Book picks similar to
Crib Notes by Holly Jacobs


contemporary-romance
family
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Runaway Summer


Ruth Saberton - 2015
    It’s only when a volatile relationship threatens to destroy all she holds dear that Summer finds herself returning to the place she knows so well.Jake Tremaine has travelled the world but reluctantly finds himself drawn back to Polwenna Bay to run the family marina and take care of his unruly siblings. While Jake knows his attention should be on the rescuing the business, determined Ella, daughter of a wealthy hotelier, is set on working her way into his affections and beneath his sheets. The last thing Ella will tolerate is the reappearance of a rival…As the holiday season approaches and seaside life gathers pace, Jake suspects that Summer is keeping a huge secret from him. But Summer is not the only person in the village with something to hide. Is she just an echo of Jake’s past or are there far more important matters at stake?

Her Billionaire Lifeguard


Sophia Summers - 2019
    A woman in hiding. And a man who is determined to win her over. She won't even glance his way. Uninterested. Until she thinks he's just the lifeguard. Go figure. Then Trey discovers she's really the daughter of his deceased hero and business mentor. He will stop at nothing to help her even if it means pretending to be the hotel staff and hanging out in a local dive. But trust is hard won when you've seen betrayal and right when she needs him most, Trey might be on the outs forever. Join us in this story of charming Mexican vacation spots, humorous romantic moments, and a romance chockfull of heart warming efforts to win over the love of this billionaire's life. Grab your copy.

Heartless Boy


Jenna Rose - 2021
    She’s rich, I’m poor. We come from two different worlds and her parents would never let a princess like her get with a bad boy like me. Which is probably best, seeing as how I lost my ability to love a long time ago. Good girls stay away from me. They know better than to get close.But Maddie wants out of her life. She thinks I can save her from the path that’s been chosen from her. But I’ve seen this plenty of times before. Rich girls like her aren’t serious about guys like me. If she wants to me mine, she’s going to have to prove she can live in my world. But if she’s smart, she’ll stay as far away from me as she can, because this heartless boy will be her ruin…

The Cowboy's Secret Bride


Cora Seton - 2018
    He’s spent the last three years searching for the perfect ranch. She’s spent the last three years keeping him at arms’ length. Now Carl will do anything to secure a spread — including siding with the Coopers in their ages-old feud with the Turners, a move that could make his dreams come true — or destroy them for good.

Connor's Gamble


Kathy Ivan - 2014
    The last thing he expects is to be stuck on a bus loaded with senior citizens—and his ex-wife. Alyssa Scott thought she'd left the baggage of her old life far behind when she moved to Florida. Instead she's chaperoning the senior group and dealing with the one person she never expected to see—her ex-husband. Sparks fly and passions reawaken. Neither Connor nor Alyssa can deny the feelings they still hold for each other. But a sinister threat from Connor's past thrusts them into a perilous game of cat-and-mouse to stop a ruthless killer before time runs out. Will Connor gamble everything to save the woman he loves? READING ORDER OF NEW ORLEANS CONNECTION SERIES Desperate Choices Connor's Gamble Relentless Pursuit Ultimate Betrayal Keeping Secrets OTHER BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN Second Chances (Destiny's Desire Series, book #1) Losing Cassie (Destiny's Desire Series, book #2) PRAISE FOR THE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE OF KATHY IVAN: "DESPERATE CHOICES (first in the Big Easy series) is a powerful debut. Taut suspense and engaging characters make this a fast paced enjoyable read. Kathy Ivan is a talent to watch. – Addison Fox, author of The Rome Affair (House of Steele) "Max and Theresa are both characters that make you anxiously want them to have their happy ending while the suspense adds just the right amount of angst to keep you turning the pages. I highly recommend Desperate Choices. Readers can't go wrong here!" -- Melissa, Joyfully Reviewed Best In Romance 2011 “This is the first I have read from Kathy Ivan and it won't be the last. Desperate Choices had it all . . .” -- Night Owl Reviews “I loved how the author wove a very intricate storyline with plenty of intriguing details that led to the final reveal . . .” --Night Owl Reviews on Second Chances

Grumpy Best Friend


B.B. Hamel - 2021
    I had to escape my drunk, abusive father, but leaving her behind was the biggest mistake of my life.Now I have another shot at making things right. Jude’s new boss wants to build a factory outside of Philadelphia, and she brings me in to help.I’m thrust back into Jude’s world, and not much has changed. She’s still beautiful, still hilarious, and still hates my guts.Little by little, she’ll remember why we fell in love back in high school. I’ll make her pout, then make her laugh— then make her strip down and kiss me.And soon I’ll have her back, all grown up and perfect.Or else I'll lose the empire I built with my own calloused hands.Another hot grumpy man! Watch Lady Fluke’s assistant Jude find her happily-ever-after with Bret while they both face their broken pasts and grow together. It’s steamy and fun and I think you’ll fall in love with protective, growly Bret just like I did. As always, Grumpy Best Friend is a full length standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily-ever-after guaranteed. Enjoy! XO BB

Keeper of the Light


Diane Chamberlain - 1992
    Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina’s Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman’s life, Olivia realizes who she is—Annie O’Neill. The woman Olivia’s husband, Paul, is in love with.When Annie dies on the operating table, she leaves behind three other victims. Alec O’Neill, who thought he had the perfect marriage. Paul, whose fixation on Annie is unshakable. And Olivia, who is desperate to understand the woman who destroyed her marriage.Now they are left with unanswered questions about who Annie really was. And about the secrets she kept hidden so well.Originally published in 2011

