Book picks similar to
The Mini-Break by Maddie Please
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Wedding in the Pines
Cassidy Carter - 2021
Life took them in very different directions… But a wedding in the pines brings them together. Slater’s job has never been busier at Cabins in the Pines, the recently expanded resort. On top of everything else, he’s the best man for his boss’s upcoming wedding, and he’s trying to make sure everything goes perfectly. But there was one detail he didn’t plan on: the arrival of his ex-girlfriend, Hope. Years ago, when Hope dated Slater, she dreamed of a musical career. Now, she’s working at her father’s financial firm, and he expects her to take over someday. Hope’s determined to make their conference at Cabins in the Pines a success…while ignoring her misgivings about her own future. When Slater and Hope meet again, all their memories come rushing back—including the pain of their breakup. Could this unexpected interlude lead to a new beginning? This charming second chance romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Chicken a la Rose.
The Homecoming
Roland Moore - 2017
Bold Connie and mild-mannered Henry might be different as night and day, but she’s determined to be the best wife she can be and prove the village gossips wrong! Only Connie knows she doesn’t fit into Henry’s genteel world of tea-drinking and jam-making, and the cracks are already starting to show.When Connie’s heroism makes her front page news, her past comes back to haunt her in a terrifying way. A different kind of war has come to Helmstead, and soon it’s a fight for both their marriage and their lives…
The Runaway Bride
Mary Jayne Baker - 2018
but how long can she hide?When Kitty Clayton flees her wedding with no money, no bank card and no phone, her life seems worryingly futureless. All she knows is, she'd rather sleep on the streets than go back home to cheating Ethan.After picking her up hitch-hiking, widowed children's author Jack Duffy takes Kitty under his wing, looking out for her until she gets back on her feet. And it's not long before the two grow close...But with Jack struggling to recover from the guilt he feels over his wife's death and Kitty refusing to face up to the problems she's running away from at home, will the two ever manage to share a happily ever after?A heart-warming novel about love and new beginnings, you won't be able to put it down!
The Forget-Me-Not Bakery
Caroline Flynn - 2020
So, when she’s given the chance to move to Port Landon to set up her own bakery, she’s ready to take a leap of faith and make her dreams a reality.When single dad and local veterinarian, Cohen Beckett, enters Paige’s bakery for her grand opening, there is an undeniable connection, and Paige can’t help but notice an unfamiliar feeling in her chest.But ever since his wife’s tragic death, Cohen has built his own defenses around his heart. The last thing he expects is for a stranger to ignite a spark he thought was lost forever.Yet Paige has a kindness the whole town finds infectious, and soon Cohen realizes that her gourmet cakes aren't the only thing impossible to distance himself from.Will Paige be able to fulfill her dreams and find love in her new home?
Tough Love: A Forced Proximity Romance
Melanie A. Smith - 2021
Smith comes a standalone steamy contemporary romance about life choices, love, and finding yourself in between.
Sometimes you need a bit of tough love to get where you’re supposed to be …
Mia Anderson has been living a life that was chosen for her. But her impending thirtieth birthday is the wake-up call she needed to stop wasting time on all the wrong pursuits. Just as she’s figuring out what she wants to do about it, her beloved grandmother falls ill and Mia drops everything to be with her. What she didn’t expect to find in her grandmother’s tiny mountain town is the courage to quit working for her father, supplied by a little tough love from her Gran. Now faced with an uncertain future, the last thing on her mind is finding love. Nate Edwards is living a solitary life deep in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. He’s content, or at least he thinks he is — until the granddaughter of a good friend shows up and he starts having feelings he thought he’d never have again. But Mia’s future isn’t in Alpine Ridge, so acting on it would lead to nothing but heartbreak. Still, their connection is undeniable and circumstances continue to push them together, despite their resistance. Will Mia stick to her decision to carve her own path? And if she does, will it be with Nate? Or is he doomed to an isolated life?
One Way or Another
Colleen Coleman - 2018
By now she was supposed to have the perfect relationship and her dream career – but her boyfriend left her behind to travel the world, she’s sleeping on a friend’s sofa, and she’s working a temporary job... that she’s been in for two years. This is not the life she dreamed of. But with the help of Martha, an eighty-year-old who believes in living life to the absolute full, Katie is about to start again – to grab hold of life with both hands and give it a big shake up, starting with getting out of her dead-end job. When old flame, gorgeous Ben Cole, unexpectedly reappears in Katie’s life, it seems like true love might be within reach too… Soon Katie is on the cusp of getting everything she wanted: dream job, dream man, dream life. But can she really have it all? A hilarious, heart-warming story full of romance, friendship and laughs. If you like Lindsey Kelk, Marian Keyes or Cate Woods, you need to read Colleen Coleman!
