Book picks similar to
First Came Us by Rachel Cullen


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contemporary
fiction
romance

Imperfect Love


Isabella White - 2015
    Everything a girl could want; a beautiful man, a stunning home, as well as being in the midst of preparing for the wedding of her dreams. This all vanishes the night she catches her fiancé, Brandon Morgan, in bed with her worst nightmare, Donna Sinclair, just a week before Holly is set to walk down the aisle. Attempting to recover from his betrayal, Holly swears off the affections of men in order to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life. Unfortunately, meeting Jake 'Hooligan' Peters is not part of her plan. The tall, dark-haired and handsome as hell med student, sweeps Holly away from the pain of her past and reveals to her the bright future that lies ahead. That is, until she falls pregnant just as Jake begins his internship at P&E; his family's hospital. Will this love at first sight lead her to the fairytale she has always craved? Or, will she fall victim to a betrayal of the heart yet again?

Lingering Echoes


Erica Kiefer - 2013
    In reality, there was no altering her cousin’s death or the role she played. Then she meets Damien Michaels, a dark-haired stranger on a dirt bike, who seems to watch Allie and know more about her than he should. Veiling his own secrets, including a mysterious scar and unexplained tattoo, Allie knows she shouldn’t trust him—especially as she digs up a past Damien desperately wants to forget. She also doesn’t believe in summer romances, yet she finds her attraction to him growing beyond his striking grey eyes. Unfortunately, Allie discovers too late that he is hiding a dark past which is far from over, endangering her life and those she loves.

Summer at Willow Tree Farm


Heidi Rice - 2017
    But is she ready to risk sailing her life – and her heart – into another iceberg?

The Summer I Found Myself


Colleen French - 2021
    In her more honest moments, Ellen might admit that she's sick of loss. She longs to stretch and grow, to truly fill her days. Maybe this year, she'll have something to recount in her Christmas letter other than her son's travel adventures. Maybe she'll be too busy to even write a Christmas letter. On impulse, Ellen invites her ailing best friend, Lara, to spend the summer with her at the Delaware beach house she inherited from her parents. Lara can relax on the big front porch after chemo while Ellen readies the house for sale. But Lara has plans too--she'd like to help Ellen discover who she is, or better yet, who she can still become. At Lara's urging, Ellen joins a local writer's group, tries online dating, and mingles with the new friends Lara brings home from her support group. She forgoes white wine (won't stain if you spill it!) for red and eats French fries for breakfast. She even flirts with the local bookstore owner, a handsome, sun-kissed, younger man. And as she embraces the freedom that comes with breaking her own rules, she wonders if it's not just her past that lies in this beloved quirky town, but her future too...

Jackson


Emily March - 2019
     Sometimes it takes a new beginning Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life...until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline's new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who's also starting over, all bets are off. to reach a happily-ever-after Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he's been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love--he even has the old song lyrics to prove it--but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who's moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption's healing magic is true...and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all?"A brilliant writer you'll love creates a world you'll never want to leave."--Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author

Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange: an uplifting, feelgood romance


Jenny Kane - 2020
    and the interfering ex who won't leave her alone. When she lands a job heading up the restoration of Mill Grange, a stunning Victorian manor in Devon, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start afresh.What Thea didn't anticipate was how hostile the volunteer team, led by the formidable Mable Hastings, would be about accepting new leadership. And with the deadline looming before the grand opening, Thea is in desperate need of more volunteers.A broadcast appeal on the local news attracts the interest of arrogant but undeniably attractive celebrity historian Shaun Cowlson, who wants to make a TV programme about the restoration. It's hard enough adding one more big personality to the mix – but then her ex turns up as one of the volunteers! What seemed like a dream come true is fast becoming a total disaster! Can Thea find a way to save the manor?

Accidentally Hired : An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance


Amanda Horton - 2020
     Mark Acorsi had to ruin it all. He had piercing blue eyes and a jawline to die for. He was romantic and adventurous. He was sweet and daring. He was everything I ever wanted. He had the confidence and strength of someone who ruled the world. Turned out, that was because he did. Rich, powerful Mark Acorsi didn’t need me, so he used me and left me in the dust. As much as I hated this man, I couldn’t seem to avoid him. Six years later, I was offered my dream job—then found out he owned the company. If that weren’t bad enough, he was already trying to get me fired. I wouldn’t quit just because my worst nightmare was in charge. I was going to show him that he couldn’t ruin my life again. But he’d do his best to make it hell for me. He’d do his best to make it impossible for me to resist him. ***Accidentally Hired is a standalone, 55K word romance novel, with plenty of steam, a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger ***

Beside Herself


Elizabeth LaBan - 2019
    Isn’t that what happens after an affair? But she’s seen friends divorce, and it’s not pretty. Plus, she and Joel have kids and an otherwise-happy life, and she still loves him, although begrudgingly.Furious and feeling stuck, she suggests having her own affair to even the score. Joel, desperate for forgiveness, agrees. But does she really want to go through with it? And how exactly does a married mother of two get back in the dating pool? Many awkward dates follow until she finds a deep and unexpected connection where she was least looking for it.Just as she thinks she’s made a decision, her journey to happiness is waylaid by storms of doubt. But the important thing is that she’s finally figuring out what she truly wants for herself, and she understands that whatever choice she makes must be hers and hers alone.

The Runaway Bride


Mary Jayne Baker - 2018
    but how long can she hide?When Kitty Clayton flees her wedding with no money, no bank card and no phone, her life seems worryingly futureless. All she knows is, she'd rather sleep on the streets than go back home to cheating Ethan.After picking her up hitch-hiking, widowed children's author Jack Duffy takes Kitty under his wing, looking out for her until she gets back on her feet. And it's not long before the two grow close...But with Jack struggling to recover from the guilt he feels over his wife's death and Kitty refusing to face up to the problems she's running away from at home, will the two ever manage to share a happily ever after?A heart-warming novel about love and new beginnings, you won't be able to put it down!

