Book picks similar to
The Island Affair by Helena Halme


chick-lit
fiction
contemporary-romance
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Secrets and Lies (The Sterlings Book 1)


Z.L. Arkadie - 2018
    The grandson’s name is Chance Sterling and not only is he as gorgeous as the day is long, but he's probably the coldest and most unavailable man she’s ever met. The first time Chance Sterling laid eyes on Rosalie Stetson was at his cousin Peter’s wedding. She was the bride. She doesn’t remember him, but she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Now he's forced to trust Rosalie with his family fortune. The only problem is Chance trusts no one, especially the ex-wife of the most spoiled Sterling in the clan. No matter what Rosalie and Chance think of each other, they’re in it together. But do they have what it takes to survive this dangerous game of “Winner takes all?” Passion ignites, and mystery abounds as this pulse-pounding tale of whodunit keeps you guessing until the very end. ***** Note: This title "Secrets & Lies" was previously "Secrets & Chance." The title has been changed to more accurately reflect the content. ***** “Secrets and Lies is a magnetic story that really pulled me in. Z.L. Arkadie has a knack for creating complex characters that grab hold of the reader and take them along for the ride. The author does a great job of presenting an intelligent romance along with an intricately weaved mystery. I am very excited for the next book in this series!” -- Neila F., Editor, Red Adept Editing ***** The Sterlings Series: Secrets And Lies (Book 1) Secrets That Hide (Book 2) Secrets That See The Light (Book 3) The Secret Keeper (Book 4)

Intimate Strangers


Lasairiona E. McMaster - 2019
    But she did. Other than living over five thousand miles away in America, AJ Williams is seemingly her perfect match. Strikingly handsome, musically talented, plays hockey and has a typical college-guy life. In a moment of carpe diem, Lisa flies from Ireland to Alabama to surprise her internet-beau and finds herself face to face with an inconceivable reality that she couldn’t possibly have prepared for. How well can you truly know someone you meet online? Will true love win out, or will AJ’s secret life be too much for Lisa to bear?

What She Inherits


Diane Vanaskie Mulligan - 2017
    Nabor Island, South Carolina, her junior year of college interrupted indefinitely by her mother’s death, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to function in the world without her mother’s love, support, and guidance. Soon after her mother’s funeral, strange sounds begin to trouble her in the night, sounds she swears are her mother's angry voice. In an effort to find peace for herself and for her mother’s restless spirit, Angela begins a ghost hunt that makes her friends fear for her sanity and that leads her to more questions than answers. Her parents, it turns out, were extraordinary secret keepers, and now Angela is on her own to discover the truth. One thousand miles away on Devil’s Back Island, Casey Seaver has built a sweet life for herself hidden away from the rest of the world in Maine’s Casco Bay. She runs a small café and keeps to herself, rarely visiting the mainland. When a posthumous letter arrives from her estranged mother, old memories and new problems interrupt her island idyll. For twenty years she has been trying to forget the mistakes and injustices of her youth, and she has nearly convinced herself she has succeeded, but her mother’s words shatter that illusion. As she tries ignore her mother’s dying wishes, a stranger arrives on the island, looking to bring Devil’s Back into the twenty-first century at last. If he has his way, Casey’s island haven will be a refuge no more. As plans for a new resort on Devil’s Back spur Casey to move her life forward, Angela’s ghost investigation forces her to examine the past. Fate has put their lives on a collision course, and through each other, they will find the way through their grief.

Chez Stinky


Susan C. Daffron - 2013
    She hasn't laid eyes on her great aunt Abigail since she was eight, so she’s stumped when she inherits Abgail's house in the small hamlet of Alpine Grove.Kat's uncomplicated life gets decidedly less so when she discovers the inheritance comes with some hairy conditions: four dogs and five cats that her aunt wanted her to love as her own. Of course, the house smells like a barn--with a touch of antique skunk--and, naturally, has serious roof issues. And that's before the three-legged cat gets stuck in the wall and the shower goes kablooey.When Kat meets Joel, an unemployed techie type with no love lost for his sister, Kat looks past his obvious flaws, given his timely and desirable skill set: a talent for fixing things (and his own tools).Despite out-of-control dogs, cat fights, dust dinosaurs, massive spiders and an old grizzled hippie passed out in the yard, Kat discovers the tranquility of the forests of Alpine Grove starting to seep into her soul.And why she can't she stop thinking about Joel?

