Book picks similar to
A Diamond in Her Stocking by Kandy Shepherd


romance
harlequin
guilty-pleasures
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My Very Italian Holiday


Sue Roberts - 2018
    Does it sound too good to be true? When Gina arrives in Lake Como, thousands of miles away from her life in the Lake District, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Working for Fabio, running his lakeside hotel, seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After her world was tragically turned upside down, breaking her heart in the process, she was in desperate need of a fresh start. Plus, it didn’t hurt that Fabio was easy on the eyes… But it’s not all picturesque mountains, pizza and prosecco. The crumbling guesthouse that Fabio has inherited from his family needs some serious TLC. Is she up to the challenge? As Gina and Fabio work in close quarters, sparks start to fly. But Fabio has a secret he is scared to share, and Gina has her past to come to terms with. Does her heart belong back home or is a life in the sun – with a very handsome Italian – just the change of scenery she needs? Escape to the gorgeous mountains and glittering Lake Como in Northern Italy! This laugh-out-loud funny and feel-good story of starting over and living life to the max is perfect for fans of Kat French, Jenny Oliver and Carole Matthews. Why readers love Sue Roberts: 'A fantastic story… laugh-out-loud… I literally flew through the pages. I loved every minute.' The Cosiest Corner ‘Fabulous! Stayed up late to finish it. Great summer read.’ Consumer Review, 5 stars ‘A fun read… I loved it!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘A fun, feel-good read, with wonderful characters, a fantastic plot…Will have you smiling and laughing all the way through.’ Goodreads Reviewer ‘I found myself reading this with a huge smile on my face and wasn't able to put it down… everything you could want from a summer read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘A wonderful read I devoured.’ Mum Reinvented, 5 stars ‘A wonderful debut novel about growing up, moving on, and finding yourself. Definitely recommend… A great beach read!’ Owl You Need Are Books ‘Simply brilliant… has you hooked from the first page… Amazing read.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘One of the best beach reads I have read.’ Consumer Review, 5 stars ‘A lovely, cheerful book!… Recommended!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

Captive but Forbidden


Lynn Raye Harris - 2011
    Germaine has cleaned up her act and stepped into her father's shoes as ruler of a Mediterranean principality creates a tabloid frenzy! But it's not just the paparazzi that are out for blood.…Duty demands that bodyguard Rajesh Vala must protect Veronica—whatever the cost.… But Veronica has always rebelled against commands, and she isn't making Raj's job easy!He calls it safeguarding. She calls it being held captive at his beach house. Both realize that the attraction between them is inconvenient.… Veronica is forbidden, not for bedding!

A Typical Family Christmas


Liz Davies - 2019
    She wants harmony and happiness, smiling,glowing faces, tables groaning with food, carol singing around thetree. She wants love, kindness, and goodwill to all men, especially inher own house.What she doesn’t want is drama. Absolutely no drama, whatsoever.But what she gets is three stroppy children, two equally stroppygrandmothers, a husband who can’t manage to change a lightbulb, and Pepethe poodle.It’s no wonder she feels unappreciated, overworked, and ignored. At the endof her tinsel-coated tether, and with the only Christmas spirit being inthe form of a bottle of raspberry gin, Kate decides to leave them to it,and see how they manage without her.A quiet little hotel somewhere near the sea, where she can pretendChristmas doesn’t exist, is just the thing she needs. Isn’t it?

The Christmas Baby Surprise


Shirley Jump - 2013
    She wants it to work more than anything in the world, so walking away from Cole is the hardest thing she'll ever do. But one last night together is set to change her life and her marriage forever…. Needing time to think, Emily returns to the one place that always feels like home: the Gingerbread Inn. It is the perfect setting to work out what to do with her little secret. And when Cole finds her, and her growing bump, he realizes that this Christmas, some things are worth fighting for….

Reunited at Christmas


Debra Ullrick - 2013
    Not only does she train search and rescue dogs, but she’s a bestselling suspense author who has waterfront property in the beautiful mountain town of Grand Lake, Colorado. All is well until she receives a call to bring her dog Max and her snowmobile to help rescue a man who is lost in a blizzard up on Gravel Mountain. That man is the one person she never wants to see again—Ryker Anderson—the man who broke her heart the day he called three months before their wedding to say goodbye with no explanation as to why.After being gone for eighteen months, Ryker Anderson is back in Grand Lake where he hopes to win back the woman he loves. He only hopes Shelby understands why he left. Will he be able to convince Shelby that she can trust him with her heart again even though he broke it before?

A Christmas in Bath


Cheryl Bolen - 2014
    Unbeknownst to scholarly Jonathan Blankenship, his sister-in-law Glee has decided this Christmas he needs a little push to make him see that his dear friend of four years, Miss Arbuckle, will make his perfect mate.

Marry Me


Kristin Wallace - 2013
    A lifetime of watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has taught her that love is for fools and faith is for naïve. She’s always put her faith in her career. Then her life is thrown into a tailspin. First, she loses her job. Then she gets a panicked call and learns her former stepsister is having a crisis with her pregnancy. The crisis has Julia returning to the small Southern town – and the family – she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s been pressed into service running her stepsister’s wedding planning business.Julia doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples along the bumpy path down the aisle - despite wardrobe malfunctions, killer bees, and plenty of near disas-ters. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the most unexpected discovery of all…Love, with Seth Graham, the widowed local minister! Julia’s been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not until she finds the courage to stop running and learns to believe in the power of love, faith and family that she finds her own “I Do” moment.

