Book picks similar to
The Beachside Sweet Shop by Karen Clarke
chick-lit
netgalley
romance
contemporary
Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner
Helen Cox - 2016
When she starts waitressing at the Starlight Diner, she realises it’s the perfect place to lie-low and lick her wounds.That is until their newest regular, actor Jack Faber, decides to take an interest in Esther. But her past is holding her back and she’s not ready to fall in love again. Is she?Desperate to start a new life, Esther begins to wonder if she can ever learn to let go. Could New York be just the place to set her free?‘With its shades of light and dark, this delicious debut is a page-turner you’d be mad to miss’ SAMANTHA TONGE
Taking a Chance on Love
Erin Green - 2020
She's ready for the next step but a proposal seems to be as far away as ever.Polly is devoted to her family. But after her parents' bitter divorce, she's wary of marriage - even after sharing twenty years and one son with Fraser.Single mother Dana longs for companionship, despite her dedication to raising her son Luke. Finding the right person to bring into their lives feels impossible - until a unique way to select a potential Mr Right comes along.With 29th February fast approaching, will they each take the chance this Leap Year to take control of their fates?
Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay
Katie Ginger - 2020
Even gorgeous but grumpy local Miles can’t take the shine off things. But then her ex-husband announces he’s getting married again, and someone in the village starts gossiping about Stella…Is Stella's dream over already? Or, with her new friends behind her, can Stella fight back and save her new life – and find the happy ever after she's been waiting for?
Fans of Cathy Bramley, Debbie Johnson and Jenny Colgan will fall in love with Swallowtail Bay!
Three Amazing Things About You
Jill Mansell - 2015
She's in love. He's perfect for her in every way, but he's seriously out of bounds. And her friends aren't going to help her because what they do know is that Hallie doesn't have long to live. Time is running out...Flo has a dilemma. She really likes Zander. But his scary sister won't be even faintly amused if she thinks Zander and Flo are becoming friends - let alone anything more.Tasha has a problem. Her new boyfriend is the adventurous type. And she's afraid one of his adventures will go badly wrong.THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU begins as Hallie goes on a journey. A donor has been found and she's about to be given new lungs. But whose?
Where There's a Will
Bella Osborne - 2017
She plans to leave as soon as her great uncle’s funeral is over, but Great Uncle Reg had other ideas. He’s left Daisy a significant inheritance – an old building in a state of disrepair, which could offer exciting possibilities, but to get it she must stay in Ottercombe Bay for twelve whole months.With the help of a cast of quirky locals, a few gin cocktails and a black pug with plenty of attitude, Daisy might just turn this into something special. But can she ever hope to be happy among the ghosts of her past?
The Little Bookshop Of Promises
Debbie Macomber - 2017
And the tiny town of Promise fits the bill. With its winding streets and melting-pot of residents, it’s the perfect place for Annie to hide away and open the bookshop she always dreamed of owning.Until her new-found peace and quiet is disturbed by Lucas, a widower who rivals Annie as the most cynical person in town.With his troubled past and precocious children, Lucas is the last person she should be getting involved with. But when he asks for her help, Annie comes to realise that, maybe, going it alone isn’t the solution after all…
Previously published as Promise, Texas
A Year in the Château
Sarah Long - 2019
Instead, they fulfil their life-long fantasy of buying a country house and filling it with their dearest friends. Reliving their youth and spending their children's inheritance.Joined by seven of their friends they club together to invest in a château in Normandy. Group dinners, fine wine, beautiful scenery - they're living the dream!But la vie en rose is harder than it first appears. Is there a reason why only teenagers take gap years?This is sharp, irreverent and very funny women's fiction for grown ups. If you love Dawn French, Sue Townsend and Veronica Henry, this book is for
Something Old, Something New
Darcie Boleyn - 2016
