Book picks similar to
Legally Undercover by Rachel Kall
cultural
police-or-forensic
romantic-suspense
chick-lit
The Lending Library
Aliza Fogelson - 2020
How is a small-town art teacher supposed to cope without the never-ending life advice and enjoyment that books give her? Well, when she’s as resourceful and generous as Dodie, she turns her sunroom into her very own little lending library.At first just a hobby, this lit lovers’ haven opens up her world in incredible ways. She knows books are powerful, and soon enough they help her forge friendships between her zany neighbors—and attract an exciting new romance.But when the chance to adopt an orphaned child brings Dodie’s secret dream of motherhood within reach, everything else suddenly seems less important. Finding herself at a crossroads, Dodie must figure out what it means to live a full, happy life. If only there were a book that could tell her what to do…
Beach Haven
Tammy L. Grace - 2018
An unexpected inheritance. A chance for a new beginning.
Lily’s no stranger to loss, but her life takes its most tragic turn the day her husband is killed. Unable to escape the memories surrounding her, she jumps at the chance to return to happy summer memories in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she spent summers as a teenager. She inherits Glass Beach Cottage from her late uncle and leaves behind the life she’s known, including her beloved son, for a new adventure.The rhythm of the ocean soothes her. Her heart begins to mend during morning strolls along the beach with her dog. She encounters a kindness in the residents of the tiny coastal town. A young man who lost his hearing as a teen, a local shopkeeper who offers her a helping hand, and a widower and veterinarian, who persuades Lily to foster a new puppy, form her circle of friends.As guests come and go, she gains insight into the joys and sorrows of those who spend a few days at Glass Beach Cottage. Along with the healing power of the sea, Lily witnesses the strength of the human spirit and learns that the best remedy for her grief lies in the restorative power of helping others.
Award-winning author, Tammy L. Grace, brings readers her new GLASS BEACH COTTAGE SERIES. The first book, BEACH HAVEN, is a heartwarming story of a woman’s resilience buoyed by the bonds of friendship, an unexpected gift, and the joy she finds in helping others. Escape with a new favorite series and read BEACH HAVEN today.
Read more from award-winning author, Tammy L. Grace
HOMETOWN HARBOR SERIES
Hometown Harbor: The Beginning (Prequel Novella)
Finding Home
Home Blooms
Promise of Home
Pieces of Home
Finally Home
COOPER HARRINGTON DETECTIVE NOVELS
Killer Music
Deadly Connection
Dead Wrong
GLASS BEACH COTTAGE SERIES
Beach Haven
STAND-ALONE BOOKS
A Season of Hope (Christmas Novella)
Stilettos & Stubble
Amanda Egan - 2012
Criticised by her outwardly perfect mother, dearly loved by her father, she’s the ‘Queen of Low Self-Esteem’. Finding herself suddenly immersed in a world of glitz and glamour, where nothing is quite as it seems, will she finally realise ... ... ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’?
A Hard Man is Good to Find
James W. Lewis - 2011
Despite the exceptional qualities and his obvious interest in her, things are moving too slow between them. Unlike most men who can’t wait to get in her pants, this particular man refuses to take things to the next level.DARYL JACKSON has grown tired of the nightclub scene and wants to settle down, but he has a secret that always seems to interrupt any potential love connection once he reveals it. He believes Michelle is the ideal woman, but can she handle the truth?After six weeks of dating, and still no attempt from him to get her “horizontal,” Michelle grows sex-starved. She is driving herself crazy trying to figure out Daryl’s problem! During a weekend getaway in Palm Springs, Michelle finally puts an end to the what’s-wrong-with-Daryl guessing game and demands to know what’s up. Not only does Daryl answer all her questions, Michelle learns first hand that you really need to be careful with what you wish for!
