Book picks similar to
Wishing on Baby Dust by Lydia Winters
contemporary
fiction
grief
marriage
Where Petals Fall
Melissa Foster - 2013
But in the past few months her world has slowly unraveled. Her precocious child is withdrawing, showing unexplainable signs of emotional regression, a condition that frays the bonds of Junie’s once impenetrable marriage. When her father dies suddenly of a heart attack, Junie packs up her daughter and goes home to help her mother. Her homecoming stirs up memories of the nightmare she thought she had put behind her, the disappearance of her childhood friend, Ellen. Haunted by recurring memories of what happened on that fateful day, Junie must gather the courage to revisit her past and untangle the secrets surrounding her missing friend, and the trauma that has caused her little girl to climb back into herself. As the pieces come together on the event that shook her small town, and at the risk of losing everyone she loves, Junie will question everything she thought she could rely on and everyone she thought she knew. WHERE PETALS FALL is a gripping and emotional novel with an undercurrent of suspense, featuring a determined mother whose world slowly comes apart around her. Where Petals Fall will appeal to fans of Lisa Scottoline's Save Me or Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls, who love an emotional and gripping read. They will root for Junie as they follow her transition into an indomitable heroine who must reconcile what she discovers about her husband and family’s tragic past, and find a way to put the pieces of her family back together and carry on.
When We Were Sisters
Beth Miller - 2014
That is until Miffy’s Jewish father ran off with Laura’s Catholic mother and both of their families imploded—as well as Laura’s intense relationship with Miffy’s brother. 20 years later, they’re all about to meet again. This novel is perfect for reading groups, and for fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Zoe Heller.
I Wish I Could Remember You
L.J. Epps - 2016
Emily wants romance in her life—the kind of romance that leads to a perfect marriage. She dreams of having a husband who loves her and treats her with respect, someone she can spend the rest of her life with. She meets—and marries—Steven Montgomery, hoping he will make all of those things come true. Everything is wonderful, at first; until things start to slowly change. Steven begins to mentally, verbally, and physically abuse Emily. Through it all, Emily tries to be the best wife she can be. Finally, after so much devastation, Emily leaves Steven, files for divorce, and moves on with her life. Her sister, Monica, introduces her to a wonderful man named Robert. Emily falls in love with him. He is kind, gentle and sweet—all things now missing from her marriage. She is happy, in love again, and well on her way to divorcing Steven. But, Steven doesn’t want the divorce; and, since he is a savvy lawyer, he tries everything to prevent it. Although Emily still has residual feelings for Steven, she knows that it could never work between them. She wants to move on with the new love of her life, Robert. After a horrific accident, Emily can no longer remember Robert and all the things he has meant to her, and she can no longer remember all the horrific things Steven has done to her. Emily has two men professing their love for her. She is confused; she doesn’t know where she belongs or who she should be with. And, she has a hard time deciding who to choose. Emily is being pulled in several different directions by her loved ones. They all mean well, but only Emily knows how she truly feels. She has to decide, on her own, what to do. All Emily wants is to start over, but that isn’t so easy, since everything in her world is broken, and she isn’t sure how to fix it. All Emily wants is to be happy, healthy, and whole again, but that may not be in the cards for her, either. “A fascinating story about who we are and how our memories ultimately guide us in the choices we make.” —Kristina Gemmell, Beta Reader
Due Date
Nancy Wood - 2012
A Rolling Stone ad for a surrogate mother offers her a way to erase the loans and right her karmic place in the cosmos. Within a month, she's signed a contract with intended parents Jackson and Diane Entwistle, relocated to Santa Cruz, California, and started fertility treatments.But Jackson and Diane have their own secret agenda, one that has nothing to do with diapers and lullabies. With her due date looming and the clues piling up, Shelby must save herself and her twins, and outwit those who wish her ill... She learns the real meaning of the word “family.”
Something To Be Brave For
Priscilla Bennett - 2017
Just a few short years after marrying Claude, she now lives in fear for her safety and that of her young daughter, Rose. Claude, the dashing and charming Frenchman she’d fallen in love with, so attentive and considerate during their whirlwind courtship, has become a monster. Nothing she does is right and she constantly walks on eggshells, terrified that she will unwittingly inflame his anger. He humiliates her, he violates her, he beats her… But Claude is a well-respected, highly successful surgeon, always so polite and thoughtful to everyone but her. As a result, he has succeeded in creating the perfect façade behind which to hide his true self. Katie’s parents think the world of him, his own patients adore him – everyone loves Claude. So, who will ever believe what he does behind closed doors? This story sensitively lifts the lid on the processes of an abusive relationship, which anyone who has ever experienced will identify with, and for those who haven’t, will answer questions like, ‘Why is she putting up with that?’ Something To Be Brave For is a deeply moving account about one woman’s battle for survival. Praise for Priscilla Bennett ‘A unique – yet still universal – story of domestic violence’ – bestselling author Rosemary Rogers ‘Spellbinding’ – Lewis Burke Frumkes, author of Advice for Young Writers Priscilla Bennett, born and raised in Boston, is a retired emergency room nurse. For more than 20 years she witnessed and treated abused women from all backgrounds. She merged her love of writing with her sincere desire to spotlight firsthand domestic violence with the goal of empowering women to escape and heal.
Wishful Thinking
Kamy Wicoff - 2015
But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer's phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time. With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can't answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can't be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn't involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges and appreciate the joys of living life in real time.
