Book picks similar to
Baby. Boom! by Helen Wallen
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The Air Raid Girls
Jenny Holmes - 2021
Meet the Air Raid Girls: three young women keen to do their bit during the Yorkshire blitz.Connie's life has taken an unexpected turn since her husband died - she's living at home and working in the family bakery - but night shifts as an ARP Warden give her a firm sense of purpose.Her younger sister Lizzie is eager to play her part too, perhaps as an ambulance driver. Her fiance refuses to support her decision... but does he really know what's best for her?Twenty-year-old Pamela has led a sheltered life, but when her family's home is destroyed in a raid she must learn to stand on her own two feet - helped by new friends.As bombs fall and fires rage, the young women face the destruction of everything they've ever known. Can their fighting spirit prevail? And what of their families and the men they love?A thrilling and heartwarming new story of friendship, love and duty in wartime by the author of The Spitfire Girls, for fans of Elaine Everest and Rosie Hendry.
A Cowboy's Proposal: Country Brides & Cowboy Boots (Lime Peak Ranch, #3)
Lucy McConnell - 2017
Lime Peak Ranch is home to the Dumont and Ruggles families who raise cattle, train horses, and compete in PRCA rodeos. Life down the dirt road isn’t as perfect as it seems and secrets have roots deeper than the maple trees. Bonnie Ruggles has to leave the Lime Peak Ranch but her marriage is in pieces scattered from the house to the barn. Dallas isn’t speaking to her, his hurt bigger than any words. When tragedy strikes, Bonnie is called home to be with her husband. Their relationship is changing and only by revealing the truth can they start anew. Tearing up secrets with roots this deep can cause more damage than these two might be able to handle. Ellie Dumont Labrum should be living in wedded bliss, but with the death of his father, Logan pulls farther and farther away. Missing the closeness they’d barley glimpsed, Ellie tries desperately to pull her husband out of his grief, Porter Dumont is destined for greatness. He sells his plot on Lime Peak Ranch—his inheritance—and leaves the ranch and family behind to chase the music to Nashville. If he can make this work, he’ll be the biggest name to come out of the ranch. George and Carol Dumont struggle to make a new life out of the ashes of their old love. They want the same things, but Carol has to trust—a task that isn’t easy when she’s been singed. If she can find confidence in her new situation, their love can finally be free from the fears that hold them back. Olivia Dumont is falling in love with Dr. Robert Canton. They would be a perfect fit if it weren’t for the fact that he is leaving at the end of the month. Not wanting to give him an ultimatum, Olivia steps back from their budding relationship. But without incentive to stay, Robert struggles to decide if he and his son, Jax, should go back to Seattle or make a home on the ranch. Follow this family full of heart and love and loyalty as they work to navigate the revelation of long-buried secrets, bitter disappointments, new and old love, and trust in the third book in the Lime Peak Ranch series.
Family Drama
Sa'id Salaam - 2016
The patriarch, Paul scratched and crawled his way from the bottom to the top, literally since he started life in the mean streets of New York City. He escaped to the south and attended college in Atlanta. His high IQ and street smarts gave him an advantage in both law school and beyond. Years later he is now the premier lawyer for the city's premier criminals. A law degree wasn't the only thing he picked up in school. While there he also caught the attention of a prim and proper co-ed by the name of Madison. Madison was a beautiful chocolate colored girl with an angelic smile. Holding tightly to her chastity made her highly sought after. Paul patiently played his position and beat out all his competition. The couple married and moved to an upscale subdivision in one of Atlanta's exclusive suburbs. There they raised two perfect children in the perfect house. Son Brandon just graduated his parent's alma mater and is now on his way to medical school. Daughter Courtney is right behind him planning to attend the same institution before heading to law school just like their father. Yes, just like any other American family in search of the American dream and just like any other family they have more than their share of drama. After all, every family has it's share of Family Drama.
