Books like 'The Fake Out'
Readers who enjoyed The Fake Out by Jenni Bara also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny sports multicultural grumpy sunshine forced proximity baseball found-family siblings-bff friends-benefits
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Sweeper by Amy Daws
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsComing November 4The cocky footballer next door has some serious balls…luckily, Daphney Clarke knows how to play. Zander Williams is the hot new American determined to take European football by storm. His head is so big, it barely fits under his backwards hat. And when he’s recruited to one of the biggest up and coming clubs in London, he’s certain to make his name known...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers forced proximity grumpy sunshine friends-benefits m-f humor contemporary -
Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor
He’s a grump and happy to stay that way. But can her sunshine melt the ice around his heart? Nathan Sanders didn't earn his reputation as the grouchiest player on the Appies minor league hockey team by chance. So when Summer Callahan breezes into his life with her flirtatious smiles and endless charm, he responds like he always he completely ignores her... -
The Roommate Mistake by Pippa Grant
An injured rugby star, his pregnant roommate, and one rule they can’t Don’t date the owner’s daughter. It was supposed to be an easy house- and dog-sitting gig while the owner was gone for a month. But when my sportsing landlord comes home unexpectedly, injured and in need of a new arrangement, we end up as accidental roommates instead...Categorized as:
new adult sports m-f athletes grumpy sunshine forced proximity friends to lovers found-family -
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Stay Wild by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWhat happens when your wandering heart is captured by your friend with benefits?ScarlettArcher Kincaid is supposed to be all the fun and none of the strings, but the longer I stay in Willow River, the more I feel roots pulling me to settle down.I plan to complete a one-year photography contract with Captured Moments, then move on to travel the world...Categorized as:
friends-benefits insta-love dual-pov new adult friends to lovers m-f humor contemporary -
Love Notes & Lifelines by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe job was simple. Always answer the phone—no exceptions—then solve the caller’s catastrophe as efficiently as possible.The rules were simpler. They contact you, not the other way around. Never give them your real name, number, or any personal information not required to help a newly single dad keep his head above water.And never, ever get involved with a caller... -
Colton by Jenna Myles
Love men who fall first? Like strong curvy heroines? How about I throw in a high rise full of billionaires and a hero with some serious golden retriever energy?Evie did the right thing, she saved a life, and it cost her almost everything. I'm going to make damn sure she's made whole again.So I've been carrying her picture around with me for a couple of months... -
Mistake by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCole Miller is a good-for-nothing nobody who skulks around dark alleyways and makes money by boosting cars from those more fortunate than he. He’s the unwanted child of a couple of deadbeats, so he never truly understood what family meant until he stumbled onto a treasure far more valuable than the GT he’s supposed to steal from the heavyweight world champion... -
Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThere are a million reasons why Miles Hart isn't the man I should date but allow me to enumerate the top three. He's friends with my brother, he's a single dad, and he's a sexy, in-demand rock star. He might as well wear an off-limits, totally unavailable, and don’t-even-attempt-to-ride-this-ride sign. And there’s one more, little itty-bitty thing -- he's never asked me on a date... -
Flirt by Adriana Locke
WANTED: A SITUATION-SHIPI’m a single female that’s tired of relationships ruining my life. However, there are times when a date would be helpful. If you’re a single man, preferably mid-twenties to late-thirties, and are in a similar situation, we might be a match.Candidate must be handsome, charming, and willing to pretend to have feelings for me (on a sliding scale, as the event requires)... -
Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 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... -
Tangle by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsSparks fly between a die-hard romantic and a sexy cynic in this fresh, funny romance from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers friends-benefits m-f humor contemporary cheerful heroine -
Now's The Time by Harlow James
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity athletes friends-benefits secret-relationship m-f contemporary humor -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
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The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI’m Luciana Wright. Everyone calls me Lucky, but when it comes to love, I’m anything but. I have a long history of dating the wrong men. You know the ones I’m talking about. The beautiful, charming guys who are quite literally too good to be true. The ones who are impulsive in love and prefer short flings over long-term relationships. I’m talking about the jerks...Categorized as:
sports new adult forced proximity siblings-bff m-f humor contemporary from hate to love -
The Mr. Right Checklist by Melissa Foster
