Book picks similar to
The Vines We Planted by Joanell Serra


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Lost Girls


Merrie Destefano - 2017
    She wears nothing but black.And she can fight.She’s not the only girl to go missing in the last year, but she is the only one to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And the thrill of what she remembers—of what she can’t resist—might still get her killed.

Last One at the Party


Bethany Clift - 2021
    The human race has been wiped out by the 6DM virus (Six Days Maximum - the longest you've got before your body destroys itself). The end of the world as we know it.Yet someone is still alive. Alone in a new world of burning cities, rotting corpses and ravenous rats, one woman has survived. A woman who has spent her whole life compromising what she wants and hiding how she feels to meet other people's expectations. From her career to her relationships, to what she wears and where she lives, she's made a lifetime of decisions to fit what other people want her to be. But with no one else left, who will she become now that she's completely alone?

Tinfoil Crowns


Erin Jones - 2019
    She shares her life with her fans through countless videos (always sporting some elaborate tinfoil accessory), and they love her for it. If she goes viral, maybe she can get out of her small casino town and the cramped apartment she shares with her brother and grandpa. But there's one thing Fit's fans don't know about her: when Fit was three-years-old, her mother, suffering from postpartum psychosis, tried to kill her.Now Fit's mother, River, has been released from prison. Fit is outraged that River is moving in with the family, and it's not long before Fit's video followers realize something's up and uncover her tragic past. But Fit soon realizes that the only thing her audience loves more than tragedy is a heartwarming tale of a family reunion. Is faking a relationship with River the key to all Fit's dreams coming true?

The Key to Every Thing


Pat Schmatz - 2018
    When she disappears, only Tash holds the key that might bring her back.Tash didn't want to go to camp, didn't want to spend the summer with a bunch of strangers, didn't want to be separated from the only two people she has ever been able to count on: her uncle Kevin, who saved her from foster care, and Cap'n Jackie, who lives next door. Camp turns out to be pretty fun, actually, but when Tash returns home, Cap'n Jackie is gone. And Tash needs her — the made-up stories of dolphin-dragons, the warm cookies that made everything all right after a fight, the key Cap'n Jackie always insisted had magic in it. The Captain always said all Tash had to do was hold it tight and the magic would come. Was it true? Could the key bring Cap'n Jackie back? In a heartfelt and stunningly written story, Pat Schmatz introduces readers to a tenacious, fiercely loyal girl struggling to let go of the fantasies and fears of her childhood . . . and say yes to everything that lies ahead.

His Taste Box Set


B.B. Hamel - 2019
    If you like dark plots with lots of steam, especially ones that connect in a small town, then this collection is for you! No cliffhangers, absolutely no cheating, and of course each book features an HEA! Read the blurbs down below and happy reading. His Taste I got one taste of him and now I can’t stop. I know I should stay away from Case Hammett. He’s notorious for a reason: handsome face, muscular body, enough money to own the entire town. The confident and cocky bastard is totally all-wrong for me, and I should be very afraid. But I take a job cleaning his house to help support my sick mother against my better judgement. And I was right to be nervous: he loves getting me down on all fours to scrub his floor. He’s always teasing, his hands on my skin, his cocky grin pushing my limits. Things seem fine on the surface, but there’s a darkness in his house that I can’t escape. But when his hands brush against my skin, I don’t care about anything else. I just need more of his taste, more of his body. He corners me in his bedroom and asks a simple question: Do you want me to take care of you? I’m terrified, but I think the answer is yes. If I can’t escape, I might not leave this house ever again. His Demand I’m all about trying new things. Especially losing my virginity. I came to Pine Grove looking for a new start. Instead, I found Dawson Spark. He’s the kind of man I used to stay far away from. Handsome, cocky, and clearly rich, I can’t pretend like I’m not intimidated when he invites me back to his house. But I’m still a virgin. I’ve never done anything like this before. Now I know why people can get addicted in love. I know this won’t be a one-time thing. I’m a part of his world now, and Dawson demands a lot more than I ever thought I had. Giving him my virginity was the easy part. It’s giving him everything else that’s going to be hard… His Secret It’s my job to keep her safe. But I want something in return. I’m the Chief and Police and I get what I want. At least until I find Emma knee-deep in trouble. Those gorgeous eyes, perfect hair, pouty lips. She makes a growl slip from my throat and I can’t stop myself before I offer her my protection. There’s a catch, of course. I’ll keep her safe, but she better repay me over, and over, and over again. My hands on her hips, pulling her close against my body, I’ll whisper in her ear. You want safety? I want you. I can't help myself. I'm falling for this girl, harder than I ever imagined. She’s my new girl, and she'll get whatever she wants and much more. His Touch Don't be afraid. Let him touch it. My life is one disaster after another. Until the man that killed my father takes me as his own. I should hate Rowan more than anything. But my father was abusive and I have nowhere left to run. Now I’m stuck with this beautiful monster.