A Summer Scandal
Kat French - 2018
She wants nothing more than to rejuvenate it and make it grand again – but how?When she meets hunky Calvin, inspiration strikes. What if she turned the arcade into an adult-themed arcade full of artisan shops?Not everyone in the town is happy with the idea, but Violet loves her arcade and business begins to boom. But as tensions worsen and the heat between her and Calvin begins to grow, life at Swallow Beach becomes tricky. Is it worth staying to ride out the storm? And can Violet find her own happy ending before the swallows fly south for the winter?Sexy, sassy and full of heart, Kat French is back in a new summer sizzler.
Moving On
Cathy Bramley - 2019
Gina Moss is proud of herself: she's just had the most amicable divorce ever. No arguments, no fuss, no drama. It means she has plenty of time and energy for her thriving childminding business too. Welcome Cottage is both home and workplace for Gina. It sits just on the edge of The Evergreens - a grand if slightly run-down Victorian residence to three octogenarians who have far too much fun for their age: Violet, Delphine and Bing.But a tragedy puts her older friends at risk of eviction - and Gina in charge of the battle to save them. It might be her first fight, but it's one that Gina is determined not to lose... A Patchwork Family is a heart-warming novel told in four parts, following the challenges and triumphs faced by Gina Moss as she swaps an easy life for a happy one. This is the first part.
*****
Praise for Cathy Bramley from some of your other favourite authors:
'Delightful!' Katie Fforde'A page-turner of a story' Milly Johnson'Delightfully warm with plenty of twists and turns' Trisha Ashley'The perfect romantic tale, to warm your heart and make you smile' Ali McNamara
Friends Like Us
Siân O'Gorman - 2016
Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Amanda Prowse.
Life for school friends, Melissa, Steph and Eilis, hasn’t quite worked out the way they once imagined it might. Melissa may be professionally successful but inside she’s a mess of insecurities. Steph is lonely and lost, balancing the fragile threads of family life and walking on eggshells around her philandering husband and angry teenage daughter. Finally, Eilis, a hardworking A&E doctor, utterly exhausted by the daily pressures of work and going through the motions with her long-term partner Rob. It’s crunch time for all the friends...
What readers are saying about FRIENDS LIKE US:
'A very enjoyable and emotional read. One of those books that I could not put down' 'heartwarming and heartbreaking' 'The jacket caught my eye and the story didn't let me down.' 'Perfect escapism on a dreary day' 'an emotionally uplifting story of the power of friendship and togetherness through the bleakest of times and how ultimately good triumphs over pain.'
Days Like These
Sue Margolis - 2016
After all, she’s already raised one set of children—and quite successfully, if she may say so herself. But all it takes is a few days of private school functions, helicopter parents, video games, and never-ending Frozen sing-a-longs for Judy to feel she’s in over her head. As weeks become months, Judy feels more and more like an outsider among all the young mothers with their parenting theories du jour, especially when she gets on the wrong side of the school’s snooty alpha mom. But finding a friend in another grandmother—and a man who takes her mind off all the stress—almost make it worthwhile. She just needs to take it one food allergy, one incomprehensible homework assignment, and one major meltdown at a time...
Love, Julie
Christine Bush - 2006
She was not supposed to slide down drainpipes, play baseball in Central Park, or, worst of all, want to teach. Teaching was for impoverished young relatives, not for the heiress of the Brightingham fortune. When her father suddenly dies, leaving her wicked Uncle Edward as her trustee, she must resist his attempt to force her into a marriage that would bring her misery, no matter what the cost. She decides to leave the world behind. Julietta trades her fashionable dresses and dainty dancing shoes for serviceable travel clothes and sturdy boots. Dying her blond hair brown and donning her glasses, she travels incognito across the country to Grey Eagle, Montana, as Julie Bright, planning to take the position of school teacher, to begin a new life. But the handsome and dedicated young Sheriff, Jack White, takes one look at her and wants to send her packing. She is not what he expected as a teacher for his fledgling town. He knows trouble when he sees it. But for some reason, no matter what his instincts, he cannot make her leave. When the past finally catches up with her, he knows he'd move heaven and earth to keep her safe, and make her stay.
Save the Date
Allie Spencer - 2013
With the bride and groom at loggerheads and the guests in uproar, it is a million miles away from the rest and relaxation she'd been hoping for.And then suddenly, in the middle of the mayhem, she comes face-to-face with Nick, the man she walked out on just a few months earlier.How can Ailsa help get the wedding back on track when she and Nick can’t stop arguing? But if they do, she might remember why she fell in love with him in the first place - and then there really would be trouble.
Hot and Bothered: A Novel
Annie Downey - 2006
He’s a rat, anyway, and currently attends Sex Addicts Anonymous. He still comes by the house, though, as do her hippie, macrobiotic mother; her feisty, alcoholic best friend; her God-fearing grandmother; and that Perfect Guy, the one with the beatific son who plays with her daughter, the one who happens to have a winning smile, wild black hair, a professorship at Harvard—and (drats!) a gorgeous doctor girlfriend. Told in short takes that perfectly mimic the frantic nature of our busy lives, Hot and Bothered follows its heroine through the streets of Cambridge, where she spends far too much time staring into space and sipping mocha lattes with extra whipped cream; to church, where she prays for a little salvation; to Alaska, where she believes a rugged outdoorsman might just be that salvation; and to Cape Cod, where, in a little house by the sea, she might finally see the light. Annie Downey has written an updated Cinderella story for all single moms.
The Bitter End
Ann Evans - 2018
Paul finally has his life back on track. After losing his wife, Helena in a horrific car crash, he has found love with Sally and moves into her country cottage. As a former high-ranking Naval Officer, Paul now works as Head of Security at MI5.Paul has no memories from before he was ten years old. An accident left him in a coma for 9 months. But was it really an accident?Soon Paul starts to have flashes of childhood memories, all involving his childhood friend, Owen.Sally introduces him to her friend, Juliet, the owner of a craft shop. Paul is shocked when he meets Juliet’s partner, his old friend Owen.Flashes of memories continue to haunt Paul, particularly the memory of his first wife Helena burning in the car crash.
As dark things start to happen, and local people begin dying in horrific accidents, Paul must face his past and will end up fighting for his life.
The Last Will And Testament Of Daphné Le Marche
Kate Forster - 2016
Eighteen year old Daphné may be from a tiny French village, but she knows she’s destined for more. Stepping off a bus into bustling Paris with a suitcase full of her home-made beauty products, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to claim her stake in the world.London, 2016. Scandalous love affairs and an iconic cosmetics brand have kept Daphné Le Marche in spotlight – but her darkest secrets have never come to light. Now, in her London penthouse, enveloped in her rich signature scent, the Grande Dame of glamour has died.But not even those closest to her could have been prepared for what came next.The Last Will and Testament of Daphné Le Marche is a sweeping story of heartbreak, scandal and the importance of keeping it in all the family…
Don't You Forget About Me
Liz Tipping - 2016
But stuck in her small hometown, with no prospects of escape, she's struggling to find her thing. Her life is more book club than Breakfast Club and there is no Judd Nelson in sight!So when Cara is invited to a school reunion she knows this is her chance to channel her inner Molly Ringwald and grab her John Hughes moment, once and for all. Because her teenage love, Daniel Rose will be there, the coolest boy at school and the one that got away.But transforming into an 80's icon isn't easy and Cara enlists the help of her oldest friend, Stubbs, to teach her all she needs to know about being cool and quirky – a la Ringwald.Except Stubbs thinks she’s perfect, just as she is and takes it upon himself to show Cara that her life might not be ‘movie perfect’, but there is always another take to get things right. And maybe the hero she's dreamed of has been under her nose the whole time…From the author of the hilarious Five Go Glamping comes your perfect summer read
Two Kinds of Wonderful
Isla Dewar - 2001
She did not know that her children would not understand, would not forgive her. She had one moment of joy, shutting the door, leaving, followed by ten years of guilt.Then the death of the family matriarch Nan reunites Roz, now with a career, a flat and a lover, with her family. Histrionic Zoe and infuriatingly laid-back Jamie arrive on her doorstep. Suddenly Roz is a mother again. A human soup is stirred, and dark family secrets are revealed. But Roz soon realises that her children have only returned to her so that, in the proper scheme of things, they can leave her. Rather than she leaving them.