Book picks similar to
Jumping in Puddles by Claire Allan


chick-lit
fiction
chick-lit-reviews
4-5-stars

Designer Genes


Emma Hannigan - 2009
    A loving husband, two adorable kids and a gorgeous home. All she needs now is an au pair, for life to be truly perfect.Her friend Susie is content too. A brilliant psychotherapist, she’s got an elegant flat, a wardrobe of ball-busting suits, a sleek sports car and doesn’t need a man, thank you very much.The only jeans the friends normally encounter are the designer version. Then Emily learns about genes of a different kind and how she could be the carrier of a cancer-causing one. Emily doesn’t take much lying down and deals with this in her decisive way. But, can her marriage survive the aftershock?Emily’s news rocks Susie and makes her take a long hard look at her own self-sufficient life. Brought up by her loving but ditzy single mum, Susie has never known her father. Now she decides to do something about it. But she’s in for more than she bargains for!One thing’s for sure – life will never be the same again after a trip on this roller-coaster of discovery.'Fabulously funny and heartbreakingly poignant at the same time, Designer Genes tells an incredible story. Emma Hannigan has a strong, vibrant voice that'll touch you on every page.' --Cathy Kelly'Extradordinary story' --Ryan Tubridy Show - RTE Radio 1

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?

Dark Deception


Amanda James - 2019
    Leo works part-time in London as an investment advisor to wealthy businessman, Paul Donaldson. The couple hope to start a family soon and life couldn’t be better.  But Leo has been stealing from Paul and Paul isn’t the sort of man you steal from.  When Leo realises that Paul knows what he’s done, he has no choice but to resort to drastic measures.  Meanwhile, after discovering she is pregnant, Kerensa can’t wait for her husband to return home so she can share her news. But she soon discovers he’s gone missing.  After receiving a threatening phone call from Paul, Kerensa realises how much trouble her family are in.   Just how far is Paul prepared to go to get revenge? And will Kerensa ever be happy or safe again?  Amanda James is also the bestselling author of novels including Another Mother and The Cornish Retribution. Dark Deception is a twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like C.L. Taylor, Claire McGowan and Louise Jensen.

The Curvy Girls Club


Michele Gorman - 2014
    Fed up with always struggling to lose weight, they ditch the scales and start a social club where size doesn’t matter. At the Curvy Girls Club, confidence is the new black. Soon it’s the most popular place to be – having fun instead of counting carbs – and the women suddenly find their lives changing in ways they never imagined.But the club can't stop real life from messing things up. Will these best friends manage to stick together through thick and thin?

Prudence


Jilly Cooper - 1978
    She'd been overjoyed when Pendle, her super-cool barrister boyfriend, invited her home for the weekend to meet his family. But home turned out to be a decaying mansion in the Lake District, and family were his glamorous, scatty mother who forgot the mounting bills by throwing wild parties, and brothers, Ace, dark and forbidding, and Jack, handsome, married and only too ready to take over with Pru if Pendle didn't get a move on. It was only when she noticed the way Pendle looked at Jack's wife Maggie that it began to dawn on Pru that there was more to this weekend than met the eye. It looked like a non-stop game of changing partners . . . Readers love Jilly Cooper: 'Unputdownable' Marian Keyes'Joyful and mischievous' Jojo Moyes'The funniest and sharpest writer there is' Jenny Colgan'Flawlessly entertaining' Helen Fielding

In My Dreams It Was Simpler


Tolulope Popoola - 2010
    They have been through many ups and downs together, from their pre-university days to the present time as young career women. They constantly have to deal with the measures of success - striking the perfect balance in all aspects of their lives - careers, relationships, cultural expectations, moral dilemmas and the demands of 'having it all'. Then there are the men: Tade - a guy from Temmy's recent past who is now stalking her, Dayo - who Titi is initially reluctant to introduce to her friends, and Wole who appears to tick all the boxes that Lola is looking for but has a shady past she wants to uncover by all means. They are thrown together in a series of intriguing events and twists, their dreams are shattered, and loyalties are tested to breaking point. Against all odds, the six friends have tried to stay afloat, but they don't know what the future holds.Will they pull through and become stronger? Or will they become victims of circumstances they cannot control? Find out in this intriguing and exciting new fiction series!

