Books like 'Born Out of Wedlock'
Readers who enjoyed Born Out of Wedlock by Lyn Gardner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary lesbian romance fake relationship queer angst marriage of convenience secret child cold heroine competent heroine virgin heroine
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Truth and Measure by Roslyn Sinclair
What happens when the world’s fiercest fashion editor learns she’s pregnant—and her distracting assistant is the only one she can turn to? This wildly popular age-gap lesbian romance mixes humor and chaos with self-discovery.Jules Moretti is newly single, an aspiring writer, and the hyper-competent assistant to the most powerful woman in fashion... -
Above all Things by Roslyn Sinclair
The Carlisle saga continues…Aspiring writer Jules Moretti and iconic fashion editor Vivian Carlisle have been through the wringer.As Vivian’s personal assistant, Jules was there for her ice queen boss’s whims, commands, and the shocking discovery of her pregnancy. Just as shocking was Jules’s realization that she was falling hard for Vivian…and that the feeling was mutual... -
Breaking Character by Lee Winter
Life has become a farcical mess for icy British A-lister Elizabeth Thornton. America’s most-hated villain stars in a top-rated TV medical drama that she hates. Now, she’s been romantically linked to her perky, new co-star, Summer, due to the young woman’s clumsiness. As a closeted actress, that’s the last thing Elizabeth needs... -
Then & Now by Monica McCallan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsLily Connor has focused all her energy into becoming a successful wedding planner, and after five years, she’s on the precipice of taking on more responsibility at Southerland Wedding Company. When the chance finally presents itself, it comes with a complication she couldn’t have dreamt up in her worst nightmares... -
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I Really Do by Emily K. Hardy
Brooke Kent hasn't spoken to a single member of her family in thirteen years. That's all changed when her younger brother calls her to invite her to his wedding. He tells her to bring her girlfriend, partner, spouse, or the woman she hooks up with on Tuesdays, he doesn't care who, just wants her there. Brooke would be tempted to take him up on that only she's painfully single... -
The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley
Anna is the newest member of an elite ballet company. Her first class with her mysterious idol, Victoria, almost ruins her career before it starts. When she shows she might be a potential star, Victoria chooses Anna to launch a new season around. Now Anna must face down jealousy, sabotage and injury, not to mention navigate the circus of friends and lovers within the company... -
Shifting Gears by Jazz Forrester
A spicy, small-town, opposites attract lesbian romance about learning to let go, no matter the cost.Workaholic Eleanor Cromwell blows into rural Canada, laser focused on her real estate development project. Given the locals already hate her father’s company, she plans to hide away in a cabin and conceal her identity to get the job done... -
Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton
Two old friends, one hot summer, a whole load of confusion. Poppy Jenkins makes everyone smile. She’s the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales, leaving light and laughter in her wake. She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief...Categorized as:
angst class difference other-man-woman queer slow burn competent heroine f-f contemporary -
If the Shoe Fits by E.J. Noyes
Jana Fleischer loves her life—wonderful family, best sister in the world, awesome soon to be sister-in-law, fabulous job, and a never-ending stream of men to chew through and spit out...Categorized as:
forced proximity competent heroine career professional queer f-f contemporary bisexual caretaking -
Bachelorette Number Twelve by Jae
At a singles auction where no one was bidding on love, a warmhearted ER nurse finds herself dating a prickly doctor in this enemies-to-lovers lesbian romance.Ellie Fisher loves most things about being a nurse in the emergency department…just not working with Regina Novak, an icy attending physician who acts as if she’s God’s gift to medicine.The dislike is completely mutual... -
The Fifth Surgeon by Faith Prize
Nadia Keating has barely started her cardiothoracic fellowship training, but she already has the archetype nailed—she’s direct, uncompromising, and suffering from a God complex.Before she can focus on her impressive research, deeply closeted Nadia has a personal project: getting her inconvenient attraction to women out of her system. She picks a stranger online for a one-night stand...Categorized as:
cold heroine queer grumpy sunshine cheating forced proximity f-f office length-medium -
The Summer of Our Discontent by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA fun summer read. Faith Leblanc is looking for that special someone, but her tactics have branded her somewhat of a womanizer. A few doors down, Rachel Chauvin is looking for the same, but her conservative style hasn’t yielded any keepers, either. Neither woman is willing to consider the other as a prospective partner, mostly because they’ve hated each other for nearly four decades... -
