Book picks similar to
Shebang by Valerie Vogrin


chick-lit
female-authors
home-library-fiction
books-by-friends

Maeve Binchy: Three Great Novels (Scarlet Feather / Tara Road / Evening Class)


Maeve Binchy - 2002
    In Evening Class, she applies her signature warmth, wit and understanding to something new--a wickedly funny book for anyone who's checked into the hospital, headed for an operation or convalesced at home. Maeve Binchy can always be counted on to spin an involving tale about ordinary people that brings out the extraordinary in everyone. Here, she zooms in on the working-class of Dublin. Schoolteacher Aidan Dunne organises an evening class in Italian with the help of Nora O'Donoghue, an Irishwoman returning home after 26 years in Sicily. When the somewhat squashed-by-life denizens of the surrounding neighbourhood take the unexpected step of enrolling in the class, they find their lives transformed. Binchy tells her story from the viewpoints of eight different characters and rewards both them and her readers with happy endings after the requisite rocky road. Reading a novel by Maeve Binchy is like catching up with old friends--you know everything will turn out fine in the end, but you're still interested in how things get that way.

The Dog Got It All


Robert McCullough - 2015
    Phipps is “one of those rescues who are all the rage these days,” an upscale Manhattan dog with a rich owner, a great dog walker and an idyllic New York lifestyle. But his world is turned upside down when his owner, Angie DeSoto, suddenly passes from pancreatic cancer. The good news is that Angie leaves her millions to Mr. Phipps and he finds himself temporarily in the care of Devin McCloud, his dog walker and best bud. The bad news is that her adult children, a contentious clan at best, are furious about being left out in the cold, money-wise. And there's more. According to the terms of the will, Mr. Phipps and his millions will go to one of Angie's progeny, specifically the one best qualified to take care of him. After a brief trial period in which each one takes the dog, their efforts will be judged by a panel of dog experts – a famous, Cesar Millan-style dog trainer, a pet psychic and a renowned behaviorist. To further complicate matters, love will strike on several fronts as Mr. Phipps tells his story and his fate unfolds in this charming canine romantic comedy that reads like a date night version of "Marley and Me".

Acting Up


Libby Purves - 2004
    When the second Iraq war breaks out, it is only natural that their newest generations should be represented in the ranks of British officers: at 24, Lieutenant Susie Anderson delays her wedding to handsome fellow-officer Callum and joins her regiment on the hot sands of Kuwait. Brother Francis, meanwhile, continues his cabaret career as Madam Fanny Fantoni, drag chanteuse and net-stockinged vamp, with a stinging line in repartee and the most remarkable falsetto top C in Clapham. As the neighbours agree, it must be terribly difficult for their poor parents, especially the General. Real difficulties come, though, when Callum comes home injured, altered and bitter, and Susie and her family feel as though their lives are shattered. The solution to this tangle comes from the most unlikely source of all. Set against a background of desert war, seedy clubs, a hippie sailing-ship and quiet English village life, Libby Purves' latest novel is a commentary on changing social roles, the nature of courage and the futility of prejudice.

Across the Pond


Virginia Jewel - 2011
    

Lola & The Man: A heartwarming and magical Christmas story.


Elise Darcy - 2019
    With the unexpected arrival of a puppy, Hugh’s life is about to change for the better. But just as he opens his door and his heart to new friendships at Christmas, a ghost from the past throws his festive holiday plans into turmoil. Erin is in hiding. Running away from a seemingly perfect life, her husband will move heaven and earth to find her. She knows she can’t stay in one place for long. As Christmas approaches she rediscovers life is worth living, house sitting an old cottage in the heart of a picture-postcard English village whose owner, an elderly lady, has secrets of her own. Finding solace in simple pleasures like reading a book in front of a warming log fire, taking walks in the snow, and browsing the stalls at the festive market, Erin is not looking for love. All she wants is to be on her own, but fate has other ideas. A chance encounter with a neighbour leads to a surprising friendship. He is patient and caring. She might just be falling for Hugh. But time is running out. Her past is catching up with her. Can she find the courage to stay? Or will she disappear once more knowing this time she must leave behind the man she is falling in love with? As the snow falls, something magical is about to happen which will change their lives in ways they could never have imagined…

