Book picks similar to
Invitation to the Ball by Autumn Macarthur


romance
contemporary
christian-fiction
fiction

Promise of Peppermint: A Prequel


Valerie Comer - 2017
    He vows to take it as slow as she needs but, this time, he won’t let her get away.Rebekah Jackson’s fears run deep since a traumatic incident in her youth. If perfect love casts out fear, then what she’d felt for Wade couldn’t have been love. Seeing him again brings all her longings and fears back to the surface. Can she put her trust in him and in the God who loves them both? Because, while second chances are rare, third chances are all but unheard of.

Til There Was You (The Misfit Inn, #1.5)


Kait Nolan - 2020
    She’s built a life surrounded by beauty, with her gift shop showcasing local artisans and her work as the only florist in town. Contented with her shop and her dog, the last thing she’s looking for is a relationship. Especially one with the gorgeous, tattooed biker who works at the tavern down the street.Denver Hershal has been aware of Misty since she showed up in town three years ago. Aware, and interested. But he doesn’t have time for more than running his bar, tinkering with his vintage motorcycle, and riding herd on his pup--or so he tells himself. No matter how much his heart races whenever he’s near her. Besides, why would a beautiful, modern-day flower child want anything to do with a rough-around-the-edges bar owner?When his bartender cooks up a matchmaking scheme to put Denver in Misty's orbit, he’s surprised at how much he has in common with her--including their mutual tendency to want to leave the past in the past and keep it private. But what will happen when Misty's private past is revealed, and clashes painfully with the things Denver's tried to put behind him?*A shorter version of this book was originally published as Once Upon A Wedding. It has been expanded into a full novella.

Life is a Cabernet: A Companion Wine Novella to The Winemakers


Jan Moran - 2020
     Napa Valley, 1956: Years ago, after Juliana Cardona’s fiancé was killed in an army ambush, she didn’t know if she could ever find the strength to risk love again. Now Juliana, who has a passion for winemaking, is determined to build her own business as a wine publicist and create an independent life. But when Juliana holds a press event in San Francisco, she meets a mysterious winemaker, Henri Laurent, who is everything she never thought she’d find again. However, Juliana is shocked to discover that Henri is hiding a long-buried secret that threatens to devastate their budding relationship. In order to find happiness and the life she’d once thought was gone forever, she must find the strength to uncover tragedies and face the troubled past with the man she loves—but only if her heart can risk the chance of love once more. This is a companion novella to The Winemakers, a full-length historical romance novel.

Kissed by a Cowboy


Lacy Williams - 2014
    She thinks she’s ready for this homecoming. She’s spent years escaping her perpetual shyness and being Katie Michaels’ tag-along friend, but being back in her hometown brings back a lot of old memories, especially when she is faced with the cowboy she never forgot — Katie’s older brother, Maddox. Twelve years ago, Maddox Michaels was supposed to be somebody. He had everything. A football scholarship. A Division I team scouting him. Maybe even a chance at the pros. Now, he’s a burned-out cowboy working day and night to stay ahead of his brother’s medical bills and keep their family farm from going bankrupt. And trying to be a father-figure for his niece, Olivia. When Haley and Olivia start spending time together, Maddox can’t help remembering those dreams that died alongside his sister. Will being with Haley open his heart to new dreams?

Season of Mercy: Modern marriage of convenience romance


Alexa Verde - 2018
    Never mind that he's her one-time teenage crush and a longtime friend. But when her son, Stevie, needs an expensive surgery, risking her heart is a small price to pay for her little boy's happiness. Ethan Echeverría leaves women before they have a chance to leave him the way his mother once abandoned him. Then his dad gives him an ultimatum: get married and become the owner of the family auto shop chain or stay single and lose it. Considering Ethan has always cared for Mercy, getting married might result in more than ownership of the shops and a loving father for Stevie. It could be the second chance they need. Their feelings toward each other grow, but so does Mercy's jealousy. When Ethan's past crashes into his future, will she end up heartbroken and alone again? This book is also available free of charge if you sign up for my newsletter.

