Book picks similar to
The Gift by Kim Pritekel


lesbian
mystery
career-day
culinary-or-baker-or-coffee-shop

Coffee for Two


Sienna Waters - 2019
    Escaping from a tumultuous past in California, she moves to Oakview seeking tranquility. She’s done with love, done with excitement, all she needs is a little calm and quiet, and her independence. Lucy Ford has finally achieved her dream of becoming a police officer. Now that she has what she wants, she needs to deal with what she doesn’t want. And with a house full of stray cats, the one thing that Lucy doesn’t want is yet someone else to look after. But when Jazz’s past begins to catch up with her, Lucy can’t stop herself from stepping in to help Jazz clean up the mess. And as much as Jazz doesn’t want to get attached, she just can’t stop the feelings that the beautiful cop elicits... Sometimes the only way a relationship can work is through compromise. But can Jazz allow Lucy to chip away at her independence? And can Lucy allow herself just one more stray to take care of? Coffee for Two is a standalone FF romance novella set in the Oakview universe, with a HEA ending. Oakview books can be read in any order, just be prepared to see some familiar faces around town!

The Disappeared


Nicole Pyland - 2018
    Her brother had been the favored child. Ada had been the only witness to his disappearance. Her life changed the day the police officer assigned to the case made Ada a promise that she’d find Noah Cramer.Dylan Easton had many cases over the course of her career as a detective. She only had one case though that she’d describe as the one she’d never let go. It had started the day she’d made a promise to a fourteen-year-old girl that she’d find her brother.Ten years after Noah’s disappearance, the two women are reunited when a true crime series wants to highlight the anniversary of the missing boy. Ada is now ten years older and still bitter about the way her life had taken a turn that day. Dylan is now a detective on her way to running her own team. When the two women meet up after all these years, there’s an unwanted spark between them that they attempt to deny.A new lead in the case mixed with some startling discoveries has these two women attempting to balance their new and confusing attraction to one another along with the possibility of finding Noah Cramer.

Whispering Pines


Mavis Applewater - 2008
    On the morning of October 31, 1916, the servants arrived early to discover Captain Stratton alone in the house, sitting calmly in his study and smoking his pipe. His wife and sister were missing, and what the maid found in the kitchen sent her screaming from the house. Almost one hundred years later, paranormal investigator Shawn Williams agrees to spend the night in the mysterious manor. She finds the stories about Whispering Pines almost as intriguing as her companion for the evening. Faith Charles, former reporter turned professional skeptic, isnt thrilled at the prospect of spending the night in a house where strange things have already begun to happen. Then again, to spend the night with Shawn, Faith might be willing to endure anything. Shawn and Faith begin their adventure together, possibly finding love along the way. The only thing standing in their way is the mystery of Whispering Pines.

Meet Me in the Middle


Yvonne Heidt - 2017
    She wasn't looking for a relationship. She’d already had the perfect one. She certainly wasn't attracted to fancy pants executive, Ms. Zane Whitman - she wasn't her type. Zane Whitman had it all. Stellar career, wealth, exclusive social circle, and models vying for her attention. Impulsive, emotionally charged Aislin was not her type. Two women from the opposite side of the tracks. Neither one expects meddling from an unexpected source on the Other side. Neither one knows the train is coming. Wait for it.

Thick as Thieves


Cara Malone - 2019
     Madison Blackstone is a lone wolf thief on a mission to win back the only family she has left. When a rare book surfaces on the black market, it’s just the thing to buy her brother’s love. The only thing is, she has to quit the heist lifestyle to earn his trust. Madison has planned her final job meticulously, but even in her wildest dreams she could never anticipate a rival like Cass. Cass Hartley is fallen swindler royalty… fallen ever since her foolish heart got her legendary parents caught and jailed. A rare book with a hefty reward to pay back old debts should go a long way to clearing her conscience, and it should be an easy job - if Cass was the only one going after it. When Cass and Madison meet, it’s inside a bank vault at midnight and they’re both reaching for the same safe deposit locker. Things go sideways fast as crew rivalries, double-crosses and vicious guard poodles foil their plans. And then there’s the undeniable attraction building between them in tight spaces, dark rooms and adrenaline-fueled adventures. It has Madison questioning her choice to go clean, Cass wondering if she’s falling into the same old traps, and their crews wondering what the heck got into them. Working together is the only way to get the book, but can they trust each other with the most precious treasure of all – their hearts? From the bestselling Cara Malone and Anna Cove comes a fun, flirty book heist with twists, turns, and an unexpected romance.

Redemption


Susanne M. Beck - 2000
    Angel searches for freedom but instead finds pain and prison before finally reaching redemption.

It's Complicated


Evelyn Dar - 2018
    And who could blame her? Caitlyn is smart, generous and the kind of beautiful that makes Bailey’s stomach do backflips, then front flips, then somersaults. Needless to say, Caitlyn’s perfect in every way…well, she would be if she wasn’t Bailey’s high school English teacher. On graduation night, fueled by liquid courage, Bailey does the unthinkable and confesses her love to her former teacher. She’s all in and hopes Caitlyn will be too. Who cares if there’s an obstacle…or two…or ten in their path? True love conquers all, doesn’t it?

