Book picks similar to
Building Fences by Violet Howe


chick-lit
romance
contemporary
contemporary-romance

More Than Pancakes


Christine DePetrillo - 2014
    Her nights are filled with the glitz and glamour of upscale parties. Until her grandmother dies and leaves Lily property in wretched Vermont. The woods mean only one thing to Lily—nightmares. When Utopia wants the land for development, Lily is forced to travel to a place she’d rather forget. Rick Stannard makes maple syrup and builds barns in the peace and quiet of picturesque Vermont. Noisy New York City nearly killed him a few years back, and now he lives a calm, simple life with his coyote, Poe, and his beloved book collection. It’s the only way he’s guaranteed to wake up each morning. When Lily marches her expensive boots onto Rick’s land and proposes turning it into a mega resort, the serenity of the woods is shattered. Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell. They’ll need to compromise, or someone else will do it for them. Someone who is not afraid of the woods or the city. Or spilling a little blood.

Mangled Hearts


Felicia Tatum - 2013
    Until the person she blames for her heartache is assigned as her new client. Cade doesn’t take life seriously, finding it easier to drink his problems away than deal with them. But when Francesca steps back into his life, he’s forced to revisit the past. Can he bring himself to tell her the truth about her sister’s death? Will the truth bring them back together, or push them further apart?

Heather


Chris Keniston - 2021
    Brilliant cardiac surgeon Heather Preston has invested everything to achieve her dream of working at a world renowned hospital. When an unsettling call from her grandfather the retired general brings her back to her childhood lakeside home, she rediscovers the appeal of life in a small town, the joys of free-spirited youth—and Jake Harper."Small town, big family, and mismatches that will steal your heart! Delightful!" Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author of the Dogfather Series.More on Hart Land Lakeside Inn:Come and stay in one of the quaint and cozy cottages at Hart Land—but be warned, once you meet the family and delightful cast of characters, you may never want to leave.Fiona Hart is the devoted matriarch. Elegant, wise, and arts patron, but despite all her efforts, she has yet to find her own artistic outlet. Lucy isn’t just a housekeeper, she’s part of the family. She also fancies herself a real life Dolly Levy, except she’s much better at cooking up trouble than the perfect match. Innkeeper and retired general Harold Hart believes in hard work, discipline, and whatever his beloved wife wants. Katie O’Leary runs the One Stop, makes the best Irish soda bread this side of the Blarney Stone, and no one is quite sure if it’s more than her baking that has the magic touch. Did we mention the Harts have nine granddaughters?Having grown up spending summers together on the lake, the cousins are as close as sisters—closer. Each woman knows there’s no place like Hart Land. They can always count on their grandfather’s gruff, their grandmother’s sage advise, Lucy’s fresh baked cookies, Katie’s inspiration, the calming scent of fresh air—and each other.Follow along with friends, family, neighbors, and guests as the Harts maneuver life’s curves, and just maybe find love along the way."Chris Keniston never disappoints!" RaeAnne Thayne New York Times Bestselling AuthorAs a Special Bonus Heather includes a treat from Lily's Recipe Box!Look for more books in the Hart Land Lakeside Inn series:Heather - book oneLily - book twoViolet - book threeIris - book fourHyacinth - book fiveRose - book sixCallytrix - book sevenZinnia - book eightPoppy - book nine

The Cowboy Inherits a Bride


Cora Seton - 2015
    Luckily her Aunt Cecily has provided her with the perfect combination living and restaurant space to start over. Even though the building is located in small town Chance Creek, Montana, Sunshine is certain it’s only a matter of time before she’s back to take the big city by storm. When she arrives in Chance Creek, however, she gets a surprise. Her restaurant space—and apartment—are occupied by a rival to her inheritance: the incredibly sexy, incredibly wrong for her, Cole Linden. Cole’s been struggling to save his family’s holdings for far too long. The indoor rifle range he inherited from his father barely pays its rent, but it’s all that’s keeping his other concerns—two apartment houses—afloat. If he was smart, he’d walk away from all of it and start over, but if he does, several dozen of Chance Creek’s inhabitants will find themselves without a home. He thought Cecily meant to leave him the range building in her will. Instead she’s set him up in a four-month-long competition with her big-city niece to see who will win the place. A niece whose knockout looks are making it damn hard for him to concentrate on the job at hand. Sunshine can’t believe she’ll have to open a vegan restaurant in a rifle-range waiting room, and she can’t believe she’ll have to share her apartment with Cole, either. Cole can’t believe his friends are falling over themselves to help Sunshine succeed—and get a date with her. Now the competition is getting hot, but the sparks flying between them are even hotter. Can Cole and Sunshine find a way they both can win?

