Book picks similar to
From the Umberplatzen by Susan Tepper


21st-century-fic
contemporary
germany
whimsical

A Cowboy's Salvation


Taylor R. Lawson - 2016
    He's been the town's sheriff even during its formative years, and he's developed quite a reputation as it's tough law-enforcing sheriff. Because of his long tenure, and dedication to his job, he's also developed a very unflattering nickname, at least for him. It's a nickname that's best not said to Sheriff Tex's face. They call him “Lonesome” Tex Wilson. During one night, in particular, one of Brimstone's residents makes the mistake of doing just that. He gets a fist in his face for his trouble, from Tex himself. But the incident makes Tex start to think about his life. He's presided over Brimstone for so long. With the advent of the railroad and Brimstone being a booming mining town, his job will only become even more hectic and dangerous. There's bound to be more outlaws and troublemakers who will try to make a quick buck through a bank robbery, or anything of the sort. Tex realizes that he can't keep doing this forever, and he's not getting any younger. He needs to have something for himself. He hesitantly fills out an application for a mail order bride service. He doesn't put much faith in it but does it anyway. After all, he's got to try something. It's kind of like Tex's message in a bottle, for his heart. Fortunately or Unfortunately for Tex, his application works better than he ever expected. Soon enough, he begins to receive letters from a sweet woman. She looks very attractive in her photograph and writes with sincerity and honesty that seems to jump out of the paper. Her name is Annie Portion. After some letters, Tex is smitten by Annie, and he proposes to her through their correspondences. Annie agrees, and she is soon off to Brimstone to get married to Sheriff Tex. They meet up, and Annie is everything that Tex every wanted and more. They get married, and it seems that everything is going just as Tex wanted. It's a storybook dream, and suddenly, “Lonesome” Tex isn't lonesome anymore. But there's a catch, and not everything is what it seems. Annie Portion is real “Redtail Annie” a mysterious and notorious female outlaw. No one has ever seen her face because it's always covered with a large handkerchief. Annie saw the sheriff's application on the Mail Order Bride service, and she saw it as a great opportunity. She figured her gang could strike with a lot more impunity if she were actually married to the sheriff. It's a bold, long-term plan that could work. It's a great idea that would have been perfect except for one thing; Annie is falling in love with Tex. With their time together, Annie begins to develop feelings for Tex. She starts to develop a real liking for her life with him in Brimstone. But her gang doesn't know this, and they're getting itchy, waiting for her signal to rob the town bank, at the most opportune moment. With the stakes so high, what choice will Annie make? Who will prevail? Annie Portion, the woman who loves Tex Wilson, or “Redtail Annie” the outlaw?

The Perfect Christmas


Kate Forster - 2014
    With its history and Christmas charm, London feels like the perfect getaway.But can they truly leave their realities behind?In their luxurious quarters, the girls meet Holly who is ideal at showing Maggie and Zoe the sumptuous sights and sounds of London in their most glittering light. But behind her bright façade, Holly is hiding a secret: suffering from unrequited love, she’s looking for a Christmas miracle. Desperate to see an unattainable love story for Holly come together, will our LA starlets succeed in providing a Hollywood ending before the dawn of Christmas Day?Packed to the brim with festive cheer, this is the only story you’ll need this Christmas…

Smoochin' on the Boss


Barbra Campbell - 2021
    My plan has me well on my way to proving that I can climb the corporate ladder on my own merit.What I don't have a plan for is Briella. She's as driven as I am, heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and if I can keep from screwing things up...she's my future.But with a company policy against fraternization, and her firm belief that independence will bring her success, I'm more likely to get fired than get a chance with her.Can I find a way to show Briella that success and pleasure aren't mutually exclusive?

Learning to Love


Sheryl Browne - 2013
    But when Andrea Kelly’s house burns down, taking all her earthly possessions with it, it’s the distant and aloof Doctor David Adams – the person she would least expect – who opens his door not just to her, but to her three kids and slightly dotty elderly mother as well. Andrea needs all the help she can get, dealing with aftermath of the fire and in the suspicious absence of her husband, Jonathan. But, as she gets to know David and his troubled son, Jake, she begins to realise that maybe they need her help as much as she needs theirs … Previously published by the author. Revised and updated by Choc Lit May 2016.