Lady Ludmilla's Accidental Letter


Sofi Laporte - 2022
    She has fallen in love with her best friend, and that cannot be. The problem? She hasn’t met him. Not once. For they have only ever corresponded by letter. When she sets out to uncover the identity of her secret correspondent, her world shatters. For Addy turns out to be none other but London’s worst hellrake.Adrian St.Addington, hellrake extraordinaire, has a problem. He is developing a marked tendre for a spinster, and that cannot be. The problem? He suspects she is taking him for someone he is not. Or is it that she knows precisely who he is? Either possibility he finds profoundly disturbing. For he has a role to uphold, cost what may. And a depraved heart like his surely cannot fall in love…least of all with a plain, outspoken spinster.Determined to discover the truth behind the man she loves, Lu does what she does best: she sits down and writes a letter…Escape into the world of the Regency ton with Sofi Laporte's new series, where spinsters are merry, rakes are charming, and no one is who they seem.

The Brontë Plot


Katherine Reay - 2015
    When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy's secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt, and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.In a sudden turn of events, James's wealthy grandmother Helen hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy's predicament better than anyone else.As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen's wisdom, as Helen confronts the ghosts of her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters' beloved heroines, who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of change.Now Lucy must go back into her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that's been waiting for her all along.

Somebody Like You


Melissa Storm - 2010
    Might they also be mistaken about the sparks flying between them? With dreams of making it big on the country music scene, Lolly Winston leaves everything behind to meet with a country music agent in Anchorage. If the agent likes her song, it just might be her big break. The problem is she only has the summer to find success or she’ll be forced to settle for the stable job she doesn’t want and put her dreams aside forever. Local veterinarian Oscar Rockwell would rather stay home with his dog than go out on yet another blind date set up by his mother. Except this time the girl waiting at the tavern seems to have stepped straight from his dreams. She says she’s not in town for long, but he still wants the chance to convince her to stay. Will Lolly be forced to choose between love and the spotlight? Or could Oscar find a way to make both of their dreams come true? Don't miss your chance to find out what happens next in this sweet contemporary romance, perfect for music and animal lovers alike! "There's no way Melissa Storm could go wrong combining her gift of writing with nature, dogs, and a chance at finding love." ★★★★★ from E. Eblin "I loved this story it was a quick read but a very enjoyable one. Looking forward to reading more books in this series." ★★★★★ from tiggz "Melissa's stories never fail to engage my emotions. I feel like I could easily relate to the people she creates-- they are often like people I know." ★★★★★ from R.J. Sorrento ABOUT THE SERIES: The Alaska Sunrise Romances are quick, light-hearted romances that will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. It's time to indulge in a sweet Alaskan get-away! • Book 1: Must Love Music • Book 2: Must Love Military • Book 3: Must Love Mistletoe • Book 4: Must Love Mutts • Book 5: Must Love Mommy • Book 6: Must Love Moo • Book 7: Must Love Mustangs • Book 8: Must Love Miracles • Book 9: Must Love Mermaids • Book 10: Must Love Movie Star ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. Writing is her way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that surround us. So, of course, her USA Today bestselling fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories. Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, she spends time relaxing at home in the company of her six dogs, cockatiel, and a rescue cat named Schrödinger. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor, because priorities.

No One But You


Jillian Hart - 2012
    With every good deed done, and helping hand offered, we are making the world a better place. The dedicated women selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words award have changed many lives for the better, through their compassionate hearts and unshakable commitment. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have written stories inspired by these real-life heroines.In this book, Jillian Hart honors the work of Mary Byberg, a committed volunteer for Nellie's Shelter for Women and Children in Toronto, Ontario.We hope More Than Words inspires you look inside your heart and to get in touch with the heroine inside of you.

It Will Be Forever


Jennifer Rodewald - 2019
    Thought she’d stay gone…Big-hearted Dre Rustin fled her small Nebraska hometown to distance herself from her brother’s troubled past. Texas seemed like a good place to start a new life. Now she’s looking forward to graduating from college, but first she’s got to handle Thanksgiving break. She’ll head home for the first time in years. No way is she going to get sucked back into the drama and charm—namely her brother’s best friend Tommy Kent—of Rock Creek. For moral support, she convinces her best friend to travel with her. Little good that does her.Tom Kent might not have been the rebel Paul Rustin had been, but he’d earned a less-than-honorable reputation with the girls, which ruined the fragile hope he’d had for romance with Dre before she left for college. In the four years since Dre had shut Tom out, he hasn’t been able to let her go. Now she’s coming home, and he’s got this one last chance. What if she could forgive him? What if they could recapture the tender feelings they’d shared years ago? What if they could build new dreams together? It could be good. Really good. Maybe, just maybe, it could be forever.

