Book picks similar to
Shadow of Shame by Barbara Goss


romance
contemporary
historical
contemporary-romance

Evidence of the Affair


Taylor Jenkins Reid - 2018
    Even though I do not know you…The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

The Honeymooner


Melanie Summers - 2018
    Together, they’re the perfect power couple—right down to the fact that he’s agreed to use their honeymoon to help further her career in mergers and acquisitions. But ten minutes before the wedding, her dreams dissolve via text message. Devastated and humiliated, Libby escapes to Paradise Bay alone. She’s got two goals for her trip: to devise a plan to get Richard back and to convince resort owner Harrison Banks to sell his property to her company. Unfortunately, when she arrives, she discovers that tall, dark, and built, Harrison is not about to make anything easy for her. Instead, he derails her plans while at the same time, bringing out a side of Libby she’s kept carefully tucked away—a carefree, adrenaline junkie. After a few days together, Harrison’s got her wondering if the life she always wanted was meant for some other girl. Suddenly, Libby must decide which version of herself she wants to be. Will she go back to her comfortable, safe life, or risk everything to be with the only man who’s ever made her feel truly alive?

Love in Disguise


Carol Cox - 2012
    Her assignment: find the culprit behind the theft of silver shipped from the mines near Pickford, Arizona. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie begins her investigation. Soon she finds she must also pose as the dazzling young Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk. Mine owner Steven Pierce is about to lose his business after the theft of several bullion shipments--until hope arrives in the unlikely form of Lavinia Stewart, who offers to invest in Steven's mine. In his wildest dreams, Steven never expected to be rescued by an inquisitive gray-haired widow . . . or to fall head over heels for Lavinia's captivating niece, Jessie. But then the thieves come after both Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn't safe no matter which character she plays! Will she be forced to reveal her true identity before the criminals are caught? What will Steven do when he discovers the woman he loves doesn't exist?

Digging In


Loretta Nyhan - 2018
    Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig.As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.

Swept Away


Mary Connealy - 2013
    All they've ever done is work her to the bone. She prayed for a chance to get away, and then came the raging flood. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone... so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.Luke is heading home to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men who killed his father are working hard to ensure Luke doesn't make it alive. He has no choice but to keep moving. Still, he can't just abandon Ruthy, so she'll have to come along.His friends—a ragtag group of former Civil War soldiers—take a fast interest in the pretty gal. Luke thinks that's rather rude—he's the one who found her. And the more time he spends around the hard-working young woman who is a mighty good cook, the more he finds himself thinking beyond revenge and toward a different future. For the first time in a long time, Luke is tempted to turn from his destructive path and be swept away by love.

The Ice Captain's Daughter


S.G. Rogers - 2013
    En route to her first Season in London, however, a failed kidnapping sends her into the arms of the most jaded bachelor in England. When Logan and Jillian unwittingly violate the rigid rules of propriety in Victorian-era England, he is obliged to make her an offer of marriage. Because she aspires to be more than an obligation, Jillian refuses the match. Logan follows her to London to woo her properly, but his scheming ex-fiancée has other plans.Can Logan convince Jillian that his love for her is real or will the cruel gossip and sharp tongues of London society tear their budding relationship apart?

The Secrets of Paper and Ink


Lindsay Harrel - 2019
    She escapes to Cornwall, England--a place she's learned to love through the words of her favorite author--and finds a place to stay with the requirement that she help out in the bookstore underneath the room she's renting. Given her love of all things literary, it seems like the perfect place to find peace.Ginny Rose is an American living in Cornwall, sure that if she saves the bookstore she co-owns with her husband then she can save her marriage as well. Fighting to keep the first place she feels like she belongs, she brainstorms with her brother-in-law, William, and Sophia to try to keep the charming bookstore afloat.Two hundred years before, governess Emily Fairfax knew two things for certain: she wanted to be a published author, and she was in love with her childhood best friend. But he was a wealthy heir and well out of her league. Sophia discovers Emily's journals, and she and William embark on a mission to find out more about this mysterious and determined woman, all the while getting closer to each other as they get closer to the truth.The lives of the three women intertwine as each learns the power she has over the story of her life.

Life, Unscheduled


Kristin Rockaway - 2021
    As a user experience designer at Virtuality, an artificial intelligence company in Los Angeles, Nicole is at her desk from sunrise to sunset. She doesn’t have time for a social life (or a love life), but that’s perfectly fine with her. Until her best friend, Parisa Shahin, announces her engagement and asks Nicole to be her maid of honor.That’s when Nicole decides to meticulously schedule out the next six months of her life—from her project due dates to her dress-fitting appointments to how many hours she plans to sleep each night. If she can stick to her schedule, she’ll balance everything fine. Of course, that’s a really big if. And after she crosses paths with emerging restaurateur Brandon Phelps, Nicole is feeling feelings she hasn’t felt in…well, ever. But scheduling time to fall in love might push even the most meticulous plans into pure chaos.

A Bride for Tom


Ruth Ann Nordin - 2010
    This historical romantic comedy is rated G.

