Book picks similar to
The Dove by Shauna Allen
4-star
bought
dark-ish-more-grey
family
The Bad Penny
Katie Flynn - 2002
She pedals off into the storm and delivers a baby girl in a filthy slum dwelling, just as the mother dies. The drunk and violent father tells Patty to get rid of it, so she takes the child away, meaning to deliver it to the nearest orphanage. But Patty had spent her entire childhood in an institution, except for the frequent occasions when she ran away, and cannot bear to hand the baby over. She has no idea how the baby will affect the attitude of those around her…nor how her life will change as a result…
Exposure
Kelly Moran - 2016
He wants her. With the threat that brought him to her in the first place finally behind him, they begin a hot affair he's only dreamed about. And reality is far better than fantasy. Yet beautiful Raven has her own dark history, one he's trying desperately to release from her. But as their passion deepens and turns into more, his past rises up from the shadows to claim one last victim…and Noah could lose the only person he can't live without.
Retreat
Jay Crownover - 2016
My best friend, sick of watching me drown in misery and melancholy, harassed me until I agreed to go with her on a week-long wilderness retreat.She promised days spent bonding and getting in touch with our inner bad-asses. It was supposed to be all about the two of us roughing it and making do with the bare minimum. She assured me we were going to be pushed to our limits in ways that were unimaginable. Neither one of us could have ever guessed just how right she was.Nowhere in the glossy brochure did it say anything about the fact I was going to have to battle the insufferable but deliciously rugged and sexy trail guide instead of the elements. The brochure also forgot to mention the part that warned when you left civilization behind, there was no place to pack your inhibitions and fears.I was told that I would be facing a week where the only thing I should expect was the unexpected. However, no one mentioned that I was going to have to fight for my life…and my heart as soon as I ventured into the unknown. I was a pro at hiding from my feelings but when it came time to face a real threat, one that could change everything, I learned I was more of a no surrender, no retreat kind of girl.Retreat is a standalone novel, the first in the Getaway series which centers on the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women that dare to love them.These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.
Reckless Envy (The Seven MC, #2)
A.R. Breck - 2021
For better or for worse, till death do us part…
Those are the vows I’ve promised to uphold.I’ll stand by those vows, even if it means enduring a living hell filled with abuse and misery.There’s no escape, and my suffering runs deeper than the scars on my skin. My torment seems endless, and the depression begins suffocating me like a wool blanket, scratching at the surface and burrowing deep within the fibers of my being.Until he appears. My mystery man.He watches me. Follows me. Stalks me.He descends beneath my scars and strips the despair from my bones.With his cruel features and leather cut, my mystery man should scare me.He comes alive from inflicting pain, from drawing blood, from death.I should be running away from a man so ruthless, so brutal. A man who wants to cause pain.So, why do I end up running towards him?RECKLESS ENVY is a full-length novel that contains adult content and violent situations that may be offensive to some readers.
Us Three
Ruth Jones - 2020
Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may.
After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship to its core, leaving their future in doubt – there’s simply too much to forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once made now seems impossible to keep . . .
Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth’s name as a screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a funny, moving and uplifting novel about life’s complications, the power of friendship and how it defines us all. Prepare to meet characters you’ll feel you’ve known all your life – prepare to meet Us Three.
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
Praise for Ruth Jones:
‘Ruth Jones is excellent on human nature and why we make the mistakes we do. I felt for every character. Unputdownable.’Jojo Moyes, bestselling author of ME BEFORE YOU‘I love books about gnarly, messy relationships and this one kept me gripped from the beginning. A great read.’Jane Fallon, bestselling author of TELL ME A SECRET‘Easy to read and full of laughter - and truth’Daily Mail ‘Thought-provoking, compelling and ultimately redemptive’Sunday Express
The Potion Diaries
Amy McCulloch - 2015
Look out for Amy McCulloch's THE MAGPIE SOCIETY series, co-written with Zoe Suggs and COMING SOON!(Contains: potions, princesses, peril, a magical quest and a serious crush)When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn. Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the Zoro Aster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime? And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. No big deal, then.
Silence is Goldfish
Annabel Pitcher - 2015
It used to say things so I'd fit in - to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied.' Fifteen-year-old Tess doesn't mean to become mute. At first, she's just too shocked to speak. And who wouldn't be? Discovering your whole life has been a lie because your dad isn't your real father is a pretty big deal. Tess sets out to find the truth of her identity, and uncovers a secret that could ruin multiple lives. But can she ask for help when she's forgotten how to use her voice?
The Girl Who Disappeared Twice
Andrea Kane - 2004
Struggling to escape her kidnapper.Despite all her years determining the fates of families, veteran family court judge Hope Willis couldn't save her own. Now she's frantically grasping at any hope for Krissy's rescue. Her husband dead–set against it, she calls Casey Woods and her team of renegade investigators,Forensic Instincts.A behaviorist.A techno–wizard.An intuitive.A former Navy SEAL. Unconventional operatives.All with unique talents and personal reasons for being part of Casey's group, they'll do whatever it takes.Able to accurately read people after the briefest of encounters, Casey leads her crew to Krissy's home. There, she picks up the signs of a nervous spouse, a guilty conscience, a nanny that hides on her cell. She watches as secrets beg to creep into the open.Forensic Instincts will dig through each tiny clue and eliminate the clutter. But time is running out, and even working around the clock, the authorities are bound by the legal system. Not so Casey's team. For they know that the difference between Krissy coming back alive and disappearing forever could be as small as a suspect's rapid breathing, or as deep as Hope's dark family history.