All At Sea


Pauline Lawless - 2017
    Her husband Richard is not so sure about it, and her son Gavin and his down-to-earth wife Fiona are apprehensive about spending two weeks cooped up with his family. But even they could never imagine the havoc Bunny’s two beautiful daughters, Sarah and Jess, will cause on board. Meanwhile Tony Kenny, a wealthy Galway businessman, fed up with his wife’s family who descend on them every Christmas, thinks a cruise is the perfect way to escape them. His timid wife Ann is nervous about it all but, as always, Tony gets his way. His children are less than enthusiastic but, as it turns out, their handsome son Jack is pleasantly surprised by the action on board and his shy sister Emily begins to come out of her shell. Declan Jordan is terrified that his sexy mistress Alix will reveal their affair to his classy wife Cassie, so he whisks Cassie away for what he promises will be a second honeymoon. However, it turns out to be anything but . . . This group form what they laughingly call ‘the Irish Mafia’ on board the Liberté and, between the drama and the shenanigans, there is never a dull moment!

The Ocean's Call (Seaside Lane Series Book 3)


Dawn Day - 2021
    

Christmas In The Projexs (From The Hood With Love Book 4)


BriAnn Danae - 2021
    

None of My Affair: The Wedding of the Year. The Scandal of the Decade.


Fiona O'Brien - 2017
    O'Brien never puts a foot wrong' Irish Independent IT'S THE WEDDING OF THE YEARSupermodel Ali Armstrong will tie the knot on board luxury knot Excalibur, surrounded by her closest friends and family.AND THE SCANDAL OF THE DECADEBut as the guests descend on Puerto Banus for the festivities, tensions and secrets rise to the surface.Will Ali's mother, Carrie, finally accept the end of her own marriage? Can her sister, Hope, forget her broken heart and learn to trust again? Will Jay see off the Russian temptress and hang on to her millionaire husband?When the sun sets on the azure waters of the Med, the privileged world of the Armstrongs is blown sky high...'Delicious ... full of warmth, glamour and excitment' Cathy Kelly

The Guesthouse on the Green Box Set


Michelle Vernal - 2021
    

OFF THE TABLE: Da Prequel


Nako - 2021
    

The Herb Woman


Hannah Miller - 2021
    

We Did This Once Before: A Novel


Lynne M. Spreen - 2021
    When her elderly mother invites her to move home to Florida, to the lush island of her childhood, Kim is tempted. She could spend time with Mom, start her dream business, and craft the perfect new life.On the other hand, Mom has a Masters in manipulation, and there’s a reason Kim fled to California in her youth. But she’s too mature and experienced now to fall into the same family drama.Telling herself it’ll all work out, Kim loads a rental trailer with her last few belongings and heads for Estero Island, hoping she isn't making a huge mistake.

The Long Journey to Love


Emma Ashwood - 2021
    The man she had fallen in love with had changed beyond recognition. When his body was found one morning, it was almost a blessing. Pregnant and alone, she is taken in by her friend Mary.Mary tells her stories of women heading west to become Mail Order Brides. Fearful of what her husband's parents might do when she has the child, she begins her search. But no one is willing to commit to a widow carrying another man's child.Ben, a farmer out west, had been happily married until fate intervened and shattered him. His desire to have children to pass the farm down to had been lost. But his housekeeper, Tilly, had other ideas. She would encourage him to find a bride.It would be a long journey for Pam with no assurances of a happy ending at its completion. Ben was fearful that he would be able to love again. But it was a risk that they both had to take.

The Billionaire Hot Box Set


Tiffany Foss - 2019
    For a limited time get the Billionaire Hot Box Set for free on KU It includes 4 never released billionaire novels: Knocked Up By The Billionaire Billionaire's Best Friend Billionaire Christmas Billionaire Big Daddy