Books like 'The Paper Palace'
Readers who enjoyed The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery literary-fiction family season-summer drama realistic historical-fiction coming-of-age
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One Long Weekend by Shari Low
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAll NEW from the #1 Bestselling Author Shari Low.When all seems lost, hope remains... Val Murray has mislaid her most precious mementoes of the people she’s loved and lost. Can her family, the wonders of technology and a little divine intervention somehow mend her shattered heart?Sophie Smith had to take a rain check on a marriage proposal...Categorized as:
friendship family domestic-drama female-mc coming-of-age romance contemporary fiction -
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand, Erin Bennett
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsBy the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades -- but this could be the summer that changes everything.When Mallory Blessing's son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he's not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer...Categorized as:
cheating domestic-drama drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction -
Dandelion Summer by Lisa Wingate
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"A story beautifully told, with richly drawn characters that will...make you want to laugh and cry"* from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends and Before We Were Yours. All her life, Epiphany Salerno has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic adult audiobook -
An Unfinished Story: A Novel by Boo Walker
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA grieving widow and a disenchanted writer form an unexpected bond in a novel about second chances and finding the courage to let go of the past. It’s been three years since Claire Kite lost her husband, David, an aspiring novelist, in a tragic car accident. Claire finally finds the courage to move on; then she discovers among the remnants of her shattered world her husband’s last manuscript... -
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The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA grandmother’s loving bequest changes three lives forever in a heartwarming novel about finding love, hope, and family by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.An inheritance has reunited three estranged cousins... -
The Art of Inheriting Secrets by Barbara O'Neal
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the sophisticated food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Raw with grief and reeling from the knowledge that her reserved mother hid something so momentous, Olivia leaves San Francisco and crosses the pond to unravel the mystery of a lifetime... -
Fresh Water for Flowers: A Novel by Valérie Perrin
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsViolette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne. Casual mourners, regular visitors, and sundry colleagues—gravediggers, groundskeepers, and a priest—visit her to warm themselves in her lodge, where laughter, companionship, and occasional tears mix with the coffee she offers them. Her life is lived to the rhythms of their funny, moving confidences... -
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...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family female-mc friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction -
Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of These Tangled Vines comes a gripping novel about one woman’s search for answers when her husband vanishes in the night.Olivia Hamilton is married to the love of her life, Dean, a charismatic pilot who flies private jets for the rich and famous. But when he vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, Olivia’s idyllic existence unravels... -
The Wishing Tide by Barbara Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of The Secrets She Carried comes a novel about the pull of the past and the power of love. As offseason begins on the Outer Banks, a storm makes landfall, and three unlikely strangers are drawn together... Five years ago, Lane Kramer moved to Starry Point, certain the quaint island village was the place to start anew...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book contemporary fiction -
Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsIn this #1 bestselling page-turner a Nantucket novelist has one final summer to protect her secrets while her loved ones on earth learn to live without their golden girl.On a perfect June day, Vivian Howe, author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly grown children, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket...Categorized as:
domestic-drama drama family female-mc friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction -
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... -
Vegas Rich by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith a heart full of dreams, Sallie Coleman leaves Texas and heads west determined to get as far from the squalor of her dirt poor beginnings. With its shifting sands, smoky saloons and bingo palaces, Las Vegas seems like a paradise. A paradise where an extraordinary twist of fate makes Sallie the most powerful businesswoman in Nevada. Suddenly she is rich...Categorized as:
domestic-drama drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult -
Recipes for Melissa: The heartbreaking story of a mother's goodbye to her daughter by Teresa Driscoll
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIs it ever too late for the gift of goodbye? As I write now, you are eight years old – asleep in the bed next door in princess pyjamas, with a fairy costume discarded on the floor.Twenty-Five. The age I had you. The age our story began. And the age, I hope, that will see you truly ready for the things that I need to say to you… Melissa Dance was eight years old when her mother died... -
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A Lowcountry Wedding by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWedding season has arrived in New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe’s next novel in the “distinct, complex, and endearing” ( Charleston Magazine ) Lowcountry Summer series, set against the romantic, charming Charleston Lowcountry. Nothing could be more enchanting than a summer wedding—or two!—in Charleston’s fabled lowcountry... -
One Minute Later: A Novel by Susan Lewis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsInternational bestselling author Susan Lewis’ riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman whose life changes in an instant and the handsome young man with whom she shares a secret history—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, and Susan Wiggs. How well do you know the people you love? For one young woman returning to the past, the answer could be heart-shattering.. -
