Book picks similar to
DIARY OF AN INTERNATIONAL CALL GIRL by Isabella Pax


straight-novels-rated-4-0-or-more
books-with-less-than-300-reviews
diggers
feminism

Motherest


Kristen Iskandrian - 2017
    A new college student, she is caught between the broken home she leaves behind and the wilderness of campus life. What she needs most is her mother, who has seemingly disappeared, and her brother, who left the family tragically a few years prior.As Agnes falls into new romance, mines female friendships for intimacy, and struggles to find her footing, she writes letters to her mother, both to conjure a closeness they never had and to try to translate her experiences to herself. When she finds out she is pregnant, Agnes begins to contend with what it means to be a mother and, in some ways, what it means to be your own mother.

No Safe Secret


Fern Michaels - 2016
    Married to Tanner, a top cosmetic dentist, she has a wonderful daughter finishing high school and twin stepsons from Tanner's first marriage. No one in her exclusive neighborhood in Goldenhills, Massachusetts, knows what living with the demanding Tanner is really like. They know even less about the life she left behind in Florida almost two decades ago. Back then, Molly was Maddy Carmichael, living with her twin brother and neglectful mother in a run-down trailer park amid the orange groves of Florida. After the terrible events of her high school prom night—and the act of vengeance that followed—she fled north and reinvented herself. But the veneer of Molly's polished existence is finally cracking. As secrets old and new are revealed, Molly must face painful truths and the choices she made in their wake—and find the strength to become the woman she once hoped to be.

Beautiful Assassin


Stephanie Nicole Norris - 2017
    When Celine took her marital vows, she exchanged the life of guns, drugs, and violence for the peaceful life as Caleb's wife. However, not all things buried stay hidden. When Celine’s past comes knocking, it rattles her world and forces her back into the life she vowed to give up. Now she is turning up the heat on the streets of Chicago, showing no mercy to the men who’ve undoubtedly marked themselves.

Wanted: No Strings


Brandy Ayers - 2017
     Francie Lee just got out of a ten-year-long joke of a marriage. Young and dumb when she said I Do, she’s looking to make up for lost time now that she is single. With some encouragement from her sister and a couple bottles of wine, Francie places a personal ad online. The next morning, she can’t believe the things she wrote in that ad. Through the flood of dick pics, one man stands out. But I have things I need in whoever I decide to play with. Trent’s friends may be laughing at the ad, but not him. Trent is intrigued. So is the appendage in his pants. And boy did he meet the requirements the woman behind the ad insisted on. Francie may have intended for her night with Trent to be a one-off, but he has other ideas. Long term ideas. Screw no strings, he wants all the strings a relationship comes with, and more.

The Day My Husband Left


Amy Miller - 2021
    But can she piece together the clues?At the moment he knows he is dying, Johnny Eagle takes a photograph, which is later discovered by his heartbroken wife, Heidi. Heidi pores over the image and sees a busy street scene and a pavement full of strangers – she has no idea what this last message from her beloved husband could mean.Heidi has spent her days – and her years – giving cherished old furniture a second chance. But there are some parts of Heidi’s own life she believes are beyond repair. Secrets that Heidi and Johnny kept throughout their long marriage. Things that they were never brave enough to speak about, not even to each other.All Heidi knows now is that this picture of her husband’s final moments is where she has to start looking for clues, and when she visits the busy street from the photograph, Heidi finally comes face to face with the person she’s been waiting to meet her entire life. But are they ready to meet her?

The Resurrection of Dylan McAthie


Nancee Cain
    An accident leaves him dependent on the family he once ran from, with no choice but to return to the small town of Pine Bluff, Alabama. Hired by Dylan’s estranged brother, private-duty nurse Jennifer Adams remembers the charming boy Dylan was before fame and misfortune. And she notices he’s developed a knack for blaming everyone else for his problems, rather than bothering with introspection. She's not having it. Despite their clashes, as her patient heals, the chemistry between them grows undeniable—until scandal finds Dylan again, threatening to destroy the progress he’s made and the couple’s growing respect and affection. Can Dylan fix what fame has so easily broken? Or will his public resurrection mean the death of any relationship with Jennifer?

