Book picks similar to
If Love was Enough by Regina Puckett


short-story
grief
male-female-relationships
woman-alone

The Girl in Room Fourteen


Carol Drinkwater - 2013
    Her ice creams, pies, lemonades, sold on her stall at the internationally famous Cannes market, are as renowned as the Mediterranean city itself. Tourists travel from everywhere to meet her.But Cecile is a woman who no one draws close to, a woman with a secret.Cecile, when she was nineteen and a shy student, travelled south to a lemon festival on the borders of Italy and France. She was intending to let her hair down, to enjoy two crazy weeks of fun. She was not anticipating the enigmatic Italian who offered her a future beyond her wildest dreams. But at what cost?The Girl in Room Fourteen is a heartrending love story set on the warm shores of the Mediterranean.

Heat Wave


Nancy Thayer - 2011
    After her husband’s sudden death, Carley Winsted is determined to keep her two daughters in their beloved home on Nantucket. To ease the family’s financial strain, she decides to transform their grand, historic house into a bed-and-breakfast. Not everyone, however, thinks this plan prudent or quite respectable—especially not Carley’s mother-in-law. Further complicating a myriad of challenges, a friend forces Carley to keep a secret that, if revealed, will undo families and friendships. And her late husband’s former law partner is making Carley confront an array of mixed feelings. Then, during a late-summer heat wave, the lives of Carley and her friends and family will be forever changed in entirely unexpected ways.

Dating and the Single Parent


Ron L. Deal - 2012
    Now they're looking for help. Ron Deal, who has counseled single parents and remarried couples for many years, helps single parents--as well as those who date them--navigate the potential pitfalls involved. He gives perspective on when a relationship may be harmful to the children as well as how it can be a blessing to all. Always at the forefront is the goal of strengthening families. Includes questions for individual or group study.

The Chicken Runs at Midnight: A Daughter’s Message from Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won a World Series


Tom Harry Friend - 2018
    But as a husband and father, he was distant, absent, and a failure. He'd let baseball take over his life, and as a result his family suffered. That is, until one day his daughter called with harrowing news."Dad, I have a brain tumor, and I'm sorry." These words from his seventeen-year-old daughter, Amy, turned his world upside-down. Now, more than ever, he was determined to put his family first.The time they spent together in the months before her death will be treasured and remembered forever, but especially the inside joke that became a catchphrase for the Donnelly family as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates team that played in the National League Championship Series that year: "The chicken runs at midnight."This book shares the heartwarming story behind the odd catchphrase - and how it still lives on as a symbol for never giving up—and proves that God can work in the life of any person, even through their mistakes and failures.Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, stand up to cheer for what is good in peoples' lives. It's a powerful story of redemption and faith that reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change - and sometimes He sends us signs from heaven if we only have eyes to see.

He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys


Greg Behrendt - 2004
    For ages women have come together over coffee, cocktails, or late-night phone chats to analyze the puzzling behavior of men. Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo are here to say that —despite good intentions— you're wasting your time. Men are not complicated, although they'd like you to think they are. And there are no mixed messages. He's Just Not That Into You —based on a popular episode of Sex and the City— educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship. This book knows you're a beautiful, smart, funny woman who deserves better.

Getting It On The Down Low


Sophia Jenkins - 2016
    However, her husband Darius is too pigheaded to work on it, since—in his mind—he is not the problem. Tired of being kept under lock and key—and completely controlled by Darius, Safa makes a trip back to her old neighborhood to see her grandmother against Darius’s wishes, and everything changes. Safa meets Kordell, a sexy, street boxer who gives her what she's been missing out on. They begin an affair that pulls Safa even further away from her marriage. After some major flare ups, Safa finds herself questioning everything. Was her marriage a mistake? Is Kordell the one? Could she really give up everything for him? And what will happen if Darius finds out? So many things are shaken up when a woman gets fed up.

I'd Rather Be Single


Lashonda Devaughn - 2011
    Tyra went from dating deadbeats to dating athletes. But living the good life came at a price.... "The Skeletons In My Closet" By: LaShonda DeVaughn, Author of A Hood Chick's Story I & II - They say in order to receive true and real love, we must all take chances. Will Kenneth end up being the real deal? Or will Rita end up regretting her decision in courting a young thug? "Taking Chances" By: Mimi Renee, Author of Deadly Decisions and Pretty Bright - Despite years of women playing games to take her husband away from her, Jai was determined to hold on. Her best friend questions why she puts up with his infidelity. Jai reasons: It's just Something In His Backstroke. "Something In His Backstroke" By: Tysha - Author of The Boss...the story of a female hustler - Fairytales should all have happy endings. Unfortunately, in Zoe's world each ending comes with a tale of lies... "Sleeping With The Enemy" By: Kaie Golson

One Day, Life Will Change: A story of love and inspiration to win life when it hits you hard . . .


