Book picks similar to
The Mini-Break by Maddie Please


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The Year of Starting Over


Karen King - 2019
    But stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, and a relationship that feels more like it’s going backwards… this year Holly has decided it’s time to change her life. She just has to:– End the relationship with the commitment-phobic boyfriend– Go on a proper adventure – Learn to be herself again– Definitely, categorically not fall in love. Cramming her belongings into her little yellow Mini, Holly drives on to a ferry bound to Spain, to stay at a remote farmhouse near a beautiful village in the Andalusian hills. But the day she arrives she nearly crashes her car into a gorgeous guy on a motorbike. He’s called Matias and their paths keep crossing, much to Holly’s irritation. Because as she learns to speak Spanish from the locals, finally starts laying out plans for her own design business, and sips sangria in the sunlit village square, Holly is beginning to remember who she is and what she wants. So she won’t allow herself be distracted by Matias. Because this year – for Holly – there are more important things in life than love. And she won’t let yet another bad relationship ruin everything… will she?A moving and uplifting romantic comedy about living each moment and learning to trust yourself again, for fans of Jenny Hale, Debbie Macomber, and Sophie Kinsella.Readers love Karen King:‘Best book I have read in ages. Couldn't put it down... My star rating would be max 10 out of 10. Superb!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Fantastic from the first page to the last. I really didn't want it to end at all. So enchanting and romantic and about finding your own happiness when you don't think you can… A simply fantastic read, highly recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Amazing! This book pulls at your heartstrings... Highly recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘A pure pleasure to devour this book, I just didn't want it to end, I was enjoying it so much… Wonderful.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars‘Such a cleverly written, hilarious and fun book with bucketfuls of drama. Absolutely loved it!’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars‘I loved this book, it was fun, easy to read with lovely characters and a fab story.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘Romantic, edgy, dreamy... Loved it from start to finish.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘[A] stonking great read that will leave you wanting more.’ Goodreads reviewer‘Contemporary women's fiction at its best. Utterly charming.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars‘I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes a good escapist read.’ Whispering Stories‘Worth far more than five stars… I was hooked from the first page… Full of romance and heartbreak and families and doing what is best.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

One Way Ticket to Paris


Emma Robinson - 2018
    The problem is that what I’ve lost is… me.Kate loves her family more than anything, but recently she has started to feel invisible. Lying awake at three a.m. as her husband snores, panicking about shopping lists, birthday parties, and the school bake sale… She finds herself in the kitchen, gulping water, staring at a postcard of the Eiffel Tower from Shannon, her best friend.Paris, with its red wine, slippery cobbles and curly lampposts. Where the scent of freshly-baked croissants hangs in the air, and Kate last remembers feeling like herself.The postcard is a year old. It has just one line on it: When are you coming?An inspiring, feel-good tale of friendship, love, and what happens when running away is the only way you can find your way home. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jane Green and Marian Keyes.

The Little Orchard on the Lane


Tilly Tennant - 2021
    Adopted when she was just a baby, Posy is excited to re-connect with her birth family and help out on the family cider farm with its old stone walls and bees buzzing in the hedgerows.There’s just one tiny problem – her new next-door neighbour, haughty, handsome vineyard-owner Lachlan. Lachlan has taken an instant dislike to Posy, and after a furious argument when she ventures on his land, she’s pretty certain there’s not a heart of gold beneath his frosty exterior.Yet as she falls in love with the flower-filled hedgerows and apple-green fields of her new life, she discovers more about her grumpy neighbour. Even though he acts like the world is out to get him, she can’t ignore the sad expression in his dark eyes.And when Posy discovers the heartbreaking secret that is tearing Lachlan apart, she understands why he has shut the door on the world and vows to help him, as well as the vineyard, which has fallen on hard times. Yet just as Lachlan lets Posy in, a terrible night threatens to destroy everything she has begun to care about and puts someone she loves at risk. Will her dream life in the country come at an awful price?If you love Nicola May, Debbie Macomber and Milly Johnson, then you will adore The Little Orchard on the Lane. An enchanting summer romance about new beginnings, second chances and trusting your heart.

