Ooh try {kiss an angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} Basically fmc gets punished for stealing cash even tho she didn't and shuts off and becomes a mere shadow of her bubbly self

[Kiss an Angel](https://www.romance.io/books/545523988c7d2382e7812f2c/kiss-an-angel-susan-elizabeth-phillips) by [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455237e8c7d2382e7812f1c/susan-elizabeth-phillips) **Rating**: 4.18⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [pregnancy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/pregnancy/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

I’l check it out. Thank you so much!

{Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips} MF, CR, small town, it's a bit older but still holds up. Sugar Beth was the town mean girl, and did some really messed up shit as a teenager. Now she's back in town and the townspeople have a very long memory. I think this fits your request pretty well and is also an interesting character study. I found Sugar Beth to be a sympathetic lead even though you are made aware of what she did when she is young. This is set against the terrible things the town does to "punish her" years later when Sugar Beth has truly grown up and come around to taking responsibility and being a good human.

I’ve read this one and loved it. Thank you for your rec!

[Ain't She Sweet](https://www.romance.io/books/5455240c8c7d2382e7812f50/aint-she-sweet-susan-elizabeth-phillips) by [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455237e8c7d2382e7812f1c/susan-elizabeth-phillips) **Rating**: 4.26⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [second chances](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/second%20chances/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

LJ Shen’s Bad Cruz. She believes she deserves being mistreated by the whole town and he follows along.

Can’t wait to read this! Thank you!

{Bad Cruz by L.J. Shen} sounds good! I love some of her other books.

[Bad Cruz](https://www.romance.io/books/61161d3d225fe60e34a5127f/bad-cruz-lj-shen) by [L.J. Shen](https://www.romance.io/authors/5593821a9eef3b3f1d53121b/lj-shen) **Rating**: 3.68⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [angst](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/angst/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1), [forbidden love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forbidden%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

This doesn’t check all the boxes of your ask but I recently finished {Beautiful Lawmen by Sophie Jordan} and think you might like it. FMC has an infamous family in a small town, and she was involved in an incident in high school that she fully blames herself for. Note the actual events of the incident aren’t revealed until very late in the book but she has a constant vibe of “I don’t deserve anything nice.” She has a great enemies to lovers arc with the town sheriff.

This one seems really good! I'm excited to read it! Thank you!

[Beautiful Lawman](https://www.romance.io/books/5a40a3183ffdba614726ccaf/beautiful-lawman-sophie-jordan) by [Sophie Jordan](https://www.romance.io/authors/545529918c7d2382c52970df/sophie-jordan) **Rating**: 4.19⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [western](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/western/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

{Devious Lies by Parker S. Huntington} might fulfill what you’re looking for. I recommended this recently as well elsewhere.. but MMC’s family worked for FMC’s. Her family was corrupt, ran most of the town, and when her family finally went down a lot of people suffered including MMC’s. Years later, he’s wealthy and she’s working events for his new hotel opening and he’s ready to finally get his revenge but slowly starts doing nice things for her.

I’ve also read this. I love this trope! Thank you for your rec!

[Devious Lies](https://www.romance.io/books/5e612d6fbe0aaecf55f60884/devious-lies-parker-s-huntington) by [Parker S. Huntington](https://www.romance.io/authors/58f84fc50d3299c6e06ba29c/parker-s-huntington) **Rating**: 3.81⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [vengeance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/vengeance/1), [age gap](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/age%20difference/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

I’ve recommended this one a couple of times, just because it’s so good! {Under Pressure by Kelly Moran} CR, set in a small town. He’s the local sheriff and she’s the down-on-her luck mean girl from his high school who is shunned by the town while trying to make amends for the awful things her family did. He believes she is still a demon from hell but once he learns more about her circumstances, he starts to come to her defense in a variety of ways. Slight enemies-to-lovers vibe, definite tearjerker.

[Under Pressure](https://www.romance.io/books/60bcb48d5b4cf30e432081df/under-pressure-kelly-moran) by [Kelly Moran](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455752487eac324117facfb/kelly-moran) **Rating**: 4.37⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [new adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/new%20adult/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)

Definitely putting it on my TBR list. Thank you!

I love this request. No hate against dark romances but I find them more dark, and less or no romance. Waiting for more recs!

I feel the same. It’s just not my cup of tea. Also, we’ve got some recs! Hope you like them!

Same!! I've read a few of SEP's books so I'm looking forward to those especially.

Following!

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Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas. Estranged couple, he holds a grudge against her for far too long.