Lawfully Pursued (The Lawkeepers-Hoopes)


Lorana Hoopes - 2018
    And at first, he thought they'd have nothing in common, but when a new side of her emerges, will she win his heart? Or will her secret destroy their relationship?Daughter of a billionaire Brie Carter was bored and looking for a way to spice up her life. When her friend offered a bet with a prize Brie wanted, she agreed, but she never counted on falling in love on the way. The problem is, how does she tell Jesse about the bet without losing him?Can love unite these two opposites?

The Last Single Girl


Bria Quinlan - 2012
    Last minute. Who doesn't already have plans on the busiest date night of the year.But, so far the best part of the search for a great date has been the cute café I found and the geeky-hot owner who keeps rescuing me from these crazy eLove.com dates. This should be easy-peasy. The internet is the home of all your hopes and needs, right?Spoiler Alert: it isn't.Between the bromance date and the crazed single dad who needs to hire a nanny and housekeeper, not get a date, I'm running out of options. If only a certain cutey didn't have a phone call with "sweetheart" every day.The weirder things get, the more I think just going solo is very I Am Woman, blah blah blah. Forget about the fact that my heart keeps bringing me back to a certain café even when I don't need to be there...I mean, my heart doesn't always get what it wants, does it?

An Amish Barn Raising: Three Stories


Amy Clipston - 2021
    He wants his daughter to marry a man with a more respectable job than building gazebos for Englishers. But when Kathryn’s father’s dairy barn burns down during a thunderstorm, Anthony is the one to arrange a barn raising. Will Kathryn’s father realize he has misjudged Anthony?To Raise a Home by Kelly IrvinA year after the wildfires, life has returned to normal for the West Kootenai Amish community. Evan Eicher, son of Deacon Tobias Eicher, has done his best to move on too. Helping his neighbors and friends rebuild has helped soothe a heart broken when Delilah Mast—the woman he loves but never had the courage to approach—moved with her family back to Kansas. At his father’s urging he courts Anna Burkholder, a sweet woman who adores him. But when Delilah moves back to teach school, Evan must wrestle with feelings he’s tried so hard to put in the past. And an accident at a barn raising will force Anna, Delilah, and Evan to face the truth about their hearts.Love’s Solid Foundation by Kathleen FullerDevon Bontrager only returned to his old hometown to make good on a past misdeed. He hadn’t counted on reconnecting with Nettie Yoder, especially since she strung along his younger twin brothers some years ago. Nettie knows she’s made some mistakes in the past, but she’s determined to be an asset to her community from now on. But just as she’s making headway, her family’s barn burns to the ground. Why does it seem like God is punishing her family when she’s finally starting to turn her life around? Can she convince Devon that she has changed? Can Devon trust the woman who broke his brothers’ hearts? Three sweet contemporary Amish romancesStand-alone novella collectionBook length: 80,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

Best Kind of Love: A Reunion Romance Novella


Rebecca Talley - 2014
    When her best friend from high school convinces Brynn to attend their ten-year reunion, Brynn hopes she’ll have the chance to reconnect with Troy Richards, the guy who stole her heart back in middle school. Craig Dawson, an attorney in San Diego, is in a relationship that’s going nowhere and wonders why he can’t seem to commit. When he sees Brynn at their reunion, he thinks he might finally understand why. The only problem—she’s still infatuated with Troy what’s-his-name. Will Brynn find the love she seeks with Troy, or will she realize the best kind of love has always been right in front of her?

Paris for One and Other Stories


Jojo Moyes - 2016
    She's never even been on a romantic weekend away--to anywhere--before. Traveling abroad isn't really her thing. But when Nell's boyfriend fails to show up for their mini-vacation, she has the opportunity to prove everyone--including herself--wrong. Alone in Paris, Nell finds a version of herself she never knew existed: independent and intrepid. Could this turn out to be the most adventurous weekend of her life? Funny, charming, and irresistible, Paris for One is quintessential Jojo Moyes--as are the other stories that round out the collection.