New Beginnings


Lydia Hall - 2022
    CEO of a huge company.Should I say... complete opposites?I think that would be appropriate.And a good thing, considering my past.You see...I tend to attract a-holes.In all pretty shapes and sizes but a-holes, nonetheless.I credit that to my uncontrollable natural curves.My ex, for instance, was a stalker.He violated my boundaries and left me feeling...Well, you get the point.I moved to the glitz and glam of Manhattan after that whole ordeal.A fresh beginning was what I wanted.But instead, I run into my new boss...Aka my Mr. Opposite.Also, the guy I graduated with.And turns out, the guy that harbored a secret crush on me.But there was no way we could be that different and find the same path in life, right?Or could we?

One Hot Secret: A Second Chance Romance (Love on Fire)


Sarah J. Brooks - 2021
    

His Curvy Dream


Erin Havoc - 2020
    There are no cliffhangers and no cheating! If you’re into instalove, hot scenes and happily-ever-afters, this one is for you!

Julia


Otto de Kat - 2008
    He has left no suicide note, but on his desk is a newspaper from 2 April 1942, reporting on the bombing of the north German town of Lübeck. The list of the dead includes the highlighted name of Julia Bender. As a young man finishing his studies in Lübeck in 1938, Christiaan is irresistibly drawn to Julia, a courageous German who has emphatically rejected the Nazi regime. But that same year he is forced to leave both Germany and the woman he loves, even though he suspects that he is making the greatest mistake of his life .Julia is the story of a life lived wrongly, of a love so great that it endures for decades, and yet still fails. Fear of life and loss of courage, and terrifying inhuman fanaticism are the compelling themes explored in Otto de Kat's elegantly accomplished, elegiac novel.

Ethan & Juliet


Marla Holt - 2018
    Ethan Harvey during her final semester of nursing school, she thought he was hot, but too arrogant to be worth the trouble. Plus she had Rich, the only man Juliet thought she’d ever want. But when Juliet’s world shattered, Ethan was the only one there for her. Ethan hasn’t let himself think about Juliet in four years. But when she shows up at his hospital with an emergency patient, Ethan realizes that Juliet is still the woman of his dreams, even if she’s about to become a certified nurse midwife. Ethan’s never had much time for midwives, but he’s willing to set his discomfort aside, because she’s exactly what’s been missing from his life. When Ethan sets out to woo her, Juliet is forced to choose between the career that has given her life purpose and the man she never thought she’d fall in love with. Ethan & Juliet is an opposite attract medium spicy second chance romance with a perfect age gap and a modern fairy tale happily ever after.

Her Dragon's Flame


Stella Jenn - 2021
    He saved a lot of people that day, but I could never track him down. Until now. Ian's a local firefighter—and a dragon. The world knows dragons exist, but I'm determined to show everyone there are more supernatural beings out there than anyone imagines.A reporter as good as I am can always root out a hot story.I'm not going to fall for the target of my investigation, and tragedy in his past means he's not going to give his heart to me. It doesn't matter how hot our chemistry burns, it's not happening, no matter how steamy our stolen kisses get.Soon enough, I don't want to uncover his secrets for a story. I want everything about him for myself.His dragon knows we're meant to be fated mates, so how do I convince the man to take a new chance at love?

His Name Was Ben


Paulette Mahurin - 2014
    Based on real events, Ben and Sara discover that when all else fails, healing can come in the most unexpected ways. Chilling and heart wrenching, His Name Was Ben is a triumph over the devastating circumstances and fear experienced when faced with a terminal illness. In this narrative, the power of love conquers shadows and transforms the very nature and meaning of what it is to be fully alive. From the award winning, best-selling author of, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, comes a story filled with soul and passion that will leave the reader thinking about it for days after the last page is closed.“Paulette Mahurin compassionately renders an insightful tale about love and life in the moment, when a moment is all there is. Both ordinary and extraordinary, Sara and Ben kept me up at night rooting for them, as did Mahurin of course, a writer of exceptional heart, for her tender and wise depiction of love against all odds. A rare pleasure, His Name Was Ben is not to be missed.”—Lee Fullbright, author of The Angry Woman Suite “Against the biggest of obstacles a couple can face, the positive message is that it is never too late to start living.” –Christoph Fischer author of Sebastian.