Champagne and Lemon Drops


Jean Oram - 2013
    Two men. One meddling small town.Raised by her older sister in the small town of Blueberry Springs, all Beth Wilkinson wants is to create a family so big she’ll never be alone. Things are going great until her fiancé, Oz, rethinks everything from his own career to their nuptial plans—forcing Beth to do the same.As Beth works to rediscover herself in hopes of reattracting Oz, she catches the eye of the charming new city doctor, Nash. Not only does he see her as she’d like to be seen, but he knows exactly what he wants from life—and that includes Beth.Torn between the two men, as well as two versions of herself, Beth discovers that love and dreams are much more complicated than they seem.

Unforgettable


Linda Barrett - 2021
    A rocking career in finance, a great group of friends and singing with the community chorus fill her calendar and provide her with total satisfaction. Until the phone rings. Until an upbeat familiar voice from the past reawakens her heart and reminds her of what she’s been missing.Playwright Doug Collins has never forgotten the girl he left behind. Even though it was Jennifer who’d made that final decision. “Go to New York and have a wonderful life,” she’d said before running back to her family, a family that still needed her. But that was five years ago. Five years of Jen in the back of his mind, nestled in his heart. Now memories are not enough! Doug packs up his car and heads to Boston in search of that “wonderful life.”Most reunions have bumpy beginnings and not all end well. Jennifer and Doug have a lot to figure out. But they’re smart, honest, and were once madly in love. Do they have a chance at finding the ending they so richly deserve?

Ladd Springs


Dianne Venetta - 2013
    Both are after title to Ladd Springs, a mecca of natural springs, streams and trails in the eastern Tennessee mountains, a tract of land worth millions. But Ernie Ladd, current owner of the property and uncle to Delaney, is adamantly opposed to them both.Felicity Wilkins, Delaney’s daughter, deserves to inherit her family’s legacy, but neighbor Clem Sweeney is working against her, ingratiating himself with Ernie Ladd. Clem is also harboring a secret that will make him a very wealthy man—unless the others stop him before he can bring it to fruition.Complicating matters is Annie Owens. Ex-girlfriend to Jeremiah Ladd, Ernie’s estranged son lining in Atlanta, she declares her daughter Casey is Jeremiah’s, making Casey every bit as entitled to the property as Felicity—only Annie hasn’t proven this claim. Yet.All are fighting to get the property, but only one will walk away with the gold.

His Pledge to Honor


Shanae Johnson - 2021
    But when an injured soldier shows up at her ranch, will she follow his lead down a trail of love? Though she’s the daughter of a general, Scout Silver is used to giving orders, not taking them. That's why horses thrive on the rehabilitation ranch she runs with her half-sisters. Over the years, her absentee father’s many divorces created a patchwork family, held together by their love of the ranch. But his last will is an order that threatens to rip their lives apart. As the leader of an elite group of soldiers run by the brilliant tactician General Abraham Silver, Lincoln Rawlings has set out on his final mission—to fulfill the dying wish of his commander by ensuring that the general's six daughters are taken care of. When Linc arrives on the Silver Star Ranch, he learns that what the Silver sisters need are husbands, else they’ll lose their beloved business. Instead of doing an immediate about-face, Linc's heart stands at attention under the assessing gaze of Scout, the eldest Silver. Unwilling to let her father once again interfere in her life, even from the grave, Scout has no plans to give in to the general’s demands. But when she meets the handsome and accommodating Linc, she has a hard time reigning in her heart. Letting down the general is not an option, but Linc is hiding a secret from Scout. And if she learns of the deep wounds he bears, he might lose everything—the ranch, his honor, and the woman he’s falling for. Find out if love can truly heal all wounds in this light-hearted, sweet romance of convenient arrangements that unfold into lasting love. His Pledge to Honor is the first in a series of marriage of convenience tales featuring Wounded Warriors who are healed with the power of love.

The Single Wife


Ella King - 2021
    but you can never really know anyone - can you?A group of college friends on the verge of summer graduation wonder about what the future holds - marriage and motherhood, world domination, or a better life elsewhere?One thing they do know is that they'll always be friends, but before life takes them in different directions, they make a pact to reunite in five years to see how their predictions turned out.But over time, it's pretty clear that life hasn't gone according to plan.And all too soon the women find themselves forced into a very different kind of reunion. Realising that sometimes, it's better not to tempt fate ...

Gone to Green


Judy Christie - 2009
    The paper was an unexpected inheritance from a close colleague, and Lois must keep it for at least a year, bringing a host of challenges, lessons, and blessings into her life.When Lois pulls into Green on New Year’s Day, she expects a charming little town full of smiling people. She quickly realizes her mistake. After settling into a loaned house out on Route 2, she finds herself battling town prejudices and inner doubts and making friends with the most surprising people: troubled teenager Katy, good-looking catfish farmer Chris, wise and feisty Aunt Helen, and a female African-American physician named Kevin.Whether fighting a greedy, deceitful politician or rescuing a dog she fears, Lois notices the headlines in her life have definitely improved. She learns how to provide small-town news in a big-hearted way and realizes that life is full of newsworthy moments. When she encounters racial prejudice and financial corruption, Lois also discovers more about the goodness of real people and the importance of being part of a community.While secretly preparing the paper for a sale, Lois begins to realize that God might indeed have a plan for her life and that perhaps the allure of city life and career ambition are not what she wants after all.

