Book picks similar to
Just For The Summer by Judy Astley


chick-lit
fiction
modern
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Villa Azure


Melissa Hill - 2019
     Life is sweet for Joanna until the day she gets a call from a lawyer in Greece that knocks her for six. Her father, whom she has never met, has died. Her late mother was always reticent to discuss a vacation romance she had over two decades ago on a tiny Greek island called Skiathos, and Joanna - a hopeless romantic at heart - has always tried to fill in the blanks. According to the lawyer, her father has left her an inheritance. The condition? Joanna must travel to the island to see it for herself...

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner


Helen Cox - 2016
    When she starts waitressing at the Starlight Diner, she realises it’s the perfect place to lie-low and lick her wounds.That is until their newest regular, actor Jack Faber, decides to take an interest in Esther. But her past is holding her back and she’s not ready to fall in love again. Is she?Desperate to start a new life, Esther begins to wonder if she can ever learn to let go. Could New York be just the place to set her free?‘With its shades of light and dark, this delicious debut is a page-turner you’d be mad to miss’ SAMANTHA TONGE

The Cornish Colouring Book Club


Beth Good - 2016
    All four are in the worst muddle of their lives. Can joining a Colouring Book Club change their fortunes and colour them happy again? Or have they strayed too far outside the lines? ***A perfect feel-good romantic novel set in gorgeous seaside Cornwall!*** From Beth Good, author of the popular ODDEST LITTLE SHOP romcom series.

What Happens In Cornwall...


T.A. Williams - 2015
    But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape… Head to the Cornish coast! In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one! Enjoy a summer of surprises and romance with What Happens in Cornwall…, the perfect retreat for fans of Fern Britton

Crooked Moon


Lisette Brodey - 2008
    The friendship they shared was special - the kind that storybook heroines had - and neither ever considered the possibility of it not lasting forever. But after high school, life interfered and circumstances separated them as they each went on to live drastically different lives. Twenty-three years later, one hot Rainytown summer, the lives of these women suddenly come crashing back together. To complicate the fragile reunion, Callie's marriage is suddenly at risk, further complicated by the affections of (and attraction to) Frankie's brother, Paulie. Tensions and passions explode in the sweltering heat, and amidst pain and tragedy, each woman not only ends up with a life-altering secret regarding the other, but the burning question of what to do with it.

Amber Scott Is Starting Over


Ruth Saberton - 2012
    Even if Ed doesn't take her job seriously (as a solicitor, he doesn't have much time for women's magazines), it is Amber's dream job. So Ed's news that he has taken a job in the West Country turns Amber's world upside down. The new life in Cornwall does not get off to the best start. The huge house Ed was so into is, well, huge—what is Amber going to do with four acres?And when a handsome, if surly, man leads the local hunt over her land, it's more than Amber can stand. So how is it that, before long Amber is friends with the local eccentric Lady of the Manor, making love potions at her mother's recommendation, and answering the door naked to strangers?

Secret Wishes and Summer Kisses on Lily Pond Lane


Emily Harvale - 2019
     Mia’s been exceptionally lucky since moving to Lily Pond Lane. But even on her honeymoon with the man of her dreams, she still has one remaining wish. Ella wishes Gill would propose. But since Mia’s wedding something’s changed in their relationship. Now he’s spending time with newcomer, Tabbie Talbaine, Ella wishes Tabbie will leave as quickly as she arrived. Tabbie wishes she hadn’t driven her car into a pond. But it could be the best thing that’s ever happened to her. When she discovers Hollywood heartthrob, Justin Lake’s staying in the village, getting an interview for her popular blog isn’t her only wish. Bree was told she couldn't have a baby. Now she’s expecting twins and is simply wishing it all goes well. And as for Hettie ... she wishes she could get her hands on an old map of the village. Because there’s something hidden in Little Pondale that Hettie Turner really wants to find. This is the final book in the Lily Pond Lane series.

Something in Common


Roisin Meaney - 2013
    Perfect for readers of Cathy Kelly and Sheila O'Flanagan.The friendship starts with a letter...from aspiring writer Sarah to blunt but witty journalist Helen, complaining about Helen's most recent book review. And there begins a correspondence that blossoms into a friendship which spans over two decades.As the years pass, the women exchange details of loves lost and found, of family joys and upheavals. Sarah's letters filled with thoughts on her outwardly perfect marriage and her aching desire for children, and Helen's on the struggle of raising her young daughter alone.But little do they realise that their story began long before Sarah penned that first letter - on one unforgettable afternoon where, during a distraught conversation on a bridge, Sarah changed the course of Helen's life forever.This is the story of Helen and Sarah, and the friendship that was part of their destiny.

The Chestnut Tree (A Short Story)


Jo Thomas - 2014
    Could the answer to his problems lie in the chestnut orchard at the bottom of the garden?Only Ellie can help Daniel unlock the delicious secret that will bring them the fresh starts they need. And as autumn approaches, romance will blossom amid the glowing embers of the chestnut fire...*Contains an exclusive extract from Jo's brand-new novel, THE OLIVE BRANCH, out February 2015*

Summer at 23 The Strand


Linda Mitchelmore - 2018
    It’s a small act of kindness that starts a magical tradition all summer long…A delightfully uplifting holiday read, perfect for fans of Lilly Bartlett, Tilly Tennant and Eve Devon.

