Book picks similar to
A House by the Sea by Elvi Rhodes
fiction
ebooks
gentle-atmosphere
romance
The Bad Mother's Wedding
Suzy K. Quinn - 2020
Dreams of rose-covered cottages, rolling pins and two parents living with their own biological child were well and truly shattered.But now Juliette is engaged to her childhood sweetheart, Alex Dalton, and everything is looking up. Juliette can’t wait to marry Alex and live happily ever after at the Dalton Estate.The trouble is, Juliette isn’t the only one getting married this year. Her ex-partner, Nick, is getting married too and is trying his hardest to sabotage Juliette’s wedding day. Plus, there’s the small matter of the global Covid-19 pandemic.Will Juliette get the wedding of her dreams? Or will Nick succeed in ruining yet another wedding day?Wednesday 24th JuneAnother meeting with our wedding planner today – this time about party favours.Cressida showed us cute little hangover kits, personalised wine glasses, mini champagne bottles, chocolate truffle boxes, watches, toiletries, all sorts. There was even a monogrammed rum and Coca Cola can and a little treasure chest of sugared almonds, should we choose a Caribbean destination wedding.When Nick and I got married, all we thought about was drink, food and the church, in that order.Who knew there was so much sparkle and magic in the wedding world?Perfect for Jill Mansell and Unmumsy Mum fans. Can be read as a stand-along novel or as part of the series. Download this Kindle Unlimited comedy as part of your subscription.Editorial Reviews for Suzy K Quinn‘Suzy K Quinn is the literary equivalent of hot chocolate …’ – Liza Foreman, New York Times journalist'Suzy K Quinn is a born storyteller' -- Erin Kelly, bestselling author of He Said, She Said.'I read Suzy’s latest novel in one sitting, with a break for sleep. This does not usually happen. It's a terrific read.' -- Fay Weldon, author of the Lives and Loves of a She Devil.'Unputdownable. I was completely absorbed.' -- Julia Crouch, author of Cuckoo'A seriously skilful page turner ... don't read it on the beach unless you want sunburn.' -- Kate Harrison, author of The Secret Shopper's RevengeThe writing is skilful and vivid and the tension doesn't let up. Suzy K Quinn is one to watch.' -- Julia Gregson, author of East of the Sun“Funny, real, honest, and raw—this is an excellent book about the roller-coaster that is being a mum.” —Charlene Wedgner“Books like this, books that share honest and realistic experiences are a breath of fresh air.” —Diary of a Book Mum“I just love its honesty/real-ness and the way it ends on such a high note helped me to realize what a privilege it is to be a parent.” —Busy Mama Book Club“The reason I loved this book so much was the honesty of it! Unlike other parenting books nothing is sugar coated! This is Motherhood!! You will find yourself relating to almost everything she writes!” —B Club Betty“Would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun and honest read about parenting.” —Em Digs Books“It’s funny, it’s quick, short chapters, all of these things are really important, easy read, when you’re a sleep deprived new mother. I really wish I had it when I was a new mum five years ago.” —The Motherload Book Club“A real breath of fresh air and a massive reality check for when you’re trying to be the perfect mum.” —Mrs Cooke’s Books“Had me in fits of laughter…I really do applaud Suzy for being so honest …She really does tell it like it is, which is that parenthood is a challenge but it’s totally worth it!” —Kirsty’s Book Buying AddictionAbout the AuthorSuzy is a bestselling British fiction author. Her books have sold nearly 1 million copies and been translated into nine different languages.
Sparks Fly
Nicole Falls - 2017
A simple touch sending currents of electricity flowing through a body. The feeling of coming home. Friends become lovers. Strangers become soulmates. The chemistry ignited when two people are falling in love is undeniable. Over the course of five short stories, follow these couples on journeys of passion and discover what happens when they decide to let sparks fly…
One In A Billion, Vol 3
Lola Silverman - 2017
Titles Included:Nine MonthsDiamond tycoon, Aiden has everything money can buy, except a kid. Yeah, he’s a guy, but guys get broody, too. Besides, his biological clock is ticking. The only hitch is he doesn’t want the wife. Who wants to go through a messy divorce, especially if you risk losing half of your hard-earned fortune to your ex-wife? He could pay a surrogate mother, but it will contradict the very value of marriage his engagement ring jewelry business stands for, and he worked too hard to throw it away, now. When his CFO embezzles company funds, Aiden finds the solution to his dilemma. To prevent her father from going to jail, Jenna must give Aiden a baby. Problem solved.Secret VacationFrida thinks she has successfully managed to hide from what she was running away. She believes living in isolation is exactly what cures a broken heart. Till the handsome, witty and older, Gareth shows up. He is a guest in her B&B and therefore out of bounds, besides Frida doesn’t have the space in her heart for another man. Although she knows nothing about Gareth, what she does know is that he isn’t interested in anything serious. Frida cannot afford to have her heart broken again, especially by someone who is hiding secrets of his own.Tragic TaleAlready on the run from an abusive ex-husband, Holly Price doesn’t realize that when she accepts the job writing for billionaire Julian Petrokov, she is getting in over her head. Julian tells her dark stories about his past and though they frighten Holly, she can’t help but to be captivated by his history and his charm. When Holly is threatened by the gang who is after Julian’s head, the two of them are forced to flee to Julian’s private island, where they grow even closer as he weaves his tragic tale. It’s there that Holly realizes just how deeply she feels for Julian, but what she doesn’t know yet is that loving him could mean making the ultimate sacrifice, one that could cost her her life.Coded In YouBeaches and BenchesKaarin Lind is perfectly happy all alone, thank you very much, despite whatever her aunt might say. With a successful career as a lawyer, she feels no desire to seek out companionship outside of her half-feral tomcat. That is, until she meets Carson Deveroux. After a whirlwind romance that leaves her questioning everything in her life, Kaarin meets Carson once again--this time, in the court room. Carson Deveroux thought he had life all figured out. Until Kaarin Lind stumbled onto his private beach and turned his world upside down. Now, he must choose between his future and the woman he has fallen madly in love with, and his comfortable past and family. comfortable past and family.
Tales for Christmas: Free Festive Tasters to Warm Your Heart
Katie Flynn - 2013
When his plane goes down, the sisters must put aside their differences and pray he comes back in time for Christmas.The Ragged Heiress by Dilly CourtOn a bitter winter's day, an unnamed girl lies dangerously ill in hospital. When two coarse, rough-speaking individuals come to claim her, she can remember nothing. It's a Vet's Life by Cathy WoodmanAlex and Maz are due to get married at Christmas. But as busy country vets, there's little time for each other, let alone arranging a wedding. It's going to take a Christmas miracle to get these two down the aisle.
A Crooked Mile
Ruth Hamilton - 1995
But as more children are born, Joe's wife Tess sinks deeper into the obsession that will be her undoing. When Tess screams her belief that the area is cursed, few people heed her ravings. She is ignored, even as the Myrtle Street tragedies become more frequent and begin to feature in local gossip.
It is left to Megan, the third Duffy child - the one who felt she was unworthy and unloved because she had been born a girl - to end the curse. When she becomes embroiled in a web of deceit, Megan needs all her strength, talents, and wit in order to survive. But it is her capacity to give love that ensures her family's stability, the future of the Althorpe cotton mills, and the safekeeping of the Hall i' the Vale.
Bermuda Shorts
James J. Patterson - 2010
Patterson's fundamentally serious but playful literary style. Patterson writes like the love child of Henry Miller and Mary Karr, with all the contradictions that implies -- a philosopher who thinks best over a glass of fine wine; an ex-Catholic still haunted by the image of the Crucifixion; an irreverent political satirist whose patriotism flies the flag of another iconoclast, Thomas Paine. Patterson grew up with a foot planted in each of two worlds -- one in Washington DC, the Capital of the Empire as he calls it, where the wheels of power spin, and one in rural Ontario, where his Canadian mother insisted the family spend their summers. His father, one of the wizards of twentieth century newspaper publishing, introduced him to the city's wheels of money and power, which he would later navigate as an entrepreneur, starting his first business at 20. But those Canadian summers introduced him to a different world - one where a cedar strip boat was better than any car, and where the ghosts of those who'd previously inhabited the family's island house floated out over the water of Lovesick Lake. It is those two worlds that blend in this collection, in reflections both serious and playful, on what it means to be a man, an artist, an iconoclast, a patriot, a lover, as the 20th century rolls over into the 21st.
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.
The Apartment in Rome
Penny Feeny - 2013
Sun-drenched, touching and inspirational, this is your ultimate summer read for 2018, perfect for fans of Rosanna Ley and Victoria Hislop.
Gina's life is good. She loves her adopted home in Italy, and she is passionate about her work as a photographer. She's all wrapped up in her latest artistic project, shots of the young men who arrive in Italy as refugees, destitute and vulnerable. One day Sasha, a lonely British teenager at summer school, crosses Gina's path. Sasha's innocent romance creates complications neither of them could have imagined, leading Gina to wonder, can she come to terms with her past?
This summer, get lost in the streets, sights and sounds of Rome under the blazing Italian sun.
The Harbour Girl
Val Wood - 2011
Young Jeannie spends her days watching her mother and the other harbour girls sitting at the water's edge - mending nets, gutting herring - and waiting for her friend Ethan Wharton to come in on his father's fishing smack. As she was growing up, Jeannie always expected to marry Ethan, who is loyal and dependable. But then she meets Harry - a stranger who has come to visit from Hull for the day - and she falls for him. He is exciting and irresistible, and seems very keen on her. But he breaks his promise to come back for her, and Jeannie finds herself young, pregnant and feeling very isolated.Jeannie moves to the port town of Hull where her new, difficult life with a child - touched by illness, tragedy and poverty - is often made bearable by the kindness of others. But she finds herself wishing for the simpler times of her past, wondering if she will ever find someone who will truly love her - and if Ethan will ever forgive her...
Pashtun
Ron Lealos - 2010
The job falls to a man they have named Frank Morgan—an agent who stood out as a recruit at Quantico and whose skills resemble those of the legendary Vietnam assassin. The other soldiers claim Frank’s abilities as a sniper and a tracker border on the supernatural and are more than willing to complete this mission with him.Frank begins his adventure in Afghanistan with another Company-appointed soldier: an indestructible lyrical Irishman with a cutting sense of humor and a bottle of Jameson never far from hand. After the men rescue a burqa-clad young woman, they soon discover that the Company has not been honest with them and decide to take a second mate under their wing—a giant who quotes poetry and rap songs while he both enacts torture and lives through his own agonizing trials.They know now that oil, drugs, and greed have led to this quest; assassinating the terrorists is not their main objective. However, this still must be done. After becoming dangerously acquainted with the heroin business in the frontier provinces, Frank and his comrades continue their mission. But the lines have now blurred, and the assignment is more complicated than they expected.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Chasing Harry Winston
Laura Weisberger - 2008
She vows to find a man on every continent for some pure no-strings-attached fun. Adriana is stunning and can have any man she desires.Yet she wants an eligible bachelor who'll slip a five-carat Harry Winston diamond on her finger. Leigh has a doting boyfriend that most girls would kill for. But when literary bad boy Jesse Chapman asks to work with her, she just can't refuse. Knocking back raspberry mojitos one night, the three friends make a pact - to change one thing in their lives by the end of the year. Game On. (Large Print Edition)
Sisters
Prue Leith - 2001
Years later, in London, Poppy, a stage actress with three children and a charming, handsome husband, never imagines that Carrie, now a sexy and passionate caterer, would try to hurt her. But Carrie can't help herself. She's resentful that Poppy has everything she always wanted: a successful, fulfilling career, a gorgeous husband, a loving family, a house in the country, while Carrie has nothing but debts, one-night-stands, and an uncertain future. Carrie discovers the chink in Poppy's armor, her husband Eduardo, and she sets out to exploit it in the way she knows best. She provides Eduardo with danger, excitement, and great sex - all things that have faded in Eduardo and Poppy's marriage. But in destroying her sister's peace of mind, Carrie risks losing all those who love her.Prue Leith has written a poignant and moving story about the real choices siblings have to make once they grow up and start taking stock of their lives. Sisters is a brilliantly crafted portrait of sibling rivalry, love, and the ultimate betrayal.
Escape to Happy Ever After
S.J. Crabb - 2021
Long walks in the fresh air to concentrate her mind. Hearty meals to raise her energy levels and cosy evenings in the local pub beside a flickering fire curled up with a good book. Perfect.However, what she didn’t realise was the invitation was for two and her ‘plus one’ was already unpacked and making himself at home. There is also a Fossil club convention in town meaning every room on the Jurassic coast is occupied and she has to spend the next week with a stranger.Freddie Carlton receives an invitation to escape to Happy Ever After and was particularly interested in the ‘happy ending’ it promised. Having had a disastrous run of bad luck with women he was prepared to try anything.He wasn’t prepared to discover that his ‘one’ had already been chosen for him and was seriously annoying. A woman who arrived with more baggage than an Airbus and was in no mood to share.Will Happy Ever After work its magic and give them both the happy ending they deserve, or will fate continue to throw obstacles in their path and turn their bad start into a very complicated ending?
Before I Met You
Lisa Jewell - 2012
She had forfeited university, parties, boyfriends, summer jobs - all the usual preoccupations of a woman her age - in order to care for Arlette in their dilapidated, albeit charming home on the English island of Guernsey. Her will included a beneficiary unknown to Betty and her family, a woman named Clara Pickle who presumably could be found at a London address. Now, having landed on a rather shabby street corner in '90s Soho, Betty is determined to find the mysterious Clara. She's ready for whatever life has to throw her way. Or so she thinks . . . In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette De La Mare is starting her new life in a time of postwar change. Beautiful and charismatic, she is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But two years after her arrival in London, tragedy strikes and she flees back to her childhood home and remains there for the rest of her life. As Betty navigates the ups and downs of city life and begins working as a nanny for a rock star tabloid magnet, her search for Clara leads her to a man - a stranger to Betty, but someone who meant the world to her grandmother. Will the secrets of Arlette's past help Betty find her own way to happiness in the present? A rich detective story and a captivating look at London then and now, "Before I Met You" is an unforgettable novel about two very different women, separated by seventy years, but united by big hearts and even bigger dreams.