Book picks similar to
But I Love You Anyway by Sara Lewis
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The Feasting Season
Nancy Coons - 2007
Domestic life is beginning to take its toll until Meg is offered her dream assignment: to write a guidebook about French history. Unfortunately, there is a catch. Jean-Jacques, a scruffy and imperious photographer, has been assigned to the project. As the dueling pair visits each region in search of the past, what they find is the colorful, food-filled present—the festive bullfights in the Camargue, the sacred gypsy pilgrimage at Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the pictographs and lightning storms of Mount Bégo. And over the course of mouthwatering meals—of lamb daube, paella and rosé, bull steak and anchioade, Brebis and strawberries—their antagonistic collaboration turns into a fiery love affair. Meg's notions about history—about what we preserve and how we accept the new—evolve, and in the end, she must reconcile her two lives and decide what to hold on to, and what to let go.
Love in the time of Affluenza
Shunali Khullar Shroff - 2019
The story explores the lives of three women as understood from the eyes of its protagonist Natasha, a happily married mother of three. She begins to ask some difficult questions about her own life after she stumbles upon her closest friend Trisha's affair.'Finally an immensely enjoyable story about Mumbai's rich that, like all good stories, rings so true, with its adorable and suspiciously familiar characters.' - Manu Joseph
Perfect Match
Jane Moore - 2008
The only cure is for them to have a 'designer baby' to provide him with a perfect match bone-marrow transplant. But, in the process, a devastating family secret is revealed that not only jeopardises the one hope of their son having a future but also threatens to destroy their marriage..."Perfect Match" is the compelling story of a seemingly perfect marriage torn apart by betrayal and seemingly impossible choices.
Welcome to the Garden Club: A Novel
Jenny B. Tilbury - 2015
As longtime member Stephanie Lewis steps into a luxurious condo to begin a new season of the garden club, she has no idea of the drama and life changes that await her.Stephanie, a community volunteer and socialite, is convinced that proper civilization ends at the New Orleans city limits. Her friends and fellow members consist of Gloria Vincent, a wealthy widow who manages two international businesses, and Dolores Delacroix, a successful business owner and master gardener who drinks like a sailor. As the roots of improbable friendships grow deeper, the women discover there is more to every life than what appears on the surface. When a chain of events transforms Stephanies life and the existence of the garden club forever, each of the women learns that she must first examine the past and face the present before she can ever embrace future possibilities.In this heartwarming story, the ladies of a French Quarter garden club depend upon reliance, grace, and the bonds of their sisterhood to courageously deal with lifes unexpected twists and turns. For more information visit: www.welcometothegardenclub.com.
The Broken Places
Susan Perabo - 2001
Subtly heartbreaking and wise, The Broken Places is a masterful exploration of the precarious intersection of honor, duty, and family.
Drifting South
Charles Davis - 2007
Neither does Benjamin Purdue. In a single day he lost his family, his love, his freedom and even his name for reasons he's never known. Now after spending twenty-one years in prison for crimes he didn't commit, the young man he used to be is dead. And the man he's become is no one he--or anyone else--would ever want to know.With only fifty dollars of state money in his pocket, Henry Cole, aka Benjamin Purdue, journeys back to the dangerous outlaw settlement hidden deep in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia where it all began. The only place he's called home.Instead of answers, he finds only old sunken graves. Now as he drifts southward, he gets closer to the beautiful woman he will never forget--whose untimely visit to Shady that fateful Sunday afternoon ended in a killing. A woman who holds the keys to his past...and his future.
Bunco: A Comedy About The Drama Of Friendship
Robin Delnoce - 2020
Maybe you’ve known them since childhood, or met in college, or while waiting for a child’s practice to end. Maybe you found yourself living on the same street. There’s no single path to friendship. Relationships don’t follow a script and neither do the lives of smart, funny, complicated suburban women. Jill, Anne, Mary, and Rachel met years ago through a neighborhood group that regularly got together to play a dice game called bunco. Although players have come and gone, they continue to use bunco as an excuse to abandon their day-to-day responsibilities and enjoy food, drinks, and the company of their best friends. When new neighbors move in under the cover of night, the foursome sees an opportunity to expand their bunco circle. But within hours, suspicions run rampant as the odd behaviors of the newest residents are interpreted differently. Are they quirky, or kinky? Diabolical, or misunderstood? Time after time, as the truth sheds light on some secrets, more emerge. Each woman finds herself shocked by the friends she thought she knew.Through the friendly banter, intimate confessions, and tongue-twisting insults, you may see yourself or your friends in these characters. Wipe away tears of laughter and loss as you join the four metaphorical rounds of bunco, and feel part of the conversation. Whether engaging in playful exploits, providing unconditional support, making uncomfortable sacrifices, or winding up in handcuffs again, these ladies are those rarest of friends who become true family. Of course, families don’t follow a script either, unless it is a plot-twisting, slightly off-color comedy about the drama of friendship. And bunco, sort of.