You, Me and Italy


Sue Roberts - 2019
    A gorgeous husband. A successful business. A beautiful home. Until one day, after walking into the storeroom of their shop, she loses it all at once – catching her husband cheating on her with the girl from Checkout 3. So when she wins a holiday to Italy, a week under the Tuscan sun couldn’t come soon enough. Treating best friends Cheryl and Emma to a girls’ trip, the terracotta-roofed Villa Marisa on a rustic farm awaits them. The fields of golden sunflowers could be the perfect cure for Maisie’s broken heart – and local farmer, suspiciously perfect Gianni, with his thick black hair and twinkling brown eyes, is a welcome distraction from her broken heart. Mornings waking up to freshly brewed coffee and views of the rolling hills, moped rides with cheeky Italians, and feasts of prosecco and pasta help Maisie forget her troubles. After all her heartache, she’s surprised when she starts opening up to Gianni – she’s even more surprised when the temperature rises and it’s not just the rays of the Italian sunshine… Maisie could get used to the good life. But just as she’s getting her spark back, disaster strikes. The next thing she knows, her past is catching up with her, reopening old wounds, and Maisie has a life-changing decision to make. Should she say ciao to her summer of love and limoncello? A laugh-out-loud page turner about second chances, finding happiness when you least expect it and the restorative power of Italian food! Fans of Carole Matthews and Sophie Kinsella will be totally hooked by You, Me and Italy. You, Me and Italy was previously published as My Summer of Love and Limoncello Readers are absolutely loving You, Me and Italy: ‘So delightfully funny that I found myself laughing out loud… A lovely heart-warming romantic comedy, full of sunshine, Italian hillsides and of course, limoncello!.’ Stardust Book Reviews ‘A laugh-out-loud, feel-good, amazing book… One of my top reads of the year.’ Odyssey Across the Shelves ‘I was enraptured every step of the way… I was smitten… A breath of fresh air and the perfect pick-me-up to bring on those summer vibes.’ Stacy is Reading ‘Will warm your heart… Perfect for getting you in a summery mood. It will make you dream of warm, starry nights, handsome Italian men and food to die for.’ All Things Bookie, 5 stars ‘I absolutely loved the story… Captivating.’ Goodreads Reviewer ‘Fun, friendship and a Mediterranean setting… I read this in a couple of days as I found I couldn’t put it down.

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.

The Optimist


Sophie Kipner - 2017
    . . Kipner writes beautifully, is emotionally intelligent and has a keen eye for detail - the more absurd the better. The result is a different, occasionally deranged and always very clever read. I loved every minute.' Daily MailMeet Tabitha Gray, a delusional girl from Topanga, California, who redefines what it means to be a truly hopeless romantic. Tabby suffers from an aggressive strain of cock-eyed optimism – no amount of failure, embarrassment or humiliation can dent her fierce belief that real, true, lasting love is just around the corner.Where most people think, fantasize and dream, Tabby says, feels and does. Whether waiting in her lingerie for Harrison Ford to open the door of his hotel room; declaring her love, aged nine, for Ernesto the gardener; encountering Al Pacino in a Russian bathhouse; seeking passion with a blind man on the advice of a wise old woman with dementia at her grandmother’s home for the elderly; or sending intimate photos to a random sexter with an apparently charming dick, Tabby refuses to be crushed by her many misadventures. She has to keep believing, because if she gives up, what then? Ill-advisedly armed with the words of Dorothy Parker, Tabby knows that her own ferocious optimism is the only thing keeping her heart-sore, wine-swilling mother and cynical, single-mum sister from giving up on love altogether. She is their only hope. If Tabby can find love, then they too will believe…In this warmly witty debut novel, Sophie Kipner takes a satirical look at the extremity of romantic desperation, and pays wry tribute to the deep human need to keep on heroically searching for love despite our manifold absurdities.

Hot and Bothered: A Novel


Annie Downey - 2006
    He’s a rat, anyway, and currently attends Sex Addicts Anonymous. He still comes by the house, though, as do her hippie, macrobiotic mother; her feisty, alcoholic best friend; her God-fearing grandmother; and that Perfect Guy, the one with the beatific son who plays with her daughter, the one who happens to have a winning smile, wild black hair, a professorship at Harvard—and (drats!) a gorgeous doctor girlfriend. Told in short takes that perfectly mimic the frantic nature of our busy lives, Hot and Bothered follows its heroine through the streets of Cambridge, where she spends far too much time staring into space and sipping mocha lattes with extra whipped cream; to church, where she prays for a little salvation; to Alaska, where she believes a rugged outdoorsman might just be that salvation; and to Cape Cod, where, in a little house by the sea, she might finally see the light. Annie Downey has written an updated Cinderella story for all single moms.

The Royal We Free Preview (The First 7 Chapters)


Heather Cocks - 2015
    I guess it depends on what I do next." American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.Which is how she gets into trouble.Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.