Book picks similar to
Dreams for Stones by Ann Warner


romance
chick-lit
fiction
contemporary-romance

Heads or Tails


Leslie A. Gordon - 2015
    Deeply committed to her devoutly childless marriage, Hillary doesn’t know the first thing about infants – and has zero interest in learning. But Margot’s postpartum depression has reached a dangerous peak. With the baby a sperm donor production and Margot’s mother Jean suffering from Parkinson’s, there’s no one else. And for reasons nobody knows, Hillary owes both Margot and Jean.Fans of Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner will be drawn to the fresh premise of HEADS OR TAILS, a story that explores themes of friendship and loyalty and what happens when your core identity is challenged. The gripping second novel from the author of Cheer: A Novel, Beshert and Peeps, HEADS OR TAILS will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page."Gordon really hits it out of the park...a terrific follow-up to the author’s absorbing Cheer: A Novel." -- CHICK LIT CENTRAL"[A] a beautiful examination of family." -- Girly Book Club

Island Refuge


Kimberly Rose Johnson - 2015
    Did she make a mistake? Her engagement off, Zoe Griffin retreats to tiny Wildflower Island in the Puget Sound. Hiding out as a cook and maid at a shabby bed-and-breakfast seems crazy for a chef who’s used to running her own five-star kitchen. And just as she starts to feel at home, her klutzy mishaps make Zoe fear her handsome new boss will fire her. Dr. Nick Jackson is done with medicine, and owning a B&B is as far from doctoring as he can get. He needs help, but his only employee’s mistakes give him doubts. As Zoe lets her defenses down, Nick begins to see a competent and caring woman. One whose wounds are as deep as his own. But as they fall for each other, Nick and Zoe must learn the hardest lesson of all—to forgive. Only then can they heal the past and embrace the future . . . together. Author Bio Kimberly Rose Johnson, soon to be empty-nester, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their yellow lab. Island Refuge is her sixth published book and the first in a series of three. Kimberly enjoys long walks, chocolate, and mochas, not necessarily in that order.

The Apple of My Eye


Mary Ellen Bramwell - 2014
    When she finally emerges from the fog of her life, it dawns on her that something is amiss in the way her husband died. As Brea searches for answers, she discovers things she never knew... and things she's not sure she wants to know. Delving into unsolved mysteries brings several questions to the forefront of Brea's thoughts, and she must decide if moving forward can erase the heartache and mistakes.

All the Lies


Charlotte Byrd - 2020
    It's probably a joke but given what just happened in my personal life, it's an excuse to get away.The last person I expect to see there is him, the dashing and mysterious stranger who was the only man who knew the truth that night.He invites me inside under one condition: everything he says is off the record. He'll answer my questions but I can't write about him.Then things get even more complicated.Something happens between us. His touch ignites a spark. His eyes make me weak at the knees. We can't do this. But then he looks at me in a way that no one has ever looked at me and I can't say no...

A Colorful Life: Drawn in Broken Crayon


Melissa Storm - 2015
    Rather than dealing with the fall-out, she locks herself in her studio and works tirelessly toward completing her art school portfolio. Unfortunately, fate isn't done with Daly quite yet. Time and time again, a handsome stranger refuses to be ignored, forcing her to come to grips with the loss she's been harboring for years and to trust herself to love again. Their whirlwind romance transports her from the drab Midwest straight to the bold and colorful capitol city of India where a slew of quirky characters cast a stark contrast to her world at home. Will Daly continue to fade into the background of her own life, or will her journey transform her into exactly who she needs to be? A Colorful Life Drawn in Broken Crayon weaves a tale of friendship, ambition, and adventure while illustrating that sometimes what we want the least is what we need the most.

A Second Chance Summer


Katharine E. Smith - 2018
    How will he react to her return, and what changes have the intervening ten years meant for them both? Still recovering from a toxic relationship, Alice realises she has allowed life to become too predictable, while Julie has just ended things with the man she was due to marry. The two friends decide to throw caution to the wind; coming back to Cornwall, where they spent a long, happy summer before life got serious. As they return to the same small flat in the centre of town, and seasonal jobs at the Sail Loft Hotel, Alice harbours both hopes and fears of finding Sam, while Julie is determined to enjoy the freedom she’s been missing. A lot can change in ten years, though, as their friend Luke - now a handsome, successful businessman – proves. Back in Cornwall himself to spend time with his seriously ill mum, he and Julie form a close relationship. Alice is worried that her friend is making a huge mistake and, all-but-abandoned, starts to spend time with single mum Casey. Sam, meanwhile, proves elusive but slowly reveals that, although he appears not to have changed at all, the previous decade has been eventful for him, too. It's not all about the boys, though. Alice and Julie's strong, honest friendship will quickly draw you to them. Alice can be opinionated, Julie reckless, but both are quick-witted, funny, warm and ambitious. The county of Cornwall, famous for its rugged coastlines, glorious beaches and picturesque harbour towns, provides a vivid backdrop for the perfectly paced beginning of this cracking new series. Is it possible to relive the best time of your life? Alice and Julie are about to find out. Book Two of the series will be out in Spring 2018 with the final book scheduled for release later the same year.

