Book picks similar to
A Mother's Secret by Minna Howard


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Dragon Marked


Amelia Jade - 2018
    Seeing his mate on the altar about to marry the alpha of a local wolf pack is bound to spur anyone to extreme measures. He’s stood by for ten years while his inability to address his own emotions has paralyzed any progress with her. They might be best friends, but until he can learn to use his words, that’s all they’ll be. Megyn Wekkle wasn’t an idiot. She knew there was tension between her and the broad-shouldered hunk she called her best friend. Someone else made a move when he wasn’t willing though, and now she’s consigned the “what-if’s” between her and Hel to the dustbin of her memory. What she never expected was that he would finally find his voice at the most inopportune time. Even worse, she can’t help but wonder if maybe he wasn’t the only one having a hard time confronting their feelings… Hel’s actions have pissed off the entire wolf pack, and also the local dragon enclave representative. They need to get out, and get out fast. Hel may have caused the problems, but they’ve grown to envelop her as well. The longer they spend together, the more things between them begin to unravel, and a decade’s worth of thoughts and feelings come to the surface. Can they ride that turbulent wave to a new beginning together, or will the deeds of the past tear them apart?

Enchanted by Her Rebellious Spirit


Carol Colyer - 2020
    One eventful night will determine her whole life when her father will make a disastrous mistake driven by his sorrow. Thrust into a marriage of convenience, Elvira finds herself saying yes before the groom is even properly introduced. Will she manage to escape her unfair fate? Escaping the trap her closest people have set for her may prove to be much more challenging than she expected... Ethan Riken is a lonely but hard-working rancher, hiding a dark secret that has stigmatized him deeply. Adamant about his privacy and not eager to open his heart to anyone, the last thing he wants is some damsel in distress. Now he is tangled in a bizarre story, with no way out. How will his emotions for Elvira affect his life, when his only chance to open his heart and overcome his past stands right in front of him? Elvira and Ethan have failed to communicate their needs and backgrounds and their distance seems unbridgeable. Both of them have created a distorted image of one another that can only lead to disappointment. Caught in a web of secrets and lies, can they come to terms with their unlikely wedding? Hostile forces scheme against their happiness… but will they eventually make it? "Enchanted by Her Rebellious Spirit" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Red Velvet


Linnea May
    Too rough, too demanding, too proficient.But she doesn't know that.So why should I stay away?Lila doesn’t want another nice guy. She’s tired of being the good girl. She wants something new - someone to push her boundaries. She wants me.Naive and curious, she looks at me with that voiceless yearning in her eyes, piercing and pulling until I can no longer resist.Oh, little girl, be careful what you wish for. You will submit to me, you will bend to my will and cry beautiful tears for me. My belt will bite your skin until it blossoms in all shades of red, my restraints will cut into your wrists just like my command will carve into your soul. But you’re not ready for it, are you? Your past keeps reaching out to you, still holding a firm grip on the girl who is trying to break free. You need a resolve - and you need it soon. Before I break every last part of you.

Our New Normal


Colleen Faulkner - 2019
    Now, with her son off to college, and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it's Liv's turn. She's even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine.Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant.Hazel insists she will have the baby and raise him with her boyfriend, Tyler, who's no one's idea of a model father. Clearly, there are going to be some conflicts to iron out.Liv just doesn't expect them to be with her husband.As it turns out, Liv and Oscar have very different ideas about what to do. Perhaps it's because Liv, who was adopted, has a unique perspective on this baby's future. And perhaps it's because, as a mother, she knows better than anyone how Hazel's young life will be changed forever.As the family fractures in every direction, past resentments and pain come tumbling out. After years of putting others first, Liv wonders if she can do what's best for her daughter, her parents, and her marriage--while still being true to herself.

Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5


Savannah Rylan - 2020
    I’m a damn giant. The muscle in the MC. It’s why I get sent out on loan when some of our brothers down South need some help. And by help I mean crush some guys' skulls. That’s what the Marked Skulls are good at. Name fits, right? But when I get there, I’m tasked with protecting the President’s daughter, Lila. She’s petite and gorgeous and all I can do is look. The Pres made it clear, I can’t touch. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right? Until he finds out. Sh*t. Rodeo They call me Rodeo, ‘cause I was made for ridin’. When a member of our MC turns up dead, I know exactly who did it. But when I show up at the witness’s house to confirm my suspicions, she tells me something I don’t wanna hear. It wasn’t the MC I thought. It was someone else. So now we have two enemies. And I have to keep her safe from both. Because she’s beautiful and fragile. She needs someone like me to take care of her. And I do, all night long. Things usually get complicated when I try to rope a girl. But this level of complicated? This is a whole new thing. Abe Just like Abe Lincoln, I got shot. You’ve got to be kidding me. If we’re going to stay safe, we need to grow the MC. And I’ve found a good guy to join up. Except his sister hates me. Too bad, because she’s a beauty. Those curves, and long legs. I’ll convince her to be mine. And let her brother join the MC. I’m honest, after all. Oz I might not be a wizard, but I’ve got magic below the belt. When I see Kaya for the first time, I know I have to make her mine. She thinks she is nothing special, Just a waitress. But she has no idea how her curves make me feel. How bad I want to touch her skin. But she’s not safe with me. Not until I exterminate this threat. The Dark Legions are going down. For good this time. Dash I never stay in one place for long…until her. The Dark Legion and the Hell’s Drifters kidnap me, But when I get out of here, I’ll make them pay. I know my brothers in the MC are looking for me, But I don’t know how long it will take. The only thing that is keeping me sane is Harley. She has risked everything to take care of me. If the Dark Legion or the Hell’s Drifters find out, They will kill her. And I won’t let that happen. When I escape I’m taking her with me. Because for her I’m sticking around.

