Book picks similar to
Just Allissa by Katja H. Labonté


contemporary
family
indie
indie-authors

It Was You


Carly Fall - 2012
    Sydney's best friend decides that Sydney needs the help of the online dating service, Match Made in Heaven, where trouble souls go to find peace.Jordan Henley was the guy who had it all: good looks and any woman he wanted. After an accident that left him scarred, angry and suffering from his own nightmares, he signs up for Match Made in Heaven on a dare after some beers with his business partner.Neither Jordan nor Sydney is prepared for exactly how well matched they really are, and how Match Made in Heaven can help them find the peace they both desperately need.

Fireman's Carry (The Hot Cannolis, #0.5)


NOT A BOOK - 2022
    He had to get Pops out of there. Thank God for the young firefighter they assigned to him at the barricade. With the handsome but oh-so-butch Mike Canali along for the rescue mission, everything would be okay. Or at least that’s what Shane kept telling his inner drama queen. This wasn’t the time to panic!Mike had been on the job with Cal Fire for only two weeks, but he came from a big Italian family full of firefighters, so he recognized serious trouble when he landed in it along with the flamboyant gay guy named Shane, and Shane’s crotchety grandfather.

Special Delivery


Claire Matthews - 2011
    Medical issues make it necessary for her to get pregnant now, but without a husband or boyfriend on the horizon, she's on the hunt for a donor. Will the gorgeous partner in her new law firm fit the bill, or will she find that her perfect baby daddy has been under her nose all along?

Cinder Ellie


J.M. Stengl - 2018
    Her lowly rank keeps her always at a distance from the powerful, beautiful guests who spend their summers at Faraway Castle, yet Ellie dares to dream of one day exchanging even just a few words with shy Prince Omar of Khenifra. But when rare magical creatures show up in Faraway Castle’s gardens, Ellie’s life is suddenly complicated. Cinder sprites are causing fires and potentially endangering the beautiful resort. The resort director has sent for an exterminator to deal with these so-called pests. Can Ellie find a way to use her humble magic to save the cinder sprites and Faraway Castle before disaster strikes?

New Year's: Nathaniel P. as Seen Through the Eyes of His Friend Aurit


Adelle Waldman - 2014
    was about a young man’s. She felt some part of herself relax when she was with him. She could shut off the part of her brain that was always monitoring whether she was talking too much, being "selfish." A few years before the start of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., twentysomething writer Nathaniel Piven admires a piece of published work by a young woman named Aurit Arazi, and writes her an email expressing his appreciation. After this introduction, they meet for a drink. At the time, Nate is dating gorgeous, moody Elisa, and Aurit has an older, successful novelist boyfriend named Carter, but Nate and Aurit become friends. In the months, even years, that pass, Nate’s and Aurit’s romantic partners change, but their friendship carries on. And then, one New Year’s eve, it seems that the nature of their relationship may change. Like many readers who got to know Nate P. in The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., Aurit is pretty sure that, when it comes to relationships with women, Nate can be an asshole, but is there more to him than that? In New Year’s, author Adelle Waldman exposes the mating psyche of one brilliant young female writer, with the same shockingly accurate eye that brought the world Nathaniel P.

Falling in Love with a Police Officer (Rich & Rugged: a Hawkins Brothers Romance #4)


Ellie Hall - 2019
    He believes relationships can ruin lives. Brynn Powell had a tough childhood and after her husband died in the line of duty, she leaves the city for the small-town of Hawk Ridge Hollow to start over as a teacher. Aside from her lively classroom, she leads a quiet life fixing up an old house and would like to keep it that way. Owen Hawkins, former Olympian, cop, and single father moves to the town where he grew up to give his daughter a sense of belonging even though he’d turned his back on his brothers. He isn’t looking for anyone to replace his ex-wife, especially not the pretty kindergarten teacher. She needs a room parent and he’s perfect. He needs someone to look after his little girl because he works the night shift. The arrangement suits them just fine until they start turning to each other for laughs, for friendship, for something more... Brynn’s thankful that she has Owen in her life. He and his daughter are like the family she’s always wanted. Then she makes a mistake and oversteps a boundary. Owen isn’t sure he can forgive her. But he hasn’t told her his entire story either. They’re both keeping secrets. Can they trust each other? Can they trust themselves to love again? This is book 4 in Rich & Rugged, Hawkins Brothers Romance series. Each book stands alone but reading them in order provides a deeper, richer experience. It is a sweet, “clean and wholesome” romance without swearing or mature content and contains a HEA.

The Story of How We Met


Ivy Oakes - 2020
    . .When Sarah comes home from her improvised summer vacation, she finds out two guys have just moved in. Not only that, but her friend Alana is dating one of them and thinks it would be fun if Sarah dated Julien’s equally hot brother.However, Sarah is not interested in Gary’s constant happy whistling. She prefers to hear Julien’s stories about the stars even if some stars die at the end. The more time they spend together, the more she wants to be around him.So Sarah decides to control her feelings. Easier said than done.Usually, things are never as easy as they should be, and when it all becomes a huge mess, a valuable lesson will be learned. Sarah’s mother says that when the heart speaks, we must hear. Will Sarah listen to it?This is the first short novel of Halley’s puzzle containing approximately 17,000 words. Every book is stand-alone. However, it is recommended to be read in order for greatest enjoyment.