Riding on High


Natalie Debrabandere - 2019
    After a terrible accident put an end to her career, Lucy found new purpose in running the Starlight Ranch, an equine therapy centre located in the French Pyrenees. There, she helps First Responders and Army vets deal with the PTSD and depression that once almost destroyed her. Fifty-year-old Hollywood heavyweight Iris Sinclair is at the top of her own career, having just won two Academy Awards. The tiny village of Oleyrac would not normally be on her list of places to visit, but a dangerous stalker soon makes it her only option for refuge. As a chance encounter brings them together, both women discover that the true love they believed was out of reach might be possible after all... But will a dark, evil, and unavoidable force destroy their future? ***** “Vintage Lesfic… Couldn’t put it down!” ***** “Suspense, tension, a thrilling romance... Brilliant!” *****

To Love and Protect


Mardria Portuondo - 2020
    That's it. And I would be great at it if I didn't have to let in its owner, Lillian Codwell. I start to fail at this simple job on the very first day because that is all it takes to recognize that this woman, so out of my league, is the one my life has been missing. It turns out that loving Lillian is easy, protecting her becomes the greatest challenge of my life.

Chain Reactions


Lynn Ames - 2019
     Now in her adult years and a sought-after scientist herself, Diana learns that Nora is dying. She hires private-duty nurse Brooke Sheldon to care for Nora. Over the days and weeks spent in Nora’s company, Diana and Brooke are privy to Nora’s long-held secrets, along with her deep-seated regrets. Trapped in a failing body, but with a keen mind, Nora Lindstrom watches as the spark of attraction between her great-niece and her caregiver grows into a flame. Determined to help the two younger women find the kind of deep love they so richly deserve, Nora makes a fateful decision that brings the past and the present directly onto a collision course. After all this time, it’s still about chain reactions.

Wind and Sea


C.L. Ryder - 2018
    Not in high school, not in art school, and not since she’d gotten her work into major galleries across the country. It’s not that she doesn’t want it—she’s just never found the right woman—until a trip to the beach put her right onto Cammy’s canvas. The mysterious surfer in red. She’s charming and sexy, and Cammy can’t get her out of her mind… but there’s only one problem: The girl is 100% undeniably straight. Lei Castle is a real free spirit. She’s traveled the world with only her surfboard, and now she’s finally back home in the California. With her van set up on the beach, her only worry is how the waves are going to be that day. When Cammy shows up at her private cove the two are drawn into a close friendship, and Lei takes it upon herself to show the risk-averse painter how to have a little excitement. As Cammy falls deeper in love with her friend, it becomes harder and harder to keep her tremendous desires a secret. Will she suffer the pain of unrequited love for as long as they’re together? How can the tides of fate make an impossible love a reality?

A Dark Horse


Blayne Cooper - 2015
    It happened so slowly she barely noticed... Then it was too late. On the cusp of landing her dream job, Natalie is forced to New Orleans in search of her runaway teenaged brother Joshua. Desperately short of clues, she's grateful that NOPD Detective Adele Lejeune seems to genuinely care. Detective Lejeune's interest in Joshua's disappearance dangerously shifts from professional to intensely personal, as do her feelings for Natalie. The women doggedly navigate the depths of the city's seething underbelly as they work to solve the tangled mystery that is poised to crush Natalie's heart and leave Adele's life in ruins. Best-selling, award-winning author Blayne Cooper exposes the intrigue of the Big Easy in this epic story of dedication, risk and passion.

This Time


S.W. Andersen - 2018
    Neuropsychologist Dr. Contessa “Tess” Kenner isn’t one of them. She can explain in detail how lust and desire cause the limbic system to battle the prefrontal cortex over ethical decision making, but ask her about her aversion to relationships and she’s completely at a loss. It’s not due to lack of trying. She’s just never felt the need or the connection to put in the effort. Free spirited artist Elena Jake, on the other hand, wants to fall in love with the woman of her dreams—quite literally. Ever since her youth, her nights have been consumed by a beautiful stranger, so much so, that no flesh and blood woman has ever been able to measure up. When the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, she seeks guidance from her Native American roots. Driven by strong astrological influences, the “powers that be” attempt an intervention between the two women. Their pasts and presents merge, sending Tess and Elena on an unimaginable journey, causing them both to question their sanities. Will these two souls rediscover an epic love? Or are they destined to forever be star-crossed lovers? This paranormal romance is a must read for every true romantic who believes true love knows no bounds.

Strong Hearts


Ellie Green - 2019
    She expects to find an empty house. Instead, she finds a naked woman in the bathtub. A beautiful, naked woman. Tilly can’t decide if she’s angry at Eva or attracted to her, but either way they can’t avoid each other in the small community. A quiet break in the country is turning out to be anything but for Tilly. But it might also be exactly what she needs. As attraction turns to romance, she learns there is more to Eva than meets the eye. Eva is strong, and strength is what Tilly needs when she has to face the fight that is waiting for her in the city. Will she be strong enough to overcome what stands between her and a chance at happiness?

In Plain Sight


R.E. Gauthier - 2017
    Losing loved ones made her an automated survivor living life with anger as her driving force until one day she finds herself leading an important taskforce formed to solve a series of gruesome murders. This case forces her to face a reality in her life she hasn't known before: loneliness. Separating herself from family and working relentlessly is not working for her anymore. Challenges she faces with this case are like no other: not much evidence, few clues, and no witnesses. She questions whether she has what it takes to solve these murders before the murderer can strike again. That's when her dreams begin to change everything; they may be able to help her find the clues if she can listen to them. When she goes in search for a woman who may well have seen the killer, she begins to have feelings she had long since locked behind her walls. These feelings are too strong to ignore and they threaten to topple those walls, leaving Kelsey without their protection. Can she cope without hiding from the REAL Kelsey MacGregor? Can she still solve this case, while shutting down emotions, that bubble up at every turn? OR will SSA MacGregor learn to accept who and what she is and stop a serial murderer from killing again? Follow FBI Senior Special Agent Kelsey MacGregor on her journey of self-discovery as she scrambles to stop the killing and finds the woman who will change her life forever.