Book picks similar to
To Belong Together by Emily Conrad
romance
won
contemporary
fiction
The Last Queen: A Novel of Courage and Resistance
Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniChitra Banerjee Divakaruni
In this dazzling novel, based on true-life events, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni presents the unforgettable story of Jindan, who transformed herself from daughter of the royal kennel keeper to powerful monarch. Sharp-eyed, stubborn, and passionate, Jindan was known for her beauty. When she caught the eye of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, she was elevated to royalty, becoming his youngest and last queen--and his favorite. And when her son, barely six years old, unexpectedly inherited the throne, Jindan assumed the regency. She transformed herself from pampered wife to warrior ruler, determined to protect her people and her son's birthright from the encroaching British Empire.Defying tradition, she stepped out of the zenana, cast aside the veil, and conducted state business in public, inspiring her subjects in two wars. Her power and influence were so formidable that the British, fearing an uprising, robbed the rebel queen of everything she had, but nothing crushed her indomitable will.An exquisite love story of a king and a commoner, a cautionary tale about loyalty and betrayal, a powerful parable of the indestructible bond between mother and child, and an inspiration for our times, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel brings alive one of the most fearless women of the nineteenth century, one whose story cries out to be told.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Belle Calhoune - 2016
When Nor’easter Igor unearths gold coins on Bounty Beach in Treasure Harbor, treasure seekers from near and far converge on the town in hopes of finding the treasure of a lifetime. Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the seaside town of Treasure Harbor, this eight book series features heroes and heroines who are dealing with the fact that their beloved town has gone treasure crazy. Lara Callahan is a journalist living in Philadelphia and working for the Philadelphia Times newspaper. When her job sends her back to her hometown of Treasure Harbor, North Carolina in pursuit of a story about centuries old pirate’s treasure, Lara has mixed feelings. Years ago Lara left Treasure Harbor in order to seek a new life away from talk of buried treasure and the hunt for the elusive pirate’s booty. Her childhood was fractured by her parents’ obsession with finding the lost treasure; Lara still feels jaded about the dysfunction she and her sister, Avery, endured as a result. Now that she’s back in Treasure Harbor, Lara finds herself confronted by the ghosts of the past. Ryan Burton, her childhood best friend and the object of her teen crush, is now a gorgeous, kind man who is determined to find the treasure buried by his ancestor, Drake Burton. Although Lara quickly finds herself falling for Ryan, she isn’t sure that she can bear to watch someone she cares about become so consumed with the treasure. Ryan Burton can’t believe his eyes when Lara Callahan walks into Pirate Pizza looking all grown up and gorgeous. Years ago they were best friends before the enmity of their families and the centuries old Burton-Callahan feud tore them apart. Now an executive at the Burton import-export family business, Ryan is struggling to make his family proud of his achievements. Now that gold coins have washed up on Bounty Beach, the town is in a frenzy over the elusive treasure. Wanting to spend time with Lara, Ryan suggests they pool their resources since she’s writing a series of articles about the treasure and he’s officially become a treasure seeker. When romantic sparks fly between them, Ryan finds himself imagining a future with the spunky journalist. But when tensions rise over the treasure in the small seaside town, Ryan begins to realize that he and Lara are at odds over his pursuit of the treasure. Will Lara and Ryan find their way to a happy ending?
The Substance of All Things
Sam Harris - 2020
Six years later, during the sweltering summer of 1968 in rural Oklahoma, Theo meets Frank, a Native American outcast, and learns that he has the ability to heal through his disfigured hands.As he explores the extraordinary, Theo desperately attempts to remain an ordinary boy. But when word of his gift spreads, Theo is shunned by the church for doing “the devil’s work.” He is immediately swept away by his Auntie Li, and into a world which ultimately threatens his life as he saves others’.Told from Theo’s perspective some fifty years later, it is through his work as a therapist with a broken woman that he musters the courage to relive the summer that haunts him.The Substance of All Things is the gripping, heart-wrenching, and often humorous tale of mentors and mothers and fathers, love and redemption, prophets and charlatans, miracles and faith._________________From The Substance of All Things...Suddenly, I felt a twitch in the palm of my left hand. Just the slightest tingle, a prickling really, so that I couldn’t quite discern if the feeling was painful or stimulating—like when water is so hot on the skin that it might be cold, the distinction cannot be made. Then my right hand twitched, sparkling to a tickle that felt like a fortune-teller following the lines of my destiny with a fingernail. The current splayed to my fingers, tiny jolts of something—something charged, even voltaic. But there was something more—a feeling inside of me that couldn’t be located in my physical body, as if a door which had always existed but had always been locked suddenly opened, slowly, to a secret place, and whatever was within engulfed me like a color I’d never seen; a feeling almost too large for my body, and my knees buckled at its enormity, but I would not fall. I knew that something beyond myself was happening like a dream and I dared not peek for fear that it would end.
