Book picks similar to
No Time For Love by Emilie Loring


romance
fiction
chester-st-basement-romance
suspense-fiction

The God of Sno Cone Blue


Marcia Coffey Turnquist - 2014
    Medallion.Story summary: Something is odd about Grace. She has mismatched eyes, one dark and one light. She thinks she's seen God. When her mother dies, she begins to get letters from her, as if from the grave. The letters tell of her mother's life before she married Grace's father, in time, confessing fiercely guarded family secrets. "I wasn't always a Preacher's Wife... I made mistakes along the way."Looking back, as a middle-aged woman, Grace relives those transformative years, coming of age in the 1960s as the daughter of The Reverend Thad Carsten and his much-younger wife, Sharon. When they move to a new neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, Sharon is healthy and Grace takes turmoil in stride: a new school, her backward neighbors, the simmering Vietnam War and political unrest. On the whole, life is sublime-until Sharon gets sick and dies. Then Grace's world turns upside down.Days after Sharon is gone, the letters to her daughter start coming, delivered mysteriously in the dark of night. Grace finds them-addressed to her-and devours every word, desperate to figure out who's delivering them. As she struggles with questions of loss and faith, she begins to butt heads with the preacher, increasingly focused on the mysterious messenger and her mother's letters. The handwritten pages arrive periodically as Grace matures, fostering a strange mother daughter relationship.Early on, the letters offer motherly advice, but increasingly they shift their focus to Sharon's early teens, eventually confessing a forbidden young adult romance. By then, Grace is desperate for the rest of the story, searching everywhere for her mother's writings, until finally there's a breakthrough. When she reads the last of the letters-and an astonishing truth-she embarks on a journey that changes her life and perspective forever.What did Sharon confess in the last letter to her daughter? How does it affect their unusual mother daughter relationship? As Grace runs away to trace her mother's past and teenage romance, what will she find?With its elements of romance and mystery, The God of Sno Cone Blue, sometimes searched as "Snow" Cone Blue is best described as contemporary women's fiction, though its strong central male character also appeals to men. The novel's storyline and mother daughter relationship are fitting Inspirational Fiction, and its passion and coming of age tale are appropriate for teenagers and young adults.* USA Today Bestselling Author Linda Needham on this inspirational fiction story: "The God of Sno Cone Blue is a joyous celebration of a young girl's journey to womanhood. Grace is a modern match for Tom Sawyer, with a grand spirit and enough spunk to weather the heartache of losing her mother at a tender age. Along the way, she gains the wisdom to recognize the breadth of her mother's love through a series of posthumous, sometimes shocking letters delivered in the years that follow. With a driving style and a colorful cast of eccentric characters, author Marcia Coffey Turnquist fiercely delivers equal parts laughter, sorrow and the kind of joy that will stay with you long after you've finished the book."*Author Rod Gramer on this novel fraught with family secrets: "Marcia has created a compelling character in Grace, one whose great personal loss is redeemed by a great personal discovery."*Portland Society Page editor Elisa Klein on the story's mystery and romance: "Surprises abound and the twists and turns kept me flipping pages late into the night as I curled up in my favorite chair to drink it all in."*Award-winning artist D.K. Lubarsky on this coming of age novel: "A masterful storyteller, Turnquist takes you on a magical journey of discovery in this poignant tale of innocence and growing up. The God of Sno Cone Blue is a delightful read."

High Blue Sky (The House in the Clouds Book 2)


Victoria Connelly - 2021
    

The Demanding Duke Meets His Match


Ginny Hartman - 2016
    A secret outing to Wedgewood Manor to confront the man who broke Charity's heart leaves her with more than she bargained for when she encounters the demanding and arrogant Duke of Eversley instead. Two strong-willed personalities battle each other at every turn as they attempt to unite in a common cause. Giving in to the attraction burning between them leaves them both questioning their true desires. But is attraction enough, and can they lay aside their pride long enough to realize that what they have always wanted may not be what they truly need? Olivia and Maxwell must unravel the confusing matters of the heart as they get drawn into an unexpected adventure that poses more questions than answers. Secret passageways, hidden treasure, and a conniving fiancée pale in comparison to the greatest adventure of all—falling in love.

