Books like 'The Next Thing You Know'
Readers who enjoyed The Next Thing You Know by Jessica Strawser also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery psychological drama literary-fiction grief friendship medical female-mc
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Shattered Lies: Web of Lies #3 by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe time has come to step out of the shadows . . . Valeria McGregor was a better shot, a better fighter, and smarter than everyone she’d ever gone up against as an agent for the DEA. Then she’d uncovered illegal activity within her own organization and was fired as part of a cover-up. That was how she’d joined the secret group who reports only to the president... -
![In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn]()
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsLife is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret...Categorized as:
drama friendship grief literary-fiction action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age -
![Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman]()
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsLibrarian's note: An alternative cover edition can be found hereNo one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fineMeet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking... -
![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...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction friendship contemporary mystery audiobook psychological sad -
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![A Lantern in the Dark by Stacey Reynolds]()
A Lantern in the Dark by Stacey Reynolds
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn a sleepy beach town in Coastal Carolina, two lost souls learn the destructive nature of secrets and the healing power of love. Captain Aidan O’Brien is a decorated officer of the Royal Irish Regiment. While on a personal mission with his brother to retrieve Michael’s would-be mate, Aidan visits an old friend on the local Marine Corps base... -
![Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone]()
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIf you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling. Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off... -
![Nantucket Neighbors by Pamela M. Kelley]()
Nantucket Neighbors by Pamela M. Kelley
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratings**An instant USA Today Bestseller! #11 on top 150 list, week of September 5, 2019 Book your visit to the Beach Plum Cove Inn today.....meet widow Lisa Hodges and her four adult children, friends, and visitors to the newly opened waterfront bed and breakfast... -
![Night Road by Kristin Hannah]()
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... -
![Blue Moon by Tess Thompson]()
Blue Moon by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPlayboy Ciaran Lanigan was the party. Executive Bliss Heywood was the library. When they meet, sparks fly and so begins an uncontrollable attraction that neither is strong enough to escape, regardless that it’s fraught with lies, secrets and family complexities. But ‘party boy’ Ciaran isn’t everything he appears. Lurking beneath the surface of his charming grin is a man haunted by fears...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction friendship romance suspense contemporary christian audiobook -
![Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin]()
Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThird generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed-- a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn't quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can't defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness... -
![Nantucket News by Pamela M. Kelley]()
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... -
![The Patron by Tess Thompson]()
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... -
![One Too Many by Melody Anne, John Henley]()
One Too Many by Melody Anne, John Henley
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJasmine Anderson, the firstborn grandchild of Billionaire Joseph Anderson, is determined to make it on her own... -
![Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson]()
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsBeautifully captures the joys of a new family as it builds to an overwhelmingly moving climax. This is an unforgettable love story, at once heartbreaking and full of hope.James Patterson has written a love story!--a powerfully moving and suspenseful novel about families, loss, new love, and hope. Katie Wilkinson has found her perfect man at last... -
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![Alone by Kendra Elliot, Tanya Eby]()
Alone by Kendra Elliot, Tanya Eby
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne rainy night in the woods outside of Portland, Dr. Victoria Peres is called to the site of a haunting crime scene. Six beautiful young girls—all in white dresses and arranged in a perfect circle—have been left for dead. Only one girl, fighting for her life at a nearby hospital, has survived the carnage... -
![The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin]()
The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsWhen a blizzard strands them in Salt Lake City, two strangers agree to charter a plane together, hoping to return home; Ben Payne is a gifted surgeon returning from a conference, and Ashley Knox, a magazine writer, is en route to her wedding...Categorized as:
drama female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult animals audiobook -
![All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson]()
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]()
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...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc friendship romance fiction mystery contemporary audiobook -
![Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah]()
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... -
![Identity by Nora Roberts]()
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 Loft by Bette Lee Crosby]()
The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings50 YEARS OF MEMORIES ARE HIDDEN IN THE WALLS OF THE LOFT... Annie only needs to find one... the one that will save Oliver's life. On the day of their wedding, Annie saw nothing but happiness ahead, but when an accident calls her back to Memory House, her world is changed forever... -
![To Provence, with Love by T A Williams]()
To Provence, with Love by T A Williams
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEscape to the south of France with this perfect feel-good summer romance! Anything is possible… Struggling writer Faye Carter just can’t believe her luck...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction romance humor contemporary womens-fiction fiction psychological -
![Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain]()
Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLaura Brandon had promised her dying father she would visit Sarah Tolley, but her own agony is drowning out the old woman's ramblings. Her husband killed himself, and the only witness--her daughter, Emma--now refuses to speak. Desperate, Laura turns to a man she met once five years ago: Emma's real father... -
![The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse]()
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...Categorized as:
drama female-mc literary-fiction audiobook book coming-of-age contemporary domestic-drama -
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![Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow]()
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsCharlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The thick glass of a mason jar cuts deep, and the pain washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you... -
