This is a tough ask, sorry in advance! I know there are probably many books but I'm really struggling to find what I actually need. A lot of the books I'm finding are dark romance, where the therapist is usually the MMC who takes full advantage of their FMC patient who is vulnerable or traumatised (hence why they are in therapy).
I'm writing a book where a female therapist goes on a (harmless) revenge streak against her rich, privileged & bigoted clients, and one of them hires a struggling actor to get close to her to run her out of town. But he thinks he's been hired as a hitman because he's a little dumb, and he goes to her for therapy to get close to her, even though he doesn't need therapy.
Basically the only unethical thing she does is her revenge. He goes to therapy for 2 sessions before she stops seeing him as a client because it's unethical to have a romantic relationship of any kind with a client. They don't even meet for the first time in a context in any way related to therapy or her being a therapist and him being her client. They meet in a grocery store and he's hired to run her out of town by one of her rich clients BY CHANCE.
I'm looking for comp titles, as well as to read books in the genre to get therapy terminology correct and to help my character "sound" realistic as a therapist in dialogue, internal dialogue, and through the narrative while she's trying to treat her other clients. So what I'm looking for is:
– no dark romance at all
– no unethical/forbidden relationship, no taking advantage of a traumatised client
– romcoms or comedies would be great
– female therapist, male love interest
– some focus on treating patients or diagnosing them
I am also going to get therapists as sensitivity readers soon, who I can hopefully ask for help around the specifics of terminology or diagnosing my characters as if they were real people.
Anyway. Can anyone recommend anything please? I'm desperate, thanks!
by itspotatotoyousir