With her three children at her side, she can handle anything. Then she finds out her gorgeous first ex-husband Evan Llewellyn is flying in from his glamorous life in New York to attend as well!An unexpected pregnancy ended their relationship and as she stumbles through the ups and downs of life as a working single mum – helping everyone else find a happy ending along the way – Annie refuses to believe their old and incredibly hot spark can still exist.It’s only when she and Evan are forced to face up to the past together that they’ll discover if they can have their own happily-ever-after too!Praise for Darcie Boleyn:‘A beautiful and heartwarming tale, that really tugged at my heart strings…a delightful debut novel from Darcie Boleyn.’ ― Gilbster (Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer)‘The sort of book you want to read on a cold winters night, put on your fluffy pyjamas, grab a hot chocolate and immerse yourself in the delights of Wish upon a Christmas Cake.’ ― The Book Review Café‘What a gorgeously delicious book this is! It just makes me wish I was reading it by a roaring fire, with snow outside on the ground and a plate full of mince pies beside me!’ ― Goodreads Review‘Wish Upon a Christmas Cake is very much a story of loss and true love with a sprinkling of Christmas thrown in for good measure.’ ― By The Letter Book Reviews
The Lido
Libby Page - 2018
When she’s assigned to write about the closing of the local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center), she meets Rosemary, an eighty-six-year-old widow who has swum at the lido daily since it opened its doors when she was a child. It was here Rosemary fell in love with her husband, George; here that she’s found communion during her marriage and since George’s death. The lido has been a cornerstone in nearly every part of Rosemary’s life.But when a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary’s fond memories and sense of community are under threat.As Kate dives deeper into the lido’s history—with the help of a charming photographer—she pieces together a portrait of the pool, and a portrait of a singular woman, Rosemary. What begins as a simple local interest story for Kate soon blossoms into a beautiful friendship that provides sustenance to both women as they galvanize the community to fight the lido’s closure. Meanwhile, Rosemary slowly, finally, begins to open up to Kate, transforming them both in ways they never knew possible.In the tradition of Fredrik Backman, The Lido is a charming, feel-good novel that captures the heart and spirit of a community across generations—an irresistible tale of love, loss, aging, and friendship.
The Year of Starting Over
Karen King - 2019
But stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, and a relationship that feels more like it’s going backwards… this year Holly has decided it’s time to change her life. She just has to:– End the relationship with the commitment-phobic boyfriend– Go on a proper adventure – Learn to be herself again– Definitely, categorically not fall in love. Cramming her belongings into her little yellow Mini, Holly drives on to a ferry bound to Spain, to stay at a remote farmhouse near a beautiful village in the Andalusian hills. But the day she arrives she nearly crashes her car into a gorgeous guy on a motorbike. He’s called Matias and their paths keep crossing, much to Holly’s irritation. Because as she learns to speak Spanish from the locals, finally starts laying out plans for her own design business, and sips sangria in the sunlit village square, Holly is beginning to remember who she is and what she wants. So she won’t allow herself be distracted by Matias. Because this year – for Holly – there are more important things in life than love. And she won’t let yet another bad relationship ruin everything… will she?A moving and uplifting romantic comedy about living each moment and learning to trust yourself again, for fans of Jenny Hale, Debbie Macomber, and Sophie Kinsella.Readers love Karen King:‘Best book I have read in ages. Couldn't put it down... My star rating would be max 10 out of 10. Superb!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Fantastic from the first page to the last. I really didn't want it to end at all. So enchanting and romantic and about finding your own happiness when you don't think you can… A simply fantastic read, highly recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Amazing! This book pulls at your heartstrings... Highly recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘A pure pleasure to devour this book, I just didn't want it to end, I was enjoying it so much… Wonderful.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars‘Such a cleverly written, hilarious and fun book with bucketfuls of drama. Absolutely loved it!’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars‘I loved this book, it was fun, easy to read with lovely characters and a fab story.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Romantic, edgy, dreamy... Loved it from start to finish.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘[A] stonking great read that will leave you wanting more.’ Goodreads reviewer‘Contemporary women's fiction at its best. Utterly charming.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes a good escapist read.’ Whispering Stories‘Worth far more than five stars… I was hooked from the first page… Full of romance and heartbreak and families and doing what is best.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
What Happens In Cornwall...