Careful What You Click For


Mary B. Morrison - 2020
    Morrison delivers an emotional rollercoaster of a tale of four very different friends chasing after their heart’s desires, no matter the cost . . .   For Jordan, Victoria, Kingston, and Chancelor, exciting, fast-paced Atlanta offers everything their hometowns couldn’t. But career success is easy compared to the city’s dating scene of users, losers, and gold diggers. So they decide online dating might just be the answer—as long as they take precautions, work their perfect odds-beating plan, and have each other’s backs. With luck, and prayers, they’ll fulfill their fantasies and find real love at the same time . . .   An accomplished lawyer, Jordan must look hard at potential suitors. But Terrence seems to be the honest man of her dreams, until accusations and her career threaten to come between them. . . . Sixty-something real estate pro Victoria thinks young men equal satisfaction that a good Christian woman like her deserves, but anything-goes sex makes her bet more than she can afford to lose. . . . Basketball star Kingston has the perfect life and wife, but exploring what he really wants on the downlow is a game he may not win. . . . And for marketing guru Chancelor, the net is a paradise of prey, but the consequences could blow more than his schemes apart.   Soon enough, thanks to secret agendas, lies, and truths they can’t even admit to themselves, all four friends’ lives are in danger of being upended. And the results could rack up a price no one can pay.

Summer Island Book Club


Ciara Knight - 2021
    The arrival of her wildly successful, buttinski friends, overwhelms Julie when her life goes from peaceful to melodrama, makeovers, and matchmaking. Especially when they make her believe there is still life to be lived with one handsome sailor who’s just moved to town. Trevor Ashford retreats from big city life to sunny Florida after a failed marriage and damaged reputation. His only wish is to open a small boat charter company in peace, but when Houdini-a mischievous pet ferret-steals an engine part and leads him on a merry chase into the arms of Julie Boone, he has to choose between being a recluse or embracing a new love.

I Know Your Secret


Ruth Heald - 2020
    Neither is she.'She thinks she knows me.She believes my marriage is falling apart at the seams, that my husband can barely look me in the eyes. She thinks I’m desperate for a baby, that my longing for a family keeps me up at night. As much as I hate to admit it, all of this is true.She thinks I listen to her advice, that I care about her opinion. That couldn’t be further from the truth.Because she has no idea who I am. She has no clue that I know everything.I know her secret. I know that she did the unforgivable. I know how many lives she ruined.I know exactly what she did. And I’m here for her.An utterly gripping, addictive and shocking read about the dark secrets we’re ashamed to admit, and the lengths people go to for revenge. Fans of K.L. Slater, My Lovely Wife and The Wife Between Us will be racing through the pages, gasping at the twists, and reeling from the explosive ending of this unmissable page-turner.

Happily Whatever After


Stewart Lewis - 2020
    Unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend of four years and fired from her art gallery job in the same week, she flees to Washington, DC, and moves in with her big brother. She hopes the new setting and familial comfort will help her finally find her bearings. What Page finds instead is an unlikely refuge: a park for the neighborhood’s poshest pooches, and a quirky pack of companionable dog-run regulars who become fast friends.Both four-legged and two-, these new allies offer Page a world of possibilities. The woman who hit rock bottom now has dreams: of having her own business, getting her own place, and even wilder ones about the ruggedly handsome owner of a vineyard and two equally fetching Bernese mountain dogs.Unleashed from all that once held her back, Page finds everything might be falling into place. But just when she thinks her life is headed in the right direction, the road takes a sharp turn to show her just how unpredictable second chances can be. Will Page get her happily ever after? Is there even such a thing?Witty, smartly funny, and modernly romantic, Happily Whatever After shows us all that sometimes imperfect can still be good enough.