The Postmistress


Maggie Sullivan - 2020
    It’s 1939 and one ordinary street in Lancashire is getting ready for war, but who knows what else is going on behind the blacked-out windows?Sylvia Barker runs the haberdashery in the village of Millhead, her headstrong daughter Rose has no plans to waste her life on a lot of old needle and cotton. She’ll get a shock when a few family secrets come to light.Violet Pegg has been writing to a Canadian pilot and is excited to learn he is going to be stationed nearby; with so many girls eager to make friends with the handsome young man, will Violet get a look in?Vicky Parrot has known more heartache and tragedy than most 25 year old and she wouldn’t know where to look for happiness even if she tried, is the war about to change all that.In a time when the country is pulling together, can the people of Millhead do their best for King and country?

A Walk in Wildflower Park


Bella Osborne - 2019
    This is the complete story in one package.Life’s not always a walk in the park…Anna thought she’d found The One – until he broke off their engagement exactly a year before their wedding day. Hoping new surroundings will do her the world of good, she moves in to a place of her own on the edge of gorgeous Wildflower Park.With the help and friendship of her neighbour Sophie, Anna quickly settles in and pledges to focus on her career, but a handsome new colleague seems determined to thwart her attempts at every turn. And when she receives a text from a mystery man, it looks as though an unlikely romance is on the horizon…Is Anna about to be swept off her feet by someone she really shouldn’t be falling for? Or could this be the new start she needs and deserves?

The French Escape


Suzie Tullett - 2018
    Loved it." Sarah Hardy - By The Letter Book Reviews"Charming and thoroughly enjoyable" Rachel Gilbey - Reviewer  It’s fair to say that Flick has had a terrible year. Her beloved father died, she had the wedding of her dreams and only hours after the ceremony her husband ran out on her.  Brenda, fed up with her daughter living like a hermit, decides to drag Flick off to France to stay in a chateau. What could be better than an idyllic escape?But when they arrive Flick discovers the chateau is all but abandoned.The only upside of her French escape is the handsome and mysterious neighbour, Nate.Nate loves his life living in the cottage on the grounds of the abandoned chateau but that is about to be put in jeopardy… Can Nate and Flick ever learn to come to terms with the past and find love again? What everyone is saying about The French Escape: "I loved this book! The characters were delightful, the setting was dreamy and the story perfectly paced, with some surprises."  Kaye Barley - reviewer "a feel good, easy and satisfying read."  Joan Hill - Reviewer  "a really lovely book, full of happily ever afters, family, friendship, love, happiness, funny moments and idyllic French countryside"  Karen Whittard  - reviewer "The story has all the right ingredients in the right proportions to make you go all warm and fuzzy."  Shree Janani - reviewer   Suze Tullett is the author of Little White Lies and Butterflies and The Trouble With Words. The French Escape is an uplifting and laugh-out-loud Romantic comedy which will appeal to fans of authors like Sue Roberts, Marian Keyes and Sarah Morgan.

The Girl from the Mill


Chrissie Walsh - 2019
    A heart-breaking saga for all fans of Dilly Court and Val Wood. In the drab Yorkshire town of Garsthwaite, Lacey Barraclough works hard in the textile mill, determined to fight for improvements to the dismal working conditions she and her fellow weavers face. But she hadn't reckoned on falling in love with the boss's son, Nathan. Nathan returns her love, but to succeed they must overcome the class divide, as well as persuade their families that their love for each other is real. Before Nathan and Lacey can make a life together, World War I breaks out and Nathan enlists to fight. When Nathan heads off to the Front, he takes Lacey's dreams with him, and she must find a new way to face the future. As hard times come to Garsthwaite, will there be a home for the returning heroes to come back to? And for those men who do make it back from France, can they ever outrun the horrors they have witnessed, and learn to love again?