She's the One


Erin Nicholas - 2013
    But he’s stunned to learn it’s over a one-night stand that never happened —with his friend’s straight-laced sister. When he confronts her about the lie, she apologizes, but he realizes he doesn’t want her to be sorry…he wants the night they supposedly spent together. The last thing she needs is to add to her long list of commitments. But when tempted with the chance to go crazy and fulfill a few fantasies, she can’t resist. Thank goodness one night isn’t enough time to fall in love…*this title was previously published as She's the One, Counting on Love book one*

Not What She Seems


Victorine E. Lieske - 2010
    What he doesn't know is that interfering in her life will put his own life in danger.When billionaire Steven Ashton couldn't stand his high society social life anymore, he left the stress of New York on a vacation for his soul. The need to meet real down to earth people led him to a small Nebraska town. He didn't want to lie about who he was, but he couldn't exactly tell them the truth.Emily could have easily fallen in love with Steven, under different circumstances, but her past was catching up with her and she needed a new life. If the authorities found out about her, she could lose the one thing that meant everything, her four year old son.Not What She Seems is approximately 67,000 words long.This book is a "sweet" romantic suspense, appropriate for all ages.Like clean romance? Check out cleanromancebooks.com!

Love Will Find a Way


Barbara Freethy - 2002
     Rachel fell in love at nineteen with a man who came into her life on a whirlwind of sunlight and romance. She married Gary Tanner, had his son, and thought she would live happily ever after. But fate had other plans. Gary died in a tragic accident … at least she thought it was an accident. Now, there are questions that need to be answered, and only one man she can turn to, Gary's best friend, Dylan. Rachel was everything Dylan Prescott wanted in a woman. But Gary met her first, so she became untouchable. For years he stayed away from her. Now Rachel is a widow, her marriage is over, and she turns to him for help. The passion he feels for her is no longer out of his reach. The life he always wanted is beckoning to him, but when the secrets come out, will their love find a way to survive? Reviews: "Freethy has once again penned an exceptional piece of fiction." - Library Journal "Freethy deftly weaves the evocative tapestry of family life, love and pain with a delightful splash of whimsy in this intense story of evolving emotions, of relationships taking form against the ultimate loom of resiliency and triumph. And triumph this story surely does." BookPage LOVE WILL FIND A WAY is a captivating, heart-tugging story of love and family, of dreams and second chances. Barbara Freethy is a master storyteller with a gift for spinning tales about ordinary people in extraordinary situations and drawing readers into their lives." Romance Reviews Today "Heartwarming and life affirming, LOVE WILL FIND A WAY ranks right up there with the other deep love stories that go beyond the traditional. Let it find a way onto your shelf." Romance Readers Connection IF YOU LIKE CONNECTED SERIES, don't miss Barbara's new family series, The Callaways, filled with love, romance and adventure! ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS (#1) SO THIS IS LOVE (#2) FALLING FOR A STRANGER (#3) BETWEEN NOW AND FOREVER (#4) NOBODY BUT YOU (A Callaway Wedding Novella) ALL A HEART NEEDS (#5) THAT SUMMER NIGHT (#6) WHEN SHADOWS FALL (#7) Coming September 2014

Evidence of Trust


Stacey Joy Netzel - 2014
    It’s a fault that lands her in more danger than she bargains for while camping in the back-country of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger Joel Morgan is used to having the upper hand in all his cases—until he runs into the headstrong blond while investigating disturbing incidents of poaching in the park. Brittany’s imprudent lie of omission awakens ghosts in his past, making the sizzling attraction between them unwelcome. As he searches for evidence he can trust her, the monster mutilating wildlife turns his sights on Brittany, and Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her—even give his own life.

Dazed and Divorced


Carol Maloney Scott - 2016
    Not only is Ron the only man she’s ever been with, she’s also coping with the loss of her fertility, and if she goes on one more hideous blind date – possibly her mind. Determined to avoid both online dating and meetup groups, she endures fix-ups with all sorts of memorable characters, such as weepy Pete, the drunk skunk, the cheap hot-dog eater, and let’s not forget - the unholy speed dater. As Claire becomes more depressed over her plight, her best friend Jane prompts her to redirect her maternal longings by adopting an adorable wiener dog puppy. Dixie is not a human baby, but hopefully she will provide her new Mommy with a diversion from the parade of loony men marching through her lonely nights – that’s if Mommy’s house and sanity survive the destructive cyclone that is an untrained three-pound ball of craziness!Unfortunately, while Claire is trying to move on, Ron is trying to pull her back into the past, and his life. Determined to win back his wife’s affections, he offers to help Claire with home repairs as he tries to implement ‘Operation Friends’ in an effort to persuade his wife into giving him another chance. However, Ron is struggling with his own adjustment to single life, and isn’t finding it easy to ditch the Amazon woman, or his new ‘mail order bride’ dating site hobby, no matter how much he has convinced himself that he and Claire belong together.DAZED & DIVORCED is Book 1 in the Rom-Com on the Edge series.

Thursdays at Coconuts


Beth Carter - 2014
    It doesn’t help that she’s still pining for her high school sweetheart, the one who got away. Handling neurotic brides is the best part of Suzy’s day until her son brings home a bombshell from Europe. Alexandra, a beautiful marketer with a “touch” of OCD, falls for a bad-boy cop who's married and possibly stalking her. But he sure is sexy. Alex tries to stay at arm’s length after she puts her job—and life—on the line for the officer who isn’t always a gentleman. Hope hates her name, looks, and frizzy hair. As a high school counselor, she dishes out sage advice to students, yet can’t see she’s enabling her deadbeat, stuck-in-the-seventies hippie parents. After tragedy strikes, she reexamines their relationship and discovers a secret that almost went to the grave. Friends since high school, the thirty-something women meet every Thursday at Coconuts for their own form of friendapy.

