Books like 'Play Pretend'
Readers who enjoyed Play Pretend by Claire Brooks also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary grumpy sunshine suspense age difference m-f fake relationship men in uniform cold hero cheerful heroine
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Fractured by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsLoving Echo Kent was painful. Not the falling in love part, that was easy. One look at the tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed narcotics detective and I knew I wanted him. A few months later I knew I couldn’t live without him. But my Echo, he had demons and secrets and a mountain of guilt. His love was selfish and one-sided—he could love but he refused to allow others to love him... -
![State of Grace by Marie Force]()
State of Grace by Marie Force
Rated: 4.68 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsChristmas at the White House Wouldn’t Be Complete Without a Murder or Two… The holiday season is under way in Washington, D.C., but Metro Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is busier than ever as she contends with the murder of a well-liked wife, mother and businesswoman found bound, gagged and dead for quite some time inside her minivan, miles from her home...Categorized as:
suspense cheerful heroine m-f contemporary mystery christmas famous heroine audiobook -
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![What I've Done by Melinda Leigh]()
What I've Done by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsMorgan Dane’s new client has blood on her hands—and no recollection of what happened—as the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling series continues. Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before...Categorized as:
suspense cheerful heroine m-f heroine sleuth mystery contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Resolution by Adriana Locke]()
Resolution by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a workplace romance between a grumpy, alpha architect and his new client—who just so happens to have the blueprint to bring him to his knees. Romance is not in Wade Mason’s portfolio. This is tragic...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine cheerful heroine cold hero m-f contemporary humor super rich hero christian -
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![The Reign Of Kings by Candice M. Wright]()
The Reign Of Kings by Candice M. Wright
Raised by a family of cops who see the world in black and white,I grew up with a defiant streak a mile long,And an immunity to gun-toting alpha males.That is until I find myself at the Carnage clubhouse,At the mercy of their Kings.Now my black and white world is a dirty shade of gray,And my immunity to alpha males has disappeared along with my underwear... -
![Shielding Kinley by Susan Stoker]()
Shielding Kinley by Susan Stoker
When Kinley Taylor witnesses what was possibly the last few minutes of a young girl’s life while in Paris, she realizes exactly how alone she is in the world. The only person she has to turn to for help is the one man who she feels is completely out of her league. Gage “Lefty” Haskins liked the personal assistant the first time he met her... -
![Ashes by Chelle Bliss]()
Ashes by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDylan Walsh left his small town behind and vowed to never return. But when his brother needs help, Dylan steps back into the memories he tried so hard to forget. He thought there was nothing there for him anymore until a woman he knew as a little girl catches more than Dylan’s eye.Rosie Gallo is known for her kind spirit, good-girl vibes, and her loyalty to the ones she loves... -
![Uncaged by Harper Sloan]()
Uncaged by Harper Sloan
Greg Cage’s life is more fulfilling than he ever could have imagined. He’s married to the love of his life, has an amazing son, and in a few short months, his family will grow again with the birth of his twin girls. The past year has been a tough one for the Cage family, but they are now on the road to healing by learning to let go of the past and looking forward to their future... -
![Dangerous Affair by Riley Edwards]()
Dangerous Affair by Riley Edwards
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsDangerous Affair is a one-night-stand-turned-friends to lovers, age gap, alpha protector romantic suspense novel with a tortured hero and a take-no-sh!t heroine who has a feisty, opinionated grandmother who likes to butt into other people's relationships. It was supposed to be a fantasy-fueled, one-night stand, something to make me shed my good girl inhibitions...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine suspense m-f contemporary military silver-fox length-medium -
![Rising Storm by Kathleen Brooks]()
Rising Storm by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsKatelyn Jacks was used to being front and center as a model. But she never had to confront the Keeneston Grapevine! After retiring from the runway and returning to town to open a new animal clinic, Katelyn found that her life in the public eye was anything but over... -
![Deserving Reese by Susan Stoker]()
Deserving Reese by Susan Stoker
He never expected to fall for his best friend's sister, but now that he has...he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.Having a crush on one of your brother’s friends is so cliché. But Reese Woodall isn’t too worried…it’s not as if she’d ever have a chance with the former Delta Force Operative. For one thing, he lives in New Mexico, and she’s in Missouri...Categorized as:
men in uniform suspense age difference m-f military contemporary explicit-open-door length-medium -
![Code Name: Libra by Janie Crouch]()
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... -
![Deserving Henley by Susan Stoker]()
Deserving Henley by Susan Stoker