A free-spirited proposal planner and a grumpy professor form a hilarious and unexpected situationship that just might lead to more in this steamy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine found-family new adult m-f fake relationship contemporary humor length-medium -
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother... -
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...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov new adult friends to lovers fake relationship male-pov first-person-pov m-f -
Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time... -
The Boyfriend Goal by Lauren Blakely
My brother has always made one rule clear to his hockey teammates–keep their hands off his little sister.But the night I arrive in town to start a new job, Wesley is just the sexy, charming stranger who rescues me when I’m locked out of a friend’s place.Then he rescues me from an O drought.A week later when my apartment falls through he saves me a third time, without even realizing it...Categorized as:
forced proximity siblings-bff forbidden love dual-pov sports m-f friends to lovers found-family -
Text Me Baby One More Time by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA SECOND-CHANCE ROMANTIC COMEDY! I love you , he said. Forever , he said. Turns out, he lied. When he leaves me high and dry after a cross-country move, I push him out of my life as much as I can, which is hard to do when the guy who broke your heart also happens to be the most famous dude in town... -
The Lineup by Meghan Quinn
Want to know a secret? It's about that girl over there. Don’t look, but she’s the one in the power suit—with the long, black hair and the serious expression, the one I’m about to go on a date with . . . Yeah, according to her, she “accidentally” donated an obscene amount of money to my charity — The Lineup — to win said date but I found out the truth. Miss... -
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image... -
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Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son...Categorized as:
new adult found-family grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love contemporary humor -
The Shake Off by Lulu Moore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMy name is Ace Watson, and I’m having an existential crisis.I finished last season as one of the league's best pitchers. Baseball’s smooth-talking boy wonder. The future of The New York Lions.I'm starting this season as the worst.And I don't want to sound dramatic, but the fault lies entirely with Payton Lopez...Categorized as:
sports baseball dual-pov grumpy sunshine found-family new adult friends-benefits m-f -
Next In Line by Amy Daws
What happens when the cute mountain man you made out with in an ice fishing shack turns out to be your brother’s best friend? A whole lot of awkward, that’s what. Maggie’s mind is reeling when she discovers the guy she became tangled up with at Marv’s Bait & Tackle isn’t a stranger like she thought... -
Born to Sin by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing sentenced by a woman in a black robe is not a meet-cute.Quinn Jeffries follows the rules. A judge in small-town Sinful, Montana, doesn’t have much room for missteps, and when you spend your childhood training for the Olympics, you don’t have time for anything but discipline anyway. And, see? It’s worked! Her life is just fine... -
The One I Need by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant... -
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 siblings-bff dual-pov multicultural m-f contemporary from hate to love humor -
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. And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another...Categorized as:
sports multicultural siblings-bff forced proximity m-f humor contemporary length-medium -
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... -
Charming as Puck by Pippa Grant
The man could charm the panties off a nun... Nick Murphy. Hockey god. My best friend’s big brother. My friend-with-mindblowing-benefits. The best thing to happen to my nether regions since my subscription to the toy of the month club. The man I’ve been secretly in love with for years. And total ass. I am so done with him. Except there’s one small problem...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes male-pov friends-benefits himbo competent heroine m-f -
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine dual-pov new adult forbidden love m-f humor contemporary -
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Where Time Stands Still by N.S. Perkins
Twenty-six-year-old Wren Lawson knows she will soon forget who she is. With early familial Alzheimer’s disease written in her genes, it’s a fact she’s wrapped her whole life around; to indulge in friends or romance is a risk for everyone around her—one she’s not keen on taking. Throwing herself into her work as a lawyer is the only thing she can do... -
Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
If people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love... -
Hard Fall by Sara Ney
"Hard Fall"That's what my mom is always saying: "The bigger you are, the harder you fall." She's talking about love—I've never been in it myself, but that doesn't stop me from secretly matchmaking for my friends. Who would suspect me, a world class athlete, of meddling in other people's love lives? I love Love, especially when it’s not me who’s doing the falling…"No Thanks... -
