Books like 'Love and Other Impossible Pursuits'
Readers who enjoyed Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance psychological family urban drama grief realistic literary-fiction children
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Healed: Stone and Pepper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Cliffside Bay and beyond in this heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romantic adventure from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson. Stone Hickman is the last of a dying breed. The former Marine believes in integrity, service to his country, a hard day's work, and taking care of his loved ones... -
Departed: David and Sara by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRecently widowed Sara Ness moves to Cliffside Bay to hide from her painful past and the scandal that cost her far too much. With a baby daughter to raise alone, the peaceful privacy of small town life, and the comfort of the local grief support group, are just what the heiress needs... -
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
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... -
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What Now?: New for 2021! The hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? by Shari Low
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe hilarious sequel to the bestselling What If? from Shari Low.Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right. Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong...Categorized as:
breakup domestic-drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction urban action-adventure -
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
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... -
Seabreeze Christmas by Jan Moran
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA season of joy. The spirit of family. **From a USA Today Bestselling author**When sisters Ivy and Shelly Bay discover crates of vintage Christmas decorations at the Seabreeze Inn, they decide to open their historic beach house to the village of Summer Beach... -
The Story of Our Secrets by Shari Low
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsColm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past.Shauna, his second wife, adored him. But one night she broke their marriage vows, and didn’t get time to ask Colm’s forgiveness.Jess was the first Mrs O’Flynn... -
Margaritas at the Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn upscale hotel like The Beach House Hotel sometimes attracts surprise guests….Ann and Rhonda continue overseeing their Beach House Hotel along the Gulf Coast of Florida and providing guests with a lovely experience of good eating, relaxation, and the privacy many of them require... -
Deleted: Jackson and Maggie by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJackson Waller has loved Maggie Keene since they were six years old, but their dueling dreams ultimately tore them apart. First love—true love—wasn’t enough to overcome their individual desires to pursue dreams on opposite coasts. When Jackson learns of Maggie’s tragic death on her way to college on the east coast, his heartbreak, compounded by grief, renews his focus on his own future... -
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
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
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... -
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Missed: Rafael and Lisa by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsReturn to the beloved beach town of Cliffside Bay, where USA Today bestseller Tess Thompson spins another emotional, intriguing tale about overcoming adversity and finding strength in love in this standalone story about Lisa and Rafael. After years of struggling as a starving actor, Lisa Perry's dreams are finally coming true...Categorized as:
drama female-mc literary-fiction epic family contemporary womens-fiction psychological -
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...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc epic family friendship fiction womens-fiction psychological -
A Million Dreams by Dani Atkins
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBeth Brandon always dreamed of owning a florist, but today the bouquets of peonies and bright spring flowers are failing to calm her nerves. Because today, Beth has a life-changing decision to share with her husband.Izzy Vaughan thought she and her husband would stay together forever, but sometime last year, their love began to fade... -
Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThey used to joke about it. Like many brilliant scientists, Josh sometimes had trouble remembering things that needed doing in the "real" world--like buying groceries, eating regular meals, and talking to people. But he was happy to have his beloved wife, Lauren, remind him with her "honey do" lists. He just never realized how much he would need one when she was gone... -
Sunsets & Second Chances by Rachel Hanna
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe’s standing in front of her… … after ten long years. No one knows why Dixie’s son is standing there, on Christmas Day, no less. And he doesn’t look happy.Dixie is keeping a big secret that will shake up everyone around her.Julie’s daughter, Colleen, is coming home for a visit, but she’s not alone. Janine makes a new friend, but nobody is thrilled about it... -
The Pet Doctor by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a small-town veterinarian with a love for animals and naps. Haunted by a childhood trauma, she’s terrified of men. Can the truth about her past bring them closer together or tear them apart forever?Breck Stokes is back where he belongs. After years at university, he’s returned to Emerson Pass and taken over his mother’s veterinarian practice... -
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsJude Farraday is a happily married, stay-at-home mom who puts everyone’s needs above her own. Her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill enters their lives, no one is more supportive than Jude. A former foster child with a dark past, Lexi quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable... -
The Beachside Inn by Fiona Baker
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEscape to Marigold Island, a charming New England town with a cast of characters who will come to feel like old friends!Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start.A year ago, Lydia became a widow at thirty-eight when she lost her beloved husband to cancer, and despite the support of her friends and her teenage daughter, Holly, she’s had a hard time moving on from the loss... -
The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything. Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter... -
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... -
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Gulf Coast Cottage by Maggie Miller
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEscape to the Gulf Coast of Florida with Georgia Carpenter as she gets a second chance at life, love, and happiness. In the middle of an awful divorce, fifty-three-year-old Georgia Carpenter finds herself out of luck, time, and money. Then her phone rings with the news that her great aunt has died and left her a cottage in the Gulf Coast town of Blackbird Beach... -