Moving On


Trisha Grace - 2012
    After the horrific accident that took away his parents’ life, Tyler’s grandfather removed him from the mansion and sent him away.Now, after twenty years, his grandfather had passed away and he could finally go home. However, even in his death, Tyler’s grandfather had betrayed him once again, leaving the mansion to a woman he had never met.Even though Kate Mitchell had never met Tyler, she knew all about the accident that changed the Hayes’s family. Unbeknownst to her, was how she was going to end up being caught in the middle of a long estranged relationship between two different generations.Two complete different personalities would have to learn to get along and play nice in order to survive a will that would change their lives.

If I Didn't Care


Kait Nolan - 2016
    While he might once have dreamed of a different future for them, everything changed the day her father tried to kill them both. Determined to keep her safe, Judd put his feelings aside and turned his focus to protecting her, always.She leads a double lifeNobody in their small town would ever dream that Autumn, Wishful's friendly librarian, is really successful erotic romantic suspense author, Rumor Fairchild. No one knows that the swoon-worthy hero of her series is based on her best friend, Judd. He's been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years, and now she's ready to catapult them out of the friend zone to make her real life romance come true.Their nightmare returnsBut when the past comes full circle and Autumn's father returns to Wishful, even the power of Judd's badge isn't enough to keep her safe from the madman. If he wants the chance at a future with the one girl he's always loved, Judd may have to toss everything he's worked for aside to do the one job that matters.

Flirting with Forever


Kim Boykin - 2014
    Tara’s about to live her dream only there’s one problem. Her husband of 15 years has just walked out, leaving Tara on the brink of financial ruin with no choice but to promote a self-help book about marriage when hers is secretly in ruins. Enter publicist Jake Randall, 30, who’s had it with hand holding newbie authors channeling their inner divas on their first book tours, until he meets Tara. Their instant attraction blossoms quickly into love. Tara thinks she has achieved her dreams and earned her license to thrive until her husband, Jim returns determined to win her back.

Rogue Love (Kings of Corruption #1)


Michelle St. James - 2017
    That’s where he learned the hardest lesson of all — we’re all alone in the end. And nobody can save us. When a raid goes terribly wrong, walking out is almost instinctual. Following the rules is for suckers. There’s only one way to get things done, and that’s to do it off the books. By the time he walks out, he knows there’s only one thing he’ll miss. Her. Nora Murphy never really had a choice. Law enforcement was in her blood. Raised by an old-school Irishman in a houseful of brothers, she learned early on there was only one way to survive. Be stronger. Be smarter. Be better. There was no time for romance. And certainly no time for love. Which made tabling her attraction to friend and fellow agent Braden Kane a no-brainer. But Braden’s defection from the FBI opens the door to their relationship in a new and surprising way. Nora’s still getting her head around the possibilities when she’s assigned an important case involving a string of high-profile crimes with a shocking purpose. She can’t wait to bring down the ring of brash vigilantes — until a connection to Braden reveals itself in the investigation. Now they’re on opposite sides of the law and order coin. Will their love be enough to bridge the gap? Will they survive long enough to find out?

Winter Interlude


Sandy Loyd - 2012
    Right if you were spending all your time and energy with Mr. Wrong? And what about the book out a few years ago that created such a hoopla with the single crowd – He’s Just Not That Into You? The two main characters in Winter Interlude either didn’t heed their mother’s advice or haven’t read the book. Now, add into the plot that the two in question are enemies who regularly run into each other, given their current relationships. Paul Morrison, a hunky, blond, financial planner, has been putting time and energy into winning the heart of Kate Winter’s best friend for almost as long as Kate, a strong willed antiques dealer, has been dating James Morrison, Paul’s brother.The sparks start to fly when the two get stuck together for a three-hour drive to the mountains and years of misconceptions about each other are slowly being wiped out. It is in the confines of the BMW that the two begin their journey, taking them from being mortal enemies to lovers.Winter Interlude tells the story of their adventure – of how they finally find love. Kate and Paul’s story is the first one in a series of four friends caught in a time warp. They can’t move on because they are stuck on their idea of their perfect dreams. But sometimes life works in mysterious ways and they are all forced by circumstances to change.