Just My Type


Hannah Doyle - 2019
    - The quirky/cool photographer to a superstar blogger - She's going on a date with a SUPER hot guy on the London Eye tonight - Best friend Mila is her wifey for life - This millennial is #LivingHerBestLife But fast-forward a few hours, and the reality isn't quite so picture perfect. Jasmine hates her stuck-up blogger boss. She can barely afford rent in her stupid London flat. Her best friend seems to have all her sh*t together. Oh, and that date she was so excited about? She got dumped. On the London Eye. In the middle of a thunderstorm. With a bunch of tourists watching... Best friend Mila decides that Jasmine needs a new 'type on paper', because Jasmine's current criteria is so off that her dating history is one long line-up of fools. So Mila challenges Jasmine to look once, if not twice, at the guys who wouldn't normally fit her 'type'. With nothing to lose, Jasmine accepts. Maybe, just maybe, she'll surprise herself.

Darling at the Campsite


Andy Abramowitz - 2021
    Then news of his estranged brother’s death forces a return to Maybee, Illinois, the hometown Rowan left in the dust years ago. Rowan’s plan? Dart in for the funeral, support his mother, then disappear just as quickly. Things to avoid? Margot Beckett, his childhood sweetheart, and Skid Hall, his former best friend who stole Margot and married her. Together, they’ve become the town’s “it” couple.Unfortunately, as Rowan’s flash visit spirals beyond his control, he must face everything he’s dodged for too long. The woman he can’t have. The memory of the brother he thought he knew. His own dwindling prospects back in Philadelphia.But Rowan also starts to see things more clearly—what’s worth fighting for, what he can let go of, how long he can keep running, and if maybe Maybee can be home again.

Single All the Way


Karen King - 2019
    I answer the phone, knowing I’ll have to tell her about Oliver and me breaking up. But before I can, she announces, ‘I don’t exactly know how to tell you this… But I’m leaving your dad.’ Single together for the first time, 34-year-old Meg and her warm-hearted, long-suffering mother Sally are cancelling Christmas, and running away to a tiny cottage on the Cornish coast. For Meg, it is the perfect place to heal, away from all the mistletoe, while for her mother it has a special, and secret, place in her heart – from a love story that seems a lifetime ago… Meg and Sally find they’re getting to know themselves, and each other, better than ever before. But as they are unable to resist getting involved in the village Christmas celebrations, they encounter two handsome local strangers. Sometimes, it’s being away from home that helps you realise where your heart is. What neither woman knows is that, by the time the new year rolls around, one woman will have fallen in love with her husband all over again, and one marriage will be over for good… An escapist, romantic and heart-warming novel for fans of One Day in December and No One Cancels Christmas.

The Start of Us


Hannah Emery - 2020
    They know that fate has led them to each other.Daniel knows Erica is special, but he doesn’t quite understand how special she is. Because Erica has a unique gift: an ability to slip between worlds and observe a life she’s never lived, made up of all the paths she didn’t take. But just as their lives seem perfect, tragedy strikes. Erica’s gift offers them hope – a chance to re-do their lives. But going back comes with risks.What if Erica can’t find Daniel again? What if their paths were never meant to cross? What if going back means Erica has to give up all the happiness – and pain – of today?What if you got the chance to live another life…would you take it?

The Bench


Saskia Sarginson - 2020
    . . but will it ever be the right time?Perfect for fans of One Day and Me Before You, this is a tragic love story spanning three decades that starts and ends on a bench. The most heartbreaking novel to date by the Richard & Judy Book Club bestselling author Saskia Sarginson.It begins at the end.It begins on a bench, on a heath, where a woman waits for a man.Ten years ago, they made a pact:On this bench, on this day, they will end a love affair that's spanned three decades, or start again.They should never have met. They should never have fallen in love.But they did, until a lie separated them for a lifetime.Can they fix the mistake, forgive the lie, erase the years in-between?Can what was lost ever truly be found?

The French Escape


Suzie Tullett - 2018
    Loved it." Sarah Hardy - By The Letter Book Reviews"Charming and thoroughly enjoyable" Rachel Gilbey - Reviewer  It’s fair to say that Flick has had a terrible year. Her beloved father died, she had the wedding of her dreams and only hours after the ceremony her husband ran out on her.  Brenda, fed up with her daughter living like a hermit, decides to drag Flick off to France to stay in a chateau. What could be better than an idyllic escape?But when they arrive Flick discovers the chateau is all but abandoned.The only upside of her French escape is the handsome and mysterious neighbour, Nate.Nate loves his life living in the cottage on the grounds of the abandoned chateau but that is about to be put in jeopardy… Can Nate and Flick ever learn to come to terms with the past and find love again? What everyone is saying about The French Escape: "I loved this book! The characters were delightful, the setting was dreamy and the story perfectly paced, with some surprises."  Kaye Barley - reviewer "a feel good, easy and satisfying read."  Joan Hill - Reviewer  "a really lovely book, full of happily ever afters, family, friendship, love, happiness, funny moments and idyllic French countryside"  Karen Whittard  - reviewer "The story has all the right ingredients in the right proportions to make you go all warm and fuzzy."  Shree Janani - reviewer   Suze Tullett is the author of Little White Lies and Butterflies and The Trouble With Words. The French Escape is an uplifting and laugh-out-loud Romantic comedy which will appeal to fans of authors like Sue Roberts, Marian Keyes and Sarah Morgan.