Book picks similar to
Mixed Signals by Diane Barnes


contemporary-romance
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Girlfriend, Interrupted: From carefree twenty-something to instant mother-of-two...


Patricia Caliskan - 2018
     Enjoys walking barefoot across shards of broken home. Likes loaded silences, resentment and insomnia. Dislikes romantic weekends, lie-ins and any chance of future happiness. Former GSOH. Developing PTSD. Ella Shawe was undomesticated, unattached and uninhibited. Until she met Dan. Sexy, charming and funny, Dan ticked all the right boxes and Ella threw herself head-first into the whirlwind romance. But now she’s moved into his family home, complete with two demanding children and a hyperactive dog. Throw in Dan’s impossibly perfect ex-wife, Ella’s interfering sex therapist mother and the snooty and dismissive mother-in-law from Hell, and Ella is almost ready to throw in the towel. But, ready or not, Ella is part of the family now, and getting it right for Dan’s kids means getting it right for everyone. She just needs to figure out how to include herself in the mix… Girlfriend, Interrupted will have you laughing-out-loud, gasping in embarrassment and rooting for Ella all the way. This British romantic comedy is packed full of humour and has a delightful contemporary heroine at its heart.

Escape In You


Rachel Schurig - 2013
    A womanizer. A fighter. Dangerous. The type of guy most girls do their best to avoid. But Zoe Janes is no saint herself. In fact, she sees in Jet the perfect opportunity to distract herself from her responsibilities at home and the mistakes that keep her trapped there. He’s gorgeous, likes to party, and is clearly only interested in having fun—just like Zoe. The more time they spend together, the harder it is for Zoe to stick to her “fun only” mantra. Jet is getting under her skin, making her believe things could actually be different. She knows they’re both trapped by the sins of their past but Jet is starting to make her think freedom might actually be possible. And that makes him the most dangerous boy of all.

His Every Desire


Krista Lakes - 2016
    He's also known as the most powerful man in the bedroom. Every tabloid drips with gossip about his latest conquests, spreading rumors about his forceful and controlling behavior. No woman spends more than one night with him. No woman knows how to keep him. Tracy Collins is a down-on-her-luck waitress with big dreams. Dreams that a billionaire could make true, if only she knew what he wanted. When a freak accident leaves Tracy with the power to enter a man's dreams, she finds out Mr. Hayes' secret. He doesn't have a desire to control... He desires to be controlled... This standalone novel also includes two bonus novels, "Stepbrother Hero" and "Stepbrother's Gift!" I hope you enjoy them! :)

The Lies You Tell


Ruth Mancini - 2012
    Which is quite fitting really, given what happened.'Cambridge, 1992.For Lizzie Taylor, one moment changes her life forever. When she accidentally steps out in the path of an oncoming car, an old friend comes to her rescue and everything she thought made her happy starts to unravel: the long-term boyfriend no longer feels like her soulmate and her job isn't fulfilling anymore.Lizzie starts to make drastic changes, not knowing that a terrible betrayal will rip apart the new life she's built. Set in the early 1990s in Cambridge and London, it's a story of love, friendship, divided loyalties and the moral choices we face everyday.What readers are saying about The Lies You Tell:'The story is both entertaining and enlightening in equal measure. There is a poignancy which tugs at the heart strings ... I hope to be able to read more from this talented author in future novels' Jo Barton, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer.'A thought-provoking, intelligent read, that I wholeheartedly recommend' Bookworm.'I enjoyed the way it was written and found it really easy to read – in fact I couldn't put it down and finished it within 24 hours! I felt like I quickly got to know and love the characters – especially Lizzie. This is Ruth's first novel and I'm definitely looking forward to the next!' Esther Willis.'This is a beautifully written story and one that I would highly recommend. Ruth Mancini has a great talent and I will certainly be looking to read more by this talented author in the future' Torrenstp.

