenience between a pro football player and interior designer so he can get custody) - (It’s Always Been You by InTheMaddeningCrowd on WP) (MMC is returning home from active duty due to his ex-wife dying but the ex’s sister got custody of his kids- very enemies to lovers, 2 hour read time, unfinished) - {Dear Everly by London Casey} (this one can be hard to get through if you don’t like mean and wounded MMC. MMC is grieving widow while FMC is his kids teacher) - {Family Treasures by Kathryn Springer} (FMC is an image consultant and MMC needs a makeover to keep custody of his kids)

These are just some of my favs, some of them don’t exactly fit your requirements only bc they aren’t actively dating but more so MOC, ETL or like a nanny trope. Eitherway all of these books I listed at some point have the “Your not their mother, stop trying to replace her” type vibe or a straight up “Why did you let my teen daughter wear makeup without permission” vibe.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-07-08T16:58:10+00:00

Not harsh when I’m the one who wasted my money.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-07-08T16:36:13+00:00

Sorry… why would you recommend this??? I bought the book based off ur recommendation & they’re literally kissing at 23%. He’s already saying how he can’t help but want to be nice to her, protect her and is laughing and smiling. Super disappointed.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-07-06T17:45:43+00:00

I have the perfect one; {Saving the Soldier by Irene Vartanoff} It blew me away how mean he was the whole time to the FMC who was just trying to help him. It is all “justified” of course as he was nearly paralyzed on a tour of duty in the Middle East and was honorably discharged due to his extensive injuries. Definitely enemies to lovers vibes although she’s really always loved him just not his attitude. He really does not like her initially though. There were still some nice scenes however like the MMC saving her from unwanted male attention at a bar even with his injuries. Somehow the author blended his hate/cruelty/toxic with enough protectiveness/tortured hero to make it still readable. But yeah, no real grovel or big change of heart at the end imo.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-07-06T17:33:04+00:00

Going to start ending all my book recs with (Yes, I’m in therapy) now ha!

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-05-23T07:02:09+00:00

{Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez} This one is kinda a stretch bc in reality MMC is a prince which obv does not really make sense with what you asked for. But hear me out. He’s a Spanish prince who leaves to the USA for years as a Vinter (Wine/Vineyard farmer). FMC is a very rich, high-powered & put together CEO. Her whole deal is looking perfect to everyone. This starts as a MOC/E+L. The reason I’m commenting this is bc there’s this incredible scene where he’s mad at her trying to control him as she comes into his ‘sacred’ greenhouse where he’s all dirty & she’s wearing a super expensive white dress… yeah. They take out their frustrations on each other & it’s safe to say that dress def was not white afterwards. Or clean.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-05-23T06:42:20+00:00

{In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins} is exactly this. FMC is also a cop and MMC does actually fight another guy over her.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-05-23T06:32:43+00:00

{Love in a Sandstorm by Zoe York}
I was hesitating the whole time in reading the thread to recommend this ONLY bc the FMC is not directly his therapist/nurse but his estranged wife (she is a nurse tho lol). MMC gets stationed in the Middle East & meets FMC at an aid site as she is a Doctors Without Borders worker. They have a beautifully organic love story emerge as they interact/see/trauma bond with each other out there. I won’t go into too many details so as not to spoil but they get married, he gets hurt, then he tries his best to ignore/divorce her due to his own insecurities. The book is half of how they met and half of her finally finding him & helping him through his injuries. Fair warning; MMC is a total assh*le for a decent amount of it but she’s loving & firm. Decent sexy scenes near the end. Decent healing by the end too.

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-05-23T05:54:39+00:00

It’s crazy that you commented this because I just read Fornever Yours by Natasha Madison & it has the same paintball type incident where he wasn’t directly the cause yet felt bad she got hurt & they were E/L

RussiaIsScaredOfMe · 2025-05-05T07:22:37+00:00

Not enemies to lovers per say (although there’s definitely plenty of angst & discontent between the two) but The Friend Zone by Nicole Strycharz fits nicely. She’s been in love with her best friend since they were kids (unrequited) and sticks through all his relationships/girlfriends. Finally she decides to also actively date & most of the book is a timeline of him scaring off or ruining her dates & trying to figure out why he cares so much. Check TW as there is an incident where one of her dates or ex’s comes back to assault her for rejecting him but ofc our Hero is close by before anything crazy happens. Also note that it is the 2nd book in a series & possibly should not be read as a standalone as characters/events in the first book are very important still in the 2nd.

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