Wild and Free
Wendy Holden - 2015
Everyone piles through its gates - and Cupid lies in wait to sprinkle a little midsummer madness on them all.Teacher Ginnie is desperate to forget her crush on headmaster Mark, and hopes glamping might do the trick. But Mark is also heading for Wild & Free to reform his college band ... desperate not to be seen by anyone he knows. Mark's bandmate James dreams of a festival blow-out with his son, Guy ... until his wife Victoria's ambition kills the dream. Now she and Guy are en route to Wild & Free instead but when Guy meets Shanna-Mae and falls for her earthy charms, Victoria is determined to snap Cupid's arrow.Will the magic of the festival send them wild? Or set them free to find peace and love?
His Savage Was Her Weakness
Tya Marie - 2017
After witnessing her parents’ execution at her tenth birthday party, Nubia hasn’t been the same. The lavish lifestyle that came with being the daughter of the notorious Apollo Monroe was snatched from under her feet, forcing her to become the foster child her evil aunt never wanted. After years of dealing with her uncle’s hand problem, Nubia goes from a plaything to a punching bag for her husband, Vincent. Believing that Vincent is the best thing to happen in her life since the death of her parents, Nubia suffers in silence until she meets Maine. A notorious hustler by day and ruthless hustler by night, Jermaine “Maine” Emerson is as savage as they come. Born a child soldier in Sierra Leone, Maine was given the opportunity for a new life in America working as a hitta for Sampson, a distributor for the Solares Cartel and an infamous gangsta known for his heartless antics. Maine’s first mission: kill Apollo Monroe’s family, including his daughter. With a heart made of steel, Maine slaughters her family relentlessly, but there is something about ten-year-old Nubia that gives fifteen-year-old Maine pause. He spares her life, and the two never cross paths again until Maine catches Nubia being beaten on the street by her husband. Although he has everything he could ask for—money, cars, and his pick of women—Maine is drawn to the broken Nubia and the mystery she brings. As he tries to repair her broken spirit, he has no idea that he's responsible for it. In the middle of Nubia and Maine's battle of the hearts, is Nubia’s best friend, Shahani. After losing the love of her life in a gunfight, the kept Shahani takes refuge on a pole, rebuilding her life one dance at a time. She meets the suave and charismatic Donovan, who takes her from dancing and introduces her to the world of pimping. While Donovan is focused on building his empire, Shahani has other dreams in mind, one of which is opening her own hair salon. She's content with building with Donovan until a chance encounter with Sampson leaves her sleeping with the enemy. Again.
Small Town Shepherd
Nala Henkel-Aislinn - 2021
Sam lost her career and her boyfriend on the same day. Needing an escape, she makes a radical decision—leave the big city for a small town, get a regular job, and take a break from men and romance.Brody is picking up the pieces after divorce. He’s hoping for a fresh start in the small community of Maple Cove. Instead, he’s forced to co-manage a failing animal hospital with Sam, who seems ready to hate him on sight.Watch two people learn to face their fears and love again in this sweet, small-town enemies to happily-ever-after romance.Small Town Shepherd is the first book in the sweet romance series Maple Cove Dog Lover’s Society.
