Book picks similar to
Heartland Joy by Jessie Gussman
contemporary
contemporary-western
arcs
romance
Second Chances
Diana Xarissa - 2020
Some are looking for love, some most definitely are not. Sooner or later, everyone finds his or her happily ever after. Camille Quinn has had her heart broken twice and she isn’t interested in finding love again. She’s busy raising her two children, Brandon and Molly. When Maxwell Steward, the first man who broke her heart, thirty years earlier, comes back to Ramsey, all she wants to do is avoid him. When Brandon manages to crash into Maxwell’s expensive sports car during a driving lesson, avoiding the man becomes impossible. The Ramsey Summer Fair throws Camille and Maxwell together and brings back memories for Camille. Maxwell seems more than happy to rekindle their friendship, seemingly not realizing how badly he hurt her in the past. Camille isn’t interested in being friends with her former boyfriend. She’s much more concerned with guarding her heart.
The Christmas Spirit
Susan Buchanan - 2013
Something her regulars badly need.Newly dumped Rebecca is stuck in a job with no prospects, has lost her home and is struggling to see a way forward.Pensioner Stanley is dreading his first Christmas alone without his beloved wife, who passed away earlier this year. How will he ever feel whole again?Graduate Jacob is still out of work despite making hundreds of applications. Will he be forced to go against his instincts and ask his unsympathetic parents for help?Spiky workaholic Meredith hates the jollity of family gatherings and would rather stay home with a box set and a posh ready meal. Will she finally realise what’s important in life?Natalie sprinkles a little magic to try to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?
No Time for Love
Raine English - 2018
But could meeting the right man at the wrong time cause them to break their vows to each other?Kinsley King loves her lavish lifestyle as one of Manhattan’s most in-demand real estate brokers. She’s worked hard to get to the top, and she’s not backing down now… But when her favorite aunt bequests her a wildlife sanctuary in the middle of nowhere, she has a tough decision to make: honor her aunt’s last wish or put the property on the market and maintain the life she adores.Dylan Reese, on the other hand, thinks life off the grid is just about perfect. That is, until the owner of the wildlife sanctuary he manages dies suddenly and leaves the place to her spoiled city-slicker niece. Now he, too, has a choice: leave it all behind or swallow his pride and take orders from a woman who wants no part of this particular commitment.Sparks fly in this opposites attract sweet romance as Kinsley finds herself falling for the swoon-worthy sanctuary manager, causing her to rethink the no marriage vow she made with her girlfriends, while Dylan wonders how he’s going to keep from losing his heart to the one woman who’s sure to break it.
Hangovers & Hot Flashes
Kim Gruenenfelder - 2018
They are all in their 40s and wondering the same thing: “Now what?” Zoe, the mother of 17 year-old twins about to abandon her for college, misses the romance of her twenties, and desperately wants just one last first kiss. Thinking outside the box, she convinces her husband Carlos to embark on an open marriage. Which leads to a new set of problems and questions: How does she pick a “non-skeevy” swinger’s club, do men of a certain age even want sex with no strings attached, and does ordering a glass of Syrah these days really signal to would be suitors that you just want to f*@# them in their car? Most importantly, will getting to be with someone else help or hurt her marriage? And if that someone else is an ex who effortlessly morphs into a fantasy man who after all these years finally says and does all the right things, how does Zoe choose between the life she has and the road not taken? Michelle has made it her routine on her way home to stop one block from her house, park, stare into space, and dread the next few hours of her life. She’s tired of juggling her very full time job as a real estate agent with the full time job of parenting two kids without much help from her husband, Steve. She's also tired of not having sex and the daily silence that has replaced their fighting. Michelle doesn’t have a road not taken, but she’s at a fork in that road. Does she take the easy path, and spend the rest of her life with a man she loves but no longer likes? Or go the hard route: Divorce. Living life with one income, single parenting, lonely Thanksgivings, and kids who may never forgive you. And how does somebody start dating again when all the rules have changed since she took herself off the market years ago? Alexis is the self-made multi-millionaire we all aspire to be. She’s the creator of a slew of hit TV shows and the head of a wildly successful production company. She’s got the dream car, the stunning house on the beach in Malibu, the black AmEx. Everything is going exactly according to plan, and there’s a lot to be happy about. But she also has Connor, her on-again/off-again boyfriend of twelve years. Plus she’s going through early menopause, and now wonders how she forgot to have kids. Her life plan is suddenly thrown into further disarray when Connor shows up with a stray dog, which he leaves with her. Which is just the beginning, as that mangy mutt leads to a teenaged dog walker, a middle-aged widower, and her Sunday morning brunches possibly being replaced by church. So what do you do when nothing in your life is working the way you saw it in your head, and the unplanned life might make you happier? Knowing their girlfriends will always have their backs, Michelle, Zoe and Alexis confront their new realities with honesty and humor, while trying to find happiness amidst hangovers and hot flashes.
A Little Something Extra: Short Stories from the Invertary and Benson Security World
Janet Elizabeth Henderson - 2019
The story titles are: Betty’s Birthday It Wisnae Me Jena and Matt’s Honeymoon in Vegas Andrew McInnes’ Book Club The Breakfast Club The Reverend Morrison’s Last Christmas in Invertary Betty Wants Grandkids Aunty Megan Saves the Day The Day Donna Became Housekeeper at Kintyre Mansion Megan and Dimitri on the Job The Wookiee Wants a Wife (or at the very least, a date!) Isobel And Callum Get Married Kirsty and Lake Benson Ryan’s Heart Harry and Magenta A London Night Invertary’s Unofficial Council Has a Plan A New Client for Benson Security Valentine’s Day at Glasgow School of Art Jack’s Next Step Dear Abby Some of these stories have appeared in my newsletters. But some were written just for this book, and you will only find them here. This book is fifty-five thousand words long.
