Books like 'The Fake Out'
Readers who enjoyed The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny grumpy sunshine athletes poor heroine small town sunny hero friends to lovers new adult fake relationship
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The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel
It was just one date. My friend told me I needed more fun in my life, so I reluctantly said yes. Fun wasn’t exactly in my wheelhouse. After watching my own mother’s love life implode time and time again it’s only natural that I have a few rules to protect myself. Actually, it’s just one rule…. Avoid relationships with men so I don’t get attached. I wasn’t worried... -
There's Something about Scarlett by Hannah Ellis
Three years of marriage, then they’ll go their separate ways…. Scarlett Mercer dreams of starting her own publishing company. But with no way to finance university, she might be stuck working in her aunt’s café indefinitely. When a chance encounter leads her to an extreme solution, she’s desperate enough to go through with it. Even if it means marrying a guy she’s only just met... -
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Trouble by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsShe wants something real. He wants something now. Together they’re trouble in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s sexy and funny twice-in-a-lifetime love story. With his shameless grin and let’s-play swagger, carpenter Penn Etling leaves women wanting in Dogwood Lane. What do they get? Avery Perry knows: a one-night stand. She’s been there...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers independent heroine humor contemporary length-medium m-f audiobook -
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:
small town friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor christian m-f audiobook -
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Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor
My requirements for a man are simple. Must love books. Must NOT love hockey. Which is why I will never be interested in my neighbor, the aloof and mysterious Felix Jamison, no matter how many books I see him hauling into his apartment. Unless he loses his pro hockey skates, I’m out. But then he shows up at my symphony concert. And I catch the sweet strains of Dvorak floating across the hall... -
Only and Forever by Chloe Liese
It’s a room-mance for the books in this tender, steamy story about unexpectedly finding love and being brave enough to let it revise life’s narrative in the final book in the beloved Bergman Brothers series. Viggo Bergman, hopeless romantic, is thoroughly weary of waiting for his happily ever after... -
Homecoming King by Penny Reid
Rex "TW" McMurtry’s perpetual single-hood wouldn't bother him so much if all his ex-girlfriends didn't keep marrying the very next person they dated, especially when so many of those grooms are his closest friends. He may be a pro-football defensive end for the Chicago Squalls, but the press only wants to talk about how he's always a groomsman and never a groom... -
The Mr and Mrs Mistake by Brighton Walsh
My best friend’s little sister has been getting under my skin for decades. She’s my lifelong nemesis and now—apparently—my wife. When Willa Jameson stumbled into my bar drunk, heartbroken, and desperate to save her family farm, I offered to marry her. For “convenience. ”. Which is hilarious, because nothing about my attraction to this hurricane with hips has ever been convenient... -
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh
A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance. Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart. My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart. Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend... -
Never The Bride by Kortney Keisel
No rings. No vows. No ‘til death do us part. As a top divorce attorney who’s built her career—and her walls—on the belief that marriage doesn’t last, Camila swears she’ll never walk down the aisle. After years of watching relationships crumble, she’s made it her personal mission to convince her little sister to avoid getting married at all costs. The problem? Camila’s already married. Secretly... -
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend by Kate Watson
It's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage. .. license. Sean. When my ex cheated and begged me to take her back, I made a rash, too-public vow: the next woman I kiss will be my wife. It seemed like a good idea at the time—anything to stop being everyone’s second choice. The ultimate fallback guy. Then the Kayla Carville walks into my bar, all bold and stunning... -
Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsGreen Lucas doesn't know what's about to hit him. Complete Standalone Romance. Wanted. A woman with grit and fire who will help me get my son’s head out of his ass. You must be self-sufficient and not looking for a gravy train. Common sense is a plus, book smarts are optional. Cannot have red hair, as my son seems to go for that type and he needs something to shake him up... -
Boone by Sawyer Bennett
Boone Rivers uses his fame and fortune as a professional hockey player to his advantage, but not in the way most people would think. Volunteering as often as his busy schedule will allow, Boone meets one brave young boy who turns his world upside down. As a first-line right winger for the Pittsburgh Titans, I thrive on the thrill of the game... -
Marriage is a Shore Thing: A Small Town, Accidental Marriage Sweet RomCom by Laura Langa
She’s tough. He’s golden. One dare later, they’re hitched. I’ve sworn off love, so accidentally marrying a stranger after a friendly game of Truth or Dare? Worst. Case. Scenario. Never mind that Evander Young is a brilliant ER doctor with a dimpled smile that makes my heart race... -
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Silver Linings by Violet Page
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSilver James has perfected the art of keeping everything at a distance—her career, her friends, and most definitely romance. Her motto is simple: keep life carefree and fun. The more she avoids the unexpected, the less likely she is to get hurt... -