Prior Sins
D.J. Gross - 2011
Understanding the dark impulses that drive men to maim and kill comes easily to him. When he temporarily swaps teaching positions with a University of Michigan colleague, Hadrian assumes he’ll be on a sabbatical from crime. Then a series of disturbing assaults occur on campus and the Ann Arbor police ask him to consult on the case. Pursuing a link between the perpetrator and ancient mythology leads Hadrian to Sarah Roth. His reaction to her challenges his long held assumption that emotional intimacy is beyond him. She believes she’s a monster University of Michigan Classics Professor Sarah Roth dreams of blood and death. Her mother warned her to never share her dreams or she’d be locked away. Sarah pours her passion into teaching as a relationship is out of reach. When Hadrian approaches her for information, she is shocked by her attraction to him. Hadrian is dangerous to her but the demons inside her like to live dangerously. As Sarah struggles to keep her distance from Hadrian, her dreams become more vivid and violent. The real monster is hunting her Someone on campus is secretly obsessed with Sarah. He is recreating the Labors of Hercules, violent feats of power and strength, to prove worthy of her love. Once he’s completed his quest, Sarah will be his forever. Praise for the Novels of DJ Gross:“I was super glued to my Kindle for two days...The balance between the suspense-filled action and romance is spot on." The Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice "Seriously top-notch." Romance Junkies on Stolen Justice "DJ Gross made it so you just had absolutely no idea what would happen next!" Shameless Romance Reviews on Stolen Justice"For anyone who enjoys Romantic Suspense - this is a must read." The Book Pimp Blogs on Stolen Justice
Sunsets Never Wait
Jonathan Cullen - 2020
The isolation is all but unbearable until a mysterious tenant moves into the house at the bottom of the hill. James Dunford has come from America but he won’t say why. He spends his days fixing up the old cottage and walking the beach with a stray dog that showed up on his doorstep.As the weeks pass, Tara tries to get to know James, but he resists her at every turn. And it's not until a local villager recognizes him from the news that she realizes his visit might be about more than just a vacation. On the night of a big storm, Tara finally confronts James about why he is there. But how can she expect him to be honest when she, too, is hiding her own dark secret?Set against the backdrop of the Hunger Strikes in Northern Ireland, Sunsets Never Wait is a story about love, loss, and the risks of hanging on to the past. No matter how much the world has let you down, there’s always a possibility for second chances.
Touched by Angels
Susan Sallis - 1996
Berry was the one who dazzled them - handsome, funny, sexy, he somehow symbolized that golden summer of the war when they all worked together on the farm. Then their world collapsed around them.
Morag, the strongest and quietest of the three girls, lost everything she held dear in one savage bombing. Vallery's beloved brother was killed in the desert war, and Jannie - well, Jannie had never had much to start with anyway. With a father away at war and a succession of 'uncles' passing through her mother's bedroom, she grew up both insecure and promiscuous. But still, she had Morag and Vallery.
When the Reid boys returned from the war it was Berry, the vibrant one, who had changed. Crippled, both in mind and body, he held the dream of Morag in his mind, even though it was Vallery he married. As they settled to a life in the remote cliff-side Abbey, away from everyone, so the old ties between the three girls and the Reid brothers grew more intense, more confused - and Morag, Vallery and Jannie discovered that Berry still had the power to draw them all to him.
Granny's No Angel
Ciara Threadgoode - 2014
A time of adjusting. She was trying to adjust to her grandmother's absence; she missed Granny's feisty sparkle. And trying to adjust to the recent realization that she was not biologically related to her beloved father. After some daring investigating, she and husband Gene had discovered that she and her brother had been conceived within her mother's passionate extra-marital love relationship. Granny's best friend had had a son that Cherry had never met. Heard about, but never met. Until recently, when she'd let him know that she knew she was his daughter. It was a time of adjusting. A time of recurring nightmares with the same scary theme and unexpected visits by those presumed to be gone forever. Dead and gone. A time when unexplained mysteries were solved. A time of fresh starts, when positive life changes were born. And old hurts were soothed. It was a time to re-connect with loved ones, in this dimension and others and eventually and inevitably, a time to let go of one of them.
BIG HAIR AND FLYING COWS
Dolores Wilson - 2014
To say the least. She calls Sweet Meadow, Georgia, home, where she works for her father doing auto repairs. She also drives the tow-truck, although Sweet Meadow's rather colorful denizens tend to treat Bertie more like the local, free taxi service. You know, someone has to get to a doctor's appointment or pick something up at the dry cleaners. Bertie's favorite day of the week is Friday, when she leaves the wrecker with her father for the whole weekend and joins her friends at the Dew Drop Inn for a night of dancing. Her best friend, Mary Lou, sometimes fixes her up with dubious dates, although Bertie has to remind her friend not to tease her hair too high for those occasions. Like the time when they went to Carrie Sue's open house, and a ceramic cow with angel wings hanging from a ceiling fan locked its hooves into Bertie's big hair and refused to let go. She had to wear it all night, dangling chain and all. Bertie's nearly perfect life is about to take a downhill turn, however. It starts when her landlord, Pete, currently a resident in a nearby nursing home, starts showing up at her house. In his birthday suit. A very badly wrinkled birthday suit. And then she goes to her mailbox, a rubber large mouth bass, and finds a notice from the zoning commission saying she can no longer park the wrecker in her driveway. The notice is signed by George Bigham. But when she goes to the courthouse to take care of her little problem, it is only to discover George Bigham is deceased. And Mary Lou's pregnancy test just came up positive. Can it get any worse? In a word... yes.
