Book picks similar to
The First Time Mums’ Club by Lucie Wheeler


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Breeda Looney Steps Forth


Oliver Sands - 2020
    this is a worthy page-turner' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLYBreeda Looney tells herself she's happy with her simple life in a remote Irish fishing village. Sure, there are days she talks to no one but the cat, her panic attacks have become public spectacles, and crabby Aunt Nora considers her a total waste of skin.But Breeda is about to stumble upon an old family secret never meant to see the light of day. Her beloved father, said to have died when Breeda was a child, might actually still be alive.A lifetime of lies will force Breeda to revisit the darkest corners of her past if she’s to ever bring home her long-lost daddy.But secrets rarely exist alone. And as Breeda digs deeper into the family dirt she realizes she’s barely scratched the surface…Breeda Looney steps forth. But what on earth is she about to discover?* Heartfelt, compelling and often darkly funny, Breeda Looney Steps Forth follows one woman's quest to find her truth and, ultimately, her place in the world. With a cast of colorful characters, and brimming with surprisingly tender moments, Breeda Looney will stay in your heart long after the final pages... *

Second Chances: A wonderful, warm novel about finding love where you least expect it


Minna Howard - 2017
    Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde. Succumbing to a rather clichéd midlife crisis, Dan Haywood swaps his family for an expensive red sports car and a younger woman. After 24 years of marriage, his wife Sarah is left to pick up the pieces. Trying her best to re-style her life, comfort hurt children, make time for 'helpful' friends and maintain her burgeoning career as a dress designer, Sarah feels pulled in a hundred directions. And it doesn't help that obstacles – mostly in the form of other middle-aged men – seem to conspire against her. Proud of herself for moving house and starting to build an independent life, she is shocked when Robert Maynard, her rather dashing new next-door neighbour, insists that the house was promised to him. Now she is destined to be pulled into his life by events beyond her control. After one failed marriage, will she be able to find happiness again? And do second chances really come to those who wait? This book was previously published as The Orchid Lover under the name Mary De Laszlo.

The Year of the Fox


Merren Tait - 2019
    Turns out I needed a power tool arsenal… Nancy Myers is having a hard time. She’s broken-hearted, homeless and unemployed. And she’s just turned forty. But Nancy has a secret weapon. Desperation.Relying solely on her finely-honed ability to make stuff up as she goes along and the battery life of her cordless drill, she’s determined to make a fresh start (one that on no account features men of the falling-in-love-with variety).After purchasing a rural property on a whim at the foot of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, Nancy attempts to settle into country life. She finds the vista of the mountains healing. She also finds a tall, dark and gumbooted stranger (who proves to be therapeutic in other ways).But when she discovers her precious view is about to be taken away, Nancy faces a hard choice. Should she play saboteur to protect her own happiness, even if it means losing the man who just might possibly be the key to it?Maybe her fresh start is actually a false start. Or maybe she’s learning a thing or two about how to be a kick-arse, self-reliant woman.

The French Escape


Suzie Tullett - 2018
    Loved it." Sarah Hardy - By The Letter Book Reviews"Charming and thoroughly enjoyable" Rachel Gilbey - Reviewer  It’s fair to say that Flick has had a terrible year. Her beloved father died, she had the wedding of her dreams and only hours after the ceremony her husband ran out on her.  Brenda, fed up with her daughter living like a hermit, decides to drag Flick off to France to stay in a chateau. What could be better than an idyllic escape?But when they arrive Flick discovers the chateau is all but abandoned.The only upside of her French escape is the handsome and mysterious neighbour, Nate.Nate loves his life living in the cottage on the grounds of the abandoned chateau but that is about to be put in jeopardy… Can Nate and Flick ever learn to come to terms with the past and find love again? What everyone is saying about The French Escape: "I loved this book! The characters were delightful, the setting was dreamy and the story perfectly paced, with some surprises."  Kaye Barley - reviewer "a feel good, easy and satisfying read."  Joan Hill - Reviewer  "a really lovely book, full of happily ever afters, family, friendship, love, happiness, funny moments and idyllic French countryside"  Karen Whittard  - reviewer "The story has all the right ingredients in the right proportions to make you go all warm and fuzzy."  Shree Janani - reviewer   Suze Tullett is the author of Little White Lies and Butterflies and The Trouble With Words. The French Escape is an uplifting and laugh-out-loud Romantic comedy which will appeal to fans of authors like Sue Roberts, Marian Keyes and Sarah Morgan.

Catch Me if You Cannes


Lisa Dickenson - 2017
    Romantic, funny and full of Cannes Film Festival magic, it's perfect for fans of Giovanna Fletcher, Paige Toon and Mhairi McFarlane.Jess has decided it's time to get out of her comfort zone and live a little. So when her best friend Bryony, a journalist on a gossip magazine, is sent to cover the Cannes Film Festival, Jess decides to seize the day and go along for the ride. Two weeks of sun, glamour and exclusive entry into celeb-filled parties is just the kind of adventure Jess needs.Reality soon bites though when Jess and Bryony find they're staying in a dingy hotel far away from all the action and Bryony's expenses budget barely covers a glass of local wine. Undeterred, the two women are determined to live like the elite and enjoy one fancy night out to begin their holiday. So what if they have to tell a few white lies along the way? It's just this once. No harm done . . . right?Full of hilarious one-liners, sparkling blue seas and plenty of romantic moments, Catch Me If You Cannes is the story of two friends, a few white lies and one very sticky situation . . .

