Book picks similar to
The Music of Mary Frances by Shirley Johnson


adult
no-thanks-music-man
slice-of-life
stand-alone

Unstrung


Laura Spinella - 2017
    But when her marriage to high-stakes investor Rob Van Doren takes another wrong turn, Olivia acts out once too often. A night of bad behavior results in community service hours. Time is to be served with Theo McAdams, an inner-city teacher whose passion for music eclipses Olivia’s. As she inches toward a better place, life surprises Olivia in the form of her first husband—baseball legend Sam Nash.Years ago, Olivia fell in love with Sam. Their impulsive marriage imploded with a fateful car crash and harsh parting words. Olivia never expected to see him again. But now Sam is back, and he wants her forgiveness. He also wants to recapture their volatile love affair. Olivia is torn between rekindling romance and saving her marriage. To her surprise, it’s the presence of the young music teacher—and the lessons from a reckless past—that may bring harmony to Olivia’s off-key life.

Piece by Piece


Laura Bradford - 2020
    Danielle Parker is a gold-medal mom--the kind who volunteers in her children's classrooms, shuttles them between activities, throws legendary birthday parties, and has a remedy on hand for any emergency. Whatever her husband, Jeff, and their children need, Dani is there, always. Except for one day.On that day--the day that Dani reluctantly takes some "me time" while her mom and Jeff drive the children to the park--the unthinkable happens. The car crash leaves no survivors. Somehow, Dani gets through the funerals and visits, accepting neighbors' sympathy and dropped-off meals. All the while, guilt and grief make her wish the accident had claimed her life too. Then a call comes from Lydia Schlabach, an Amish woman Dani befriended in childhood. In addition to condolences, Lydia offers Dani something more: a place to escape to.In Pennsylvania's Amish country, Dani's days take on a new rhythm, marked by the clip-clop of buggies and the bustle of chores. Lydia gives Dani space to mourn, to think, and to realize how long it's been since she felt like a person in her own right. And with the help of friendships old and new, Dani learns about the ways life continues to surprise us--even after the deepest loss--with joy, love, and second chances. . . .Praise for Portrait of a Sister "Laura Bradford is a master storyteller; this book will stay with you for a long, long time." --New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander "A charming, well-told story of love and devotion between sisters."--New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck

This is a Love Story


Jessica Thompson - 2012
    It's because of a squirrel on water skis...She sees Nick's dangerous brown eyes and thinks,Don't.Fall.Into.Them.Who will be there to catch Siena when she falls? She is so fragile. She has so many secrets, and he is not that serious.Funny and sad, this is the story of two people destined never to come together in the great love affair they crave more than anything else.

Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: Jell-ing Classic Cocktails-One Drink at a Time


Michelle Palm - 2011
    Armed with only a saucepan, a cake pan, and a sharp knife (and ingredients!), readers can be well on their way to a gorgeous batch of Jelly Shots.

The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital


Joanna Nell - 2021
    Staffed by successive generations of dedicated volunteers, the beloved cafeteria is known as much for offering a kind word and sympathetic ear (and often unsolicited life advice) as for its tea and buns.Stalwart Hilary has worked her way up through the ranks to Manageress; Joy has been late every day since she started as the cafeteria's newest recruit. She doesn't take her role as 'the intern' quite as seriously as Hilary would like but there's no doubt she brings a welcome pop of personality. Seventeen-year-old Chloe, the daughter of two successful surgeons, is volunteering during the school holidays because her mother thinks it will look good on her CV.Chloe is at first bewildered by the two older women but soon realises they have a lot in common, not least that each bears a secret pain. When they discover the cafeteria is under threat of closure, this unlikely trio must band together to save it.Praise for the novels of Joanna Nell:Tender and funny Woman's WeeklyWhip-smart dialogue, humour and sarcasm ... highly addictive Sun HeraldLively and whimsical Sydney Morning Herald

Mafia Murders: 100 Kills that Changed the Mob


M.A. Frasca - 2015
    For the Mob (as they are also known), crime was big business. Feuds between Mafia families and their associates led to Lucky Luciano, the preeminent Mob boss, creating the Commission, which to this day rules over Mob activity and disputes. Throughout the 20th century, the ruthlessness of the Mafia has been in evidence: the list of Mob victims seems endless. Mafia Hits recalls the most important executions - the rival bosses, the stool pigeons and snitches, the good cops and the dirty cops, the vicious feuds and the hit-men who lived by the gun and died by it. All are here in this fascinating tale of the American underworld.

Thank You Beary Much


C.D. Gorri - 2021
    But the Black Bear Shifter has come a long way since then.Graduating with honors from the local community college and opening his own Taqueria in Barvale was like a dream come true. Life was good. Almost perfect.If only he could forget that one passionate night he’d spent with a gorgeous stranger in Cancun last spring break. He’d spent a week celebrating his upcoming graduation, leaving his friends high and dry to spend his days and nights in her company. A year later, he still dreamt about the beautiful Estella Baron.Imagine his shock when she comes to Barvale looking for her husband. Him!

