Books like 'The Pretend Wife'
Readers who enjoyed The Pretend Wife by Bridget Asher also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary m-f fake relationship forced proximity slow burn
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Beginning of Forever by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the story of two wine enthusiasts who ride the ups and downs of love in the vineyards of Tuscany. Tasting wine is not enough: sommelier Giovanni D’Angelo wants to create it. To put his family first, he’s always deferred his dreams—a vineyard to run, a woman to marry...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary beta-hero super rich hero dual-pov sweet-hero length-medium -
Spy With Me by Lexi Blake
Zach Reed had two objectives when he joined the CIA team led by Ian and Charlotte Taggart. First, he needed to get close to Cooper McKay. Second, he needed to sideline or dismantle their operation. Getting to know Cooper was even better than he expected, but amongst the team he discovered a family he’d always dreamed of and a woman he wanted to spend his life with... -
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I Can't Even by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsEllodie Cassandra Solaire made a single, solitary New Year’s resolution. That resolution was set in stone, and she wouldn’t be breaking it, no matter what. It was simple: Say yes to every person who asks her out on a date until she finds a boyfriend. Easy, right? Wrong. She breaks that New Year’s resolution three months into the year after a guy gives her serial killer vibes...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f suspense contemporary military humor from hate to love length-medium -
Code Name: Libra by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy code name is Libra. The stars say I’m charismatic, intelligent, charming. The one with the easy smile. Zodiac Tactical has been the biggest part of my life for the past three years. We guard, protect, rescue. .. eliminate the threat when nobody else can. And I’ve always been at the front lines—first to help in whatever way was needed. Until I took a bullet to the chest... -
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Finding Monica by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsYears of abuse at the hands of her father has taught Monica Collins she can’t trust anyone—especially military men. Since escaping her home, she’s built a successful career as a nanny, showing other kids the love she was denied as a child. But when her employer’s ambassadorial home becomes fair game for intruders during a riot, she’s forced to rely on two SEALs to get her to safety...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary suspense military from hate to love length-medium audiobook -
One Golden Ring by Clara Pines
Rated: 0.00 of 5 stars · 0 ratingsI’ve been hiding my crush on Derek Lockwood as long as I’ve worked for him. But I’m not sure I can handle being his fake fiancée…. When my boss brings me back to his hometown in the Pocono Mountains at Christmastime to help him run the business remotely while he looks after his sick grandfather, I’m pretty sure I can keep it together...Categorized as:
m-f fake relationship humor contemporary christmas boss & employee single-father super rich hero -
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
Forgotten Secrets by Christy Barritt
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFBI Special Agent Jesse Marx doesn’t know which is worse—waking up in a horse stable with no memories of the past two weeks or waking up to discover he’s wearing a wedding band. Not only has he been injured, but he’s also married—something he vowed to never do. Dakota Fleming refuses to feel a connection to any man, much less be tied down to one...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f suspense christian mystery contemporary audiobook first-in-series -
The Real Thing by Brenda Jackson
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhat happens when a pretend boyfriend wants more than make-believe? Find out in this Westmoreland novel from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson! No red-blooded man turns down the chance to escort gorgeous Trinity Matthews—and Adrian Westmoreland is definitely red-blooded. For her, he'll pretend to be her man. But keeping his hands to himself? That is impossible...Categorized as:
fake relationship m-f contemporary african-american black-mc multicultural length-short audiobook -
Dangerous Hearts by Riley Edwards
I was the daughter of Satan. The sister of Zeus. An unwitting outlaw motorcycle club princess that was my legacy—the past I knew I’d never outrun. I just didn’t know that would mean literally. Now I had two risk my father finding me and selling me to pay off a debt, or marry a deliciously hot stranger who hated me. Fake marriage it was... -
This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWhen celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love … and biggest frenemy... -
Bayou With Benefits by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThey are friends. Without benefits. Unfortunately. Michael LeClaire is small-town Louisiana. A firefighter. A single dad. And Amelia Landry is New York City. A social media influencer. A model. Sure, she’s his son’s favorite person on the planet... -
Try Me by Adriana Locke
