Book picks similar to
Backward Glance by Robyn Carr


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All Is Bright


Sarah Pekkanen - 2010
    . . Thirty-year-old Elise Andrews couldn’t bring herself to marry Griffin, her childhood friend turned sweetheart, so she let him walk away. Eight months after their breakup, she arrives in her hometown of Chicago on Christmas Eve and hears a voice from the past calling her name in the grocery store. It’s Griffin’s mother, Janice, who invites Elise over for a neighborhood gathering of eggnog and carols. Walking into Janice’s house sends Elise tumbling headlong into memories of her relationship with Griffin—and with Janice, who exudes the kind of warmth Elise ached for after her own mom passed away when she was six. But Griffin has moved on, and suddenly Elise doubts her decision to give him up and lose her chance at being folded into his wonderful family. Confused and reeling, she goes in search of an answer to a universal question: How do we say good-bye to people we’ve loved without losing everything they’ve meant to us? Heartwarming and witty, All Is Bright is a charming story about coming home for the holidays—and finding gifts in the most unexpected of places.

Painting the Moon


Traci Borum - 2014
    But the lure of the Cotswolds, combined with a locked cottage room and a revealing journal, entice her to stay and discover more, including a way to save the gallery from financial ruin. And that means remaining in England. When her childhood sweetheart, Adam Spencer, begins work on a restoration project in Noelle’s village, their friendship blossoms. But as her feelings for Adam deepen, she struggles with memories of what might have been and yearns for a future once thought lost. Faced with a life-altering revelation Aunt Joy took to her grave and a wrenching choice regarding the man she loves, Noelle could lose far more than her heart.

Heart of Clay


Shanna Hatfield - 2011
    Unfortunately, unbridled chaos runs amuck in the deep, dark places of her heart as she struggles to keep herself together. Her once beloved husband, Clay, tugs relentlessly at the last few threads keeping her from completely unraveling. His laid-back attitude only serves to drive her further away instead of drawing her back into his arms.Easy-going cowboy Clay Matthews is a respected college professor. He's the man family and friends turn to for help, or when they need a good laugh, since he's a huge tease and practical joker. Life would be almost perfect, except for his relationship with his wife. Clay is completely baffled by Callan. He thought he knew everything there was to know about this woman but she's turned into a mystifying female he barely understands. He'd give just about anything to recapture the feelings they used to share, but she seems to want no part of it. Just when he decides to get to the root of the problem no matter the outcome, he discovers a secret she kept from him that's too painful to bear and too big to forgive. Will their love be strong enough to withstand a revelation that could rock the foundation of their marriage? The Women of Tenacity Series Heart of Clay (Book 1) - Will love be enough to overcome deception and betrayal? Country Boy vs. City Girl (Book 2) - A confirmed city girl finds herself falling for a wanna-be country boy. Sparks fly as a battle of stubborn will ensues. Not His Type (Book 3) - Sometimes what we think we want couldn't be further from the truth... ˃˃˃ Excerpt: Knowing she should pull away and put distance between the two of them, Callan couldn’t muster the will to do it. It felt too good to have Clay’s arms around her, to sink into his strength and breathe in the wonderful scent of him.She couldn’t fathom what had gotten into him. She wondered if he realized when he kissed her like that it turned her knees to a gelatinous mass and made her as giddy as a schoolgirl. If he didn’t behave himself, she was going to have a hard time keeping the lid on her box of churning emotions. Clay had no intention of behaving himself. Taking Callan’s shoulders in his hands, he turned her around and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that left them both breathless and undone. With determination set in his jaw, he reached over and tugged the clip out of her hair, tossing it onto the nearby table. Gently, he ran his hands through her hair, letting it fall down her back and over his arms. Taking a step back, he stood and drank in the sight of her. “I haven’t seen your hair down for a while. It’s beautiful and so are you.” Scroll up and grab a copy today!