When Archie Met Rosie: An Unexpected Love Story


Lynda Renham - 2018
    The first is to move off the Tradmore Estate, and the second is to see Paris. Archie wants for nothing. He has his five-bedroom house but no one to share it with now that his beloved wife, Cath, has died.  And then … Holly has a disastrous night out and, against all the odds, Archie meets Rosie. A funny, sad and poignant tale of how love can be found in the strangest of places.

I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around


Ann Wertz Garvin - 2016
    Her mother's memory is going (dementia), her boyfriend is gone (Hawaii), her absent sister shows up long enough to have a baby (and then leaves again, without the baby) and her job as a therapist has disappeared after a contentious couples' therapy session goes horribly and honestly sideways. Oh, and then there's the whole thing about the family secret that nobody saw coming.But Tig is a survivor (she hopes) who manages to stumble and step her way to a new job, new truths, new outlooks and a new lease on life.

The Stylist


Rosie Nixon - 2016
    As awards season spins into action Mona is in hot demand and Amber's life turned upside down. Suddenly she catching the attention of two very different suitors, TV producer Rob and Hollywood bad boy rising star Liam. How will Amber keep her head? And what the hell will everyone wear? The Stylist is a fast-paced, fun-packed rummage through the ultimate dressing up box.

Vintage


Olivia Darling - 2008
    Swept into a world of feuds, back-stabbing, sabotage and seduction, have they got what it takes to survive? There's more than just reputations at stake.

Home Fires


Luanne Rice - 1995
    Her marriage has crumbled in the wake of a tragic accident. Now she has returned to the home on Salt Whistle Raod that has always meant shelter, security, family and love. When she awakens one snowy night to a fire that roars through the old house, Anne escapes--but runs back into the blaze to save something so precious that it's worth risking her life for. It is that reckless act of blind desperation that sets a miracle in motion.

Summer Island Book Club


Ciara Knight - 2021
    The arrival of her wildly successful, buttinski friends, overwhelms Julie when her life goes from peaceful to melodrama, makeovers, and matchmaking. Especially when they make her believe there is still life to be lived with one handsome sailor who’s just moved to town. Trevor Ashford retreats from big city life to sunny Florida after a failed marriage and damaged reputation. His only wish is to open a small boat charter company in peace, but when Houdini-a mischievous pet ferret-steals an engine part and leads him on a merry chase into the arms of Julie Boone, he has to choose between being a recluse or embracing a new love.

Little Wonders


Kate Rorick - 2020
    Not her best day. And caught on viral video.   Yep, “Halloween Mom” is now internet famous.The posting culprit: tattooed, blue-haired, west-coast transplant Daisy McGulch, out of place in the posh New England town and unable to blend with the other perfect mommies of Little Wonders Preschool.While she couldn’t care less about organic snacks (paleo-preferred) or the winter quarters of the Little Wonders chickens, she’s not about to admit she’s the one who accidently brought Quinn’s worst moment to the entire world—she’d be kicked out of town!But when Quinn and Daisy find themselves unlikely cohorts in the fight for Little Wonders Parents Association supremacy, they also discover they have more in common than they expected…but the internet is forever.  Can Quinn live down her new reputation?  And how far will Daisy go to keep the truth from coming to light?Hilarious, clever, and unforgettable, Little Wonders offers a glimpse into the high-pressure world of modern momming, with natural toys, scrutinized playdates, PTA politics, and social media gone amok.

Hello Heartbreak


Amy Huberman - 2009
    She has split with boyfriend Cian, the dirty love cheat, and is sick of her job as a dogsbody at film company Lights, Camera, Action. Since real life in Dumpsville is way weirder than anything she could make up, all Izzy can do is take a deep breath and hang in there.

The Secrets Women Keep


Fanny Blake - 2013
    The text reads simply: 'Miss you. Love you. Come back soon.'Daniel has always been popular with women, she knows that. But until this moment she has had no cause for worry. Has something shifted within their marriage without her realising?As the family gathers for the summer break, Rose's faith in Daniel is shaken. How well does she really know him? She fears that, after decades of marriage and children, the man who lies beside her at night is lying in other ways too. Then events take a tragic turn.Wise, wry and richly entertaining, THE SECRETS WOMEN KEEP celebrates the passionate, emotional lives women lead as wives, mothers and grandmothers.