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsYears of adversity have molded Henley McClure into the attentive, conscientious psychologist she is today. She lives for her daughter, Jasna, and her work at The Refuge, an exclusive retreat for victims of PTSD. Her life is fulfilling…if a little lonely. But the only man who’s captured her interest, the most standoffish of the mountain retreat’s seven owners, lives in self-imposed isolation...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform age difference m-f military contemporary tortured hero single-mother -
![Igniting Vic by Freya Barker]()
Igniting Vic by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVictoria “Vic” Paige thought she was firmly back in the saddle since returning to her job as a firefighter after a three-year hiatus. These past twelve months with her new crew at Station 3 have rebuilt her confidence. That is until they are called to a motel fire where she stumbles onto the scene of a murder, which has her shaken to the core...Categorized as:
suspense age difference men in uniform mystery firefighter mature couple contemporary length-medium -
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![One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish]()
One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsI’m Poppy Woodstock.Romance author and wholehearted believer in Happily Ever Afters.A terminal case of writer’s block should be my biggest worry. Then I crash into him—literally—and fall into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Connor Bradley.Thief, rebel… and my new neighbor.One slip with the bad boy next door, and my life becomes stranger than any fiction I could ever write... -
![Samson by Marie James]()
Samson by Marie James
Who says you can’t fall in love at seven years old? I know I did. The love I felt for my babysitter, Camryn Davison at such a young age transformed over time. By the time I was a teen that love turned into fantasies I knew would never come true. By the time I saw her again at twenty-one I was determined to make those fantasies a reality... -
![Out of Office by Ruth Cardello]()
Out of Office by Ruth Cardello
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA recluse discovers that what he endured and survived was orchestrated by one evil man. With nothing left to lose, Zachary wakes up and chooses vengeance.Charlotte Simmons may pretend to be innocent, but everything she has was bought with money made from my suffering.I intend to uncover her family’s sins and expose them to the world.Lying about who I am? She doesn’t deserve the truth... -
![No Damaged Goods by Nicole Snow]()
No Damaged Goods by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsFearless firefighter. Silver tongue. Single dad.My grouchy hero pushes all my freaking buttons...The red hot stranger who just saved my bacon might be the end of me.Blake Silverton could sweet talk an angel into sin.Fierce small-town fire chief. Rough velvet voice. Drop dead gorgeous.Don't even get me started on the tortured single dad thing...Categorized as:
suspense age difference men in uniform m-f military new adult contemporary firefighter -
![The Heir of Shadows by Candice M. Wright]()
The Heir of Shadows by Candice M. Wright
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere was a little girl, who had a little gun, pointed right at the center of her forehead.When she was good, she was very, very goodBecause if she was bad, she was dead... -
![Targeted by Kendra Elliot]()
Targeted by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsAll Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween. Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask...Categorized as:
suspense m-f age difference heroine sleuth mystery contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![Count to Ten by Karen Rose]()
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... -
![The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez]()
The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe world owes you nothing. It took losing the woman I loved and facing the paralyzing task of moving on without her for me to truly understand that. Consumed by regret and razor-sharp memories, I’d resigned myself to a life of loneliness until a survivor from the same plane crash that took my fiancée stormed into my life.Remi Grey was chaos and sunshine, fire and freedom... -
![Slow Burn by Jessica Prince]()
Slow Burn by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen she started on the path to her new life, she never could have guessed where it would lead her.Deva Kent spent most of her life dreaming of escaping. She hated being forced to live among the Fellowship of the Enlightened, the small community closed off from the rest of the world, and was desperate to spread her wings and discover something new...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine men in uniform suspense cold hero age difference m-f forced proximity contemporary -
![Shattered Oath by Lisa Lovell]()
Shattered Oath by Lisa Lovell
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Bratva Boss wants me dead.Too bad I’m pregnant with his baby.I’ve run far and wide to escape the Devil’s rage.But it wasn’t long before he caught me.Now I’m standing in front of him bound and naked.About to face the consequences of my betrayal.With every inch of my skin exposed to his will,And my life flashing before my watery eyes,He draws my traitorous body under his spell... -
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![Rekindled by Kaylea Cross]()
Rekindled by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe left her when she needed him most... Four years ago, Dr. Grace Fallon lost everything that mattered in a terrorist attack she barely survived. Now she’s stronger than ever and in Pakistan with a UN-sanctioned team for the most important assignment of her career...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform cold hero m-f contemporary military mature couple length-medium -
![Unraveled by Ivy Layne]()
