Books like 'The Good Life'
Readers who enjoyed The Good Life by Jay McInerney also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary psychological literary-fiction urban historical-fiction family epic
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Marred: Kyle and Violet by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKyle Hicks started with nothing. Now he's a self-made man. And as luck would have it, his latest project as a real estate developer lands him in Cliffside Bay with his very best friends, The Dogs. At the end of his grueling work days, Kyle's got just enough time left for his buddies and not much else... -
![Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson]()
Tainted: Lance and Mary by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne career-ending mistake sends Lance Mullen home to Cliffside Bay in search of a fresh start. And in no time at all, home begins to feel like the place he was always meant to be. With his beautiful new beach house, his friends and family close by, and a profitable business to grow, life really is good. That is until his heart tries to wreck everything... again... -
![Blue Ink by Tess Thompson]()
Blue Ink by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlotte Wilde gives her heart to the wrong men. The last one left with her life savings and their nubile neighbor. Her first published cozy mystery is a flop. Her literary agent’s about to dump her. She has a serious case of writer’s block. And she’s dead broke. Which is how she finds herself in rural Idaho looking after her former boss's elderly mother-in-law. While Mrs... -
![Jilted: Nico and Sophie by Tess Thompson]()
Jilted: Nico and Sophie by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDespite being young and romantically inexperienced, Sophie Woods is an old soul who believes in true love, working hard at her bar, and always trusting her instincts. And from the moment she meets Nico, she knows without a doubt that he is her one-and-only... -
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![Another Day in Winter: NEW from the No1 Bestselling Author. A perfect winter treat! (A Winter Day Book) by Shari Low]()
Another Day in Winter: NEW from the No1 Bestselling Author. A perfect winter treat! (A Winter Day Book) by Shari Low
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOne day, four lives, and a wintery web of secrets and lies. On a chilly morning in December forever friends Shauna and Lulu touch down at Glasgow Airport on a quest to find answers from the past... -
![The Correspondent by Tess Thompson]()
The Correspondent by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe can’t stand him. He loathes her. Fate has other plans.When a snowstorm strands these enemies in an abandoned cabin, will they begin to see each other in a whole new way?After fighting her way out of poverty, Stormi Collins is finally going places... -
![Montana Promises by Kim Law]()
Montana Promises by Kim Law
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s falling for his brother’s ex—as if he needs another reason to go. Nate Wilde is ready to leave Birch Bay. He’s been home too long as it is and extending his visit means risking fantasies of staying for good. Wants and desires never work out for him, though. With good comes bad, and he’s had enough bad to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, his siblings need him... -
![Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson]()
Jaded: Zane and Honor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsZane Shaw isn't the type to cower in a corner, until he meets Honor Sullivan. She's the most phenomenal woman he's ever met, but he's been burned before and so he's doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn't left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be. Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn't just any man... -
![The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim]()
The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree talented women are brought together by a man they all love, becoming his Desert Flowers, who work together to save his hotel from being ruined by the company buying it…When Lily Weaver is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, and to come to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate... -
![The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson]()
The Innkeeper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was supposed to be a night to forget. After a night of sizzling passion, they agreed to never contact each other again. Fate disagreed.Jamie Wattson has no use for men who leave and as far as she’s concerned, they all do. She’s focused on running her inn and spending time with girlfriends. Life is simple and she wants it that way... -
![Eventide by Kent Haruf]()
Eventide by Kent Haruf
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsKent Haruf, award-winning, bestselling author of Plainsong returns to the high-plains town of Holt, Colorado, with a novel of masterful authority. The aging McPheron brothers are learning to live without Victoria Roubideaux, the single mother they took in and who has now left their ranch to start college... -
![The Desert Flowers - Rose by Judith Keim]()
The Desert Flowers - Rose by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree talented women brought together by a man’s love…When Rose Macklin is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, by coming to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate. He’s dying of cancer and needs her help overseeing the sale of his hotel, the Desert Sage Inn, to another hotel group... -
![No Wedding Like Nantucket by Grace Palmer]()
No Wedding Like Nantucket by Grace Palmer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe wedding of the year versus the storm of the century. Who will win?Things are finally looking up for the Benson family. After a year of tough choices and big leaps of faith, it seems like love, success, and happiness are right in their grasp. But with a wedding on the horizon and a successful new restaurant growing faster than anyone ever expected, everyone certainly has their hands full... -
