Book picks similar to
A Beautiful Mess by Brenda S. Anderson


fiction
contemporary
inspirational
women-s-fiction

When Mountains Sing


Stacy Monson - 2019
    A medical crisis reveals a 30-year-old secret that turns everything she’s known and believed upside down, unraveling her dreams and her identity.In search of answers, she follows a trail from Minnesota to Colorado and discovers more unwelcome secrets even as she falls in love with the majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and a wilderness camp leader who shares the greatest secret of all.Knowing her life can never go back to what it was, she must make decisions that will impact far more than just her future.

Fresh Air


Charlotte Vale Allen - 2003
    Alone in the Connecticut farmhouse that was once her mother's, Lucinda's life has become a small thing. Everything she wants or needs can be purchased online, and her only trips to the outside world are to the library or to the post office. It sometimes takes her days before she has the courage to venture past her front door, and even these excursions are sufficiently traumatic to induce blinding migraine headaches.Then, one hot morning in July, as she sits at her computer near the living-room window, a motion in the garden catches her eye. When she turns to look out, she is certain she must be hallucinating--for out there, admiring the overgrown flower beds, is a little girl in shorts and a T-shirt, her bare feet in outsize sneakers. She can't be real, Lucinda tells herself. But when she looks again, the little girl beckons to her to come outside. Bemused, curious, Lucinda gets up and goes outdoors to make the acquaintance of charmingly precocious nine-year-old Katanya Taylor who has, courtesy of the Fresh Air Fund, come from Harlem to spend two weeks with a host family. Taken with the girl's sweet-natured intelligence and generosity of spirit, Lucinda gradually, painfully finds herself drawn back into the world she left after her mother's death. Through Katanya, Lucinda re-examines her past, and gets answers to the questions that kept her locked inside herself and inside her mother's house for more than half her life.

Hidden in the Heart


Catherine West - 2012
    Adopted at birth, Claire is convinced she has some unknown genetic flaw that may be causing her miscarriages. She must find a way to deal with the guilt she harbors. But exoneration will come with a price. With her marriage in dire straits and her father refusing to discuss her adoption, Claire leaves everything she’s ever known, determined to find the answers she needs. But what if the woman who gave her life doesn’t want to be found?

The Break


Marian Keyes - 1999
    . . We're taking a break.''A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?'If only.Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her.He still loves her, he's just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in south-east Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but let's be clear: a break isn't a break up - yet . . .However, for Amy it's enough to send her - along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers - teetering over the edge.For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns if he returns, will he be the same man she married? And will Amy be the same woman?Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then isn't she?The Break isn't a story about falling in love but about staying in love. It is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best.

Lost Down Deep


Sara Davison - 2020
    If only she could remember … Summer Velasquez is on the run from a man she has no recollection of after an attack she can’t recall. Every face in the crowd is a potential suspect, so how is Summer supposed to know who is a threat to her and who isn’t? After fleeing her assailant and the parents who lied to her about what happened, she changes her name and seeks refuge in Elora, Ontario. The small town feels familiar, although she has no memory of ever having been here. Even in what should be a safe place, she can’t shake the feeling that she is being watched. When Ryan Taylor strolls into the Taste of Heaven Café where she works, Summer is immediately drawn to him. However, he may not be who he says he is either. As her suspicions grow, Summer prepares to run again. But at least one person is determined to stop her. Permanently. And if she can’t remember who he is, this time he may succeed.

Wishing Under a Starlit Skye


Lisa Hobman - 2022
    Glentorrin bakery owner, and lone parent, Caitlin Fraser, is single and finally ready to mingle.With her daughter, Grace, about to become a teenager, and her friends all settling down, Caitlin decides she deserves a shot at happiness too.Resisting the pull of dating apps, Caitlin embarks upon a series of disastrous singles events where she bumps into fellow villager, and astronomy buff, Archie Sutherland, who is nursing his own past secrets.When Grace’s best friend’s father, handsome Lyle Budge, asks Caitlin to dinner, things progress quickly and she has a taste of what their future as a family could be, much to both their daughters delight! But when Archie makes a shocking discovery, and he turns to Caitlin for help, she soon discovers Lyle isn’t the sharing type, meaning prickly ultimatums loom for everyone.Will wishing upon the stars over Glentorrin help Caitlin to figure out her way forward? Or is her hunt for romance like a once in a lifetime comet, easily missed in the blink of an eye?

Her Hope Discovered


Cynthia Herron - 2018
    Rumor has it that Sam Packard the town carpenter is her go-to guy for home remodeling, but can Charla convince him to help her—with no strings attached, of course? Alone far too long, Sam’s prayed that God would send him a wife and a mother for his daughters. However, the new Ruby resident is hardly what he imagined. A new place to call “home,” the possibility of what might be, and the answer to someone’s prayers unite this unlikely pair with the help of the town’s residents.Nestled in the Ozarks’ hills and hollows is Ruby, Missouri, a quaint, cozy town where “neighbor” is merely another word for “friend.” Ruby will charm and delight as will her quirky, lovable characters who will steal your heart, but hand it right back—with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Savor your new friends’ sorrows and successes in the community where offbeat is perfect and mishaps and mayhem never tasted so good.

