Book picks similar to
Pretending by Shanna Clayton


new-adult
romance
contemporary
college

Catch My Fall


Ella Fox - 2013
    In need of a fresh start, she settles into a new town and begins to make a new life. Tristan Chamberlain has always kept girls at arm's length and he has no intention of changing. He’s caring, smart, handsome, but he’s also dealing with a lifetime of guilt that’s slowly but surely destroying him.Sometimes what you run from is the one thing that will save you.Separately, they’re both free-falling. Together, they’re about to find that love can create the strongest safety net of all.

The Upside of Letting Go


Nacole Stayton - 2013
    Taking a leap of faith she finds herself enrolling at a campus hundreds of miles away from home. She leaves any thoughts of dating again in Jersey, that is until fate crosses her path with a blue-eyed stud named Kyler King. He is notoriously known for being emotionally unattainable, but his façade is only to hide the burdens he bares every day. As Kyler and Haley’s physical attraction becomes deeper, the secrets of the past threaten to surface. When Haley’s past collides with the present, will her secrets prove too big of an obstacle hindering their happily ever after, or will letting go be the key that locks their bond forever?Warning: This book is intended for readers 17+ due to explicit language and sexual encounters.

180 Seconds


Jessica Park - 2017
    For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.

The Secret of Ella and Micha


Jessica Sorensen - 2012
    But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. (New Adult Contemporary)*Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

The Revenge Pact


Ilsa Madden-Mills - 2020
    The king of football.A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you. The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair. Anastasia Bailey is a nobody. The queen of nothing.An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin. The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her. But when Anastasia’s life comes crashing down, River’s the one who sweeps in and picks up the pieces. Torn between loyalty, lies, and secrets, he battles the temptation to take everything from her when they make their revenge pact.He can’t tell her no.Because revenge (or love) is, sweet, and once you get a taste, the craving never ends.The Revenge Pact is first in a series about three college football players.

Love Unexpected


Anne Leigh - 2013
    She had everything figured out, in a neat, little timeline. Then, fate chose to intervene in the form of a chance meeting with a guy who stirs unknown emotions inside her, leaving her reeling and wanting for more.Zander Zebowski is not your typical college jock. For one, he's a good guy. Second, he's pretty smart. And, he's level-headed. The farthest thing on his mind was smacking into a woman who may just be his undoing.This is not your typical bad boy meets good girl love story. This is a story between two people who are great on their own. But, with each other, they are absolutely perfect.

The Line Between


Tamsyn Bester - 2015
    She was an easy target.Kennedy Monroe.The girl I’d picked on all our lives.And the woman I barely tolerated.Until the line between love and hate was no longer visible… *New Adult Contemporary Romance* *Due to mature content this book is not suitable for readers younger than 18*

Fierce


Clarissa Wild - 2014
    Fight for your life. Fight for love. Nerdy girl Autumn Blakewood is the prime example of a goody two-shoes. She studies every night, is never late for class, and always follows the rules. She has never felt the need to step out of her comfort zone. That is, until she meets Hunter.Hunter Bane is a cocky, confident bad-boy, who's nothing but trouble. He’s a dangerous distraction to everyone around him. Sexy and strong, Hunter enjoys the swooning effect he has on women. Especially those who aren't used to attention, like Autumn.Autumn finds it hard not to give into Hunter’s advances, even though it all seems like a game to him. Trying to understand him is impossible, because he shrouds himself in mystery. What she doesn't know is that Hunter has more baggage than anyone should have to carry. When she discovers he's in an illegal frat club to save the one person that matters to him, Autumn realizes this could mean the end of her undeniable connection to him. Even their lives are at risk.But it's too late to turn back now ...

Sacked


Jen Frederick - 2015
    Warrior. Champion. And...virgin. Knox knows what he wants--and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he's set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she's the sister of his fellow teammate, but that's not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one. ...but he's never met her before. But Ellie isn't as sure. She's trying to start a new life and she's not interested in a relationship...with anyone. Beside it's not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother's teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing. Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

Torn


K.A. Robinson - 2012
    With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past. On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.Dealing with a tragic past, Drake has never cared about anyone else but himself and his band. But when Chloe takes the empty seat next to him in class, things start to change. Instantly drawn to her, he begins to wonder if one girl can take a cold hearted womanizer and change every part of him?Long hidden feelings are revealed and friendships tested to the brink.

Kaleidoscope Hearts


Claire Contreras - 2015
    And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. He broke my heart last time. This time he'll obliterate it.This is a standalone.

Beneath Our Faults


Charity Ferrell - 2014
    Unable to cope with her loss, she's forced to move thousands of miles away. The last thing she expects to find when arriving in her new home is her neighbor, naked and in a very compromising situation. Keegan Montgomery never had to answer to anyone for anything. His life consisted of partying and frequenting as many beds as he could throw himself into. But under his bad boy facade, he is facing his own internal demons. Daisy will never love another. Keegan knows he'll never love anyone - ever. But their attraction is undeniable. Can the tragic ending of a first love end up being the beginning of another?

Park and Violet


Marian Tee - 2013
    Once, she loved being the Queen of Flirts, loved playing hard-to-get and, eventually, getting caught. Now, she can’t get enough distance between her and all the boys in the world. Well,all the boys except for Park Jin. Park is like no guy she’s ever met. He’s a 20-year-old Nordic god with a strange accent, or at least that’s one of Violet’s better descriptions of him. Most times, when they’re, literally, fighting like cats and dogs, she prefers to think of him as the blond gorilla, he’s a foul-mouthed jerk who calls her a banshee, a midget, and every other ugly nickname that comes to his nasty mind, goes out of his way to be rude to Violet, and, best of all, he hates girls. Both Park and Violet carry scars in their hearts, scars that they’re desperate to hide. In each other, they find the unlikeliest allies, a way to keep themselves apart from everyone else and, more importantly, from ever falling in love again. Yet when they’re not on each other’s throats Park and Violet can’t help succumbing to the intense chemistry between them. As kisses outnumber hisses, there’s a question that’s getting harder and harder for the two to ignore. Is it time to risk their hearts again?

Unbreakable


Rebecca Shea - 2013
    She’s a good daughter, makes excellent grades, and always strays on the safe side of life. The last thing she thought would ever happen was falling in love with her best friend’s brother. But sometimes fate just has a way of bringing two people together. Wide receiver for the University of Arizona, Gabe Garcia, seems to have it all. When his feelings for Jessica come to surface, Gabe will give up everything to be with her. But what happens when a tragedy abruptly changes the course of your life? For Jessica and Gabe, everything they thought they knew about each other will be questioned. Sometimes, there are scars in life that are cut too deep to completely heal. Will their love prove to be unbreakable, or will it shatter and prove fate is just another lie?*This book contains mature subject matter and is not intended for those under 17 years of age.*

Without You


Kelly Elliott - 2014
    Getting caught prematurely causes them to admit their love for each other to their parents. One decision made by Alex's father changes her entire world, shattering her plans for the future. Alex always thought Will was the very air she breathed, but life has a way of causing doubts for the one thing she thought was absolute…their love. Can Will's promise to Alex be enough for her to hold on to or will she find herself moving down a different path that she never imagined for herself? Without You is book one in the Love Wanted in Texas series.