![The Grapes of Wrath/The Moon is Down/Cannery Row/East of Eden/Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck]()
The Grapes of Wrath/The Moon is Down/Cannery Row/East of Eden/Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Grapes of Wrath / The Moon Is Down / Cannery Row / East of Eden / Of Mice and...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult anthologies classics contemporary -
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![Riversnow by Tess Thompson]()
Riversnow by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA famous actress goes head-to-head with a powerful politician when she dares to name her abuser publicly in this small-town romance ripped from the headlines by USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson. Genevieve Banks is one of Hollywood's most successful actresses. While on set in the small Oregon town of River Valley, she forms a deep friendship with her handsome male co-star... -
![The Mustachioed Woman of Shanghai by Isham Cook]()
The Mustachioed Woman of Shanghai by Isham Cook
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWant to know what's really going on with relationships in China today? It is the Shanghai of courtesans and concubines, danger and decadence, updated to 2020. American expat author Isham Cook has disappeared... -
![The Truth She Knew by Andrew Brown]()
The Truth She Knew by Andrew Brown
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMama didn’t want me. In fact, she would’ve traded my soul back for someone different if God would’ve let her, but he didn’t, so she was stuck with me. For eighteen-year-old Lacey, life at home is a rollercoaster. She doesn’t think she’ll ever be good enough to truly deserve Mama’s love. But when Lacey enters college and meets Walker, everything starts to change... -
![Prove Me Right by Anna Brooks]()
Prove Me Right by Anna Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne weakness can change everything. Meara and Liam were friends before they could talk, in love since they could drive, and planning their future before they graduated high school. In order to start the life they’ve always dreamed of, Liam just has to finish his tour with the band. He doesn't want anyone else. Liam's only ever had eyes for Meara, and he can't wait to finally get home to her... -
![The Marriage Mender by Linda Green]()
The Marriage Mender by Linda Green
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe only relationship she can't save is her own . . .Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it... -
![Cracks in the Sidewalk by Bette Lee Crosby]()
Cracks in the Sidewalk by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the Bestselling Author of Spare Change, comes a powerful story that is a heart-wrenching reminder of how fragile relationships can be. Cracks in the Sidewalk is based on a true story. Claire McDermott is a Wife, a Mother, a Grandmother... Her only daughter is gravely ill...Her son-in-law is resentful and angry...Her grandchildren are missing..Categorized as:
epic family historical-fiction literary-fiction book children children-books christian -
![With or Without You by Shari Low]()
With or Without You by Shari Low
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHave you ever made a life-changing decision and then wondered if you made the right one...? A clever, captivating and bitterweet story of what might have been. Perfect for the fans of Jojo Moyes and Marian Keyes. When Liv and Nate walked up the aisle, Liv knew she was marrying the one, her soul mate and her best friend... -
![A Life Worth Living by Louise Guy]()
A Life Worth Living by Louise Guy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAre some white lies simply too big to forgive?Eve and Leah are identical twins—but beyond that, they’re polar opposites. Struggling journalist Leah envies Eve’s seemingly perfect life—the loyal husband, the beautiful twin daughters, the stellar career—little knowing that what Eve longs for most is Leah’s independence... -
![Nonfiction by Julie Myerson]()
Nonfiction by Julie Myerson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is definitely not a ghost story. But for a while after you’re gone, I see you everywhere. Every ragged young person sitting huddled on a pavement, every stretched-out body under cardboard in a shop doorway.Two parents stand by powerlessly as their only child seems intent on destroying herself...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family fiction contemporary mental-illness substance-abuse psychological book -
![The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher R. Beha]()
The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher R. Beha
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Beha tackles finance, faith, war, entitlement, and no end of self-destructive acts. I greatly admired both the writing and the ambition... -
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![Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro]()
Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings**Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature**A woman haunted by dreams of her dead mother. An adulterous couple stepping over the line where the initial excitement ends and the pain begins. A widow visiting a Scottish village in search of her husband's past - and instead discovering unsettling truths about a total stranger...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult anthologies audiobook classics -
![Dreams from Bunker Hill by John Fante]()
Dreams from Bunker Hill by John Fante
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMy first collision with fame was hardly memorable. I was a busboy at Marx's Deli. The year was 1934. The place was Third and Hill, Los Angeles. I was twenty-one years old, living in a world bounded on the west by Bunker Hill, on the east by Los Angeles Street, on the south by Pershing Square, and on the north by Civic Center... -
