Books like 'Pretend'
Readers who enjoyed Pretend by Lexie Axelson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary dark romance age difference suspense military
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Deserted by Cara Dee
Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind. ”. Recovery was different... -
![Extreme Risk by Jane Blythe]()
Extreme Risk by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCan she accept an offer of help from a patient she’s attracted to? Dr. Piper Hamilton is used to keeping on the fringes. She knows what it's like to be responsible for the death of someone you love and she'd do anything to protect herself from feeling that pain again... -
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![Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch]()
Code Name: Pisces by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy code name is Pisces. The stars say I’m independent, wise, and intuitive. Still waters run deep. I’m the leader of Zodiac Tactical’s guardian unit. We’re the bodyguards—the ones who stand toe to toe with danger and refuse to give any ground. We protect people who need it most. But what if who needs it most is a spoiled diva? I don’t normally take on movie stars...Categorized as:
suspense military age difference contemporary dark alpha male mystery from hate to love -
![Luca by Eden Summers]()
Luca by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsLuca dragged me from hell and delivered me to salvation. At least that's what I thought. I hoped this would be a new life. A fresh start. But the pain followed. I'm certain the monsters did, too. I'm told it's paranoia. Trauma. PTSD. Nobody believes my truth. But they'll soon learn. We all will. Because as much as I want to forget the mantra from my nightmares, it hasn't stopped being true... -
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![Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters]()
Rescuing Isabelle by Ellie Masters
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKeeping her safe from a deadly cartel might be the easy part of our relationship…. As a former NAVY SEAL and Guardian, rescuing Isabelle LaCroix was my job. Falling for her was not. But that didn’t stop me. Boy, did I fall hard. Just my luck… Izzy isn’t looking for happily ever after. Especially not with a guy like me... -
![Capture Me: The Complete Trilogy by Anna Zaires]()
Capture Me: The Complete Trilogy by Anna Zaires
All 3 books in the USA Today bestselling trilogy, available for a limited time in one convenient, discounted bundle. “A perfectly dark thrill ride of breathtaking action and scorching hot romance” —Skye Warren, New York Times bestselling author. “Yulia,” he whispers, staring down at me, and I know he feels it too, this pull, this visceral connection between us...Categorized as:
military suspense new adult anthologies contemporary dark explicit-plentiful dub-con -
![Ugly by Marie James]()
Ugly by Marie James
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHooking up with a cop was supposed to be fun. How joking with Detective Lennox Maison about her handcuffs transformed into her actually arresting me was something I could’ve never predicted. I thought it was a joke at first, but what kind of person would joke about the murder of a local woman? Lennox claimed I was the last one to see her alive. I should have an alibi... -
![Lone Star by Lauren Gilley]()
Lone Star by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom London, England to Amarillo, Texas, Michelle Calloway – now Michelle Snow – has spent her whole life with the Lean Dogs Motorcycle Club. The last two years, she’s served as the first lady of the Texas chapter, keeping the books and overseeing the club’s expanding legitimate businesses, including the bar named for her husband: Tastes Like Candy... -
![Dutch’s Surprise Baby by Aria Ray]()
Dutch’s Surprise Baby by Aria Ray
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFigured my major screw-up was losing Joy, but it was losing that precious secret she cradled in her belly. Now she's back, and I'll guard her and my little dude 'til my last wicked beat. Despite being much older than Joy, I was damn sure we were meant to ride together. Then, she vanished, leaving me with just a quick note and a shattered heart. Didn't sit right, but I respected her call... -
![Obsession by T.K. Leigh]()
Obsession by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne week. No names. No expectations. That was our agreement. We were supposed to walk away after our time in Hawaii was over. No matter what. That was before…. Before I learned who she is. Before I realized how interconnected our lives are. Before I fell in love. But our love isn’t the stuff fairy tales are made of. Demons lurk around every corner. Good doesn’t necessarily prevail over evil...Categorized as:
age difference suspense contemporary mystery dark sports super rich hero length-medium -