The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA charming, uplifting debut novel—full of humor and depth—that has taken readers around the world by surprise. Everyone has a story to tell. But does Janice have the power to unlock her own?She can’t recall what started her collection... -
The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA woman embarks on an unexpected journey into her past in an engrossing novel about identity, family secrets, and rediscovering the need to belong.Meena Dave is a photojournalist and a nomad. She has no family, no permanent address, and no long-term attachments, preferring to observe the world at a distance through the lens of her camera... -
When We Were Sisters by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo sisters who haven’t spoken for twenty years. One summer to bring a family back together.Jayne Winters hasn’t seen her sister Charlotte since that last childhood holiday at their grandmother’s North Carolina beach house. Separated after that summer by their parents in a bitter divorce, Charlotte has never forgiven Jayne for not fighting to stay together...Categorized as:
family domestic-drama literary-fiction female-mc friendship womens-fiction mystery contemporary -
The Essential Elizabeth Stone by Jennifer Banash
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the author of The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana comes an emotional and empowering multigenerational family saga about a mother and daughter, and the secrets they keep from each other—and from themselves.For more than thirty years, Elizabeth Stone has been an irreplaceable fixture in homes around the world, a food and lifestyle icon with a brand as warm and inviting as New England brown bread... -
Apart at The Seams by Marie Bostwick
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwice in her life, college counsellor Gayla Oliver fell in love at first sight. The first time was with Brian - a lean, longhaired, British bass player. Marriage followed quickly, then twins, and gradually their bohemian lifestyle gave way to busy careers in New York. Gayla's second love affair is with New Bern, Connecticut. Like Brian, the laid back town is charming without trying too hard... -
No Safe Secret by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn her powerful new novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels weaves a story of betrayal, courage, and starting over… From her silver Mercedes to her designer kitchen, Molly's life is gleaming and beautiful--at least on the surface. Married to Tanner, a top cosmetic dentist, she has a wonderful daughter finishing high school and twin stepsons from Tanner's first marriage... -
Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn T. Dingman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA heartfelt fiction debut that will appeal to fans of Emily Giffin’s Southern charm and Jennifer Weiner’s compelling, emotionally resonant novels about the frustrations of blood ties, Cancel the Wedding follows one woman’s journey to discover the secrets of her mother’s hidden past—and confront her own uncertain future...Categorized as:
drama family female-mc grief historical-fiction literary-fiction season-summer adult -
The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOVERALL MATTE Mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins--they lived for summers at the lake house until a tragic accident changed everything. The Summer That Made Us is an unforgettable story about a family learning to accept the past, to forgive and to love each other again. That was then.. -
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Flight Patterns by Karen White
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels tells the story of a woman coming home to the family she left behind—and to the woman she always wanted to be.... Georgia Chambers has spent her life sifting through other people’s pasts while trying to forget her own...Categorized as:
drama family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic season-summer secrets -
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... -
Between You and Me by Carol Mason
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIs her new husband really who she thinks he is?When young doctor Lauren Matheson meets Joe, an older divorced businessman, at a glittering poolside in California, it’s a chance encounter that seems life-changing for them both. Back home in London, their feelings only strengthen... -
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe repercussions of an illicit affair unfold in this short story by bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid.Dear stranger…A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.My heart goes out to you, David...Categorized as:
cheating domestic-drama drama family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction love-triangle -
Letters from Peaceful Lane by Janet Dailey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the rugged Ozarks of beautiful Branson, Missouri, a woman struggles to save her marriage--and finds answers from an unexpected source . . . Allison felt like she'd stepped into a fairy tale when she married widower Burke Caldwell. But after less than a year of marriage, he's become removed and distant... -
The Forgotten Wife by Emma Robinson
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt was a wooden box, white with yellow and green flowers. Shelley ran a finger over the embossed lettering – Memories – pressed her lips tightly together, feeling her heart pounding in her chest… and opened it.When Shelley first met Greg, her life had been full of possibility...Categorized as:
domestic-drama family literary-fiction female-mc friendship womens-fiction fiction contemporary -
Somewhere Between Luck and Trust by Emilie Richards
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhere Luck Meets Trust, Miracles Can Happen... Christy Haviland served eight months in prison, giving birth behind bars to the child of the man who put her there and might yet destroy her. Now she's free again, but what does that mean? As smart as she is, a learning disability has kept her from learning to read. And that's the least of her hurdles... -
A Family Affair by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels comes a captivating and heartfelt new novel, as a young dancer finds an unexpected partner--and gains the courage to live according to her heart. . . In a city built on dreams, Trisha Holiday makes her living moving like one. But out of her dancer's costume, she's as down-to-earth as they come... -
