Book picks similar to
Summer at Hollyhock House by Cathy Bussey


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Sweet Home Summer


Michelle Vernal - 2021
    Burnt out and tired of an unfulfilling profession and lousy boyfriends, it’s time for her to go home.Arriving back in cosy Bibury to stay with her grandmother, Bridget, everything is charmingly familiar. Even her childhood sweetheart, Ben, is as handsome as she remembered…And when she discovers a stack of long-forgotten Valentine’s Day cards, Isla, with the help of Ben, begins to realise exactly what is most important in life.

The Summer Getaway


Tilly Tennant - 2018
    But nothing can prepare her for the shock of discovering who’s staying in the villa next door… Ashley Moon got much more than a suntan on her first ever foreign holiday; one whirlwind romance and nine months later she had a daughter,Molly. Too heart-broken and proud to ever contact the father, Ashley made a decision to go it alone and raise her daughter herself. Fifteen hard and lonely years later, she finally has the chance to take Molly on her first ever holiday; a gorgeous, all-expenses paid trip to the charming French resort of St Raphael. It is the perfect setting for a week of quality time together; they plan to cycle through the sun-drenched vineyards, lounge by the glistening pool and practice their French on friendly locals. And just when Ashley thought things couldn’t get any better, comes the news of a handsome new occupant to the villa next door. But fate has other plans for Ashley. One look in to her neighbour’s dark hazel eyes is all it takes to give her the shock of her life. Standing in front of her is Haydon, Molly’s long lost father and the holiday fling she thought she’d never see again. As the temperature on the Cote D’Azure steadily rises and Ashley and Haydon begin spend more and more time together, will Ashley find the courage to tell him who she is – and more importantly, who Molly is? A wonderfully heart-warming story of first love and second chances for fans of Jenny Oliver and Lucy Diamond.

Villa Azure


Melissa Hill - 2019
     Life is sweet for Joanna until the day she gets a call from a lawyer in Greece that knocks her for six. Her father, whom she has never met, has died. Her late mother was always reticent to discuss a vacation romance she had over two decades ago on a tiny Greek island called Skiathos, and Joanna - a hopeless romantic at heart - has always tried to fill in the blanks. According to the lawyer, her father has left her an inheritance. The condition? Joanna must travel to the island to see it for herself...

Under a Starry Sky


Laura Kemp - 2020
    I loved it!' MILLY JOHNSONon The Year of Surprising Acts of KindnessOne summer to change her life...Wanda Williams has always dreamed of leaving her wellies behind her and travelling the world! Yet every time she comes close to following her heart, life always seems to get in the way.So, when her mother ends up in hospital and her sister finds out she's pregnant with twins, Wanda knows that only she can save the crumbling campsite at the family farm.Together with her friends in the village, she sets about sprucing up the site, mowing the fields, replanting the allotment and baking homemade goodies for the campers.But when a long-lost face from her past turns up, Wanda's world is turned upside-down. And under a starry sky, anything can happen...Praise for Laura Kemp:'Warm, funny, sweet...what a fab read' LUCY DIAMOND'A truly wonderful and heart-warming read' HEIDI SWAIN'An absolute joy' ISABELLE BROOM'I loved it' CLARE MACKINTOSH'An adorable life-affirming book' ROWAN COLEMAN'Moments that will steal your heart' MIRANDA DICKINSON

The Cosy Castle on the Loch: Spring


Alice Ross - 2018
    But when she finds herself whipped up in a whirl of activity at Glenduff Castle to neatly tie up the rest of her life for her, she begins to panic.With pressure coming at her from all sides, the easiest option is for Flora to go along with it all. But will the appearance of a handsome stranger at Glenduff provide her with a more attractive alternative?

The Bistro by Watersmeet Bridge


Julie Stock - 2019
    When her father finally puts his trust in her and sends her to a failing restaurant in Devon, she’s confident she can prove herself capable of doing the job.Finn Anderson is about to lose his beloved seaside bistro, unless the bank can find a buyer to dig him out. When George Fuller offers Finn a deal, he has no choice but to accept if he wants any chance of getting his bistro back one day. And then the new manager arrives…Even after meeting the prickly chef and discovering his complete lack of business skills, Olivia is confident she can turn the struggling business round. But as Olivia and Finn start working together, a mutual attraction develops between them, and soon, nothing is going according to Olivia’s plan. When there’s a real chance that the bistro might be sold off, Olivia and Finn determine to fight for it, united by their hard work and their growing feelings for each other.But can they save the bistro and be together, or does destiny have a different path in mind?A feel-good contemporary romance set in a bistro beside the sea in Devon.