Saranya Umakanthan - 2020
    She needs a gentle nudge to achieve her dreams. And if she falls, he will be there to catch her, lift her, and push her again, until she flies to the stars. Love... Does it mean running around the trees or vacationing in Switzerland, singing tra-la-la in the snow? Is it about gifting teddy bears and roses to your partner? After losing everything she holds dear... Her love, her parents, and even her singing, Samaira is dejected. She is at her lowest point in life and has no idea what she wants. Vivian is the successful and dynamic head of creative tanks and dreams of being the top entrepreneur in India. When their paths cross, sparks fly and they are drawn to each other. The aura of mystery around her tugs at Vivian’s heartstrings. While Samaira seems intent on running away from love, hope, and her aspirations, Vivian makes it his mission to bring her back on track. Thus begins an intriguing journey for both, from the end to new beginnings. They chase broken dreams against all odds, inspiring one another. As they walk the arduous path of life, will they climb the ladder of success together? Or will they crash and burn?.About the AuthorA university topper twice academically, Saranya Umakanthan is a software engineer by profession. With her novel, “One Day, Life Will Change” she has ventured into the world of inspiring romantic stories. With her passion for writing, she wishes to leave an imprint in people’s hearts, weaving beautiful stories with her words. A romantic by nature, Saranya loves gazing at the night sky while enjoying a cup of coffee. Nothing brings her more contentment than seeing a reader enjoy her book. The fragrance and texture of paperbacks inspire her and she hangs out at bookstores frequently. She would love to hear your feedback. Email her at saranya.umakanthan@gmail.com.

Good Girls


Amanda Brookfield - 2019
    Beautiful, smart and charming, she is everything a good girl should be.Her sister Eleanor, on the other hand, knows she can't compete with Kat. On the awkward side of tall, clever enough to be bullied, and full of the responsibilities only an older sibling can understand, Eleanor grows up knowing she’s not a good girl.This is the story of the Keating sisters - through a childhood fraught with dark secrets, adolescent rivalries, and on into adulthood with all its complexities and misunderstandings.  Until a terrible truth from the past brings the sisters crashing together, and finally Eleanor begins to uncover just how good Kat really was. Good Girls is a mystery, a love story, a coming-of-age story, and a tear-jerker. But most of all it’s a reminder of who to keep close and who to trust with your darkest secrets. Perfect for fans of Jane Fallon, Celeste Ng, and Julie Cohen.

Ellipsis: The Novel


Kristy McGinnis - 2021
    When unplanned pregnancy threatens to derail everything, she fears life is over. Instead, she discovers motherhood to be her new calling. For thirteen years she and her son Charlie are a unit and her world is complete. Everything changes when violence erupts at Charlie’s school. As she reaches out via text in desperation, only the words and the animated ellipsis on the phone screen offer a buffer between life and death. Can she save the person on the other end of the messages in time, and in the process can she save herself too?

Bridge to Another Dimension


Roni Hila Talor - 2016
     A spiritual romance based on a true life-story Bridge to Another Dimension is an exceptional novel that dares take the reader beyond the familiar and well known. It will introduce you to a world hidden from view and broaden your consciousness to a message from the world beyond life. Souls can communicate, if our hearts are open to listen Based on a true story and was written with a genuine sense of mission, Bridge to Another Dimension is both an inspiring dive into the world of souls and other dimensions and a gripping love story, read with bated breath.

How to Be a Person in the World: Ask Polly's Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life


Heather Havrilesky - 2016
    Whether she’s responding to cheaters or loners, lovers or haters, the depressed or the down-and-out, Havrilesky writes with equal parts grace, humor, and compassion to remind you that even in your darkest moments you’re not alone.

The Healing Summer


Heather B. Moore - 2021
    They’d been trapped beneath a collapsed roof for hours, injured and unable to call for help.The morning of their rescue, Orlando Gallo promised he would find her again. But Maggie hasn’t seen or heard from him in over seventy years, and now, widowed and childless, Maggie hopes to leave her estate to Orlando’s descendants. She invites her neighbor, forty-year-old Jo Sampson, to travel with her, and as the two women return to San Francisco to track down Orlando, they form a strong bond of friendship and healing that transcends time and place.

The Introvert and Extrovert in Love: Making It Work When Opposites Attract


Marti Olsen Laney - 2007
    The key to introvert/extrovert bliss lies in understanding what makes the other person tick and using your differences to help balance and enrich the relationship.This book offers advice for making it happen:Learn how innies and outies process information and communicate differently Discover ways to create a fulfilling social life for yourself and your partner Find creative ways to blend decision-making and future-planning styles Get past the dangerous question, why can't you be more like me? Turn up the heat in the introvert/extrovert bedroomThe book is based on current scientific research and innie/outie interviews. It is also based upon the authors' personal experiences as a mixed couple—introvert Marti Olsen Laney and extrovert Michael Laney have been happily married for more than forty-two years. They must be doing something right!

100 Words of Affirmation Your Husband Needs to Hear


Lisa Jacobson - 2019
    Are you being purposeful in how you use the power of your words to speak encouragement, strength, and love--breathing life into the heart of your spouse? Or are careless words having a negative impact on your marriage and on the heart of the one you love most? Matt and Lisa Jacobson want you and your spouse to discover the powerful ways you can build one another up in love with the words that you choose to say every day--words that every husband and wife need to hear. These books offer you 100 Things to say to your husband or wife that deeply encourage, affirm, and inspire. Start speaking these words into each other's lives and watch your spouse--and your relationship--transform before your eyes.