Read what people are saying about One Way or Another:
‘Amazing… I read this book in one sitting… I was completely engulfed… I loved every minute of the drama… An uplifting read and a laugh-out-loud story.’ The Flickering Pages, 5 stars ‘Fantastic!… Absolutely divine… The story was absolutely wonderful and it had me hooked… from page one until I’d finished it!… Made me laugh and cry… Everything that you could need from a book!… Absolutely perfect!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars ‘A fabulously light-hearted and entertaining read that will have you bubbling with emotions… So wonderful that I read it in one sitting… Captivated me and I couldn't put it down.’ By The Letter Book Reviews, 5 stars ‘Fun and fabulous… I had many good belly laughs. This is quite the uplifting story… I absolutely adored this book… Loved this book.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Oh my days, what a fantastic book… I absolutely flipping well LOVED it… Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down… I found myself laughing out loud… I wholeheartedly recommend this author.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars ‘Ohhhhhhhhhhh this author doesn't disappoint!... I was able to lose myself in every word… I loved everything about One Way or Another… Everything I could want from a book and more, deserving a rating of the entire amount of stars in the universe. Truly – five ain't gonna cut it at all, this book is pint-sized perfection.’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars ‘What a book this was!’ Being Unique Being a Reader, 5 stars ‘A truly uplifting and hopeful story! Five stars from me!’
The Single Girl's Calendar
Erin Green - 2018
Esmé Peel is approaching thirty with some trepidation, but hope in her heart. If she can just get her long-term boyfriend Andrew to propose, she will have ticked everything off her 'things to do by the time you're 30' list. She didn't reckon on finding another woman's earring in her bed however, and soon she finds herself single, homeless and in need of a new plan. Her best friend Carys gives her the perfect present – The Single Girl’s Calendar – which has a different cure for heartbreak every day: Day 1: Look and feel fabulous with a new hair style. Day 2: Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Day 3: Reconnect with friends and enjoy! Despite thinking it's a bit of a gimmick, Esmé hasn't got any better ideas, so she puts the plan into action. By the end of week one she has four new male housemates, and despite a broken heart she is determined to show Andrew she can do more than survive, she can thrive.
Confessions of a First Time Mum
Poppy Dolan - 2018
Stevie loves being a mum, but between the isolation and being vomited on five times a day, she really wishes she had someone to talk to.With husband Ted working hard to keep the family afloat, Stevie really doesn’t want to burden him with her feelings. Turning to the internet, Stevie starts the anonymous First-Time Mum blog and blasts the rose-tinted glasses of parenthood right off her readers.In the real world, Stevie meets the formidable Nelle and gorgeous Will, along with their own little treasures, and starts to realise that being a ‘perfect mum’ isn’t everything. But when the secret blog goes viral, Stevie must make some tough choices about who she wants to be, and whether she’s ready for the world to know the truth…A perfect laugh-out-loud read for fans of The Unmumsy Mum, Gill Sims and Emma Robinson.
Montauk
Nicola Harrison - 2019
For three months, this humble fishing village will serve as the playground for New York City’s wealthy elite. Beatrice Bordeaux was looking forward to a summer of reigniting the passion between her and her husband, Harry. Instead, tasked with furthering his investment interest in Montauk as a resort destination, she learns she’ll be spending twelve weeks sequestered with the high society wives at The Montauk Manor—a two-hundred room seaside hotel—while Harry pursues other interests in the city. College educated, but raised a modest country girl in Pennsylvania, Bea has never felt fully comfortable among these privileged women, whose days are devoted not to their children but to leisure activities and charities that seemingly benefit no one but themselves. She longs to be a mother herself, as well as a loving wife, but after five years of marriage she remains childless while Harry is increasingly remote and distracted. Despite lavish parties at the Manor and the Yacht Club, Bea is lost and lonely and befriends the manor’s laundress whose work ethic and family life stir memories of who she once was. As she drifts further from the society women and their preoccupations and closer toward Montauk’s natural beauty and community spirit, Bea finds herself drawn to a man nothing like her husband –stoic, plain spoken and enigmatic. Inspiring a strength and courage she had almost forgotten, his presence forces her to face a haunting tragedy of her past and question her future. Desperate to embrace moments of happiness, no matter how fleeting, she soon discovers that such moments may be all she has, when fates conspire to tear her world apart…
Summer at Firefly Beach
Jenny Hale - 2019
Perfect for fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Nancy Thayer and Susan Mallery.Hallie Flynn’s favorite place in the world is her great Aunt Clara’s beautiful beachside house, with its inviting wraparound porch and enchanting views across the sparkling turquoise ocean. For Hallie, going to Firefly Beach, filled with magical memories, feels like coming home, but in one moment Hallie is left broken-hearted when her adored Aunt Clara passes away…As always, Aunt Clara has thought of everything. In her last letter she included a bucket list Hallie wrote as a child, for Hallie to complete. Leaving her dead-end job and predictable schedule, Hallie returns to Firefly beach and embraces Aunt Clara’s words. All the time her childhood best friend Ben Murray, with his golden charm and infuriating ability to be right all the time, is by her side.Spending the summer with Ben, as they enjoy drinks on the pier and endless talks stretched out in the soft sand, Hallie begins to remember the things that matter most to her. But following the bucket list isn’t an easy journey. It forces her to face the pain of her past as she starts to fall for the person who has been there for her all along...Just as her heart is healing, an encounter with a newcomer to the beach town, wealthy and talented photographer Gavin Wilson, leaves her questioning her future and shows her she has to make a difficult decision that could mean losing everything.Will Hallie be able to fulfill Aunt Clara’s last wish and change her life? Or will a secret she’s been keeping destroy her new beginning—and the chance to experience true love?
