Book picks similar to
Make-Believe Marriage by Marilyn Shank


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The Summer of Going Topless


Liz Davies - 2019
    No one seems to notice her - not really. Heck, she often doesn’t notice herself, except for her monthly scrutiny in the mirror to check on her body’s steady slide towards middle age.But when her ancient, practical estate car is consigned to the scrap heap, Candice falls in love with a cute, purple convertible, and from that moment on her life begins to take on a whole new meaning. Strangers wave at her and people stop to talk, and suddenly she isn’t invisible any longer.Life seems to be looking up, especially when she meets silver fox and handy-man, Paul. There’s just one fly in the ointment, one thing that has her second-guessing herself.Is it the car that Paul sees - or is it her?

Everything We Keep


Kerry Lonsdale - 2016
    But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

Aloha Also Means Goodbye


Jessica Rosenberg - 2013
    Now they're in Hawaii for a big wedding vow renewal ceremony elaborately planned by Jo's mother. There's just one small issue, there’s something wrong with the wedding license issued in Africa and only Jo knows.Little does she know that the wedding license will soon prove to be the least of her problems.Her ex, the man she was running from when she met Jordan, is on the island and he's there with his two kids, both of whom are named after her.Coming face to face with her past just as she's trying to brave her future forces Jo to make some big decisions. It might even force her to grow up. Luckily she doesn't have to do any of it on her own; her two best friends are there to hold her hand and help her down the right path. Despite all the upheaval and complications Jo will eventually walk down the aisle to say “I do” to the man who completes her. But will the wedding that takes place be the one Jo's mother planned? Or will it be something much, much better?

Shoulder Season (Lake Michigan Lodge, #1): A New Romantic Comedy


Kathy Fawcett
    As far as Kay is concerned, the best season begins when the last lodger packs up their sunscreen and novelty t-shirts and goes home. Shoulder season was when Kerby Lodge was just for the Kerbys—her family huddled around the massive stone fireplace playing games and listening to the Great Lakes wind wail like a tragic shipwreck. She loves Kerby Lodge, but she also loved the idea of leaving it after she graduated from college. Then tragedy struck, and instead of leaving the lodge, it was left to her. Leaving Kay to keep the family tradition alive, which she numbly does year after year. Now storms are looming over Lake Michigan. An epic snowstorm pounds the coastline, and a blizzard of bills and taxes threaten to bury the family lodge her parents worked so hard to build. But the storms she doesn’t see coming are the volatile unpredictable Mayne brothers. The first is a cloud of dark curls and surly attitude named Daniel Mayne, her reclusive final guest of the season. An abrupt alpha-male licking his wounded pride after a devastating career loss, Daniel just wants to be left alone. Kay is happy to oblige him until a freak accident and record-breaking blizzard leave them holed up together with no possibility of escape. Trapped behind walls of snow, Kay finds herself confiding long-distance with Luke, Daniel’s younger brother, a nomadic school teacher wandering rootless from job to job. Forced to face their broken dreams together, Kay and Daniel forge an uneasy alliance and set out on a journey of reclamation that will change both their lives. Kay finds herself entangled, not only with Daniel, but also Luke. One brother makes her laugh, and the other just makes her crazy. In this smart, warm, uplifting tale of renovation, redemption and romance, a rustic old lodge on Lake Michigan isn’t the only thing that gets a second chance.

Under the Summer Mistletoe


Stacey Weeks - 2019
    A disastrous trip including lost luggage and a body search at security sends him to the variety store to replace his toiletries. All he wants is to relieve the pounding in his head, play a little bluegrass, and find a “plus one” to ward off any matchmaking attempts by his friends. Then Holly Ferguson, the cashier from a local variety store, accuses him of theft, and his bad day gets worse.Can a stolen moment under the summer mistletoe turns everything around? Get a glimpse into the characters and world of Mistletoe Meadows in this complimentary micro-read.

