Book picks similar to
Love is a UFO by Ken Spillman


family
ya-youth
australian
dealing-with-grief

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl


Melissa Keil - 2014
    She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.The only problem is she’s overlooked a few teeny details:Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails. And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.Also, the world might be ending – which is proving to be awkward.As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

The Boy Next Door


Melanie Marks - 2017
    He’d been my everything—first my best friend, then my boyfriend … then my total enemy. Unfortunately, my heart still longs for him, but sadly so does every other girls’ at our high school. I should stay away from him, definitely; but once he starts inexplicably talking to me again, he makes it hard. In fact, he makes it impossible. And impossible for me to get together with the guy I’m pretty sure I’m meant to be with. He’s doing everything he can to keep us apart. What’s up with that??? *Standalone teen romance No swearing No book needs to be read before or after this book This story is a three-hour read (four at the most) By Melanie Marks, author of His Kiss; and When You Noticed Me This book also includes another romantic teen story by Melanie Marks. It is called “Getting Lucky (Hey, That’s His Name).” That story is a two-hour read. Melanie Marks newest books: *When You Noticed Me *Jane’s Air *Kissing The Bad Boy They are all available in unlimited (or the regular way, each for a buck) Notes about this book: Teen Romance; No Swearing; Happily Ever After; Romantic Comedy; Standalone Romance

Meet Me Here


Bryan Bliss - 2016
    His father was Army. His brother, Jake, is Army—is a hero, even, with the medals to prove it. Everyone expects Thomas to follow in that fine tradition. But Jake came back from overseas a completely different person, and that has shaken Thomas’s certainty about his own future. And so when his long-estranged friend Mallory suggests one last night of adventure, Thomas takes her up on the distraction. Over the course of this single night, Thomas will lose, find, resolve, doubt, drive, explore, and leap off a bridge. He’ll also face the truth of his brother’s post-traumatic stress disorder and of his own courage. In Bryan Bliss’s deft hands, graduation night becomes a night to find yourself, find each other, find a path, and know that you always have a place—and people—to come back to.

The First Time She Drowned


Kerry Kletter - 2016
    It’s been two and a half years since Cassie’s mother dumped her in a mental institution against her will, and now, at eighteen, Cassie is finally able to reclaim her life and enter the world on her own terms.But freedom is a poor match against a lifetime of psychological damage. As Cassie plumbs the depths of her new surroundings, the startling truths she uncovers about her own family narrative make it impossible to cut the tethers of a tumultuous past. And when the unhealthy mother-daughter relationship that defined Cassie’s childhood and adolescence threatens to pull her under once again, Cassie must decide: whose version of history is real? And more important, whose life must she save?

No Place Like Home


Maxine Morrey - 2011
    One home? Ellie Laing has a very good reason to want to stay single: her last relationship put her in danger. And she’s worried that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional ones never can. So, travelling to Kansas for her best friend Sandy’s wedding, Ellie’s in need of some time alone. And Sandy’s brother Ben’s rural and idyllic ranch seems like the perfect place for it. Ben comes with his own baggage – a failed marriage in his past, and a big question mark over his future – and he knows the feelings he had for Ellie belong firmly in the history books. But, sitting on his porch with her, he’s never felt more at home. Both of them swore they were better off alone… yet is it possible that two broken hearts could come together to heal?Readers LOVE Maxine Morrey:‘'I’ve fallen head over heels for Maxine's writing style’‘I'm a big fan of Maxine's writing and I love how she is able to write lighthearted romantic comedies that have serious issues at their centre’‘I love Maxine Morrey's books’‘Hand on heart, I could read a Maxine Morrey novel every day of the week without getting bored.’‘I'm a big fan of Morrey's books’‘Maxine has this way of captivating her readers with charismatic and memorable characters’

Take Three Girls


Cath Crowley - 2017
    St Hilda's antidote to the cyber-bullying? The Year 10 Wellness program. Nice try - but sometimes all it takes is three girls.

Til Death We Do Part, Too


Bruno Beaches - 2021
    She seems wonderful, and it is love at first sight, and they marry quickly. However, not all is rosy in the garden, and a lifetime’s baggage rears its ugly head. Pablo’s ex-wife re-establishes contact with him, and he desperately seeks to exorcise the demons of that betrayal and divorce, but he gets drawn into a double life. Then, one shocking day, Hellion goes to work, and inexplicably, and without warning, fails to return home. Now he has to try to understand another devastating, bewildering calamity.Til Death We Do Part, Too is a story that scrutinises the impact of unfinished business, baggage, emotional damage, and lingering love. It balances heart-breaking loss with resilience, disorientation with hope, and desperation and bitterness with true enduring love and understanding. There is much insight into the reality of relationships and the frailty of the human psyche. It is told with immense depth of feeling, humour, and faith.