The Walled City


Ryan Graudin - 2014
    That's how many days I've been trapped.18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible....JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister....MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window.....In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out.

The Billionaire Rescue


Jenna Brandt - 2020
    It’s why he’s the top trainer, along with his K9 partner, Cinder, at DCSR. He’s molding the next generation and doesn’t have time to cater to a billionaire who thinks he can buy anything, including Christian’s time. To make matters worse, he knows—and dislikes—his daughter for very good reasons. Megan Williams hates the spotlight that her father’s billion-dollar empire shines on her life. It’s ruined everything she’s ever cared about, and now it might even take her life when a series of criminal fires make it clear someone is out to get her family. Her father turns to the best arson investigator in the country. The only problem, she knows exactly who he is—the mystery man from her dating app. Can they find away to let go of the past and give love a second chance? Can Christian figure out who is setting the fires? And will he be able to stop the arsonist before the final fire claims Megan and her family’s lives? Step into the world of Disaster City Search and Rescue, where officers, firefighters, military, and medics, train and work alongside each other with the dogs they love, to do the most dangerous job of all — help lost and injured victims find their way home.

Letters For A Spy: Danger, romance and mystery in Regency England


Alice Chetwynd Ley - 1975
     When Elizabeth Thorne inherits Crowle Manor, she gets far more than she bargained for… 1808, Sussex England At twenty-five Elizabeth Thorne is finally able to live independently, when she finds herself the heiress to her late uncle’s estate, Crowle Manor. But while staying at an inn on the way to claim her inheritance, strange things start to occur... She awakes to see someone hastening from her chamber. And she discovers a secret letter tucked into one of her books. Her confusion increases when she realises her former lover, Robert Farnham, is also staying at the inn. She is sure he noticed her so why does he appear not to recognise her? Is Robert avoiding her? Could he be the one who planted the letter…? What secrets are really being hidden behind the doors of Crowle Manor…? LETTERS FOR A SPY is a classic Regency Romance by Alice Chetwynd Ley: a traditional British, historical adventure story with a twist of suspense and mystery, set during the Napoleonic Wars. ‘The story moved along at a fast pace, helped along by lots of clever dialogue, and held my interest from the start to the action packed conclusion’ - A Darn Good Read Blog ‘These vintage Regency romances hover somewhere between Jane Austen and the genre as we know it today. I really enjoy them.’ - Sonya’s Stuff

Identity Theft


Alana Terry - 2019
    She found out it's the most dangerous place to be found ... Lacy has a secret. A secret nobody knows -- not even her fiancé. A secret that would cost her life ... and so much more. So it's a good thing she's tucked away in the very heart of rural Alaska, where for once in her life she is finally safe. But can she stay that way for long? Suspenseful, thrilling, and impossible to put down, Identity Theft is an unforgettable novel by bestselling Christian author Alana Terry. Buy your copy today ... but be prepared to stay up late!

Blood


K.J. Wignall - 2011
    Then he awakens after a 20-year-slumber, hungry for the blood that sustains his undeath, when it appears that he is finally getting a glimpse at why he exists.

The Sunflower


Richard Paul Evans - 2005
    Christine is a shy, unadventurous woman whose fiancee broke off the engagement only a week before the wedding, and Paul is a former emergency room doctor whose glamorous lifestyle, stellar reputation, and beautiful fiancee are cruelly snatched from him one fateful, snowy Christmas Eve. Deep in the Amazon jungle, against a backdrop of poverty and heartbreak, they must confront their deepest fears and, together, learn to trust and love again.