![Neglected Consequences by L. Ann]()
Neglected Consequences by L. Ann
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWe’ve been through it all. Childhood trauma, kidnapping, scandals, suicide, drugs, and breakups. We came out the other side. Stable relationships, multi-platinum albums, sold-out tours. We thought we’d suffered enough. The universe thought otherwise. -
![Paragon by Sybil Bartel]()
Paragon by Sybil Bartel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI didn’t get to covet. I bled duty and honor, and my mission was singular—eliminate. So when I saw her, I didn’t think twice. She was trespassing. I was trained to kill. I drew. But I didn’t pull the trigger. I gave her an order… to kneel... -
![Watch Your Back by Karen Rose]()
Watch Your Back by Karen Rose
A cold case reopened. A murderer re-emerging more deadly than ever before…. Baltimore Homicide Detective Stevie Mazzetti has suffered losses no woman should have to endure. And, despite it all, she’s still a fighter. When she learns that her ex-partner might have miscarried justice, she’s determined to put the past to rights, even when she becomes a target...Categorized as:
suspense military contemporary dark mystery single-mother explicit-open-door length-long -
![Inferno: Part 4 by T.K. Leigh]()
Inferno: Part 4 by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHe found me in the dark when I thought all hope was lost. He swore he loved me when I didn’t think anyone ever would. He vowed to keep the shadows haunting me at bay when I felt like I was drowning in my past. But in doing so, he also kept the truth from me. It shouldn’t surprise me...Categorized as:
suspense age difference dark mystery alpha male contemporary forbidden love dual-pov -
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![The Savage by Stella Andrews]()
The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage. Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her. I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals. She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
age difference suspense mafia from hate to love contemporary dark alpha male forced proximity -
![Hard Angle by Cole McCade]()
Hard Angle by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUnsettled tensions from the last case come to a head as Seong-Jae reveals his secrets — but will it be enough to repair the fractures in his relationship with Malcolm? Especially when their only promising lead on the Golden Ratio Killer's identity falls apart, along with any hope of returning home to Baltimore and to their life together. When their primary suspect turns up dead. .. . . -
![Covert Risk by Jane Blythe]()
Covert Risk by Jane Blythe
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn unplanned pregnancy puts her in the sights of a terrorist. Lila Angeletti fought hard to get away from her family and build her own life. After years of not letting anyone get too close she falls for a man only to have him break things off with no explanation. Then she finds out she's carrying his baby... -
![The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield]()
The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhen I stepped into the courtroom this morning, I intended to fight for my client’s life. I never expected to run for my own. Now the courthouse is in lockdown, and I’m trapped in a tiny room with my nemesis—the West Oaks PD cop who hates me most. He’s a single dad with a growly attitude. An ex-Marine. And he’s the star witness against my client...Categorized as:
suspense military from hate to love contemporary humor dark alpha male length-medium -
![Cold Deceit by Toni Anderson]()
Cold Deceit by Toni Anderson
A tenacious forensic anthropologist needs protection from an elite FBI HRT operator as they search for a ruthless killer in this Romantic Thriller by New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson. When forensic anthropologist Zoe Miller stumbles across a murder victim in the blisteringly hostile Sonoran Desert, she triggers a chain of events that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer...Categorized as:
military suspense contemporary forced proximity mystery heroine sleuth dark length-medium -
![Inferno: Part 3 by T.K. Leigh]()
Inferno: Part 3 by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy life has always been a series of carefully constructed roads. Always the passenger, never the driver. Always the puppet, never the master. Always the pawn, never the queen. Except with Dante. He makes me feel like a princess, a goddess, a queen. .. His queen... -
![Erik's Refuge by Nyssa Kathryn]()
Erik's Refuge by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe choice is simple…surrender or perish. In the blink of an eye, he became her everything. Her hero. Her savior. Her whole world. Hannah and Erik are finally building the future she’s longed for…but it doesn’t include a family. Erik’s already felt the pain of losing a child before he even experienced the joy of holding them in his arms. It’s not something he’ll risk again...Categorized as:
suspense military age difference dual-pov pregnancy super rich hero mystery forced proximity -
![Luca by Eden Summers]()
Luca by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLuca dragged me from hell and delivered me to salvation. At least that's what I thought. I hoped this would be a new life. A fresh start. But the pain followed. I'm certain the monsters did, too. I'm told it's paranoia. Trauma. PTSD. Nobody believes my truth. But they'll soon learn. We all will. Because as much as I want to forget the mantra from my nightmares, it hasn't stopped being true... -
![Sin With Me by J.A. Huss, Johnathan McClain]()
Sin With Me by J.A. Huss, Johnathan McClain
Sin with Me is the first book in a four-book contemporary romance series by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss, and veteran actor and writer, Johnathan McClain. Each full-length novel will release three weeks apart starting on March 6, 2018. ***. Two broken people in a city fueled by sin. Maddie Clayton isn't looking to be saved. She knows the only person you can count on is yourself...Categorized as:
military suspense contemporary dark siblings-bff length-short explicit-open-door first-in-series -
![The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James]()
The Devil's Crown-Part Two by Monica James
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll The Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off. With the enemy dead, my throne awaits my return. But the reason I’m still standing is being held captive by another foe. -
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![Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy]()
Midnight Target by Elle Kennedy
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Score and Midnight Revenge. .. Four years ago, Cate’s entire life changed when she discovered she was the daughter of a supersoldier. But Jim Morgan’s overprotectiveness has pushed her away. These days, she’s working as a freelance photographer and living the dangerous life Jim never wanted for her... -
![Watch Her Bend by Emily Klepp, Jade Katzchen]()
Watch Her Bend by Emily Klepp, Jade Katzchen
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsFor two long years, we kept our distance while also sitting on the same couch during my sessions. I kept my secrets tucked far away from my psychiatrist because revealing one thing would lead to the unveiling of my traumatic past. When I am forced to set aside my desire to weather this storm alone, Dr. Daxton Cooper is the one to catch me before I sink... -
![Bound by Fate by Ryan Michele]()
Bound by Fate by Ryan Michele
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author Ryan Michele brings the action packed, angst filled story of second chances. Oh what a wicked web we weave. .. Marine, Benjamin Dryerson has been to war and knows the ugly side of freedom. It changes a man leaving him knowing what is important in life. He’s found peace in the Ravage Motorcycle Club and the family that comes with the cut... -
![The Chameleon by Amelia Shea]()
The Chameleon by Amelia Shea
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo hundred fifty dollars. It’s exactly what Camille Gwin was worth twelve years ago when she was traded to the leader of the Underground to pay off a debt. Barely an adult, she was initiated into the harsh reality of a new world. The Underground. Camille knows how it works. Play the game or get played. Her rise in the Underground came at a cost... -
![Breathe Again by Nola Marie]()
Breathe Again by Nola Marie
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the flames of sin I rose, by her virtue, I fell. .. I found her in my eleventh hour. My whiskey-eyed canary. Quinn. Call it Fate or destiny or whatever, but she is the melody to calm my madness. With her, the demons inside me quiet. She doesn't have a hold on my heart, she owns it. She is my everything. I've been given a second-chance and I’m not about to squander it... -
![Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan]()
Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Dark follows everywhere. She used to be The Bulldog; but she lost her bite. He buried the one person he should've protected; now, his life is driven by anger and revenge. Together they're toxic for each other, but neither can deny that something is there. FBTD is an age gap, enemies to lovers dark romance. ★ The complete blurb will be revealed with the cover. ★...Categorized as:
age difference suspense military from hate to love alpha male contemporary angst new adult -
![The Two Last Moments by Hannah Shield]()
