Book picks similar to
Fake Brides by Maria Jackson


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lesbian-romance
romance
fake-relationship

Three Reasons to Say Yes


Jaime Clevenger - 2018
    She’s been dreaming about this trip for years and all she wants is to lay on a sandy beach with an icy cocktail in her hand. But those vacation goals change the moment she meets Reed Baxter.Reed is a busy doctor with family demands. She’s in Hawaii to let go, not find love, and she’s not interested in any commitment. Adding a little heat to the vacation seems like a good idea as long as there aren’t expectations for anything more.Genre: RomanceEditor: Medora MacDougallCover Designer: Judith Fellows

Reality Check


Nicole Pyland - 2020
    When her best friend tries to sign Cali up to appear on a reality show where contestants complete ridiculous challenges for cash and prizes, Cali tells her she’s crazy. When she gets a call back for an audition, she thinks there’s no chance the show will be interested in her boring life. Little does she know; that’s just what they’re looking for. When Cali agrees to go, she’s thinking about keeping her head down and trying to win as much cash as possible so that she won’t lose her apartment and have to move back in with her parents.Dayton Maine is a reality show mainstay. She’s already done three and has been asked back for a fourth by the Berserk producers. Dayton understands she’s there to bring the drama. She has no problem doing that. She also has no problem hooking up with her fellow female contestants should the opportunity arise. She loves the challenges and the thrill of the chase. She’s there for the fun and the fame.When the two meet, it isn’t exactly love or lust at first sight. Dayton thinks Cali is a hermit who judges the rest of them. Cali’s pretty sure Dayton’s just there to reconnect with an old flame and get as much camera time as possible. While the cast members get kicked off one by one, though, the two women find common ground mixed in with a whole lot of differences. Dayton finds herself in a new position, chasing a woman for more than just one night, and Cali finds herself trying to live in the moment and trust that this woman might be the one she had been waiting for all along.

Come and Get Me


Julie Cannon - 2007
    Laura Collier doesn't fit the mold and Elliot knows she should walk away. Instead she finds herself in the unusual position of pursuing another woman.

Beauty and the Band Geek


Mia Archer - 2017
    Katie was a cheerleader. We weren't even on the same plane of existence, socially speaking, but Katie was my best friend in the whole world.Great, right? Oh yeah, except for the part where I'm also totally secretly head over heels in love with my best friend.Oops.I was cool with it. I enjoyed what I had with Katie. I suffered in silence and the knowledge that she'd never in a million years be into me. Until the night I discovered maybe Katie was more into girls than I'd imagined even in my wildest dreams!KatieGwen was my best friend. She was my everything. I loved her cute smile. I loved her dorky jokes. I loved her, and I didn't dare tell anyone. Especially Gwen. Not and risk ruining our friendship!I was a cheerleader. I shouldn't be into girls. I really shouldn't be into my best friend. So I stayed miserable in my closet.Then it happened. A late night bus ride. A game of truth or dare. A kiss that changed my world.I always knew Gwen was my best friend. I always knew I wanted more. So why am I so terrified now that I know she wants more too? Why is it so hard to take what I've always wanted now that she's right in front of me?

The Touch of a Woman


K.G. MacGregor - 2015
    Her finances in shambles, she gratefully accepts a junior-level job at a magazine in Sacramento and wills herself to move on.Summer Winslow has pieces of her own to pick up, pieces that were scattered when her partner began drinking again. Fighting pressure from all directions to patch things up, she finds a welcome break from the drama in Ellis, her mysterious new neighbor. Happy to have a friend on her side, Summer is caught off-guard when her feelings for Ellis take a romantic turn.With the tragedy fading behind her, Ellis too entertains the possibility of romance. A handsome coworker is eager to fill the void in her heart, and it's clear he can give her a life much like the one she lost. Only now she's paralyzed by a stunning discovery—she's fallen for a woman.

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

Comfortable Distance


Kenna White - 2009
    Used to working out her problems in her work, the successful syndicated cartoonist plans a solo summer vacation on a houseboat, hopeful that the separation will resolve her doubts about her future with Shannon. But Shannon's frequent calls demanding some resolution only heighten her turmoil. Marine biologist Dr. Jamie Hughes sees Puget Sound in ways few other people do. The hours she spends diving its depths and running her laboratory absorb all of her focus and time. When Jamie meets the obviously distressed Dana at a friend's, she offers her scientific detachment to help Dana sort through her problems. Worrying about Dana's present is easier than examining her own past. It seems like an ideal way to help Dana sort out her future, but as the summer heats up, the distance between Dana and Jamie is anything but comfortable. Kenna White (Romancing the Zone, Braggin' Rights) explores unexpected passion, unexplored possibilities and unforeseen complications in this novel of summer on Puget Sound.