![If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin]()
If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIf he had been with me everything would have been different...I wasn't with Finn on that August night. But I should've been. It was raining, of course. And he and Sylvie were arguing as he drove down the slick road. No one ever says what they were arguing about. Other people think it's not important. They do not know there is another story. The story that lurks between the facts... -
![Cub Creek by Grace Greene]()
Cub Creek by Grace Greene
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the heart of Virginia, where the forests shelter secrets and the creeks run strong and deep ~ Libbie Havens doesn’t need anyone. She’s fine on her own. When she chances upon the secluded house on Cub Creek she purchases it. She’ll show her cousin Liz, and other doubters, that she can rise above her past and live happily and successfully on her own terms... -
![What I Remember Most by Cathy Lamb]()
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... -
![The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne]()
The Night of Many Endings by Melissa Payne
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom Melissa Payne, bestselling author of Memories in the Drift, comes an emotionally rich, feel-good novel about hope, second chances, and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.Orphaned at a young age and witness to her brother’s decline into addiction, Nora Martinez has every excuse to question the fairness of life... -
![What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty]()
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsAlice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old... -
![The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher]()
The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA lyrical and emotionally engaging novel infused with mystery and wisdom about love, friendship, and the power of forgiveness.Florrie Butterfield—eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition—believes there can't be any more adventures or surprises in life to experience... -
![Curves Ahead by Andi Jaxon]()
Curves Ahead by Andi Jaxon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone knows appearances can be deceiving, and in my case, even I’ve been fooled. The last thing I need is immature man-child, Alexander Bennet, trying to smile his way into my pants. I hate everything about him; his stupid smirk, his rumbling chuckle, and the way butterflies riot in my stomach when he aims them at me... -
![Close Encounter, Part 1 by Stephanie St. Klaire]()
Close Encounter, Part 1 by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction romance mystery contemporary suspense fiction anthologies -
![The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh]()
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsThe Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings...Categorized as:
drama female-mc friendship literary-fiction 21st-century action-adventure audiobook book -
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![Chasing River by K.A. Tucker]()
Chasing River by K.A. Tucker
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsArmed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude. Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled...Categorized as:
drama female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook book -
![The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi]()
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 Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand]()
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThere's death all around us.We just don't pay attention.Until we do.The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be... -
![The Program by Suzanne Young]()
The Program by Suzanne Young
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsIn Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive... -
![Between You and Me by Carol Mason]()
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... -
![Conflict of Interest by Jae]()
Conflict of Interest by Jae
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWorkaholic Detective Aiden Carlisle isn’t looking for love—and certainly not at the law enforcement seminar she reluctantly agreed to attend. But the first lecturer is not at all what she expected. Psychologist Dawn Kinsley has just found her place in life... -
![The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low]()
The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us...Their rise was meteoric.Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.That night was the beginning of their careers... -
![Sacrificial Muse by Maegan Beaumont]()
Sacrificial Muse by Maegan Beaumont
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe is his muse, and the fates require sacrifice. San Francisco Detective Sabrina Vaughn is able to shrug off the nine red roses being delivered to her office every day. But when only eight roses arrive on the same day a Berkeley student's mutilated body is found, Sabrina fears that the killer is taunting her... -
![Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella]()
Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRead Laura Spinella's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community. A story of love lost...and found. Mia Wells's eco-friendly career goals are about to become a reality-but her life-altering moment is interrupted when an unexpected call ushers in her tremulous past... -
![I Will Save You by Matt de la Peña]()
I Will Save You by Matt de la Peña
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there’s nothing for him at the group home but therapy. He doesn’t belong at the beach where he works either, unless he finds a reason to stay. Olivia is blond hair, blue eyes, rich dad. The prettiest girl in Cardiff... -
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![Heart of Light by T.K. Leigh]()
Heart of Light by T.K. Leigh
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwelve years ago, Jolene’s adoptive mother died. Twelve years ago, a man showed up at Jolene’s door and promised to take care of her. Twelve years ago, Jolene was happy... -
![The Lies We Hide by S.E. Lynes]()
The Lies We Hide by S.E. Lynes
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThirty years ago, Nicola Watson lived with her parents and older brother in a respectable suburb... -
![What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard]()
What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsA searing yet ultimately uplifting young adult novel about a teenage girl's recovery from anorexia.Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has honed a dangerous skill: starving herself. Even when her parents send her to a treatment center, she can't stop. Then she begins receiving packages from someone she doesn't know... -
![Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber]()
Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen Susannah Nelson turned eighteen, she said goodbye to her boyfriend, Jake--and never saw him again. She never saw her brother, Doug, again, either. He died unexpectedly that same year. Now, at fifty, Susannah finds herself regretting the paths not taken. Long married, a mother and a teacher, she should be happy. But she feels there's something missing in her life... -
![The Beach Trees by Karen White]()
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... -
![Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale]()
Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Everything We Keep comes the highly anticipated sequel. Told from one man’s two perspectives, Everything We Left Behind effortlessly blends suspense, mystery, and romance in an exploration of loss, resilience, and the compelling need to protect the ones we love at all cost...
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