Since April Fools’ Day was just a couple of days ago, let’s start off April with a very popular trope: pretend relationship romance novels!
I think what most readers love about “fake girlfriend” or “fake fiancée/wife” stories is that the plot throws together two characters who usually are total strangers and who might not even like each other. Under normal circumstances, they would never consider dating each other, but now they are forced to spend time together and pretend to be a couple. As you can imagine, they get into some hilarious situations, and after a while, they discover that their feelings are no longer fake…
I assume most of you will be familiar with the rules of Lesbian Book Bingo by now, but if you have only recently discovered this reading challenge, it’s not too late to join in. Check out the rules post here.
15 GREAT LESBIAN ROMANCE NOVELS ABOUT FAKE RELATIONSHIPS
I’ve put together a list of 15 lesbian books featuring fake relationships and marriages of convenience. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Just for Show by Jae
When Claire, an overachieving psychologist with OCD tendencies, hires Lana, an impulsive, out-of-work actress for a fake relationship, she figures the worst she’ll have to endure are the messes Lana leaves around. It’s only for a few months anyway. And it’s not as if she’ll enjoy all those fake kisses and loving looks. Right?
Available at:
All her life, Annie suffered through her brother’s practical jokes. He sets her up on a blind date with lesbian winemaker Drew, even knowing Annie is straight. Annie and Drew turn the tables on him by pretending to fall in love. But what starts as a revenge plan turns their lives upside down as the lines between pretending and reality begin to blur.
Available at:
Ylva Publishing
Amazon
Apple iTunes
Audible (audiobook)
Who’d Have Thought by G Benson
When Hayden Pérez stumbles across an offer to marry Samantha Thomson—a cold, rude, and complicated neurosurgeon—for $200,000, what’s a cash-strapped ER nurse to do? Sure, Hayden has to convince everyone around them they’re madly in love, but it’s only for a year, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Available at:
Ylva Publishing Amazon Apple iTunes Audible (audiobook)
Beholden by Fox Brison
How far would you go to secure your dream job? How far would you go to save someone you love? One fateful night Joanne Cassidy and Adele Jackson’s worlds collide and these questions are answered. A deal is brokered, one that has the capacity to either make or break them—and their dreams.
Available at:
Piece of Cake by Gun Brooke
Will Kendal Moore be able to help her boss, Holly McAllister, by marrying her—or will mistrust, cold feet, and guilt destroy the love they haven’t recognized yet?
Available at:
Take Me Home (Belladonna Ink, book 2) by Lorelie Brown
I love my family. I’m lucky to have them—well, most of them. But my aunt? I’m so tired of her giving my mom crap because I happen to be a lesbian. So one pink-haired tattoo artist pretending to be my girlfriend will annoy my Christian fundamentalist aunt right back and make my Thanksgiving perfect.
Available at:
Just Business by Julie Cannon
What should be just business becomes much more when two women agree to a deal that changes their lives. Dillon Matthews, in the middle of negotiating the deal of her life, is stunned at the final condition she must meet to close the deal. Callie Sheffield is struggling to pay the attorney she has hired to appeal her brother’s conviction for a crime he didn’t commit. When Dillon and Callie meet by chance, they realize a simple business transaction will give them both what they need—until love threatens to derail the negotiations.
Available at:
Bold Strokes Books Amazon Apple iTunes Audible (audiobook)
Kiss & Tell by Cynthia Dane
Advice author Victoria Nicholson is about to embark on the biggest world tour of her life. Too bad her girlfriend’s dumped her before her moment of glory. Now her publisher’s demanding a woman on Victoria’s arm at every event. Any woman.
Enter New York escort Madison Ricci, a woman Victoria instantly falls for. But is it mutual? And how far is too far when it comes to exchanging money for love?
Available at:
Tricky Wisdom (Tricky series, book 1) by Camryn Eyde
Darcy Wright is a closeted lesbian who has been infatuated with her best friend, Taylor, since junior high. Leaving her small Minnesota town for Boston in a quest to become a doctor, she moves in with fellow med-student Olivia Boyd, a neurotic, anal, gigantic thorn in the side. The first year of medical school is a nerve-wracking encounter in medicine, learning lessons the hard way, and romance.
Available at:
Born out of Wedlock by Lyn Gardner
Two women. Two worlds. Two problems…and two opposing attitudes.