T.A. Williams - 2015
But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape…
Head to the Cornish coast!
In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one!
Enjoy a summer of surprises and romance with What Happens in Cornwall…, the perfect retreat for fans of Fern Britton
Family Reunion
Nancy Thayer - 2021
Now widowed, she looks forward to the arrival of her children and grandchildren for an annual family reunion, eager for the life and laughter that will soon fill the air.But Eleanor's island idyll is shattered when her money-driven children suggest she sell the house and move to a retirement community. She finds a lone ally in her twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, Ari, who moves in with her for the summer. Ari longs for a change of scenery, to stray from the path her parents have set for her. What she does not expect is an electric romantic spark with a Nantucket local, Cal, whose kind heart and charisma have her absolutely smitten.With plenty of her signature Nantucket magic, Nancy Thayer brings both Eleanor and Ari on a summer beyond their wildest imaginations, filled with exciting connections, old and new.
Summer at Oyster Bay
Jenny Hale - 2016
But what if you know it’ll break your heart?For Emily Tate, returning to her charming childhood home Oyster Bay is like coming up for air after the fast pace of her city life. At the farm her grandfather built, surrounded by sister Rachel’s chatter, Gram’s buttermilk biscuits, and the soft, white sand, Emily is reminded of exactly who she is and what she holds most dear.When Emily starts work at elegant Water’s Edge Inn, Charles Peterson, the handsome new owner, asks for her help. He wants to expand and needs Emily to teach him the local ways, so he can convince the planning commission. Emily vows to make him fall in love with her hometown, just the way it is.At work, Charles is reserved and serious, yet once Emily has him kicking off his shoes in the sand and sailing across the glistening Chesapeake Bay, she sees another side to him, and their easy rapport feels like the start of something big.But when it becomes clear Charles’s plans for the inn involve bulldozing Oyster Bay, Emily is heartbroken. Will she lose her home and Charles all at once, or can she save Oyster Bay, and give true love a chance?
The Office Christmas Party
Aimee Duffy - 2017
But when they start crashing the same parties, the mittens are off!As much as she loves Christmas, after her mother’s death, events planner Nat can’t face the jolly season anymore. So to get her festive hit she crashes everyone else’s party. It’s a sweet gig, until she meets her competition, tech empire millionaire, Dean, under the mistletoe…!When it comes to relationships, Dean doesn’t do serious—being left at the altar will do that to a guy. So when he meets feisty Nat, the first woman in ten years to pique his interest, he’s tempted to break his one-night rule…just for the holidays!Nat and Dean might get more than they bargained for in their stockings this Christmas!
One Thousand Stars and You
Isabelle Broom - 2018
It might not be the adventurous life she once imagined, but more than anything she wants to make everyone happy - her steady boyfriend, her over-protective mother - even if it means a little part of her will always feel stifled.Max is shaking things up. After a devastating injury, he is determined to prove himself. To find the man beyond the disability, to escape his smothering family and go on an adventure.A trip to Sri Lanka is Alice's last hurrah - her chance to throw herself into the heat, chaos and colour of a place thousands of miles from home.It's also the moment she meets Max.Alice doesn't know it yet, but her whole life is about to change.Max doesn't know it yet, but he's the one who's going to change it.'An irresistible love story' Daily Express'Left us with tears in our eyes and a smile on our face' Heat'We devoured it in one sitting' Closer'The ultimate will-they-won't-they. Be sure to have tissues ready' Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn't Call'You can always expect an exotic location, some heart-melting romance and maybe even a few tears from an Isabelle Broom novel' Red Online'Pack your passport, because Isabelle Broom is about to take you on a beautiful emotional journey' Adele Parks, author of The Image of You'Goregously romantic. This book will pick you up and sweep you into its pages' Milly Johnson, author of The Perfectly Imperfect Woman'Her beautiful writing is romantic and evocative and totally transported me to paradise' Cathy Bramley, author of Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery