Book picks similar to
The House in the Clouds by Victoria Connelly


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The Wishing Tree Beside the Shore


Jaimie Admans - 2021
    

A Typical Family Christmas


Liz Davies - 2019
    She wants harmony and happiness, smiling,glowing faces, tables groaning with food, carol singing around thetree. She wants love, kindness, and goodwill to all men, especially inher own house.What she doesn’t want is drama. Absolutely no drama, whatsoever.But what she gets is three stroppy children, two equally stroppygrandmothers, a husband who can’t manage to change a lightbulb, and Pepethe poodle.It’s no wonder she feels unappreciated, overworked, and ignored. At the endof her tinsel-coated tether, and with the only Christmas spirit being inthe form of a bottle of raspberry gin, Kate decides to leave them to it,and see how they manage without her.A quiet little hotel somewhere near the sea, where she can pretendChristmas doesn’t exist, is just the thing she needs. Isn’t it?

Rosie


Bill Whiting - 2018
    His two children work abroad and he is alone after the funeral and grows deliberately recluse. A few weeks later he’s puzzled and annoyed when a lady arrives at his home delivering a schnauzer puppy. Called Rosie, it was ordered by his wife to be delivered to him after her death, together with a note from her. His wife had always wanted a dog but Will didn’t like them and had never agreed. But after a very difficult initial spell, he gradually grows to love Rosie and appreciate the companionship his little new friend brings to his life. Rosie also helps him overcome his grief and appreciate more than ever the wise and loving foresight of his wife. Two travel adventures follow in Switzerland and Austria where doggie-centred dramas ensue - including the injury and loss of Rosie. All dogs have a small monetary market value and many are worth nothing at all. But to their loving owners they are priceless.

Every Dog has his Day


Chloe Grace - 2019
    Well today I've had mine.Hey, I'm Albertus Eagle and it turns out I'm an unwitting pet detective. I haven't always been such a successful legal beagle, but when I'm confronted with a case that is so personal I can't ignore it, I discover I have a passion for finding those who don't want to be found.Cleo the cat? Well, she tags along for the ride.I've not only found myself a new home after the untimely demise of my previous owner, but I've also made amends with the cat. It turns out she's not that bad, really.On top of that, what sends shivers racing down my spine to my paws, is that we've fingered a killer.How?Because you humans underestimate us animals. And while you go about your business ignoring our very existence, the cat and I are listening and taking notes.

Things We Set on Fire


Deborah Reed - 2013
    Jackson, Vivvie’s husband, was shot and killed 30 years ago, and the ramifications have splintered the family into their own isolated remembrances and recriminations.This deeply personal, hauntingly melancholy look at the damages families inflict on each other – and the healing that only they can provide – is filled with flinty, flawed and complex people stumbling towards some kind of peace. Like Elizabeth Strout and Kazuo Isiguro, Deborah Reed understands a story and its inhabitants reveal themselves in the subtleties: the space between the thoughts, the sigh behind the smile, and the unreliable lies people tell themselves that ultimately reveal the deepest truths.

Irish Love


Amanda Heartley - 2018
    After all, it’s just a bit of harmless flirting, right?And when she calls to ask for my help one night, I can’t resist having a little fun with her. She thinks I’m a player, and I can’t deny it, but I want to show her there’s more to me than that.I never thought it would happen, but flirting soon turns to burning desire. The more time I spend with her, the more I take a long, hard look at myself, and the harder I’m falling under her captivating spell. Now, I need to convince her my feelings are real.And I can’t even begin to think how I’m going to tell my best friend about us—aka, her country music superstar brother. He warned me to stay away, and he’ll kill me, I’m sure.SiobhanI had it all planned out. It should have all been so simple.Go to LA, see my brother, then get back to my quiet life in Ireland. Love and romance were not in the picture at all, until he picks me up from the airport. I can’t deny I’m attracted to him, but it’s not happening. No way could we ever work.He’s a player.He’s older than me.We live an ocean apart.And, duh… for the love of Mary, he’s my brother’s best friend.But when I find myself stranded, he’s the only one I can call. He’s more than happy to help me out—and even more happy to remind me I owe him for coming to my rescue—but I tell myself not to fall for his charms.I’m only there for a week, so the last thing I expect is to wake up in his bed.Irish Love is the second book in The Claddagh Trilogy. A contemporary short story of love, friendship and family life that can be read as a standalone, though you may want to read Irish Affair first to familiarize yourself with the characters. This book ends on a mild cliffhanger / happy-for-now, and the conclusion to Ben and Siobhan’s steamy romance will be in the third book, Irish Heart, out March 2018.