Decadent Dreams


Nicole Garcia
    I feel as if I am falling into a pit of impending doom, but even that has not prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions that flood over me when I'm near Phoenix. I have to keep my distance from her. I need to. It's the only thing I can do to keep from getting hurt again. Staying away from her proves to be a much harder task than I could have ever imagined. She's not only my assistant, but she's half my age. She gets under my skin and irritates the shit out of me, yet, one smile, one laugh, and I'm melting into a puddle at her feet. Falling in love with her is a bad idea, a very bad idea, because she just may be the one person who breaks my heart for good this time. PhoenixNico is my boss. He's demanding, bitter, brooding, and a downright bully at times. But, all that doesn't deter me from him at all because I can see kindness and compassion in his eyes. I know the secret he's keeping from everyone and why he's so guarded with his heart. I don't care about his secret, nor do I care that he's twice my age. What matters is the undeniable attraction we feel for each other. If only he can just let go of the past and see what's right in front of him.

Wounded Hearts


Julia Sykes - 2018
    Another night flirting with strangers; another night pretending I wasn’t desperately lonely. I met a man with pain in his eyes and lies on his lips. A man even more isolated and damaged than I was. For one passionate night, we held together the broken pieces of each other’s souls. When he shows up in my life months later, it can’t be coincidence. I don’t even know if he gave me his real name, but I crave to learn more about the enigmatic man who set my body on fire. He told me he does things that haunt him to keep people like me safe. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and terrible secrets in his heart. Indulging in our intense connection could leave me more broken than ever, but I can’t help hoping we might find a way to heal each other. I thought I no longer believed in soulmates, but this damaged, scarred man could be my happily-ever-after.

Action: A Book About Sex


Amy Rose Spiegel - 2016
    With whip-smart prose, reminiscent of Roxane Gay and Meghan Daum, Action interweaves Spiegel's own sexual autobiography with loving advice on one-night stands, relationships, and everything in between. Action is a book about sex that people won't feel embarrassed about owning. There are absolutely zero provocatively shaped fruit on the cover, for one. In Action, Amy Rose Spiegel exhorts you to trust yourself and be respectful of others--and to have the best possible time doing the things you search for on the Internet, except in reality. The book covers consent, safety, group sex, gender, and the best breakfast to make for a one-night stand. Spiegel also includes dissections of threesomes, how to pick people up without being a skeezer, celibacy as a display of autonomy, and, of course, how to clean your room in 10 minutes if a devastatingly lovely side-piece is about to stop by. All told, Action totally doesn't think it's weird that you want to try that thing together. In fact, Action is very into it.

Honey Bee


Heather Shere - 2017
    No hassles, no complications, and no heartache. As the handsome high school athletics coach, he would be the pick of the small town he grew up in... if he was into commitment, or dating...or even calling back. But he has sworn off anything resembling a future and his mind isn't going to change. Then his eyes lock on the new girl in town...She’s beautiful, intelligent, and full of surprises. Just the kind of complication he has been avoiding.Sophia Brown is looking for the sweet simple life. She has it all planned out. Getting used to life alone isn't easy, but she has her garden, her bees, and her dog Triton to tend to. It's the fresh start she's been dreaming of, surrounded by nothing but open fields to stare at all day.  Nothing at all...unless you count the high school football team and their distractingly handsome coach, practicing right across the street.When sparks fly, Bo must choose between the sting of his past or the sweetness of the future. He may just find that honey tastes good on everything.

