Book picks similar to
Heartbreak's A Bitch! by S.M. Phillips


chick-lit
contemporary-romance
digital
indie-chick

All She Ever Wanted


Christina Butrum - 2016
    She wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. Twenty-eight-year-old Leah Adams is content with her life. Living with her best friend in the big city and working as a receptionist at the doctor’s office, she doesn’t allow herself much time to think about falling in love and starting a family. Until the night her ten-year high school reunion not only brings her to Levy’s, but face-to-face with Jake. Leah is faced with feelings she cannot ignore. She has to make a decision that is in her best interest – no matter who gets hurt. She’ll have to decide if risking another heartbreak is worth it for all she’s ever wanted.

Starring In The Movie Of My Life


Laurel Osterkamp - 2011
    Her heart is huge while her sense of purpose is small; she's willing to fight for those she loves, but she's never learned to fight for herself. Eighteen-year-old Melody is cold and calculating, and she's driven by the desire to better herself. As these compelling yet deeply flawed women battle for the affections of twenty-five-year-old Nathan, he becomes increasingly confused and torn between them. Nathan is Melody's English teacher, and after he saves her from being raped, she becomes attached. Melody longs for the affection she's never felt, so she involves people in her self-invented drama, making sure she is at once the star and the director. Meanwhile, Samantha is newly married to Nathan. But Samantha has hang-ups about motherhood and lingering feelings for her ex. To make sense of the world, Sam relates her life to the themes of her favorite movies, while she independently makes a documentary to jump-start her non-existent film career. Stylistically influenced by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner, Starring in the Movie of my Life is told alternately from both Samantha's and Melody's points-of-view and relates two complete yet combined stories about love, acceptance, and redemption. It speaks to our universal desire to be saved by the ones we love, and the monumental effort required tosave ourselves. Laurel Osterkamp's first novel, Following My Toes, published by PMI Books, won the 2008 National Indie Book Award for Excellence (Chick Lit category). She drew on her experiences as a high school film studies and creative writing teacher as she wrote Starring in the Movie of my Life. Currently she lives in Minneapolis with her husband, son, and daughter, and is working on her third novel.

Cinderella Busted


Petie McCarty
    Overdue for a little romance in her life, Lily is anxious for one fabulous date with her handsome prince, so she cultivates her inadvertent masquerade. Rhett Buchanan has become jaded with the Palm Beach social scene, dominated by scheming women desperate for more money -- his money. Rhett falls hard when he meets Lily Foster. She is a breath of fresh air after the smog of gold diggers constantly surrounding him. For Rhett and Lily, it's love at first sight until her deception comes to light and pitches their relationship into a disastrous tailspin. Well-meaning friends are determined to intercede and resort to inept high jinks to reunite the estranged couple while a wicked ex-girlfriend plays dirty to keep the couple apart.

Saved by Love (Bachelor Billionaire Kids #1)


Sharon Cummin - 2017
    He had a huge decision weighing heavy on him. What was he going to do with his future? His father had been convinced since the day he was born that he was going to take over the family business. Both of his parents were software developers, and their company was doing very well. There was only one problem. Gavin couldn't stand software development and wanted no part of the company. He wanted to join the service to help people and keep his family and the rest of the country safe. The only thing he had to do was find a way to tell his parents. Gavin stood up and looked down the table at all of the people he loved. There were five families, and between them, they owned seven houses on one stretch of a Hawaiian beach. It was their last night there, and Gavin knew he needed the support of everyone around him when he told his parents what he'd chosen to do with his life. He instantly saw concern cross his mom's face, but he had to do it. There was no going back. "I'm joining the service," he said. It didn't take long for his father to get to his feet and all of the chatter to fill the empty space between them. "I'm joining too," Gavin's best friend Jack announced. By the time everyone calmed down and both of their families accepted their decisions, Gavin was beginning to feel a little better about things. There was only one person that wasn't going to let it go that easily. That person was Gracie. Gavin was taking her brother, and that was not okay. When Jack told Gracie he wanted her to write to Gavin each time she wrote to him, she was not happy. Gracie was going to write him, but she wasn't going to make it easy. Little did Gracie and Gavin know that those letters were going to change their lives forever.