Off Limits by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProfessional football has an actual rulebook, but it’s the unwritten rules that come with the harshest consequences.The biggest one of all: don’t date your teammate’s sister. And if you do, don’t you dare fall in love with her.I never meant to fall, but when it comes to Brenna Donald, I never stood a chance. She’s everything I’m not--a light-hearted wild child who shines brighter than the sun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers forbidden love athletes siblings-bff contemporary humor length-medium -
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...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity found-family grumpy sunshine friends to lovers athletes dual-pov new adult -
Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo authors, an intertwined plot, and one heck of an alluring ending to their highly-anticipated bestselling books... With her fantasy series, Bridget Paige is the newest member of the New York Times Bestseller list. Except no one knows who she is. To the world, she's Bridget. To those behind the scenes, she's introverted Paige Booker... -
Fake Start by Jasmin Miller
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYou know that awkward moment when your agent tells you to fake date your best friend’s sister so you can get the endorsement deal of your dreams? No? Call me crazy for considering it, but why not? Daisy’s my friend, after all, and I’ve gotten quite close to her and her two awesome boys over the last few years since her douche-nozzle husband divorced her... -
Just Playin' by Shandi Boyes
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsPresley “Elvis” Carlton was at the top of his game. Number one draft pick, engaged to an up-and-coming model, and voted best player of the decade his first year on the field. Things were golden. . . until an accident saw everything important torn from his grasp...Categorized as:
sports new adult athletes secret-relationship curvy heroine humor contemporary length-medium -
Huck by Lulu Moore
You don’t date the Coach’s daughter. It’s the first thing you learn in Hockey 101.Except whoever made that rule had never met Nora Campbell.She came into my life like the blondest ray of sunshine, and I thought all my dreams had come true.Then I found out who she was...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity dual-pov friends to lovers forbidden love new adult found-family m-f -
Endurance by Amy Daws
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsHe rejected her. She loathes him. Now they have to fool everyone and pretend they actually like each other. Tanner Harris has been busy shagging his way through the ladies of east London, but getting caught by the paparazzi buck-naked with his trouser snake in his hands means he's sowed his last wild oat. Dr...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers athletes career professional friends-benefits m-f humor -
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Built to Last by Kat Baxter
Sadie My nerdy co-worker is my perfect guy. Trouble is, he doesn’t “see me that way,” despite my three degrees. It’s a problem I can’t figure out. Until, everyone in my office sees me with my best friend’s brother and assumes we’re together. Turns out a little competition was just what the man of my dreams needed to sit up and take notice... -
Down And Flirty by Staci Hart
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNothing good comes after the third date.Date three is the crucial point when things get real, which is exactly why I bounce out the door, twiddling my fingers at whatever poor boy I’ve left behind. Because if I stick around, one of three things will happen: he’ll profess his undying love, he’ll get weird and stalky, or I’ll go crazy. Like, Sid and Nancy crazy...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers dual-pov friends-benefits male-pov m-f contemporary humor -
Against the Rules: A Coach's Daughter College Football Romance by Bree Hayden, Morgan Waddle
After a famous football coach caused my parents' divorce, I have a rule against dating athletes. When I asked, the cute guy I'm talking to is adamant, no sports.Until I met my stepdad's star defense player. Him.Tattooed, scarred, so gorgeous, King was who I wanted to take my v-card until I saw the jersey on his back.After a tiny clothes-ripping incident in a storage closet, it's done between us...Categorized as:
sports found-family grumpy sunshine athletes new adult forced proximity m-f multicultural -
Trying to Score by Kendall Ryan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTeddy King excels at many things. Playing hockey. Check. Scoring on and off the ice. Check. Being stupidly attractive ... Double check. I knew him way back when. Before he was the guy everyone wanted a piece of, he was just a rebellious college co-ed and one of my more energetic study partners... -
Ice Cold Heart by Nikki Hall
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGood boys don’t date the coach’s daughter, but a date isn't what she wants... Cole Hockey is my life. I play hard, and I don’t lose. The Frozen Four is at my fingertips, but my eligibility is at risk thanks to one frustrating class. Enter Avery Dalton—beautiful, independent, and utterly off limits. She’s my coach’s daughter and his choice for a tutor... -
Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMaren and Locke both exist in the same world of professional golf—he's the number one player in the world while she just takes his picture.Never mind that Locke unintentionally leads the press to believe that he and Maren are dating, because when she confronts him, he couldn't care less...
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