Unraveled by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSummer Evers Sinclair is dangerous. One flash of that teasing smile, and I know he’s going to ruin me. He makes my body shiver and my brain melt. He’s also a huge mistake. Girls like me don’t land guys like Evers. But every time he knocks on my door, I let him in. I thought we understood each other. I thought we were playing the same game. I was wrong... -
![Fear No Evil by Allison Brennan]()
Fear No Evil by Allison Brennan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn cyberspace, no one can hear you scream. Instead of preparing for her high school graduation, Lucy Kincaid is facing a vicious execution. Lured by an online predator, she’s destined to die horribly–live on the Internet–while hundreds of heartless viewers watch and vote on the method of her slaughter... -
![The Plan by Karla Sorensen]()
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine cold hero m-f contemporary humor sports from hate to love -
![Isaac by Lane Hart, D.B. West]()
Isaac by Lane Hart, D.B. West
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIsaac Perry has spent the majority of his life wearing the Devil Hounds MC patches. As president, he’s used to making tough decisions, even the occasionally vicious ones. He doesn’t have to take orders from anyone anymore. He never bends, never breaks, until she literally stumbles into his life.Holly Garrison is young. Too young and innocent for an outlaw like Isaac to lay a hand on her... -
![Spiraled by Kendra Elliot]()
Spiraled by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival. But that’s only the beginning… An epidemic of mass shootings has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives...Categorized as:
suspense m-f age difference heroine sleuth mystery contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant]()
She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant
Micah Taylor is an eternal optimist, but with every first date that fails, her faith in true love weakens. When offered the chance to help reopen the lodge where her parents were married, Micah is determined to prove her worth and show her boss that she has what it takes to be a great event planner...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine age difference m-f contemporary forced proximity humor office glimpses-kisses -
![Daimon by Jessica Ames]()
Daimon by Jessica Ames
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDaimonAs Treasurer of the Untamed Sons MC, I don't have time to deal with a bratty kid. Briella is nineteen. I'm thirty-one. I'm too old for her tantrums, but I'm sure there's something more to her acting out than a late teenage rebellion. When I look in her eyes, I see her demons glaring back at me, and I want to know who put them there... -
![Disavowed by Kaylea Cross]()
Disavowed by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThe government trained her to kill… Briar Jones has lived most of her life in the shadows, carrying out secret ops to eliminate some of the United States’ most dangerous enemies. She’s devoted her life to serving her country so when a faceless enemy targets her and kills someone close to her, she’ll stop at nothing to bring them down... -
![The Love Interest by Kayley Loring]()
The Love Interest by Kayley Loring
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsDear Fiona,I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine m-f contemporary humor secret-relationship length-medium audiobook -
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![Burned by Kaylea Cross]()
Burned by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsA woman with a dark past... Forced into hiding after her NSA-sanctioned task force lands on a terrorist cell’s hit list, cryptologist Zahra Gill must rely on the skill and experience of her ex-Special Ops Titanium Security teammates to keep her safe—including former Force Recon Marine Sean Dunphy... -
![Relentless by Kaylea Cross]()
Relentless by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFormer Delta Force operator Rhys Sinclair defied the odds by recovering from a traumatic brain injury that should have killed him. Given the chance to repay the beautiful doctor who saved his life by guarding hers, he can't say no--even if it means facing an unknown threat from the cunning terrorist his CIA-sanctioned team had been hunting in Afghanistan...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform m-f contemporary military alpha male mma-boxing length-medium -
![Twisted by Laura Griffin]()
Twisted by Laura Griffin
Motive, opportunity, and no alibi - it seems close to a slam-dunk. But while rookie detective Allison Doyle’s department has ID’d a suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she is uneasy. Then legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up with a startling theory: if he’s right, the real murderer is an elusive psychopath just days away from another kill...Categorized as:
men in uniform suspense cheerful heroine age difference m-f contemporary mystery heroine sleuth -
![Temptation by T.K. Leigh]()
Temptation by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA brand new older woman, younger man romance...It was supposed to be a typical business trip to Hawaii.During the day, I’d promote the new location of my bakery. At night, I’d relax on the lanai while sipping a glass of wine.But that all changes when I meet him.Sexy. Intriguing. Haunted.And easily fifteen years younger than me.I should walk away... -
![New Year's with the Mountain Man by Clara King]()
New Year's with the Mountain Man by Clara King
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s a lonely mountain man haunted by his past…But this curvy ray of sunshine wants to give him a new start.AvaWhen my apartment floods at the end of December, it’s the cherry on top of a crappy year. I have to get away, so I book a secluded mountain cabin on Snowfall Ridge, ready for a relaxing New Year’s by myself. But my plans go out the window when I meet Nash... -