BIG HAIR AND FLYING COWS


Dolores Wilson - 2014
    To say the least. She calls Sweet Meadow, Georgia, home, where she works for her father doing auto repairs. She also drives the tow-truck, although Sweet Meadow's rather colorful denizens tend to treat Bertie more like the local, free taxi service. You know, someone has to get to a doctor's appointment or pick something up at the dry cleaners. Bertie's favorite day of the week is Friday, when she leaves the wrecker with her father for the whole weekend and joins her friends at the Dew Drop Inn for a night of dancing. Her best friend, Mary Lou, sometimes fixes her up with dubious dates, although Bertie has to remind her friend not to tease her hair too high for those occasions. Like the time when they went to Carrie Sue's open house, and a ceramic cow with angel wings hanging from a ceiling fan locked its hooves into Bertie's big hair and refused to let go. She had to wear it all night, dangling chain and all. Bertie's nearly perfect life is about to take a downhill turn, however. It starts when her landlord, Pete, currently a resident in a nearby nursing home, starts showing up at her house. In his birthday suit. A very badly wrinkled birthday suit. And then she goes to her mailbox, a rubber large mouth bass, and finds a notice from the zoning commission saying she can no longer park the wrecker in her driveway. The notice is signed by George Bigham. But when she goes to the courthouse to take care of her little problem, it is only to discover George Bigham is deceased. And Mary Lou's pregnancy test just came up positive. Can it get any worse? In a word... yes.

Christmas Heartwarmers & Holiday Smiles


Kathi DaleyLori Leger - 2018
    Jude Research HospitalSnuggle by the fire this season to warm your heart with stories of love and hope by ten award-winning, bestselling authors. This wonderful variety includes small town mysteries, heart-tugging romance and enough Christmas to get everyone in the mood. All of our books have happy endings with lots of friendship, family and fluffy white snow! The authors want to thank you for supporting their Christmas cause, St. Jude’s Hospital, where no child is turned away for treatment. ROAD TO CHRISTMAS PAST - Kathi Daley Holly Thompson’s life changes forever when she receives an early Christmas present from her dead Aunt Meg—a gorgeous Private Investigator. When Ben Holiday claims to have a clue about Holly’s unknown parentage, Holly sets out on a Christmas road trip in the hope of finding the family she never knew she had. CHRISTMAS DEADLINE - Pam Binder Bestselling thriller writer, Noel Atteberry never met an obstacle he couldn’t overcome until his editor paired him with stubborn romance author, Holly Lane. Living on his estate in England, Noel has managed to avoid love. But with their Christmas deadline looming, all he can think about is Holly. COWABUNGA CHRISTMAS (Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery) - Anna Celeste Burke It's a Cowabunga Christmas in Corsario Cove for newlyweds, Kim and Brien, until an unexpected visit from Santa changes everything. Murder, mayhem, and shady secrets in the cove make this a honeymoon to remember. CHRISTMAS IN CRYSTAL CREEK - Kim Hornsby A road closure and snowstorm traps country music star, Luanne Billings in a small town at Christmas and she finds herself at Crystal Creek Inn’s Holiday Extravaganza. When a brief opportunity to escape presents itself, she must decide between a career-changing performance and helping a child in need. A SEASON FOR HOPE - Tammy L. Grace From the award-winning author of the Hometown Harbor Series, comes a new heartwarming and inspirational story for the holidays, filled with the magic of the season-- a charming story about the kindness of strangers and finding hope where you never expected it. Cozy up with a holiday read sure to warm your heart. A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW - Heidi Hostetter On the eve of the tree lighting in the Inlet Beach town square, police find a runaway in trouble. Residents gather to help, but complications arise and unraveling the boy's past is harder than they imagine. As a blustery Pacific Northwest Christmas draws near, can they find a way to give a boy with a shattered life another chance at happiness? TWO HEARTS’ CHRISTMAS PROMISE – Tamara Ferguson Engaged, news correspondent Alexandra Evans and Sean Reynolds, an Air Force pilot, are planning a holiday wedding. But when Alexandra’s overseas assignment turns deadly, she returns scarred, and breaks their engagement. Can Sean convince her that beauty is only skin deep so two hearts can keep their Christmas promise? BELLS ARE STILL RINGING – Lori Leger No stranger to loss, Bill Broussard keeps his heart in protective mode, avoiding complicated relationships. Having raised his brother's only son, his nephew now faces bitter challenges of his own. Are the two fated to spend their lives without love, or will they finally get the chance for happiness they deserve? A MARINE’S CHRISTMAS WEDDING – Jacki Delecki Maddy and Hunter’s plans for a courthouse wedding unravel when a friend decides the Marines deserve a real wedding.