Available at:
Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley
Katie Hammontree and Sarah Cooper have been best friends since the second grade. But when a misunderstanding leads to them being mistaken for a couple and Sarah uses the situation to her advantage, Katie finds herself on a roller coaster ride of ambiguous sexuality and confusing feelings. How far will Sarah go to keep up the charade, and why does kissing her make Katie feel more alive than kissing her ex-boyfriend Austin ever did?
Available at:
The Color of Love by Radclyffe
Black sheep Derian Winfield needs to convince literary agent Emily May to marry her to save the Winfield Agency and solve Emily’s green card problem, but Derian didn’t count on falling in love.
Available at:
Bold Strokes Books Amazon Apple iTunes Audible (audiobook)
By Mutual Consent by Tracey Richardson
A busy surgeon and a starving artist discover they need something from each other, but both gain much more than they bargained for.
Available at:
Crossing the Wide Forever by Missouri Vaun
As Cody Walsh and Lillie Ellis face the perils of the untamed West, they discover that love’s uncharted frontier isn’t for the weak in spirit or the faint of heart.
Available at:
If you haven’t done so already, download your bingo card, pick the book you want to read for the “fake relationship” square, and start reading! Remember that you can either read one of the 15 books listed above or pick another lesbian romance novel featuring a pretend relationship.
Leave a comment to win a book
In addition to winning books by completing a line on the bingo card, there’ll also be a giveaway for each post. This time, you can win one of three e-books!
- Who’d Have Thought by G Benson, published by Ylva Publishing
- Just for Show by Jae (me), published by Ylva Publishing
- Crossing the Wide Forever by Missouri Vaun, published by Bold Strokes Books
To be entered into the drawing, leave a comment and let us know which book you’re going to read for the “fake relationship” square or if you can think of other lesbian books that fit this category.
I’ll announce the winners of the three e-books on Thursday, April 12.
The reading list for the next bingo square will be posted on April 19. Subscribe to my blog so you won’t miss it. There’ll be another giveaway too!
Subscribe to this blog to get future Lesbian Book Bingo posts
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Happy reading!
Jae
I just love this category. So many good choices to pick from!!
This is one of my favorite categories!
This is one of my absolute favorite categories! I love reading about two characters having to redefine their own definition of happiness, and take a deeper look at what they really want in a partner.
I put down Sea Legs by KG MacGregor for this block on my Bingo card, but a few of these books were already on my reading list and I have a feeling I’m about to add a few more!
I’ll be reading Just Business by Julie Cannon.
I didn’t think I would like this category but I’ve enjoyed several of these books, chief among them being Just For Show and Who’d Have Thought.
I love this category and have read just for show this time. A few more to read now.
Ive been meaning to read Just Business by Julie Cannon. Glad to know it can fit a square!
Not to be a suck up but have already filled this square by reading Jae’s “Just for Show”😀. Loads on the list are fab books especially Tricky Wisdom and Who’d have Thought – both of those have been re reads as so good 😉
Nice, you found three titles I didn’t know about.
I read two good ones recently: Casting Lacey, by Elle Spencer, and As La Vista Turns, by Kris Ripper.
Wow, the options are great, now time to decide which one will I read!!
This is my favorite category! Gonna go with Just for Show this time. I’m so excited!!
I’ve had Born Out of Wedlock sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. Looks like now is the perfect time to do just that :)
These all sound great. I think I will read Something in the Wine. It seems really interesting.
There seems to be loads of books on this theme recently! Good news
Im sad I finished my Bingo card already… so I started over again. This time for Fake Relationships I read Born out of Wedlock.
A really good one is Fake it till you make it by M Ullrich. I am a sucker for a Radclyffe book as well, so The Color or Love is great as well. I think Jae’s book Backwards To Orgeron fits this spot. I can wait to read Just for Show.
There are so many great choices… I’m so addicted, I cant help but share with everyone I know.
I LOVE this troupe. I’ve read quite a few of these, and look forward to reading some of the others.
Okay, well, this is an eye opener. I’ve read a LOT of the books in this list. Could it be “fake love” is a favorite genre? Good to know.
For BINGO, I read “Fake Brides” by Maria Jackson. But I’ve also read “Who’d Have Thought” by G Benson – an absolute favorite, as well as “Tricky Wisdom” by Camryn Eyde (also good), “Something in the Wine” by Jae (fantastic!) and “Kiss & Tell” by Cynthia Dane (which I actually didn’t like. The ending was a disappointment and I felt like it benefited the wrong party).