Fooling in Love


S.J. Crabb - 2019
    If life isn’t living up to your expectations, is it possible to stop and start again? Rachel Asquith thinks so. She escapes the city for Bluebell cottage in the tiny Hamlet of Perivale, one of those twinkling stars that fell to earth and took root. This place has it all. Beautiful beach, pretty cottage, fabulous views and a set of neighbours who take her in and make her one of their own. Then there are the men. Logan - hot, angry and intriguing. Jack - the local handyman who is extremely handy with his… um tools. Then there’s Max. The pilot/playboy who thinks life should be lived in the fast lane and does everything at supersonic speed. Rachel soon finds that choices need to be made. At some point, she needs to head home and face the mess she’s caused. At some point, she will need to choose between her new life and old, and at some point, she needs to decide if she’s just fooling in love again with the wrong person. However, the decision faces her much quicker than she thought when she needs her old life to rescue the new one. She will have to leave the place she now calls home to save it and in doing so may just lose the man she loves. Love is a complicated business – it’s just a good thing business is what she does best.

Just for the Summer (Willowbury #3)


Fay Keenan - 2021
    While her three sons spend the summer holiday with their father, Kate has an opportunity to prove to herself that there is a new life, after her divorce.Harry Sinclair is the owner of Vale Volumes book shop on Willowbury High Street. Content, if a little bored with his lot, his shop, as well as his life, could do with freshening up. When Kate offers to spruce up Vale Volumes ready for the visit of a famous author, they find they have a lot more in common than colour schemes.But both have secrets and responsibilities, and when the trials of family life threaten their burgeoning friendship, can they overcome the experiences of their pasts? Will Somerset’s most magical town cast its spell on them? Or will Kate and Harry have to concede that their friendship really is just for the summer?Let Fay Keenan transport you to the perfect British summertime, with beautiful countryside, an unforgettable romance, and just the right dose of escapism. Perfect for all fans of Debbie Macomber, Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde.

Something Old, Something New


Darcie Boleyn - 2016
    With her three children at her side, she can handle anything. Then she finds out her gorgeous first ex-husband Evan Llewellyn is flying in from his glamorous life in New York to attend as well!An unexpected pregnancy ended their relationship and as she stumbles through the ups and downs of life as a working single mum – helping everyone else find a happy ending along the way – Annie refuses to believe their old and incredibly hot spark can still exist.It’s only when she and Evan are forced to face up to the past together that they’ll discover if they can have their own happily-ever-after too!Praise for Darcie Boleyn:‘A beautiful and heartwarming tale, that really tugged at my heart strings…a delightful debut novel from Darcie Boleyn.’ ― Gilbster (Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer)‘The sort of book you want to read on a cold winters night, put on your fluffy pyjamas, grab a hot chocolate and immerse yourself in the delights of Wish upon a Christmas Cake.’ ― The Book Review Café‘What a gorgeously delicious book this is! It just makes me wish I was reading it by a roaring fire, with snow outside on the ground and a plate full of mince pies beside me!’ ― Goodreads Review‘Wish Upon a Christmas Cake is very much a story of loss and true love with a sprinkling of Christmas thrown in for good measure.’ ― By The Letter Book Reviews

The Star Attraction


Alison Sweeney - 2013
    She even scores her PR firm's most important actor client and every woman's dream--Billy Fox. But will a steamy make-out session in a restaurant alley with her big-name client cost Sophie her job? And does she really want an escape from her life and her loving, if imperfect, relationship with her investment banker boyfriend? The Star Attraction takes us on a wild ride through one woman's daytime soap come to life.

Temporary Wife


Rossi St. James - 2015
     It should’ve been me. Instead, I'll be standing next to his bride, whom I can’t stand, as an honorary bridesmaid as a favor to him. I’m a bundle of nerves on the plane, and the hot stranger sitting next to me is about to regret asking me what my problem is. I’m about to give him an earful; beginning with the first time I knew I loved Derek Saunders. I didn’t mean to start crying. I didn’t mean to make the guy feel bad for me. But for some strange reason, he takes pity on me. So he offers a solution. A proposal, if you will. He’ll be my fake husband. I’ll be his temporary wife. It’s the only way I’m going to get through this weekend, and so I say hell yes. But I wasn’t prepared for what came next. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is episode one of a new mini series! Approx. 40 pages with a cliffhanger. EXCERPT: “So what’s your answer, Odessa?” The way he said my name sent instant heat between my thighs. My name oozed like melted butter off his tongue before rounding itself out with a hint of distant thunder. “You want to have fun this weekend or what?” “I don’t know.” I hemmed and hawed. As enticing as the idea was, I wasn’t sure I could go through with it. Then again, it might be the only way to get through my best friend's wedding. A distraction in the shape of a handsome stranger calling himself my husband for a few days would definitely help keep the tears at bay. “I’m only in town until Sunday,” Lincoln said. “Look, Blue Eyes, I’ll give you my number. You call me if you want to do this. I’ll be there. As your temporary husband. No one will be able to tell the difference. Maybe not even you.”

