Book picks similar to
Jetsetters by S.J. Crabb
fiction
chick-lit
repeat-reads
adult-realistic-fiction
The Flower Hunter's Cottage
De-ann Black - 2015
Story:Mairead is a botanical artist, gardener and quilter. She leases the flower hunter's cottage in the Scottish Highlands. She plans to get away from the city and finish the floral artwork for her new book along with her quilt designs.As part of the lease agreement she has to take care of the traditional cottage garden while the owner, the flower hunter, is away working abroad, searching for a new species of flower.Mairead arrives at the cottage in January. After settling in, she meets handsome flower grower, Tavion, and Ethel a knitter who spins and dyes her own yarn. While making new friends, Mairead is keen to get on with her artwork and quilting - and get the garden ready for the spring and summer. Romance isn't on her to-do list, but when it comes to love, nothing goes according to plan.The Flower Hunter's Cottage is filled with flowers, artwork, knitting, quilting, baking cakes, gardening and romance.Note:Franklin and Daisy, characters from one of De-ann's other romance books - The Cure For Love, are mentioned in The Flower Hunter's Cottage. The Cure For Love is set in Cornwall and London.
The Bells of Little Woodford
Catherine Jones - 2019
A peaceful, unexciting place, the very heart of middle England. But trouble is waiting just around the corner. As with all villages, there are tensions, secrets – and betrayals.
The Wedding Speech
Isabelle Broom - 2014
He took a deep breath, inhaling as he did so the sweet scent from the lilies, which were arranged extravagantly in front of him. 'Ladies and gents, I promise to try and keep this short and sweet…' When Billy asked his best mate Ed to be his best man, Ed knew he would have to make a speech and he was dreading it. But he also knew how important it was to Billy - and to his soul mate and wife-to-be, Amelia. So Ed is determined to do them proud. But little does he know that it will be the most important speech he will ever make, and his toast - 'To Billy and Amelia - together forever' - will mean more than he ever thought. A beautiful short story to remind you of the importance of love.
For All the Wrong Reasons
Louise Bagshawe - 2002
She's rich, British and beautiful, with a designer wardrobe to die for. Recently married to the head of a publishing empire, she fills her days with shopping, gossiping, and hosting the hottest parties in town.But when she discovers her husband is having an affair, her glamorous bubble bursts. She suddenly finds herself without any money or job skills, shunned by the glittering society she once ruled. On her own for the first time, she takes the only job she can get, exchanges her Manolo Blahniks for Payless, and tries to settle into the life of a woman who does her own laundry, buys her own groceries, and takes the bus. Along the way, she discovers that her handsome new boss might be interested in more than her pretty face, and that she just might make it on her own.
You Found Me: New beginnings, second chances, one gripping family drama
Virginia Macgregor - 2018
They ask him if he's okay. But he doesn't know. He doesn't know the answer to any of their questions - not even his name. Isabel takes him to the hospital she works at, but when the tests show there's nothing physically wrong, she realises she can't walk away. She promised River that they would help this man, but with no way to identify him, Isabel worries about what secrets his memory loss might be hiding. Can they trust him? ? Virginia Macgregor, 2018 (p) Oakhill, 2019
The One Who's Not the One
Keris Stainton - 2019
Since she broke up with her ex Sam five years ago she’s quit stand-up comedy, landed in a steady but dull job, and lives in a tiny flat with roommates she knows only as The One Who Eats All My Food and The One Who Has Really Loud Sex. Cat, by contrast, is vividly aware that she hasn’t had sex for over two years. So when she bumps into old friend Harvey and sparks fly, Cat is surprised. The more time she spends with Harvey, the more their chemistry grows – but Cat knows she has to ignore her feelings. Because Harvey is Sam’s brother, and so absolutely, 100% off-limits romantically. If only Cat didn’t keep forgetting that…
Unfiltered
Sophie White - 2020
So when Amy Donoghue, social media manager extraordinaire steps in to rehabilitate her image, Ali realises she may have to wade once more into the grubby insta-hole. With her ex, Sam, still ignoring her and her mother Mini having a mild grief-induced psychotic break (her scheme for scattering Miles' ashes seems not only bonkers but borderline illegal), Ali's got little else to cling on to but #sponcon and #ootds. Meanwhile Shelly is trying to settle into her new life as a mum-of-two while being held hostage by her mysterious insta-stalker whose sole objective is to keep Shelly on Instagram. But with her fellow Mummy Influencer friends @HolisticHazel immersed in creating WYND festival (her answer to the Goop Summit) and @PollysFewBits being as non-descript as ever, Shelly must get to the bottom of it herself. When Ali starts attending Catfishers Anonymous as a part of Amy's plan for Image Rehab, she discovers some information that may just help Shelly ...
