Book picks similar to
The Anniversary by Roisin Meaney
fiction
irish
chicklit1
contemporary
The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue
Barbara Samuel - 2004
Trudy Marino never expected her life to turn out perfectly. But at forty-six, she was content with what she did have: her caring husband Rick . . . twenty-plus happy years raising three accomplished kids . . . and a lovely house in the artistic, vibrantly diverse town of Pueblo, New Mexico. But a heartbreaking discovery and a suddenly shattered marriage now has Trudy looking back on the choices she didn’t make—and where she might go from here. Struggling to pick up the pieces, Trudy finds support from a quirky, eclectic group of friends and neighbors—her goddesses of Kitchen Avenue—all of whom are trying in their own unique ways to navigate life’s little surprises. There’s Jade, a fiery social worker who’s finding unexpected strength to deal with her “player” ex-husband, thanks to a most unorthodox passion; Jade’s grandmother, Roberta, who has just lost her husband of sixty-two years—and through memory and piercing grief wonders what to do with the rest of her life; Shannelle, Trudy’s young neighbor and an aspiring writer, determined to realize her talent despite formidable obstacles . . . including the husband who’s afraid her success will be his loss; and Angel, a young, quietly-knowing photographer who makes Trudy uncover a sensuality she never knew—even as he tries to get over the one love he can never really forget. As Trudy faces her future, she discovers that figuring out what to let go and what to keep is just as difficult as moving on. As she weighs what she and Rick still share against new possibilities, she’ll surprise everyone— including herself—as she tries to reconcile the best of both.
Grown Ups
Marian Keyes - 2020
And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?
Anyone for Seconds?
Laurie Graham - 2018
Her partner Tom has left her, Nigella and Jamie have got the cookery world sewn up, and now her restaurant reviewing column - her last bit of work - has been cancelled. Surely the only way is up from here?In a desperate bid for sympathy and attention she runs away, from the gas bill and the mouse under the sink, and in wet and wintry Aberystwyth she experiences a brush with her past and a glimmer of new prospects. And when her nephew - now a TV producer - has the bright idea to reunite her with her former nemesis and target of the mousse attack in a new show, it seems like things could be going Lizzie's way again after all!
The Wedding that Changed Everything
Jennifer Joyce - 2018
Love happens when you least expect it… Emily Atkinson stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago! She’s fed up of dating frogs in order to track down her very own Prince Charming, despite the best efforts of her matchmaking best friend…But now she’s been invited to the wedding of the year at the enchanting Durban Castle, and perhaps bumping into a knight in shining armour isn’t as far away as she thought!
Will Emily survive the wedding and walk away an unscathed singleton – or finally find her own happily-ever-after?
A Most Desirable Marriage
Hilary Boyd - 2014
Even after thirty years they have lots to say to each other, many interests in common and, until recently, a good sex life.But Lawrence seems wary and restless. Something’s wrong. Just how wrong, Jo is about to discover…Can they use their years of history–all the things they’ve shared–to overcome a devastating betrayal?
Goodness, Grace and Me
Julie Houston - 2013
More so when she realises Amanda, her and best friend Grace's old enemy from school is back in their lives. Amanda, it turns out, is Nick’s new boss’s wife and, because of her legal and language skills, will be accompanying Nick on his business trips to Italy. How will Nick not succumb to the ruthless charms of the utterly gorgeous Amanda once he’s away from Yorkshire and in glamorous Milan? Knowing Nick is being seduced is bad enough, but when Grace falls madly in love with Sebastian, Amanda’s precious, much younger son, it can only mean trouble ahead. Determined to fight for her man, Harriet’s seduction techniques go into overdrive. Unfortunately she is hampered in her attempts by two bolshy teenagers, an increasingly eccentric mother and a job teaching horrible children. Not to mention something very strange going on at the bottom of her garden! Can Harriet save her marriage, and also her friendship with Grace? And what will happen if Nick’s new venture fails, especially now that the one thing Harriet has not even considered in all this mess appears to be staring her right in the face…? About the Author Julie Houston started writing when a child in her class told her she had the biggest tits he’d ever seen! Her horror turned to uncontrollable hysterics when he added, “My last teacher’s were nowhere as big and always in red - never in green!” She knew she just had to get it down in writing and ‘Goodness, Grace and Me’ was the result. She was taken on by agent Anne Williams at KHLA in London and Bristol and, whilst she still teaches part time, (and still finds ten-year-old kids hugely funny) she is working on the sequel which she hopes will continue to make people laugh. Julie lives in West Yorkshire, where her novels are set, with a long-suffering husband, two bolshy teenagers of her own and a mad Cockapoo called Lincoln. She is a teacher and magistrate and loves nothing more than dancing round the kitchen practising her Gangnam Style moves while polishing her granite. You can contact Julie at: joolshouston2002@yahoo.co.uk Twitter: @juliehouston2 Julie Houston on Facebook at: http:www.facebook.com/Julie.houston
The Hideaway
Sheila O'Flanagan - 2018
Perfect for readers of Catherine Alliott and Marian Keyes.
What would you do if you discovered you were living a lie?
When a shocking news report shatters Juno Ryan's world, she suddenly finds herself without the man she loves - and with no way of getting the answers she so desperately needs.A distraught Juno flees to the enchanting Villa Naranja in Spain. The blue skies and bountiful orange groves - along with Pep, the winemaker's handsome son - begin to soothe her broken heart, but only Juno herself can mend it.Just when she begins to feel whole again another bombshell falls. Can Juno put the past behind her? And will she ever learn to trust herself again?
The Day We Meet Again
Miranda Dickinson - 2019
If we’re meant to be together, we’ll both be there. If we’re not, it was never meant to be . . .’
Phoebe and Sam meet by chance at St Pancras station. Heading in opposite directions, both seeking their own adventures, meeting the love of their lives wasn’t part of the plan. So they make a promise: to meet again in the same place in twelve months' time if they still want to be together.But is life ever as simple as that?
This is a story of what-ifs and maybes – and how one decision can change your life forever…
The Tanglewood Tea Shop
Lilac Mills - 2019
Her beloved Great Aunt Peggy has passed away, she’s been fired from her job and the love of her life has walked out the door. But when she’s called to the solicitor’s office to hear the reading of Peggy’s will, Stevie’s life begins to change.Left with a large amount of money, Stevie is determined to take Peggy’s advice and turn her life around. The quirky tea shop that she sees up for sale in the beautiful village of Tanglewood must be a sign, and Stevie can’t wait to make it her new home.But what happens after your dreams come true? It turns out that life in the village isn't as idyllic as it may have seemed. With local mums waging war against sugar, a tea shop and its patisserie-chef owner are definitely not welcome.When the gorgeous but grouchy local stable-owner, Nick, shows up he seems like just another fly in the pastry batter but as the two grow closer, Stevie realises he might just be the perfect reason to stay and win over the village...This laugh-out-loud romantic comedy is perfect for fans of Daisy James, Holly Martin and Portia Macintosh.
The Irish Cottage: Finding Elizabeth
Juliet Gauvin - 2014
Book 1 of 3. Elizabeth Lara built a perfect life as San Francisco’s top divorce attorney, but when she loses her great-aunt Mags, the woman who raised her, she boards a plane and leaves it all behind.The Irish shores welcome her as she learns a shocking truth, kept secret for thirty-five years. Devastated and now alone in the world, Beth tries to find peace in a beautiful cottage by Lough Rhiannon, but peace isn’t what fate had in mind. Almost as soon as she arrives, Beth’s solitary retreat into the magic wilds of Ireland is interrupted by Connor Bannon. A man with light brown hair, ice blue eyes and a secret of his own. He’s gorgeous, grieving, and completely unexpected. With the help of Mags’ letters, the colorful townspeople of Dingle, and Connor, Elizabeth might just find a way back to the girl she lost long ago and become the woman she always wanted to be.
Holding
Graham Norton - 2016
“With its tale of provincial life, gimlet-eyed spinsters, and thwarted love…it feels almost like a Miss Marple mystery written by Colm Tóibín” (New York Times).The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama, and yet its inhabitants are troubled: Sergeant P.J. Collins hasn’t always been this overweight; Brid Riordan, a mother of two, hasn’t always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn’t always felt that her life was a total waste.So when human remains—suspected to be those of Tommy Burke, a former lover of both Brid and Evelyn—are discovered on an old farm, the village’s dark past begins to unravel. As a frustrated P.J. struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his professional life, he unearths a community’s worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regrets.Darkly comic, at times profoundly sad, and “especially inviting because of its tongue-in-cheek wit” (Kirkus Reviews), Holding is a masterful debut. Graham Norton employs his acerbic humor to breathe life into a host of lovable characters, and explore—with searing honesty—the complexities and contradictions that make us human.