True North


Beverly Brandt - 2002
    Armed with her trusty laptop and constantly ringing cell phone, Claire can't help sensing, though, that her fiance might not be as committed to their relationship as she is. The dead giveaway: he's brought another woman along of their romantic holiday...As proprietor of Hunter's Lodge, John McBride is duty-bound to find suitable accomodation under his sold-out roof for the cell-phone addicted, just-jilted guest. as a red-blooded man whose pet peeve is a workaholic woman, he's determined to steer clear of the suddenly single dynamo who just checked in for the next nine days. But the annoying, yet very alluring, Claire has a way of popping up when he least expects it--and as John soon discovers, so does true love...

Hidden Memories


Jennifer Hayden - 2015
    His struggle to find a way out of the darkness that has enveloped his family has been heart wrenching. He has almost given up hope of ever seeing Katie again, when suddenly the mystery of her disappearance begins to unravel. After twenty long years, a mysterious stranger brings forth a most chilling discovery, forcing Jase and his family back into a nightmare he has tried for so long to leave behind. Murder, betrayal and unexpected love reinforce undeniable ties as two families come together after decades of emptiness and sorrow and search among their own for the answers that will finally lay their anguish to rest.

Misfortune's Daughters


Joan Collins - 2005
    Beginning in the Golden Era of Hollywood, the beautiful and talented actress Laura Marlowe meets the young, dashing, and rich shipping magnate Nicholas Stephanopolis. After a whirlwind courtship, the two marry and move to the private Stephanopolis Island in the south of Greece. Yet heartache and tragedy soon find them and extend into the lives of their two very different but willful and ambitious daughters, Venetia and Atlanta. One is a beautiful and favored daughter who's bent on self-destruction; the other is a wallflower who buries herself in books and shies away from her privileged world. But both must confront the legacy and tragedy of the lives of their parents.Sweeping across almost 60 years and jetting from New York to Paris, Los Angeles, and Greece, Misfortune's Daughters is an irresistible, page-turning tale that reveals the glittering life of show business and the grittiness of the journalistic profession. Drawing on her own knowledge and experience, Collins takes the reader deep inside the exclusive gates of wealth and luxury, exposing dark secrets and forbidden desires as two young women vie to break free from their family's shadow and become independent women in their own right.

Covington Investigations: 3-Books Private Security Series


Clara Kendrick - 2017
    Lots of suspense, mystery, and romance. No cliffhangers! Book 1: When private investigator Oliver Covington meets mysterious, beautiful Nora Thomason at a party, they have an instant, undeniable connection. Though they part without getting each other’s names, neither one of them can stop thinking about what happened between them. Little does Oliver know that his next job will involve solving the puzzle that will unlock Nora’s painful, dark past. He is assigned the task of following her by her fiancé, and when she is attacked in an alley one day, Nora becomes curious of Oliver’s real identity and does some investigating herself. She flees when she finds out that he is an investigator, afraid that he has been sent to find her by the people who are after her from her past. Oliver follows, and together he and Nora are forced to face the man who is trying to destroy her life while they fight their growing attraction for each other. Book 2: Charlotte Covington doesn’t know exactly what to expect when she is hired by handsome artist Sam Kensington to investigate the murder of his socialite father, Roger. She is hesitant to take the job—Sam is much too charming for her, something that she knows is a dangerous trait in a man. She is drawn in by him and the undercover nature of the job, and poses as his fiancé for a week at an exclusive artists’ retreat in the countryside. Things grow heated between Charlotte and Sam as they investigate the death of his father, though she tries her best to resist his charms. When a tragedy strikes at the retreat, Sam’s innocence is thrown into question, and Charlotte is forced to confront her feelings for him despite the danger he might pose to her. Book 3: Aiden Covington enjoys a challenge, so when he is given the challenging case of tracking down the necklace of a former Hollywood starlet, Olivia Darling, he is more than willing to take on what he’s told will be a hard case to solve. What he isn’t willing to do is fall for Olivia, though from the moment he meets her he feels himself unraveling under her charms. Aiden tries his best to fight the simmering tension between himself and Olivia, especially when he finds out that she’s not exactly the person he thought she was. While Aiden and Olivia unwrap the mystery of a dangerous secret society known as the Celestials, Aiden tries to keep his distance from Olivia, who finds it hard to take no for an answer when it comes to the sexy private detective.