What the Heart Remembers by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOverview TWO LOVERS. ONE CHANCE AT HAPPINESS....When Max Martinelli returns to Paris in search of her lost love, what she finds will change her life forever. For three years the memory of Julien Marceau has haunted Max. Her life is stuck on hold simply because she can't stop wondering what would have happened if she had gone back... -
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... -
Coral Weddings by Jan Moran
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhile Marina and Jack contemplate their future, her sister Kai and her new fiance Axe are planning their wedding. When disagreements threaten to derail the wedding, the sisters' grandmother, the indomitable Ginger Delavie, doles out unusual advice. Soon, an unforgettable event unfolds... -
The Patron by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s afraid to take risks. He’s an incurable daredevil. When tragedy throws them together, will it spark a lasting devotion?Crystal Whalen isn’t sure why she should go on. Two years after her husband’s death on a ski trip, she’s devastated when a fire destroys her quiet Colorado mountain home... -
Life After by Katie Ganshert
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt could have been me. Snow whirls around an elevated train platform in Chicago. A distracted woman boards the train, takes her seat, and moments later a fiery explosion rips through the frigid air, tearing the car apart in a horrific attack on the city’s transit system. One life is spared. Twenty-two are lost... -
Lunch at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAnn Rutherford’s and Rhonda DelMonte Grayson’s lives continue to be full of surprises as they run The Beach House Hotel, their small upscale hotel on the Gulf Coast in Southwest Florida. Things heat up when Tina Marks (Valentina Marquis, a famous young movie star) is sent to the hotel in secret to lose twenty-five pounds in eight weeks for her next starring role... -
Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsDr. Julia Cates was one of the country's preeminent child psychiatrists until a shocking tragedy ruined her career. Retreating to her small western Washington hometown, Julia meets an extraordinary six-year-old girl who has inexplicably emerged from the deep woods nearby—a child locked in a world of unimaginable fear and isolation... -
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIn this powerhouse of a novel, Kristin Hannah explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . -
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... -
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The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead... -
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsHer captivating bestseller of loss and the healing power of love now re-issued with a stunning new jacket look. Elfrida Phipps loves her new life in the pretty Hampshire village. She has a tiny cottage, her faithful dog Horace and the friendship of the neighbouring Blundells - particularly Oscar - to ensure that her days include companionship as well as independence... -
The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Catherine Pulaski knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disorder, almost triumphed once; that was her first suicide attempt.Being bipolar is forever. It never goes away. The med du jour might work right now, but Zero will be back for her. It’s only a matter of time... -
What I Remember Most by Cathy Lamb
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn a new novel rich in grace, warmth, and courage, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb tells of one woman's journey of reinvention in the wake of deep betrayal.Grenadine Scotch Wild has only vague memories of the parents she last saw when she was six years old. But she's never forgotten their final, panicked words to her, urging Grenadine to run... -
Christmas at the Restaurant by Pamela M. Kelley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNantucket's famous Christmas Stroll is always the first week of December and this year sisters Mandy and Emma and Paul, the executive chef want to do something extra special for Mimi's Place, the restaurant that they co-own. It will be Emma and Paul's first Christmas together as a couple and Mandy's first holiday as a newly single and divorced mother of two... -
When Never Comes by Barbara Davis
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAuthor Barbara Davis deftly explores an emotionally charged landscape of pain, loss, and despair—and the risk one woman will take in the hope of loving again.As a teenage runaway and child of an addict, Christy-Lynn learned the hard way that no address was permanent, and no promise sacred... -
Christina by Leanne Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy entire life I’ve lived with shadows lurking behind what otherwise appears like the perfect family. My mother often disappears into her bedroom for days at a time because her life becomes too much to deal with. I never understood it. I know there are family secrets. I hear the whispers and innuendos. But no one wants me to know the truth. The thing is: I’m not a little girl anymore... -
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... -
The Last Goodbye by Kay Lyons
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSOMETIMES THE PAIN OF LIFE BRINGS A NEW BEGINNING...Widower Dominic Dunn isn’t sure what to think of his wife’s pre-planned trip for him a year after her death. It’s her effort to force him from his work desk to the coast and the peacefulness she’d found at the Carolina Cove Inn... -
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... -
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Drift by Anna Brooks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI could tell this girl was lost. She was also scared and alone. This life was going to destroy her… If I let it. She refuses my help and protection until she realizes the audition she's attending isn't an audition at all. It's an auction. And she's about to be sold to the highest bidder. I've got the money to buy her, but better than that, I've got the power to save her... -
Change of Heart by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEmerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica... -
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library... -
The Shadow Between Us by Carol Mason
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat is it about the coast that attracts people running from their past? Maybe there’s something in a sea breeze that blows away your problems. Maybe when you look out at the ocean you can see the future; forget the secrets and pain holding you back. Or at least you can forget them for a time. When Olivia moves to Port Townsend, her marriage is floundering, and her life is in pieces... -
The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA gripping, openhearted novel about family, reconciliation, and bringing closure to the secrets of the past.Early into the tempestuous decade of her thirties, Rae Langdon struggles to work through a grief she never anticipated. With her father, Connor, she tends to their Ohio farm, a forty-acre spread that itself has enjoyed better days... -
The Things We Do for Love by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe youngest of three daughters, Angela DeSaria Malone was always “the princess” of the family, a girl who thought she knew how her life would unfold. High School. College. Marriage. Motherhood. That was how it had gone for her sisters, her cousins, her friends. But it didn’t work out that way for Angie...
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