A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street. .. There's always time for tea. .. unless you've lost your teapot…. Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity small town found-family contemporary humor length-medium 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... -
Charlie and Her Sweet Escape by Kaylee Baldwin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAgree to be on the Married in the Wild survival reality show? Check. Collect a paycheck that’s enough to help with my mom’s medical bills? Check. Get married? Um… Check? Enter Bennett Forrester. My best friend’s older brother is gorgeous, a huge flirt, and always in the wrong place at the right time when it comes to catching me in my most humiliating moments... -
Things I Remember by Kelsey Humphreys
It shouldn’t be a surprise that my marriage is ending, since it was secretly a business arrangement to begin with. It’s time to let it go. I have accepted that. Apparently, my almost-ex-husband has not. Susan Canton loves her family and their business. Typical first-born, she’s an achiever, a leader... -
When I'm with You by Samantha Brinn
The first time I saw Julie Parker, the gorgeous, brilliant, sharp tongued lawyer knocked the wind right out of me. The second time I saw Julie Parker, our eyes met across a football field. The third time I saw Julie Parker, we had a *moment* and I was certain she was meant to be mine. The fourth time I saw Julie Parker, she was struggling... -
A Not So Fictional Fall by Savannah Scott
I live for happily ever afters. And I'm finally meeting my favorite romance author in person! Only, all this time, I thought author, Amelie De Pierre, was a woman. It turns out, Pierre Toussaint is the man behind the books that make me weak in the knees. He could be the consummate book boyfriend with his dreamy hazel eyes, strong jawline, and those black-rimmed glasses. Not to mention that accent... -
Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA. Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley... -
Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe way she looks, smells, laughs is killing me. I fell in love with my sister’s best friend. To top it all off, she’s brilliant. And I’m failing Chemistry. Of course, when I get her help, she’s laidback about it. Charming and helpful as always, like she doesn’t know how much I want her. I’ve got to play it cool and let her see a different side of me... -
That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss by Julie Christianson
My dream job just got snapped up by the one man who rejected me…. That’s right. I’m an unemployed twenty-something stuck sleeping on my grandmother’s old futon while Hudson Blaine, the guy who shot me down, gets to manage The Beachfront Inn. Talk about life being unfair. I’m about to flee town with what’s left of my pride when Mr. Rejection begs me to stay... -
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The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting? When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off to the West...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor menage length-long -
A Collision of Stars by Georgia Stone
One summer. One bucket list. No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which is unfortunate, as a barista in a busy London coffee shop. Bored, cynical and deathly sarcastic, she’s built up walls for a reason. Despite attempts from her best friend to shake up her routine, Ava refuses to do anything to disrupt her carefully curated life... -
The Pretenders of Copper County by May Archer
It was supposed to be a straightforward protection job. Remove the target from Vermont, get him to the safehouse, keep him there until his mafia uncle testifies, get back in my employer’s good graces. Boom, done. Easy...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity fake relationship sunny hero sweet-hero small town m-m queer -
Tussle by Jacob Chance
“Why haven’t we had sex? ”. When Jesse Gunn, one of the biggest stars of World Class Wrestling, voiced that million dollar question, yet again, I was stunned. After turning him down countless times, I thought eventually he'd give up. Unexpectedly thrown together for a work project, my mind went to places I’d never allowed...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers competent heroine sweet-hero sunny hero slow burn athletes -
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. 8 by Umebachi Yamanaka
Roa, a popular live streamer who views Isshin's bottled tea, Chako, as a rival, lost control, and Hananoki-en faced backlash! On top of that, they now have to compete with Roa, who is also a tea maker, in a national competition...Categorized as:
new adult slow burn fake relationship contemporary humor length-short m-f glimpses-kisses -
The Beekeeper at Elderflower Grove by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHer new start is about to bee-gin! Having moved into her mum’s spare room after a disastrous break-up, Kayleigh Harwood is desperate for a fresh start. When she sees an opening for a new beekeeper at Elderflower Grove she jumps at the chance – despite not knowing a thing about bees…...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity small town new adult contemporary mystery humor length-medium -
Just Act Natural by Genny Carrick
I started this pretend romance to save face, not to lose my heart. I’m indoorsy with a capital I, but I need to fake a little outdoorsiness to get a promotion. A five-day hike sounds like my nightmare, but after upending my life and moving from the city back to my small hometown, I need a win. I didn't expect to find someone like Grant Irwin in the wilderness with me... -
Deja Brew All Over Again by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTrouble has always had a way of finding me, but I never expected to be carjacked by a hot girl in a wedding dress. As the official family screw-up, not many people count on me for anything but a good time. But Maisy Romero and her little brother need a knight in shining armor, and they need him yesterday... -
Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSo let me get this straight. .. For the next few days I’ve got myself a grumpy fake husband who’s also kind of my. .. bodyguard? I guess that’s a better way to spend the weekend than binge-watching reality television, especially since it’s kind of my fault we’re on the run from the mob and I need a protector. Oops...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine friends to lovers contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
