Book picks similar to
Close to Home by Rachel Spangler
romance
lgbt
age-gap
lesbian
Pretend Girlfriend
Lily Craig - 2018
When Celeste Lamontagne receives a wedding invitation from her ex, she’s furious. The only thing worse than being cheated on? Seeing your ex and the girl she cheated with get married. Less than a year later. And as part of a two-week long Mediterranean cruise. But they say the best revenge is a life well lived, right? Not for Celeste, it isn’t. It’s arranging an elaborate fake relationship with someone to make your ex jealous. Lane Bishop is the perfect someone to do just that. Impulsive to the extreme, she loses her job right in front of Celeste. There goes Lane’s best shot at becoming a stylist in New York City. She can have another chance if she agrees to travel with Celeste, pretending to be her girlfriend so that Celeste’s ex sees her happy and thriving. The only catch? Celeste’s an heiress accustomed to getting everything she wants. She’s rigorous about details—some might say spoiled—which clashes with a free spirit like Lane. Two weeks travelling in close quarters challenges the faux lovebirds. They’ve got to appear harmoniously in love, even when they’d rather rib each other than whisper sweet nothings. But the sparks between Celeste and Lane become harder and harder to ignore. Can they convince the wedding guests of their passion without the flames setting them both alight?
Those Who Wait
Haley Cass - 2020
It would be a lot simpler if she could pinpoint exactly what she should do when she graduates in less than a year. Oh, and if she could figure out how to talk to a woman without feeling completely hopeless, that would be great too. Charlotte Thompson is very much the opposite. She's always had clear steps outlining her path to success with no time or inclination for romance. Her burgeoning career in politics means everything to her and she’s not willing to compromise it for something as insignificant as love. Fleeting, casual, and discreet worked perfectly fine. When they meet through a dating app, it's immediately clear that they aren't suited for anything more than friendship. Right?194,000 words
Being Hers
Anna Stone - 2018
By day, she studies at law school, and by night, she serves drinks at an exclusive club to afford her tuition. But the hard-working Melanie will never admit her true desire: to escape from her fast-paced, high-pressure life, if only for a moment. When Melanie meets Vanessa, a glamorous executive and a regular at the club, she is drawn to the enigmatic black-haired woman. Vanessa is relentless in pursuing what she wants—and what she wants is Melanie. Soon, Melanie finds herself caught up in Vanessa’s sensual games of submission, power and control. Melanie insists that her affair with Vanessa remains purely physical. But as her limits are tested, so is the line between lust and love. When ghosts from the past reappear, both women must face their deepest fears. Can Melanie surrender her everything to Vanessa, or will old wounds prove too great?
The Goode Governor
J.J. Arias - 2019
An ambitious exotic dancer. An unexpected love story about shattering icy barriers and pushing every boundary. Governor Georgia “George” Fernandez has just announced her re-election campaign when a scandal implicating Mila, a younger woman working as an exotic dancer, threatens to derail her run. Her quick-thinking chief-of-staff spins the disaster by having Mila, a recent graduate of George’s alma mater Goode College, join the staff. From the moment they meet, Mila and George’s interactions are fraught with tension. Mila’s direct manner and disregard for rules are anathema to George’s conservative nature and need for control. As they work together, the women find themselves drawn to each other and unable to resist the lure of a physical and emotional entanglement. Mila might be exactly what George needs to access the vulnerability she forgot existed. But George has never been one for risks, neither with her heart nor her career. Enemies turn to lovers as a fearless younger woman melts her boss’ icy exterior in this irresistible, and steamy, slow burn, lesbian romance. The Goode Governor is an entry in the Goode Girl lesbian romance series, telling the stories of women loving women in and around a small, all-women’s college in Northern Florida. Books can be read in any order.
Anyone But Her
Erica Lee - 2019
Jamie has been there for her through everything. Plus, she's interested in learning more about the family he never speaks of.Living in California for eight years, Charlie Miller has been able to live authentically, but being back in her small Maryland hometown with her conservative family means going back into the closet. What she didn't expect was to be so attracted to her brother's girlfriend.54,300 words
Never Say Never
Rachael Sommers - 2021
What she does need is a nanny, but the incompetent idiots sent her way make her lose faith in ever finding anyone useful.Enter Emily Walker—fresh out of college, bright, a little naive, and new to New York City. Emily is everything Camila is not and frankly it’s a little unsettling how innocent and gentle the young woman is.That’s not all that’s unsettling. Camila’s growing feelings for Emily are making it hard to maintain a professional distance. Surely she can’t possibly be falling for the nanny? God, it’s such a mid-life crisis cliché. But would it be too impossible?As time goes on, Camila starts to wonder if maybe even she can get her happy ending after all.75,000 wordsTags: age gap romance, ice queen romance, New York, opposites-attract romance, single mom
Heart's Surrender
Emma Weimann - 2014
But soon simple attraction turns into something more. What happens when the worlds of a handywoman and a pampered housewife collide? Can nights of hot, erotic fun lead to love, or will these two very different women go their separate ways?