A Date with Danger: Inspirational Mystery and Suspense Set


Kimberly Rose Johnson - 2019
    Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton, Oregon to be a sleepy small-town, but he miscalculated. When the minor case they are working morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary. Can these two strong-willed sleuths solve the mystery before it’s too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction? Avalanche (Peril in the Park #1) by Gayla K. Hiss When Park Ranger Jenny Snowfeather runs into Deputy Marshal Chase Matthews at her brother's Fourth of July barbecue, she suspects there is more going on in Eagle Valley, WA than fireworks. Realizing the dangerous fugitive Chase is after may be in the area, Jenny risks everything, including her heart, to join Chase on a manhunt in the avalanche-prone backcountry of North Cascades National Park. They must tread carefully—one step in the wrong direction could mean the difference between life and death. A Caffeine Conundrum (The CafFUNated Mysteries #1) by Angela Ruth Strong Sassy city girl Tandy Brandt moves to a small town to start a coffee shop, never imagining she'll be competing with local beauty queen Marissa Alexander and her dream of running a tea house. Unfortunately, the current store owner dies before selling the location to either of them, and they both become murder suspects. The unlikely pair team up in an attempt to discover the real killer, though with the secrets in Tandy's past and Marissa's infamous clumsiness, they could be their own worst enemies. Make Haste Slowly (Short Creek Mysteries #1) by Amy Rognlie Life in Short Creek, Texas, is just what Callie Erickson expected it to be: calm and predictable...until the morning a gift bag--along with a dead body--appear on the doorstep of her shop. A terrible tragedy? Or something more sinister? With the help of her indomitable Aunt Dot and friends old and new, Callie sets out to discover the truth that could change her life forever. Vigilant (The Night Guardians #1) by Sara Davison Nicole Hunter must choose between the man who represents the law and the one who may have taken it into his own hands. When children begin disappearing in the night and Detective Daniel Grey enlists Nicole’s help to investigate the man she loves, she faces her deepest fear. Everything and everyone she has clung to so tightly could be ripped from her, leaving her completely alone. The Courtship of Harry's Wife by Jeanette-Marie Mirich (D. B. Burns Mysteries #1) by Jeanette-Marie Mirich Unassuming Delilah Morgan plans to mourn her husband's passing in private, but her husband had other ideas. To protect her from the elite of their town he has selects a local judge to court her. However, he neglects to include his wife in his plans.

The Colonel's Lady


Laura Frantz - 2011
    Penniless and destitute, Roxanna is forced to take her father's place as scrivener. Before long, it's clear that the colonel himself is attracted to her. But she soon realizes the colonel has grave secrets of his own—some of which have to do with her father's sudden death. Can she ever truly love him?

For The Love Of A Sister


Meg Hutchinson - 2005
    When her sister Eden visits her, she is sent away with a stinging slap, to prevent her from catching the predatory eye of Myra's mistress. Puzzled by her sister's behaviour, she sets off to make her way in the world.

A Lady Defying All for Love


Bridget Barton - 2020
    Her life has always been simple and peaceful until, one day, a new family moves to town and her world is about to get upside down. After she realizes she has started falling for the new family's eldest son, things will inevitably get more complicated than ever. When she finds out that the newcomers are hiding something, will she find the courage to get to the bottom of the mystery, and the compassion to handle what she finds lying there?Benedict Flynn is the eldest son of a highly respected family. When his father, a particularly outspoken member of the House of Lords, gets accused of having widely misused his wealth, Benedict's family doesn't really have a choice...Disappearing from London's social scene seems to be the only way to protect themselves from the malicious rumours. However, when a past acquaintance finds out about them, Benedict needs to take immediate action to preserve his family's reputation. Will he be brave enough to share his secret with the charming lady he meets in town, and ask for her help? And will he dare to admit his feelings for her?Eliza and Benedict soon find themselves in the middle of a web of scandal and confusion; a situation they could have never imagined. Will the chemistry between them be strong enough to help them fight anything that comes into their way? Will Eliza find the strength to defy everything in the name of love?

Seraphina


Rachel Hartman - 2012
    Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Greensleeves


Eloise Jarvis McGraw - 1968
    Paris, Milan, London—Shannon has been everywhere, but somewhere along the way, she realizes she’s really…nowhere.Having graduated from high school and about to board yet another flight for yet another destination, Shannon is offered an alternative: stay in Portland, Oregon, with her parents’ close friend and help his law firm investigate a group of strangers living near the local university. A will with a substantial inheritance is being contested, and Shannon’s task is to gather information on the unlikely recipients of the money.Using an assumed name and working as a waitress in a diner, Shannon finds herself entirely on her own for the first time in her life; and as the long summer days go by, she tries to sort out who she really is and what her future holds.Originally published in 1968 and newly released as part of Nancy Pearl’s Book Crush Rediscoveries, Greensleeves is a smart and timeless tale of how far people must go to find themselves.