Cigar Club by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFallon Foster is Whiskey Springs' self-proclaimed token lesbian. She isn't a token any longer. After her year-long affair with best friend, Andi Maguire ends, Fallon hopes to earn the trust and win the heart of the town's newest resident, Riley Main. Ghosts from the past still haunt Fallon and Riley. Informed by loss and betrayal, the pair endeavors to find their way to each other... -
Beyond the Blue by T.J. O'Shea
Numbers rule Dr. Mei Sharpe’s life. She has no husband, one friend, two daughters, and three random meetings with the same woman within four weeks. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but upon the third meeting, even Mei in all her empirical rigidness must admit that perhaps the universe is giving her a nudge... -
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The Brutal Truth by Lee Winter
Australian crime reporter Maddie Grey is out of her depth in New York, miserable, and secretly drawn to her powerful, twice-married, media mogul boss, Elena Bartell, who eats failing newspapers for breakfast. As work takes them to Australia, Maddie is goaded into a brief, seemingly harmless bet with her enigmatic boss—where they have to tell the complete truth to each other... -
Impulse Buy by Jae
Prickly emergency physician Regina has never liked romantic gestures, but when her girlfriend, ER nurse Ellie, surprises her with a gift right after Valentine’s Day, rejecting it is not an option.Little does she know the impulse buy will have unexpected consequences.“Impulse Buy” is a short story sequel to Jae’s lesbian romance Bachelorette Number Twelve...Categorized as:
cold heroine competent heroine career professional queer f-f contemporary childfree-couple dual-pov -
The AM Show by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
Would you give up your lifelong dream for a shot at everlasting love?Amanda Morgan is a morning show host with a fierce reputation, but a bitter divorce has left her feeling all washed up. Being mistaken for a grandmother at her own son’s wedding has her teetering on the edge—until a stranger at the reception rocks her world...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity class difference cold heroine competent heroine rich heroine humor f-f -
Perfect Rhythm by Jae
Pop star Leontyne Blake might sing about love, but she stopped believing in it a long time ago. What women want is her image, not the real her. When her father has a stroke, she flees the spotlight and returns to her tiny Missouri hometown. In her childhood home, she meets small-town nurse Holly Drummond, who isn’t impressed by Leo’s fame at all... -
Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue
Desperate situations call for desperate lies in this charming, fake-relationship lesbian romance.Andi Barrons has no time for kids or the chaos they bring—certainly not when she runs a high-end decorating business...Categorized as:
angst queer fake relationship forced proximity f-f friends to lovers single-mother length-medium -
When We're Meant to Be by Skye Von Triessen
When Dr. Alexandra Edison’s world was ripped apart, the last thing she expected was to end up in a casual affair with Blake Westmore. Soon after she was forced to choose between her past and her present, when her strong sense of obligation forced her to leave the woman whom she shared one of the most unforgettable experiences with, and head back to L.A. to help the woman who broke her heart... -
Reservations of the Heart by T.B. Markinson
Can two wounded souls find solace together? 41-year-old doctor Stella Gilbert used to have it all. Her career was on fire, and she had a picture-perfect family--until she was blindsided by her wife doing the unthinkable... -
June by Erik Schubach
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe daughter of Mandy Fay Harris is all grown up and like her mother, is a force of nature. She is ready to come into her own and take London by storm!She never expected what what she would find while searching in New York for a scout for her music label and the new relationships she would form.This is set in the same world as Music of the Soul but is a standalone book... -
Cover Story by Rachel Lacey
Rachel Lacey, author of Stars Collide, serves up a steamy tale of Hollywood fame and subterfuge about a glamorous actress and the sexy bodyguard posing as her girlfriend.Natalie Keane is one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, but she’s paid a steep price for her fame. After she was stalked eight years ago, the ensuing media frenzy almost broke her...Categorized as:
queer fake relationship forced proximity rich heroine contemporary f-f office length-medium -
Temptation by Kris Bryant
Cassie Miller is broke. Her parents cut off all funding when she dropped out of medical school, and graduate school is expensive. A full-time nanny job at the Wellington estate is the answer to her problems, except working for beautiful, successful Brook Wellington wasn't in the job description. Brook has always had a head for business...Categorized as:
cold heroine class difference queer contemporary f-f office single-mother length-short -
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Euphoria by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Euphoria, is the latest standalone contemporary romance novel by Best-Selling author of women loving women fiction, Claire Highton-Stevenson. When Alexandra Montgomery took on the persona of Sasha, she had no idea where her life would lead.Wanting to rebel against her feisty mother, she joined a pop band, Solar Flare, and found a foothold on the ladder to fame and fortune... -