Domestic Pleasures
Beth Gutcheon - 1991
Yet soon after they reenter each other's lives, Martha, Charlie, and their teenage children find they have more in common than they imagined as they struggle to rebuild their lives...and that opposites really do attract.Engaging,, witty, and entertaining, Domestic Pleasures is a touching, piercing tale of love lost, found, and embraced once again.
Happy Endings
Jon Rance - 2013
Four people. Two couples. Six months that will change their lives forever.Kate wants to go travelling before she reaches the big Three-O, while her long-term boyfriend Ed just wants to settle down.Jack is desperate to be a published writer for many reasons, but mainly to save his relationship with fiancee Emma.Emma wants to be an actress more than anything in the world, or at least that's what she thought until she finds out she's pregnant.Told uniquely from all of their perspectives, this is a story about love, growing up and, of course, the search for a happy ending.
Summer's Reunion
Dora Hiers - 2020
Beer and bitterness destroyed his marriage to his high school sweetheart, but he’s a changed man now. Solid, stable and sober, he’s finally ready to start a family of his own. But the only woman he can imagine spending his forever with filed divorce papers on him eight years ago.When Rowan Albright faces her groom at the end of the aisle, this time they’re not the ones getting married. She never stopped loving Mannix, but his weekend beer binges to mask the deep-rooted grief tore at the very fabric of her soul, especially since alcoholism decimated her family. But Aunt Ellie says he’s clean now, so when Mannix’s beloved Gramps offers her a job in the family business, she jumps on it. Working together will reveal her ex-husband’s change of heart, right? Or destroy hers…Is faith, hope and love strong enough to rebuild what was lost? Will God give them a second chance at love and a future, or will both their hearts be shattered once again? Will theirs be a summer reunion or a summer to forget?
Chasing Down the Night (Crater Lake Series Book 3)
Francis Guenette - 2015
Nothing could be further from the truth. Long-time resident, Izzy Montgomery juggles the stress of a new job with her burgeoning home life. Family dynamics go into overdrive when Alexander and Cynthia launch plans to build a home nearby and Liam’s sister, Fiona shows up to do an internship with the local doctor. Lisa-Marie and Justin are back for the summer and sparks fly. While crusty, old Reg keeps sawmill production booming, Beulah runs the organic bakery and plans the First Annual Caleb Jenkins Memorial Ball Tournament. Bethany discovers her own hidden talents working with young people at Micah Camp. As a nine-year-old’s dreams reflect a dangerous reality, many encounter issues from the past. This is a novel for all those who work at building family ties by strengthening the traditional and creating the new. Chasing Down the Night explores a wide-ranging emotional landscape while highlighting the many aspects of day-to-day, rural life. Tears and laughter are inevitable.
Relativity Series
Whitney Dineen - 2020
He purchases life insurance, luggage insurance, and always opts for the extended warranty. He's responsible, reliable, and would make any woman a wonderful life partner.In other words, he's the exact opposite of the Masterton clan.Cat's mother has a kitchen gadget fetish, a father whose best friends are taxidermied field mice, and a super stoner man-child brother who lives--where else?--in the basement. Then there's Nan, her proud Scottish grandmother with a proclivity for profanity and mischief.What on earth will Catriona's Normal fiancé think when he comes home with her to meet her parents? What will he think when he discovers his soon-to-be in-laws invited Cat's ex to join them for a holiday dinner?Find out in a laugh-out-loud journey of self-discovery, familial pandemonium, and love. A must read for fans of a true romantic comedy!Relatively Sane : Silver Medal Winner at the 2109 International Readers Favorite Awards!Catriona Masterton’s family is not normal.Her father has a passion for taxidermized animals that he dresses in the family plaid. Her mother has a penchant for hoarding kitchen gadgets and other oddities that leave her sanity in question. Her grandmother, Nan, has never met a swearword she doesn’t like.Despite all this, party-planner Cat leaves the hustle and bustle of New York City to move back to her tiny hometown outside of Chicago. She even buys her parents' farm with plans to turn the barn into a stylish wedding venue.Enter House to Home Television’s Renovation Brothers. Cat gets accepted as one of the show's projects, bringing two gorgeous brothers to her doorstep. Unbeknownst to Cat, the TV hosts are behind a secret her newfound boyfriend will go to great lengths to keep hidden.With all the upheaval—her parents' chaotic move, her grandmother joyfully causing trouble wherever she goes, a film crew documenting her home being torn apart, and her boyfriend’s odd behavior—Cat's starting to wonder if signing up for a reality TV show was a big mistake.Will the renovation be a success? Or will secrecy and jealousy make Cat regret the day she packed her bags and left New York?Find out in this hysterical tale packed with small-town charm, family drama, and true love.Relatively HappySarah Hastings’ life is chaotic. Between running her organic farm, her yurt-style holistic B&B, and her vegan café Eat Me!, she barely has time for an aura cleanse. What’s more, her spirit guide just announced the universe is sending her a man.Suddenly, a sexy pro-football player, a hipster photojournalist, and fellow organic farmer practically fall from the sky onto her doorstep. But which one is her cosmic soulmate?While Sarah meditates on the answer, her parents show up unexpectedly throwing the mother of all monkey wrenches into her carefully laid plans.With only morning yoga and her erotic book club to keep her sane, no wonder she’s chucked her vegan diet in search of bacon. Will the stars of love align, or will the universe let her down in the biggest way possible?
