Book picks similar to
Late to the Wedding by Laura Briggs


chick-lit
contemporary-romance
don-t-remember
fiction

Fooling in Love


S.J. Crabb - 2019
    If life isn’t living up to your expectations, is it possible to stop and start again? Rachel Asquith thinks so. She escapes the city for Bluebell cottage in the tiny Hamlet of Perivale, one of those twinkling stars that fell to earth and took root. This place has it all. Beautiful beach, pretty cottage, fabulous views and a set of neighbours who take her in and make her one of their own. Then there are the men. Logan - hot, angry and intriguing. Jack - the local handyman who is extremely handy with his… um tools. Then there’s Max. The pilot/playboy who thinks life should be lived in the fast lane and does everything at supersonic speed. Rachel soon finds that choices need to be made. At some point, she needs to head home and face the mess she’s caused. At some point, she will need to choose between her new life and old, and at some point, she needs to decide if she’s just fooling in love again with the wrong person. However, the decision faces her much quicker than she thought when she needs her old life to rescue the new one. She will have to leave the place she now calls home to save it and in doing so may just lose the man she loves. Love is a complicated business – it’s just a good thing business is what she does best.

So, You Think You're A Celebrity...Chef?


Caroline James - 2013
    Add in a washed-up celebrity chef whose career needs re-building…Flavour with…An aging rock star fresh from rehab, and a Sloane Ranger food writer who gets her own TV show…Bring to the boil…At a Gourmet Food Festival, in Ireland, where anything goes!When media agent Hilary Hargreaves travels to Ireland to look at a campaign for a new cookery school, she meets a blast from her past - the romantic but feckless chef Mickey Lloyd, who is hell-bent on resurrecting his flagging career. Her tough demeanour is rocked as it becomes apparent Mickey's intentions involve more than a stint behind a stove in his quest to pursue her. But as plans for the school gain momentum, she realises that she's developing more than a passing interest in reformed alcoholic Long Tom Hendry, who owns the crumbling old mansion where the school will be homed. Hilary has many ingredients to juggle with her demanding client list - which looks set to boil over if she doesn't keep control. From London's bustling Soho, to Southern Ireland and the sunny shores of the Caribbean, has Hilary got too much on her plate and is she really prepared to risk it all for love?

Savoring the Seasons


Traci Borum - 2017
    She doesn’t realize how stagnant her life has become until a younger man, Tristan Hannigan, moves to the village and shows interest in her. As Julia becomes closer to Tristan, he begins to season her mundane days and to challenge how she views the world. The relationship is threatened when Julia’s doubts and insecurities overwhelm her, and the secret she’s afraid to reveal creates a wedge between them. Will Julia choose the easy route, slipping back into her daily routine and living without love? Or will she find the courage to follow her heart and accept the love she deserves?

Shut Up and Kiss Me


Carolyn Hughey - 2011
    With the help of the two meddling mamas, she's determined to show him she's "The One"—not that scrawny redhead who's rapidly becoming more than his casual "flavor of the month." Convincing Nick to stop thinking of her like his sister won't be easy, but Ellana's canoodling with the Italian Stallion, chef Giovanni Cavallini, to make Nick jealous. Of course, Giovanni's only too happy to oblige—he's got his own agenda—but now that she has Nick's attention, is it too late?With the matchmaking mamas doing their best to interfere, Ellana's stuck in a quandary: Which one of these tempting chefs will she choose?

The Bonds of Matri-money


Gina Ardito - 2006
    Paying the settlement will probably force them to close their non-profit business. That is, until they learn about a new survivalist game show set in exotic Bali. Grand prize: one million dollars. The catch? The show is for newlyweds.Nothing that a quickie marriage--in name only--can't fix. But Renata and Connell didn't anticipate they'd be linked by handcuffs the entire time they're competing! Soon, spending days and nights with only a few inches of chain between them begins to stir feelings they never knew existed.

Matthew and Son


Ruth Hamilton - 2003
    He was 16 when she died and he grieved as heavily as his father, Matthew, at her passing. He longed to prove himself to his father and offered to help with the family antique business, but his father seemed beyond help – obsessed with his loss. Tilly Povey watched the boy’s lonely existence with a heavy heart.Stella, Molly’s sister, had always loved Matthew and hoped that he would turn to her in need, but Matthew was gradually falling apart and not even those closest to him could help. But Tilly was determined to help this troubled family.

The Misfit


Rosie Goodwin - 2012
    She's adopted, but her new father can't warm to her, and her mother can't succeed in turning the plain, unresponsive child into the little princess she longs for. When her adoptive mother dies, her greedy aunt takes her in, but hers is not a happy home, and soon Rebecca's life is worse than ever. She longs to escape to the circus that visits her town, with its carefree life and freedom from her past - but will she ever find happiness?

Babes and Billionaires: Free Romance Box Set


Serena Grey - 2018
     DRAWN TO YOU A one-night stand leaves two strangers craving for more. On the night she discovers her ex’s engagement, Rachel meets Landon, the sexiest man she’s ever seen, who, for some reason, mistakes her for a hooker. The thing is, he’s so sexy, and it’s just one night. What harm can there be in giving in to the desire to lose herself in his touch? 

Landon prefers his women beautiful and sophisticated, with no desire for romance or commitment, so when his brother ignores his protests and sends him a hooker on his birthday, he’s surprised by how willing he is to continue paying for her services. It should be easy, except she’s no hooker, and she has no intention of letting him into her life.

 As the billionaire owner of Swanson Court Hotels, Landon is accustomed to getting what he wants, and Rachel is not going to be an exception.
 WILD SEXY THING Daphne doesn’t want love, or romance, or sex, or even a relationship. She wants some time alone without casual sex with guys whose names she can’t be bothered to remember in the morning–a temporary period of celibacy. Too bad her new roommate’s brother is hot, insanely hot, like melt your panties and spread your legs kind of hot. From the moment she sets eyes on Jason Wild, Daphne can’t stop craving the sensual delight she knows she will find in his arms. Her self-imposed celibacy is no match for his blatant sexuality and all the naughty things he promises to do to her. Jason is not interested in commitment, and Daphne is done with hookups, but it’s only a matter of time before they indulge in their naughty fantasies about each other. Only, what happens after, when it’s time to walk away? AWAKENING (A DANGEROUS MAN #1) His voice is hoarse. “I am going to make love to you now,” he says. “So if you want me to stop, tell me.” 
I shake my head frantically. If he stops at this point, I’ll probably die.
 Sophie Bennett has virtually no experience with men. Orphaned from birth, she’s been sheltered all her life. So nothing prepares her for David Preston. The intensely attractive businessman is entirely out of her league and dangerous for her heart. Can she handle him, or is she in over her head? UNDENIABLE Her passion for him ruined her life once already, but he still has the power to make her crave him with just one touch. Olivia Wilder fell in love with Jackson Lockewood the first time she laid her eyes on him. She gave him her heart and her love, and she ended up alone, heartbroken, and with scars that were almost too much for her to bear.
 Seven years later, they cross paths again. Jackson is everything she remembers, only more irresistible. Underneath his disdain, his desire to possess her lights a response within her, but she has no desire to rekindle their past or face the pain of all those years ago.
 However, Jackson has no intention of making it easy for her. This time, he’s determined to make her pay for the past, and for the future they should have had, even if it means destroying her in the process. "Serena Grey drew me in and held my attention through the Awakening series. Knocked me out with her stand-alone "Undeniable" and most recently has body slammed me with "Drawn to You." - Epic Book Addict.

Looking Past


Katharine E. Smith - 2014
    Completely unprepared and suffering an acute sense of loss, she and her father continue quietly, trying to live by the well-intentioned advice of friends, hoping that time really is a great healer and that they will, eventually, move on. Life changes very little until Sarah leaves for university and begins her first serious relationship. Along with her new boyfriend comes his mother, the indomitable Hazel Poole. Despite some misgivings, Sarah finds herself drawn into the matriarchal Poole family and discovers that gaining a mother figure in her life brings mixed blessings. A mother-in-law who just can't let her sons grow up, a midwife who treats her charges like girls in a private school dormitory. These are some of the people who Sarah must deal with as her own pregnancy turns to motherhood and she realises that she must find her own two feet. Looking Past is a tale of family, friendship, love, life and death – not necessarily in that order. This is the second novel from Katharine E. Smith, author of Writing the Town Read. The narrator’s voice is clear and strong, with vivid descriptions and intelligent observations. Readers will quickly empathise with Sarah, whose grief and confusion at the loss of her mother at key moments in her life is contrasted with a dry and sometimes subtle humour derived from situations and characters which help colour the book. The father-daughter relationship which develops between the bereaved husband and daughter feels very real, as both come to terms with their grief and learn how best to live together. Sarah's father is unassuming and appealing, as he struggles to find a way to deal with his broken heart and support his daughter throughout school, puberty and on into adulthood. Smith's readers have praised her honesty, realism, warmth and humour. Both Looking Past and Writing the Town Read - Katharine's first novel - are written from a strong female first person perspective. However, don't be fooled into thinking this is chick lit - or indeed exclusively women's fiction. Looking Past has received praise from a number of male readers, including an ex-US Marine. You don't get much more macho than that! Nevertheless, this is a story guaranteed to strike a chord with mothers, daughters - and daughters-in-law - everywhere. The dual settings of Yorkshire and Cornwall will interest people with strong links to those places but the characters and events hold universal appeal. This is a book for people who like people. Looking Past was selected for the People's Book Prize Winter 2015 Collection.

She's the One


Sandra Kitt - 2001
    After receiving guardianship of Stacy, the biracial daughter of an old friend, Deanna comes to terms with her own goals and identity as an African-American woman as she and Patterson Temple join forces to protect the frightened child.

Ninepins


Rosy Thornton - 2012
    Deep in the Cambridgeshire fens, Laura is living alone with her 12-year old daughter Beth, in the old tollhouse known as Ninepins.

A Jersey Affair (The Jersey Scene Book 2)


Georgina Troy - 2014
    What she doesn't expect is to meet a mysterious entrepreneur, Sebastian Fielding, when she gets there. He helps ease the sting of rejection as he introduces her to the ancient sites he knows and loves. Unfortunately, soon after Paige returns to her island home in Jersey, she discovers that not only is Sebastian's company taking over the struggling store where her business is based, but that her concession is probably surplus to his requirements. How can Paige stop her fledgling business from going under? And what can she do to fight the gossip now that the paparazzi have published their untruths about 'A Jersey Affair'?

A Confusion of Murders


Marina Johnson - 2017
    A brother obsessed with his looks, a dog that thinks it’s human and a happy though, dull routine. Until that is, her father starts talking nonsense and she makes a shocking discovery about herself. Not to mention the strange events occurring in Frogham – a missing person and a case of dog-napping. And then, on top of everything Louise finds romance in the unlikeliest place....

The Sheikh's Imposter Bride (Sweet Sheikh Surprises Book 3)


Holly Rayner - 2021
    

Save the Date


C.J. Morrow - 2021
    What’s wrong with that?Absolutely nothing. After ten, fun filled years in London, Zoe Tydeman has returned to the sleepy Wiltshire village of her childhood. She’s bought a house, got herself a lovely new job in a craft shop, and she’s finally growing up and moving on. She’s put behind her the mistakes of the past and life is now sunshine and smiles.Until a pink envelope lands on her doormat. ‘Save the Date’ has never hurt so much. Her best friends are getting married. A love she hoped would fizzle out has become permanent, very permanent. Where exactly does that leave Zoe? A singleton at the kids’ table, that’s where.Will Zoe get over her unrequited love? Can she forgive her friends? Is it time to stop wasting time and get over herself?Join Zoe on her quest to get a life – of her own.A romantic comedy for all those who feel let down by love.