Book picks similar to
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? by Claire Allan
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What I Didn't Say
Jade Beer - 2018
captivating and flawless... will leave you sobbing… grabbed my attention from the start and I could not put it down!’ Goodreads reviewerIf you could wish one thing for your daughter, what would it be?Jenny lost her beloved mother as a teenager. As a parting gift her mother left a bundle of letters, one for each significant day of Jenny’s future. First date, first broken heart, wedding day, when she becomes a mother…But now Jenny is in her late twenties, and while at the hospital where she works she helps other women start families every day, she still hasn’t opened the letter for the day she meets the love of her life, let alone the one for having a baby.And Jenny is still writing back:I’m sorry I don’t love cycling.I’m sorry I don’t always dream about you.I’m sorry the last thing I whispered in your ear was, ‘can I stay up late?’ when it should have been ‘I love you’.When a case of mistaken identity leads to an unexpected friendship with Helen, a kindly shopkeeper in her fifties, the bond growing between them makes Jenny wonder: she treasures her mother’s words more than anything, but are they keeping her stuck in the past?Can we ever heal from a loss that cuts so deep? Can Jenny find a way to let go, and start living life to the full, as her mother truly wanted?An absolutely unforgettable book-club read that will break your heart. If you love Jojo Moyes, Cecelia Ahern and Nancy Thayer you will love this unputdownable page-turner.
If You Lived Here, You'd Be Perfect By Now: The Unofficial Guide to Sweet Valley High
Robin Hardwick - 2013
You may have discovered them at your local library, their soft-focus, pictures of beautiful blond twins beckoned you. They seemed sophisticated, dangerous. You probably were on the cusp of starting high school and couldn't stop reading anything and everything about what high school was like. You dreamed of boyfriends, dances, adulthood! If You Lived Here,You’d Be Perfect Right Now chronicles author and retro pop culture enthusiast Robin Hardwick rereading the entire series and document a grown woman's view of the angst and absurdity of the lives of the perfect Wakefield twins Each book of the series is revisited with equal parts sociological lens, parody, and sardonic nostalgia.
Loves Me, Loves Me Not
Katie FfordeAnita Burgh - 2009
Indulge your love for reading with this fabulous collection of original stories. With over 40 stories to choose from, this stunning collection has something for everyone. Celebrating women's fiction in all its guises, take a look at the latest stories from the bestselling authors of today and discover the bestselling authors of tomorrow.
Royally Crushed
Niki Burnham - 2011
. . .When Valerie's parents split up and she has to move to a tiny European country called Schwerinborg, she's pretty sure her life is over. That is, until she meets Georg. He's smart, sweet, and unbelievably cute. And even better, he's a prince!But with Georg under so much pressure, and the press watching their every move, Valerie soon discovers dating a prince is not exactly the happily ever after she'd been hoping for. But Georg has swept her off her feet and Valerie's not ready to give up her prince just yet. . . .
A Summer to Remember
Victoria Connelly - 2014
Fans of Alexandra Potter and Katie Fforde won’t be able to resist.Nina Elliot is tired of her life. She’s not sure how it happened, but somewhere along the way, she lost track of where it was all going.So one fateful day, she makes a brave decision: she’s going to leave it all behind.Taking a job deep in the English countryside, Nina does just that. Ensconced at the Old Mill, she settles into daily life with the Milton family, where she works as a researcher for author Dudley.With endless summer days stretching out ahead of her, Nina couldn’t be happier. But her quiet life is soon interrupted when the handsome Milton boys return home – for they plan to make sure this really is a summer to remember…Relax and enjoy a breath of warm summer breeze with every turn of the page in this gorgeous summer read. Perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Alexandra Potter.
Yours, Faithfully
Sheila O'Flanagan - 2006
Not one to hang around, she married her gorgeous husband just months after meeting him and they have lived happily ever since. Now all she needs is a baby and her life will be perfect. Sally Harper has been blissfully married for almost twenty years. She has a beautiful daughter, a loving husband and a great job. Her life is complete. But a surprise pregnancy is about to change everything.Two women - strangers leading separate lives. But their two worlds are about to collide in the most shocking way...