What We Had
Jacalyn Wilson - 2016
From the foothills of North Carolina to the mountains of West Virginia, Birdie weaves her story with homespun simplicity, creating a tapestry that vibrates with the colors and textures of her life and times, spinning a tale from the years before the Great Depression on up through the end of World War II. Enthralled by her first taste of womanhood, she follows her heart with the man of her dreams, only to find that life is not fair. Or perfect. Or easy. Will she find the courage to risk everything in order to reclaim what she once had?
The Sweetwater Island Ferry Collection
Sophie Mays - 2019
One day I looked in the mirror and the strong, creative, feisty girl of my childhood wasn’t smiling back at me anymore. In my perfect world… I would be selling gourmet donuts, making art, be married to my high school sweetheart, and live in my dream house…. My aunt must’ve known something that I didn’t, because when she left me her cottage on Sweetwater Island, a tiny spark lit inside me. But the old Victorian house has been sitting vacant for so long, the idea of living there is a pipe dream. What would it take to restore the summer cottage of my childhood to its former glory? My sister thinks it's crazy, but... Could this be a second chance at the life I always dreamed of? TRISTAN From the moment she peeked her head around the corner of that weather-worn Victorian cottage, I knew there was something special about her. Then I realized that she was going to be one of those clients that thought being involved in the renovation project was helpful…when really, she was just going to get in the way. But why did she have to end up being so beautiful, and so…likeable? No, this is a job. Besides, love isn’t in the cards for me anymore. People with dark secrets like mine don’t deserve a chance at true happiness. Yet every time she comes around I can’t help but wonder… What if I'm still salvageable like this old seaside cottage? This Trilogy Includes: ♥ BOOK 1 - For Love…and Donuts ♥ BOOK 2 - To Love…and Renovate ♥ BOOK 3 - With Love…and Reality TV ….. Follow along on Virginia and Tristan’s journey from perfect strangers to unexpected home improvement darlings in the Sweetwater Island Ferry trilogy! Along the way, meet their friends and family, who remind us that a happy, fulfilling life requires having big dreams, faith in the impossible, and a little TLC.
The Other Side of Heartache
Sarah Jo Smith - 2013
Summoned to her childhood home to sort through Penny’s belongings, the timing couldn’t be worse. Grieving over her losses and exhausted from a demanding teaching schedule, she worries that her marriage is collapsing under the pressure. While packing her mother’s closet, Grace discovers a box filled with mysterious keepsakes and old diaries written in Penny’s hand and takes them home. After reading pages filled with typical musings of a teenage girl from a generation ago, she stumbles upon a dark secret and is devastated to learn that what she believed her whole life about her family was based on lies.As Grace digs beneath the Rose family tree, she unearths more than one skeleton buried there. All the while, she must endure the wrath of her grandmother, Eleanor, who is determined to block her efforts to find out what happened when Penny was seventeen, as well as the underlying cause of her premature death. Yet Eleanor harbors a well-kept secret of her own, one more deceitful and calculating than Penny’s sin. Grace’s journey through an emotional labyrinth of passion, shame, and manipulation not only leads to more shocking revelations but also changes the course she had mapped for her life.Through a story told in alternating voices between the past and present where old morals and double standards from the historical 1950s and ‘60s clash with modern day values, Grace must decide if it’s worth taking an unforeseen risk to reaffirm her belief in the power of love. BOOK GROUP GUIDE INCLUDED.