Books like 'Pretending: A Novel'
Readers who enjoyed Pretending: A Novel by Holly Bourne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance psychological literary-fiction realistic humor female-mc coming-of-age friendship
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Healed: Stone and Pepper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Cliffside Bay and beyond in this heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romantic adventure from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson. Stone Hickman is the last of a dying breed. The former Marine believes in integrity, service to his country, a hard day's work, and taking care of his loved ones... -
![Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson]()
Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne career-ending mistake sends Lance Mullen home to Cliffside Bay in search of a fresh start. And in no time at all, home begins to feel like the place he was always meant to be. With his beautiful new beach house, his friends and family close by, and a profitable business to grow, life really is good. That is until his heart tries to wreck everything... again... -
![Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman]()
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsLibrarian's note: An alternative cover edition can be found hereNo one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fineMeet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship humor literary-fiction realistic 21st-century abuse -
![What Now?: New for 2021! The hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? by Shari Low]()
What Now?: New for 2021! The hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? by Shari Low
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? from Shari Low.Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right. Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship humor literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook -
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![Dreaming of Tuscany: The unputdownable feel-good read of the year by T.A. Williams]()
Dreaming of Tuscany: The unputdownable feel-good read of the year by T.A. Williams
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe glamour of Hollywood. The magic of the Tuscan countryside. One big decision... Beatrice Kingdom (Bee to her friends) wakes up in hospital in Tuscany. After an accident on a film set leaves her burned and scarred, she feels her whole life has been turned upside down...Categorized as:
humor coming-of-age female-mc friendship contemporary womens-fiction fiction audiobook -
![Blue Ink by Tess Thompson]()
Blue Ink by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlotte Wilde gives her heart to the wrong men. The last one left with her life savings and their nubile neighbor. Her first published cozy mystery is a flop. Her literary agent’s about to dump her. She has a serious case of writer’s block. And she’s dead broke. Which is how she finds herself in rural Idaho looking after her former boss's elderly mother-in-law. While Mrs...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction friendship contemporary mystery audiobook psychological sad -
![New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, Emma Swan]()
New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland, Emma Swan
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBRAND NEW FROM THE TOP 10 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF 'NEW BEGINNINGS AT SEASIDE BLOOMS' AND 'FINDING LOVE AT HEDGEHOG HOLLOW.'With new arrivals comes new responsibilities. . . .The sun is shining, wild flowers are blooming and Hedgehog Hollow is officially open for business.For Samantha, the proud owner of this beautiful rescue centre, life has never been busier... -
![The Story of Our Secrets by Shari Low]()
The Story of Our Secrets by Shari Low
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsColm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past.Shauna, his second wife, adored him. But one night she broke their marriage vows, and didn’t get time to ask Colm’s forgiveness.Jess was the first Mrs O’Flynn... -
![Margaritas at the Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim]()
Margaritas at the Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn upscale hotel like The Beach House Hotel sometimes attracts surprise guests….Ann and Rhonda continue overseeing their Beach House Hotel along the Gulf Coast of Florida and providing guests with a lovely experience of good eating, relaxation, and the privacy many of them require... -
![The Correspondent by Tess Thompson]()
The Correspondent by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe can’t stand him. He loathes her. Fate has other plans.When a snowstorm strands these enemies in an abandoned cabin, will they begin to see each other in a whole new way?After fighting her way out of poverty, Stormi Collins is finally going places...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction adult book contemporary enemies-to-lovers epic -
![Montana Promises by Kim Law]()
Montana Promises by Kim Law
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s falling for his brother’s ex—as if he needs another reason to go. Nate Wilde is ready to leave Birch Bay. He’s been home too long as it is and extending his visit means risking fantasies of staying for good. Wants and desires never work out for him, though. With good comes bad, and he’s had enough bad to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, his siblings need him... -
![Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson]()
Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsZane Shaw isn't the type to cower in a corner, until he meets Honor Sullivan. She's the most phenomenal woman he's ever met, but he's been burned before and so he's doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn't left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be. Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn't just any man... -
![The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim]()
The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree talented women are brought together by a man they all love, becoming his Desert Flowers, who work together to save his hotel from being ruined by the company buying it…When Lily Weaver is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, and to come to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc friendship fiction womens-fiction psychological sad contemporary -
![A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins]()
A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBeth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade... -
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![The Moment of Truth by Shari Low]()
The Moment of Truth by Shari Low
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Moment of Truth…Laney Cochrane loves her life.With her friends Millie and Tash, she runs a proposal agency, organising the perfect setting for their clients to pop the question. Finding that forever love is something Laney knows all about. Her marriage to Cameron is blissfully content and she has never doubted they’ll live happily ever after.Then Cara Deacon walks into their office... -
![Night Road by Kristin Hannah]()
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsJude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship literary-fiction realistic audiobook book contemporary -
![The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson]()
The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was supposed to be a night to forget. After a night of sizzling passion, they agreed to never contact each other again. Fate disagreed.Jamie Wattson has no use for men who leave and as far as she’s concerned, they all do. She’s focused on running her inn and spending time with girlfriends. Life is simple and she wants it that way... -
![Life Goes On by Kelly Moore]()
Life Goes On by Kelly Moore
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHappy go lucky Olivia McDill adores her fairy-tale life, married to the man of her dreams. It’s a love that should’ve lasted a lifetime…then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. She learns too quickly that life can be unfair, and she’s left trying to pick up the pieces and make sense of things on her own... -
![Coral Weddings by Jan Moran]()
Coral Weddings by Jan Moran
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhile Marina and Jack contemplate their future, her sister Kai and her new fiance Axe are planning their wedding. When disagreements threaten to derail the wedding, the sisters' grandmother, the indomitable Ginger Delavie, doles out unusual advice. Soon, an unforgettable event unfolds... -
![The Key to the Last House Before the Sea by Liz Eeles]()
The Key to the Last House Before the Sea by Liz Eeles
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTears trickling down her cheeks, she recognises her grandmother’s writing scrawled across the manila envelope. Inside is an engraved key that sits heavy in her hand. Will the tumbledown cottage be the start of a new life – or will it tear her life apart?With her back to the sparkling sea, single mum Nessa stands in the doorway of the stone cottage her grandmother left behind...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship humor literary-fiction adult book contemporary enemies-to-lovers -
![Claron by Katharine E. Hamilton]()
Claron by Katharine E. Hamilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTossing her belongings into a suitcase and escaping heartbreak seemed like the best idea for Rhea Conners. She’d simply travel across the ocean to visit her grandfather in Ireland and heal. Then she’d come back. Simple. But what she doesn’t expect is to find solace and healing in the form of the O’Rifcan family. One member in Claron...Categorized as:
friendship humor female-mc romance contemporary fiction womens-fiction psychological -
![Lunch at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim]()
Lunch at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAnn Rutherford’s and Rhonda DelMonte Grayson’s lives continue to be full of surprises as they run The Beach House Hotel, their small upscale hotel on the Gulf Coast in Southwest Florida. Things heat up when Tina Marks (Valentina Marquis, a famous young movie star) is sent to the hotel in secret to lose twenty-five pounds in eight weeks for her next starring role... -
![The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle]()
The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNew town, new school, new friends. It was difficult for Ginny at first, but her senior year is finally starting to feel kind of normal. That is, until she sees him—the beautiful mystery in her English class. He has never spoken a word to anyone. He moves through each day at school without making eye contact. His name is Smitty Tibbs, but everyone calls him the Alien... -
![A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews]()
A Place to Call Home by Carole Matthews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAyesha knows that she must escape from her marriage for the sake of her daughter, Sabina. Slipping away in the dead of the night, they head for London to start a new life. Hayden, a reclusive pop star, hides himself away in the mansion which he shares with two more damaged souls - Crystal, a professional dancer with a kind heart and Joy, an ill-tempered retiree... -