Mistletoe and Mates: Shifters in Love Holiday Anthology


V. Vaughn - 2021
    Our USA Today and Bestselling authors have written brand new holidays stories just for you!A Furry Little Christmas - C.D. GorriStephanie needs a Santa Claus stat! What she doesn’t need is entanglements of any kind while she figures out what it is she really wants to do at this stage of her life.Tell that to the hunk her Pack’s Alpha sent to work for the almost fifty she-Wolf.What do you get when you mix two Wolves with a little holiday spirit? A furry little Christmas…Unwrapping Her Dragon - Julia MillsLiving without him for sixteen years sucked, but Everleigh survived. Now that blasted sexy Dragon is back with a tall tale and a basket load of apologies, and she can’t forget how bad it hurt to lose him the first time. Can she leave the past behind and trust Deacon to stand by her side for all eternity, or will she give up on the holidays forever? Only time will tell, but if Fate has anything to say about it that sweet Baker Bear will be unwrapping her Dragon sooner rather than later.Her Cowboy Warrior – Liv BrywoodTen years ago, bear shifter Gage Davis’ darkest secret ruined his relationship with his best friend. Now Raven’s back and she needs protection from her ex-husband. Gage has a second chance to make things right, but to win her heart, he’ll have to reveal the monster inside his soul and risk losing his fated mate forever.Tis the Season for Sass – Melanie JamesWhen a shadowy premonition forebodes the harshest winter in decades, Black Paw’s Alpha counts on the pack’s strongest wolves to help everyone pull through. But the Seer’s visions are swirling with majik and suggest an ancient legend will deliver more than just a blizzard to the wolves of Black Paw.A Fated Mate for Christmas – Selena BlakeWhen a fight between their packs sends Gabrielle Landrum to Alpha Garrett Kingsdale’s doorstep begging for a truce, she half expects to be thrown out into the snow. She is the rival’s daughter, after all. Garrett’s instinct is to not trust a word coming from the seductive beauty. But the more he listens and watches, the more he’s drawn to her. Especially those lips. The next thing he knows, he’s kissing her and he can’t even blame mistletoe. To keep her safe, he whisks her far away to work on a truce of their own.The Honeybear’s Xmas Curse – Jacqueline SweetThree years ago, Theresa Grimm had her Christmas ruined by an ex-boyfriend's curse. But Gauge Morrissey, bear shifter in exile, might have the solution to her problem. But breaking the curse will require facing down a warlock and risking it all.Her Cowboy's Christmas Surprise – J. K. HarperGarret Reeves and Callie Mayfield have been in love for several years. They are true mates, and wolf shifter Garret will always adore his very sexy human woman Callie. But when Callie starts to be a bit away from him, Garret is worried. He has no idea what is going on with her. His thought is that he must entice her back to him, for sure. Especially with the perfect wild Christmas night eve that they will spend together to reintroduce their perfect soul mates.Gracie’s Gift – V. VaughnGood things didn’t happen to Gracie, which is why when she meets Jack, the hot new employee at Sugar Mountain, she doesn’t dare to believe he’s interested in her. But he’s relentless in his pursuit of Gracie, and she lets herself fall for him when he tells her they’re forever. What she doesn’t know is what forever with Jack means.