![Three Floors Up by Eshkol Nevo]()
Three Floors Up by Eshkol Nevo
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSet in an upper-middle-class Tel Aviv apartment building, this best-selling and warmly acclaimed Israeli novel examines the interconnected lives of its residents, whose turmoils, secrets, unreliable confessions, and problematic decisions reveal a society in the midst of an identity crisis... -
![House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk]()
House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe English translation of the prize-winning international bestseller Winner of the Gunter Grass PrizeNowa Ruda is a small town in Silesia, an area that has been a part of Poland, Germany, and the former Czechoslovakia in the past. When the narrator moves into the area, she discovers everyone--and everything--has a story...Categorized as:
epic historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain]()
Secrets She Left Behind by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne afternoon, single mother Sara Weston says she's going to the store--and never returns. In her absence, she leaves her teenage son alone with his damaged past and a legacy of secrets... -
![After She Left by Claire Amarti]()
After She Left by Claire Amarti
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAbigail Gibson is gone. The morning after Christmas Day, she walks out of her home in the leafy suburbs of Westchester, New York, leaving behind a strange note on the kitchen table… and her ten-year-old son, Sam.When her sister Gillian gets the call, she can barely believe it...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction fiction contemporary suspense thriller psychological female-mc -
![The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin]()
The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOn an evening in late summer, the great financier Harry Wainwright, nearing the end of his life, arrives at a rustic fishing camp in a remote area of Maine. He comes bearing two things: his wish for a day of fishing in a place that has brought him solace for thirty years, and an astonishing bequest that will forever change the lives of those around him... -
![The First Wife's Secret by Claire Amarti]()
The First Wife's Secret by Claire Amarti
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDinah Spencer is back in her childhood home for one stressful weekend. It’s the twenty-five-year anniversary of her father’s marriage to her stepmother...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction epic fiction contemporary thriller psychological romantic-love -
![On the Divinity of Second Chances by Kaya McLaren, Allyson Ryan]()
On the Divinity of Second Chances by Kaya McLaren, Allyson Ryan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA broken family finds its way back together in this captivating story from the author of Church of the Dog A charismatic author with a voice and message all her own, Kaya McLaren has become beloved in the book world as much for her upbeat energy as for her rich storytelling...Categorized as:
epic family literary-fiction action-adventure adult anthologies audiobook contemporary -
![Ten Birthdays by Kerry Wilkinson]()
Ten Birthdays by Kerry Wilkinson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratings*Winner of the Romantic Novelists' Association Young Adult Novel of the Year 2018*"There are going to be so many things I wish I could’ve told you in person, Poppy. I won’t get the chance to do that, so perhaps this is my only way…"It’s Poppy Kinsey’s birthday... -
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![War Against the Animals by Paul Russell]()
War Against the Animals by Paul Russell
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCameron Barnes, formerly of New York City, lives in a small town in upstate New York. After having nearly succumbed to AIDS, he's recently regained a measure of his health but his long-term lover has moved away, and Cameron faces the daunting prospect of learning how to live with the idea of a future in mind again... -
![Fire & Water: A Suspense-filled Story of Art, Love, Passion, and Madness by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder]()
Fire & Water: A Suspense-filled Story of Art, Love, Passion, and Madness by Betsy Graziani Fasbinder
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFire & Water is a dark story of passion, family secrets, and the enduring power of friendship. Katherine Murphy, a pediatric surgeon in San Francisco's premier medical center, UCSF, is was raised in the ironic protection of her father's Irish pub by a patchwork family formed of misfits and orphans. She is book-brilliant, but unwise in the ways of love and life... -
![My Mother's Daughter by Ann O'Loughlin]()
My Mother's Daughter by Ann O'Loughlin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCounty Wicklow, Ireland. Margo has just lost her husband Conor and is grieving his passing, unsure how she and her daughter Elsa will survive without him. Then she receives a letter that turns everything she thought she knew on its head. Not only has she lost her husband, but now Margo fears she could lose her daughter as well. Ohio, United States... -
![When Alice met Danny by T.A. Williams]()
When Alice met Danny by T.A. Williams
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat's in a name? Devastated after losing her job, eternal pragmatist Alice leaves London for a new start in Devon. It’s there that she meets Danny. Then she meets another Danny...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family urban romance humor contemporary womens-fiction psychological -
![The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown]()
The Secrets Mothers Keep by Jacquie Underdown