![Operation Heartbeat by Em Petrova]()
Operation Heartbeat by Em Petrova
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe’s all action. She’s all brains. But when danger heats up, their hearts might just be the biggest risk of all.Navy SEAL leader Ryan “Con” Constantine never planned to fake a marriage with a brilliant, offbeat cryptologist to stop a terrorist plot. But Sophie Edwards isn’t just cracking codes—she’s cracking his carefully guarded heart...Categorized as:
suspense m-f fake relationship military length-short contemporary dual-pov audiobook -
![Close Call by Amelia Wilde]()
Close Call by Amelia Wilde
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSometimes, the greatest danger comes from those who are closest of all...Jameson Hill is no stranger to a prison cell—but this one feels strangely worth it. He might have released Lily Hayes into the arms of her relieved family, but she wasn’t theirs anymore. Not really. And there’s no way she can be his, either. Not now.. -
![Love Above Law by Sandy Alvarez, Crystal Daniels]()
Love Above Law by Sandy Alvarez, Crystal Daniels
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAgent Lex Taylor My assignment—take down human and drug trafficker Miguel Santino and rescue Leyna Martinez, the sister of an outlaw MC member. One look. That's all it took. My center of gravity shifted, and I knew; she was going to be mine. I take down criminals; the rats of society. I eat, sleep and breathe the law, but I'm willing to risk it all—my badge and my life to protect her...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform m-f contemporary virgin heroine multicultural latinx-mc length-short -
![Learning at 40 by L.B. Dunbar]()
Learning at 40 by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsShe didn’t want a one-night stand. He couldn’t promise more than a ten-day fling. Sometimes compromise is all you need.Zack Weller is timely, orderly, and meticulous. Too bad his seven-year-old, twin sons are hellions. With his divorce final, a two-week vacation beckons him to his best friend’s cottage... -
![The Scrooge of the Mountain by Tessa Klein]()
The Scrooge of the Mountain by Tessa Klein
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe’s big and grumpy. A real scrooge of a mountain man.And now I’m stuck with him for Christmas.As a perpetually single Christmasholic, I have a complicated relationship with my favorite holiday. I love spreading joy, but I hate having my relationship status shoved in my face.This year will be different. This year, a matchmaker set me up with someone who loves Christmas as much as I do...Categorized as:
age difference grumpy sunshine suspense contemporary praise-kink christmas length-novella -
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![Gentle Fox by Elizabella Baker]()
Gentle Fox by Elizabella Baker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsGentle Fox is a small town romantic suspense with a sexy dimple silver fox hero and a woman on the run from her wicked step family. One phone call changed everything. Some people believe in love at first sight, but can you fall in love with a voice?It only took one conversation for me to know I would do anything for the woman on the other end of the phone... -
![Collateral Damage by Kaylea Cross]()
Collateral Damage by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPride tore them apart… Warrant Officer Honor Girard made the worst mistake of her life in walking away from the man she promised to marry—and she knows it. An attack on base unexpectedly pushes them together and in the aftermath she realizes she can’t let him go a second time. Only he’s not willing to let her back in...Categorized as:
suspense men in uniform cold hero m-f military cruel hero contemporary length-medium -
![No Turning Back by Kaylea Cross]()
No Turning Back by Kaylea Cross
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCIA communications expert Samarra Wallace is on the run from a faceless enemy when she learns terrorists have kidnapped and threatened to execute her cousin. She will do whatever it takes to free her, including breaking cover to contact the former teammate she is dangerously attracted to. Now all she has to do is convince him she's not working for the bad guys... -
![Big Grumpy Fireman by Cassi Hart]()
Big Grumpy Fireman by Cassi Hart
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCamilla: All I wanted was a traditional Thanksgiving celebration with my family. What I got was a near-death experience. But I can’t say I regret what happened, not when it reunited me with the only man I ever loved . . . and lost. After Damian disappeared without a word seven years ago, my naïve heart never stopped hoping I’d someday find him again... -
![Every Chance After by Jessica Sherry]()
Every Chance After by Jessica Sherry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen his reckless mistake upends her future, he’ll do whatever it takes to make it right.If she’ll let him.Marnie Strange’s life is about to turn the corner from just getting by to happily ever after. Today, she marries Ashe, the handsome, charming son of the affluent owners of Sunny’s Beach Market, where Marnie’s built a career she adores...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine age difference m-f contemporary dual-pov friends to lovers humor length-medium -
![Enrico by C.M. Steele]()
Enrico by C.M. Steele
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEnricoShe wasn’t supposed to be on my radar. Another woman who was caught up in the traffickers’ sights, but one look at January and I’d become as lost as Dario and Alessio before me. I had no choice but to hunt her down and make her mine, even if that meant doing some illegal things. Nothing new to me anyway.JanuaryThe brute...
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