The Fireproof Girl


Loretta Lost - 2016
    When the constant danger became too much to bear, she ran away, thinking she could survive on her hacking skills alone.That was until she met Cole Hunter. He became the only person she could trust: her family, her friend, her partner-in-crime. Her everything. After struggling through college and starting their lives together, she believed that nothing could ever tear them apart. Until it did.When news of a brutal murder reaches Sophie, she’ll do everything in her power to fix what is broken. If it isn’t too late…---------When Cole was nine years old, he watched his whole family burn to death in a house fire. Fueled by years of obsession, he started one of the world’s leading architectural firms, with a mission to design homes resistant to fire, earthquakes, floods, and every threat known to man. Sophie was his secret weapon. She was his purpose. Since they were teenagers, he was determined to build a better life for her, so she could finally be safe, and they could be together. But disaster has always followed Cole around, ripping away everything he loves. This time, if he isn’t careful…His enemies might just take him down.

Spring Texas Bride


Katie Lane - 2018
    And trouble is the last thing he needs when he’s working hard to fill his daddy’s boots as the new sheriff. He doesn’t have time for frivolous fun with a sassy woman who can’t take no for an answer. But when Spring finagles her way into a position as his new assistant, Waylon realizes there’s much more to her than meets the eye. She brightens his mundane life with her sunny smile and kind heart, and he suddenly wants springtime each and every day.Spring Hadley isn’t trouble. She’s a free spirit who sometimes forgets important things—like locking up the clothing store she owns with her sisters. When her sisters get mad and call her an irresponsible ditz, she decides to go on a camping adventure to prove that she can make it just fine without her family. Unfortunately, her Jeep breaks down, and Spring ends up stranded in Bliss with no money. A temp job is what she needs, and she’s determined to get it—even if it means tangling with the new sheriff. A sheriff who is hotter than a jalapeno pepper with kisses just as spicy. But when her criminal father blows into town, trouble begins, accusations fly, and the truth comes out. Can a straight-laced lawman and a free-spirited woman make it to the church on time? Or will a secret tear through their spring romance like a Texas tornado?

Forever and Ever Boxed Set


E.L. Todd - 2017
     The Skye Preston. The daughter of the wealthiest businessman in the world, and the most beautiful woman I've ever known. Her looks don't compare to her golden heart. And her heart doesn't compare to that big brain of hers. But I could never tell her. Because we've been best friends for twenty years. She has a jerk for a boyfriend, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. The rest of the gang can't stand him either. But I'm not the kind of guy to intervene. I respect her too much to pull a stunt like that. But then I spot her at a party, too drunk to even walk. The men are eyeing her like easy prey so I take her home. But when we get there Skye is different. She looks at me differently. She touches me differently. And she wants me differently.

Friends Like These


Hannah Ellis - 2015
    With her sights set on the flamboyant Sebastian and his sophisticated group, Marie is sure that things are about to change for the better. But when a chance encounter brings some unlikely characters into her life, things start to veer off course. Marie would never normally be seen with this bunch of misfits but to her annoyance they just keep turning up. As lives quickly become entwined and unusual friendships form, Marie realises that we don't always get to choose our friends; sometimes they choose us. Buoyed by her newfound friendships, Marie might even take another chance at love.

No Love Left Behind


Jenni M. Rose - 2018
    Spoiled, rich, and entitled, the world, and everyone in it, was hers to use and throw away. Until one moment changed her life forever.Seven years and one felony prison sentence later, Mercedes is nothing more than a bad memory and in her place lives Sadie; a down-to-earth dog trainer who wants nothing more than to live in the country with her best friends, her dogs, and pretend her old life doesn’t exist.But her brother has other plans, and when he sends his best friend and Sadie’s girlhood crush, Lincoln Greene, to her house with a big, dopey dog in tow asking for her expert help, she knows she should say no.Lincoln is neck deep in her old life and everything she’s tried to distance herself from since being released from prison. He’s one-quarter of the infamous Boston Billionaire’s Club.Mostly, he’s everything she’s ever wanted but could never have.Lincoln always had a thing for Mercedes. A thing he could never explain because she was, for all intents and purposes, a terrible human being. But one conversation with Sadie and he finally gets a glimpse of the heart and soul that’s always lurked behind those dark eyes.As she lets him in, little by little, everything clicks into place and it becomes clear that Lincoln might just be the one person that sees Sadie for who she is, not who she was.But the scars from her past run deep and there’s someone out there that believes Sadie hasn’t paid nearly enough for her crimes. And they’re willing to go to any lengths to make sure she pays.From the author of The Freehope Series and The Williams Brothers series comes a new take on billionaires that's sure to take reader's hearts by storm!