Distant Shores


Kristin Hannah - 2002
    From a distance, their lives look picture perfect. But after the girls leave home, Jack and Elizabeth quietly drift apart. When Jack accepts a wonderful new job, Elizabeth puts her own needs aside to follow him across the country. Then tragedy turns Elizabeth’s world upside down. In the aftermath, she questions everything about her life—her choices, her marriage, even her long-forgotten dreams. In a daring move that shocks her husband, friends, and daughters, she lets go of the woman she has become—and reaches out for the woman she wants to be.--back cover

One Small Thing


Jessica Barksdale Inclán - 2004
    She has all she ever wanted except for one small thing...a baby. And after two years of unsuccessful fertility treatments, hope is running thin.Then her husband, Dan, discovers he has a ten-year-old son he never knew about. With the boy's mother now deceased, Dan is the new rightful guardian. He's anxious to bring his son into their life. But for Avery, this child is a constant reminder of her own inability to conceive-and of Dan's secret past, a sordid life she knew nothing about until now. Only when Avery is able to open her heart to all of life's possibilities will she begin to appreciate her imperfect, unexpected family for what it truly is: a perfect blessing.

Love in Rewind


Tali Alexander - 2014
    His company, Bruel Industries, owns a big chunk of New York City’s most sought-after real estate, and together Emily and Louis embody the perfect hot fairy tale couple for ten happy years of marriage.But when Louis mysteriously starts pushing Emily away, becoming distant and secretive, she is forced to search for the truth among the lies, scandal and heartbreak of his past that threaten to shatter her world. What she finds out will test the strength of her love and her vows to the man of her dreams.Can Emily and Louis rewind far enough back to a time when life was simpler and love was all they needed? Follow their story with the help of some of their favorite songs from the 80’s to discover just how deep and how far love will go.

Things You Won't Say


Sarah Pekkanen - 2015
    Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There's been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn't hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband's insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie's world. It's about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike's flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie's younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes.In her characteristic exploration of true-to-life relationships, Sarah Pekkanen has written a complex, compelling, and openhearted novel her best yet.

Mind of Her Own


Diana Lesire Brandmeyer - 2012
    But when the George Foreman grill falls out of the pantry onto her head, resulting in a bump and a mighty case of amnesia, Louisa’s life takes a turn for the unexpected. Who is this Collin fellow, claiming she is his wife? And whose kids are those? Her name can’t be Louisa. Why, she is the renowned romance writer Jazz Sweet, not a Midwestern mom of three. Struggling to put the pieces together of the life she’s told she had, Louisa/Jazz may realize that some memories are better left alone.

Putney Bridge


Helen Ryan - 2015
     Her two daughters, from a previous relationship, are now both adult. Jo, ambitious and independent, is pursuing a career as a barrister. Jo’s younger sister is very different. Shelley, just 20, sweet natured, trusting and innocent, still lives at home and works at a local animal clinic. They are a normal, happy family - and then Shelley meets Sam on the street and everything changes. Martha struggles to accept Shelley’s choice of boyfriend as, with increasing anger, she witnesses the erosion of all Shelley’s values under Sam’s influence. When Martha’s efforts to persuade Shelley to give Sam up fail, she decides on a more direct approach. The consequences of her actions are devastating for everyone and change the course of Martha’s life forever. “After I’d gone up to bed that night, leaving Gabe amidst the carnage I had created in the living room, I formulated my plan. But it was pure chance that I met Sam on Putney Bridge some three weeks later and I went ahead with it.”

The Spy Prince (Princes of Valdoria Book 4)


Julia Keanini - 2019
    He's never needed anyone...except for her.Prince Elliot Kane is known throughout the world for his charm, his title, and his boyish good looks. He plays the part so well he's known as the "playboy" prince. But Elliot doesn't mind the moniker because it not only keeps him from having to maintain a serious relationship and it keeps his biggest secret under wraps. He's a covert agent.Give Lauren a Glock, a ten-mile run through the desert, or having to face down the most dangerous criminals in the world, and she rises to the challenge. But being partnered with the most eligible bachelor in the world, a man she's secretly had a crush on for years, reduces her to a heap of quivering jelly.  When Elliot discovers Prince Joquen, a man with diplomatic immunity, is committing unthinkable crimes against humanity, Elliot is forced to take the man down. But he can't do it alone. Infiltrating Joquen's inner circle requires faking a relationship with Lauren. But when the lines between personal feelings and professional conduct blur, will Lauren succeed in keeping her secret? Or will the spy prince finally find love?The fourth book in the sweet and wholesome Princes of Valdoria series.Read all of the Princes of Valdoria romances by Julia Keanini:1. The Noble Heir2. The Captivating Prince3. The Charming Prince4. The Spy PrinceRead all of Julia Keanini's Sweet Romances!Heathcliff Family Romances1. His to Save: Her Secret Billionaire2. His to Marry: Her Billionaire Boss3. His to Protect: Her Bodyguard EnemySecond Chance Fairy Tale:1. Merrily Ever After2. Snow and the Seven Teenagers3. A Royal (Fake) Engagement4. Bella and the Billionaire BeastPrinces of Valdoria:1. The Noble Heir2. The Captivating Prince3. The Charming Prince4. The Spy Prince

A Woman Betrayed


Barbara Delinsky - 1991
    Now, for the first time in hardcover, comes her classic novel A Woman Betrayed, a tale with all the hallmarks of her impressive talent.Laura and Jeff Frye have a happy twenty-year marriage and two terrific kids. With a successful catering business as well, Laura has everything she could ask for. Then Jeff mysteriously disappears, and Laura's picture perfect life is shattered.Laura maintains that the Jeff she knew would never leave voluntarily. But what about the Jeff she didn't know? As her husband's many secrets come to light, Laura left with a surprising picture of the man she married.Shaken to the core, Laura looks for ways to hold her family together and rebuild her life. What she finds is a strength she never knew she had -- and a love she thought she had lost forever. With an utterly compelling plot and writing that unerringly goes straight to the essential matters of the heart, this unforgettable story delivers everything that readers have come to love in Barbara Delinsky's novels.