Secret Lives of Second Wives


Catherine Todd - 2003
    So when successful, kind-hearted Jack Hughes—with his home in Silicon Valley, his safely remarried ex-wife, and his two grown children—proposed, it seemed like a dream come true. After all, how hard could it be? All you had to do was be nice to everybody and you’d all get along. Welcome to the perilous world of the second wife, where nothing turns out quite as expected. With an unemployed, unmotivated stepson who declares he’s moving in “temporarily,” a stepdaughter who oozes scorn, and a husband who’s hiding something, Lynn’s imagined domestic bliss begins to crack. Add in an ex-wife who shows up at inopportune times, a law partner who may be involved in illegal dealings, and a client whose attractions prove far too tempting, and Lynn finds both her marriage and her career could be in trouble. Not even the Anne Boleyn Society—an informal support group for second wives—has all the answers. Sure, they can commiserate when Lynn says, “I never thought it would be so hard,” but they don’t know the half of it… “A smart, darkly funny novel about the plight of a second wife… Lynn’s wryly funny, rueful voice is what makes Secret Lives appealing.” —Diane White, BOSTON GLOBE “Sassy, irreverent, and smart. Catherine Todd has a wicked sense of humor.” —Carla Neggers, bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series “Not only should this book be required reading for any second wife as well as anyone contemplating a second marriage, but it’s a riveting, beautifully written story on its own. I stayed up very late reading just to see how Lynn worked through the same turbulent mess that hits so many Second Wives who enter into a marriage without realizing how much baggage inevitably comes along with it. VERY HIGHLY recommended." —RENDEZVOUS MAGAZINE

From This Moment On


Colette Caddle - 2013
    But, after standing up to him, she is delighted when she is vindicated.Lynn loved her job and she was good at it and now, with the support and love of her partner, parents and friends, she can put this terrible time behind her and find a job in another hotel.But the consequences of Vincent's actions are more far-reaching than Lynn knows and the after-effects are still being felt throughout the small town. The Boland family is powerful and influential and it's not long before Lynn realizes that this man still has the capacity to destroy her and all she holds dear.

Miss Behave (The Anderson Family Series Book 1)


Traci Highland - 2018
    Instead, she’s stuck at the Pendleton Falls Herald, where her massive investigative skills are wasted penning the paper’s advice column, Miss Behave. Her shot at a meaty story comes when she’s assigned to write up a profile of a local business, Brookes Jewelers. She is determined to write the piece so she can use the article to impress a real paper. Unfortunately Hunter Brookes, co-owner of Brookes Jewelers and the Pendleton Falls Herald, is rather persistent, in his own hot little way, that the piece should be nothing more than a glorified sales pitch. But when diamonds disappear, Piper may get the chance to do a real investigation, leading her to confront family secrets and worst of all, turn to her mother for help. Piper soon realizes that there is more to Mr. Brookes than a tight ass and a ridiculous fascination with name tags. Together they deal with roasted pigs, crazy cat ladies, and gun-toting fashionistas. In all the chaos, they just might find the one thing that neither one was looking for: true love. Perfect for fans of romantic comedy, funny women's fiction, humor, and contemporary romance..

War & Piste


Alex Thomas - 2011
    When a growing love for backcountry adventures and the irresistible prospect of an illicit affair start to pull her in different directions, Poppy begins to wonder just how she will ever return to the life she left behind…Wickedly funny and utterly authentic, this is a novel for anyone with an intense love for melted cheese, neat spirits and deep snow – ideally all served together. This is the diary of a season.

Secretly In Love


Jackie Castle - 2016
    Nothing but friends. Yet, when Nikolai returned from the mission trip last year, Sage’s feelings for him exploded and her pact gets harder to keep. Then on April fool’s day, she receives a letter from a secret admirer. A joke from her twin siblings. Nikolai’s life changed after the mission trip. One thing he has to face is his feelings for Sage. Pact or no pact, he needs to let her know how he feels. Overhearing Sage and Moi talk about how they wished they received real love letters, Nikolai comes up with the perfect solution. He sends her an anonymous love letter, but instead of love, he reaps the wild, whirlwind of Sage who is already angry about being made a fool of once and won’t stand for being the fool twice. Secretly In Love was formerly titled, Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice and was part of the April Fools Love novella collection.

