Books Like My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
If you enjoyed our August 2025 Book of the Month, My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan then check out this book list of more teacher student romance books and characters with secrets to read!
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Lessons in Love
by Jessica Peterson
On my first outing in Madrid, I never thought I’d end up spending the hottest night of my life in the arms of a gorgeous Spaniard. Rafael Montoya is everything study abroad dreams are made of: sexy, sophisticated, and really good with his hands. As the sun comes up over the city, he gives me the kiss to end all kisses.
And then he disappears. I’m crushed. But it wouldn’t be the first time a guy has ghosted me. I really need to focus on my studies while I’m here in Madrid anyway. My Spanish is practically nonexistent, and my grades show it.
My program assigns me a new tutor. But when I walk into the room to find none other than Rafa waiting for me, I almost have a heart attack.
Even crazier? I find out I gave him the wrong number. He wants to take me out. Show me his beloved Madrid. More than that, he wants to extend our classroom lessons into the bedroom, too.
I should keep my distance. I’m heading back to the states at the end of the semester. Why fall for someone if it will inevitably end in heartbreak? But this Spaniard wants me. And he’ll stop at nothing until I’m his.
Kissing Galileo
by Penny Reid
Her professor just saw her mostly naked. Awkwardness is guaranteed to ensue.
Proceeds for the month of release go to College Track (501c3), providing college scholarships and resources for vulnerable / limited resource populations. What do you do when your freakishly smart and wickedly sarcastic Research Methods professor sees you mostly naked? You befriend him, of course.
Slammed
by Colleen Hoover
Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the rock for both her mother and younger brother. She appears resilient and tenacious, but inside, she’s losing hope. Then she meets her new neighbor Will, a handsome twenty-one-year-old whose mere presence leaves her flustered and whose passion for poetry slams thrills her.
Not long after a heart-stopping first date during which each recognizes something profound and familiar in the other, they are slammed to the core when a shocking discovery brings their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart. Only through the poetry they share are they able to speak the truth that is in their hearts and imagine a future where love is cause for celebration, not regret.
To Professor, with Love
by Linda Kage
Junior in college. Star athlete. Constant attention from the opposite sex.
On this campus, I’m worshiped. While seven hundred miles away, back in my hometown, I’m still trailer park trash, child of the town tramp, and older sibling to three kids who are counting on me to keep my shit together so I can take them away from the same crappy life I grew up in.
These two opposing sides of myself never mix until one person gets a glimpse of the true me. I never expected to connect with anyone like this or want more beyond one night. This may be the real deal. Problem is Dr. Kavanagh’s my literature professor.
If I start anything with a teacher and we’re caught together, I might as well kiss my entire future goodbye, as well as my family’s and especially Dr. Kavanagh’s. Except sometimes love is worth risking everything. Or at least, it damn well better be, because I can only resist so much.
Hate Notes
by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress. Something blue. I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”
Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.
The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.
He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.
But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.
Something new. But I have no idea how this one is going to end…
Garrett
by Sawyer Bennett
Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he’s playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who’s exactly his type—confident, sexy, smart . . . his next fling. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don’t normally get to see.
Olivia has been keeping a secret. While Garrett lives for the next thrill, Olivia’s not sure she’ll live to see the next day. She’s undergoing treatment for some serious medical issues, and she doesn’t have time for a relationship with no guarantees—especially one with a hot-as-sin womanizer who won’t take no for an answer. But as she gets to know the real Garrett, Olivia can’t help falling for him . . . hard. To reveal the truth would mean risking everything—but you can’t score without taking the tough shots.
Unloved
by Peyton Corinne
Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is all smiles—at least on the surface. On the ice, he’s the star left winger for the Waterfell Wolves with a stellar reputation in bed and a potential future in the NHL. But in the classroom, he’s barely scraping by on a 2.0 GPA, retaking failed classes and struggling with a rough mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Now tied to an NHL contract upon graduation, Freddy needs help to pass biology with a professor he has a tumultuous past with.
