Book picks similar to
Unexpected Dilemmas by Jessica Payseur


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Film at Eleven (The Flora Fontain Files Book 2)


Maggie Bloom - 2011
    But when her old flame shows up at her high school, sparks fly—in more ways than one. . .

Not Vanishing


Chrystos - 1988
    Passionate, vital poetry by acclaimed Native American writer and activist Chrystos addresses self-esteem and survival, the loving of women, and pride in her heritage.

The Last Faoii


Tahani Nelson - 2020
    With militaristic order and stalwart discipline, these women have reigned in unopposed prosperity. But when her monastery is attacked and her sisters slaughtered, only young Kaiya-faoii is left alive.Forced to cope without the long-standing traditions of her Order, Kaiya travels the country in a mission to avenge her sisters and preserve what is left of her heritage. The search brings her not only to dark discoveries and ancient family secrets, but to something she never wanted or dreamed of-- an estranged brother.Fighting against an uncle that has kept them apart their entire lives and forced into a war at the heart of a broken empire, the siblings must evaluate the true meanings of enemy, betrayal and freedom--and the grey areas surrounding each.

The Lode Stone (Medieval Stones Series)


Jane Ann McLachlan - 2019
     Now Lord Barnard is dead and his son, Lord Charles, has come home from the crusades with the last of their men -- and Simon is not among them. Lord Charles claims Simon died saving his life. Melisende suspects there is more to the story. Left to fend for herself and her two young children, Melisende is determined to discover what really happened to Simon at the battle for Acre. The truth is far stranger and more unsettling than she could ever have imagined. If you enjoy true-to-life historical fiction based on real events, with all the passion, drama, and heartache of life in Medieval Europe, you’ll love The Lode Stone, written by multi-award-winning author Jane Ann McLachlan.

The First Bad Man


Miranda July - 2015
    Here is Cheryl, a tightly-wound, vulnerable woman who lives alone, with a perpetual lump in her throat. She is haunted by a baby boy she met when she was six, who sometimes recurs as other people's babies. Cheryl is also obsessed with Phillip, a philandering board member at the women's self-defense non-profit where she works. She believes they've been making love for many lifetimes, though they have yet to consummate in this one. When Cheryl's bosses ask if their twenty-one-year-old daughter Clee can move into her house for a little while, Cheryl's eccentrically-ordered world explodes. And yet it is Clee--the selfish, cruel blond bombshell--who bullies Cheryl into reality and, unexpectedly, provides her the love of a lifetime. Tender, gripping, slyly hilarious, infused with raging sexual fantasies and fierce maternal love, Miranda July's first novel confirms her as a spectacularly original, iconic and important voice today, and a writer for all time. The First Bad Man is dazzling, disorienting, and unforgettable.

Exciting Times


Naoise Dolan - 2020
    Since she left Dublin, she’s been spending her days teaching English to rich children—she’s been assigned the grammar classes because she lacks warmth—and her nights avoiding petulant roommates in her cramped apartment.When Ava befriends Julian, a witty British banker, he offers a shortcut into a lavish life her meager salary could never allow. Ignoring her feminist leanings and her better instincts, Ava finds herself moving into Julian’s apartment, letting him buy her clothes, and, eventually, striking up a sexual relationship with him. When Julian’s job takes him back to London, she stays put, unsure where their relationship stands.Enter Edith. A Hong Kong–born lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. Ava wants to be her—and wants her. Ava has been carefully pretending that Julian is nothing more than an absentee roommate, so when Julian announces that he’s returning to Hong Kong, she faces a fork in the road. Should she return to the easy compatibility of her life with Julian or take a leap into the unknown with Edith?Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a life—and announces herself as a singular new voice.

For Freddie: A Mother's Final Gift to Her Son


Rachael Bland - 2019
    Courageous and life-affirming, this is a mother's final gift to her son. My beautiful son, I so wish that I didn't have to leave you now. But believe me, I tried EVERYTHING I could to stay around for you, and for every moment I could eke out of this life. From the start, it was not a fair fight. My cancer was too big, and too aggressive, and we didn't start on a level playing field. You were fourteen months old and at the beginning I was so full of fierce intention that we could get past this. I would lay you in your cot each night and silently intone from my mind to yours, 'I will do this Freddie, I will gladly take whatever they throw at me if it means we can stay together'. In 2016, beloved broadcaster and journalist Rachael Bland was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly afterwards she made the brave decision to share her story, and she spoke with beautiful poignancy through her blog and podcast, You Me & the Big C. Having been told that she only had a matter of months left to live and writing this in what was sadly her final days, Rachael brings her warmth, courage and humour to the page in this heart-warming and heart-breaking story. Part memoir, part advice, For Freddie beautifully encapsulates the grace and fearlessness in which Rachael lived her life. This is her legacy and an incredible final gift to her son.

