Book picks similar to
The Ugly Duckling by Adrian Mitchell
fiction
kids
picture-books
The Wild Child
Anne Baker - 2007
There's no problem with mousy Hilary, but Isobel is a wayward beauty who can never forgive her plainer sister for stealing her boyfriend, and will be pregnant before she marries. Worse, the father of Isobel's baby isn't her new husband – and when the truth comes out, her marriage is likely to hit the rocks. Hilary's life seems to be moving along more calmly, until her husband is badly injured in an accident. And as she takes charge of his business Hilary also faces the discovery that her adored children are struggling at school. There's hope if the sisters can pull together at last – but can they ever put the past behind them?
Amish Fate
Katie Lantz - 2019
There is something very familiar about Simon that brings Eleanor great peace, and Simon feels the same way. But when Eleanor's boyfriend, Abe, sees her talking to Simon, his jealousy is unleashed, and he warns her to stay away from Simon. Eleanor refuses, planning to break up with Abe - until an emergency changes her plan. But Eleanor cannot stop thinking about Simon and is shocked when he reveals a secret about their childhood years. Torn between Abe and Simon, Eleanor prays to Gott for an answer. Should she leave the possessive Abe and run to Simon?
Sisters Under the Skin
Marcia Willett - 2019
Rosie, Mummy and Daddy’s little Princess, can certainly look after herself though, and cunningly throws secret spanners in the works for her sisters. As the girls grow older, Rosie becomes more and more manipulative and her schemes soon take on a more malicious note. But even she can go too far and, when Olivia and Emily find out what she has in store for them, they decide the time has come to put a stop to their sister’s antics once and for all … Praise for Marcia Willett: 'Unexpected subtlety and charm ... a genuine voice of our times' - The Times 'With beautifully ironic observations and flashbacks to a mysterious past, the story has a twist in the tail so staggering that it necessitates re-reading and a strong cup of tea' - The Lady Willa Marsh was born in Somerset and lives in a Georgian parsonage in Devon with her husband and two Newfoundlands. As Marcia Willett, she also writes well-reviewed novels published by Headline.
Learning to Dance
Susan Sallis - 2013
Her husband, Jack, has left her - why, she doesn't really know. Her two sons are in Australia, and both her mother and her best friend Naomi have recently died.Embarking on a journey to Exmoor to meet the famous artist Robert Haussman, with an oddly assorted group of fellow-enthusiasts, Judith finds herself a prey to all sorts of irrational fears. Chief amongst them is the increasing conviction that Jack is dead. Why did he leave her? Where has he gone? And why does Robert Haussman exert such a strange influence on her?Set in the Somerset countryside which Susan Sallis knows so well, this heartwarming novel shows how life, love and art cannot always meet happily together.
Attack of the Recess Ninjas
Marcus Emerson - 2012
Upon investigation, he discovers a that secret ninja clan has recruited the missing students for its evil deeds. Brody and his friends decide to take action, but it's too late - the ninjas have launched a full scale assault on recess, and now it's only Brody and his two friends against the dark army. Is there any way the three of them can save the school from ninja domination?Attack of the Recess Ninjas is a 6700 word hilarious thriller by Marcus Emerson, Sal Hunter, & Noah Child.
The Boy Who Cried Over Everything
Betsy Childs - 2011
An experience with a slingshot and a sparrow helps him realize that it's okay to cry when you are sad, but it's best not to cry when you're mad.
The Penny Wedding
Jessica Stirling - 1994
But heartbreak awaits among the tidy gardens and green lawns and soon seventeen-year-old Alison is forced to take on responsibility for her out-of-work father and brothers and put her own ambitions aside.Love as well as loss threatens Alison’s future, however, and leads her into a relationship with teacher Jim Abbott, an affair which her brothers, even the brooding Henry, are powerless to understand, let alone prevent. Throughout the Depression years of the early 30s, the Burnsides – united by a shared heritage yet divided by their dreams – square up to the challenge of poverty and fight to hold the family together, whatever the cost.
