Books like 'A Light in the Forest'
Readers who enjoyed A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery magical-realism crime lgbtq friendship family female-mc low-fantasy
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Finding Billie Romano by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author wants to take you to Ireland for a story that will leave you wanting more long after you turn the last page... Twenty-five year old Billie Romano is struggling. She is grieving the death of her beloved dad and nothing in her life is going right... -
Saturdays at Sweeney's by Ashley Farley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMembers of the Sweeney family, young and old, chart their courses for the future in this final installment of the bestselling Sweeney Sisters Series. When the seafood business Lovie Sweeney established sixty years ago is destroyed by fire, she finds herself at the center of an arson investigation... -
Lowcountry on My Mind by Ashley Farley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsChildhood friends reunite in an explosive tale of family dysfunction and romance gone wrong.Amelia has been plotting to escape her abusive husband for years. When her mama’s untimely death provides an unexpected opportunity, she hops on the next bus to the South Carolina Lowcountry. Her husband will eventually come for her. But she’s prepared... -
The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club by Faith Hogan
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree women. Three different stages of life. United by one thing: the chance to start again.'Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour' – Cathy BramleyWhen Elizabeth's husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, the only person she can turn to is her friend, Jo. Soon Jo has called in her daughter, Lucy, to help save Elizabeth from bankruptcy... -
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Miss Janie's Girls by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown... -
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Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series by Barbara Hinske
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHow much would you sacrifice to save the life of a child? In the fourth novel of best-selling author Barbara Hinske’s beloved Rosemont series, Maggie Martin faces her biggest challenges when her future at Rosemont and the life of someone dear to her are at stake. Fighting to eradicate the corruption in Westbury has left Mayor Maggie Martin drained... -
Nantucket News by Pamela M. Kelley
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCharleston native, Taylor Abbott, has just relocated to Nantucket for her dream job as a junior news reporter at the local paper. Ten years ago she was Abby Hodges college roommate and is looking forward to living near her best friend again.Until her rental cottage is available, she's going to stay at the Beach Plum Cove Inn, Abby's mother's bed and breakfast... -
Lethal Lobster by Hope Callaghan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings~~ Click the “Buy now with 1 click” button at the top of the page OR Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime ~~ Lethal Lobster Is Book 3 In The Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series BONUS: Recipe Included! Assistant Cruise Director, Millie Sanders' day is off to a shockingly bad start when her boss “volunteers” her to be his Guinea pig for a stun gun self-defense class in... -
Revenge in Paradise by Deborah Brown
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen a man of questionable character’s corpse is found at The Cottages, beaten to death with Madison’s own gardening tools, she and her partner, Fab, set out to prove that the man’s abused girlfriend did not kill him. Along the way, Madison finds herself behind bars twice, held hostage in a mansion, and running from flying bullets... -
The Oyster Diver's Secret by Caroline Säfstrand, A.A. Prime
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSet on the beautiful Swedish coast, this is a story of deep friendship and hope, about facing the worst parts of ourselves and stepping into a new future.Inez is ready to clean out her life. Seventy years old and no longer working as a women’s fiction author, her life has been accumulating in piles around her Swedish cottage by the sea. But it’s not just the house that needs cleaning... -
The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA soul-stirring novel about the bonds between mother and child and the redemption that comes with facing the past and letting it go.Thirty-two-year-old Jess Abbot has lost everything: her job, her apartment, and—most heart-wrenching—her eight-year-old son, Chance, to a tragic accident... -
Invisible Girl by Jill Childs
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA heartbreaking story of family secrets from the USA Today bestselling author of Gracie’s Secret. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain.I know you. I know you in a way you can’t even imagine. I have been searching for you in the years since you wrote that letter – the letter that told me you were looking for me too... -
Murder in the Family by Paula Bernstein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHannah Kline is a successful Los Angeles obstetrician and the recently widowed mother of a young daughter. She is barely managing to hold it all together, when her life is shattered once again by the brutal murder of her beautiful, bright, zany and recently divorced sister-in-law Beth. Hannah is determined to do whatever she can to assist the police in finding the murderer... -
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The View from Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of The Brighter the Light comes the story of two women connected by the grief they never got over and the journey they embark on to finally move forward.It’s been fifteen years since her sister died, and Rae McDonald still hasn’t recovered from the accident—or the ways she tried to cope with it. Not even a PhD in psychology has helped her deal with her feelings...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship romance historical-fiction fiction womens-fiction contemporary -
All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Tell Me Your Secret and The Brighton Mermaid comes the breath-taking sequel to the iconic Sunday Times bestseller The Ice Cream Girls.Verity is telling lies...And that's why she's about to be arrested for attempted murder.Serena has been lying for years. . .And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable.. -
Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn unusual inheritance leads to a life-changing journey in a novel of romance, secrets, and the treasure of found family.Blythe Harmon is on the fast track to a life she never wanted... -
Identity by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA new thriller about one man's ice-cold malice, and one woman's fight to reclaim her life.Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender... -
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsYears ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.“Clever, dark, and hopeful . . -
The Enchanted Garden Cafe (South Side Stories) (Volume 1) by Abigail Drake
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFor her sixth birthday, Fiona Campbell’s mother, Claire, made her a peace sign piñata filled with wishes for a better planet instead of candy. When she got her period, her mother held a womanhood ceremony at their café and invited the neighborhood. On her sixteenth birthday, they celebrated with a drum circle... -
The Change by Kirsten Miller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBig Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick--a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers--putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town... -
Gun in the Gardenias by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA new cozy mystery series from USA Today best-selling author Dale Mayer. Follow gardener and amateur sleuth Doreen Montgomery—and her amusing and mostly lovable cat, dog, and parrot—as they catch murderers and solve crimes in lovely Kelowna, British Columbia... -
Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRiches to rags. ... Chaos again. ... Winning is important, ... at least for some!Doreen is overwhelmed with joy when she sees all the volunteers who show up to help get her deck addition built. Most of the men are cops, friends of Corporal Mack Moreau’s, and are happy to help Mack’s special friend and the lady who has helped solve so many crimes for them with a spot of home renovation... -
Neighbors: A Novel by Danielle Steel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In Danielle Steel’s gripping new novel, a reclusive woman opens up her home to her neighbors in the wake of a devastating earthquake, setting off events that reveal secrets, break relationships apart, and bring strangers together to forge powerful new bonds.Meredith White was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces... -
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The Pink House by Cindy Kirk
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeep in the forest, on a sun-drenched patch of lush green grass, surrounded by lily-of-the-valley, sits a pink house. With turrets towering like neighboring trees, and a wide welcoming front porch, the old Victorian is impossible to miss. Except that everyone in town has—everyone but Hannah Danbury... -
What She Saw by Wendy Clarke
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe lied to her daughter to save her family. Everyone knows Leona would do anything for her daughter Beth: she moved to Church Langdon to send Beth to the best school, worked hard to build a successful business to support them and found them the perfect little cottage to call home. Leona and Beth hike together, shop together, share their hopes and fears with one another... -
The Coach Trip by Izzy Bromley
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this heartwarming story of hope and second chances, Emma and Mel are about to discover that sometimes life is about the journey, not the destination…Classic forgetful Emma—she’s done it again, this time accidentally ruining a Valentine’s Day surprise for her best friend Mel. Desperate to make up for it, she promises Mel a birthday trip to Edinburgh—a girls’ weekend to end all girls’ weekends... -
In Plain Sight by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTHE BOND OF SISTERHOOD For years Myra Rutledge and Annie de Silva, founding members of the Sisterhood, have funded an underground network run by former Supreme Court Justice Pearl Barnes to help women escape abusive relationships... -
No Child of Mine by Susan Lewis
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom internationally bestselling British author Susan Lewis comes an unflinching, thoroughly suspenseful novel—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult—about the darkest secrets a family can hide. Alex Lake’s life is centered on helping people. Her job as a social worker in a British seaside town is more than a career: It’s the very essence of who she is... -
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.. -
Good as Dead by Susan Walter
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt all starts with a promise from a stranger: We’ll take care of everything.Holly Kendrick’s husband is dead. Holly saw it all. In one violent moment, a hit-and-run accident turns Holly’s life upside down. Then a fixer for the high-powered guilty party approaches Holly with an offer she is in no position to refuse... -
Friends with Secrets by Christine Gunderson
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn a funny and suspenseful debut, Christine Gunderson explores the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets.What you see isn’t always what you get.Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben—aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune—in suburban Washington, DC... -
Message Not Found by Dante Medema
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn emotionally complex portrayal of secrets, loss, and grief from Dante Medema, Indies Introduce author of the Indie Next Pick title The Truth Project.Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey’s, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house... -
Lost at Sea by A.E. Radley
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAnnie Peck finds herself in a terrible situation and is literally running for her life. A chance encounter with a surprising lookalike leads her towards a risky solution. Captain Caroline West knows she is lucky to be one of the few women cruise ship captains in the world... -
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The Harbor of Lies, a Romantic Suspense Novel by Debra Burroughs
