Book picks similar to
I Don't Look Like What I've Been Through by Jenica Johnson
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Full of Grace
Dorothea Benton Frank - 2006
At thirty-one and still, shockingly, unmarried, Grace has scandalized her staunchly traditional Italian family by moving in with her boyfriend Michael—who, though a truly great guy, is agnostic, commitment-phobic, a scientist, and (horror of horrors) Irish!Grace adores her parents even though they drive her crazy—and she knows they'd love Michael if they got to know him, but Big Al won't let him into their house. And so the stage is set for a major showdown—which, along with a devastating, unexpected crisis and, perhaps, a miracle or two, just might change Grace's outlook on love, family, and her new life in the new South.
Stiltsville
Susanna Daniel - 2010
Set in Miami from the late '60s to the 1990s, Stiltsville is a sweeping journey seen through the eyes of one woman as she experiences love, motherhood, friendship, hurricanes, racial tension, and finally, a tragic death in slow motion.In her debut novel, Daniel describes the experiences of three generations in one family whose spiritual heart is centered in a modest bungalow built a few feet above the water. When Frances meets and marries Dennis, she learns to live her life on the water, from bay to ocean to everglade to bayou. She navigates through it all; infidelity, empty-nest syndrome, and debilitating illness; sometimes with grace and humor, sometimes with anger and bitterness, but always with the same people by her side.Daniel excels in capturing the flavor and decadence of Miami as it became a multicultural hotbed. In Stiltsville, she has woven factual events into Frances's life from a tumultuous period that witnessed racial beatings, the cocaine wars, and Hurricane Andrew. The result is a riveting novel filled with pathos.
A Fresh Start
Trisha Grace - 2013
Sometimes, it feels as if everything is falling apart.Paige Watson finds herself in that very situation. She has no choice but to leave behind everything she has worked so hard for and head to a small town in Wyoming.It is the only way she can escape the relentless monster that has been after her over the past three years. It is the only way she can feel safe again.But God works in mysterious ways, and Paige is beginning to think that leaving everything behind doesn’t seem so bad when she ends up working with Justin Doyle to fix up her house.Just as she is beginning to enjoy her fresh start in life, the monster she has been hiding from returns.Her worst nightmare has come true, and this time…she may not have a chance to wake from it.
The Ladies' Room
Carolyn Brown - 2011
But that doesn't mean that what Trudy overhears there during her great-aunt Gertrude's funeral won't change the rest of her life.Trudy has a daughter in the middle of a major rebellion; a two-timing husband who has been cheating for their entire married life; and a mother with Alzheimer's residing in the local nursing home. She doesn't really need a crumbling old house about to fall into nothing but a pile of memories and broken knickknacks. Billy Lee Tucker, resident oddball in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, lived next door to Gert, and in her will she leaves him the funds to help Trudy remodel the old house. That's fine with Billy Lee, because he's been in love with Trudy since before they started school. And just spending time with her is something he'd never ever allowed himself to dream about.A beautiful home rises up from the old house on Broadway, and right along with it rises up a relationship. But is Trudy too scarred from what she heard in the ladies' room to see a lovely future with Billy Lee?
The Printed Letter Bookshop
Katherine Reay - 2019
But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls. When Madeline’s professional life takes an unexpected turn, and when a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. She begins to envision a new path for herself and for her aunt’s beloved shop—provided the women’s best combined efforts are not too little, too late.The Printed Letter Bookshop is a captivating story of good books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings, and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship.
The Secrets of Married Women
Carol Mason - 2007
Frustrated, she seeks comfort in her friends: fierce Leigh, with her high-powered career and doting family, and sweet, uncomplicated Wendy, who has a rock-solid marriage any woman would envy.Leigh and Wendy’s lives seem perfect. But beneath the surface are secrets that could tear their friendship apart.Leigh has grown tired of her stay-at-home husband and is looking for excitement—outside of the marriage bed. And after seventeen years of marriage, Wendy can’t shake the sense that there is something missing in her life.As Jill is drawn deeper into her friends’ relationships, she is confronted by a temptation of her own: an intriguing stranger whose good looks and charm spark an instant connection.Full of the realities of modern-day marriage, The Secrets of Married Women asks the question: how well can we ever know our husbands, our friends, or even ourselves?
Revised edition: This edition of Secrets Of Married Women includes editorial revisions.
Lethal Cover-Up
Darlene L. Turner - 2021
Border patrol officer Madison Steele knows her sister Leah’s fatal car crash was no accident. Someone’s willing to kill to cover up a pharmaceutical company’s deadly crime of distributing tainted drugs. Now they are after Madison to tie off loose ends. But with her high school sweetheart, Canadian police constable Tucker Reed, at her side, can Madison expose the company’s deadly plan before she becomes the next victim?From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
The Mountain Between Us
Charles Martin - 2010
But when unthinkable tragedy strikes, the pair find themselves stranded in Utah's most remote wilderness in the dead of winter, badly injured and miles from civilization. Without food or shelter, and only Ben's mountain climbing gear to protect themselves, Ashley and Ben's chances for survival look bleak, but their reliance on each other sparks an immediate connection, which soon evolves into something more.Days in the mountains become weeks, as their hope for rescue dwindles. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever? Heart-wrenching and unputdownable, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.