The Acts Of Life
Kristin Mulligan - 2021
Born only minutes apart, they grew up to be best friends and lifelong adversaries. Sam’s twin sister put the “rival” in sibling rivalry.Sam ignores Stella’s competitive nature about who’s living a better life. So what if his law degree isn’t getting much use. And his previous relationship was a failure. And his Sundays are spent hung-over with his buddies. Despite Stella’s opposition, Sam is happy.Stella is happier, just in case anyone asked. She has it all. Skyrocketing career? Check. Impending fiancé? Check. Friends? She was too busy achieving her goals (and stepping on innocent bystanders) to form friendships. All she needs is her twin brother.Sam has accepted his place at the bottom. And there’s never been a threat to the hierarchy… until Harper. Sam’s unexpected one-night stand has the potential to be so much more. So why isn’t Stella happy for her brother?A rivalry like theirs isn’t short on secrets. False appearances are easier to fake when you’re already so good at pretending. And for Sam and Stella, the lies are getting in the way of the truth: are they really happy or just acting the part?
Echo of Another Time
Audrey Howard - 1995
Harper. By the age of 18 she has become a talented cook, but when she falls in love with a Latimer, all their lives change with frightening swiftness.
The Confused Bridegroom: A Romantic Comedy
Rubina Ramesh - 2020
But here he was--lost amid the crops and cursing his grandfather for emotionally blackmailing him into marrying an old friend's daughter, a promise the old man had made decades ago. And just like it happens in Bollywood movies, he meets Nikki in those luscious fields. Nikki is a bubbly girl and manages to crack Arvind's forehead with a cricket ball on their first meeting. She must have hit him in the right place for Arvind falls in love with her. But trust his grandfather to make his life miserable by choosing the wrong daughter! While his heart was given to the younger daughter Nikki, it seemed he would have to tie the knot with the elder one.Caught between familial ties and love, Arvind has only two choices: kill the old friends under the same Peepal tree where they made promises about his life, or run away with Nikki. But can he do either?Dear Readers, The Confused Bridegroom is my first romantic comedy, and I hope you will smile as much reading it as I did while writing it.
The Forgotten Girl
Heather Chapman - 2018
Her only hope of surviving is to travel to America, a land of freedom and opportunity, and reunite with her brother in Baltimore. There she'll find new challenges, and perhaps, if she can put her painful past behind her, a new chance for love and lasting happiness.
HERO Force Box Set
Amy Gamet - 2018
Strong women and the dedicated former SEALs who defend them. Gripping action and spicy romance meet heroism and intrigue. Married to the SEAL He was supposed to pretend to love her. To protect her. To keep her son safe. He failed at all three. Matteo goes undercover, pretending to be married to a dignitary's daughter, never expecting the charade to get personal. But it does, just as HERO Force finds the link between the woman and their strongest enemy to-date. Justice for the SEAL Logan O'Malley has an affair with an older woman, only to learn she's the judge assigned to the case that could end HERO Force forever. Worse yet, an old villain has come back looking for his own brand of justice, and the judge is about to be caught in the crossfire. Targeted by the SEAL HERO Force is on a mission to save senator’s daughter Cassidy Lane from a cult when a skydiving accident leaves Navy SEAL Austin Dixon to complete the mission alone. Trouble is, Austin has a history with Cassidy—and she definitely doesn’t want any saving. Cassidy is an investigative journalist who infiltrated the cult after another reporter disappeared there on assignment. Together they must learn to trust the broken bridge that joins them as they weave their way deeper into The Community and find out the truth about Cassidy’s missing friend, Julianne. But when they’re exposed, will they be able to untangle themselves from the cult’s grasp and make it to safety?
Remembering Joy
Jenni Moen - 2013
Alexis knows this first hand. Even though her memory of that day is hazy, she has spent ten years trying to put it behind her.Armed with the knowledge that her career will be her only legacy, Alexis works night and day to prove that she is more than just her last name. It’s not that she doesn’t have time for love. She doesn’t have the heart for it. After all, there’s no point in starting something you can’t finish. When she meets Adam, she is drawn to him in a way even she can't deny. The film student is dark and brooding and strangely charming. He is the perfect distraction from her mundane life. But Adam can recall every detail she's forgotten. What she doesn’t remember, he can’t forget.
Seeds of Evidence
Linda J. White - 2013
But her vacation comes to an unexpected end when the body of a young Latino boy is found on the beach.Kit teams up with D.C. cop David O Connor to investigate the murder with the smallest of clues tomato seeds and acorns found in the boy s pockets. Using plant DNA evidence, Kit traces the young boy to a huge farm where more than a killer looms. With grit, determination, and a growing interest in David, Kit pursues her case and discovers that, to truly move forward in life, justice has to be tempered with mercy."