Book picks similar to
A Summer Sentence by Carolynn Carey


romance
contemporary-romance
chick-lit
contemporary

Velva Jean Learns to Drive


Jennifer Niven - 2009
    Set in Appalachia in the years before World War II, Velva Jean Learns to Drive is a poignant story of a spirited young girl growing up in the gold-mining and moonshining South. Before she dies, Velva Jean's mother urges her to "live out there in the great wide world". Velva Jean dreams of becoming a big-time singer in Nashville until she falls in love with Harley Bright, a handsome juvenile delinquent turned revival preacher. As their tumultuous love story unfolds, Velva Jean must choose between keeping her hard-won home and pursuing her dream of singing in the Grand Ole Opry.

Lost and Found Groom


Patricia McLinn - 2000
    --Romantic Times"While following a story in distant Santa Estella, hardheaded journalist Kendra Jenner finds herself in the middle of a vicious hurricane. . .and unexpectedly in the arms of a stranger who speaks virtually no English. Fear leads to passion leads to their making a baby, a baby which Kendra fully expects to raise on her own, since her search for Matthew's father - who she only knows as Paulo Ayudor - is a fruitless one. Then, three years later, her "Paulo" shows up out of the blue at her home in Wyoming, speaking the perfect English of an American, and identifying himself as Daniel Delligati. He announces he's come for his son. . .and for her." -- (From an Amazon review by Karen Templeton)

The Builders


Maeve Binchy - 2002
    When it's heard that the builders are coming to work on the deserted house next door, everyone has an opinion.

Crazy For Love


Victoria Dahl - 2010
    And then she got the really bad news: he'd tried to fake his own death to avoid marrying her. Now America's most famous bridezilla (a tag she most definitely does not deserve), Chloe escapes to a remote island to avoid the paparazzi. And right next door is a man who just might be the cure for Chloe's heartache....A magnet for wild, complicated women, Max Sullivan is relieved to have finally found someone "normal." Chloe is his girl-next-door fantasy come to life, and best of all, she gets him. With her, he can be himself, a treasure-hunting millionaire who desperately wants out of his sexy but reckless job. But when Chloe's notoriety catches up with them, will their torrid romance make it to the mainland?

The Oddest Little Mistletoe Shop


Beth Good - 2017
     Rose Mistletoe runs her family's flower shop on Christmas Parade, and loves every minute of her job. So when the Parade comes under acquisition by a redevelopment company, Rose forms a protest group against the bid. But business tycoon Nick Grimsby is determined to make her sell up. His company is planning to knock down the parade of traditional shops and build a block of exclusive apartments instead. And it seems the sexy billionaire will go to any lengths to get her shop. As Christmas approaches and Nick dangles the proverbial mistletoe, can Rose resist his powerful allure? Given how gorgeous he looks in a tuxedo, the answer is probably no. But she's not going to make it easy for him! Because Rose has secret plans of her own ... Warning! This romcom novella contains jokes, oodles of romance, festive wreaths, mistletoe, holly, and a sprinkling of paper hats. Another quirky romcom in the popular 'Oddest Little Shop' series from Beth Good. Titles can be read in any order.

Better Date than Never Boxed Set: Books 1-6


Susan Hatler - 2014
    Hatler has a way of writing witty dialogue that makes you laugh-out-loud throughout her stories.” — Night Owl Reviews “When I’m in the mood for a quick romance with tension and sizzle, Susan’s books are perfect.” — Getting Your Read On This book bundle includes six contemporary romance novellas from the bestselling series, Better Date than Never. Dating is so much easier when you have good friends to lean on. . . . (Love at First Date, Book #1) Ellen may not believe in storybook love, but it’s about to rewrite her life. . . . (Truth or Date, Book #2) Truth or Dare is all fun and games until a spontaneous dare has Gina falling for the office playboy. (My Last Blind Date, Book #3) Should Rachel risk another dating disaster by trying yet again for love? (Save the Date, Book #4) Kristen swears off men, but temptation swoops in when her sexy friend Ethan starts flirting with her. (A Twist of Date, Book #5) Will Melanie have to follow her best friend’s narrow dating rules in order to find lasting love? (License to Date, Book #6) Kaitlin agrees to five dates in five days only to fall for the mysterious bartender who’s there to witness them all.

Bittersweet


Noelle Adams - 2013
    Widowed at only twenty-six, she’s just trying to get through one lonely day at a time as she grieves her late husband, and finds the energy to take care of her infant son.As Zoe bravely tries to hold herself together, her husband’s cousin and business partner, Adam, offers his support and friendship. Shattered by her loss, Zoe is distant and resentful at first, but Adam gently persists, and Zoe’s reserve soon begins to crumble . . .Adam knows that Zoe needs time to heal but finds himself more and more attracted to her. He knows he must not act on these forbidden feelings, but they just won’t go away . . .Noelle Adams’s Bittersweet is a poignant, fearless exploration of friendship, loss, new beginnings, and the healing power of love.

Where We Belong


Shann McPherson - 2020
    For years, Murph has been biding her time, waiting for Nash to come back for her.So when he strolls into Piece O’ Cake, Murph’s heart skips a beat—until he hands her an invitation to his wedding… There are painful secrets in both their pasts that only the two of them share, and Murph can’t bear the thought of Nash belonging to someone else.There’s only one thing Murph can think of to do: fake a relationship with local bar owner and old friend Harley Shaw to remind Nash of what he’s losing, and win him back for good.Nash is Murph’s best friend, a vivid reminder of her childhood and all the things she’s lost—but the more time Murph and Harley spend together, the more the lines between real and pretend begin to blur. Can Murph choose between the one who got away and the one who never left—and heal her aching heart?

Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses (A Little Hotel in Cornwall Book 3)


Laura Briggs - 2019
     Meanwhile, Maisie experiences the village Christmas season vicariously through Sidney, and continues writing her Poe-inspired story with only Sidney aware of her secret novel. She soon learns, however, that criticism and praise go hand in hand when he takes issue with her latest chapters, which puts pressure on their friendship, too. But is that what's really the issue between them? Because handsome Gavin has more than ice sculpting in mind when it comes to Maisie's time, which comes as a surprise to no one who's seen them together. As Maisie faces this sudden romantic dilemma, she realizes what she wants most in her life ... and faces a question of what her heart wants most, too.

Say You Will


Kate Perry - 2013
    The last thing she wants is to leave San Francisco for London, especially not to deal with her father's latest scandal—dying in his mistress's arms. At least she can find comfort in knowing she can leave after the memorial. Little did she know. Not only is her father's will missing but, according to his lawyer, her mother will lose everything if it's discovered. Reluctantly joining forces with her sisters to seek and destroy the will is the only way of ensuring her father doesn't win in the end. Enter Nick Long, the one bright spot about being in London. Nick's everything she's ever dreamed of in a man—supportive, eager to help, and bone-meltingly hot. But Nick's motives aren't as pure as they seem, and the secret he's keeping may tear Rosalind's family and fortune apart.

Natural Blond Instincts


Jill Shalvis - 2003
    Okay, so maybe she has way more hair and cleavage than it takes, but that should be an asset around co-VP Weston Roth. Wrong. Wes is hot, as Ivy League as the hotel's elite guests, and isn't buying the blond routine. Time to change tactics and start working the numbers. Good thing math is Kenna's other natural asset. And when it comes to getting the guy, if it isn't hair that grabs him . . . it's, uh, figures.

Love, Chocolate, and Beer


Violet Duke - 2014
    After moving his chocolate shop, and newly single life, to the quirky town of Cactus Creek, Luke wants nothing more than to devote all his energy into making his business a success—by taking the romance market by storm. But his grand plans get thrown for a loop when he locks horns with the feisty beer-brewing beauty next door who calls his ‘romantic idealism’ a load of fairytale bull. Soon, driving the woman sparking nuts becomes another wickedly fun priority he simply can’t get enough of.In his defense, she’s addictively easy to incite…and plain impossible to resist.Beloved local brewmaster Dani Dobson is beyond riled up. It’s bad enough the new shop owner in town comes locked and loaded with both a distractingly rugged charm and sexy flashing dimples, but the whole only-in-the-movies variety of romance he’s selling—the kind her world has been crushed by before—is really doing a number on her allergy to unrealistic clichés. What’s worse, he’s created an annoyingly clever ad campaign that dubs ‘beer joints’ like hers as the “cave where romance goes to hibernate.” The nerve of that man.Combustible chemistry or not, damn it, this means war. The stakes…very likely, her heart.

All That I Want: A Queensbay Small Town Romance (The Queensbay Series Book 6)


Drea Stein - 2017
    She left Queensbay, determined to leave her past behind. Now, after a mysterious inheritance she's back in town. And she's determined to make a new home for herself. Jake Owen's never forgotten his time with Colleen. It might have been ten years ago, but no one - no woman - has ever quite measured up. But he was - and is - a small town guy. And he wasn't good enough for her then. But can he show her that small town doesn't mean small time? Will he convince her that a small town guy holds the key to her heart - and her happiness? Find out if Jake Owen can win over Colleen McShane in book 6 of Drea Stein's Queensbay series.

Until the End of Time


Danielle Steel - 2013
    Jenny, his wife, is a stylist whose heart and soul are invested in fashion. She leaves the milieu and life she loves to join him. The certainty they share is that their destinies are linked forever. Fast forward thirty-eight years. Robert is a hardworking independent book publisher in Manhattan who has given up all personal life to build his struggling business. He is looking for one big hit novel to publish. Lillibet is a young Amish woman, living as though in the seventeenth century, caring for her widowed father and three young brothers on their family farm. In secret at night, by candlelight, she has written the novel that burns within her, and gets it into Robert’s hands, wrapped in her hand-stitched apron. He falls in love first with the book, and then with the woman he has never met, living in the sequestered world of the Amish—a world without telephones, computers, electricity, modern conveniences, or cars. Although Lillibet faces banishment from her family and community, she embraces the opportunity to publish her novel, and is irresistibly drawn to the man who has heard her voice. Destiny is at work here. Fate draws her from her horse-and-buggy life toward his, and the publication of her novel.In the hands of master storyteller Danielle Steel, these two remarkable relationships come together in unexpected and surprising ways, as lovers are lost, and find each other again. If it is true that real love lasts forever and lovers cannot lose each other, then Until the End of Time will not only comfort and fascinate us, as destiny does her dance, but it will give us hope as well. Love and fate are powerful, irresistible forces, as Steel proves to us here, in a book about courage, change, risk, and hope . . . and love that never dies.

The Cottage in a Cornish Cove


Cass Grafton - 2020
    When Aunt Meg passes away, Anna decides to end her stagnant relationship and heads to Cornwall seeking a fresh start, with plans to make her home there and perhaps open a B&B—and perhaps cross paths with Alex Tremayne again, a local boy she used to have a major crush on and who only had to walk past Anna to make her heart flutter. Settling into her new life, and enjoying her work for the older, reclusive and, to be honest, sometimes exasperating Oliver Seymour, Anna is delighted when Alex appears in Polkerran and seems to have finally noticed her. But just as Anna thinks everything she’s always wanted is within reach, her new life comes under threat, and she is in danger of losing everything she’s only recently gained. How can Anna hold onto the home and life she loves so much, and which of the two men in her life will come to her aid in her time of need?