At the Heart of Christmas


Jill Monroe - 2018
    She invests everything in reopening her family’s business and hires glass artist Nolan Vesser, whose family used to design ornaments for hers, to work his creative magic.After an accident burned Nolan’s studio to the ground, he thought he’d lost everything. But when he looked in his safety deposit box for his renter’s insurance, he came across an overlooked piece of paper that changed everything.As Nolan spends time with Quinn, she sparks his artistic inspiration. But when she learns about his secret, can their new romance survive?

The Truth We Bury


Barbara Taylor Sissel - 2017
    But when a bridesmaid is murdered in AJ’s apartment and he can’t be found, Lily’s world collapses and a long-held family secret is at risk of exposure.Dru Gallagher’s life took a different course. After her ex-husband, suffering from post-traumatic stress, threatened her and her daughter, Shea, with a shotgun, Dru was forced to leave her marriage and forge ahead as a working-class single mom. Now, the anger she sees in war veteran AJ’s eyes is heartbreakingly familiar—and makes Dru deeply afraid for her daughter’s safety…especially after Shea’s best friend and maid of honor is found dead.With a killer on the loose and time running out, Lily and Dru, two very different women, unite in a single goal: to save their precious children from scandal, even from death. But will the mothers’ protection be enough, or will the fateful secret they expose—and the truth it reveals—destroy every hope of love?

Because of You


Allie Boniface - 2019
    Blake Carter's fraternity was scandalized. Misterion College closed down altogether. And Blake's girlfriend, Emerson Doyle, fled the island after her best friend died and never looked behind her.Now they're back.Blake's the CEO of a multi-million dollar tech firm looking to relocate to the island. Emerson owns a yoga studio in the building he wants to buy. They haven't spoken in ten years. They're on opposite sides of the bargaining table.But old flames die hard.And the more Blake and Emerson fight both the past and each other, the more they realize that coming to terms with tragedy is their only chance of finding love again...

Mona at Sea


Elizabeth Gonzalez James - 2021
    Mona is a Millennial perfectionist who fails upwards in the midst of the 2008 economic crisis.Despite her potential, and her top- of-her-class college degree, Mona finds herself unemployed, living with her parents, and adrift in life and love. Mona’s the sort who says exactly the right thing at absolutely the wrong moments, seeing the world through a cynic’s eyes. In the financial and social malaise of the early 2000s, Mona walks a knife’s edge as she faces down unemployment, underemployment, the complexities of adult relationships, and the downward spiral of her parents’ shattering marriage. The more Mona craves perfection and order, the more she is forced to see that it is never attainable. Mona’s journey asks the question: When we find what gives our life meaning, will we be ready for it?

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna


Juliet Grames - 2019
    Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents—moments where ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted.In her rugged Italian village, Stella is considered an oddity—beautiful and smart, insolent and cold. Stella uses her peculiar toughness to protect her slower, plainer baby sister Tina from life’s harshest realities. But she also provokes the ire of her father Antonio: a man who demands subservience from women and whose greatest gift to his family is his absence.When the Fortunas emigrate to America on the cusp of World War II, Stella and Tina must come of age side-by-side in a hostile new world with strict expectations for each of them. Soon Stella learns that her survival is worthless without the one thing her family will deny her at any cost: her independence.In present-day Connecticut, one family member tells this heartrending story, determined to understand the persisting rift between the now-elderly Stella and Tina. A richly told debut, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a tale of family transgressions as ancient and twisted as the olive branch that could heal them.

The Year of Necessary Lies


Kris Radish - 2015
    It’s 1903, the world is poised for drastic change, and Julia Briton is a naive, beautiful Boston socialite who suffers a series of devastating losses and discovers that her beloved husband is involved in the plume trade—the massive slaughter of birds for use in the fashion industry. When Julia is secretly ushered into the early 20th century by a group of brazen female activists, she boldly risks everything and embarks on a perilous journey to the wilds of untamed Florida, a place of great danger where men will stop at nothing to get what they want and where one man, and a faithful friend, force her to make yet more life-changing decisions. Years later, when Julia’s great-granddaughter, Kelly, discovers some hidden tape recordings in her famous great-grandmother's dresser and learns the real truth about Julia’s year, a year that changed the course of history, she must decide what to do with her grandmother's incredible legacy. Will she keep the real “secret of the year”, or will she be brave enough to follow her own heart?