One Endless Summer
Laurie Ellingham - 2017
The perfect summer read.’ Brew and Books Review
Three best friends. Three continents. Three months to live.
How long can you keep a secret?
Three best friends are embarking on an all-expenses paid trip of their dreams. The only catch? Every moment will be documented on film.Lizzie is finally ready to embrace adventure for the very first time. It’s their last three months together, but it is Lizzie’s time to finally start living!Jaddi is known for her stunning looks, flirtatious attitude and many conquests. But Jaddi has a secret and on this last trip together she needs to decide whether her best friends will ever know the real her.Samantha has always been the ‘grown up’ of the group, the one with a five year plan. What Lizzie and Jaddi don’t know is that Sam is trapped, and her perfect life isn’t quite what it seems…As they trek across the globe Lizzie, Jaddi and Samantha must come to terms with loss, love and trusting one another. But will it all be too late…
‘Speechless at just how breathtaking this book really is.’Rachel Gilbey
’Mind-blowing, enchanting, heart-breaking, moving, spell-binding and emotional.’The Writing Garnet
The Dog Share
Fiona Gibson - 2021
Just like Suzy, Scout has been abandoned, although only Suzy has been left with a financial mess and a business in tatters thanks to her ex.Suzy takes Scout in and her chaotic world changes in unexpected ways: strangers have never been more welcoming and her teenage kids can’t wait to come home to visit.Then a chance encounter on a windy Hebridean beach makes things more complicated, because Suzy isn’t the only one who needs a friend.Scout has plenty of love to go round… but does Suzy?A wonderfully funny and uplifting story about friendship and second chances (and whisky!), perfect for fans of Gill Sims and Jill Mansell
My Sisters and Me
Lisa Dickenson - 2018
It's going to get messy.When Willow Lake asks her daughters for help renovating the family home, each has a reason to hesitate about returning to Maplewood . . .For quiet and bookish Emmy going back to the town that ridiculed her fills her with dread.The youngest Noelle is perfectly comfortable in herself now, but once wanted to fit in so badly that she walked away from her first love. A first love who still lives in Maplewood.And outspoken Rae is painfully aware of how much the townspeople hurt her little sisters growing up. She didn't protect them then, but there's no way she'll let history repeat itself.The sisters agree to go home and make the best of it. After all if they've changed over the years, it's possible the townspeople have too . . . isn't it?The BRAND NEW feel-good, kick-ass novel about sisterhood and second chances. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, Mhairi McFarlane and Anna Bell.
The Truth is a Theory
Karyn Bristol - 2019
Twenty-eight years ago, Allie’s mother disappeared; never to be heard from again. Allie survived by becoming the toast of the party—any party—and never looking back. But as a thirty-two-year-old mother of two, parties have morphed into playdates, and the closest she gets to Dom Pérignon is watered-down Mott’s. Even her once golden marriage has tarnished into a “How was your day” fly-by. When her husband storms out, Allie knows that this time, she can’t just bury her pain. This time, she needs to sift through it, knowing that the key to her future lies at rock bottom, in the truth about her mother. Allie’s story weaves through a friendship of four women, a no-holds-barred camaraderie that ferries them through the adventure of dates and deadlines, husbands and babies, and cradles them through the heartbreak of date-rape, infidelity, and alcoholism. As they each grapple with what life has thrown at them, they wrestle with the question: if you ever find the truth, does it heal you or destroy you?
Stella Rose
Tammy Flanders Hetrick - 2015
But Abby struggles to connect with Olivia and she soon finds guardianship of a headstrong teenager daunting beyond her wildest misgivings. Despite her best efforts, and the help of friends old and new, she is unable to keep Olivia from self-destruction. As Abby’s journey unfolds, she grapples with raising a grieving teenager, realizes she didn’t know Stella as well as she thought, and discovers just how far she will go to save the most precious thing in her life.