Finding Home


Jackie Weger - 1987
    On the road with two siblings, twelve-year-old Maydean and five-year-old Willie-Boy, Phoebe is out of money, out of gas, and out of patience. The only things she owns in abundance are backbone and pride--neither of which she can trade for food or gas.A collision with Gage Morgan puts Phoebe's mission in even worse jeopardy--until Phoebe discovers Gage owns the perfect place for her clan. However, she soon discovers that Gage is the unlikeliest man in the universe to offer a helping hand.Phoebe wields all the country smarts she owns to worm her way into Gage's heart, but nothing works. With time running against her family, she plies one last inducement--her scarce feminine wiles.

Holiday on Ice


Jaci Burton - 2014
    Stella refuses to call it dating, or a relationship. But lately, Trick is looking for more…Stella’s been burned before—in a relationship she never talks about—not with her family, not with her friends, and definitely not with Trick. But now it’s the holiday season and Trick is determined to give Stella his heart wrapped up in a bow. He knows Stella is the right woman for him, but he’ll have to melt the ice surrounding her heart to keep her from walking away.

The Dress Shop of Dreams


Menna van Praag - 2014
    Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.Advance praise for The Dress Shop of Dreams   “Bighearted, beautiful, and brushed with magic, this novel celebrates life’s moments of joy, possibility, and transformation. Menna van Praag’s writing is bright with sparkles and lovely grace notes.”—Susan Wiggs, bestselling author of The Beekeeper’s BallLook for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Caught Up in Us


Lauren Blakely - 2013
    It was a mad, crazy love full of kisses all through the night—but he broke her heart and she had to move on. Five years later, Kat is finishing her graduate degree and building her business as a jewelry designer, when Bryan, head of his own successful company, walks back into her life. Bryan has been assigned to Kat as her new business mentor and the rules are clear. No hanky panky permitted. Kat can handle that because she's totally over him... right? Except, he still makes her laugh, and he remembers all the things she likes. Not to mention that he's even more handsome now than he was then. Then there's the spark between them—the simply undeniable chemistry, and the tender ways he shows he still cares for her. Can they resist each other the second time around or will first love trump all?

Back to You


Priscilla Glenn - 2012
    But Lauren saw something in him that caused her to question his bad-boy persona, and against her better judgment, she took a chance. She had no way of knowing that the unlikely friendship they formed would become so important to her.Or that it would end so painfully.Eight years later, when Lauren begins her new job at Learn and Grow Day Care, Michael is the last person she expects to see. Refusing to revisit the hurt and confusion of their past, Lauren vows to keep her distance from him. But staying away from Michael proves to be more difficult than she thought, despite her lingering grief and her instincts for self-preservation.As Lauren and Michael recall the friendship that changed them forever and the events that tore them apart, will they finally be able to heal? Or will the ghosts of Michael’s past prove to be too much to overcome?

The Violets of March


Sarah Jio - 2011
     In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after. Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life. A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

Blue Wide Sky


Inglath Cooper - 2015
    . . forever love. Sixteen-year old Gabby Hayden wasn’t the kind of girl who gave a hoot about boys. She had a few real loves. Water-skiing, going out on Smith Mountain Lake with her dad and her dog. Anything else ranked a distant second. Until the summer smart, caring, gorgeous Sam Tatum gave her his heart. It had been the most wonderful time of her life, lazy days hanging out at the dock, skinny-dipping at midnight, staring up at the stars from the back of Sam’s truck. They are planning their future together when Sam’s father is transferred to South Africa. Devastated, Gabby and Sam promise to wait for each other during the two years before he returns for college. But lonely and angry, Sam makes a mistake that will change the course of both their lives. Years later, an unexpected diagnosis brings Sam home to his parents’ house on Smith Mountain Lake where he believes he can find peace and acceptance. What he finds, however, is the girl he once loved, now a woman unwilling to lose him again, a woman who will make him realize that both love and life are worth fighting for.

Nowhere But Home


Liza Palmer - 2013
    Again. Now the only place she has to go is home to North Star. She can hope, maybe things will be different. Maybe her family's reputation as those Wake women will have been forgotten. It's been years since her mother-notorious for stealing your man, your car, and your rent money-was killed. And her sister, who as a teenager was branded as a gold-digging harlot after having a baby with local golden boy Wes McKay, is now the mother of the captain of the high school football team. It can't be that bad…Who knew that people in small town Texas had such long memories? And of course Queenie wishes that her memory were a little spottier when feelings for her high school love, Everett Coburn, resurface. He broke her heart and made her leave town-can she risk her heart again?At least she has a new job-sure it's cooking last meals for death row inmates but at least they don't complain!But when secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again? A fun-filled, touching story of food, football, and fooling around.