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![Fred & Breakfast by Phoebe MacLeod]()
Fred & Breakfast by Phoebe MacLeod
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPerfect for fans of Portia MacIntosh, Milly Johnson and Sophie Kinsella. Daisy's life is going nowhere, but that's just how she likes it. Unable to move on from the tragic accident that killed her parents ten years ago, she's living each day as it comes...Categorized as:
humor coming-of-age female-mc romance audiobook contemporary womens-fiction psychological -
![How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat]()
How to Disappear by Sharon Huss Roat
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsVicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious... -
![What I Remember Most by Cathy Lamb]()
What I Remember Most by Cathy Lamb
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a new novel rich in grace, warmth, and courage, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb tells of one woman's journey of reinvention in the wake of deep betrayal.Grenadine Scotch Wild has only vague memories of the parents she last saw when she was six years old. But she's never forgotten their final, panicked words to her, urging Grenadine to run... -
![The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet by Susan Ward, Andrea McKay]()
The Girl in the Comfortable Quiet by Susan Ward, Andrea McKay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Some secrets are meant to be kept forever. What no one ever tells you is that secrets hurt you and never the ones you lie to. They are your solitary hurt and shame. The people you withhold them from go on with their lives. They live. They fuck. They love. They are unharmed by your silence and the words you haven’t yet shared.” ~Chrissie Parker “We have a perfect life together... -
![The Girl of Tokens and Tears by Susan Ward]()
The Girl of Tokens and Tears by Susan Ward
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“I should never had fallen in love with Alan. He is like a drug, my secret addiction, and I am trapped in the hold of him.” ~Chrissie Parker “When I call, you’ll come. You won’t be able to stop yourself. We’re spending the rest of our lives together in bed, Chrissie. Get used to the idea.” ~Alan Manzone “We’re both in love with people who are not good for us. People we can’t be with... -
![Prove Me Right by Anna Brooks]()
Prove Me Right by Anna Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne weakness can change everything. Meara and Liam were friends before they could talk, in love since they could drive, and planning their future before they graduated high school. In order to start the life they’ve always dreamed of, Liam just has to finish his tour with the band. He doesn't want anyone else. Liam's only ever had eyes for Meara, and he can't wait to finally get home to her...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary -
![Change of Heart by Judith Keim]()
Change of Heart by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEmerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica... -
![The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer]()
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library... -
![The Shadow Between Us by Carol Mason]()
The Shadow Between Us by Carol Mason
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat is it about the coast that attracts people running from their past? Maybe there’s something in a sea breeze that blows away your problems. Maybe when you look out at the ocean you can see the future; forget the secrets and pain holding you back. Or at least you can forget them for a time. When Olivia moves to Port Townsend, her marriage is floundering, and her life is in pieces... -
![Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes]()
Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMaguire is bad luck.No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch... -
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![Letting Ana Go by Anonymous]()
Letting Ana Go by Anonymous
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky, a harrowing account of anorexia and addiction.She was a good girl from a good family, with everything she could want or need. But below the surface, she felt like she could never be good enough. Like she could never live up to the expectations that surrounded her. Like she couldn’t do anything to make a change... -
![The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan]()
The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPeople come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they're lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn't know they needed...Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc romance fiction womens-fiction contemporary audiobook -
![The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low]()
The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us...Their rise was meteoric.Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.That night was the beginning of their careers... -
![The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion, Dan O’Grady]()
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion, Dan O’Grady
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsI was standing on one leg shucking oysters when the problems began…Don and Rosie are back in Melbourne after a decade in New York, and they’re about to face their most important project.Their son, Hudson, is having trouble at school: his teachers say he isn’t fitting in with the other kids. Meanwhile, Rosie is battling Judas at work, and Don is in hot water after the Genetics Lecture Outrage...Categorized as:
coming-of-age female-mc friendship humor literary-fiction realistic 21st-century adult -
![One Summer Night at the Ritz by Jenny Oliver]()
One Summer Night at the Ritz by Jenny Oliver
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGorgeously glamorous and unforgettably romantic, One Summer Night at the Ritz is the fairy-tale perfect forth story in Jenny Oliver’s ‘Cherry Pie Island’ series... -
![Love & Ruin by J.A. Owenby]()
Love & Ruin by J.A. Owenby
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe shadows have always been my safe place. I prefer to hide, stay under the radar.In a rare burst of bravery,I decide to go to college far away.But people are cruel everywhere, and even though I’m far from home, I still want to hide.Until Hendrix.He sees me. Defends me.At first he seems too good to be true, but he wins my trust, makes me feel safe in his presence...Categorized as:
female-mc coming-of-age literary-fiction romance contemporary new-adult university fiction -
![My Not So Perfect Summer by Phoebe MacLeod]()
My Not So Perfect Summer by Phoebe MacLeod
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAutumn’s summer is off to a smashing start… sort of.Earlier this year, Autumn’s life looked she had a great relationship with her brilliant teenage daughter Chloe and from September she was all set to be Deputy Head at the London school where she works. And with a pay rise on the cards, she was excited for her and her long-term boyfriend Marc to buy their first home... -
![NEVER SAY NEVER by Winter Renshaw]()
NEVER SAY NEVER by Winter Renshaw
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI believe in soul mates but I never wanted to fall in love with mine. Two men want my heart. One is everything I want. The other is everything I need. One makes me feel safe. The other makes me feel terrified and wonderful all at the same time. Both of them have secrets. But to be fair, so do I. PLEASE NOTE: This is a full-length romance novel with a HEA... -
![Five Steps to Happy by Ella Dove]()
Five Steps to Happy by Ella Dove
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratings'An up-lit treasure' Red magazine Life can change in a heartbeat... When struggling actress Heidi has a life-changing accident aged 32, her world falls apart. Stuck in hospital and unable to walk, her only companion is Maud, the elderly lady in the bed next to hers...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age humor female-mc fiction womens-fiction drama contemporary -
![God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo]()
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone. Everyone said she was a fraud, that she was just making it up. I'd really like to know why the hell a person would make up a thing like that... -
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![Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall]()
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsNorah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can't step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He's sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can't leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl... -
![Second Chances for the Lifeboat Sisters by Tilly Tennant]()
Second Chances for the Lifeboat Sisters by Tilly Tennant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the tiny village of Port Promise, where the wind tangles your hair and the cobbled streets twist down to the honeycomb beaches, Clara Morrow is planning her wedding.After a whirlwind romance, Clara is excitedly planning her wedding to her handsome fiancé Logan in the picture-perfect Cornish village of Port Promise, with her mother and three sisters at her side...Categorized as:
friendship humor female-mc romance womens-fiction female-author contemporary psychological -
![Adulting by Liz Talley]()
Adulting by Liz Talley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Liz Talley’s emotional and heart-lifting novel about facing the past, unconditional love, and a woman on the verge of a breakthrough.After another all-night bender, one more failed stint at rehab, and a parole violation, self-destructive actress Chase London has to deal with her demons... -
![Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley]()
Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of Before I Go comes an unconventional love story perfect for fans of the emotional novels of Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes. One time a boy kissed me and I almost died... And so begins the story of Jubilee Jenkins, a young woman with a rare and debilitating medical condition: she’s allergic to other humans... -
![The Pause by John Larkin]()
The Pause by John Larkin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeclan seems to have it all: a family that loves him, friends he’s known for years, a beautiful girlfriend he would go to the ends of the earth for. But there’s something in Declan’s past that just won’t go away, that pokes and scratches at his thoughts when he’s at his most vulnerable. Declan feels as if nothing will take away that pain that he has buried deep inside for so long... -
![A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach]()
A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy twin sister was the only person in the world I thought I’d known inside and out. Apparently, I was wrong. Twin sisters share a unique bond, one that can't be broken by miles, time, or even death. Hannah and Hope Morton are no exception. When Hope takes her own life, Hannah loses a sister and a best friend, a catastrophe she isn't sure she'll survive herself...Categorized as:
coming-of-age literary-fiction realistic audiobook book contemporary drama female-author
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