What I Didn't Say


Jade Beer - 2018
    captivating and flawless... will leave you sobbing… grabbed my attention from the start and I could not put it down!’ Goodreads reviewerIf you could wish one thing for your daughter, what would it be?Jenny lost her beloved mother as a teenager. As a parting gift her mother left a bundle of letters, one for each significant day of Jenny’s future. First date, first broken heart, wedding day, when she becomes a mother…But now Jenny is in her late twenties, and while at the hospital where she works she helps other women start families every day, she still hasn’t opened the letter for the day she meets the love of her life, let alone the one for having a baby.And Jenny is still writing back:I’m sorry I don’t love cycling.I’m sorry I don’t always dream about you.I’m sorry the last thing I whispered in your ear was, ‘can I stay up late?’ when it should have been ‘I love you’.When a case of mistaken identity leads to an unexpected friendship with Helen, a kindly shopkeeper in her fifties, the bond growing between them makes Jenny wonder: she treasures her mother’s words more than anything, but are they keeping her stuck in the past?Can we ever heal from a loss that cuts so deep? Can Jenny find a way to let go, and start living life to the full, as her mother truly wanted?An absolutely unforgettable book-club read that will break your heart. If you love Jojo Moyes, Cecelia Ahern and Nancy Thayer you will love this unputdownable page-turner.

Sun, Sea and Sangria


Victoria Cooke - 2020
    Having moved to the Canary Islands for a fresh start, she has never had much time for romance, channelling all her energy into managing all-male dance troupe – the Heavenly Hunks.With golden beaches, sparkling blue water and relaxing after work with a glass of sangria – or three – for Kat, it’s summer all year round. But despite life being postcard perfect, Kat can’t help but wonder if she is missing out on the most important thing of all… love.The dancers are all well-known for their flirtatious antics and aren’t looking for anything serious… except Jay. Sitting by the pool, watching the sun reflecting in the water, Kat feels like she can tell him anything.Handsome, caring and a good listener, he ignites a fire in Kat’s heart that scares her witless. But her relationship with Jay should stay strictly professional… right? There is absolutely no way that she can be his boss and his date.As the temperature rises, will Kat be able to take the plunge, let go of her past and find romance in paradise?

The House at Magpie Cove


Kennedy Kerr - 2020
    It was silly to think that her mother's spirit was still with her, but Mara felt as if there was something keeping her here. A secret that needed to be told...When Mara Hughes inherits her late mother’s tumbledown beach house overlooking the bright, sandy sweep of Magpie Cove, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. With her marriage on the rocks and her husband threatening to take the family home, the beach house – with all the bittersweet memories it holds – might be the thing that finally sends Mara’s world crashing down around her. She tells herself she’ll only spend a few days there: sell it and move on to rebuilding her life.When Mara arrives, the house is in a worse state than she feared – holes in the bedroom ceiling, birds’ nests in the attic and the beautiful, wrap-around porch on the brink of collapse… but she loves it anyway. With all its history it feels like the last link to her late mother and, determined to do whatever it takes to keep it in the family, Mara strikes a deal with local handyman – and town heartthrob – Brian Oakley to save the crumbling cottage from ruin.But when a box of unopened old letters arrives on her new doorstep – a bequest from her mother’s will – Mara’s resolve to save the beach house will be tested to the limit. Because Mara’s mother’s perfect childhood in Magpie Cove was forever spoiled by one haunting day in July, and the letters contain a secret about her family that Mara can scarcely believe to be true…

Dreams of a Little Cornish Cottage


Nancy Barone - 2021
    But having kicked out her adulterous ex-husband, her house is filled with nothing but echoes and Nat yearns for the coziness and bustle of seaside living. In particular, the rundown Lavender Cottage that has gone up for sale.But when her mother has a fall, Nat's dream of a quiet new life crumbles as she instantly brings her into her home to care for her. With her two energetic nieces then dumped on her doorstep and her recently heartbroken daughter moving back into the nest, Nat can't possibly abandon her family... Lavender cottage will just have to wait.That is until Irishman Connor enters Nat's life and makes her realize that it's okay to put herself first, and she's allowed to wish for more.

The Last Will And Testament Of Daphné Le Marche


Kate Forster - 2016
    Eighteen year old Daphné may be from a tiny French village, but she knows she’s destined for more. Stepping off a bus into bustling Paris with a suitcase full of her home-made beauty products, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to claim her stake in the world.London, 2016. Scandalous love affairs and an iconic cosmetics brand have kept Daphné Le Marche in spotlight – but her darkest secrets have never come to light. Now, in her London penthouse, enveloped in her rich signature scent, the Grande Dame of glamour has died.But not even those closest to her could have been prepared for what came next.The Last Will and Testament of Daphné Le Marche is a sweeping story of heartbreak, scandal and the importance of keeping it in all the family…

Taking a Chance on Love


Erin Green - 2020
    She's ready for the next step but a proposal seems to be as far away as ever.Polly is devoted to her family. But after her parents' bitter divorce, she's wary of marriage - even after sharing twenty years and one son with Fraser.Single mother Dana longs for companionship, despite her dedication to raising her son Luke. Finding the right person to bring into their lives feels impossible - until a unique way to select a potential Mr Right comes along.With 29th February fast approaching, will they each take the chance this Leap Year to take control of their fates?