It's In His Heart


Shelly Alexander - 2015
    He has a scandal. And they both have an attraction they can’t deny. Ella Dennings is furious. Soaking wet, muddy, and furious. All she wants is to enjoy a quiet summer retreat in her Red River Valley cabin. Maybe she can finish healing after the death of her husband, Bradley. Maybe she can even finish writing that third book in her anonymously written bestselling series. But when she arrives at the cabin in a raging rainstorm, who does she find holed up there but Cooper Wells, Bradley’s sexy best friend—a man capable of seducing women within seconds—and a man Ella has never liked.Coop’s got his own baggage. He’s engulfed in a nasty legal battle, and after selling his home to cover his legal fees, he’s got nowhere to go but the cabin. He and Ella will just have to coexist under one roof...but is their heated animosity boiling over into attraction? And when Ella’s racy new book rocks the sleepy town, will her secret identity spell scandal for both of them?

Coming Up Roses


Catherine Anderson - 1993
    She'd married young, hoping to put down roots in a safe haven, but her husband had shattered her naiveté, and made her fear for her beloved daughter's safety until the day he died.When she first met her new neighbor, Zachariah McGovern, all she saw was danger. But Zach saw much more. He saw beauty, he saw tenderness. He knew he could rescue Kate Blakely from her past - if only she would let him. What Zach couldn't know, however, was the price that had to be paid to save the woman he loved.

Her House Divided


A.J. Goode - 2014
    He's not sure how the voluptuous redhead managed to fool his grandmother into leaving her part-ownership of the family home, but he vows not to be taken in by Tara's seeming helplessness. He's already been burned by one gold-digging female; he refuses to be be influenced by yet another, no matter how strongly he is attracted to her. Tara Bartlett has lost everything in the wake of a devastating car accident. Inheriting a beach house on the shore of Lake Michigan seems like a dream come true -- even if it means sharing the house with the recently-divorced Ethan Davis. She doesn't trust him any more than he trusts her, and she has no intention of jeopardizing her one chance at home ownership by getting involved with him. But they are forced to share more than just living quarters when they have to work together to fight off the greedy developer who wants to make their home part of a modern-day resort. Can Ethan and Tara keep their living arrangement strictly business, or will they give in to their desire for each other?

Not-So-Blue Christmas


Bonnie Edwards - 2015
    Away from home, in a small harbor city in Canada, broken-hearted Kirk's lost and alone until one small dog refuses to give up on him.Vibrant widow Miranda Bailey is ready to move into the next phase of her life, except this Christmas is shaping up to be the worst since her husband's death. But instead of hiding, she takes charge, and drags Kirk into her Christmas miracle. The Christmas Collection Book 2: Invitation to Christmas The Christmas Collection Book 3: One Crazy Christmas

Tristan Finch: A Novel


Jacqueline Spencer - 2014
    The Royal Family is the lead story in every newspaper and on all television channels as the world watches with great anticipation, captivated by this terrible story. Will Prince James survive? American Jennifer Dressen, 28, is living in London working for a large British daily paper. One evening, her elderly neighbor insists on speaking to her. “I'm dying. And I have to tell the truth about something. Something that happened many years ago. Something so big, it will....” Her voice trailed off. Then she seemed to gather what strength she had left and announced, “I can't die like this. With no one knowing what I know. I have to share it. It is vitally important.” Jennifer's dream is to be an investigative reporter and, after hearing the old woman's story, she thinks this could be the one that gets her there. As she begins her research to find out if the woman's fantastic tale is true, she meets the man's of her dreams - a handsome solicitor who lives with his younger sister, a woman with special needs. In short order, Jennifer finds herself deeply in love. But fate deals her a challenging blow during her research when she is forced to take measure of herself and answer a simple question: is she willing to sacrifice happiness in her personal life for success in her professional one? Because the story she is about to break will rock the world with new revelations about the Royal Family. And forever change the life of the man she loves.

Ruin Me: Secret Seduction - Vol. 1


C.J. Thomas - 2015
    Kim Vogel’s life is easy. She has a great family, a world class education in what she loves to do, friends who support her no matter what and she couldn’t ask for anything more. Sure, she has to work hard, but that’s fine by her. Best friend, Vi, thinks she’s missing out in the relationship department but Kim begs to differ, keeping to herself and remaining a virgin all through college. With graduation day just around the corner, she’s excited for what the future holds. And she’s anxiously awaiting the arrival of her parents to show them the life she’s created with their distant support. But a life changing call from her mom leaves her in limbo, unable to figure out how to go on, or how to help them when they’ve given her so much. Jackson Morgan believes his life is perfect. His little sister, Liv, is one of his best friends, he owns his own company which comfortably provides for him everything he wants and plenty he doesn’t. Liv encourages him to settle down and create the perfect family like she has, but he’s riding the wave of success and is happier with relationships that last no more than three dates. His conversation with Liv works its way into his personal life and decides to take a risk there, rather than just in his professional life. So when his path crosses with Kim’s at this turning point for both of them, neither of them see what’s coming or what it can mean for their futures. But each holds the key to the other’s happiness, if only they can see past their own insecurities and fears. == > Please note that this story ends on a cliffhanger and parts 2-5 will be released two weeks apart.