…and now that I’ve completely my BINGO card (WOOHOO!) I’ll probably pick up a few more of the books on this list.
Here we go again! Still dropping more books on the to-be-read pile! I just finished Who’d have tought by G. Benson. But thank god I have more cards ;) I think I’ll start with Just for show by Jae and Radclyffe’s color of love, it’s been a while sinds I read Radclyffe. And for my fourth card I’m thinking about By mutual consent by Tracey Richardson. But I always love to see what people come up with, so maybe I will shift things around if I see other suggestions.
Just love Born Out of Wedlock. Terrific book.
I’ve read a few on the list, I’ll take a look at the others. One of my favorite so far is not on the list but I really really liked Casting Lacey, by Elle Spencer.
I now have an excuse to reread Tricky Wisdom. 😁
I love this category!!
My choice is Who’d Have Thought by G. Benson
I seem to have bumped into more books of this category than others. I definitely liked Just for Show, and who’d have thought that I liked ‘Who’d Have Thought?’ so much too. And Piece of Cake is pretty awesome too. Definitely a good category.
One of my favorite categories, and I’ve already read seven books on this list LOL
I love this category, a little fake relationship that takes a turn in the right direction, I’m such a sucker for HEA. I will be reading Fake It Till You Make by M Ullrich. I also see there are a lot of other suggestions, so I have a nice list of to be reads.
One of my favourite squares! I read Who’d Have Thought for the bingo card. But Just For Show is on my whishlist for my second card. I have read many books of this list and they all were very good.
I just happen to be reading The Roundabout by Gerri Hill!!! Thanks for making this square easy!! I’ve read several of the other suggestions as well – may have to go back and re-read a few as it’s been a while!
I marked Just For Show for that box. I’ve read a couple of others on this list, Who’d Have Thought and Something in the Wine. They were both really good also.
These look so great! I’m probably going to read either Take me home or who’d have thought. I’d really like to read just for show, but as someone who suffers from very severe OCD I’m… very sensitive about reading books featuring characters with “OCD tendencies”. I love Jae’s books though so I really want to read it. Wish I knew how much the OCD bit plays a part/if it’s accurate!
So, here’s the thing. I had no idea how much actually I gravitated toward this trope. It’s not my favorite (that would be Second Chance Romance tied with Nerd Culture Romance), but for some reason–and against the logic of it not being my favorite–turns out I have read a ton of books with this premise in both the lesfic and hetero romance categories, professional and fanfic. Guess I’m a sucker for built-in drama; I’m a drama-lama, if you will. Or, you know, I should just admit I do, in fact, consider this trope one of my favorites, lol.
I’m gonna go with “Who’d Have Thought” by G Benson, because that sample on Ylva’s site ticked all my boxes from having a funny opening to great characterization + varied representation, all in the opening chapters. Also, want to hit up “Piece of Cake” by Gun Brooke, because at the center of the fake marriage is an interracial couple.
So, yep on all that rep!
I will be reading Just For Show for this square. I also have Something in the Wine to read, but think I’ll read JFS first. I read The Roundabout last year and loved it. It fits this category well
Lots of good choices in that list Jae.
I read Face It by Georgette Kaplan for this square on my bingo card.
Crossing the wide forever
I read G. Benson‘s book. excellent
Already read something in the wine so going for radclyffe the colour of love, waiting to get jae’s just for show.
Fun, Fun category. Filled that square but definitely gonna check out the G. Benson book. Haven’t read any of her work, Yet.
Lots of great books! I really need to check them out! And fill in my bingo squares! Thanks for sharing Jae!
Just for show 😊
I’m thinking I’ll read Take Me Home (Belladonna Ink, book 2) by Lorelie Brown for this one. It could be longer, but it looks interesting.
Just read “Just for Show”. It was great like all of Jae’s work. I think I will read “Touched by Starlight”. I have it, but didn’t read it yet. Starting on my second card! lol
I love this category!!!
What a fun category! I’m going to read Born out of Wedlock by Lyn Gardner. 😃🤓
So far for this category, I’ve read Who’d Have Thought, Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer and Rock and a Hard Place by Andrea Bramhall.