Invitation to Live
Lloyd C. Douglas - 1940
Even Mr. Leighton himself, though he did not alter the prudential tone with which he had done appropriate honor to this lengthy instrument, grinned dryly while reading the final paragraph. ‘And it is my further request that at eleven A.M., on the first Lord’s Day subsequent to her graduation from college, the said Barbara Breckenridge shall present herself, unaccompanied, at divine services in Trinity Cathedral, Chicago.’
The Writing Desk
Rachel Hauck - 2017
Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.
His Lost Love
Ava Ryan
I want her out of my head...I don't know how his eyes manage to look so hot and so cold at the same time. Eyes like that want to either murder me or screw me...LiamI made my name fixing hearts.Most people know me as a world-class cardiac surgeon.Even more know the device I invented that made billions while saving lives.I’ve achieved success beyond my wildest dreams—and I’ve always dreamed big.Funny how the one heart I can’t put back together is my own.That’s why I’ve returned to New York.More accurately—she’s why.In the fashion world, Mia has arrived. But to me, she’ll always be the one who got away.Back in college, she claimed she loved me.Then she ripped my heart to shreds.Now I can have anything I want. Any toy. Any woman.And what I want is her—out of my system. This time, I plan to be the one leaving.They say revenge is best served cold, but once Mia is back in my bed?It may be too hot to walk away from…
The Day We Met
Dusti Bowling - 2011
At least, she did. Enticed by a chance with the boy she's had a crush on for years, Lenna abandons her values and her lifelong friends to hang out with the popular crowd. What she gets in return couldn't be further from her expectations. Feeling used and alone and facing an unexpected pregnancy, Lenna struggles to regain control of her life, her parents' trust, and the love of her best friend, Will. But when her pregnancy takes an unexpected turn, taking away what little control she thought she had, she must find the strength to make the most heart-wrenching decision of all. A beautiful story of love, faith, and forgiveness, The Day We Met will make you laugh, make you cry, and touch your heart forever.
Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire (Eastport Bay Billionaires #6)
Tru Taylor - 2022
It’s a standalone enemies to lovers, mistaken identity, jilted bride romantic comedy filled with heart, heat, and billionaire romance fun!
Otterly Irresistible
Erin NicholasErin Nicholas - 2021
Done trying to save the world. Done getting attached. He’s been fired twice for standing his ground and now he’s going to be content — by God — in small-town Louisiana, in a small veterinary practice, where there will only be small problems. Quiet and boring, though? Um, no. He’s been adopted by a loud, crazy Cajun family with a tiny petting zoo for him to care for. Hey, it’s not endangered tigers at a nationally renowned zoo, but a family of otters — and all the gumbo he can eat — isn’t a bad deal. Until she shows up. Again. The sunny, gorgeous optimist who stole his heart — and his favorite shirt — two months ago. Who clearly hasn’t heard the word “no” enough in her life. And who is the first woman to put even a tiny crack in his don’t-get-attached wall.Charlotte “Charlie” Landry is the new marketing consultant for the family swamp-boat tour company and petting zoo. It might not have been her plan, but she is all in, ready to grow the business. Whether the hot, grumpy vet likes it or not. He doesn’t. Worse, sparring with his unforgettable one-night stand is more fun than he’s had in a long time. But watching wears-designer-dresses Charlie find her dream job amongst a bunch of goats, alpacas, and otters is a surprise. And her helping him find his passion again is... well, irresistible. Dammit.
Send Down the Rain
Charles Martin - 2018
She'd already lost the beloved waterfront restaurant her parents started and now losing her husband, no matter how unfulfilling their marriage was, might just push her over the edge.Joseph's time in Vietnam left him with scars that never seemed to heal. No matter how he's tried to love or what he's tried to do since then, he can't pull himself out of the wreckage of his former life. His trust and security shaken, he isolates himself in a cabin. But every morning, he faithfully pours two cups of coffee, drinking his while he sits with the second, and then pouring out the full cup.It's no small coincidence that Joseph found a mother and her two young children lost in the woods near his cabin. Or that when he helps them return to family in Florida, he's near enough to see that explosion. Near enough to know it's close to home. Near enough to know that his childhood sweetheart needs him.The years have built so much distance between them, but it's the secrets that may be their final undoing. Send Down the Rain reminds us of the beauty of truth . . . and the power of love to wash away the past.