The Two Last Moments by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s a former Army medic. A hero with a heart-stopping grin and a steady hand. And the only person I remember when I’ve lost everything else. When I wake in the hospital, there are only a few things I can recall. My first name. A car, racing toward me before impact. And him . The firefighter EMT who miraculously appeared that night. Who saved me... -
![Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch]()
Texas Bodyguard: Chance by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe has secrets she prefers to keep hidden. Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth. When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby. Even though she ended their relationship, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to protect her and their child... -
![Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt]()
Opal: A Wolfes of Manhattan Novel by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion. Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn’t the worst experience of Kelly Taylor’s life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free…except for the threatening text messages she’s receiving...Categorized as:
suspense military dual-pov contemporary alpha male dark super rich hero length-medium -
![Last Resort by Janie Crouch]()
Last Resort by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA TODAY Bestselling Author Janie Crouch. Previously published as Texas Chance. She has secrets she prefers to keep hidden. Too bad he’s so good at getting to the truth. When a violent attack puts Maci Ford in the hospital, security expert Chance Patterson learns that she’s carrying his baby... -
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![Divine Proportion by Cole McCade]()
Divine Proportion by Cole McCade
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhile Captain Anjulie Zarate y Salazar faces a crisis of loyalty at home, Malcolm Khalaji faces another crisis in Los Angeles—one that will test him to his absolute limits. And that crisis is named Yoon Eun-Ji... -
![Angels Fall by J.A. Huss, Johnathan McClain]()
Angels Fall by J.A. Huss, Johnathan McClain
Sometimes angels fall. Maddie doesn't really owe drug lord, Carlos Castillo, money. So she hadn't taken his threats seriously. Until now. He wants it, whether she owes it or not. And if she doesn't have it in six weeks he's gonna take her as payment instead. Tyler would save the world if he could. That's a fight that lasts forever. And if there's one thing he's good at, it's fighting...Categorized as:
military suspense dark contemporary found-family length-short explicit-open-door cliffhanger -
![The Company by J.A. Huss]()
The Company by J.A. Huss
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSome people are above the law. Those people are called COMPANY. Twenty-eight-year-old James Fenici has been an assassin since he was sixteen. He's amassed debts and favors from countless Company brothers and participated in hundreds of Company jobs. But there are not enough favors in the world to clear his debt and make him worthy of the only girl he's ever wanted... -
![Betrayal by Sarah Bailey]()
Betrayal by Sarah Bailey
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt all started one dark night. The last night I saw my family. The night I met him. The only man to haunt my every moment. Her. I witnessed something I was never meant to see. He took me. He broke me. He made me his. And now he wants to use me to bring down my family. Him. I was never meant to have her. The daughter of the scum who stole my life. I took her. I broke her...Categorized as:
military suspense super rich hero contemporary dark anal sex length-medium audiobook -
![The Rogue by Kimberly Kincaid]()
The Rogue by Kimberly Kincaid
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe scars that cut deepest are the ones beneath the surface…. Detective Addison Hale is a survivor. The armor she uses to hide her scars keeps her safe on the job, and holding people at arm’s length is a small price to pay when there’s a stalker on the loose. Especially since he’s after the sister of impulsive firefighter Ryan Dempsey, who she had a scorching-hot fling with two months ago...Categorized as:
suspense military friends to lovers contemporary mystery dark firefighter length-medium -
![Opal by Helen Hardt]()
Opal by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe lashes out with spite and venom. He fights back with anger and passion. Being held captive on a South Pacific island and forced to submit to the depravity of strange men was horrific, but it wasn't the worst experience of Kelly Taylor's life. Abused as a child and abandoned once she turned eighteen, Kelly is now free. .. except for the threatening text messages she's receiving... -
![Raptor by Brooke Summers]()
Raptor by Brooke Summers
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe can't get her out of his mind. She is drowning in her own self doubt and secrets. Raptor thought it would just be a few steamy nights and nothing more-- but he can't seem to get Mallory out of his mind. But she lives in Ireland and he lives in New York; how could they ever be more? He can't and won't abandon his brothers, his family for love... -