The Story After Us


Fiona Perrin - 2018
    Now she has two children, a terrifyingly large mortgage, and no idea who she has become - or why she and her husband can't even be in the same room anymore. With life as she knew it in tatters around her, Ami is heartbroken, and in no way pulling off 'consciously uncoupling' like a celeb. But she's starting to wonder if she just might come out the other side and be... happier? As funny as Helen Fielding, as poignantly touching as Marian Keyes, Fiona Perrin's dazzling debut is a story that is as much about finding out who you really are again, as it is about the exhausting balancing act of motherhood. Unmissable for women everywhere.

Summer by the Lake


Mandy Baggot - 2020
    But does she have the strength to do it?Cole Ryan is on a personal mission. Tall, dark and handsome, Robyn has certainly noticed the brooding hockey player around town. But can she trust her feelings – or his? But she can't risk the past she's kept buried for so long coming out and he hasn't opened his heart for a long time.Will the two of them be able to finally open up, and let themselves, just maybe, fall in love...Previously published as Taking Charge.

The Billionaire's Collateral


Simone Rivers - 2019
    I'm the collateral. It wasn't supposed to be like this. My life was simple. Carefree. Mundane. I thought I knew everything about my past...and about my father. That was before he stormed in. Beautiful and strong, I knew immediately he was trouble. But I didn't think he was deadly. I was wrong. A man like him gets what he wants...and he wants me. Not just for one month, but for forever.

Evie's Little Black Book


Hannah Pearl - 2018
    What’s wrong with her and why can’t she keep a man? In between consoling herself with ice cream and chocolate, and sobbing her heart out to her cousin Chamaine, Evie has a brainwave – and it all centres around her ‘little black book’ (well, more floral patterned notebook really) – which contains the details of every man she’s ever kissed or dated. Perhaps the cure for her disastrous love life has been nestled within its pages all along … Does Evie’s little black book really hold the answers, or will she learn that exes are exes for a reason?

Women Behaving Badly


Frances Garrood - 2012
     Mavis is juggling caring for her elderly, confused mother alongside her long-standing affair with a hypochondriac father-of-two. And Gabs is a high-class escort who’s fallen in love with someone completely unattainable. All three women are behaving in ways very much frowned upon by the Catholic Church. But their priest, Father Cuthbert is determined to reform them. As the three women strike up an unlikely friendship, each re-evaluates what is most important them. And it seems the not-so-holy trinity of Alice, Mavis, and Gabs can’t be ‘cured’ that easily… WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY is an uplifting romantic comedy about women finding their identities and learning the value of female friendships. It is a holiday read about sex & relationships that is full of humour, wit and tear-jerking reality, from a strong voice in women’s fiction. ‘a deftly painted and witty story’ – Eliza Graham ‘an interesting story well told, with just the right amount of humour’ – librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.co.uk ‘Funny, clever, wry and poignant’ - randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.co.uk ‘Frances Garrood is a magnificent writer’ - thebookbag.co.uk

Summer at 23 The Strand


Linda Mitchelmore - 2018
    It’s a small act of kindness that starts a magical tradition all summer long…A delightfully uplifting holiday read, perfect for fans of Lilly Bartlett, Tilly Tennant and Eve Devon.

A Recipe for Disaster: A deliciously feel-good romance


Belinda Missen - 2018
    Surrounded by friends and family in a small town by the sea, Lucy can easily suppress the feeling that something is missing from her life.But when a blast from the past arrives in the form of her estranged husband, international celebrity chef Oliver Murray, Lucy’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble beneath her like overbaked meringue.Is Oliver’s return all business or is it motivated by something more?A Recipe for Disaster starts long after most love stories would have ended, proving it is never too late to offer someone a second slice of cake or a second chance. Perfect for fans of Carole Mathews, Mhairi McFarlane and Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Can't Get You Out of My Head


Sue Shepherd - 2018
    But it's time to get on with her life. Could a seductive Italian, a smooth-talking charmer or backpacking around Australia be the answer?Lisa feels she's always lived in her sister's shadow. Maybe now it's her turn for some fun, whatever the consequences. But will her drunken antics land Beth in trouble?And when it comes to the crunch, will one sister have to give up what she wants so the other can have what she needs?Another entertaining page-turner from the No.1 bestselling author of Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret? – where things, and people, are not always as they first appear!

Alpha Ever After: A Complete Contemporary Romance Collection


Kelli Walker - 2020
    No Cliffhangers and a HEA!