The Guns of the Broke Knife Mine
Tracy T. Thurman - 2018
To the daughter he’d left many years before. After crossing the desert, at the Colorado River, he comes across a woman and her young grandson, survivors of a brutal stage robbery. He finds himself in a small mining town in Arizona territory, wearing the badge of a Deputy U.S. Marshal, being the arm of the law in the town, tracking down outlaws and uncovering a sinister plot based on deception and corruption. A plan to rob, kill and terrorize, in the interests of cleaning out the Broke Knife Mine once and for all. Taking the wealth, and leaving nothing but dust and dead men behind. Pete Cooper encounters men who are cold blooded killers. He encounters honest men who work hard for a living. He also encounters a refined woman who, in spite of his rough edges, falls in loves with him. ‘The Guns of the Broke Knife Mine’, is a tale of the west. There’s action, intrigue, adventure, and even a little romance. It’s a tale of good men overcoming evil, and in a few cases, men overcoming the evil that lives within themselves. Does he ever make it back to Kansas to see his daughter? You ask. Well, I reckon you’ll have to read it to find out. Saddle up pard.
The Ghost of Harry Black
Dave Garty - 2015
She decides to swap the hectic streets of London for a slower pace of life in the sleepy Kent village of Cloverdale St Mary, but her move to the countryside runs into problems when she finds that her new home is haunted. Meadow Cottage is still home to the man who re-built it from a derelict ruin twenty years before, the ghost of Harry Black. Candice defies his attempts to force her to leave and they agree to share the idyllic village home. The question is can a mortal and a ghost live together?
Seven Fingers a' Brazos
Eric H. Heisner - 2018
When a wagon train of homesteaders is massacred by outlaws, a young male survivor is determined to rescue his stolen siblings. Dragged from his now peaceful existence, former military scout, Holton Lang invests himself in the search for the stolen captives as well as the difficult task of keeping the young man alive. As the search continues across three states, Holton meets old friends and finds new meaning in life as his job of survival embraces a newfound kinship.
Until I Find You (Billie Carlson #1)
Anna Smith - 2022
Perfect for fans of Marnie Riches and Martina Cole.WHEN YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING, YOU'LL STOP AT NOTHINGBillie Carlson left the police force under a cloud. Once a promising young officer she now works as a private investigator, rooting out insurance scams and spying on cheating spouses.One morning a distraught young woman comes into her office saying that her baby has been stolen. Her story seems unbelievable, yet something about her makes Billie want to help - Billie knows what it's like to lose someone too.To get to the bottom of the case Billie must rattle some dangerous cages and rely on old police friends for inside help. Soon she discovers a network of crime deeper and far more twisted than she ever could have imagined. But is she in way over her head?
The Right Kinda Hood
K.C. Mills - 2019
His past life experiences have made him the man he is today. It was never glamorous but it was necessary. Forced to be the man of the house at a young age, East has always handled business and family before anything. Settling down with one woman, has never fit into the hierarchy of his needs. Joi loves hard and at times too much. Her loyalty has kept her in a relationship with a man who does not value her as he should, but with no evidence of any wrong doing, Joi cannot bring herself to leave. Having something at the end of the day is better than nothing and Joi only has gut feelings. Joi’s best friend, Nyelle is all about her son. After news of her long time boyfriend’s infidelities comes out in the worst way, she is no longer concerned with a relationship. Taking care of home and making sure her son is happy is her only focus. In Vega’s mind it will always be loyalty over anything. That mind frame caused him to lose three years of his life. Now that he is home, Vega’s way of thinking has changed. No longer concerned with the fast life, Vega is ready to try something different. Each of these four have their own insecurities and doubts that they have to work through in order to see what’s in front of them. Each guarded for their own reasons, they must decide if the potential benefits of a new relationship outweigh the risks. Will they decide to take that leap or will the past stand in the way of what could a beautiful future?