A Cosy Countryside Christmas (Life on the Moors, #6)


Eliza J. Scott - 2021
    After having her fingers burnt, she’s been resolutely single for the last year and has sworn to stay that way.Joss Campion’s still reeling from a messy divorce and has vowed never to open his heart to love again.Growing up in the picturesque village of Lytell Stangdale, with the North Yorkshire Moors as their playground, Joss and Ella were best friends. The pair were inseparable.Until the day something happened to ruin their friendship and Joss moved away.An urgent telephone call summons Joss back to the village. His father’s been rushed to hospital and he’s needed to run the farm. When he returns, with his loyal canine companion, Sid, in tow, it isn’t long before he realises things aren’t as they seem. Why is his brother, Rich, being so evasive? And why does he get the impression the farm’s in trouble?Teaching Assistant, Ella, has just broken up for the Christmas holidays and is looking forward to spending more time on her parents’ farm, tending her variety of rescue animals and recharging her batteries.It isn’t long before the pair run into one another and sparks of attraction begin to fly - not that either of them will admit to it. But, just before Christmas, they find themselves thrown together in an unexpected turn of events as a fierce snow blizzard rages around them.Could this be the moment that changes everything? Or is their past too big to ignore?One thing’s for certain, life’s never dull in this little corner of the North Yorkshire Moors.Join Ella and Joss – and all the usual Lytell Stangdale characters – for a heartwarming festive read

This Last Kiss


Madeleine Reiss - 2016
    But, try as she might, she can't run from true love forever.

The Villa of Dreams


Lucy Coleman - 2020
    The vibrancy, the beautiful scenery and the sunshine, made her fall in love and she knew, instantly, that it would be her forever home.International artist Reid Henderson has homes in Lisbon and London. Following his painful divorce, his dream is to turn his luxurious home into an art school and gallery.When Seren and Reid first meet there is an instant attraction, but they are both people who have been hurt, and each have dreams that are so far apart, they aren’t even on the same page. Can they enjoy one summer of happiness together, as life bestows a gift of memories to cherish for the rest of their lives? Or is their destiny to chart a path into the future, in a home where dreams can come true?Seren and Reid may be about to discover that love is as much about what you are prepared to give up, as what you are prepared to keep hold of.Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to sun-drenched Portugal where true love really can conquer all, and home is where the heart is. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft.

The Tall Pine Polka / Your Oasis on Flame Lake


Lorna Landvik - 2005
    For each craves a change in her life: Devera desires a break from her humdrum marital routine; BiDi longs to reconnect with her distant fourteen-year-old daughter (the only girl on the high school hockey team), not to mention jump-start a sex drive stuck in neutral. So when Devera’s husband decides to fulfill his longtime dream of opening a nightclub in his basement, Your Oasis on Flame Lake arrives not a moment too soon. Nothing fancy, it’s just a BYOB joint where you can hang out, sing, dance, tell jokes, and be yourself. But then an unexpected crisis throws both families into chaos, forcing them all to take stock of their lives—and learn the power of forgiveness.

Home on Folly Farm: The perfect uplifting romantic comedy for 2021


Jane Lovering - 2021
    

A Billionaire's Love


Christina Tetreault - 2020
    However, with his and Taylor's wedding just weeks away, he wants to adopt Reese so she'll be his daughter not only in his heart but also in the eyes of the world. Unfortunately, a single letter from Reese's biological mother in prison sends Jordan King, a man who believes he might be Reese’s father, to Taylor's door and puts his plan in jeopardy.A Billionaire's Love is the fifteenth book in USA Today best selling author Christina Tetreault’s The Sherbrookes of Newport Series. While it can easily be read as a standalone story, you'll likely enjoy reading the other books, too.

I Give You My Heart


SarahJane Ford - 2018
    A life-saving sacrifice. A love letter written on the walls of her heart. Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour. Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart. I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic. An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern's 'P.S. I Love You' and Jojo Moyes' 'Me Before You'. Buy I Give You My Heart to experience a courageous story of undying love today! "A heart-breaking yet mind blowing read…phenomenal storytelling…I genuinely don’t think that anything could have prepared me for what lay beneath the cover of SarahJane Ford’s novel. Nothing at all…it was heartbreakingly beautiful, eyes pouring, limbs trembling, heart shattering emotional. Beautiful beyond belief, ‘I Give You My Heart’ is…..perfect.” – The Writing Garnet Blog "One of the most beautiful books I have ever read...I wanted to devour this in one go- it was hard to let go (and go to bed). I have my own special award of 5** which about 10% of the book I read achieve (I read around 220 a year). This one deserves its own award- I would give it 10* if I could. I don’t think I have ever been so touched by a book quite so much. Yes I cried at the end but boy did I smile a lot too. Alice was such a positive character that you couldn’t help but love her. I think this could be my book of the year 2018. A treasure of a read I shall remember for a very long time." - Nicki's Book blog “I Give You My Heart is THE most emotional book I have EVER read; it's an absolutely stunning debut and one not to miss." – The Book Magnet “The characters are truly amazing and the writing is eloquent and emotional in all of the right places…I GIVE YOU MY HEART by Sarah Jane Ford is a novel that deserves to read by the masses and is one that will linger in my mind for a long time to come.” – Books Of All Kinds “This romance story with a difference is a real must-read.” – Fraser’s Fun House "A truly brilliant book that is hard to believe is a debut due to the depth of the characters, it was emotional, addictive and full of positivity and light even in the most emotional and heartbreaking moments . A highly recommended read." - Goodreads reviewer 'Kelly'

Forsaken Dreams


MaryLu Tyndall - 2013
    After witnessing the death and destruction caused by the Civil War, Colonel Blake Wallace is eager to leave his once precious Southern homeland for the pristine shores of Brazil and the prospect of a new utopian community. Widow Eliza Crawford seeks passage on Wallace’s ship harboring a dirty secret—and a blossoming hope for a fresh start. But once the voyage begins, troubles abound. Dangers at sea and enemies from within threaten to keep Blake and Eliza from the new life—and love—they long for.

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.