Book picks similar to
That Summer Affair by Sarah Challis


fiction
robbie-s-books
great-britain
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Searching For Tilly


Susan Sallis - 2007
    The Widow's Cottage, the house where there were staying was called, and it was poignantly suitable. In that tiny Cornish community they discover strange memories of their forebears, and especially of Tilly, Cora's mother, whose family history seemed to mirror so much of their own.They become swept up in the dramatic story of Tilly and her family, a story which takes them on an epic journey across the West Country and to the solution of an amazing family mystery.

Secrets and Tea at Rosie Lee's


Jane Lacey-Crane - 2018
    Her business is as dead as her love life and her only potential lifeline is a last-minute job offer from a friend. After years of cooking nothing fancier than a bacon sarnie in her little East End greasy spoon café, Abby is roped in to help cater a party. As if being forced out of her comfort zone wasn't bad enough, the host of the party turns out to be a man she never thought she'd see again – Jack Chance, her first love and her first kiss. Jack's reappearance brings back some painful memories but also the opportunity for Abby to finally get some answers to the questions that have plagued her since she was 15. Why did Jack and his family vanish into the night without a word? Where did her father abandon his family? Why did her mother leave her to fend for herself? And how many people, over the years, have conspired to keep Abby away from the truth? When the truth is finally uncovered, Abby must face the fact that even those who claim to love you will sometimes hurt you; when push comes to shove, they will do anything to keep you safe, no matter what the consequences.

The Family Secret


Tracy Buchanan - 2019
    Her life seems to be on hold, until the morning she finds a girl on the beach outside her gift shop. A girl who has no shoes, no name, and no idea where she came from.As a wildlife documentary maker, Gwyneth’s work has taken her all over the world. But when she has a terrible accident in the remote Scottish Highlands, she is saved by the McClusky family and taken into their home. However, there is more to this family than meets the eye, and a long-held secret is threatening to tear them apart…Amber and Gwyenth are at the beginning of a journey that will change each of their lives forever in this twisting, emotional new novel, perfect for fans of Susan Lewis and Amanda Prowse.

Something Found


Carrie Crafton - 2012
    She isn't prepared for a nosy sister-in-law, the complications of marriage, or being entrusted with her father-in-law's biggest secret. But what she least expects is to miss the woman she was trying so hard to get away from, her mother. While this new life is daunting, love and determination push her forward, as she slowly adjusts to the unique beauty that is Ireland.

Christmas Wedding


Tess Thompson - 2019
    But when the mother of the groom sets out to rid her son, Rafael, of a family marriage curse before the big day, it seems that all of her best efforts do nothing but keep the curse alive. And when the mother of the bride drops a bombshell on her daughter the night before the ceremony, it seems the wedding Lisa has always wanted may never become a reality. Join the Wolves and their lovely ladies in snowy Colorado for this sweet, suspenseful installment of USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson's much beloved Cliffside Bay Series. But please note that unlike the other books in the series, Christmas Wedding is not a standalone and is intended to be enjoyed after reading Missed: Rafael & Lisa.

Wildhorse Creek


Kerry McGinnis - 2010
    He finds it in Queensland's spectacular Gulf Country, on the sprawling cattle runs. The Gulf breeds tough men, and Billy is quickly drawn to the excitement and adventure of working with the fiery cattleman and ex-con, Blake Reilly, and his daughter, Jo.Billy finds mateship, danger and romance in the Gulf, but he also finds an untamed land with a history of violence. In the brooding heat and unpredictable storms, the future he had sought unfolds - in ways as turbulent and unexpected as the country itself - and Billy discovers a place where he can at last belong.

Arms of Grace


Eleanor Chance - 2016
    A lonely, troubled nurse. What will she risk to save him?Grace Ward's sterile existence is thrown into chaos when a baby is abandoned in her ER. From the moment an unknown couple thrusts the unconscious infant into Grace's arms, her life will never be the same.The baby's identity is shrouded in secrecy. Grace names him Johnny, and even with an experienced staff treating him, his life hangs in the balance. As Grace grows more attached to him, major events threaten their bond and his life. A deadly infection sweeps through the hospital, Johnny's mysterious origins come to light, and Grace's personal life grows increasingly complex. When Johnny's prognosis creates an ideological chasm that leaves the hospital staff on opposing sides, Grace refuses to bow to the mounting pressure that could destroy her career and even her life. Her vow to protect Johnny at all costs is the beginning of a journey to heal the scars of her past and create the safe and loving future they both deserve.Arms of Grace is a finalist in consideration for production by Wind Dancer Films, a silver medalist in the Readers' Favorites Book Awards, and also a recipient of the B.R.A.G. Medallion

Subway Dancer and Other Stories


Catherine Ryan Hyde - 2013
    A striking and emotionally resonant collection, SUBWAY DANCER AND OTHER STORIES is a compilation of stories originally published in some of the most respected literary magazines in the country, including The Antioch Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train and Ploughshares. In the award-winning story “Bloodlines,” two neighbors of different ethnicities are friends in spite of their differences…until an argument about expensive purebred dogs versus mutts from the pound brings the whole neighborhood’s precarious balance crashing down. “Bloodlines” was reprinted in Bark Magazine’s best-selling anthology Dog is My Co-Pilot and was cited in Best American Short Stories. In Witness to Breath, a woman living a dangerous life working on the streets takes in an elderly dog left behind when his owner is killed in a robbery. Despite never having been a dog person, their brief relationship changes her in ways she never could have expected.In Disappearances, a man not fluent in his own emotions tries unsuccessfully to broadside a train in his pickup truck, then spends the rest of the story figuring out the first clue to why he’d try to do such a thing.Among the other riveting and beautifully crafted stories included in this collection, “Five Singing Gardeners and One Dead Stranger” and “Requiem For a Flamer” were nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and “The Man Who Found You in the Woods” was cited in Best American Short Stories. This collection includes an Author’s Note by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Mothers and Other Strangers


Gina Sorell - 2017
    While coping with threats that she suspects are coming from the cult-like spiritual program her mother belonged to, Elsie works to unravel the message her dying mother left for her, a quest that ultimately takes her to the South African family homestead she never knew existed.