The Calico Cat


Amanda James - 2018
    Because of the way Lottie’s mother handles the consequent fall-out, the two become distant. Lottie’s rejected by her mother and deemed troublesome, rude and wilful. Ever since then, Lottie has struggled with fitting in and actively tries to be different from others. As an adult Lottie decides to quit her teaching job and follow her dreams to become an artist. But will she succeed and can she put her troubled past behind her? As Lottie embarks on a journey of self-discovery she will come to examine the importance of life, love and friendship.

An Endless Cornish Summer


Phillipa Ashley - 2021
    She narrowly survived a life-threatening illness and owes everything to her anonymous donor. Determined to thank him, Rose follows a trail of clues that lead her to the little Cornish fishing village of Falford.  But things become complicated when Rose is drawn into local life, becoming involved in the legendary Falford Regatta and meeting the handsome Morvah brothers – one of whom might just be the man she’s looking for. But which one?  Can Rose find the answer she’s searching for, or will she lose her heart before the summer is over?

The Single Mums' Picnic Club


Jennifer Joyce - 2018
    

The Time of Our Lives


Portia MacIntosh - 2019
    But when she bumps into Tom, her friend from university who broke her heart into a million pieces, she finds herself wondering what could have been.It’s ten years later, surely she should be over that Tom by now? So why is he looking even more gorgeous than ever – and why doesn’t he seem to be able to keep his eyes off her either? And as the champagne flows and old secrets resurface, Luca realises that perhaps the time to take a chance on love and life is…now? The laugh-out-loud new novel from bestseller Portia Macintosh!

A Country Rivalry


Sasha Morgan - 2019
     For the ever-so dashing Lord of the Manor Tobias Cavendish-Blake and his new wife Megan, it's a great advertising opportunity as they've recently opened up their home, Treweham Hall, to the public. And for the chef at the local pub The Templar, Finula, the arrival of the brooding director Marcus Devlin, means her love life is looking up. Whilst at the racing stables, jockey and trainer Dylan Delaney is hoping the exposure will help him find new owners and horses for him and his partner Flora to train. But there is more to Marcus Devlin than meets the eye, and he has very personal reasons for heading to the Cotswolds. And once his plans become clear, life in Treweham may never be the same again. 'I couldn't put this book down and was gripped from the very first page! I was so engulfed in the characters and life in Treweham, that I actually felt a little lost when I had finished it' Amazon reviewer on A Country Scandal.

The Big Five O: A laugh out loud, feel good novel for summer


Jane Wenham-Jones - 2019
    Or is he? They’re all keeping secrets but as the big birthday looms, the beans are about to be spilt, and one of them is going to need her friends more than ever…

Breaking the Ice


Mandy Baggot - 2010
    Immediately attracted to the infamous lead skater Jimmy Lloyd, Samantha does her best to deny her feelings. But when all you can do is burst out laughing and hyperventilate every time you're under pressure, keeping things under wraps is a hard task. When the future of her beloved Civic Hall is threatened Samantha must rise to the challenge to ensure its survival. Constantly scrutinised and criticised by her zany sister Cleo and her brogue wearing boyfriend Jeremy, can Samantha save her job, save the Civic Hall and stop her panic attacks just long enough to give her away her heart?

The Twelve Wishes of Christmas


Ruby Basu - 2021
    Arriving in Pineford, it’s everything she’d ever hoped for and more.But she’s in for another surprise, because Thomas has left her with one last request: if she completes his Christmas wish list of festive activities, her chosen charity will receive a big donation. Or so Sharmila thinks.…He’s there to reclaim his family’s legacyLittle does she know, she’s set to inherit Thomas’s estate too, much to his nephew Zach’s disbelief. Determined not to see his family’s legacy left to a stranger, he’s come to Pineford to do whatever it takes to stop Sharmila from fulfilling that list.When Sharmila and Zach meet, neither are prepared for sparks to fly. For Sharmila’s sworn off love, and Zach doesn’t trust her. But with every passing wish they find themselves growing closer. And amongst the twinkling town lights and fallen snow, Sharmila can feel her heart opening up to Zach. But when she learns he’s been keeping a secret from her, can Sharmila forgive him and get the happy-ever-after she’s always wished for this Christmas?