Jericho by Ann McMan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWelcome to Jericho, Verginia.Librarian Syd Murphy flees the carnage of a failed marriage by accepting an eighteen-month position in Jericho, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds fall by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals... -
The Christmas Catch by Clare Lydon
Two stranded travellers. One secret crush. Can they make it home without falling in love? Thrown together when their plane conks out and a blizzard rolls in, Morgan Scott and her childhood friend Ali Bradford are on a mission to make it from Glasgow to Devon in time for Christmas... -
The Wedding That Almost Wasn't by Sienna Waters
It’s time to fall in love. Literally.American Emily Jackson has been in love with her best friend’s oldest sister Savannah for as long as she can remember. Which is why a family wedding in far-off Scotland is a dream come true. A week trapped in the Highlands with Savannah is exactly what she needs to prove that they belong together.Harry Lorde has a problem... -
Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMattie Belman’s life has gone from dismal to desperate. After the loss of her acting career, her marriage, and her usual optimism, she’s back home teaching high school theater. Maybe it’ll be a fresh start.St. Rita’s arrogant soccer coach Jillian Reed sees Mattie’s musical as an outrageous distraction for her champion players. When Jillian declares war, Mattie is far too stubborn to back down...Categorized as:
queer forced proximity cold heroine from hate to love contemporary f-f office sports -
The Touch of Her Voice by Sara Scott
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings...Firebird Awards 2022 (Speak Up Talk Radio)First Place LGBTQ FictionFirst Place New Adult FictionFirst Place New Fiction (first time published)...2022 American Fiction Awards Finalist (LGBTQ+ Fiction)...Literary Titan Gold Book Award (September 2022)...Readers' Favorite 5 Star BookMy world turned to shades of grey as I squared my shoulders and turned around... -
Party Animal by Ali K. Mulford
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s never done love long-term. But will faking it lead to forever?Finch Lachlan works hard and parties harder. But tired of her siblings judging her fun-loving ways, the head veterinarian at her family’s zoo vows to prove she can make it past the third date. And maybe she can begin with the hottie who just seized her attention with a sizzling kiss.Chef, Frankie Benedetti, craves a fresh start... -
Loved and Lost by Stephanie Kusiak
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBlake Fortnier and Rachel Kaplan are the perfect couple. Fifteen years into a marriage that will seemingly last forever, a tragic accident tears them apart. After reaching the end of her rope, Blake is blessed with the chance to relive her life. She can right her wrongs, live life to the fullest and change the course of fate, or so she hopes... -
Call of Love by Lee Haven
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSeparated by fear. Reunited by fate. Will they get a second chance at life and love?Parker Snow left home at nineteen after being abandoned by her family for loving her foster sister, Kate Cain. She joined the Marine Corps and has had little contact with her parents since. But when she’s transferred back to Washington D.C... -
Covenant by Ann McMan
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIndependent Publishers Awards (IPPY) Bronze Medalist in Mid-Atlantic Best Regional FictionCovenant continues the beloved saga of the residents of Jericho, a sleepy town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, where life and love have as many twists and turns as a winding mountain road.Six weeks have passed since the fateful unfolding of events at the town's Fourth of July celebration... -
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Beginner's Bet by Fiona Riley
Ellison Gamble owns the most successful luxury real estate firm in Boston, but the accomplishment feels hollow when she comes home to an empty house.Institutionalizing her mother for her own safety was the hardest thing Katie Crawford has ever done. The costs are becoming more than she can manage, and her only solution is to sell her childhood home that has fallen into disrepair... -
Don't Quit Your Daydream by Adrian J. Smith
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens in the elevator doesn’t stay in the elevator. When Laura Finch’s business partner hires Skylar to bring their company to the next generation, Laura sees red. An obnoxious millennial isn’t someone she wants to work with—they’re known for failing their side hustles... -
Heal their Hearts by Claire Highton-Stevenson
Georgia Samuels lives her life with no commitments other than the love of her job, and the flashy little apartment overlooking the Thames. That is until tragedy strikes and her sister, Aston, and Aston's husband Ben are both killed when the plane they're returning home on crashes, leaving the family rocked, and three kids orphaned... -
Making It Count by Nicole Pyland
Sports Series Book #5. This series is related by a sports theme, not by characters.NOTE: The characters of this book are living during the first year of the pandemic.Shay Amos chose Dunbar University because she wanted to play basketball at a smaller school and be the best player on the team...Categorized as:
queer angst class difference slow burn poor heroine competent heroine working class heroine sports -
French Kissing: Season Five by Harper Bliss
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsASIN B07S73K4SR moved to the more recent edition Paris... City of lights, City of love... City of drama! With a year remaining on Dominique's first presidential term, the Laroche camp is gearing up for her re-election campaign. Dominique herself, however, doesn't seem so keen on going through it all again.Aurore and Solange's relationship has been on and off so many times, nobody can keep count... -
The Awkward Truth by Lee Winter
This funny opposites-attract lesbian romance digs up the awkward truth about what really matters in life.Ambitious ice queen and corporate lawyer Felicity Simmons has spent her life focused on one thing: scuttling up the career ladder. She’s achingly close to taking charge of a media empire for her boss when she’s sent to investigate a South Bronx charity that helps homeless people’s pets... -
In Development by Rachel Spangler
From a young age, Cobie Galloway made a career of playing the girl-next-door on the silver screen. Only, she's not a teenager anymore. Ready to challenge herself artistically and earn the part she's always dreamed of, she's forced to face the realization that in order to win the roles afforded to edgier actresses, she might first have to audition by playing someone edgier in her day-to-day life...Categorized as:
forced proximity fake relationship competent heroine strong heroine rich heroine queer f-f bisexual -
The Trip by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWho wants to take a road trip with two old, bickering women and a complete stranger? Not Jill Savoy. She finds herself behind the wheel of her father’s sacred Winnebago anyway, responsible for her grandmother and adopted aunt, both of whom are mischievous teenagers in old bodies, and then there’s Shay. The last thing on Shay Macaluso’s mind was a vacation... -
Lucky in Love by Cara Malone
Sometimes luck means landing exactly where you need to be.Jules Wakefield’s family has rescued rabbits for decades, but with her parents gone and her veterinary practice demanding all her time, Jules desperately needs a successor. She decides to run an essay contest – the winner must love bunnies... -
A Dare to Remember by T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
Fifteen years ago, a game of Truth or Dare ended in a kiss that would forever change two women’s lives. Can they open up their hearts after years of hurt?After years away, Clara Chandler finds herself back in her Vermont hometown, nursing wounds from a shattered life in New York City... -
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One Last Run by Bryce Oakley
Danica Wendell seems to have it all figured out. She’s a respected neonatologist at one of the finest hospitals in the nation, engaged to the man of her dreams, and living a life that most only dream about. Well, one of those things is true. The other? Well, that's her secret to keep for now.Petra “Pete” Pancott isn’t settling for an average life...Categorized as:
angst queer forced proximity grumpy sunshine class difference cold heroine rich heroine humor -
One Golden Summer by Clare Lydon, T.B. Markinson
Saffron Oliver is the golden girl. Golden hair. Golden skin. Golden movie career.Only one problem: she hates it.She flees to her sister’s seaside town – where she meets the confident & charming Kirsty McBride.Kirsty is everything Saffron wants to be. Perhaps also, everything she wants.But Saffron can’t have it all... -
The Secret of St. Claire by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsLighthearted romance, sweet and funny.Idyllic, quaint, and straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting is St. Claire, Louisiana—at least on the outside. Beneath the veneer, it’s anything but. That’s the secret of St. Claire. Born and raised in St. Claire, Lindsay Juneau’s life was seemingly full raising a six-year-old daughter and caring for her widowed mother... -
The No Kiss Contract by Nan Campbell
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, corporate attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But eighty-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half-sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway...Categorized as:
fake relationship slow burn competent heroine queer f-f contemporary from hate to love open-door -
The Secret Pond by Gerri Hill
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGrieving over the loss of her family and feeling like her life is unraveling, Lindsey McDermott quits her job, gets a puppy and retreats to her grandparents’ home in the Texas Hill Country. She spends her solitary days walking childhood trails and reminiscing, trying to reconcile the conflict within her as she struggles with survivor’s guilt... -
Awakenings by Susan X. Meagher
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDespite the questions of her roommates and the objections of her fiance, Jamie Evans persists in enrolling in a college course that seems an odd choice for a young woman of her background. What no one can know is that the course, The Psychology of the Lesbian Experience, will propel Jamie onto a journey of self-awareness and realization...
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