Rumspringa's Hope
Beth Shriver - 2014
Unbeknownst to Emma, Caleb is glad for the opportunity to spend time with her and hopes to win her back. Struck by the power of evangelism and outreach, Emma begins to feel a draw to Caleb's way of life. When she doesn’t return home when she promised, Zeb goes to the city to find her, forcing Emma to choose in which of their two worlds she really belongs. SERIES DESCRIPTION: Three young Amish women face overwhelming obstacles and must struggle to find out who they are and what they believe. Although each is dealing with her own unique situation, they all must discover how to follow their dreams and stay true to themselves, whether their journeys take them away from--or back to--their Amish communities.
A Single Thread
Marie Bostwick - 2008
The abrupt end of her marriage was Evelyn's wake-up call to get busy chasing her dream of opening a quilt shop. Finding a storefront is easy enough; starting a new life isn't. Little does Evelyn imagine it will bring a trio like Abigail Burgess, her niece Liza, and Margot Matthews through her door.Troubled and angry after her mother's death, Liza threatens to embarrass her Aunt Abigail all over town unless she joins her for quilting classes. A victim of downsizing at the peak of her career, Margot hopes an event hosted by the quilt shop could be a great chance to network-and keep from dying of boredom.As they stitch their unique creations, Evelyn, Abigail, Liza, and Margot form a sisterhood they never sought-but one that they'll be grateful for when the unexpected provides a poignant reminder of the single thread that binds us all.
Pink
Marilynn Griffith - 2006
Like employees of any fledgling company, Raya and her fellow designers face a variety of challenges--especially when it comes to bringing in business. So when they are hired to design a million-dollar wedding gown, these talented and animated designers are thrilled. But there's one catch. The new customer is the woman who stole Raya's fiance. Meanwhile, Flex Dunham, an athletic trainer who coaches a charity basketball team, needs team uniforms and soon finds himself in Raya's shop. Raya hasn't looked at a man since her engagement fiasco, so when Flex walks into her office, things get a little complicated. The entertaining first novel in the Shades of Style series, Pink offers a perfect mix of likeable characters, sweet drama, humor, and a little bit of romance.
The Marriage Bargain
Jennifer Probst - 2010
But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend’s older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he’s offers Alexa a bold proposition.A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right?
Texas Christmas Revenge: An Uplifting Romantic Suspense
Connie Queen - 2021
Now Brandi will do anything to protect the boy—even if it means asking her ex-fiancé, Texas Ranger Rhett Kincaid, for help. But can Brandi and Rhett stop this killer before he exacts his terrible Christmas vengeance?From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Above All Things
Deborah Raney - 2009
Expecting their first baby, Judd and Evette McGlin are thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents. But their marriage faces the ultimate test when Judd learns he already has a child: a six-year-old bi-racial daughter, born amid secrets and lies. Now, Evette must decide if she can accept the child—and forgive Judd. She thought she was open-minded—until hidden prejudices threaten the future of an innocent little girl, Evette's marriage, and the very notion of the woman she's believed herself to be. Above all things, this child needs acceptance and love. Needs Evette to discover what being a mother truly means. Needs Judd to face his past. And needs them both to discover what it truly means to be a family. This novel was originally published in 2009 under the same title by Steeple Hill.It has been updated from the original edition.
Jenna and Trey
Morris Fenris - 2014
Her mother died, and her father fell off the wagon. Her well-meaning friends helped her get help from a shelter, but then she got caught up in the system and no one knew what had happened to her. Jenna spent six years, trying to get over being abandoned by everyone she knew and cared for. Making mistake after mistake, she finally found a counselor who helped her see her self-destructive behavior for what it was. Now, her father has passed away, and she is required to return to her hometown to take care of his final estate. Back to the place where those she had once called friends had so callously ignored her once she was no longer amongst them on a day-to-day basis. When Trey Cottrell sees Jenna standing in his office, he’s instantly attracted to her, yet he can’t escape the guilt he feels when he finds out how horrible the last few years have been for her. Without him, she would have never been able to leave Cathedral Hills. As Jenna navigates the emotional rollercoaster of discovering she hasn’t been forgotten, and her father had indeed loved her immensely, will she be able to let go of the past, and trust God to help her find her path forward? Or will she hang onto her anger and hatred and allow it to ruin what should be a homecoming to beat all? Join Jenna and Trey as they begin their journey of having to deal with the past, as well as figure out how to proceed into the future. Will they be together? Or will they let past hurts keep them from finding a lasting love? Will Jenna turn the tragedies of her past into victories to help her friends, trusting God to show her the way? Take the journey towards recovery and reconciliation with Jenna, Trey, and the entire community of Cathedral Hills, Colorado.