The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPerfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Ruta Sepetys, this sweet, summery romance set in Nantucket follows seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg as she uncovers a secret about her grandmother's life during WWII.Seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg isn't exactly looking forward to the summer before her senior year...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic season-summer family drama friendship romance young-adult -
The Color of Light by Karen White
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAt thirty-two, pregnant and recently divorced, Jillian Parrish and her seven-year-old daughter find refuge and solace on Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Jillian had experienced her best childhood memories here-until her best friend Lauren Mills disappeared, never to be found. At the time, Linc Rising, Lauren's boyfriend and Jillian's confidant, had been a suspect in Lauren's disappearance... -
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The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAn enchanting and captivating novel about how our untold stories haunt us — and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.After her family suffers a tragedy, nine-year-old Alice Hart is forced to leave her idyllic seaside home...Categorized as:
coming-of-age domestic-drama drama family friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction -
The Beach Trees by Karen White
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of After the Rain, Sea Change, and The Color of Light...From the time she was twelve, Julie Holt knew what a random tragedy can do to a family. At that tender age, her little sister disappeared-never to be found. It was a loss that slowly eroded the family bonds she once relied on...Categorized as:
drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer secrets -
I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author revisits the characters from her beloved novels Love Walked In and Belong to Me in this captivating, beautifully written drama involving family, friendship, secrets, sacrifice, courage, and true love for fans of Jojo Moyes, Elin Hilderbrand, and Nancy ThayerOn the weekend of her wedding, Clare Hobbes meets an elderly woman named Edith Herron...Categorized as:
domestic-drama drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCan one chance meeting change the course of your life? When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, broken-hearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly pensioner Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like her own...Categorized as:
friendship realistic family literary-fiction season-summer romance fiction contemporary -
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsEmma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges... -
The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Weekenders comes a delightful new novel about new love, old secrets, and the kind of friendship that transcends generations.When ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons Brooke Trappnell to Talisa Island, her 20,000 acre remote barrier island home, Brooke is puzzled...Categorized as:
drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer secrets -
The Sound of Glass by Karen White
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone now explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret...Categorized as:
domestic-drama drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
The Olive Tree by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt is said that anyone who comes to stay at 'Pandora' for the first time will fall in love . . . It has been twenty-four years since a young Helena spent a magical holiday in Cyprus, where she fell in love for the first time. When the now crumbling house, 'Pandora', is left to her by her godfather, she returns to spend the summer there with her family... -
Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLose yourself in this captivating tale of love and betrayal, lies and forgiveness, from New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain. Dr. Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina’s Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman’s life, Olivia realizes who she is—Annie O’Neill...Categorized as:
cheating dark domestic-drama drama family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction -
The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsShe thought she knew her best friend…She was wrong.The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life...Categorized as:
friendship season-summer coming-of-age literary-fiction family female-mc romance mystery -
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The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAdie Lou Kruger’s ex never understood her affection for what her parents called their Creaky Cottage, the charming, ramshackle summer home—complete with its own set of rules for relaxing—that she’s inherited on Lake Michigan...Categorized as:
domestic-drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer adult -
Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own... -
The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen Rose’s mom dies, she leaves behind a brown paper bag labeled Rose’s Survival Kit. Inside the bag, Rose finds an iPod, with a to-be-determined playlist; a picture of peonies, for growing; a crystal heart, for loving; a paper star, for making a wish; and a paper kite, for letting go... -
A Woman Betrayed by Barbara Delinsky
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA classic novel from an exceptional storyteller, A Woman Betrayed, first published in 1991, is a stunning tale of troubling secrets that can hide beneath the placid surface of a seemingly good marriage—and the courage that's needed to move on.Laura Frye has been happily married to her husband, Jeff, for twenty years... -
The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLindsay Harrel presents a powerful story of healing, forgiveness, and finding the courage to write your own story. A year after the death of her abusive fiancé, domestic violence counselor Sophia Barrett finds returning to work too painful...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic adult -
Looking for Clara by Simona Grossi
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsClara is a successful lawyer in L.A. She moved to the West Coast after graduating from law school, leaving behind William, her best friend or more than that. Before she even settles in L.A., her law firm sends her to Siena, Italy, to work on a project for at least six months. This is the original plan. Once in Siena, though, Clara's life takes unexpected turns...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family literary-fiction female-mc friendship romance contemporary fiction
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