Book picks similar to
The Fake Game by Kim Hartfield


fake-relationship
lesbian
romance
sapphic

The Significant


Kyra Anderson - 2016
    A non-citizen fugitive... And a secret love that could kill them both. Kailynn Evada was born on the most powerful planet in the Altereye System, but was raised in the non-citizen district of Trid. She always dreamed of revolution and changing the injustices of the planet Tiao. But when her brother’s plot to destroy the A.I. that runs the planet falls apart, Kailynn finds herself struggling to save his life. Armed with false citizenship and determination to save her brother from execution, Kailynn finds work in the capital city, Anon, as a Significant—a person paid to act as a friend to clients. When a secret request for Significant companionship comes in, the pay drives Kailynn to accept the job. However, she soon discovers that her client is the most powerful person in the planetary system—Elite Isa, leader of the Elite Syndicate of Tiao who is genetically altered for perfection and forbidden from intimate relationships. The undeniable attraction between the two leads to a secret love that could kill them both.

Under the Witness Tree


Marianne K. Martin - 2004
    Erin Hughes, a local history professor with a passion for old houses. Dhari’s life is complicated enough without meeting such an attractive and intelligent woman: Her mother needs her, her father relies on her and her girlfriend worries her. But when Erin finds old letters and a diary, Dhari knows she can’t leave until she finds out the truth . . .Marianne K. Martin is the best-selling author of five novels including Mirrors and Love in the Balance.

A Story of Now


Emily O’Beirne - 2015
    And some new friends.But brittle, beautiful, and just a little bit too sassy for her own good sometimes, she no longer makes friends easily. And she has no clue where to start on the whole finding a life front, either. Not after a confidence-shattering year dogged by bad break-ups, friends who have become strangers, and her constant failure to meet her parents sky-high expectations.When Robbie and Mia walk into Claire’s work they seem the least likely people to help her find a life. But despite Claire’s initial attempts to alienate them, an unexpected new friendship develops.And it’s the warm, brilliant Mia who seems to get Claire like no one has before. Soon, Claire begins to question her feelings for her new friend.The sequel, The Sum of These Things, will be released in late 2015. Paperback available July 15.Length: approx. 140,000Themes: Australia, lesbian, Melbourne, young adult, new adult

Hunter


Eliza Lentzski - 2017
     In her junior year of college, Hunter Dyson has some big decisions to make about her future. She wants to be a nurse, that much she knows, but everyone from her parents to her academic advisor is nagging her about what kind of nursing she wants to pursue. But before she can worry about those details, she's got to survive Professor Graft's writing seminar. And her legs.

Suddenly


M.E. Tudor - 2012
    J. Thomas.Jamie and P. J. have gone to the same school since grade school but, because they ran in different circles, Jamie had never really paid much attention to P. J. She only knew that P. J. had been in a lot of trouble over the past few years and had run with a rough crowd. After seeing P. J. working at McDonald’s, thoughts of P. J. fill Jamie’s mind and she realizes she is developing a crush on this girl.Fate intertwines the girls’ lives and they slowly become friends. Some of the other people in Jamie’s life are not happy about the budding friendship between the two girls, including Jamie’s ex-boyfriend, Todd; the leader of her cheerleading squad, Diane; and Jamie’s mother. The two girls have to deal with friends and family finding out about their relationship. Jamie’s mother is determined to keep the two girls apart. P. J. is determined not to lose Jamie. In the end, the two girls find they have allies in unexpected places. Allies who want to help the girls be together, hopefully forever.

Unadulterated Something


M.J. Duncan - 2020
    Retirement should have closed that chapter of their lives, but when Campbell joins the faculty at Stonebridge—the prestigious Berkshires boarding school where Emma now teaches—it takes on a brand new life. There’s plenty of distrust and lingering animosity, but as circumstances force them to find a way to not only coexist, but work together, Emma and Campbell find that being on the same team isn’t as awful as they’d feared. Will their years spent battling it out for team and country be too much to overcome? Or will they finally acknowledge the truth behind the electric connection they share?

