Book picks similar to
Lottery by Anita Burgh


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Goodbye for Now


Laurie Frankel - 2012
    Sometimes the end is just the beginning . . . Sam Elling works for an internet dating company, but he still can't get a date. So he creates an algorithm that will match you with your soul mate. Sam meets the love of his life, a coworker named Meredith, but he also gets fired when the company starts losing all their customers to Mr. and Ms. Right.When Meredith's grandmother, Livvie, dies suddenly, Sam uses his ample free time to create a computer program that will allow Meredith to have one last conversation with her grandmother. Mining from all her correspondence—email, Facebook, Skype, texts—Sam constructs a computer simulation of Livvie who can respond to email or video chat just as if she were still alive. It's not supernatural, it's computer science.Meredith loves it, and the couple begins to wonder if this is something that could help more people through their grief. And thus, the company RePose is born. The business takes off, but for every person who just wants to say good-bye, there is someone who can't let go. In the meantime, Sam and Meredith's affection for one another deepens into the kind of love that once tasted, you can't live without. But what if one of them suddenly had to? This entertaining novel, delivers a charming and bittersweet romance as well as a lump in the throat exploration of the nature of love, loss, and life (both real and computer simulated). Maybe nothing was meant to last forever, but then again, sometimes love takes on a life of its own.

The Woman Next Door


Barbara Delinsky - 2001
    The lives of three couples are thrown into turmoil when their beautiful and much younger neighbor, who has been widowed for a year, announces that she is pregnant, forcing the wives to reevaluate their marriages and relationships.

The Other Family


Joanna Trollope - 2010
    Yet there is one more shock to come when Richie’s will is read. It seems he never forgot the wife and son he left behind years ago—Margaret, who lives a quiet life of routine and work, and Scott, who never knew his famous father. Now two families are left to confront their losses and each other, and none of them will ever be the same. Witty, intelligent, and insightful, The Other Family is a story of modern family life from one of our most beloved authors of domestic fiction.

Adulting


Liz Talley - 2021
    She’s been written off as a Hollywood casualty by almost everyone, including her own mother. But handsome superstar Spencer Rome has her back. So does an uncompromising stranger determined to start Chase at square one and help her pull her future into focus. If Chase is willing.Life coach Olivia Han is devoted to “adulting” boot camp therapy. It’s not just her professional specialty, though—it’s also one way to avoid focusing on building a life of her own. To escape the pressures of Tinseltown, the two women head to Olivia’s cabin in the wilds of Northern California. There they discover a place in need of TLC. As they work together to rehab the once-charming cabin, they create a refuge where Chase can come to terms with her unsettled past, and where Olivia has an unexpected reckoning with her own troubling history.For two women doing damage control, this is a time for second chances—in life, in finding love, in forgiving family, and in an emerging friendship that might be exactly what each of them needs to heal.

A Country Rivalry


Sasha Morgan - 2019
     For the ever-so dashing Lord of the Manor Tobias Cavendish-Blake and his new wife Megan, it's a great advertising opportunity as they've recently opened up their home, Treweham Hall, to the public. And for the chef at the local pub The Templar, Finula, the arrival of the brooding director Marcus Devlin, means her love life is looking up. Whilst at the racing stables, jockey and trainer Dylan Delaney is hoping the exposure will help him find new owners and horses for him and his partner Flora to train. But there is more to Marcus Devlin than meets the eye, and he has very personal reasons for heading to the Cotswolds. And once his plans become clear, life in Treweham may never be the same again. 'I couldn't put this book down and was gripped from the very first page! I was so engulfed in the characters and life in Treweham, that I actually felt a little lost when I had finished it' Amazon reviewer on A Country Scandal.

Grown Ups


Marian Keyes - 2020
    And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?

The Moment of Everything


Shelly King - 2014
    But the edition she finds at the bookstore is no Penguin Classics Chatterley--it's an ancient hardcover with notes in the margins between two besotted lovers of long ago. What Maggie finds in her search for the lovers and their fate, and what she learns about herself in the process, will surprise and move readers.Witty and sharp-eyed in its treatment of tech world excesses, but with real warmth at its core, The Moment of Everything is a wonderful read.

I Thought You Said This Would Work


Ann Wertz Garvin - 2021
    It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

A Sunrise Over Bali


Sandy Barker - 2022
    When Jaelee Tan leaves her high-flying PR job in Miami for a sabbatical in Bali, the last thing she expects is for it to become permanent. But when her boss demands the trip be cut short, Jae does the only thing she can think of and quits on the spot. With two months in Bali, a new group of friends and the gorgeous scenery and beaches, Jae is determined to make the most of her new-found freedom. And when she locks eyes with hunky Scot, Alistair, Jae wonders if she’ll lose her heart to more than just a Balinese sunrise. Escape to Bali in this uplifting novel full of friendship, laughter and romance, perfect for fans of Mandy Baggot, Julie Caplin and Holly Martin.

Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall (The Willow Tree Hall Series Book 4)


Alison Sherlock - 2019
     Lily Harper is an events organiser, but her neat, ordered world has just exploded. First she lost her job, then she lost her fiancé. Her five-year plan is looking increasingly shaky. Lost and lonely, Lily heads home to her childhood village, and accepts the position of live-in housekeeper at the grand but welcoming Willow Tree Hall. It's not exactly her dream job – Lily is more used to arranging parties than pantries – but at least she's working. Her first task is to arrange the Willow Tree Hall summer fete. Lily is in her element, writing to-do lists and organising bunting and baking – until her old flame Jack Carter turns up in the village. Lily hasn't seen Jack in over ten years, when he sped off on his motorbike, taking with him the pieces of her broken heart. Lily vowed she would never forgive him. But as Willow Tree Hall weaves its magic, Lily finds she might just give Jack a second chance after all... Full of warmth, tears, love and laughter, this is a gripping romance for fans of Heidi Swain and Philippa Ashley. What readers are saying about Willow Tree Hall: 'A sympathetically heart-warming story about family, loyalty, love and friendship ... I look forward to reading more in the series' Donna Orrock, NetGalley. 'I absolutely adored this book. Felt like a proper fairytale' Natasha Potter, NetGalley. 'A wonderful, enchanting story ... I am very much looking forward to reading further stories in this series' Lis Beasley, NetGalley. 'A beautiful and exquisite read. I couldn't put it down. Loved it' Karen Whittard, NetGalley. 'A delightful book of new beginnings and hope, I really enjoyed this one!' Books, Books and More Books. 'I never knew that a book had the power to make me feel calm. Until now. Not only is A House to Mend a Broken Heart true to its title storyline wise, for the duration of this novel it became A Story to Soothe a Painful Body' Kaisha Holloway, Netgalley. 'Delightful! ... A well written, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable read' Kathleen Gray, NetGalley. 'A brilliant, uplifting mix of romance, drama and fun. Recommended!' Agi Klar, NetGalley. 'Full of warmth it really is a delightful read!' Rae Reads.

Truly Madly Guilty


Liane Moriarty - 2016
    Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

Beachcomber Motel


Meredith Summers - 2021
    The motel is even more dilapidated than it looked like in the pictures and it turns out that renovating it includes working with her estranged cousins Maddie and Gina—the same cousins who caused her to fail at running the last motel. But there’s no getting around the stipulations in Gram’s will, and Jules needs to make a success of the Beachcomber, not only because of the promise she made but also to prove to herself that she’s not a failure.Nick Barlow doesn’t understand why anyone would want to renovate a dusty old hotel in a town that has no tourists, but when Jules comes in asking for the loan, he’s smitten and can’t get the application off the printer fast enough. Things are dull around Shell Cove and he’s looking forward to doing business with his new client... until his grandfather, the bank president, gives him a dire warning about Jules and her family and then refuses to approve the loan.Maddie Montgomery has made a promise to her grandmother, too. She needs to help Jules and Gina reconcile. But, as she soon finds out, that might not be the only reason Gram sent her to Shell Cove. The town needs her special brand of optimism and organization to keep it from dying out completely.Gina Gallagher’s life has hit rock bottom. Her real estate tycoon husband has disappeared after cleaning out both their business and personal bank accounts. When her grandmother makes her promise to learn to find joy in the little things and help out at the Beachcomber, she has no energy to refuse. Right now she has nowhere else to stay, but she doesn’t plan to keep her promise for long... until her stay at the Beachcomber yields some unexpected surprises.None of them really wanted to come to the Beachcomber, but could the old motel be the exact thing each of them needs?

Living With It


Lizzie Enfield - 2014
    Her parents, Ben and Maggie, are devastated. So are their close friends Isobel and Eric.Isobel knows that her decision, taken years ago, not to have her own children vaccinated against measles is to blame for Iris’s deafness. And Ben knows this too. To make matters worse, Isobel is the woman he fell in love with in his twenties – the woman who married his best friend. As he and Maggie start legal proceedings, Isobel’s world begins to unravel.Lizzie Enfield’s compelling new novel explores the hearts and minds of ordinary people as they struggle to come to terms with the choices they’ve made. Acutely observed and utterly gripping, it explores love and loss, guilt and recovery, with humour, honesty and page-turning prose.

Two Night Stand


Portia MacIntosh - 2020
    Well, Chris seems like a dream, and it’s about time Hayley started living life to the full.But around the time she learns she’s snowed-in with Chris, she also realises the mansion they’re stuck in isn’t actually his. Now she has to spend New Year’s Eve with him.Has Hayley really met the man or her dreams or has her one-night stand just turned into a nightmare? And when the clock strikes midnight, will she have someone to kiss?

The Healing Summer


Heather B. Moore - 2021
    They’d been trapped beneath a collapsed roof for hours, injured and unable to call for help.The morning of their rescue, Orlando Gallo promised he would find her again. But Maggie hasn’t seen or heard from him in over seventy years, and now, widowed and childless, Maggie hopes to leave her estate to Orlando’s descendants. She invites her neighbor, forty-year-old Jo Sampson, to travel with her, and as the two women return to San Francisco to track down Orlando, they form a strong bond of friendship and healing that transcends time and place.