Back to the Start
Monica McCallan - 2018
She's not expecting that the first girl to ever steal her heart, the pretty, popular Fallon Lewis is still around, and in a town this small, their paths continue to cross much to Remy’s dismay. It's hard enough seeing her first love, but it's exponentially more difficult when she can barely stand to look at the woman. Remy's trip back has the possibility to open up doors she believed were shut long ago, but she's never planned on staying, and she definitely never planned on letting Fallon back into her life. If she thought being a teenager in a small town was hard, she's about to find out how much harder life is when there's no one but herself to blame for her problems.
Coming Home
K.J . - 2019
World famous actress Abigail Taylor is in Melbourne filming her new movie, and is accompanied by her nine year old daughter, Grace, because Abigail wants her to experience an Australian education for three months. Sam Markson is a teacher at one of the best schools in Melbourne, and is perfectly happy doing that, thank you very much, when she’s suddenly redirected from the classroom into the job as Grace’s teacher; a move so fast that even blinking would feel like slow motion. Sam has never met anyone like Abigail Taylor, and she starts to realise that her ordinary life might actually be missing something extraordinary.71,000 words
Ice
Lyn Gardner - 2012
This time...it's worse.Ice begins when a boy is kidnapped from a London park and Detective Inspectors Alex Blake and Maggie Campbell are brought together to work on the case. While their goal is the same, their work ethics are not. Intelligent, perceptive and at times disobedient, Alex Blake does what she believes it takes to do her job. Maggie Campbell has a slightly different approach. She believes that rule books were written for a reason. Unexpectedly, their dynamics mesh, but when her feelings for Alex become stronger than she wants to admit, Maggie provokes the worst in Alex to ensure that they will never be partners again. Three years later, fate brings them together again. Their assignment is simple, but a plane crash gets in their way. Now, in the middle of a blizzard, they have to try to survive...and fight the feelings that refuse to die.
Echo Point
Virginia Hale - 2017
Wracked with guilt over her sister Libby’s death, she’s spent three months trying to handle her grief while taking care of Libby’s young daughter, Annie.Libby’s best friend Ally never had a chance to say good-bye to her dear friend. When she finally returns home, Ally finds Libby’s family open and welcoming…everyone, that is, except Libby’s sister Bron.For her part, Bron can’t fathom why her family is so enamored with Ally—even offering her a job and a place to live—but grudgingly admires the way Ally and Annie get along.While Bron contemplates moving Annie to Boston and away from the only home the little girl has ever known, bushfires begin to rage in the nearby mountains, and Bron begins to see that she’s sorely underestimated her sister’s friend.Soon Ally’s past and Bron’s future collide—with a heat and wonder that neither of them expected.Words: 58,940
Built to Last
Aurora Rey - 2016
After moving to upstate New York from Atlanta, she falls in love with and purchases an old, run-down farmhouse. The only catch: she know s nothing about renovating a house, taking care of land, or snow . Joss Bauer is a New York native who grew up in her family’s construction business. She has a soft spot for old houses, but no patience for overpaid debutantes who want to play at country living. When Olivia hires Joss to do the renovations on her new home, the sparks fly, in more ways than one. It turns out both women have a lot to learn about life, love, and the meaning of home. But when a scandal threatens Olivia’s professional reputation, it puts her priorities and her new found love on the line.
Popcorn Love
K.L. Hughes - 2015
Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out.At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas.Enter Allison Sawyer, a free-spirited senior at New York University.Elena is intrigued by Allison’s ability to push her out of her element, and the young woman’s instant and easy connection with a normally shy Lucas quickly earns Allison the job.After each blind date, Elena returns home to complain to Allison about her lacking suitors. As they bond, Elena begins to realize that the person possessing all the qualities she most desires might just be the woman who has been in front of her the entire time.The vast difference between the two women’s social statuses, however, may be an obstacle not easily overcome.Length: approx. 160,000 wordsThemes: humor · Lesbian · romantic comedy
I Can't Think Straight
Shamim Sarif - 2008
As Tala’s wedding day approaches, simmering tensions come to boiling point and the pressure mounts for Tala to be true to herself.Moving between the vast enclaves of Middle Eastern high society and the stunning backdrop of London’s West End, I Can’t Think Straight explores the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality, creating a humorous and tender story of unexpected love and unusual freedoms.
The Headmistress
Milena McKay - 2021
An unforgettable night. And back home, trouble is brewing on the remote island of Three Dragons, where nothing feels like it used to. Alone and lonely, Sam Threadneedle wishes upon a star, hoping for change. But when said change comes, it’s with a roar and not a whimper.Torn between loyalty and lust, Sam is forced to re-evaluate everything.Can she and the Home of Dragons withstand the storm that is Magdalene Nox, or will any and all crumble? Not everything is as it seems, and as she slowly unravels the mysteries behind the centuries-old walls, Sam realizes that home is much more than oak and stone.