Thick Wood


Chloe Kincaid - 2019
     Check on the secluded mountain cabins my real estate firm had recently spent a bundle building. See if they could be turned into some sort of resort getaway for the rich and burned out. As the high-powered female CEO, I would do everything I could to make the project a success. But with three burly lumberjacks stomping around the forest, all shirtless and sweaty, muscles bulging, getting in my way, I can’t seem to get anything done. I just want some peace and quiet so I can concentrate. But Caleb, Mark, and Todd aren’t about to give me any of that. They have something else in mind. Come to think of it, so do I…

Without a Net


Jill Blake - 2014
     The problem? Convincing Eva to risk it all…without a net.

Rock Me To The Top (Gracefall: Vicious Love Tour Book One)


Victoria Zak - 2021
    Now one of the hottest metal bands on the charts, things are looking up, until a tragic accident threatens to rip the band apart. Can the guys recapture the beat that rocketed them to the top, or will they crash and burn?He believed the lie.Uber-sexy drummer, Joe Grace, has it all, except the one woman he wants to share it with, his best friend, Melody. When he hires Mel to manage his band’s tour, hot summer nights flame into a new passion neither can deny, but their fire ignites the darkness hiding behind long-buried secrets and lies. Lies that could lose him the woman he loves unless he bares his soul and lays it all on the line.She fell for the fantasy.Melody Sterling is no stranger to rock and roll. As the daughter of a legendary rocker, she had a front row seat to the destruction that lifestyle did to her parents’ relationship. Dating a rock star after that disaster? Out of the question! Until her best friend becomes one. Down on her luck—and apparently out of her mind—she joins Joe on their Gracefall summer tour, and soon finds herself falling fast for the fantasy of his crazy world. Now she must decide if her own dreams are worth fighting for, even if believing in herself again means losing the man she loves.

Birds in the Air


Frances O'Roark Dowell - 2016
    Her husband loves his new job and her kids are finding their way at school. But Emma — no natural when it comes to talking to strangers — will have to try a little harder, especially after the sweet, white-haired neighbor she first visits slams the door in her face.Luckily, a few of the quilters of Sweet Anne’s Gap adopt Emma and she soon finds herself organizing the quilt show for the town’s centennial celebration. But not everyone is happy to see the job go to an outsider, especially one who has befriended an outcast pursuing her own last best chance at redemption.With Birds in the Air, Frances O’Roark Dowell (winner of the Edgar Award, the William Allen White Award and the Christopher Medal) has created a warm, funny novel about fitting in, falling out and mending frayed relationships one stitch at a time.

Steeped in Love (Make Me a Match, #1)


Julie Evelyn Joyce - 2018
    Frustrated with her lack of success in romance, Addie turns to another gift her great-aunt passed on to her—the art of reading tea leaves—to aid her in her search for the ideal mate. Novelist Ethan Holtz is having a hard time sinking his teeth into his next project, but he finds Addie fascinating. Mainly for her ability to make her dates disappear in fifteen minutes or less. He can’t help but eavesdrop on her dates in the local coffee shop, his writing haven, and soon finds himself taking pointers on what not to do from her failed suitors. Though her methods seem nothing short of mad, he falls fast and hard for the pixie-haired pie-pusher. She thinks they’re all wrong for each other, but Ethan teams up with the tea leaves to prove they’re so right.

A Place to Hide


Sheila Norton - 2017
    Pursued by the demons left by her ex-boyfriend, she takes refuge in quiet Crickleford, a sleepy town in Dartmoor, where she can lay low.Life in Crickleford is quiet and peaceful, but it won’t be for long if people discover the truth about Emma’s past. Not wanting to make too much of a fuss, she ends up lying about why she's there - she's looking after some cats, she says - then suddenly the town’s new ‘pet-sitter’ is in high demand!While looking after an Alsatian, Emma finds all attention is on her, and the handsome young reporter from the local paper takes an interest in her story...Note: this is part one of a four-part serialised novel. The full length paperback will be available in April 2018