One Kiss Before Christmas


Emma Jackson - 2020
    She's still living in Brighton with her Nan - who could give the Grinch lessons in how to be miserable - her acting career has been reduced to playing one of Santa's elves, and not even the prospect of a friend's winter wedding can cheer her up...That is until Olivier, the gorgeous French chef, reappears in her life. Or more accurately, next door.When they were teenagers, Olivier would spend every Christmas with his mother, who just happens to be Ash's neighbour and owner of the best chocolate shop in England.If anyone can bring a little sparkle back to Ash's life, it's Olivier. All she needs is one kiss before Christmas...

Christmas with Hamish


Sophie Penhaligon - 2021
    When her younger sister sends her an invite to her Christmas wedding on the other side of the country in Vancouver, she decides to kill two birds with one stone and plans a ski trip to Whistler with some old friends. However, her dreams of a snowy Christmas on skis are thwarted by her sister’s dog sitting crisis.Instead of spending Christmas enjoying the après ski alcohol, she is instead stuck minding Hamish McDuff for the next week. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and for Verity, the silver lining comes in the guise of her sexy new neighbour, Nikau Taylor. Nikau seems determined to help Verity eradicate her ghosts of Christmas past, but what will happen when her time is up and it’s time to go home to Toronto?

The Privileged


Emily Hourican - 2016
    They choose the same university, and through smoke-filled nights, lectures, sexual encounters and first loves, their bond deepens: a friendship which seems like it will last for evermore.But then, at an end-of-year party, something happens which changes everything ... Afterwards, they drift apart. Now Stella, a lawyer in New York, lives for her work; Laura, a struggling journalist in Dublin, is still waiting for the scoop to kick-start her career; while Amanda, broken and beautiful, lives a life of slow decay in London. Then the phone call comes which brings them back together, to the friendship they swore would last, and the night when it all went wrong. The Privileged is a haunting tale of friendship, loyalty and how one decision, one night, can decide the future.

The Cosy Canal Boat Dream


Christie Barlow - 2017
    As her life tumbled down around her, the only safety net has been her cosy canal boat, The Nollie. Tucked away inside, Nell has found a place to heal her broken heart. And now she’s ready to move on and follow her dream…Gorgeous Guy Cornish, with his easy Irish charm, makes him an instant hit with everyone at the marina, and the perfect person to help Nell with her project. But Guy has his own reasons for being at the marina, and a past that threatens to sink Nell’s dream…

Skin Deep


Catherine Barry - 2004
    She began keeping a diary when she was six. Her first novel, The House That Jack Built , was published in 2001, followed by Null & Void in 2002, with her first nonfiction title, Charlie & Me , published in 2011. She lives in Dublin.

The One That Got Away


Keris Stainton - 2018
    She hasn’t seen Rob in eight years – and he’s always been the one that got away.Older (but not wiser), fatter (but much happier in her skin), and still definitely crushing on Rob, Piper’s about to come face-to-face with the very best of old friends and the very worst of old frenemies. Add in enough G&Ts and a few too many Cosmos, and there are all the ingredients for a real night to remember…Could it be second-time lucky for Piper and Rob, or will she have her heart broken all over again?A hilarious and uplifting story about facing your fears and being true to who you are – perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Ranald.

Hello, Again


Isabelle Broom - 2020
    When she closes her eyes, she can picture exactly who she ought to be. The problem is, it's about as far away from her real life in a small coastal town in Suffolk as she can imagine. So when her elderly friend Josephine persuades Pepper to accompany her on a trip to Europe, she jumps at the chance to change her routine. And when Pepper bumps (literally) into the handsome Finn in Lisbon, it seems as though she might have finally found what she's been looking for.But Pepper know all too well things are rarely as they seem. Her own quiet life hides a dark secret from the past. And even though she and Finn may have been destined to find each other, Pepper suspects life may have other plans as to how the story should end. A romantic and sweeping story about friendship, love and realising that sometimes it's about the journey, not the destination.

Christmas Secrets in Snowflake Cove


Emily Harvale - 2017
     Christmas is a time for family and friends, miracles and magic, falling snow and roaring fires, fun, laughter and festive feasts. In Snowflake Cove, it’s also a time for secrets to be revealed... Evie Starr is hoping for more than a sprinkling of magic this Christmas. The family-run Snowflake Inn is virtually empty and the Starr’s financial future isn’t looking bright. But Evie’s gran, Jessie has a secret that might help. Enigmatic, Zachary Thorn is every woman’s dream. He’s also ex-SAS, so his secrets are classified. The Christmas Special of his feel-good, TV show is set in Michaelmas Bay – until a phone call means he’s spending Christmas in nearby Snowflake Cove. Evie’s best friend, Juniper thinks boyfriend Darren has a secret. Evie knows he does. And Evie’s niece, Raven is hiding feelings for Juniper’s brother - who has a secret crush of his own. But the biggest secret in Snowflake Cove is the identity of Raven’s dad. With snow falling thick and fast and secrets being revealed one after another, will everyone be snuggling up by the fire on Christmas Eve, or are some secrets best kept hidden...? Book one of a two book series but each book can be read as a standalone.

A Miracle on Hope Street


Emma Heatherington - 2018
    But it’s all lies. As Christmas approaches, Ruth feels lonelier than ever.Then Ruth meets Michael. A man who, on the night of her father’s death the year before, she showed kindness to during his darkest moment. That one single act, his miracle, helped change his life forever.Can one act of kindness really change a person’s life? Ruth decides to find out and plans to make this Christmas the most perfect one ever, opening up her home to those who need her help – the lonely, the lost and the ignored. This Christmas actions will speak louder than words and Ruth Ryans’ kindness will create little miracles for everyone … including her own battered heart.

The Wartime Singers


Lesley Eames - 2021