Late to the Wedding
Laura Briggs
True, it was written four months ago, but could his heart have changed so drastically in so little time? Desperate to know, she packs a bag and plans to bridge the five states between them. But a series of cosmic misadventures leaves her no other choice for her cross country journey than a gypsy cab driver who’s willing to take her the distance for a hefty fee. Sardonic, arrogant Brian Stoker is the last person likely to sympathize with a quest for last chance love. But he may be her only hope as a chain of obstacles and adventures threaten to become a detour from her destiny. Will Evelyn be late to the wedding–or will she have a romantic rendezvous in time for a happy ending?Excerpt from Late to the Wedding:Evelyn closed her eyes as despair washed over her. Turning away from the taxi lane, she walked forlornly towards the automatic doors. Her glance fell on a vehicle parked nearby, a 1970s notchback Sedan she had noticed circling the lot as she spoke to the constantly moving line of cabs. Most likely a hack, or gypsy cab driver as some referred to them. Guys willing to take legal risks for a little extra cash on a busy weekend. The driver lowered his newspaper to glance up at her passing figure, revealing a faded button down shirt with an open collar. Dark, tousled hair and a jaw that sported days old stubble; coal black eyes that flicked in her direction with a hint of challenge. As if daring her to approach, knowing all the while she was too timid and guarded to risk it. Perhaps that’s what made her shoulder her carry-on more firmly and march directly to his driver’s side window.“Excuse me…” she faltered a little, her gaze taking in the car’s shabby interior, with its dusty dashboard and peeling leather upholstery. “By any chance…that is, are you…” “Operating an illegal cab service?” supplied the sardonic voice, the dark eyes studying her beneath raised brows. “Sure.” He tossed the paper into the passenger seat and offered a smile that struck her as arrogant for someone who clearly did most of their grooming with the aid of a rear view mirror. “I–I need a ride,” she stammered, realizing a second later how obvious that must be. “That is, can you take me to Binghamton?” she asked, selecting a city that was relatively near the Pennsylvania state line and roughly two hours into her journey. If he took her there and not a mile further, it would be at least be a start.He seemed to hesitate, no doubt weighing the loss of convention traffic. His gaze taking in her trim figure, expensive attire, and scant luggage with a scrutiny that made her blush. “I usually settle my fee before driving in circumstances like this,” he said, after a moment. “But I guess I can make an exception for you. Although this seems a little far for a cab ride if you ask me.”Evelyn shrugged, pretending to miss the insult behind the provision. “Well, I’m sort of playing this trip by ear, so I can’t really guarantee…” She let her voice trail off, turning her head nonchalantly in the direction of the moving cab line. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she prayed that this maneuver would call his bluff. Show him she wasn’t the usual sucker tourist in need of a cheap ride.“We’ll work something out,” he said, taking the bait.
Moving On
Cathy Bramley - 2019
Gina Moss is proud of herself: she's just had the most amicable divorce ever. No arguments, no fuss, no drama. It means she has plenty of time and energy for her thriving childminding business too. Welcome Cottage is both home and workplace for Gina. It sits just on the edge of The Evergreens - a grand if slightly run-down Victorian residence to three octogenarians who have far too much fun for their age: Violet, Delphine and Bing.But a tragedy puts her older friends at risk of eviction - and Gina in charge of the battle to save them. It might be her first fight, but it's one that Gina is determined not to lose... A Patchwork Family is a heart-warming novel told in four parts, following the challenges and triumphs faced by Gina Moss as she swaps an easy life for a happy one. This is the first part.
*****
Praise for Cathy Bramley from some of your other favourite authors:
'Delightful!' Katie Fforde'A page-turner of a story' Milly Johnson'Delightfully warm with plenty of twists and turns' Trisha Ashley'The perfect romantic tale, to warm your heart and make you smile' Ali McNamara
Yetis in Whistler (Peyton Brooks, FBI #10)
M.L. Hamilton - 2021