Heads or Tails


Leslie A. Gordon - 2015
    Deeply committed to her devoutly childless marriage, Hillary doesn’t know the first thing about infants – and has zero interest in learning. But Margot’s postpartum depression has reached a dangerous peak. With the baby a sperm donor production and Margot’s mother Jean suffering from Parkinson’s, there’s no one else. And for reasons nobody knows, Hillary owes both Margot and Jean.Fans of Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner will be drawn to the fresh premise of HEADS OR TAILS, a story that explores themes of friendship and loyalty and what happens when your core identity is challenged. The gripping second novel from the author of Cheer: A Novel, Beshert and Peeps, HEADS OR TAILS will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page."Gordon really hits it out of the park...a terrific follow-up to the author’s absorbing Cheer: A Novel." -- CHICK LIT CENTRAL"[A] a beautiful examination of family." -- Girly Book Club

Emotional Geology


Linda Gillard - 2005
    Haunted by her turbulent past, she takes refuge in a remote Hebridean island community where she cocoons herself in work, silence and solitude in a house by the sea. A new life and new love are offered by friends, her estranged daughter and most of all by Calum, a fragile younger man who has his own demons to exorcise. But does Rose, with her tenuous hold on sanity, have the courage to say “Yes” to life and put her past behind her?REVIEWS“The emotional power makes this reviewer reflect on how Charlotte and Emily Bronte might have written if they were living and writing now.”Northwords Now“Complex and important issues are played out in the windswept beauty of a Hebridean island setting, with a hero who is definitely in the Mr Darcy league!”www.ScottishReaders.net

Private Lessons


Cynthia Salaysay - 2020
    Claire likes herself best when she plays his old piano, a welcome escape from the sadness — and her traditional Filipino mother’s prayer groups. In the hopes of earning a college scholarship, Claire auditions for Paul Avon, a prominent piano teacher, who agrees to take Claire as a pupil. Soon Claire loses herself in Paul’s world and his way of digging into a composition’s emotional core. She practices constantly, foregoing a social life, but no matter how hard she works or how well she plays, it seems impossible to gain Paul’s approval, let alone his affection. Author Cynthia Salaysay composes a moving, beautifully written portrait of rigorous perfectionism, sexual awakening, and the challenges of self-acceptance. Timely and vital, Private Lessons delves into a complicated student/teacher relationship, as well as class and cultural differences, with honesty and grace.

Finding Bliss


Abby Brooks - 2016
    He might be everything she’s running from. Can a chance encounter help them both find Bliss?After finding herself in too deep with a dangerous man, Juliet Lane walks away from everything: her job, her clothes, even her best friend. As she whispers her final goodbye to New York City, she makes a promise…no more controlling men. Period. The end. With that in mind, she leaves the past in her rearview and makes a break for the most heart-warming small town she’s ever heard of. Bliss, South Carolina.Former Naval Aviator Ian Moore knows who he is. A natural leader if ever there was one, his first instinct is to step in and help—which usually means taking control. Something he enjoys doing, especially in the bedroom…though his bedroom has been woefully empty of late. Every woman he meets falls into one of three categories: gold-digger, airhead, or uptight socialite blinded by ego. Ian couldn’t be less interested. He needs a woman who’s strong enough to know what she wants and soft enough to trust his bossy gene.When fate brings Ian and Juliet together, their chemistry is undeniable. He’s everything Juliet’s ever wanted and everything she’s running from, all wrapped up in one hard-not-to-ogle package. Something about her screams hot mess of trouble, but Ian knows she needs his help. Unable to get her out of his head, will a second chance encounter be too much for either of them to resist?Finding Bliss is a feel-good contemporary romance with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of heat, and an ocean-loving little dog who ruins intimate moments while bringing everything together.If you love hilarious brothers with a bossy gene, scroll up and one-click to start your adventure in Bliss today.Finding Bliss

The Dog Guardian: Your Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Dog


Nigel Reed - 2017
    Through his many years of experience Nigel has found that there are four fundamental components for a content and well-behaved dog.In The Dog Guardian Nigel explains the philosophy and gives you practical, step-by-step advice. This new and vital information will empower you to address any of your dog's undesirable behaviors, no matter its age, breed or history. The Dog Guardian has already helped thousands of dogs and their owners address problem behaviors including anxiety, nervousness, aggression, hyperactivity, lead pulling, jumping up and much more. It's easier than you'd think.