![Guarded from Sabotage by Gia Cobie, Operation Alpha]()
Guarded from Sabotage by Gia Cobie, Operation Alpha
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI never imagined my life could fall apart so quickly. It all started when my credit card was stolen. I chalked it up to bad luck. A minor annoyance. Until more things started happening—fraudulent loans taken out in my name, my bank accounts drained, and I was even accused of a crime I couldn’t possibly have committed. And it became terrifyingly clear this wasn’t just bad luck... -
![Rust by Aria Ray]()
Rust by Aria Ray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing pulled from a raging river by a sinfully hot biker could be the start of a fairytale love story - the trouble is, I have no idea who I am or what deadly secrets my past holds. A tall, dark, tattooed biker pulled my bruised and battered body from a raging river. That's all I remember when I wake up from a coma. Everything else, my entire life - is gone. I have nothing... -
![Gabby's Protector by Janie Crouch, Regan Black]()
Gabby's Protector by Janie Crouch, Regan Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a heart-shattering tragedy, Tony Marino bottled up his emotions and gave more than twenty hard years to the SEAL teams. Now, he’s enjoying a later in life career in paradise in the Ellington Cove special security office. The best part? Working with their research expert, Gabby Ladd... -
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![Crown of Bliss: A Billionaire Mafia Romance by B. B. Hamel]()
Crown of Bliss: A Billionaire Mafia Romance by B. B. Hamel
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHis obsession. Her salvation. At my lowest, I accept an unimaginable clean up a murder scene to earn one-hundred-grand. Problem is, my employer doesn’t plan on letting me survive the night. That’s when I meet Lanzo Torrent. He’s gorgeous, chaotic, frustrating, and my only salvation. He says he can save my life, but I have to trust him first. Lanzo drags me into his war...Categorized as:
suspense age difference contemporary new adult forced proximity vengeance mafia length-medium -
![Have Mercy by Hannah Shield]()
Have Mercy by Hannah Shield
The only way to save his best friend’s sister…is to marry her. Ruby Whitestone just found her ex’s dead body. And the police think she did it. But as a single mom, she knows how to fend for herself. No fairytale hero is going to swoop in to save her. Not her brother, the Bennett Security bodyguard. Certainly not Chase, a West Oaks police officer and her brother’s best friend...Categorized as:
suspense military contemporary marriage of convenience humor dark mystery length-medium -
![Cautious: A small town romance by Candice Wright]()
Cautious: A small town romance by Candice Wright
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCallie Young is tired of living out of a suitcase. Looking for a safe place to land, she finds herself in the small town of Tempest, where the homes look like doll houses, and the men look a lot like G. I. Joe. Men like Blake Price. When Mr Tall, dark and lickable, stumbles across Callie on a dark, stormy night, the spark between them is enough to cause an inferno... -
![Hung Up by Hannah Shield]()
Hung Up by Hannah Shield
He’s her brother’s ex-best friend…And the only man who can protect her. Former Navy SEAL Noah Vandermeer has few regrets. But Danica is one of them. She’s the girl he never forgot, even though he was supposed to. Even though her brother was once Noah’s best friend—and now considers Noah his sworn enemy... -
![The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux]()
The Confession Duet by K.D. Robichaux
It was love at first sight. Not just for Vivian, but for Corbin as well. Their eyes locked across the room, and that was all she wrote. But they didn't rush things. They wanted to do it right. After all, they would spend the rest of their lives together. The love of each other's life. Soul mates. He was the intense and fiercely protective soldier, and she was his doting and faithful lover... -
![Defending Keirnan by P.J. Fiala]()
Defending Keirnan by P.J. Fiala
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAll Keirnan Vickers ever wanted was to be a teacher. Having realized that dream, she’s focusing on helping the local library with desperately needed repairs so she has a place to host her growing reading program. Just when her life is beginning to look like a storybook, an enemy of her father's threatens her very existence. Single father Dane Copeland has known his share of heartaches...Categorized as:
suspense military dark single-father contemporary length-medium teacher-heroine first-in-series
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