Above The Harvest Moon
Rita Bradshaw - 2007
It’s 1926 and the Depression is claiming its victims every day. Hannah and her mother Miriam, who have lived with Hannah’s uncle and aunt since her father died, have never really been close. As Hannah develops into a beautiful girl, so Miriam’s jealousy and resentment of her grows. At least Hannah can escape to spend time at her friend Naomi’s, whose kind mother gives Hannah the affection she so lacks at home. And Hannah is not indifferent to Naomi’s handsome, charming brother Joe. But when she is forced to flee her house and the unwanted attention of her uncle, it is the grave, taciturn Jake, Naomi’s other brother, who shines through as Hannah’s protector...
Just In Case
Chrissie Manby - 2014
Though they were born within three minutes of each other and spent their childhoods dressed in matching outfits, they’ve grown up to have less in common than Kim Kardashian and the Duchess of Cambridge. So both women are horrified when a luggage mix-up means that sensible Clare must attend a company conference in the United States with Rosie’s suitcase full of pink, frills and stripper heels, while flamboyant Rosie heads for a friend’s destination wedding in Italy's Tuscany with Clare’s case full of suiting and sensible courts. Both believe wearing the other’s clothes is going to ruin their chances: Clare’s of getting a promotion and Rosie’s of getting a snog. But as three days of literally having to walk in each other’s shoes unfold, will the sisters discover they should try to be more like each other after all? This exclusive new novella (short novel at around 100 pages) by Chrissie Manby explores sisterhood, identity and love in a thoroughly summery way.
A Wedding in the Olive Garden
Leah Fleming - 2020
Sara Loveday flees home and crisis to the beautiful island of Santaniki. Here, amid olive groves and whitewashed stone villas, where dark cypress trees step down to a cobalt blue sea, Sara vows to change her life. Spotting a gap in the local tourist market, she sets up a wedding plan business, specialising in 'second time around'couples. For her first big wedding, she borrows the olive garden of a local artists' retreat, but almost at once things begin to go wrong. To make matters worse, a stranger from Sara's past arrives on the island, spreading vicious lies. Can her business survive? And what will happen with the gorgeous new man who she's begun to love? This is a gorgeous, warm-hearted and uplifting novel conjuring the local colour, traditions and close bonds of island life.
Ursula's Secret
Mairi Wilson - 2015
After her mother is killed in a tragic hit-and-run, her mother's childhood guardian, Ursula, also dies suddenly, leaving everything to Lexy. But as Lexy reads through Ursula's hidden papers, what she discovers raises doubts about her own identity and if she really is now all alone in the world.Desperate to find out if she has any surviving family, Lexy travels to Africa hoping she can unravel the mystery she's now tormented by, only to find that she's stumbled into a past full of lies and deceit and that her life is in grave danger.Winner of the Sunday Mail Fiction Competition 2015"Part detective thriller, part emotional journey, Ursula's Secret is a highly enjoyable and intelligent adventure that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Maggie O'Farrell. A very promising debut."SOPHIE COOKE, author of The Glass House"Lovely straightforward and absorbing story telling of complex lives and a secret that spans decades and continents."ISLA DEWAR, author of Dancing in a Distant Place"The complex story accelerates to a dramatic denouement that leaves Lexy enlightened and chastened, and on the verge of a new phase in her life, and leaves the reader wholly satisfied with Wilson's adept, sympathetic and colourful storytelling."MORAG JOSS, award-winning author of the Sara Selkirk novels'Ursula's Secret is packed full of tension, questions, problems, secrecy and intrigue right until the concluding chapter.'EMMA CROWLEY, Shaz’s Book Blog'This book is filled with twist after twist, secret after secret which will keep you guessing right to the end.'PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG'I was completely captured from the beginning of Ursula’s Secret, enveloped in the mystery and memories of Ursula and the beauty of her home. With it’s ‘smiling’ staircase and Lexy’s obvious wonder I was lost to the tale and it’s descriptive content… I loved this read.'**** TRACY SHEPHARD, Postcard Reviews Blog
Spring Shoots on Sunflower Street
Rachel Griffiths - 2020