Ashes of Life


Erica Lucke Dean - 2015
    A must read!" ~ Kate Moretti, NYT Bestselling Author of "Thought I Knew You" ""An emotionally rewarding story of hope, commitment, and the modern family." ~ Claire Ashby, NYT Bestselling Author of "When You Make It Home" "An exquisite tale of love and acceptance, rich with unforgettable characters." ~ Kelly Stone Gamble, Author of They Call Me Crazy Married for just three months, Alex Barrett is stunned when her husband, David, dies in a tragic accident. And the absolute last thing the pregnant young widow wants is to take on responsibility for his teenage daughter, Maddie. Reeling from loss, Alex struggles to deal with her grief and her troubled stepdaughter, but one question haunts her: why was David with his ex-wife when he died? All Maddie Barrett wanted was for her parents to get back together, but an icy road took that dream away. Afterward, Maddie is riddled with guilt that she can’t share with anyone. Feeling angry and alone, she lays all the blame on Alex. Alex and Maddie must find a way to move past their pain—shared, yet separate. Thrown together in an untenable arrangement, they fight through a frozen landscape of sorrow and redemption while redefining love, forgiveness, and family.

Amy's Wish


Kay Harris - 2018
    Due to a traumatic past, romance is the furthest thing from her mind. But when a new job opportunity brings her face-to-face with the only man she’s ever had a crush on, Amy’s journey to make her wish come true takes an unexpected path. Carlos Diaz has been burned in the past and he’s reminded of it every day because his ex-wife still works with him at this best friend’s candle company. But he seems to completely forget all the reasons he should stay away from women when Amy walks into his department. A complicated history, over-protective family, interfering best friend, and evil-intentioned ex-wife all conspire to keep Amy and Carlos apart. Despite the hurdles, they will fight to make their wishes come true.

The Rosebud Girls


Julia Clemens - 2021
    The five of them promised that if it ever went up for sale, they'd buy it. Together. So when real estate mogul Callie sees it for sale, she knows it's time to pounce. Except that all of her friends seem to be holding back when they should be pressing forward. So Callie decides it's up to her to help them take the leap. As part owner of one of the hottest restaurants in San Francisco, Saffron is living the life. Well, if the life includes working fourteen hour days and having the work load of her partners heaped onto her while they sat back and accepted all of the accolades. But she's great. She is fine. She's still executive chef and doing what she loves. Except when she begins to realize that she isn't spending any time with the people she loves. So when Callie storms into Saffron's kitchen telling her that the lodge is up for sale, their lodge is up for sale, Saffron has to re-evaluate. Is she really living her dream? As a high-powered CFO, Kenzie has achieved every success she could have imagined. She is married to the beautiful man of her dreams, is working the job she's always desired, and has a penthouse condo to boot. But when that man of her dreams drops earth shattering news, Kenzie is second guessing everything. She's where she's supposed to be, isn't she? Then why when the going got tough did home, the Rosebud Girls, and even the lodge call to her? The only thing worse than a divorce...a public divorce. But when one is married to the biggest country star of the decade and then becomes no longer married to him, that's news. And while Hazel isn't too broken up about the end of her marriage, it was a long time coming, she is concerned about her two teenaged boys who love her and idolize their father. She knows tearing their family apart isn't what she would have wanted to do. And she didn't. But when Owen, her ex, asked for a divorce, Hazel wouldn't fight him. And she does come out of the divorce with everything she wants, including full custody of her boys. So she moves to the place that will heal them all, Rosebud. But when healing doesn't come fast enough for either of her children, Hazel isn't sure what to do, especially when her oldest, Chase, decides that everything wrong in his life is Hazel's fault. Will Hazel be able to fix things before Chase tries to leave Rosebud for good? Laurel has a secret. One she can't even tell her friends. So even as the four of them decide that they need to buy their lodge, Laurel can't. Not without revealing what is about to blow not only her marriage and her life, but the maybe entire town of Rosebud apart. And she can't do that. Not yet. So it means she has to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime with the girls she loves like family. Meet the Rosebud Girls as they join back together to fulfill their childhood dream. Ups and downs are promised as well as an eventual happy ending. Because with women like this who always have one another's backs, if things aren't happy, the journey isn't quite at its end yet.