Hooked on You


Jenn Matthews - 2019
    As a teacher with two great kids and a boyfriend, she seems to have it all. Except…she’s bored as hell. Perhaps a new hobby’s in order? Something…crafty?Divorced mother and veteran Ollie has been through the wars, emotionally and physically. To relax, she runs a quirky crochet class in her London craft shop. She can’t help but notice the attractive, feisty new student. A shame Anna’s straight as an arrow.But somewhere between the chain stitches, doubles and trebles, Ollie and Anna form a powerful connection they never expected.A quirky lesbian romance about love never being quite where you expect.Tags: crochet · England · London · quirky lesbian romance · teacher · veteran98,000 words

Beholden


Fox Brison - 2017
    How far would you go to secure your dream job? Architect Adele Jackson doesn’t suffer fools gladly; in fact, hardened by the cards a cruel fate dealt her, she doesn’t suffer anyone gladly. Whilst at what she thinks is a lunch to celebrate her promotion, her boss deals a blow not only to her career aspirations, but also her pride. She has two choices - resign and see her nemesis promoted ahead of her, or stay and fight for what she believes is rightfully hers. How far would you go to save someone you love? Joanne Cassidy’s life is finally on the up; not only is her dream of a nursing career well on its way to becoming a reality, her mother, Mary, has just celebrated her twenty eighth day sober. However, Mary doesn’t make it to twenty nine, and Joanne is left to pick up the pieces – just like she has done every day since her father walked out on them when she was only five years old. One fateful night Joanne and Adele’s worlds collide, and a deal is brokered, one that has the capacity to either make or break them - and their dreams.

The Third Act


Michele L. Rivera - 2020
    Nearly a decade ago, Sophie Chapman stepped into the newest bistro in Boston to see what the buzz was about. While alone at a table for two, the owner’s charming daughter, Brynne Wheeler, offered to keep her company. The two quickly became enamored with one another, their chemistry undeniable. Except Brynne never noticed the wedding ring on Sophie’s finger and Sophie made no mention of her wife. It only took that moment and their lives were changed forever. On the day that Sophie left Brynne in an attempt to save her troubled marriage, she made Brynne a promise. That was the last time they spoke. Years later, after a divorce and a journey of self-discovery, Sophie returns to Boston, now ready to honor her promise to Brynne. Hopeful that Brynne will take her back, Sophie is instead faced with the reality that Brynne has moved on. Or has she? Edited by Kira PlottsWords: 54,500

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?

Big Girl Pill


K.D. Williamson - 2019
    It’s left her empty and out of touch with her family. Now she’s a young woman on a mission: getting rid of residual feelings for her former best friend from college. Her plan is to put herself through a wringer by being in Nina’s upcoming wedding and burning away whatever emotions are left, so she can start anew. Her plan, however, has big holes, and everything she’s been feeling rushes through and leaves her thinking that this was a bad idea.Nina Sterling is a work in progress, torn between being two very different things—the person others expect her to be and who she wants to become. For the past couple of years, it’s been easier to give in to her demanding, steamroller of a mother and her pleasant but controlling fiancé, but with Maya’s return for a lengthy stay in town, and encouragement from Nina’s hilarious cousin, seeds of rebellion are sown.As Maya and Nina try to patch up the past and get closer, old sparks rekindle, and as they both grow into who they are meant to be, those sparks might just become a fire.

A Treat for Halloween Tricksters


R.J. Nolan - 2013
    She jumps at the chance to guide a group of foster children through a community haunted house—never suspecting that her partner Kim will provide her with a trick and treat of her own.This short story, “A Treat for Halloween Tricksters,” takes place after the events in the novel "L.A. Metro."Join Jess McKenna and Kim Donovan as they celebrate their first Halloween as a couple.

Blinded by Love: A Contemporary Romance


Claire Highton-Stevenson - 2022
    

Watch Her Burn


Em Stevens - 2019
    That is, until her husband of twenty five years asks for a divorce. After that, Meg is scrambling to pick up the pieces. At least she has Jamie. Jamie's been her best friend, her rock, her ride or die since they were fourteen. That Jamie is Meg's ex's twin sister is a minor complication. Or is it a major problem? As Meg tries to redefine herself, she and Jamie find their friendship enters gray territory. Old fantasies are fanned and soon things are heating up between them. Is their taboo relationship fueled by lust or love? When clay is fired, it grows stronger. But when Meg's world is set alight, she's afraid she may have burned the person she cares for the most.

Behind the Green Curtain


Riley Lashea - 2013
    As vicious as she is beautiful, Amelia threatens Caton’s position and her sense of decorum.As the attraction between the two women spirals into a torrid affair, Caton is drawn deeper into Jack and Amelia’s world of privilege and prestige, where everything is at stake and nothing is what it seems.