It's a Date


Claire Highton-Stevenson - 2020
    Sometimes your best friend is all you want for ChristmasFor Sally Braithwaite, a dedicated career woman, dating has never been a priority.But with Christmas looming, she finds herself wondering if it’s not the perfect time to find love.With best friend and fellow teacher Gabby Dickson in tow, Sally finds herself navigating the world of gay bars and dating apps.However, Sally and Gabby seem to be oblivious to the fact they are in love with one another.Year Eleven students Marie, Sarah, Mo, and Charlie have other ideas and embark on a daring campaign of their own to bring both teachers together.Will they be able to set their teachers up on a date before Christmas? Or will kismet step in and create its own magic?Pour a glass of mulled wine, grab a mince pie, and cuddle up with It's a Date, a Christmas friends to lovers romcom novella to warm those winter nights.30,000 words

Who I Am


M.L. Rice - 2011
    After the untimely death of her father, she and her mother move to Los Angeles to start a new life. Devin is welcomed to her new school by an arrogant bully named Jason who promises to make the rest of her senior year miserable. Things turn around, however, when a beautiful and intelligent young woman named Melanie Parker, who happens to be Jason’s sister, comes to her rescue. As the relationship between Devin and Melanie grows, Devin finds herself becoming more and more drawn to her new friend’s vivacious spirit. It’s not until an unpleasant confrontation with Jason that Devin must admit to herself that her feelings for Melanie are far more than platonic.

The Art of Pretending (Trope-ily Ever After #1)


Raquel De Leon - 2020
    She eats, she sleeps, she works. On the path to becoming a manager, she doesn't spare much time for anything else.Then she bumps into Nira, one of the regulars she's had a crush on for years, for the first time in a while.Nira isn't in a good place. She needs a friend.Ashley decides that putting the crush aside is a no-brainer. She'll be the friend Nira needs, even if it ends up giving Nira's other friends the wrong idea.There are definitely worse things than people assuming they're dating.

Stranded


Blayne Cooper - 2009
    Eager to stretch her wings, she takes a second job as the color commentator for Denver's new professional women's soccer team. Along with her new job comes an exciting assignment, travel to Venezuela to profile the team's sizzling star recruit, Miranda Gutierrez. But Rachel begins to long for a little of her old routine when her boss forces her to extend her stay to accompany team big-wig, Nora Butler, and the headstrong player on a "bonding" adventure. Their journey gets off to a bad start, and things go downhill from there. All three women are tested mentally and physically as they fight for their lives. They must learn to depend on each other, shape their own destinies, and, ultimately, risk everything for what matters most. What would you do to survive? How much would you risk for love?

Starbound


Magnolia Robbins - 2019
    Except Reese’s life is crumbling around her. She hates her job and is constantly accused of being a “reckless party animal.” Reese’s agent decides the one surefire way to get her image back on track. She has to date the worst person in the entire universe, her co-star Justine Turner. Her solution: she needs a fake girlfriend. And fast. Enter Lucy, the BFF. Game store manager, board game geek, the world’s most AMAZING cosplayer, and Reese’s best friend practically since birth. When Lucy finds out Reese’s predicament, there seems like only one solution: pose as fake girlfriends. And Lucy is more than willing to play the part. She’d do anything for Reese – even if it means entirely too romantic tales about their relationship, hearing she’s “incredibly beautiful”, and expert kisses in public. The problem: Reese and Lucy have been in love with each other all their lives—and they’re both completely clueless. This book features two best friends, roleplaying games, and countless ‘fake’ kisses and begs the question: Who wants a real girlfriend when faking is so much fun?

Life Pushes You Along


Emma Sterner-Radley - 2017
    Bored, but safe.Frequent customer, Rebecca Clare, makes Zoe's days a little brighter. But the beautiful, and impressive businesswoman in her forties seems unobtainable.Zoe's brother and her best friend are convinced that she is stuck in a rut. When they decide to meddle in Zoe's life, they manage to bring Zoe and Rebecca together. It soon becomes obvious that Rebecca is bored with her own uneventful life as well.Unfortunately, their meetings seem to remain all business. As they find the bravery and resolve to allow life to push them along, the question soon becomes - will it push them together or apart?Categories: Novella, Romance

Where the Light Glows


Dena Blake - 2017
    She has a passion for cooking and life in general. Romance is the furthest thing from her mind when she finds Mel Thomas crying after being abandoned by her husband…again. She tries to distance herself from Mel, but she keeps showing up.Clients know Mel Thomas as the CEO of her own consulting firm. She’s smart, engaging, and successful. Anyone who knows her would never think she’s insecure, but she’s more fragile than anyone knows. Her marriage on shaky ground, she doesn’t know how, or if, it can be salvaged. All she’s ever wanted in a relationship is someone’s attention. She thinks she may have found the person who can give that to her. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect it to be Izzy.Genres: Contemporary / Romance

Piping Her Tune


Maggie Brown - 2015
    The casual viewer sees the beautiful, poised CEO. But Abby’s brushstrokes also reveal a woman as cold and hard as the minerals that come from her company’s mines.When their paths cross again it’s Victoria’s chance to turn the tables with a job offer and a bonus that Abby can’t refuse. For six months of grueling travel, Abby will be at Victoria’s beck and call.If it weren’t for her dependent mother, Abby would have a graphic response to Ms. Myers’ offer, but she can’t say no to the stability the income would mean. So she keeps telling herself that it’s only temporary…