Book picks similar to
The Art of Growing by Jacqueline Ramsden


fauxmance
romance
nonbinary
contemporary-romance

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin


Colette Moody - 2009
    Together with Gayle Malvern, daughter of wounded pirate captain Madman Malvern, Celia becomes a reluctant participant in an unexpectedly thrilling journey through the Caribbean. For Gayle, Celia's presence is at first a welcome and shapely distraction, but as her attraction to the seamstress deepens, she realizes that Celia comes to mean more to her than is almost certainly prudent. As Celia and Gayle navigate the perilous territories of gypsies, prostitutes, mercenaries, and slave-traders, they forge a partnership born of necessity that Gayle soon hopes will veer away from insurmountable danger and instead detour directly to her bed.

The Split


Laura Kay - 2021
    It's hilariously funny, it's so uplifting, and its characters are irresistibly loveable - Beth O'Leary, author of SUNDAY TIMES bestsellers THE FLATSHARE and THE SWITCHFull of humour, kindness, cake and a cat, this is the novel to turn to in difficult times - Katie FfordeWise, wonderful and so much fun. I loved it! - Heidi Swain, bestselling author of THE WINTER GARDENIt was pure fun. Heart-warming and adorable - Julie Cohen, bestselling author of TOGETHER and LOUIS & LOUISEWounded and betrayed, after being dumped by her girlfriend, Ally makes off to her dad’s in Sheffield with the one thing that might soothe the pain and force her ex to speak to her again: Emily's cat, Malcolm.Back home and forced into a 'date' by their parents, Ally and her first ever beard, Jeremy, come up with a ridiculous plan to win their exes back... to revenge-run a half marathon. Given neither of them can run, they enlist the support of athletic, not to mention beautiful, Jo. But will she have them running for the hills... or will their ridiculous plan pay off...?

If You Dare


Sandy Lowe - 2020
    Stuck in her hometown over the holidays. Stuck in a Wi-Fi dead zone. Stuck watching her longtime crush make out with her ex-best-friend. The small town of Sunrise Falls thrives on gossip, and everyone’s talking about the mess she’s made of her life back in San Francisco. One festively decorated bar and two vodka tonics later, a game of truth or dare seems like just the thing to distract her. Until the dare to seduce the next woman who walks through the door brings her face-to-face with librarian Emma Prescott.Emma’s a good girl with a mind dirty enough to make a sex worker blush. A painful experience as a teenager has left her anxious and afraid of her own desire, but when gorgeous Lauren West kisses her senseless, Emma thinks maybe she’s finally found the perfect person to help her break free. That is, until Lauren comes clean about what really turns her on and reveals passions far darker than Emma ever anticipated.Reader Advisory: If You Dare contains explicit fantasies of non-consent.

Proper English


K.J. Charles - 2019
    She’s visiting her old friend, the Earl’s heir Jimmy Yoxall—but she wants to spend a lot more time with Jimmy’s fiancée. The irrepressible Miss Fenella Carruth, with her laughing eyes and lush curves, is the most glorious woman Pat’s ever met, and it quickly becomes impossible to remember why she needs to stay at arm’s length.But while the women’s attraction grows, the tensions at Rodington Court get worse. Affairs, secrets, betrayals, and blackmail come to light. And when a body is discovered with a knife between the shoulderblades, it’s going to take Pat and Fen’s combined talents to prevent the murderer destroying all their lives.

The Princess Affair


Nell Stark - 2013
    As she arrives at Oxford to begin her course of study, she is determined to make the most out of this latest opportunity. But when she meets Her Royal Highness Princess Sasha, second in line to the British throne, Kerry’s priorities are eclipsed by an attraction neither of them can ignore. "Sassy Sasha" is a tabloid favorite who appears to delight in scandalizing her people, but beneath her vexed public image, Sasha longs to be truly seen.Will the tenuous connection she forms with Kerry be broken by the weight of the crown? Or will they find true love despite the forces endeavoring to keep them apart?

Where Are You


Bella Donnis - 2014
    When the beautiful yet chronically shy Erin begins her degree at the University of Cambridge, she finds herself unable cope with the pressure. Just as she decides to run and destroy her future career prospects, a chance encounter with the confident, warm, caring, eccentric and stunning Gianna, a foreign student from Napoli, Italy changes everything.Just as their friendship reaches a peak and Erin has changed into a new person, Gianna mysteriously disappears, sending Erin back into a negative spiral of loss.Ten years later, after a sudden and strange twist of fate, Erin decides to seek out the only true friend she ever had, in the hope of rekindling where they left off many years before.Where Are You is a story of forbidden love, friendship and redemption set amidst the magnificent regal beauty of Cambridge, England as well as the ancient Italian cities of Napoli and Pompeii.

The Perfect Match


Milena McKay - 2021
    There are so many rules. Rule number 1: Graduate from the Cupids' Academy.Rule number 2: Attend the Annual Cupids’ Convention in Las Vegas.Rule number 3: When shooting your arrows and bringing love to people, strive for the Perfect Match. When junior cupid Abby Angellini, fresh from Cupid Academy, heads to Sin City, she runs smack into her idol.Sabine Goddard is the one cupid who has a faultless record when it comes to slinging arrows and bringing people together. The stats for her own love life, however, aren’t nearly as great.Sparks fly as Cinnamon Roll meets the Queen of the Perfect Match and the word quiver takes on an entirely new meaning.