You, Me and Other People
Fionnuala Kearney - 2015
. .But what happens when you open the door and they won’t stop tumbling out?For Adam and Beth the first secret wasn’t the last, it was just the beginning. You think you can imagine the worst thing that could happen to your family, but there are some secrets that change everything. And then the question is, how can you piece together a future when your past is being rewritten?For fans of Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes and David Nicholls.
Three Amazing Things About You
Jill Mansell - 2015
She's in love. He's perfect for her in every way, but he's seriously out of bounds. And her friends aren't going to help her because what they do know is that Hallie doesn't have long to live. Time is running out...Flo has a dilemma. She really likes Zander. But his scary sister won't be even faintly amused if she thinks Zander and Flo are becoming friends - let alone anything more.Tasha has a problem. Her new boyfriend is the adventurous type. And she's afraid one of his adventures will go badly wrong.THREE AMAZING THINGS ABOUT YOU begins as Hallie goes on a journey. A donor has been found and she's about to be given new lungs. But whose?
House Swap
Olivia Beirne
. . the characters, the settings, the story, all of it! *****' REAL READERWILL SWITCHING LIVES BRING TWO SISTERS TOGETHER OR PUSH THEM APART FOREVER?'I can't praise it enough' LUCY VINE'The definition of an uplifting book' ABIGAIL MANN'A hilarious, heart-warming read' DAISY BUCHANAN'Olivia is an assured writer with great comic timing' SHEILA O'FLANAGAN'I loved House Swap - it's a heart-warming story of sisterhood in several forms' ZOË FOLBIGG________________Twins Katy and Rachel don't know much about each other's lives anymore.Rachel thinks that Katy is a high-flying event planner in London, while Katy thinks that Rachel lives in idyllic marital bliss in the countryside.Each sister believes the other has created a perfect life - but the truth is that neither twin has the life she pretends she does.And when these sisters unexpectedly swap houses for a week, they're in for a big shock.But it might just be the wake-up call they've both been waiting for . . .Packed with hilarity and heartbreak, this new novel from bestselling author Olivia Beirne follows two estranged sisters who learn more about each other from a house swap than they ever expected... Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary and Marian Keyes.________________Readers are LOVING House Swap!'A funny, poignant and uplifting story that shows just how much you can learn about yourself from somebody else's life'JULIETTA HENDERSON, AUTHOR OF THE FUNNY THING ABOUT NORMAN FOREMAN'A beautiful story about second-chances, self-discovery and sisterhood - I absolutely loved it. Olivia has that special knack of making you laugh out loud on one page, and shed a tear on the next' HANNAH TOVEY, author of THE EDUCATION OF IVY EDWARDS'A story of love, friendship and family, whose characters you will fall in love with immediately!'EMILY HOUGHTON, AUTHOR OF BEFORE I SAW YOU'A charming, uplifting read . . . Delightful'ROXIE COOPER, AUTHOR OF THE DAY WE MET'Olivia's books always make me laugh out loud and her latest is no exception'EMMA COOPER'A properly uplifting read . . . [a] wonderful, joyous tale of self-growth and forgiveness, complete with a perfect measure of romance too'PERNILLE HUGHES, AUTHOR OF PROBABLY THE BEST KISS IN THE WORLD'House Swap is a warm, sweet story about sisterhood and will have you rooting for Katy and Rachel until the very last page. Simply gorgeous'HANNAH DOYLE, AUTHOR OF THE A TO Z OF US'This book is heart-warming, life affirming and is guaranteed to make you smile - I loved it!'NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 stars'This book made me laugh, cry and swoon'NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 stars'A perfect story of families and finding your way through life'NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 stars'Loved this book!'NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 stars___________________________________________________Olivia Beirne' novels The List That Changed My Life and The Accidental Love Letter are available to buy now!