A Parcel of Rogues


Joyce Lionarons - 2019
    But Rownt has problems of his own: a gang of child-thieves is terrorizing the quiet neighborhood in which he lives, and his neighbors want protection. Then the Fox, head of London’s criminal underworld, becomes involved, and a deadly situation becomes deadlier when one of the Fox’s men stabs the wrong boy. In a world where violence and theft seem everyday occurrences, Rownt searches for justice among A Parcel of Rogues.

The Lives We Left Behind


Olivia Bratherton-Wilson - 2021
    Seventeen-year-old Dorothea Miller is given the responsibility of managing the family farm when her father and brother are conscripted, leaving her with only her distant mother and the unfamiliar Land Girls for company. Angeline Carter and her four younger brothers are evacuated to the Welsh countryside to escape the bombings; the Miller farm is nothing like they’ve seen before and certainly more than Angeline bargained for when she meets the surly, unwelcoming farmer’s daughter. Despite their rocky start, misunderstandings and tragedies, Dorothea and Angeline realise that their friendship may run deeper than either of them had prepared for.

Into the Ash: An Apocalyptic Survival Thriller


Jacqueline Druga - 2022
    

Believe in Me


Kris Jacen - 2020
    Two years later, a pair of Green Berets showing up at her door brought her world crashing down. Helping a friend gives her something to do but she’s not sure it’s the best thing to help her heal.
 
Master Sergeant Mike Mullvaney was looking forward to some downtime with his new assignment. Coming home from his last deployment to find that his fiancée had taken just about everything he owned was a major blow. Seeing two of his best friends find the “perfect for them” wives made him wonder if there was even one for him — and if he could open his heart and trust again.
 
When Trish and Mike meet, sparks fly but neither is willing to open themselves up. When witnessing a tragedy throws them into each other’s arms, can they finally give in and love again?

Of Silver and Shadow


Jennifer Gruenke - 2021
    Ren is just trying to survive, sticking to a life of petty thievery, card games, and pit fighting to get by. But when a wealthy rebel leader discovers her secret, he offers her a fortune to join his revolution. The caveat: she won’t see a single coin until they overthrow the King.Behind the castle walls, a brutal group of warriors known as the King’s Children is engaged in a competition: the first to find the rebel leader will be made King’s Fang, the right hand of the King of Erdis. And Adley Farre is hunting down the rebels one by one, torturing her way to Ren and the rebel leader, and the coveted King’s Fang title.But time is running out for all of them, including the youngest Prince of Erdis, who finds himself pulled into the rebellion. Political tensions have reached a boiling point, and Ren and the rebels must take the throne before war breaks out.

Crier's War


Nina Varela - 2019
    A love that could birth a revolution.After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father. Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.

Mortality Bound - The Complete Boxed Set


S.W. Clarke - 2019
     Badass, snarky heroine. The sexiest demigods this side of Valhalla... You'll find all of this and more in the complete Mortality Bound boxed set. Over 1500+ pages of magic and mayhem, action and humor to keep you up waaay past your bedtime! Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Cupid, Hercules and a shapeshifter walk into a bar… Isabella is a 500-year-old teenage shapeshifter on the run with her boyfriend. She’s being hunted by the world’s elite who will stop at nothing to rip out the knowledge she holds in her head. And to think, a week ago her biggest problem was finding the number to Dominos. Our girl did steal the secret DNA map of mythical creatures. Wonder what she’ll do with that? The combination of what she knows and what she stole might be the key to save her kind from total extinction. Isabella has a choice to make: run in the hopes of finding a peaceful life for her and her love ... or stop and fight for the once-immortal mythical creatures who now roam our world. If you like the Dresden Files, Mercy Thompson series or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you’ll be helplessly addicted to the Mortality Bites series. *** NOTE: The demigods are definitely sexy (and so are the humans), but this isn’t a reverse harem. This is sassy, fast-paced, action-filled urban fantasy with a hard-fantasy twist. Strap yourself in, because this fast-paced series promises one heck of a thrill ride. Start reading today! This box set contains all five Mortality Bound novels: 1. Fatebound 2. Oathbound 3. Bloodbound 4. Mortality Bound 5. Soulbound PLUS a never seen before novel: The Arc... The Mortality Bound Series takes place in the GoneGod World... an inspiring and unique setting of myths, magic and mischief. But what is the GoneGod World? Four years ago, the gods left. All of them. Their last message to humanity was "Thank you for believing in us, but it is not enough. We're leaving. Good luck." At first no one took them seriously. Until, that is, all the denizens of all the heavens and hells started showing up on people's doorsteps.

The Write Match


Margaret Carroll - 2006
    That is until she falls into a cab with Wall Street player Mark Dawson III, who is gorgeous, funny...and engaged to be married.Mark Dawson's work may be risky business, but his loyalty to friends and family runs deep. He knows the wedding is a mistake, but it would be damaging to his fiancée and her career to call it off now. To make matters worse, Kit is covering their nuptials for her magazine and he can't seem to take his eyes off the lovely editor.With the big day less than two weeks away, Kit and Mark struggle to hide their growing attraction to each other from everyone, including themselves.