Meg's Confession
Sierra Donovan - 2006
Trouble is, the man on the other side of the booth isn't a priest. Craig Stovall is the owner of a local construction business--he's just there to repair the confessional. But when Meg starts talking, he's too surprised and tongue-tied to stop her until he hears too much. When they meet later, Craig recognizes Meg from the glimpse he caught as she left--but she has no idea he's her "priest."Meg doesn't think she wants another big, strong man in her life. Her relationship with her husband was rocky at best, and she wants what's right for the baby on the way, even if this means being alone. Still, the more time Meg and Craig spend together, the closer they become...and the closer Craig comes to slipping up and revealing that he's the one who heard Meg's confession.
What She Left Us
Stephanie Elliot - 2013
Jenna broke off her engagement to the man she thought she'd love forever, while Courtney headed back to college to take charge of a dorm-floor full of college students as a resident assistant.Six months later, Jenna is fueled by panic over the news that the sisters may have the same disease that caused their mother's death and she makes an irrational decision - she packs it up and heads to college to be with Courtney. The timing couldn't be worse for Courtney, who's discovering love for the first time with Mitch, a sexy guitar player who may just be off limits.Emotionally unstable, Jenna wonders if she made the worst mistake of her life by breaking off her engagement with Darren, and when he shows up to make amends, she can't help but second-guess her decision. But then there's Clay, the compassionate bartender at Klippy's who seems to understand everything Jenna's going through. And those hazel eyes just seem to see right through to Jenna's soul…As the girls maneuver through their unpredictable futures, trying to manage their new health risks as well as tumultuous love lives, Courtney finds a disturbing photograph that indicates there may be more to their family than she ever imagined.This stunning revelation could shatter the sisters to the very core, making them question everything they thought they knew about their family, their faith, their past and, most of all, each other.
In a Heartbeat
Rosalind Noonan - 2010
phone call every parent dreads. Her nineteen-year-old son, Ben, is lying unconscious in a Syracuse hospital after being attacked in his sleep by an unknown assailant with a baseball bat.While Kate waits, frantically wishing for Ben to wake up and take back his life, she tries to uncover who could have done something so brutal. Ben’s talent as a baseball player on his college team made some teammates jealous, but could any of them have hated him enough to do this? The crisis brings all of Ben’s relationships into sharp focus—and also leads Kate to unsettling revelations about her marriage. And with each discovery, Kate learns what happens when a single unforeseen event changes everything, and the future you’ve taken for granted is snatched away in a heartbeat…
Two of a Kind
Yona Zeldis McDonough - 2013
But her romantic life has never recovered. Still, it’s irksome to be set up with arrogant, if handsome, doctor Andy Stern at her friend’s wedding. If he wasn’t also a potential client, needing his Upper East Side apartment redesigned, she would write him off. This is never going to work, Andy thinks. Still grieving his wife and struggling with a troubled son, he’s not looking for a woman, and certainly not someone as frosty and reserved as Christina. Their relationship will be strictly business. Yet to everyone’s surprise—including their own—these two find themselves falling in love. But if reconciling with their pasts is difficult, blending their lives and children to create a new family is nearly impossible. They’ve been given a second chance …but can they overcome all the obstacles in the way of happily ever after?
The Kind of Love That Saves You
Amy Yurk - 2000
Together they've navigated the terrain of school, friendship, romances, breakups, love, and marriage. But in one shattering second Sarah's world changes, and the landscape she enters is one she could not have envisioned. Much as Calista wants to help, she cannot comprehend this dark emotional territory -- and only time will tell if their friendship will be healed ... or torn apart forever.A celebration of life, hope, and the healing power of love, The Kind of Love That Saves You is an electrifying debut, an unforgettable story that will make you smile through your tears ... and treasure the loved ones in your life even more.
Pieces of Happily Ever After
Irene Zutell - 2009
When her attorney husband lands a trophy client – box-office queen Rose Maris – things begin to look up. Then Alex starts working late – a lot. He crunches his paunch into a six-pack and trades his Gap ensembles for Armani everything.Soon, Rose and Alex's affair blazes in the tabloids and Alice is plunged into trash-gossip hell. Her life crumbles around her as she navigates her newly single self through suburban LA --a place rife with porn stars, psycho soccer moms and nutty neighbors.Is there a chance to wrest Alex from the Sexiest Woman Alive? And if so... would Alice want him back? And what about George--her college sweatheart? Or Johnny, a walking charm-bomb paparazzo? As Alice inventories the rubble of her life, she desperately searches for her bearings and is forced to ask herself what she really wants from life, love and herself.
Blues for Zoey
Robert Paul Weston - 2014
Every penny he earns at the sketchy Sit’N’Spin Laundromat is for his mother, who suffers from a mysterious sleeping disease. At the start of summer, everything seems on track, but when anarchic, pink-haired Zoey walks past the laundromat’s window, Kaz’s ordered life spins out of control. Smart, mysterious, and full of music, Zoey is unlike anyone else Kaz knows, but Zoey has a secret and she might be the one puzzle he doesn't want to solve.
Love Regifted
Stephanie Haddad - 2012
That is until her mother drops a bombshell that turns Ava's very identity on its head. Feeling betrayed, Ava questions every relationship in her life, turning to an unlikely new acquaintance to find solace and-ahem-distraction. Although Ava never suspects that a random meeting with Jay Matthews could become something serious, he's interested in becoming much more than just a fling. He also knows a lot about regret and what it can do to a family. Jay wants to help Ava make peace with her past and move forward with her life without that same regret. Getting her to follow his advice, however, might take a little help from her friends.