Down on Love


Jayne Denker - 2013
    And will share it with you. Even if you don’t ask.Georgiana Down isn’t interested in romance, thank you very much. Newly single after escaping a toxic, emotionally abusive ex, George is perfectly happy being alone, running her successful blog, Down on Love, where she gives gloves-off advice to the lovelorn. And baking the occasional pie as, you know, therapy. When her sister Sera wages a campaign to get her to return to their small hometown of Marsden, a place George had fled fifteen years earlier, it’s the last thing George wants to do. But the pull of family is strong...and no one ever truly escapes the eccentric, insular, odd little town in the heart of New York’s Catskill Mountains. Maybe she can cope if she avoids gossipy neighbors...and one particular Marsden resident who broke her heart years ago...Casey Bowen would know George Down’s unusual pink car anywhere...but he never expected to see it tearing through the streets of Marsden long after George left town and never looked back. Casey manages to escape with his toes intact, but his heart is another matter. As a teenager, Casey had been fascinated by the ethereal, mysterious George, but he never made a move on his friend’s younger sister...until one fateful night....After that, everything went sideways, and George and Casey went on to live very different lives.Now they’re both back in Marsden, both single...and the attraction is still there. George and Casey could have a second chance at happiness...as long as their meddling neighbors don’t screw everything up.

Dancing With Lies


Summer Cooper - 2021
    until he appeared.Lincoln-the swim team captain turned tech billionaire.Gorgeous, clean-shaven, and... oh so vanilla. There's no space for him in this dark world of hers.Especially if she wants to leave the past where it belongs and her secrets hidden.DANCING WITH LIES is a full-length novel containing mature language and adult scenes. It's the first book in the Barre To Bar series.

Seven Days of Friday


Alex A. King - 2014
    They’re picking apart her sanity, one stitch at a time. She’s crawling along rock bottom when the arrival of a mysterious package opens a new door to a new country. A desperate Vivi dives headfirst into the quicksand that is Greece—her parents’ birthplace.But it’s a paradise far from perfect, and instead of the new beginning she covets, Vivi discovers trouble is determined to keep her in its pocket. Soon she’s fighting for her daughter’s life in a Greek hospital, clashing with her Greek relatives, and cobbling together an inadequate cage around her heart, lest she fall for an unavailable man.Before this story ends, somebody will be dead. And if some people are to be believed, this particular death is a good thing. A blessing, of sorts . . . .

A Matter of Trust


Kat Faitour - 2015
    But did she also steal his fortune? British financier Bennett Sterling steers his world with iron control and cold determination. Burned by a lover long ago, he guards his heart and business with wary resolve. Devon Sinclair is a brilliant economist, poised for sure success. Intent on making her own way, she tells no one of her complicated past and grifter family. Passions explode when Devon meets Bennett and neither can deny their fiery attraction. But when corporate accounts are stolen, the evidence points to her and the stakes climb higher. Will Bennett see beyond the lies to trust the woman he loves? Or will Devon condemn them both by doubting his loyalty? In the powerful world of London finance, it turns out trust is the most valuable commodity of all.

Meridian File


C.B. Samet - 2018
    He wants an uncomplicated assignment. As a celebrity stalker targets Aurora Meridian, the Rider team--Mason and Maxine--are drawn into the sinister underworld of the Russian mafia. Aurora and Mason fight for their lives and each other while Maxine Rider discovers the lines she must cross and the sacrifices to be made to keep her client and her team safe.

The Last Goodbye


Caroline Finnerty - 2013
    . . and sometimes we cannot shake off the shackles of decisions made by others in the past.Kate Flynn has spent her whole life running away. She reckons the best decision she ever made was to leave Ireland the day after she finished school. Having seldom returned since, she would be perfectly happy if she never had to go back there. She is happy in London where she runs a successful photography gallery with her best friend Nat, though their relationship is going through a rocky patch since Nat began an affair with a married man. When Kate becomes pregnant and her partner Ben persuades her to make the trip home, she is forced to confront everything she left behind and memories of Eva, the mother she feels betrayed her. Kate finds it impossible to forgive Eva who chose to refuse cancer treatment while pregnant and died, leaving a young family motherless. Do some wounds go too deep to ever heal? Must Eva's Choice forever deny Kate real happiness?The Last Goodbye is a powerful story of love and loss, forgiveness and new beginnings - a heart-wrenching and emotional page-turner for mothers and daughters everywhere.