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the enchanting landscapes of Tasmania, "The Secrets Mothers Keep" unravels a captivating tale of three generations bound by a shared purpose—to restore the family manor into a charming bed and breakfast. But beneath the surface lies a lifetime of concealed truths that threaten to tear them apart... -
![An Inconvenient Woman by Dominick Dunne]()
An Inconvenient Woman by Dominick Dunne
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJules Mendelson is wealthy. Astronomically so. He and his wife lead the kind of charity-giving, art-filled, high-society life for which each has been carefully groomed. Until Jules falls in love with Flo March, a beautiful actress/waitress. What Flo discovers about the superrich is not a pretty sight. And in the end, she wants no more than what she was promised... -
![A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L'Engle]()
A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L'Engle
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsKatherine Forrester Vigneras, in a continuation of her story from The Small Rain, returns to New York City from Europe to retire. Now in her seventies, she encounters an old friend from her Greenwich Village days who, it turns out, is the former Bishop of New York. He asks Katherine to give a benefit concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction urban book children children-books classics -
![People Like Us by Dominick Dunne]()
People Like Us by Dominick Dunne
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe way journalist Gus Bailey tells it, old money is always preferred, but occasionally new money sneaks in--even where it is most unwelcome. After moving from Cincinnati, Elias and Ruby Renthal strike it even richer in New York, turning their millions into billions. It would be impolite for high society to refuse them now. Not to mention disadvantageous... -
![People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper]()
People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEverything was fine fourteen years after she left New York. Until suddenly, one day, it wasn’t. Emily Morris got her happily-ever-after earlier than most. Married at a young age to a man she loved passionately, she was building the life she always wanted. But when enormous stress threatened her marriage, Emily made some rash decisions. That’s when she fell in love with someone else...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction urban family fiction womens-fiction contemporary audiobook -
![Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories by John Updike]()
Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories by John Updike
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe triumphant collection of short stories by America's most acclaimed novelist... -
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![Sundog by Jim Harrison]()
Sundog by Jim Harrison
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA “feisty, passionate novel” (Newsday) from a writer whose “storytelling instincts are nearly flawless” (The New York Times). The New York Times–bestselling author of thirty-nine books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry including Legends of the Fall, Dalva, and Returning to Earth, Jim Harrison was one of our most beloved and acclaimed writers, adored by both readers and critics...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction action-adventure adult book classics contemporary -
![The Choice by Susan Lewis]()
The Choice by Susan Lewis
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSometimes the choice is too hard to bear...Nikki Grant is only twenty-one when she discovers she's pregnant. Despite her parents' disappointment and anger, she welcomes the news with joy. The baby will complete the happy home she shares with the man she adores, Spencer James. Baby Zac arrives and is perfect in every way... -
![Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes by Joanne DeMaio]()
Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes by Joanne DeMaio
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes an enchanting novel about love, family, and the delicate power of snowflakes.Reluctant to leave her cherished New England hometown after her sister's winter wedding, former journalist Vera Sterling makes a sudden decision. She takes what's left of her severance pay and invests it in real estate .. -
![The Knight and Maggie's Baby by Lisa Mondello]()
The Knight and Maggie's Baby by Lisa Mondello
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSometimes fate needs a little help… Jonah Wallace knows what it’s like to grow up without love. Despite having more money than the Queen of England, his childhood was cold and stale as he grew up in boarding schools... -
![Loving Ashe by Liz Durano]()
Loving Ashe by Liz Durano
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's been three years since Riley Eames' last break-up and if there's anything she's learned about love is that it hurts - a lot. But when she finds herself stuck in a hotel elevator with Hollywood heartthrob Ashe Hunter while on her way to a secret rendezvous with the ex, Riley realizes that maybe this time, falling in love again just might not be such a bad idea after all... -
![Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz]()
Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
Rated: 3.90 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn NPR Best Book of 2015Love and sacrifice intertwine in this brilliant debut of rare beauty about a girl dealing with her mother’s schizophrenia and her own mental illness.Fig’s world lies somewhere between reality and fantasy.But as she watches Mama slowly come undone, it becomes hard to tell what is real and what is not, what is fun and what is frightening...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family historical-fiction north-america usa arkansas kansas young-adult
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