The Last Shift: Poems


Philip Levine - 2016
    The poems in this wonderful collection touch all of the events and places that meant the most to Philip Levine. There are lyrical poems about his family and childhood, the magic of nighttime and the power of dreaming; tough poems about the heavy shift work at Detroit's auto plants, the Nazis, and bosses of all kinds; telling poems about his heroes--jazz players, artists, and working people of every description, even children. Other poems celebrate places and things he loved: the gifts of winter, dawn, a wall in Naples, an English hilltop, Andalusia. And he makes peace with Detroit: "Slow learner that I am, it took me one night/to discover that rain in New York City/is just like rain in Detroit. It gets you wet." It is a peace that comes to full fruition in a moving goodbye to his home town in the final poem in the collection, "The Last Shift."

Destined


Rubina Ramesh - 2017
    But he had his priorities set and her sick father was nothing but a burden. Esha didn't have any other choice but to apply for a loan from her office. But she had not banked on the fact that the Head of Geno Technologies needed her for other reasons.When Rohan Sharma saw Esha for the first time, he felt she was the one. He had no intention of falling in love with her for the pain of the past was still too much to bear. But he did need Esha as a decoy to his plan. But Esha was not a damsel in distress who would bend to his will easily. While he was sure that he would marry her only for six months, he still couldn’t understand why he felt a searing jealousy every time, her ex-fiancé Ayush’s name was mentioned.While these two souls had other plans in their lives, Destiny conspires to bring them together. But will the stench of Death let them live their lives?

Santa's Perfect Package: A Collection of Holiday Romances


K.B. Winters - 2019
    And I’m the one who put her there Santa Baby is a standalone Christmas romance with loads of heat, guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhangers! One Naughty Christmas Good Things Come In Large Packages! Especially when the package is her BOSS! One Naughty Christmas is a novella length Christmas romance with loads of heat, no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA! Unwrapped I'm breaking every bro code in the book—but I can't help myself. Ruby "Brace Face" is all grown up and I can't keep my mind—or my hands—off of her! Unwrapped is a novella-length forbidden romance with a sexy Navy SEAL, no cliffhanger and a very happy ending. Three Under The Tree Two tantalizing mouths. Four magical hands and two incredibly delicious hunks. They’re the hottest fantasy I never knew I had. Three Under The Tree is a standalone Christmas romance with loads of heat, guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhangers! Enjoy! A Soldier For Christmas I'm in Jingle Bell Hell. Sophia is only in Baghdad for ten days, surely that’s enough time to get a little ho, ho, ho. A Soldier for Christmas is a novella-length holiday military romance with a whole lot of HEAT! No cliffhanger and a very happy ending. If you love the holidays, a first kiss, bossy romances and filthy talking military men, this holiday collection is for you! Have a super dooper Holiday!

Lost World Of Patagonia


Dane Hatchell - 2015
    Under the guise of finding cryptid animals, Ace Corporation sends Alex Klasse, a Cryptozoologist and university professor, his associates, and a band of mercenaries to explore the Lost World of Patagonia. The crew boards a nuclear powered All-Terrain Tracked Carrier and takes a harrowing ride into the unknown.The expedition soon discovers prehistoric creatures still exist. But the dangers won't prevent a sub-team from leaving the group in search of rare jewels. Tensions run high as personalities clash, and man proves to be just as deadly as the dinosaurs that roam the countryside.Lost World of Patagonia is a prehistoric thriller filled with murder, mayhem, and savage dinosaur action.*Updated and revised 11/24/2015