Blake Brothers


Hope Ford - 2021
    The Blake Brothers are three brothers that know what they want and will do anything to get it! Each story is steamy, sweet, and short. Be ready! I'm sure you're going to find your next book boyfriend in either Jason, Jack, or Jared. If I Say YesAn Alpha Tattooed Man and Curvy Woman Romance ChelseyHe made me fall in love with him. I couldn't stop it.He's a professional baseball player, with women falling all over him... but he chose me, the plus-size woman in the stands.But the day of the wedding, his true colors come out and with my heart broke in two, I escape and leave him standing at the altar.JasonI knew the first time I saw her that she would be the woman I'd marry.In a whirlwind, we set the date.But with a case of misunderstandings and mistaken identity, she leaves for our honeymoon... single.I do what any man in love would do... I follow her - and make her mine. Love Like OursAn Alpha Older Man and Curvy Younger Woman Romance EmilyI met him for the first time and it felt like I've known him forever.When we're thrown together on vacation because of a misunderstanding, well, it just gives me more time to fall in love.Guarding my heart should be my number one priority... because he's leaving in a week.JackI never dreamed that I would want to settle down.But from the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was special.It may take some convincing, and a change in my ways, But I'm going to make her mine. Never Been Kissed KrissyFour years ago, he was the nerd in high school. I was the captain of the cheerleading squad. I liked him then, but nothing ever came of it.When I see him again, all those old feelings come up and I know that I won't let him go again.JaredI've followed her for four years... from afar.I've taken care of her, even though she doesn't know it.When I need her help, I try to prove to her exactly how I feel about her.But when she finds out how hard I worked to make this happen, will she forgive me?

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children


Kirstin Cronn-Mills - 2012
    I'm Gabe. Welcome to my show."My birth name is Elizabeth, but I'm a guy. Gabe. My parents think I've gone crazy and the rest of the world is happy to agree with them, but I know I'm right. I've been a boy my whole life.When you think about it, I'm like a record. Elizabeth is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side--not heard as often, but just as good.It's time to let my B side play.

Will You Stay?


Vedant Saxena - 2019
    He was a trainee at Le Méridien, New Delhi, before finding his niche in writing. He is also a self-proclaimed grief-counselor and motivator, who loves to help people, counseled dozens of people out of suicide, as well as people going through depression, anxiety & heartbreak. Apart from this, he loves to cook, read and travel. You can reach out to him through: Instagram–@Vedant_thereal Twitter–@Vedant_thereal.Annie Pruthi is an old soul which nestles in a body of 17-year girl. She's from Delhi and alumni of St. Anthony's School, currently pursuing her Bachelors from Gargi College, Delhi University. She likes to read and listen to music. Instagram: @poetryandpoetess

When My Heart Joins the Thousand


A.J. Steiger - 2018
    But that has nothing to do with anything. Happiness is not a priority. Survival is.Alvie Fitz doesn’t fit in, and she doesn’t care. She’s spent years swallowing meds and bad advice from doctors and social workers. Adjust, adapt. Pretend to be normal. It sounds so easy.If she can make it to her eighteenth birthday without any major mishaps, she’ll be legally emancipated. Free. But if she fails, she’ll become a ward of the state and be sent back to the group home.All she wants is to be left alone to spend time with her friend, Chance, the one-winged hawk at the zoo where she works. She can bide her time with him until her emancipation. Humans are overrated anyway. Then she meets Stanley, a boy who might be even stranger than she is—a boy who walks with a cane, who turns up every day with a new injury, whose body seems as fragile as glass. Without even meaning to, she finds herself getting close to him. But Alvie remembers what happened to the last person she truly cared about.Her past stalks her with every step, and it has sharp teeth. But if she can find the strength to face the enemy inside her, maybe she’ll have a chance at happiness after all.

Crazy


Amy Reed - 2012
    From the author of Beautiful and Clean, a heartwrenching exploration of a romance marred by mental illness.Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he's fallen for her. But somehow he's been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy's highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place.As Izzy's behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can't save her from her pain...but what if no one else can?

The Smell of Other People's Houses


Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock - 2016
    Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger. Four very different lives are about to become entangled.