Full Circle


Mona Ingram - 2011
    Give up her child for adoption or leave town.New Cover April 2019Single and pregnant, Bella is given a choice. Give up her child for adoption or leave town.The choice was never in doubt. Bella moves across the country, settling in Santa Monica. Determined to make a life for herself and her child, she and her new friend Sophia sell children’s clothing at the Venice Beach market. When their creative designs are featured on television, their business takes off and they accept an offer from Rafael Vargas to expand their business. Bella fights her attraction to the handsome entrepreneur, but deep in her heart all she really wants is love.

The Doctor's Secret Bride


Ana E. Ross - 2012
    Can love and forgiveness reunite them?Michelle Carter has been down on her luck since the day she was born. So it comes as no surprise when through a series of unfortunate events, she finds herself jobless, penniless, and practically homeless. In a desperate attempt to get back on her feet, Michelle accepts a job as a nanny and finds it absolutely impossible to resist her handsome, sexy billionaire boss—but resist she must for as long as she could, especially since she’s keeping secrets from him. Believing that his late wife betrayed him with another man, falling in love again is the last thing Dr. Erik LaCrosse wants to do. But fall, he does, and so hard, he secretly marries the alluring nanny from the wrong side of the tracks. However, when he unearths a disturbing secret from Michelle’s past, Erik must choose between his loyalty to a dead woman and the love burning in his heart for one who is very much alive.

Her Two Billionaires


Julia Kent - 2012
    The firefighter and ski instructor aren't picky - blonde, brunette, Asian, African-American, Caucasian, athletic, Rubenesque, boyish - any type will do, but there is one pesky little deal breaker - she needs to want a long-term threesome. So far, that's caused some problems as Dylan took to the dating field and found no takers, search for someone he and Mike could share. Laura Michaels fits the bill - they hope. Working class stiffs who become accidental billionaires in a mysterious turn of events involving their dearly departed longtime lover's estate, the men are looking now for a third to complete them.When Dylan discovers Mike's gone behind his back and slept with Laura, the deception makes them both realize that they want Laura, desperately - to be their permanent third. The question is - how can they untangle the web they've caught them all in? Will Laura flee when she learns the truth?WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT (SOME OF) THEIR SECRETS ARE HERSLaura Michaels took a last-ditch chance at online dating and hit the jackpot - twice. After waking up in Dylan's apartment and being surrounded with pictures of his wife, she follows the advice to DTMFA - so she dumped him. Mike popped up out of nowhere on the online dating site where she met Dylan, and in a whirlwind two days she managed to sleep with both. Adding insult to injury, when Dylan appeared at her workplace disguised as a flower delivery guy, the truth came out: the pictures were of his dead lover. Passion overrode reason and Laura found herself caught between two incredible men.And wishing she could have both.Dylan and Mike might be in for the surprise of their life, because maybe - just maybe - Laura has some threesome desires of her own that she's finding it harder and harder to control. When Dylan and Mike give them all an opportunity to consummate their brewing desires, the result is hotter and more passionate than any of them ever imagined, yet as Laura realizes she'd been manipulated, her old insecurities come back. Fleeing, she leaves Mike and Dylan wondering whether they've ruined their second chance at a perfect triad - but they haven't seen the last of Laura....

The Girl Who Lied


Suzanne | Sue Fortin - 2016
    Now, Roisin has discovered a secret—one Erin has kept for over a decade—and she’s determined to make Erin pay for her lies.Erin wants nothing to do with Roisin. She has a new life in London and no intention of going back home. Yet when her father is mysteriously and critically injured, Erin has no choice but to return and face Roisin—and her past. Erin knows if the secret of what she gave up got out, the consequences could be devastating.When Roisin suddenly disappears, suspicion soon lands on Erin. She would do anything to protect her family, but just how far is she willing to go when time is running out…?