Into the Amish


Erin Brady - 2016
    When she says yes to Arthur Carrington II’s marriage proposal, her life is suddenly turned upside down. Not only is Emily a target of an unrelenting paparazzi, but she feels the pressure to live up to the Carrington name and all of the expectations it carries with it, especially those set by her soon-to-be mother-in-law and renown socialite, Dolores Carrington. But when a disastrous turn of events causes her life to fall apart at the seams, Emily finds herself traveling to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit her long-lost Amish cousins and put some distance between herself and the life she thought she wanted. It is there among the Amish where Emily discovers what’s really important and the power of family, faith and following one’s dreams. With the help of a handsome stranger, Jonah Miller, Emily finds herself at a crossroads and knows she must make a decision that will ultimately change the course of her life.

The Secret of Us


Roxanne Henke - 2007
    As Donnie's business thrives and their daughter, Stasha, plans her wedding, Laura longs for new possibilities. Could the dreams God planted in her heart years ago like to become an artist still be part of her purpose? Is there a new life of faith on the other side of this struggle? This story about a womans longing for meaning will resonate with readers of all ages.

Love on the Ranch


Alice Parker - 2016
    Like a fish out of water, she feels out of place and longs for an adventure away from the place she has long called home. When circumstances change for the worse, Christy decides it is her time to go on the adventure she has dreamed of. Through chance she meets a handsome cowboy who seems to sweep her off her feet. That is until his past comes back to haunt them, and Christy must decide if this love is worth fighting for. *This book is part of a 3 book continuing series.

Tackling Summer


Kayla Dawn Thomas - 2017
    Her plans are derailed when she comes across a bottomed out sports car on a remote country road. When she discovers her father has brought on her university’s hotshot football star as summer help, she is furious. There’s no place for a lazy, city boy on the Double O.Maddox Warren has been banished to the middle of nowhere, sentenced to manual labor on a cattle ranch. As star of the Doumit University football team, this is unacceptable, but his coach is determined to boost his work ethic. Maddox can shut up and do his time, or he can kiss his football career goodbye. Determined to muscle his way through, his frustrations grow when he meets the bossy, cranky rancher’s daughter.The two battle their way through tractor driving and horseback riding lessons; both determined to conquer the other and to reclaim summer. In the process Maddox and Chanel discover there’s more to the other than either of them expected.

Second Place Sister


Sue Horner - 2014
    Ali” to friends and family. Janelle Jennings: a forty-nine-year-old bestselling romance author, Botox-stuffed narcissist, four-time ex-wife (but who’s counting?), and all-around spoiled brat. What could these two possibly have in common? Uncork the wine. Bring out the calming chocolate. Ali Lawrence’s diva sister, Janelle Jennings, is making an unexpected visit to their hometown of Willoughby, Georgia, and Ali needs help. Since they were schoolgirls, Ali has suffered ridicule and criticism from her prom queen, beauty pageant older sister, whom their mother still coddles at Ali’s expense. Ali is suspicious of her sister’s motives for visiting Willoughby, and especially her odd behavior and uncharacteristically long stay. Something’s not quite right, and Ali is both curious and concerned. During this visit, Ali vows to stop being a bitter doormat and stand up to Janelle. But when Ali discovers a secret that has the potential to destroy Janelle’s career and tarnish her reputation, will she expose her sister, or, for the sake of family unity, will she protect her? Can the sisters finally come to terms with each other, admire their achievements, and ignore their faults, or will their relationship continue to disintegrate, bringing bedlam to Willoughby in the process? Someone has to take the first step: Will it be Janelle in her stepladder stilettos or Ali in her ratty, old running shoes?

Amish Rose


Samantha Price - 2020
    If you haven't found one by then, I'll find one for you!"Rose wasn't shocked by her mother's announcement. Since Rose's two older brothers had married, her mother had become obsessed with weddings.Rose wasn't against marriage; she just hadn't met the man of her dreams yet. She'd know him when she saw him. He'd be tall with broad shoulders, and he'd have dark coloring to complement her pale skin and fair, red hair. It would be love at first sight.When Jacob comes to town, Rose sees him and knows he's the one!Her hunch is confirmed when they spend every spare moment together. When Rose learns some scandalous news about Jacob, she is devastated and turns to her close friend, Mark.Mark isn't much to look at, and he's only a shade taller than she, but Mark is a man who would never let her down.Is her good friend Mark the one she should be with, or should she give Jacob another chance?Should Rose risk trying to make something more out of Mark's friendship, or will she be risking her heart only to be disappointed again?