Christmas to the Max A Return to Welcome Novel


Bonnie Edwards - 2020
    (Return to Welcome)Max Whyte moves to Welcome WA to live closer to his daughters after their mother remarries. He wants to fix up an old home, settle into his new position at an IT firm, and try not to think about turning forty alone.Burned by a single mother in the past, he vows not to get tangled with another woman with children. When he saves the life of a small boy, he finds himself tangled in more ways than he could imagine.When the boy’s mother turns out to be the perfect person to do his renovations, Max has trouble keeping his personal feelings out of their employer/employee relationship.Kaylin Simpson has returned to Welcome to give her boys the kind of home she wanted as a child. She needs a fresh, stable start and wants to run her own business. Her three-year-old twins keep her hopping, but after she finishes the renovations for Max, she hopes to have her life well in hand.Max is drawn to Kaylin and her adorable twin boys. Her wit and feisty spirit pull at his heartstrings until he realizes being a stepfather is never what he wanted.Christmas in Welcome can be a time to heal and move forward and Max and Kaylin must set aside their old hurts to allow love to blossom.

An Alaskan Christmas


Jennifer Snow - 2019
    Ordered to take time off, the workaholic surgeon reluctantly trades in her scrubs for a ski suit and heads to Wild River, Alaska. Her friend Cassie owns a tour company that offers adventures to fit every visitor. But nothing compares to the adrenaline rush Erika feels on being reunited with Cassie’s brother, Reed Reynolds.Gone is the buttoned-up girl Reed remembers. His sister’s best friend has blossomed into a strong, skilled, confident woman. She’s exactly what his search-and-rescue team needs—and everything he didn’t know he craved. The gulf between his life in Wild River and her big-city career is wide. But it’s no match for a desire powerful enough to melt two stubborn hearts…

Fortune's Proposal


Allison Leigh - 2010
    But this time it's personal. The Fortune scion has just been handed an ultimatum: marry or lose his claim on the family business. Luckily, the perfect bride is only a cubicle away. Who better to complete the marriage merger of the year than his loyal assistant, Deanna Gurney?Being Drew's fake fiancee has its advantages...especially since Deanna's been in love with her heartbreakingly handsome boss forever. Drew may have made it clear he isn't in it for the long haul. But with another Fortune wedding in the offing, Deanna just might succeed in turning a temporary business arrangement into a permanent takeover...of a certain reticent playboy's heart!

Unlikely Santa: An Amish Christmas Story


Jennifer Spredemann - 2019
    But when young Jaycee Parker mistakes him for Santa Claus, his heart is moved with compassion for the boy and his family. Will this unlikely pair discover more than just a holiday filled with food and gifts? At eighteen, Englischer Shannon Parker is left the sole caretaker and provider of her three younger siblings. All she truly wants for Christmas is to be able to provide a happy holiday and decent gifts for each of them. Not an easy feat, given that her low-paying waitressing job is their only source of income. When a handsome stranger walks into the restaurant offering kindness, she has a feeling her life will never be the same again. A faith-filled Christmas story sure to bring a smile to your face and warm your heart with the Joy of the season!

Princess in the Making


Michelle Celmer - 2012
    The pretty, single mother may believe she's going to marry his father, but Prince Marcus Salvatora will do everything in his power to prevent a royal marriage.Yet befriending the lovely American and her adorable baby girl has the debonair bachelor awash in confusion. This woman and her child are not schemers. In fact, they could make his life complete. But once she leaves without a wedding ring, the powerful prince knows he'll be forbidden to ever truly make her his own.

Mountain Laurel


Donna Clayton - 1990
    And before she could change her mind, sexy forest ranger Michael Walker agreed to play the part of her ardent admirer!Laurel never expected Michael's acting abilities to be quite so convincing. Whenever her sister was watching, Laurel found herself wrapped in a heady embrace with a passionate kiss on the way. Her captivating cohort promised a performance that would win her the wager, but when the curtain closed, would she lose the only man she would ever love?This is the first of Donna Clayton's backlist titles to be made available. Look for more Donna Clayton romances soon!

His Christmas Wish


Melissa McClone - 2008
    But now, six years later, her family needs her. Carly returns home to face her past and give her niece and nephew the best Christmas ever.Burdened with guilt, Jake Porter believes he could have saved his two friends on that fateful day and kept Carly from experiencing such a heart-wrenching loss. When she arrives in town, Jake wants to make amends so they can both finally move forward with their lives.As Jake helps Carly experience the magic of Christmas so she'll embrace the holiday again, will he also be able to open her heart to something else she’d given up on…love?Previously published as Rescued by the Magic of Christmas.Mountain Rescue Romance seriesBook 1: His Christmas WishBook 2: Her Christmas SecretBook 3: Her Christmas KissBook 4: His Second ChanceBook 5: His Christmas Family

His Name Was Ben


Paulette Mahurin - 2014
    Based on real events, Ben and Sara discover that when all else fails, healing can come in the most unexpected ways. Chilling and heart wrenching, His Name Was Ben is a triumph over the devastating circumstances and fear experienced when faced with a terminal illness. In this narrative, the power of love conquers shadows and transforms the very nature and meaning of what it is to be fully alive. From the award winning, best-selling author of, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, comes a story filled with soul and passion that will leave the reader thinking about it for days after the last page is closed.“Paulette Mahurin compassionately renders an insightful tale about love and life in the moment, when a moment is all there is. Both ordinary and extraordinary, Sara and Ben kept me up at night rooting for them, as did Mahurin of course, a writer of exceptional heart, for her tender and wise depiction of love against all odds. A rare pleasure, His Name Was Ben is not to be missed.”—Lee Fullbright, author of The Angry Woman Suite “Against the biggest of obstacles a couple can face, the positive message is that it is never too late to start living.” –Christoph Fischer author of Sebastian.