Book picks similar to
Before I Knew Him by Anna Ralph


romance
fiction
poignant
contemporary-fiction

Sins of Innocence


Jean Stone - 1994
      Jess has led a charmed life, but now that her beautiful teenage daughter is pregnant, all she can think of is the baby she gave away. Susan lost one child years ago, and now, as a divorced college professor, she’s terrified of losing another. P.J. overcame an unwanted pregnancy to become a high-powered art director, but her whirlwind life is halted by an unsettling discovery. Ginny makes an unlikely Hollywood wife, but men, money, and four marriages can’t erase the horrors of her past—or satisfy her need for love.   Twenty-five years ago, they met in a home for unwed mothers. At the time, all they had to hold on to was one another. Now Jess, Susan, P.J., and Ginny must find the courage to face the past: The date is set for a reunion with the children they have never known. And no matter what happens, their lives will never be the same.Jess’s story continues in Jean Stone’s Tides of the Heart!  Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Trying to Score, Long Simmering Spring, and Scarlet Lady.

Looking for Fireworks


Holly Cavendish - 2012
    She’s been looking for fireworks in her love life ever since she broke up with her predictable ex-boyfriend Giles, but she has no thoughts of kindling the spark she’s looking for here. If she can’t find love in a big city like London – with all its internet dating, singles nights, and socials – how can she ever hope to meet the man of her dreams in the tiny village of St Pontian? But there are two prospects when she gets there: Martin who can always be depended on for a kind word of advice. And Toby, who is distant, but who sets her heart ablaze. When it comes to love, should Laney trust the logic of her head or the racing of her heart?

Before I Met You


Lisa Jewell - 2012
    She had forfeited university, parties, boyfriends, summer jobs - all the usual preoccupations of a woman her age - in order to care for Arlette in their dilapidated, albeit charming home on the English island of Guernsey. Her will included a beneficiary unknown to Betty and her family, a woman named Clara Pickle who presumably could be found at a London address. Now, having landed on a rather shabby street corner in '90s Soho, Betty is determined to find the mysterious Clara. She's ready for whatever life has to throw her way. Or so she thinks . . . In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette De La Mare is starting her new life in a time of postwar change. Beautiful and charismatic, she is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But two years after her arrival in London, tragedy strikes and she flees back to her childhood home and remains there for the rest of her life. As Betty navigates the ups and downs of city life and begins working as a nanny for a rock star tabloid magnet, her search for Clara leads her to a man - a stranger to Betty, but someone who meant the world to her grandmother. Will the secrets of Arlette's past help Betty find her own way to happiness in the present? A rich detective story and a captivating look at London then and now, "Before I Met You" is an unforgettable novel about two very different women, separated by seventy years, but united by big hearts and even bigger dreams.

Riversong


Tess Thompson - 2011
     In the wake of her husband's tragic death, Lee is pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a dangerous loan shark willing to do anything to collect. Out of money and options, Lee seeks refuge in the small Oregon town where her mother's dilapidated home sits vacant, as desperate for a fresh start as Lee herself.With a baby on the way and a living to make, Lee opens a restaurant and begins to rebuild her life. But just as she catches her breath, and the eye of a local musician offering a second chance at love, she finds herself right back in the clutches of the debt collector with more to lose than ever.

The Getaway


Isabelle Broom - 2021
    . .Most people travel to Croatia for its endless sunshine, pebbly beaches and crystal clear sea.Kate goes there to disappear.She needs to escape from a life that has fallen apart in spectacular and public fashion, and no one on the beautiful island of Hvar knows who she is or what she's running away from.Until she meets another lonely soul.Alex is different to any man Kate has ever known, yet the connection between them is undeniable. She soon begins to open up in ways she never has before - not even to herself. But Kate is not the only person in Hvar hiding secrets. And, as she is about to discover, it is always only a matter of time before the truth catches up with you . . .

Backslide


Keith Thomas Walker - 2017
    That was around the time Kole stepped away from “the Organization,” vowing to never take another life. A tragic accident changes everything. In order to protect Dana, Kole must revive his old lifestyle. And despite her attempts to resist, she finds herself falling for him all over again.

The Reluctant Time Traveler


Lynda Eymann - 2006
    Before she can complete her task, she may need to resort to a little murder and experience a bit of Hellfire, but that's to be expected when the threads of time are ruled by sexist Thraeder pigs. Fortunately, a certain irresistible man (who happens to be the ultimate feminist) makes everything worthwhile in the end. CATEGORY: Time Travel Romance. (Not, in general, for sexist Thraeder pigs.)

Forever, Interrupted


Taylor Jenkins Reid - 2013
    I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.

Only Human


Diane Chandler - 2020
    One family... one summer... one woman...Anna Bond is floundering. Tiger mum to tricky teen Sophie, now slipping through her fingers, and loyal wife to big sociable Ollie, whom she no longer trusts, what does she do next with her life? Once a confident career woman, after so many years at home and the school gate, Anna now finds her mind is chattering and her soul is searching - for what matters. Then Jack walks into their lives. Sophie’s first boyfriend is a breath of fresh air for the whole family, and Anna gradually discovers new purpose for herself. But when deceit creeps in, tensions surface, and she finds herself propelled through a tangled web of secrets and lies towards a devastating climax.

Shawty Got a Thing for a Boss


Mya - 2020
    Four brothers take her in and change her life forever. As Miya and these four men grow closer, relationships begin to change. What happens when Miya catches feelings for one of her best friends? Will she have the support from the others to pursue a relationship, or by chasing romance, will she break the bond between all of them? One thing's for sure, shorty fell for a boss.

Wet Dreams


Emily Bishop - 2017
     She’s the one. The face of my modeling agency empire. What are the chances I would find her working at the local diner? Years of fake Barbie’s have built a fortress around me. Demi’s not like the others. We have a real connection. One that makes it hard to keep it professional. I’ll smile. She’ll blush. I’ll rise to the occasion. She’ll bend over backwards to accommodate. It’s all a dream until I find out she’s been lying about her past. Can this good girl be what she says she is? This steamy contemporary romance will keep you company tonight, tomorrow, and the day after. No cheating and a satisfying happily ever after!

Daring Deeds of a Forbidden Duchess


Violet Hamers - 2020
    But yet, she wants more... For Miss Isabel Chenieux, the thought of attending London Season is nearly too much to bear. Ward of the Duke of Ventury after the tragic loss of her parents, she is torn between apprehension and a forbidden yearning for his affection.The passing of his parents leaves David Thorough not only with the title of Duke but also a ward. And, as he quickly finds out, she gains a dangerously bewitching hold of him.But the night is the time for shadows and Isabel's unknown past is rife with them.A note delivered by a stranger is followed by Isabel's disappearance. And David has but a single old letter to help him find Isabel and guide him on the right trail. A trail that leads to a conspiracy twenty years in the making...

Here's to Us


Elin Hilderbrand - 2016
    But after that appetite contributes to Deacon's shocking death in his favorite place on earth, a ramshackle Nantucket summer cottage, his (messy, complicated) family is reeling. Now Deacon's three wives, his children, and his best friend gather on the island he loved to say farewell. The three very different women have long been bitter rivals, each wanting to claim the primary place in Deacon's life and his heart. But as they slowly let go of the resentments they've held onto for years and remember the good times, secrets are revealed, confidences are shared, and improbable bonds are formed as this unlikely family says goodbye to the man who brought them all together, for better or worse--and the women he loved find new ways to love again.

Come Rain or Shine Bonus Scene (Rose Gardner Investigations, #5.1)


NOT A BOOK - 2019
    It is only available to newsletter subscribers. This scene has MAJOR SPOILERS. VioletI knew my death was imminent, but I wasn’t ready to go quite yet.

Hadley & Grace


Suzanne Redfearn - 2021
    A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family.Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival.Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other.A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.