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How the Light Gets In by L.H. Cosway
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsHe came back to me 16 minutes and 59 seconds into Beethoven’s Symphony no. 7. We parted amid tragedy, so it seemed poetic. Dylan O’Dea, my childhood sweetheart, had once meant everything to me. Now we were strangers, and honestly, after eleven years I never thought I’d see him again. I lived in the world of the average, of getting paid by the hour and budgeting to make ends meet...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers poor heroine humor contemporary second chances length-short audiobook -
Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly
Bad ideas are kind of my superpower. .. I’m Ben Boerboom, the NHL’s favorite puck boy, and Lara's my slamming hot, former bestie. She's also the friend who got away and my dirty, dirty accomplice from those two insane weeks that weren't supposed to change anything. .. but did. I wanted it all. Would have wrapped my forever around her finger if she'd let me... -
The Gambler: The Wedding Pact #3 by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsBook three in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series by Denise Grover Swank. Libby St. Clair believes in fate—so much so, she’s willing to pin everything on a curse a fortune teller placed on her and her two best friends when they were kids...Categorized as:
fake relationship friends to lovers new adult humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
Red, White, and You by Ash Keller
This Fourth of July, I'm declaring my independence from love. Too bad nobody told Phoenix Wood. Gigi Hart has two goals this summer: keep her bakery stocked with red, white, and blue cupcakes, and avoid anything—or anyone—remotely connected to her health-obsessed family and their fitness empire, Hart Health... -
The Mistletoe Makeover by Grace Worthington
He’s the hottest country rock star in the country whose reputation needs repaired. I’m an unemployed event planner who’s desperate for a job. When I’m forced to team up with Mr. Smolder for the most ambitious Christmas event around, it might be my biggest mistake yet…. For me, Christmas has never been the most wonderful time of year... -
A Not So Merry Kiss-mas by Abby Greyson
Next Door Neighbors. A Blind Match. And a Kiss That Melts the Ice. Mel. My neighbor’s easy on the eyes, but his blaring music and clanging weights keep me awake. Michael Matthews is all charm and good vibes—qualities that drive my sleep-deprived self up a wall; even if his smile does spark an annoying flutter. Mike. Cole’s been raving about Noelle's best friend since they started dating... -
Open Road by Kris Butler
Are you brave enough to discover what the open road has to offer you? At one time, I thought my life was planned out. Then a stalker entered the picture and tossed my world upside down. After everything settled, I thought I was ready to get back to normal, everyday life. But when a mysterious letter arrived, it felt like the answer I’d been waiting for... -
Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams
With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one. Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville... -
Just Breaking The Rules by Lauren Blakely
Everyone knows the golden rule of business—don’t bang your business partner. Especially if he’s your brother’s hot-as-sin, hockey-star best friend... -
Empty Net by Teagan Hunter
I have two goals this season:. 1. Stop enough pucks to get the Seattle Serpents to the playoffs. 2. Don’t fall for my fake fiancée. When Lilah Maddison’s mother keeps trying to set her up on dates she’s not interested in, she blurts out that she’s already seeing someone. The problem? She’s single. So, I step in to help and agree to pretend to be her boyfriend for an event... -
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Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
It wasn't every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a road, not even in Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard's larger-than-life world. He slammed on the brakes of his brand-new Aston Martin Vanquish and pulled over in front of her. The beaver marched right past, her big, flat tail bouncing in the gravel, and her small, sharp nose stuck up in the air. Way up... -
Them by Carey Heywood
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFirst comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…. As Will and Sarah Price settle into being Mr. & Mrs. , they meet a stumbling block neither of them anticipated. All of their friends are starting families of their own, but not them, and not for lack of trying. For them, their dreams of a happily-ever-after always included a baby... -
Spare Me by Tara Sivec
Ryan Hutton has spent his entire life being the shy, nerdy, rule-following nice guy on Summersweet Island. He’s the high school bowling coach and algebra teacher, who’s always predictable, and he’s always been fine with that. At least until a sexy nutjob gives him the best kiss of his life in his favorite pizza place. Suddenly, he doesn’t like being the quiet, obedient nice guy anymore. . ... -
Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPlaying hockey in Maple Falls was meant to be just a charity gig, but then my new publicist showed up, melting the ice—and my heart. Cooper. I never anticipated being roped into a charity hockey game during the off-season. But here I am, heading to Maple Falls, all because my publicist decided to retire. Change was inevitable, but I didn't foresee it coming so soon... -
Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLandon Holder is exactly the kind of man Livy Adams should stay far away from. The flashy, flirty star defenseman for the Chicago Buffaloes is known for hooking up with women all over Chicago. Livy finds herself attracted to Landy, but his sexy good looks and charm are irrelevant... -
Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing the nice guy leaves me open to being a rebound romance. Which I’m not interested in. I’ve got better things to do. Like taking my spot on the NBA draft picks. It’s all that matters to me. Love has never been on the radar. I’m too focused for all that fluff. Then life slows me down. Way down...
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