Little Do We Know
Tamara Ireland Stone - 2018
But now its senior year and they haven’t spoken in three months. Not since the fight, where they each said things they couldn’t take back. They’re aching to break the silence, but those thirty-six steps between their bedroom windows feel more like thirty-six miles.Then one fateful night, Emory’s boyfriend, Luke, almost dies. And Hannah is the one who finds him and saves his life.As Luke tries to make sense of his near-death experience, he secretly turns to Hannah, who becomes his biggest confidante. In Luke, Hannah finds someone she can finally talk to about all the questions she’s grappling with. Emory just wants everything to go back to normal–the way it was before the accident. She has no idea why her relationship is spiraling out of control. But when the horrifying reason behind Hannah and Emory’s argument ultimately comes to light, all three of them will be forced work together to protect the one with the biggest secret of all.In the follow-up to her New York Times bestseller, Every Last Word, Tamara Ireland Stone crafts a deeply moving, unforgettable story about love, betrayal, and the power of friendship. * 2019 NCIBA Golden Poppy Award Winner * Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year *"A beautiful testament to friendship and the intricate patterns we weave throughout each other's lives."―Robin Benway, National Book Award winning author of Far From the Tree "Beautiful, heartfelt, deep, and real. This book broke my heart and I loved every minute of it."―Robyn Schneider, author of The Beginning of Everything "Little Do We Know is a beautiful, affecting novel. Stone writes compellingly about the power of friendship, of love."―New York Times best-selling author Luanne Rice "Touching on weighty issues, including sexual harassment, religious crises, friendship, and taboo love, Stone writes a thought-provoking novel that challenges conventional ideas." ― Publishers Weekly, starred review "A realistic fiction novel for those who enjoy a dramatic romance; a must-have for most YA shelves." -- School Library Journal
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.
My Last Name
Eric M. Schumacher - 2021
Restrained by the physical trappings of old age and cognitive decline, she struggles to comprehend her present surroundings. Nevertheless, her life story unfolds as she remembers key moments from her past with sharp clarity.
The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck
Bethany Turner - 2017
Best because, well, that's obvious. Worst because, up to this point, she's made her very comfortable living as a well-known, bestselling author of steamy romance novels that would leave the members of her new church blushing. Now Sarah is trying to reconcile her past with the future she's chosen. She's still under contract with her publisher and on the hook with her enormous fan base for the kind of book she's not sure she can write anymore. She's beginning to think that the church might frown on her tithing on royalties from a "scandalous" book. And the fact that she's falling in love with her pastor doesn't make things any easier.With a powerful voice, penetrating insight, and plenty of wit, Bethany Turner explodes onto the scene with a debut that isn't afraid to deal with the thorny realities of living the Christian life.
Days of Hope, Miles of Misery: Love and Loss on the Oregon Trail
Fred Dickey - 2020
For five months, and two thousand miles, the wagon train lumbers toward California on the Oregon Trail and into big trouble. The emigrants endure disease, dirt, and attacks from outlaws, and invaded Indians. Bitter strife erupts between ill-matched pioneers forced together by necessity.The 1845 wagon train is part of a vast westward movement; a monument to Americana that fascinates readers 175 years later.In one of the wagons is a heart-sick physician, Hannah Blanc, whose tribulations are Jobian: the suicide of a beloved husband, unfair denial of her medical career by graybeards of the profession, and a nightmarish new "marriage of necessity to a vile man named Ed Spencer.The guide is a hard-to-figure mountain man, Nimrod Lee, who knows the trail, but is also looking a man he needs to kill. Guilt over the murder of his Crow wife beclouds his conscience. Betrayal of his word to her chief father threatens his life. The killer of his wife is still out there.A love affair between Hannah and Nimrod is inevitable, but it's complicated, because for both, painful histories and mixed-up emotions make tall walls. The heart of the story is the pool of misgivings that threatens to drown their tenuous affair.The wagon train is a village of strangers locked together with no escape.Beyond all they must endure, the pioneers keep fighting, and keep coming. Those who make it are survivors; survivors with a great story to tell.