A Year of Chasing Love
Rosie Chambers - 2020
One moment can change a lifetime…The last thing top divorce lawyer Olivia Hamilton ever expected was to be served her own divorce papers! To escape her marriage troubles, she agrees to go on a year-long trip to find the ultimate guide to love.Travelling the world, surrounded by stories of love and happiness, it’s not long before her thoughts turn to Nathan, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and she starts to take note of her own lessons in love…But with Nathan over a thousand miles away, will it be too late?Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Philippa Ashley and Caroline Roberts.
Mr. Maybe
Jane Green - 1999
Right has always meant Mr. Rich. A twenty seven-year-old publicist, she's barely able to afford her fashionable and fabulous lifestyle and often has to foot the bill for dates with Struggling Writer Nick, a sexy but perpetually strapped-for-cash guy she's dating (no commitments – really). So when Ed, Britain's wealthiest but stodgiest bachelor, enters the picture, her idea of the fairy tale romance is turned on it's head. Mr. Maybe is the tale of her heartfelt but hilarious deliberation, irresistibly chronicled by bestselling author Jane Green. On one hand, Nick makes up for his low bank-account balance by his performance in the sack, or in the bathtub, as the case may be. But life with him means little more than nightly trips to the bar, a dark and grungy apartment, and plenty of dull political tirades to boot. But those blue eyes, and that tender heart...On the other hand, there's Ed, whose luxurious house and gargantuan bank account are quite tempting to the starving Libby. But his unsavory mustache and bumbling ways make Libby wonder if the platinum AMEX and unlimited "retail therapy" are worth it. He may have fallen in love with her at first sight, but nothing seems to solve his lackluster performance in the sack – even speed reading The Joy of Sex. When the diamond shopping commences, Libby is forced to realize that the time for "maybe" is up. Taking romantic comedy to a hip, sparkling new level, Mr. Maybe is a classic tale of what happens to one girl when her heart and her head aren't looking for the same thing. With a laugh and minute and a heroine whose struggles in the dating jungle will remind you of your own, Mr. Maybe is a story that all will leave you smitten.
Third Time Lucky: The Honey Trap
Victoria Browne - 2015
Good friends Sarah a sensible simple soul, Laura bitchy complicated, Beth a ‘too cool for school’ high school teacher, and Jess a funky hairdresser, decide to honey trap Jess's new American boyfriend Richard. How could such a simple plan go wrong? Just add Jess’s new flat mate, hot sexy Elise to the mix, a few glasses of wine and you have a cocktail fit for disaster – especially when Elise honey traps the wrong boyfriend! Good friends are all Sarah needs when her uncomplicated life is jettisoned into chaos. Dan, Sarah’s boyfriend makes some shady life choices. But who is friend and who is foe? Wealthy bachelor Lee Preston sets his sights on Sarah and all Lee wants is to make her happy. Life could be fantastic when money is no object and your closet is filled with designer shoes, Oh, and his with secrets.
The Secrets of Married Women
Carol Mason - 2007
Frustrated, she seeks comfort in her friends: fierce Leigh, with her high-powered career and doting family, and sweet, uncomplicated Wendy, who has a rock-solid marriage any woman would envy.Leigh and Wendy’s lives seem perfect. But beneath the surface are secrets that could tear their friendship apart.Leigh has grown tired of her stay-at-home husband and is looking for excitement—outside of the marriage bed. And after seventeen years of marriage, Wendy can’t shake the sense that there is something missing in her life.As Jill is drawn deeper into her friends’ relationships, she is confronted by a temptation of her own: an intriguing stranger whose good looks and charm spark an instant connection.Full of the realities of modern-day marriage, The Secrets of Married Women asks the question: how well can we ever know our husbands, our friends, or even ourselves?
Revised edition: This edition of Secrets Of Married Women includes editorial revisions.
Just For The Summer
Judy Astley - 1994
Loading their estate cars with dogs, cats, casefuls of wine, difficult adolescents and rebellious toddlers, they close up their desirable semis in smartish London suburbs - having turned off the Aga and turned on the burglar alarm - and look forward to a carefree, restful, somehow more fulfilling summer.Clare is, this year, more than usually ready for her holiday. Her teenage daughter, Miranda, has been behaving strangely; her husband, Jack, is harbouring unsettling thoughts of a change in lifestyle; her small children are being particularly tiresome; and she herself is contemplating a bit of extra-marital adventure, possibly with Eliot, the successful - although undeniably heavy-drinking and overweight - author in the adjoining holiday property. Meanwhile Andrew, the only son of elderly parents, is determined that this will be the summer when he will seduce Jessica, Eliot's nubile daughter. But Jessica spends her time in girl-talk with Miranda, while Milo, her handsome brother with whom Andrew longs to be friends, seems more interested in going sailing with the young blond son of the club commodore.Unexpected disasters occur, revelations are made and, as the summer ends, real life will never be quite the same again.