Her Protector


Ashlee Price - 2019
    Escape into the world of these hot alpha males and let them entertain you all night long.Book 1 - ProtectorEx-Firefighter. Current Boss. Future (Pretend) Husband."Save me."I saw that plea in Robyn's tear-moistened chestnut eyes the moment she stepped off the back of my truck.How could I refuse?Heck yeah, I'll protect her.I'll go through flames for this woman.I'll even marry her and father her child.I'll keep her from being harmed.But can I still protect her when my darkest secret is her greatest fear?Book 2 - One Hot DoctorA lot has changed in the 7 years since I saw Ava...Yes, I'm still the only son to billionaire parents.And yes, I'm a doctor now who seems to have women blog about my looks every time I do a TV interview.But Ava's despair runs deep.Her arrogant, abusive fiance makes me sick.Underneath her fragile exterior, I can see she has so much more to offer.Ava and I belong together.I knew it then and I know it now.I'm the only one that can rescue her from this mess.But how can I heal Ava's deepest scar if I'm the one who left it?Book 3 - His GiftThe moment Jordan's doe eyes met mine, I knew I had to have her.Hard not to when a gorgeous woman stumbles into your life.After I claimed her sweet innocence, we lost touch and I focused on building my fortune.Seeing Jordan while I was taking a holiday break in a small town was an unexpected surprise.But she's different now.Her guard is up.She can pretend to hate me all she wants but she can't deny our magnetic attraction.And her son? He sure does look and act a lot like me.I'll make her mine.Despite the odds stacked against us.After all, I have a special gift for her.Book 4 - Most Eligible DaddyThe first time was spur of the moment. The second time will be forever.I never thought I'd fall for a girl in overalls and muddy boots until I met Quinn Hardy.She's the best thing that came with this run-down farm.The loss of my wife left me empty and struggling to raise a daughter.Years later, not even all my wealth can fill the void.But with Quinn, I see everything I want in a woman.I'll show her what a real man is like.I'll crush those greedy neighbors eyeing her land the way I stamp out those trying to mess with my company.I'll destroy anyone and anything that gets in my way.Book 5 - Twist of Fake"I'll be your fiancé."I never thought I'd need one to impress a client and get a promotion.Where's a virgin like me supposed to find someone like that?And I never in my wildest dreams thought he'd volunteer.Lucian.That mysterious drool-worthy mechanic from down the street with a mean streak.The moment I saw those inked arms, I wanted them wrapped around me.

The Empress of Idaho


Todd Babiak - 2019
    Fourteen-year-old Adam Lisinski has a lot going for him in Monument, Colorado. He's hoping to be a starter on his high school football team, even though he's only a sophomore. He has a part-time job at Eugene's Gas Stop where he works with his best friend, Simon Kinoro. He'd like to see his girlfriend, Phoebe Brandt, more if he could, but he makes do with time alone at Monument Lake after her ballet lessons. He and his mother, Helen, have a close relationship, but Adam knows she worries. And then Beatrice Cyr comes to town. From the second she steps out of his neighbour Marv Walker's truck, Adam is mesmerized. He neglects everything that matters to him and he's desperate to be around her, even if he's confused about what she wants or where she comes from. He begins to find himself alone with Beatrice--in the change room at Modern You, the clothing store on Second Street, at the Chapel Hill Cinema, in Marv's truck--and Adam is soon lying to everyone he cares about. And when Beatrice convinces Helen to quit her job to partner in an ambitious real estate venture, the stakes get higher until Adam is forced to make an impossible choice.Riveting, emotionally complex, and sparkling with moments of compassion and humour, The Empress of Idaho is a story about loyalty, friendship, and the vulnerability and confusion of adolescence. It's a poignant, unforgettable portrait of a boy's difficult coming-of-age.

Kiss Me Like You Mean It


J.R. Rogue - 2018
    His kiss is mine. “The first time he saw me I was shattered glass, and he was a shadow. If I had stayed, he would have just faded away.”It’s strange how easy it is to tell our stories to a stranger’s eyes. The truth about Connor Stratford and I had always been a sad tale. Over ten years of chasing, tears, lies, vows, and leaving. Two people who never loved each other at the same time, but couldn’t let each other go.Now here I was telling our story over drinks midday in an airport bar with my old diary clutched in my hand. Telling some version of our story, anyway.I left him once with no goodbye. Now I was returning home to give him what he needed to move on.“It’s important. It’s what you’re thinking.”I knew what his message meant, sent in the middle of the night after I woke from a fever dream. He was finally ready, and so was I. I just needed to finally give him the kiss he begged for. The one that meant goodbye.

The Island Villa


Lily Graham - 2018
    If you loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The Island by Victoria Hislop, you’ll devour this dramatic book-club read set in a beautiful Spanish villa where the walls whisper with secrets. When Charlotte’s husband James tragically dies, he leaves her an unexpected gift – her grandmother’s beautiful villa, Marisal, on the Spanish island of Formentera. As she begins to explore her new home, and heal her broken heart in the warm golden sunshine, Charlotte discovers that her grandmother Alba has been keeping secrets about her life on the island. Intrigued by her family’s hidden history, Charlotte uncovers a devastating love affair that put many lives at risk and two sisters torn apart by loss. Can the heartbreaking truth of the island’s dark history finally be laid to rest? Or will the secrets of the past shake the new life and love that Charlotte is close to finding?