Book picks similar to
The Fifth Stage by Margaret A. Helms


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lesbian
lesbian-fiction
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A Matter of Trust


Radclyffe - 2002
    Sloan, a security consultant, to protect her company. Sloan shares a painful past with her associate and friend Jason McBride. Sarah Martin, is a gentle practitioner of eastern medicine. Four very different people, each wounded by personal betrayal, find their lives inextricably linked.

Graceful Waters


B.L. Miller - 2003
    He was just another disapproving voice in a long line of disapproving voices. Grace learned at an early age not to trust, not to reach out, not to believe. She'd do her time at Sapling Hill and move on with her life. She didn't need anyone.Joanna Carey, senior instructor at Sapling Hill, wasn't looking for anything more than completing one more year at the facility and getting that much closer to her private dream--a small cabin on a quiet lake. She was touch, smart, and she had a plan for her life.When tough instructor Carey meets angry and disillusioned Grace Waters, neither is prepared for what comes next. Stubborn and angry Grace meets her match in Carey, the strong and disciplined woman who is determined to help Grace help herself. What Carey is not expecting is that Grace will break through her defenses. Together, they will change each other's lives in ways that neither thought possible.

All In


Nell Stark - 2014
    But when the Feds crack down on legislation making the funding of online gambling accounts illegal, most of Nova’s assets are frozen. Her sponsors will only continue to support her if she can win a championship bracelet at one of the live events of the World Series of Poker. She heads for Vegas, where she meets Vesper Blake, an ambitious but jaded casino host who has seen too many fools flock to the strip only to leave broke and humiliated. Will Vesper be able to successfully coach the volatile Nova to win at live poker? And will Nova be able to convince Vesper that she should take a gamble on true romance?

Forget Me Not


Melissa Tereze - 2019
    Six years ago, her world was turned upside down when she lost the love of her life to London. In the years that followed, she found herself preparing for the inevitability of losing her grandfather, too. Word around town is that her first love is back, leading Jess to question the decisions she’s about to make, but nothing is as it seems. Jess may be known to have a heart of gold, but is she prepared to have it broken once again? Amber Powell has returned home to Liverpool after receiving devastating news from her sister. Now within reach of her ex-girlfriend, she tries to remain invisible. Over the years, that had worked well for her, but with the potential of heartbreak just around the corner, will Amber realise that the only woman she ever needed… is standing right in front of her.A story of life, loss, and ultimately love.

September Canvas


Gun Brooke - 2009
    Her first day in town, Faythe receives unsolicited warnings from the locals to stay away from her neighbor, which only rouses her curiosity. Deanna Moore, a successful illustrator, has dedicated her life to her work and her family. Beleagured by accusations stemming from an event she is powerless to explain or defend, Deanna lives a solitary life. When she meets Faythe she is reluctantly attracted to her, but she fears Faythe will not be able to see beyond the rumors. This is a story of hurt and betrayal, but also of trust and endurance as two women struggle to show faith and dare to love.

Blind Bet


Tracey Richardson - 2010
    She’ll go back, after some rest and relaxation. When her best friend suggests a diversion, she’s quickly smitten with the allure of cards and the intriguing stranger who never seems to lose a hand. Surely she can play with dangerous temptation, just this once. Courtney Langford’s favorite date is with Lady Luck. Ever since she missed a connection and avoided a deadly plane crash, she always comes up aces. Cards, women...seduction is just another way to win. Why should the lovely Ellen be any different? But Ellen turns out to be a wild card in a game Courtney has been trying so hard not to play.Tracey Richardson puts all the cards on the table as two women decide if they’re going to bet on love.

Flowers from Iraq


Sunny Alexander - 2012
    Old comics found in a musty basement and a discarded copy of Alice in Wonderland, become her map to a world of fantasies. From foster child living in Boston, to closeted Army physician wounded while serving in Iraq to family doctor in the rural town of Canfield, whatever her role and wherever her journey takes her, she never travels alone. Kathleen meets and falls in love with Claire Hollander, a free-spirited adventurer and storyteller who will challenge Kathleen to unlock the secret doors to her past. A tale of opposites colliding and then reuniting, Flowers from Iraq balances humor and tragedy, the landscape of battle and the interior of the human mind. A drama that takes place during our own time of war, the story is a compelling reminder of the healing that comes through love and the human connection.

Seeking Sara Summers


Susan Gabriel - 2008
    How would your life be different if you were truly yourself? Sara Summers Stanton has raised three children and works as a high school teacher at the same school she attended growing up. Her 25 year marriage is showing cracks in the facade and now she's dealing with breast cancer. In a rare moment of taking care of herself instead of everyone else, Sara takes a sabbatical and goes on the trip to Italy she has always dreamed of taking. This search for a more authentic life leads to Julia, a friend she hasn't seen since they were inseparable as girls, nearly 30 years earlier. They reunite in Florence and their friendship continues where they left off, resulting in an unexpected attraction to one another that threatens to turn Sara's already shaky world upside down. Sara's inner conflict and subsequent choices reveal an unpredictable yet dynamic future for all the characters. Seeking Sara Summers is an emotional and lyrical novel, a timeless story about love, commitment and transformation. What Readers Are Saying About Seeking Sara Summers: "Gabriel renders Sara's growing attraction and conflict with insight. There is a real sense of what is at stake for all three of these characters: Sara, Julia and Grady. A beautiful and powerful story." -- Heather O'Neill, Book Reviewer, afterellen.com "I started reading Seeking Sara Summers with my breakfast tea and couldn't put it down until I had finished it--even missed my trip to the gym. I laughed and cried and felt warmed by the Tuscan sun." -- Ann B., Asheville, NC "I've read plenty of fiction in my life, everything from junky beach books to classic literature. I loved this book. Gabriel is a clever, funny, profound writer who quickly takes you into the inner world of her characters, while taking you on an external journey that keep you glued to the page. Sara's character jumps from the pages and her transformation has impacted and inspired me." -- Jackie W., Loveland, Colorado

Hard Times


Blayne Cooper - 2007
    Terrified and desperate to belong, she sold her soul one piece at a time. She survived to sit atop the ever-shifting trash heap of prison society. Lorna has learned the hard way not to trust anyone, particularly penal system virgins like Kellie Holloway, her unrepentant new cellmate. But Kellie's pride and cluelessness guarantee that without help, she won't last long. Together, Kellie and Lorna navigate through an oppressive, hidden world where the lines between right and wrong blur, sexual passion is forbidden but explosive, and love is the biggest risk of all.

Melt My Heart


Anna Cove - 2020
    Hoping people will forget, Laura takes leave from her soap opera role and escapes to the small Catskill Mountain town of Love Falls. The public needs a break from her, and she needs a safe place to have her baby.She just didn't expect that "safe place" to be on the side of a deserted mountain road.Dylan Wilson exists only to help others.Three years ago, a car accident stole Dylan's wife and her joy. Her job as a 9-1-1 operator is the only thing that drags her out of bed in the morning. When she meets Laura, she feels a spark of something she hasn't in years. And later, when she responds to Laura's emergency call, that spark fans into a flame she can't resist reaching for.Dylan knows all too well the pain of loss. Falling for Laura, someone who doesn't belong in her small-town world or her small-town life, could be a sure path to heartache. But despite her misgivings, she flutters to Laura's luminescence, unable to turn away.Has Dylan found the one who will burn her to cinders or the one who can finally melt the ice around her heart?Don't miss the sexy, sensual, joyous first novel in the Catskill Crew lesbian romance series, complete with a progressive and artistic small town, fun side characters, and a deep romance that will tick all your boxes.

Damaged in Service


Barrett - 2011
    She’s also recovering from a traumatic head injury and months of being undercover on the mean streets of the Windy City. She takes an extended vacation in New Mexico to help her recover from her physical and emotional duress.She meets Anne Reynolds, a home health nurse, who is recovering from a failed sham marriage. Surrounded by the breathtaking New Mexico landscape, they are pulled into the horror of a serial murder case that Zeke thought was closed. Zeke’s PTSD runs dark and deep and threatens to overwhelm their fledgling relationship. But every once in a while, two opposing energies can merge to create a stronger alloy—but the laws of physics, like love, can be fickle.

An Emergence of Green


Katherine V. Forrest - 1986
    Suddenly, Carolyn's carefully manicured domestic life seems contrived and much less colorful. And her husband's love for her seems contrived and condescending, as if it's not the real Carolyn he loves at all. His tenderness turns to rage, caresses to blows.

Strange Bedfellows


Q. Kelly - 2011
    A call girl with a secret of her own. Can they learn to trust each other enough to find the love they seek in each other's arms? Frances is grappling with something else, too. Her daughter, Marissa, has been gone 11 years. She was kidnapped by her father on her third birthday. Frances hopes her coming out will also ease the way for Marissa's return. This book is 75,000 words.

The Grass Widow


Nanci Little - 1996
    A moving novel of support, friendship and love, set in the tiny frontier community of Washburn Station, Kansas in the year 1876.

The Sound of Silence


Lou J. Bard - 2018
    Among her charges is the young and elusive Alice Jameson. Alice Jameson has been silent for the last fifteen years of her life and doesn’t have any plans to open up about her past or her traumatic life anytime soon, especially not to someone as beautiful and perfect as Indiana Reynolds who manages to get the shy Alice to start experiencing what life could be like outside of the sound of silence.