The Last Summer Sister


Rachel Cullen - 2021
    But when their father's untimely death reveals an earth-shattering secret, everything they thought they knew about their family -- and their future -- changes overnight.Jen spent her childhood feeling like the ugly duckling, while Lynn longed to be appreciated for something other than her looks. Consequently, both sisters competed for their father's affections but were never satisfied. Jen still hasn't forgiven Lynn for fleeing to California to follow her dreams, leaving Jen to tend to their father and the family insurance business in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. Meanwhile, Lynn is living in exile in Los Angeles, forced to endure the pain of her humiliating divorce in silence because she is too ashamed to reveal her mistakes to her perfect older sister.As the youngest member of the trio, Courtney's life is also turned upside down due to her father's death, only for an entirely different reason; Courtney didn't even know he existed until after he was gone. Now she has to figure out what life looks like with two older sisters who can't stand each other while attempting to piece together her fractured youth.Although this tragedy should bring the sisters together, the depth of their father's betrayal coupled with their tumultuous past makes reconciliation nearly impossible. Only time will tell if the bonds of sisterhood are strong enough to mend past transgressions or if the sisters, and their secrets, will destroy the Summer family forever.

The Glittering Art of Falling Apart


Ilana Fox - 2016
    For Eliza, the heady pull of its nightclubs and free-spirited people leads her into the life she has craved - all glamour, late nights and excitement. But it comes at a heavy cost.Cassie is fascinated by her family's history and the abandoned Beaufont Hall. Why won't her mother talk about it? Offered the chance to restore Beaufont to its former glory, Cassie jumps at the opportunity to learn more about her past.Separated by a generation, but linked by a forgotten diary, these two women have more in common than they know . . .

Second Chances


Diana Xarissa - 2020
    Some are looking for love, some most definitely are not. Sooner or later, everyone finds his or her happily ever after. Camille Quinn has had her heart broken twice and she isn’t interested in finding love again. She’s busy raising her two children, Brandon and Molly. When Maxwell Steward, the first man who broke her heart, thirty years earlier, comes back to Ramsey, all she wants to do is avoid him. When Brandon manages to crash into Maxwell’s expensive sports car during a driving lesson, avoiding the man becomes impossible. The Ramsey Summer Fair throws Camille and Maxwell together and brings back memories for Camille. Maxwell seems more than happy to rekindle their friendship, seemingly not realizing how badly he hurt her in the past. Camille isn’t interested in being friends with her former boyfriend. She’s much more concerned with guarding her heart.

Such a Pretty Face


Cathy Lamb - 2010
    Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin.But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her neighbors' gorgeous great-nephew in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family—the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss.By far the biggest challenge in Stevie's new life lies in figuring out how to define her new self. Collaborating with her cousins to plan her aunt and uncle's problematic fortieth anniversary party, Stevie starts to find some surprising answers—about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. And with each revelation, she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day.As achingly honest as it is witty, Such A Pretty Face is a richly insightful novel of one woman's search for love, family, and acceptance, of the pain we all carry—and the wonders that can happen when we let it go at last.

The Wedding Speech


Isabelle Broom - 2014
    He took a deep breath, inhaling as he did so the sweet scent from the lilies, which were arranged extravagantly in front of him. 'Ladies and gents, I promise to try and keep this short and sweet…' When Billy asked his best mate Ed to be his best man, Ed knew he would have to make a speech and he was dreading it. But he also knew how important it was to Billy - and to his soul mate and wife-to-be, Amelia. So Ed is determined to do them proud. But little does he know that it will be the most important speech he will ever make, and his toast - 'To Billy and Amelia - together forever' - will mean more than he ever thought. A beautiful short story to remind you of the importance of love.

The Silent Child Boxset: A Collection of Riveting Kidnapping Mysteries


Roger Hayden - 2018
    These stories have accumulated over 300 five-star reviews and have been boxed together for the first time! The Missing A detective nearing retirement must solve a string of child abductions before it’s too late Detective Charles Knight has seen a lot in his long years as an investigator for the Melville County Police Department. Nothing, however, can prepare him for a missing children’s case involving two young girls, eerily abducted around the same time. The search leads to several potential suspects and one mysterious person who sends anonymous letters to Detective Knight’s home, promising more abductions to come. The clock is ticking, the town is on edge, and Knight must use all his resources to save the girls, with the aid of newly-arrived FBI Agent Tanya Garrett. Will they save the girls in time, or will the kidnapper’s deadly game spiral to the point of no return? The Secret Letter A mysterious chain letter is only the beginning to an inescapable nightmare. Homicide Detective Michael Dobson has seen many things in his long years on the force, but nothing can prepare him for a series of murders linked through the same mysterious chain letter mailed to the victims before their untimely demise. The answers lie in the victims’ pasts, leading Dobson and his rookie partner on a serpentine quest through the dark recesses of vengeance and betrayal. Can he stop the killer in time, or will a brutal fate await all who have made the killer’s list?