Jilted on her wedding day by her fiancé, she has little interest in looking for love again. She spends most of her time hiding away in her cosy cottage, snuggling on the sofa with her two cats and trying to find the energy to invest in her online craft business. Widower Ethan Morris has been drifting from job to job since he lost his wife, unable to commit to anything for long. He’s returned to Sunflower Street to stay with his ailing mother and is secretly glad to have an excuse to go home. His mother suggests that he puts his manual skills to good use by starting his own painting and decorating business.The glorious spring sunshine reveals all the areas of Lila’s cottage that are in need of maintenance, as well as a good spring clean, and her friends suggest that she hires someone to do the work. At first, Lila is reluctant, having kept things the same since her fiancé left, but she has to admit that a fresh lick of paint on the walls and some more shelves for her books would be nice. When a flier advertising a new local painter and decorator lands on Lila’s doormat, it seems like fate has made the decision for her. As Ethan works his magic on Lila’s cottage, and spring brings hope and renewal to Sunflower Street, is it possible that there could be a new beginning in store for Lila and Ethan too?
Storms Gather Between Us
Clare Flynn - 2019
Since escaping his family’s notoriety in Australia Will Kidd has spent a decade sailing the seas, never looking back. Content to live the life of a wanderer, everything changes in a single moment when he comes face to face with a ghost from his past on a cloudy beach in Liverpool.The daughter of an abusive zealot, every step of Hannah Dawson's life has been laid out for her... until she meets Will by chance and is set on a new path. Their love is forbidden and forces on all sides divide them, but their bond is undeniable. Now, they will have to fight against all the odds to escape the chains of their histories and find their way back to one another.
A compelling tale of family secrets and love against the odds, perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy and Gill Paul.
Praise for Storms Gather Between Us 'Another great book by Clare Flynn’ Reader Review‘A really gripping and moving pre WWII story’ Reader Review‘I would recommend this book without hesitation’ Reader Review‘Very descriptive, immersive and well written. This book is guaranteed to make you turn each and every page.’ Reader Review‘I was totally gripped from the first page’ Reader Review
The Little Orchard on the Lane
Tilly Tennant - 2021
Adopted when she was just a baby, Posy is excited to re-connect with her birth family and help out on the family cider farm with its old stone walls and bees buzzing in the hedgerows.There’s just one tiny problem – her new next-door neighbour, haughty, handsome vineyard-owner Lachlan. Lachlan has taken an instant dislike to Posy, and after a furious argument when she ventures on his land, she’s pretty certain there’s not a heart of gold beneath his frosty exterior.Yet as she falls in love with the flower-filled hedgerows and apple-green fields of her new life, she discovers more about her grumpy neighbour. Even though he acts like the world is out to get him, she can’t ignore the sad expression in his dark eyes.And when Posy discovers the heartbreaking secret that is tearing Lachlan apart, she understands why he has shut the door on the world and vows to help him, as well as the vineyard, which has fallen on hard times. Yet just as Lachlan lets Posy in, a terrible night threatens to destroy everything she has begun to care about and puts someone she loves at risk. Will her dream life in the country come at an awful price?If you love Nicola May, Debbie Macomber and Milly Johnson, then you will adore The Little Orchard on the Lane. An enchanting summer romance about new beginnings, second chances and trusting your heart.
The Christmas Contract
Jan Romes - 2013
While he's generous with his money, he also makes the community work for it. He's the same with his family. No free handouts. What he gives has strings attached. Dax decides it's time for his fiercely independent, almost-thirty year old granddaughters to settle down. He wants them to find love and give him great-grandchildren before his lights go out. And he knows how to make it happen. Prompted by love, guilt and a desire to own their own business, the Dawson triplets -- Joy, Noelle and Christi -- enter into a Christmas contract that will change their lives forever. Finding true love is a unique adventure, so each girl has their own story. The outcome for all three, however, funnels into one giant happily-ever-after.