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom NY Times bestselling author Debra Burroughs comes Book 6 in the wildly popular Paradise Valley Mystery series. The captivating romance between sassy private-eye Emily Parker and sexy police detective Colin Andrews has been filled with mystery, danger, and intrigue. He’s finally convinced her to marry him—if only they can make it to the altar unscathed... -
High Blue Sky by Victoria Connelly
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat would you sacrifice to be with the person you love?Summer has arrived and it’s over a year since strangers Abigail and Edward bought Winfield Hall at auction and restored it together. Now, two new tenants are about to join them at their beautiful Georgian home... -
Murder à la Mode by Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWith the wine harvest behind them, things had just started to calm down for Maggie and Laurent in their French village of Saint-Buvard when a team of food industry entrepreneurs and celebrity judges arrives to put on a contest to decide in a blind taste test which country makes the best chocolate éclairs—the Brits, the Americans, the Germans or the French... -
A Wedding in Driftwood Cove by Olivia Miles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA wedding brings together three sisters—and an undercurrent of secrets threatens to tear them apart in this seaside romance from author Olivia Miles.With youngest sister Hallie getting married, the three Walsh sisters reunite at their family’s beach house for the big event. It’s a celebratory affair, rife with cherished traditions.But families are complicated, and these sisters are no exception... -
A Field of Poppies by Sharon Sala
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo families. One secret. Separated by a river and twenty years of lies. Five minutes changed Poppy Sadler’s life forever. Tick. The hospital called. Her mother’s battle with cancer was finally over. Tock. The police showed up at her door. Her father’s body has just been pulled from the River. Tick. Murdered. Tick, Tock. Five minutes and a secret is coming undone... -
The Thorn Girl by Laura Elliot
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA swallow flutters its wings into a dimly lit attic as Adele Foyle stumbles across the secret diary of the mother she has never met, and a shocking account of a crime committed over twenty-five years ago... -
In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFinding your way is never a simple journey…Alice sees the best in people.She also sees the worst.She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.Every. Single. Day.But it’s the dark thoughts.The sadness. The rage.These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her... -
In His Blood by Kate Bold
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFBI Special Agent Eve Hope can’t escape the shadow of her notorious serial killer father—though he is jailed, the puzzle of the loving father of her childhood haunts her, and now, assigned to a copycat case, she is forced to face her worst memories... -
It's Raining Men by Milly Johnson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA getaway to remember. But is a holiday romance on the cards? Best friends from work May, Lara and Clare are desperate for some time away. They have each had a rough time of it lately and need some serious R & R, so they set off to a luxurious spa for ten glorious days. But when they arrive at their destination, it seems it is not the place they thought it was... -
Riverbend Road by RaeAnne Thayne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsReturn to Haven Point, where New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne proves there's no sweeter place to fall in love Protecting the streets of Haven Point isn't just a job for police officer Wyn Bailey, it's a family tradition. But lately she's found herself wanting more, especially from her boss—and overprotective brother's best friend—sexy chief of police, Cade Emmett... -
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The Stepdaughter by Georgina Cross
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s a normal afternoon when I walk out the patio doors of our kitchen to check on Mia, my stepdaughter, who is swimming in our backyard pool. But she’s gone. My heart stops when I see the back gate is open, her pink, fluffy towel lying folded on a chair. I was just feet away... -
When I Was Invisible by Dorothy Koomson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratings'Do you ever wonder if you've lived the life you were meant to?' I ask her. She sighs, and dips her head. 'Even if I do, what difference will it make?' In 1988, two eight-year-old girls with almost identical names and the same love of ballet meet for the first time. They seem destined to be best friends forever and to become professional dancers... -
The Choice I Made by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOne day you will understand that the heart is only as fragile as the choices we make. I tell you this now – we all make surprising decisions for love. Ones that can tear our heart out and leave us begging for answers. The most painful choice I’ve ever made, my dearest, was to say goodbye to you... -
Accidental Heroes by Danielle Steel
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA decorated former Air Force pilot. A pregnant flight attendant. A dedicated TSA agent. The fates of these three, and many others, converge in Danielle Steel's gripping new novel--a heart-stopping thriller that engages ordinary men and women in the fight of their lives during a flight from New York to San Francisco. On a beautiful May morning at New York's John F... -
The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGreenwillow has bought Wendy McLeod MacKnight's second novel. Twelve-year-old Sargent Singer is sent away from home to reconnect with his estranged father, who is the director of an art gallery. During his visit, Sargent sees a portrait of a girl named Mona Dunn stick out her tongue and the secret of the gallery is revealed...Categorized as:
crime family female-mc friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Kade by Delores Fossen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne look at the baby girl, and there was no question Kade Ryland was the father. For three months, Kade had posed as Bree Winston's husband at the Fulbright Fertility Clinic, while the two FBI agents investigated a trail of illegal adoptions and surrogates. Nine months later, a baby was dropped at his feet - and Bree was nowhere to be found...
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