Changes


Judith Arnold - 2014
    No one knows what classic rock songs will come out of the jukebox when a coin is inserted, but every now and then, the jukebox will play a song that casts a spell on two bar patrons—a song that will change their lives and open their hearts to love. Antiques dealer Diana Simms is engaged to her longtime boyfriend when she finds herself inside the Faulk Street Tavern. The song “Changes” emerges from the jukebox and enchants her. It also captivates Nick Fiore, a local guy who’s arrived at adulthood the hard way, after a tour through the juvenile justice system. Now he’s dedicated his life to helping other troubled kids. He has no business even looking at a beautiful, well-bred woman wearing a diamond engagement ring. But once they’re bewitched by the jukebox, he and Diana must change their lives, their goals, their dreams…and their hearts.

The Hope of Her Heart (Shiloh Ridge Ranch in Three Rivers #11)


Liz Isaacson - 2021
    

Flying by the Seat of My Knickers


Eliza Watson - 2016
    NOT a cozy mystery series.Why run from your troubles when you can fly instead?When Caity Shaw is fired from her first job that doesn't require an elf uniform, her older sister, Rachel, an event planner, hires her to work a meeting in Dublin. Caity jumps at the opportunity to travel abroad and escape her pathetic life. However, even four thousand miles from home, there's no avoiding debt collectors, an overbearing mother, and haunting memories of a controlling ex.While in Dublin, Caity suffers a series of humiliating mishaps, causing her to lose even more faith in herself. Caity struggles to earn Rachel's respect--and to keep Declan, her hot Irish coworker, at arm's length. Declan repeatedly saves Caity's butt and helps boost her self-confidence, making it difficult to keep her distance from the charming womanizer. When Declan helps her research her Irish grandmother, Caity discovers the mysterious past of the courageous woman she barely knew might hold the answers to her future.

About That Man


Sherryl Woods - 2001
    But Daisy, a spirited beauty with a tragic past, needs this orphaned 10-year-old boy to love. She's confident she can handle her bullheaded father (the self-appointed town patriarch), her two bossy brothers, a concerned pastor, and social services. The only real obstacle is...that man.That man is Tommy's uncle, Walker Ames, a tough D.C. cop whose ex-wife gave up on him as a husband and father years ago. Perhaps this unexpected nephew is Walker's chance to redeem his failure as a family man. Soon he's commuting to the charming fishbowl of a town where everyone assumes he's seduced Daisy Spencer, their best Sunday school teacher. But to Walker, Daisy is a disconcerting mix of smart-mouthed innocence and wicked temptation. For Daisy, Walker, and Tommy, a long, hot summer in the town that's not as sleepy as it seems offers a second chance at family.

Going Once...


Deborah Raney - 2016
    An amicable deal is struck between the two young opposing bidders, but it will take time to pay off a loan. And as the months go by, the two discover they have secrets in common—secrets that just might change everythingOriginally published as "Going Once, Going Twice..." in A Kiss is Still a Kiss

Home Again


Kristin Hannah - 1996
    Her personal life is far less successful. A loving but overworked single mom, she is constantly at odds with her teenage daughter. At sixteen, Lina is confused, angry, and fast becoming a stranger to her mother—a rebel desperate to find the father who walked away before she was born. Complicating matters for Madelaine are the vastly different DeMarco brothers: While priest Francis DeMarco is always ready to lend a helping hand, his brother, Angel, long ago took on the role of bad boy. Years earlier Angel abandoned Madelaine—and fatherhood—to go in search of fame and fortune. His departure left Madelaine devastated, but now he reappears and seeks help from the very people he betrayed—as a patient in dire need. With Home Again, New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah has written a moving, powerful novel about the fragile threads that bind together our lives and the astonishing possibility of second chances.

The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth


Juliet Gauvin - 2014
    Book 1 of 3. Elizabeth Lara built a perfect life as San Francisco’s top divorce attorney, but when she loses her great-aunt Mags, the woman who raised her, she boards a plane and leaves it all behind.The Irish shores welcome her as she learns a shocking truth, kept secret for thirty-five years. Devastated and now alone in the world, Beth tries to find peace in a beautiful cottage by Lough Rhiannon, but peace isn’t what fate had in mind. Almost as soon as she arrives, Beth’s solitary retreat into the magic wilds of Ireland is interrupted by Connor Bannon. A man with light brown hair, ice blue eyes and a secret of his own. He’s gorgeous, grieving, and completely unexpected. With the help of Mags’ letters, the colorful townspeople of Dingle, and Connor, Elizabeth might just find a way back to the girl she lost long ago and become the woman she always wanted to be.

Smooches


Susan Renee - 2021
    You know, the kind that are made with pictures ripped from magazines with special notes about your life goals or biggest wishes. (Mine of course, is covered in glitter!) As a single mom, it’s hard to put my dreams and goals first, but I made my list. 1. Finally finish my degree 2. Learn how to cook new recipes. 3. Travel outside of Washington state. 4. Buy myself something that makes me feel desirable. 5. Find real, honest-to-goodness-rip-your-heart-out-and-hand-it-to-someone-love. The realist in me knows that last one is a bit far-fetched, but when an old college friend shows up in my driveway offering me something I can’t refuse, my mind starts wondering if maybe that last goal could be attainable after all.He’s kind, compassionate, strong, helpful, and attractive. All positive attributes of a great man. There’s just one problem. He’s my Ex’s best friend.