“Try me. ”. That’s what Drake Bennett said when I declared on my live podcast that no man could make me fall in love. The former pro football star turned sportscaster didn’t just laugh—he challenged my entire brand. Gianna Knows Best is built on the idea that love is a choice. Drake says it’s a feeling—a magical, uncontrollable, world-shifting experience. I call BS. He says I’m scared... -
The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFamily, wounded hearts, and a Texas bed-and-breakfast are in need of repair in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s inviting novel about down-home comfort and second chances. Cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae are due for a change...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f small town friends to lovers contemporary humor christian audiobook -
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Kiss My Giraffe by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsEnemies to friends to almost lovers then back to enemies…to lovers. She's got a lot of baggage. .. literally and figuratively. And an entourage. And a freaking giraffe. For real. For a guy who wants to keep things simple, this is anything but. So why can't he stay away? Knox and Fiona's story! Finally! -
Count to Ten by Karen Rose
In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday ahs never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f suspense contemporary mystery men in uniform audiobook open-door -
Dr. Beckett by Grace Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe were childhood enemies. Now I’m sleeping in his guest room… and I’m not sure I want to leave. Beckett. Sadie Calloway showing up on my doorstep in the middle of a storm wasn’t on my bingo card. She’s my best friend’s little sister, the girl I used to torment for fun, and now she’s standing in my living room, dripping wet and out of options... -
(Not So) Simple Lyrics by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe was my first love. My first heartbreak. The boy who made the one mistake I’ll never forgive. Roderick Wilder and I grew up side by side—two kids tangled up in music, mixtapes, and lyrics that felt like they belonged only to us. Then he destroyed everything we had and disappeared, chasing a future without me. Twelve years later, he’s back... -
My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsWelcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…. While the Riordan brothers have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. But his easygoing manner is tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot, and for the Riordan men, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a good woman...Categorized as:
slow burn m-f contemporary military christmas virgin heroine small town length-medium -
Give Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe was my first love. Now he's my roommate. And he won't stop until he wins me back. Conned out of my business I have no other choice but to move back home to Chicago. I’m determined to rebuild everything, but I’m so broke that I can’t even afford to pay rent. Then my first love, Sam Maxwell, unexpectedly pops back into my life and turns out to be my knight in shining armor...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f humor super rich hero friends to lovers contemporary length-short audiobook -
Defending Home by Caitlyn O'Leary
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWill Two Tormented Souls Have The Courage To Reach For Love? The only family Nolan O’Rourke ever claimed were his Navy SEAL brothers, they had never let him down. His childhood wasn’t rough, it wasn’t hard, it was hell, and now any mission that he was assigned to was a cakewalk in comparison... -
Tight Laced by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOne of us will have to give up the future we’ve dreamed of if we’re going to make this work. It’s not going to be me. We can’t both have that same thought if we want to stay together when our contract ends. But the more I see him struggle against the things his mother does to him, the harder I fall. The more his ex tries to get in his way, the more I want to stand up for him...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f age difference sports friends to lovers contemporary siblings-bff length-short -
Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis
Meet cute. .. Run for the hills—temporarily . That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival... -
Austen by Susan May Warren
There's Trouble Up North. .. Romance on the high seas…. When a chance encounter brings a billionaire and a marine biologist together on a luxurious yacht, their vacation romance turns into a high-stakes battle against time, as they race to unveil a dangerous conspiracy lurking beneath the waves. The Minnesota Kingstons. Jack. Book 2: Conrad. Book 3: Doyle. Book 4: Austen. Book 5: Steinbeck. -
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Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood
The companion novel to Laura Wood’s Under Your Spell follows Theo Eliott’s best friend Cynthie Taylor as she’s pulled back into a fake PR relationship with Jack Turner-Jones, the one costar she swore she’d never work with again. When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon...Categorized as:
forced proximity slow burn m-f from hate to love contemporary humor length-medium actors -
Reckless Trust by Nyssa Kathryn
It’s a long-awaited homecoming…but not everyone’s happy about her return. Five years ago, Tilly Taylor’s father did something that cost her everything. Her home. Her friends. And all the trust she’d ever earned. Now she’s back, and ready to prove to everyone that she’s nothing like Martin Taylor. Unfortunately, the small town of Misty Peak doesn’t forgive or forget so easily...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary suspense military from hate to love audiobook open-door -