Rescue Me


Serena Bell - 2014
    The only rescuer for miles around is her grumpy, laconic—and piping hot—neighbor, Dave Jenkins. Before long, Molly and Dave have struck enough sparks to bring the fire department running. Now the question is, Does Molly still want to be rescued? Or is she exactly where she wants to be?

A Holiday by Gaslight


Mimi Matthews - 2018
    But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things. A Last Chance for Love But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

The Girl Who Steals Christmas


C.G. Drews - 2019
    It's set a week before Moxie meets Sam. Available for free on author's blog.Last year Christmas didn’t happen because their mother had just died...It's a hot miserable December and the De Lainey family are actively ignoring the festive season, but when Moxie finds her little sister's screwed up letter to Santa in the bin, she decides to bully Christmas to life. Includes various sibling dramas, a too-small tent, and confusion between Santa and a potato.

Cautious


Elizabeth Nelson - 2013
    The real problem for her lies in the fact that she can't get the fireman, the same man who rescued her, out of her mind and after a couple chance encounters, she can't get him out of her bed either. Reluctant to trust her heart to a man again, her efforts to push him away fail and when Misty's sister arrives and announces she's pregnant with Richard's child, Misty's life is once again turned upside down. It is the solace she finds in Aaron's arms and the all-consuming love she feels for him that helps her to realize that it's okay to forgive, forget, and trust again.

Kissed by a Cowboy


Lacy Williams - 2014
    She thinks she’s ready for this homecoming. She’s spent years escaping her perpetual shyness and being Katie Michaels’ tag-along friend, but being back in her hometown brings back a lot of old memories, especially when she is faced with the cowboy she never forgot — Katie’s older brother, Maddox. Twelve years ago, Maddox Michaels was supposed to be somebody. He had everything. A football scholarship. A Division I team scouting him. Maybe even a chance at the pros. Now, he’s a burned-out cowboy working day and night to stay ahead of his brother’s medical bills and keep their family farm from going bankrupt. And trying to be a father-figure for his niece, Olivia. When Haley and Olivia start spending time together, Maddox can’t help remembering those dreams that died alongside his sister. Will being with Haley open his heart to new dreams?

Under the Summer Mistletoe


Stacey Weeks - 2019
    A disastrous trip including lost luggage and a body search at security sends him to the variety store to replace his toiletries. All he wants is to relieve the pounding in his head, play a little bluegrass, and find a “plus one” to ward off any matchmaking attempts by his friends. Then Holly Ferguson, the cashier from a local variety store, accuses him of theft, and his bad day gets worse.Can a stolen moment under the summer mistletoe turns everything around? Get a glimpse into the characters and world of Mistletoe Meadows in this complimentary micro-read.

Stephen Bly's Horse Dreams Trilogy: Memories of a Dirt Road Town, The Mustang Breaker, Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago


Stephen Bly - 2014
    In the first novel of this series, Memories of a Dirt Road, we meet Develyn Worrell. Develyn, or Devvy for short, is a fifth-grade schoolteacher from southern Indiana who is broken-hearted about her husband's death and her daughter's decision not to come home for the summer. To clear her mind, Devvy decides to find a little dirt road town in Wyoming where she vacationed as a child. She fondly remembers the quaintness of the small town, the beautiful sunsets, and an remarkable Roan horse that has captivated her dreams ever since. Desperately wanting to experience that peace and tranquility again, Devvy embarks on a journey to find the town. When she arrives, she purchases her very own Roan mare, rents a little cabin with an incredible sunset view, and watches as God brings three very important men into her life. In the second part of the Horse Dreams trilogy, The Mustang Breaker, heavy-hearted Develyn Worrell’s mood is changing as she begins to escape the worries of her past and enjoy the equine charms of her picture-perfect small Wyoming town. It is there that the Lord’s leading is beginning to become clear, even as cowboy romances and the relationship with her grown daughter get more complicated. In the third and final installment of the Horse Dreams trilogy, soul-searching Develyn Worrell has finally found her groove. Ready to savor the end of summer in small town Wyoming, she settles in to enjoy “end of summer” peace and contentment. That is, until her daughter pays a visit, an eclectic friend plans to marry, a suspicious stranger enters the picture, and a dear mentor suffers a heart attack. Just as she begins to feel as if the world is closing in on her once again, the steady friendship of Cooper Tallon comes to her rescue. He may lack the charm and flash of other cowboys, but he always seems to have just what Develyn's heart needs. As her relationship with Cooper blooms and her faith and trust in the Lord grows, she looks forward to the unwritten chapters of her life.

Saving Zoë


Alyson Noel - 2007
    Her parents are numb, her friends are moving on, and the awkward start to her freshman year proves she'll never live up to her sister's memory. Until Zoë's former boyfriend Marc shows up with Zoë's diary.At first Echo's not interested, doubting there's anything in there she doesn't already know. But when curiosity prevails, she starts reading, becoming so immersed in her sister's secret world, their lives begin to blur, forcing Echo to uncover the truth behind Zoë's life so that she can start to rebuild her own.Prepare to laugh your heart out and cry your eyes out in this highly addictive tale as Alyson Noël tackles the complicated relationship between two sisters and shows how the bond can endure long after one of them is gone.