Enchanted: A Christmas Collection
Melissa Tagg - 2017
Fast forward one year. With a looming deadline, Maren is desperate to recapture her creative spark. Then she remembers Colin’s invitation to visit his family’s Iowa farm… Drew Renwycke never planned to move home and take over the farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel—including Colin. When Maren lands on his doorstep, he realizes she may be the key to coaxing his brother home. (originally published as a standalone in 2015) One Enchanted Eve As a Denver Culinary Institute student, Colin Renwyke is out to embark on a new career as a pastry chef. But despite his skills in the kitchen, he’s a mess in the classroom and his ongoing disasters are proving too much for his prickly instructor. If he loses his spot at the school, he's out of backup plans. Culinary school instructor Rylan Jefferson has the chance to reclaim her dream of running her own bakery. But she only has until Christmas Eve to come up with the perfect recipe to impress an eccentric investor. She has no time for holiday parties or family plans . . . and especially not for her unruliest student baker. But Colin has the one ingredient Rylan needs most—talent. Lots of it. And when he makes a proposal that just might solve both their problems, Rylan can't say no. (originally published as a standalone in 2016) One Enchanted Noel When Seb Pierce agreed to work for his wealthy grandfather for one year—in return for an early draw on his inheritance—he never expected the agreement to land him in a quirky small town in Iowa at Christmas-time, renovating a dilapidated theater…and running into a woman he never thought he’d see again. Although she’s finally settled in her hometown, Leigh Renwycke can’t shake the familiar restlessness that used to get her into trouble. When Seb Pierce waltzes into her world and begs for her help planning the theater’s holiday reopening, it might be enough to jumpstart a new career…and to prove once and for all that the new-and-improved Leigh is here to stay. Until old secrets and new sparks get in the way... (brand new in 2017!)
Gabriel
S. Cook - 2018
Instead she saved me.She was the girl in a faded photo I’ve carried in my pocket for three long years.My best friend’s sister.I made him a promise on the battlefield that I intended to keep.Until I met her.An angel on a dance floor in a shimmery gold dress.Our worlds crashed together into an incredible night of heat.Now I’ve screwed up everything.How could I have known she was the one girl I swore to protect?***Gabriel is a full-length, stand alone novel. There is one new bonus book, Liam included in this edition. There are NEVER any cliffhangers or cheating in my books. ***
His Third Try: A Hammond Family Farm Novel (Ivory Peaks Romance Book 3)
Liz Isaacson - 2022
A Season for Hope
Tammy L. Grace - 2018
A woman who runs a guesthouse offers them a place to stay while the car is repaired.Frightened and broke, Hope finds a part-time job, thanks to the family who owns the guesthouse. Hidden beneath her strong work ethic and cheerful demeanor, Hope conceals a private mystery. A secret she can’t reveal.As the Christmas season nears, the small town nestled beneath the snowy mountains and its annual holiday festival captivate Hope, while the family at the guesthouse suspects there’s something she’s hiding. In a moment of weakness, she divulges her secret.Will an offer of help destroy her life and all she cherishes, or will it be the gift she needs to triumph over her past?A Season for Hope is a charming story about the kindness of strangers and finding hope where you never expected it. Cozy up with the first in the Christmas in Silver Falls novellas for a holiday read sure to warm your heart.
Puzzle Pieces
Rachael Bloome - 2020
And she designed a dating app to prove it. But when her childhood crush, Graham Dalton, returns home for his brother's wedding, he challenges everything she thought she knew about love. Graham Dalton never forgot the woman he left behind. And when he returns home to San Francisco for a second chance with his first love, he's more than happy to stand-in as her fake boyfriend to improve the public image of her dating app company. But as old feelings resurface, Elle starts to receive anonymous messages through her dating app. And things only get more complicated when a long-kept secret from their past is uncovered. In the end, will Elle find her missing puzzle piece? Or will her world fall to pieces?
Rating: This sweet romance novella is rated PG, perfect for fans of the Hallmark Channel or other clean and wholesome romance authors.
Learning to Love Again
Jason Patrick - 2016
Having Amanda planning an event guarantees success. If only she can work the same magic with her personal life. While smart, attractive, and successful, Amanda isn't able to make romance and relationships work in her life.Evan Worthington comes from a wealthy Boston family and has taken his fortune and built a business empire. He once knew happiness with a young wife and newborn son until his late wife died twelve years earlier. To cope with his loss, Evan threw himself into his work. No one suffers more than Evan's fifteen-year-old son Jacob, who wants to know an emotionally distant and unavailable father.What Amanda and Evan both want is standing directly in front of them. Can they admit how they feel and get past what is most holding them back? Does Amanda hold the key to Evan repairing the broken relationship with his son? It all hinges on Evan learning to love again.
Forever Autumn
Christina Jones - 2006
After a heartbreaking deception, Stephanie Gibson decides to move to the south coast and work as a nanny for the large and scatty Matthews family. They’re friendly and eccentric and Stephanie soon settles in. However, when she finds herself falling in love again, spectres from the past loom up. Has Stephanie made another mistake, and will she ever be able to trust anyone again?
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?
Burning Bridges
Anna Adams - 2014
And now that she’s signed with Glitter Records and is working with her longtime celebrity crush, pop singer Matt, Lindsey is determined to win him over. But will burning bridges enable her to achieve her goals, or will she only end up badly burnt?*With a special cameo appearance from Maude Laurent (the French Girl series).This short story takes place before the start of A French Girl in New York.