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane series. Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what. All’s fair in love and…medicine? Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f small town humor suspense contemporary from hate to love length-medium -
Cheesy on the Eyes by Teagan Hunter
Dating is hard. Dating in a small town? Impossible. Leave it to my little brother to come back home announcing he knocked up his fiancée and the wedding has been moved…to next month. When he tries to set me up with one of his football buddies, I tell him I’ll be bringing my own plus-one. Only problem? I’m hopelessly single. Enter Sullivan Scott, AKA my hero...Categorized as:
fake relationship m-f humor contemporary friends to lovers open-door fated-mates audiobook -
Atoning Conviction by Greer Rivers
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPHOENIX. Their screams haunt me. I’ve tried to drown them out,. But now I’m forced to fight my demons in this hell. Shackles remind me I’m a hostage. That my pain isn’t a nightmare. This time, the screams are my own. Only one thing gets me through it all. Brown Eyes. She is my strength and my downfall. But does she want to be rescued? I used to be haunted by the evil in my nightmares... -
How to Kiss a Movie Star by Jenny Proctor
He’s Hollywood’s biggest star. She wouldn’t know him from the pizza delivery guy. I’m a wildlife biologist in a tiny mountain town, not some kind of law-breaking celebrity stalker. At least not on purpose. It was an accident when I wandered onto the property of one of Hollywood’s hottest movie stars. Five minutes ago, I'd never even heard of Flint Hawthorne...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary humor super rich hero dual-pov length-medium audiobook -
Duty Unbound by Dominic Pierce
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDuty was supposed to be simple—until she walked into his mission. Ethan Cross doesn’t get emotionally involved. As the head of Citadel Solutions, he handles high-stakes security with military precision and zero distractions. Protecting international pop star Nova Rivers from a dangerous stalker? Just another job. Until he meets her sister... -
The Half of It by Theresa Christine
In a small town halfway around the world, she might just find her whole heart. Tough but tender Juniper Martin should have tossed that DNA test. A frustrating workday and one too many cosmos later, she mails a sample that unearths her half-sister in Ireland. Raised in a broken home, Juniper grants trust sparingly... -
Coming Swoon by Sarah Estep
A sequel twelve years in the making…. Peter Green has led a charmed life. Born to be Hollywood royalty, he’s a leading man with a heart of gold. All that’s missing from his life is love. But he gave his heart away twelve years ago and he doesn’t want it back. When a PR disaster on his mother’s latest film hands him his dream role, it feels like fate...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary humor length-medium actors audiobook explicit-open-door -
Clear Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe deal was simple: marry my teammate’s sister, fake the fairy tale, get her a green card, and part ways like it never happened. No feelings. No strings. No complications. Yeah, well… that didn’t go according to plan. We caught feelings. Big ones. Now she’s pregnant, with my baby. And just when I’m ready to admit this might be more than just a deal, she drops a bombshell: she’s leaving... -
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Against the Wind by Harper Jackson, Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe last person I expect—or want—to take shelter with as a hurricane bears down on Hatterwick Island is Daniel LaRue—the man who broke my heart barely three months ago. I’m not looking for distractions. The clinic’s been targeted by thieves. The island’s locked down tight against the storm...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary survival military second chances suspense length-short -
The Maverick of the Mountain by Tessa Klein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsHe’s big. He’s bearded. AND HE HAS A CHAINSAW! ? You Only Live Once. .. My temporary tattoo feels more like a prescient warning than a gentle reminder after I nearly careen off an old mountain road during the worst storm I’ve ever encountered. I should’ve stayed in town. I should’ve thrown out the hand-drawn map the local gave me... -
Bodyguard by Night by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProtecting my best friend's new sister-in-law Willow from a fan who wants to get a little too close is a no-brainer. Just requires me to do some checking around, to act as her shadow for a while, maybe even give her a place to stay so I can keep an eye on her—all so my best friend's small-town wedding to Willow's sister goes off without a hitch...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary super rich hero alpha male age difference length-long -
Playboy in a Kilt by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA notorious former playboy. As heir to Ardinmuir, Connor MacKean had one job: fulfill the marriage pact that's held his family captive for three-hundred years. Except his sister's the one who took the plunge, and now there's nothing standing in the way of him finding a real and lasting love...Categorized as:
m-f fake relationship contemporary multicultural friends to lovers cowboys abuse length-medium -
Cross My Heart by Logan Chance, Lilypad Lit
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Logan Chance comes a riveting tale about friendship, love, and lies. This scorching romance shatters the boundaries between love and make-believe. Thanks to podcaster gossip, my firm thinks I’m not a good fit for the high-profile case of my dreams. They want someone in a committed relationship...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f friends to lovers contemporary suspense super rich hero length-short audiobook -
Fore-Ever Yours by Bella Greene
A viral photo, a fake relationship, and one big problem. Matthew. All I wanted was a quiet few days. Instead, I get coffee poured on me, a gossip scandal, and a fake girlfriend. My agent insists this PR stunt will boost my career. Fake dating her for a few months? Fine. No problem. Except it’s definitely a problem. The more we fake this, the more I forget it’s not real. Beth...Categorized as:
m-f slow burn fake relationship forced proximity insta-love sports humor length-novella -
Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHigh school teacher Brooklyn Briggs has always been great with chemistry but terrible with relationships. When a guy drops into her life—literally—and offers to coach her into getting a date with her longtime crush, she's willing to accept any help she can get. Even if her new flirting coach is her brother Houston's best friend, the guy who drove her crazy all throughout high school...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f contemporary siblings-bff from hate to love dual-pov multicultural humor -
Fake Fiancé at First Sight by Kristine W. Joy
I can't believe I'm at the point in my life where I need to convince a stranger to pretend to be my fiancée. My publicist came up with the idea to hire a fake fiancée to improve my bad-boy reputation and “win over the hearts and minds of fans. ” But I'm the one who impulsively decided to bring one home with me for my brother's vow renewal... -
Matcha Made in Heaven, Vol. 6 by Umebachi Yamanaka
Chako works hard every day to take care of Isshin’s tea farm. One day, a huge typhoon hits the Kanto area! A pole blown off by a strong wind falls on Chako as she is checking the farm alone. Who will come to her rescue, Jin or Isshin? ! Also, Isshin makes great progress in his work at Shinomiya-en! Their long-distance marriage is nearing its climax! -
Tight Fit by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s okay to admit I’m scared. Outside forces are working hard to tear us apart, but we’ve teamed up against them. It’s the internal struggles we’re battling that could spell the ultimate end. When Ben makes a public show to prove how committed we are, I’m left confused as I struggle to figure out whether his feelings for me are real or if they’re part of the act...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f age difference sports friends to lovers contemporary length-short audiobook -
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Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDid you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him? That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f sports multicultural siblings-bff humor contemporary length-medium -
Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat’s a brokenhearted romance novelist to do when an interview accidentally turns her into the villain? I’ll tell you one thing—the plan definitely wasn’t to turn to the man who taught me that happily ever afters exist only on the page... -
Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsWITH HER BELOVED YOUNGER SIBLINGS SETTLED AND HAPPY, ERIN FOLEY HAS EMPTY NEST SYNDROME. AT AGE THIRTY-FIVE. So she's hitting the pause button on her life and holing up in a secluded (but totally upgraded --- she's not into roughing it! ) cabin near Virgin River. Erin is planning on getting to know herself . .. not the shaggy-haired mountain man she meets...Categorized as:
slow burn m-f contemporary military virgin heroine small town sweet-hero length-long -
Pining For You by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’ve been in love with my best friend since the day I met her freshman year of high school. She was a halo of sunshine on a rainy day, pulling me out of the shadows and making me feel like life was one big roller-coaster ride of excitement. Until the day we graduated and she left on the back of a Harley with some guy who didn’t deserve her, middle fingers in the air... -
Matcha Made in Heaven, Vol. 9 by Umebachi Yamanaka
Roa invited Chako and Isshin to her parents' house as a thank-you to Isshin for protecting her from an attacker at the tea festival in Fukuoka. While there, Chako gets drunk and sneaks into Isshin's room, wearing pajamas borrowed from Roa... -
Her Protective Lumberjack by Clara King
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThis curvy girl is running for her life. But her dad’s best friend will stop at nothing to protect her. Chloe. Being the daughter of a cop never prepared me for this. A local crime boss is threatening my life as a deadly warning to my dad. Now, Dad’s sending me to hide out with his buddy, Trace—the only man he trusts. But one look at this rugged lumberjack, and I want him in all the wrong ways...Categorized as:
forced proximity m-f age difference military insta-love virgin hero friends to lovers contemporary
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