All That Is Left Of Us
Catherine Miller - 2016
No matter how Archie came into her life, or the fact he's a little different from other children, he is precious and loved. He is hers, after all. Especially because she’s never told anyone who the father of her son is.So when Dawn’s twin brother David and his wife Rebekah are struggling to have their own child, Dawn agrees to become their surrogate, as it is the one thing she can do to help.However, creating the perfect family doesn’t always go to plan and when Dawn realises just how much her nephew needs his mother, she begins to wonder if the time has finally come to confront the past she has kept secret for so long.From the author of Waiting for You comes a story of friendship, motherhood and hope.What reviewers are saying about ‘All That is Left of Us’‘a truly mesmerising read’ - Vikbat‘A beautiful book jam packed with emotions.’ - Jessica (Goodreads)‘I can't use enough words to say how much I loved this book.’ - Sylvia (Goodreads)
Stretch Marks
Kimberly Stuart - 2009
Her mother, Babs, is a stiletto-wearing Zsa Zsa Gabor type who works as an activities hostess on a Caribbean cruise line...and if you guessed there's some tension there, you'd be right. Factor in an unexpected pregnancy and Mia's idealistic boyfriend, and the mother-daughter relationship is, well, stretched very thin. As is Mia's sanity when Babs shows up to...help. Actually, Mia has a whole neighborhood of quirky characters who want to help, including her BFF, Frankie, a magenta-haired librarian; Silas, the courtly gentleman of indeterminate age who lives downstairs; and Adam, proprietor of the corner grocery store where Mia shops. But it's Adam-endearing, kind, possessed of a perfect smile and impeccable Persian manners-who ultimately charms Babs and rescues Mia from more than one mother-induced meltdown. Could it be that Mia and Babs might actually be able to get along? With Kimberly Stuart's trademark irreverent humor and a surprising and satisfying take on romance, Stretch Marks is an authentic but tender story about family, grace, and the importance of a good grocer.
The Baker's Man
Jennifer Moorman - 2012
Moorman weaves the tale of a young woman whose grandmother’s secret—and the ancestry of her grandfather—are about to change her life forever.Anna O’Brien is sure of three things: there’s nothing she can’t bake, life is sweeter with chocolate, and her dreams are better left unspoken—especially to her mother. For a while, Anna has been living her life according to the expectations of others, never stepping out of line, never following her heart. Her one consolation is continuing her grandmother’s legacy by running Bea’s Bakery.When Anna’s long-term boyfriend decides to move across the country without her, she is forced to face an uncertain future. After a long night in the bakery with her best friend, Lily, Anna’s humdrum existence rockets out of control when she follows a mysterious recipe left behind by her grandmother and finds Elijah—a handsome stranger—baking donuts in her kitchen the next morning.Soon Anna is living in a world where she must deal with the repercussions of Elijah’s unexpected existence, while trying not to fall in love with “the dough boy.” Brimming with humor, love, and a sprinkling of magic, The Baker’s Man is an irresistible tale of friendship, forgiveness, and the enchanting possibilities of following one’s heart.
Hurry Up and Wait
Isabel Ashdown - 2011
Now, as she prepares for her school reunion, 39-year-old Sarah has to face up to the truth of what really happened back in the summer of 1986.August 1985: Sarah celebrates her fifteenth birthday in the back garden of the suburban seaside house she shares with her ageing father. As she embarks on her fifth and final year at Selton High School for Girls Sarah's main focus is on her erratic friendships with Tina and Kate; her closest allies one moment, her fiercest opponents the next as they compete for the attention of the new boy, Dante. When her father is unexpectedly taken ill, Sarah is sent to stay with Kate's family in nearby Amber Chalks. Kate's youthful parents welcome her into the comfort of their liberal family home, where the girls can eat off trays and watch TV in Kate's bedroom. They've never been closer -- until a few days into her stay, events take a sinister turn, and Sarah knows that nothing will ever be the same again.