My Roommate is a Reaper


Andrew Peed - 2020
    On the advice of a wise elder that works at his favorite restaurant, Waylon decided to get a roommate. Everything turned upside down, and he found out more about himself and the rest of the world than he thought he ever wanted to know.Kaylie needed somewhere to live, and the spirit she was chasing led her straight to a perfect place, then she found out there was a Warlock living there that had no clue what he could do. With her past making things complicated, she tries her best to stay on the right side of things.

The Gifts and Calling of God


Kenneth E. Hagin - 1986
    Something about the calling or anointed of the teacher, because one of my callings is to be a teacher; the other is to stand in the office of prophet.

Monster Girl Hunter


Jack Porter - 2020
    But now, with the help of a magic beacon, I’m seeking those who are tainted. The impure. Abominations.Monster girls.But not to kill.They need my help. All kinds of help.I'm more than happy to provide it, to do all I can to keep them safe from the real monsters that exist in the world.

Dominica


Kate Harper - 2015
    He is stunned to discover than his old friend Peter Mandeville left his only child in his care in the hope that he will teach her something about her heritage, an aspect of life that his strong willed daughter has yet to experience. Felix has spent his entire life avoiding the convoluted world that constitutes Society and is appalled by the burden that has been thrust upon him, especially when his new ward refuses to play by the rules. For Dominica Mandeville there are no rules. Beautiful and independent, she has spent her life following in the wake of battle in the company of her soldier father and her Portuguese mother. After a life of adventure, the knowledge that she has been given into the care of a perfect stranger chaffs unbearably. The loss of her beloved parents hurts but the loss of her freedom is the cruelest cut of all. Will she ever learn to be a demure debutante? Or will her impetuosity lead to scandals that even the capable Felix is unable to save her from?

Dangerous Deceptions (The Dark Series Trilogy Spin-off)


Cate McKoy - 2018
    The best way he knew how to do that was to work. The more dangerous, the better. He's headed for the trouble in Taten, Georgia. Rynn Rolland is all alone, living in the big city and drowning. She accepts an inheritance from a distant relative to see if you she can make a go of it in a new place all her own. She is overwhelmed with all there is to, but, she metaphorically pushes up her sleeves and prepares to make a home of her new farm in Taten, Georgia... that is, if her neighbors will let her live long enough to accomplish her goal.

The Leopard's Witchy Mate


Elle Boon - 2020
    A Shifter With A Haunted Past. A Deadly Adversary out to Destroy Them.Home is where you make It…A Beautifully Broken Soul... Noelle York had fought to stay alive, hoping she'd someday be reunited with her family, even when each day was filled with nothing but pain and agony. Some girls dream of a knight in shining armor, but she dreamt of running through woods with a mate who would accept her as she was.Home is Where You Find It…An Alpha With An Attitude... Ridge Jackson has always been the one who everyone leaned on. As the alpha of a bunch of wild shifters, he takes his job seriously. When a little witch shows up at his bar, his leopard raked at him, claiming her as theirs. Of course, nothing has ever come easy for him and getting a witchy mate was no different.Home is Where The Heart is…Two Souls Meant For One Another... For Ridge and Noelle, the chemistry was instant and undeniable from the moment they met. While Noelle was innocent in so many ways, she wasn't willing to let Ridge go without a fight. Ridge and his leopard were prepared to claim Noelle and show her being a mate to an alpha was better than what her sister was marrying. However, neither of them realized the danger that was stalking Noelle. A danger that was even more sinister than the evil that had taken her as a child and held her captive for ten years. Can Ridge keep Noelle safe and find those who are tracking her before it's too late? Or will those who are hunting his witchy mate get to her, eliminating Noelle before they can make a home together?

Broken Perfection


Lynn Rider - 2014
    Not wanting anyone to penetrate the carefully constructed walls around her heart, she prefers the casual company of a man over the entanglement of a relationship. Until she walks into the grand opening of Nashville's new hot restaurant, Forty-One.Owner of David Enterprises, James David tops most of the wealthiest, youngest, most successful not to mention best looking lists published each year. Sitting atop of a close to a billion dollar record production company, he's used to calling the shots. Until he meets Reese Turner. After one meeting, he decides his Nashville home is far more appealing than his Manhattan penthouse. Spending his days in his Nashville office, he's determined to spend his nights with Reese.She recognizes the danger to her heart and knows she should run the other direction, but there's something beyond his piercing blue eyes that draw her in. After a few "chance" meetings, he insinuates himself into every facet of her life with his no nonsense take charge personality. With her reluctance shattered she learns quickly there's no chance of remaining intact in the end. But who said anything about an end? *Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not recommended for readers under the age of 18.

Black Machetes


R.K. Howard - 2014
    Howard's edgy, controversial, and addictive debut, Black Machetes , a powerful, page-turning psychological thriller—at times both shocking and endearing—written with gritty cinematic tones that paint a painfully intimate portrait of a world framed by abuse, tragedy, and inhibited love.