I read Fake Brides by Maria Jackson for my square!
I enjoy this category way too much! I read Casting Lacey for this one.
I read Who’d Have Thought by G. Benson for this square.
I’ve read casting Lacey by Elle spencer, something in the wine and just for show for my three bingo cards :)
But I also read by mutual consent by Tracey Richardson
Gotta say both of jae’s books were my favorite :D
I’m gonna read “Just for Show”
Since I just bought Who’d Have Thought by G. Benson, that’s the one I’ll read for this square.
I recently purchased Who’d have thought by G Benson, I’m looking forward to read this the next days.
I enjoyed reading ‘By Mutual Consent’ by Tracey Richardson for this square.
Wouldn’t mind adding ‘Crossing the Wide Forever’ by Missouri Vaun to my reading list ;-)
I bought Who’d Have Thought by G Benson, so that’ll be another I’ve read in this category. I absolutely LOVED Something in the Wine by Jae!
I love both “Just for Show” and “Tricky Wisdom”. I am now adding “Something in the Wine” to my must read list!
I read the wonderful Just for Show for my first bingo card. for my second card I will be reading Beholden by Fox Brison
Turns out I read a lot of these books already, so I had to choose one of the newer ones. I chose Beholden by Fox Brison for this square.
Though I’ve read several books in this category your list has a lot that I haven’t read. I’ll definitely need to check out some of them. But, for my first card I read Backwards to Oregon because it’s close to, or maybe at the top of my list of favorites.
I read Beholden by Fox Brison for this square, but I agree with other commenters…this is one of my all-time favorite categories! 👍
I have a lot of favorites on this list and some that I will add to my collection; but I am going to read Casting Lacey, by Elle Spencer for this category.
I chose a different book by Lorelei Brown, “Far From Home”. Sweet romance with fake marriage.
I love this category. I am reading Something In The Wine for the second time (well, listening) and I have a hard time stopping because it’s so good!
I also loved Casting Lacey. I’ll definitely check out more of these books!
I am re-reading Something in the Wine by Jae
I will give Kiss & Tell a try. I’ve also really enjoyed Who’d Have Thought and the Tricky series in this category.
Already read Just For Show for this category, loved it. I’m really enjoying filling up my Bingo card.
I will be reading this, Something in the Wine, one of your books. Cannnot wait :)
I’m just about to start G. Benson’s Who’d Have Thought. It’s been recommended to me by my partner who really liked it.
I like this category, it’s always interesting and fun to see how a pretend relationship turns into a real one, the growth and development of characters is always deeper, that makes them so endearing, and I can see several books of my to read list here, but I’ve been dying to read more than anything just for show and also for a while now something in the wine and tricky wisdom, those three will be my next for sure
I love reading books in this catergory. Unfortunately, I have already read all the books suggested here and more…does any one have more recommendations?
The only one I can think of right now hasn’t been published yet. Contract for Love by Alison Grey will be out in September from Ylva Publishing: https://www.ylva-publishing.com/product/contract-for-love-by-alison-grey/
I have already read these books except for The Wrong Woman. I will definitely check it out! Thanks for recommending!
I just bought and finished reading The Wrong Woman this morning. It is not bad but the fact that the MCs already slept with each other before the fake relationship part kind of ruin the tension that came with fake relationships. Anyways, thanks again for the recommendations! My favourite book in this theme is still Dating Sarah Cooper though because of the best friends to lovers storyline. Of course, your books are great to read too especially Just For Show (I dislike the brother of Annie in Something in the Wine too much to rank the book higher)
I just took a look at the bingo cards that were already sent in, and here are a few books that others read for the fake relationship romance category:
The Wrong Woman by Cass Lennox
Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer
Survived by her Longtime Companion by Chris Paynter
Far From Home by Lorelie Brown
I hope that helps!
Ohhh can’t wait for Alison to publish the book. The synopsis sounds promising! I did enjoy reading her book, which she had co-written with you, Too Good to Eat. Come to think of it, that’s the only novel she published, others are short stories. Hope she will publish more novels in the future! Opps haha I replied to the wrong comment.
Opps again my bad, I realised Alison Gray also written Hotline and I read it before. It was quite nice but I think Too Good to Eat is better.
I enjoyed reading “Something in the Wine” by Jae.
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you!
One of my fave fake relationship books: Casting Lacey