Ro Shariff is a hopeless romantic with terrible luck in love—and now, Freddy’s newly assigned tutor. Trying to convince herself that she’s very happy with her on again/off again boyfriend, Ro is desperate for real affection. As her tutoring sessions with Freddy lead to late-night phone calls and a deep understanding of each other’s hidden pains, a real friendship strikes up between them.
And, inevitably, a wistful secret pining hidden by them both. Ro can’t stop thinking about her first kiss her freshman year with Freddy—a spine-tingling moment that Freddy doesn’t seem to remember. Meanwhile, Freddy can’t let go of Ro’s drunken heartfelt confessions from the night she doesn’t remember.
While Freddy is determined to protect Ro from his reputation and prove to her how worthy of love she is, Ro wants to show Freddy that despite what others have led him to believe, he’s worth more than just his body. Together, with gentle affection and true admiration, they will show each other how easy it is to love the right person, no matter their flaws.
Between Hello and Goodbye
by Emma Scott
Faith Benson isn’t your emergency contact, she’s the party-girl friend you call for a good time. The gal-pal who loves mimosas at brunch and martinis at Happy Hour. But her carefree lifestyle threatens her job at a top Seattle ad agency. There’s no one better at landing big accounts (when she shows up) but her boss demands she take a leave of absence to get her head on straight.
Faith heads to the remote Hawaiian island of Kauai, far away from the vices that get her in trouble. A twisted ankle on Day One requires rescuing by a man who is vice personified—a gorgeous firefighter who awakens feelings in her heart she never knew existed.
Asher Mackey doesn’t get involved with beautiful tourists beyond taking them to bed and then watching them leave his tiny island. He’s devoted his life to the safety and care of everyone around him…except himself. Until he meets Faith Benson, the city girl whose vibrant, inner beauty shines a light on the dark corners of his life, showing him how safe—but empty—it truly is.
Despite their best efforts to keep their distance, Faith and Asher fall hard and fast, but there’s an ocean between them. Both are building their lives on opposite sides of the Pacific while their feelings for each other grow more profound and undeniable by the day.
Something has to give.
When Asher receives devastating news, he and Faith have to decide once and for all to entrust their hearts fully to the other or return to their safe—but separate—worlds. Because neither can endure much longer, living somewhere between hello and goodbye.
Make It Sweet
by Kristen Callihan
Life for Emma isn’t good. The world knows her as Princess Anya on Dark Castle, but then her character gets the axe—literally. The cherry on top is finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She needs a break, and sanctuary comes in the form of Rosemont, a gorgeous estate in California promising rest and relaxation.
Then she meets the owner’s equally gorgeous grandson, ex–hockey player and current recluse Lucian Osmond, and she sees her own pain and yearning reflected in his eyes.
He’s charming when he wants to be but also secretive and gruff, with protective walls as thick as Emma’s own. Despite a growing attraction, they avoid each other.
But then there’s an impromptu nighttime skinny-dip, and Lucian’s luscious homemade tarts and cream cakes start arriving at Emma’s door, tempting her to taste life again…
In trying to stay apart, they only grow closer—and their broken pieces just might fit together and make them whole.
Make Me Sin
by J.T. Geissinger
Chloe Carmichael’s life feels pretty sweet—she’s both maid of honor and florist for her best friend’s A-list wedding, things are getting serious with her boyfriend, and her flower shop is about to get a spread in a national magazine. But it all quickly turns sour whenever the best man, Bad Habit drummer A.J. Edwards, shows his face…his handsome, unforgettable face. A.J. is everything Chloe doesn’t want: tattooed, selfish, and all-around bad news. So why can’t she stop thinking about him?
Goody two-shoes Chloe isn’t exactly A.J.’s type, either, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. A.J. will be the first to say he isn’t a saint, but there’s something he’s not saying—something that would devastate Chloe. The only way he can protect her is to push her away, but the drummer finds he needs her now more than ever. When a wedding-day confrontation reveals secrets they’re both hiding, will Chloe and A.J. ever find their rhythm again?
Related Book Lists:
- Best Teacher Student Romance Books
- Best Romance Books That Inspire Travel
- Romance Heroes With Wounded Hearts
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