Books like 'Swimming Upstream'
Readers who enjoyed Swimming Upstream by Ruth Mancini also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance mystery drama domestic-drama cozy legal family female-mc
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One Foot in the Grave by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third book in the Carly Moore series by Denise Grover Swank.The dead can’t speakAfter months of living in the Smoky Mountains town of Drum, Tennessee, Carly knows firsthand the financial hardship the citizens face. Still, she can’t muster the same excitement as everyone else when town patriarch Bart Drummond breaks ground on his new resort that promises more jobs and money... -
Dirty Money by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsViolet Gardner Beauregard is barely cold in her grave, but she’s still stirring up trouble. When Neely Kate Coulson accompanies her best friend Rose to Violet’s attorney for the reading of the will, they get the shock of their lives, one that leaves them both reeling... -
True to Me (By the Sea) by Kay Bratt
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Wish Me Home comes a breathtaking novel about the secrets that families keep and one woman’s illuminating search for the truth. Quinn Maguire has a stable life, a fiancé, and what she thinks is a clear vision for her future... -
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... -
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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... -
Change of Tides by Ashley Farley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSecond Chances and New RomancesBirdie Fuller doesn’t like change. And a lot of change is happening at once. Her daughter and three-year-old grandson are moving out of her apartment to a nearby city. Will Birdie be able to survive the loneliness without Hannah and Gus? She joins a dating website to find companionship and meets the seemingly perfect man... -
Where There's Smoke by Kirsten Fullmer
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA picturesque mountain town, sparks of romance, a threatening mystery, and a secret society of devious women…“Wonderful characters, a real mix of women with varied strength and foibles” -Goodreads review 5 stars“I loved the first book in the Sugar Mountain series so I was really second to read the second installment and get back to investigating with the Sugar Mountain Ladies Historical Society”... -
Summer at the Little French Cafe: The perfect laugh out loud romance for summer by Karen Clarke
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past… Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby... -
Through the Storm by Diane Greenwood Muir
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOnce things start falling apart around Polly Giller, chaos takes over and all she can do is hold on for the ride. Sylvie Donovan has finished school and things are supposed to be rainbows and unicorns. Not in Bellingwood. Her oldest son, Jason, has just started high school and isn't handling the transition well... -
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... -
Cocoa Beach Cottage by Cecelia Scott
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSamantha Parker is picking up the pieces of her life—and a pen to sign divorce papers—after she finds out her husband has been cheating on her, and the other woman is expecting his child. While the idea of leaving town and starting over is appealing, Sam's only option is to head back to her childhood home of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to help her recently-widowed mother run their family inn... -
The Secrets She Kept by Brenda Novak
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsExciting, emotional, intense. The thrilling follow-up to New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak's highly acclaimed The Secret Sister. The things that happen in families are always surprising and sometimes shocking! The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it's suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it... -
The Cottages on Silver Beach by RaeAnne Thayne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsYears after betraying her, he’s back in Haven Point…and determined to uncover the truth For the sake of her brother’s children, innkeeper Megan Hamilton has put her entire life on hold to become their guardian. The last person she wants to ever see again is Elliott Bailey, who she feels is responsible for her brother’s current predicament... -
Right Where We Belong by Brenda Novak
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs with a moving story about rebuilding your life when you've got nothing left to lose Savanna Gray needs a do-over. Her "perfect" life unraveled when, to her absolute shock, her husband was arrested for attacking three women... -
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Cornered Coyote by Dianne Harman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Gripping tale that is as Sweet as a Ballerina and as Pugnacious as a Pitbull!The silver bird gleamed in the blue sky, as the early morning sun bathed it in soft golden hues. Flight 714 was on the last leg of its journey, having burned close to fifty thousand gallons of jet fuel on its trans-Atlantic flight from Paris to Los Angeles... -
Against The Spread by Mara Jacobs
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMy name is Anna Dawson, and I'm back.Unfortunately, so is JoJo.When the loan shark enforcer who beat me up years ago is found murdered, I'm thinking it's my lucky day. Until I'm questioned as a possible suspect. I have an alibi, but not one I can divulge. Helping college basketball star Raymond Joseph shave points is not exactly something I want to share with the cops... -
Christmas in Peppercorn Street by Anna Jacobs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChristmas is fast approaching but for some people living at the top end of Peppercorn Street, the mood is far from festive. Luke Morgan is not getting on with his teenage daughter, who has recently returned to live with him. In a nearby village Claire Small is trying to avoid her sadistic ex who is stalking her... -
Living Fast by Adrienne Giordano
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGreen Beret Reid Steele needs a new career ASAP. After a knee injury permanently sidelines him from his dream job, Reid heads home to the mountains of Steele Ridge to regroup, but small-town life isn’t cutting it for a man accustomed to action. When sexy boutique owner Brynne Whitfield captures his attention, Reid thinks he’s found the perfect distraction from boredom... -
Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat do you want most in the world?What Anne Marie Roche wants is to find happiness again. At thirty-eight, she's childless, a recent widow, alone. She owns a successful bookstore on Seattle's Blossom Street, but despite her accomplishments, there's a feeling of emptiness.On Valentine's Day, Anne Marie and several other widows get together to celebrate…hope... -
The Lighthouse Keeper by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDawn Conners’s parents are famous for finding historic treasures, but she has a knack for losing things—her job, her boyfriend, and now, her reputation. Thanks to a mud-slinging exposé, Dawn’s late great-grandfather is assumed guilty of stealing silver from a century-old shipwreck... -
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... -
A Done Deal by Jenna Bennett
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSilver bells, silver bells... It's Christmas time in Nashville, and all Savannah wants to unwrap on Christmas morning is Rafe Collier. Unfortunately, things don't look so good. He's back in town, but not alone: on his arm is a stunning brunette, just the kind of woman Savannah always suspected was his type... -
The Goodbye Café by Mariah Stewart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCalifornia girl Allie Hudson Monroe can't wait for the day when the renovations on the Sugarhouse Theater are complete so she can finally collect the inheritance from her father and leave Pennsylvania. After all, her life and her fourteen-year-old daughter are in Los Angeles... -
Vegas Heat by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith A Simple Twist Of Fate, Fortunes Rise And Fall. . .Vegas Heat is the story of the Thornton dynasty. . .of Fanny Thornton, who takes over Babylon, the family's magnificent Las Vegas casino, when her ex-husband Ash falls desperately ill. . .of Fanny's twin sons, Sage and Birch, one content in his conventional life, while the other's search for happiness leads to tragedy--and renewed hope. . -
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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... -
A Bittersweet Surprise by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA mysterious, heartwarming tale of small-town intrigue, family secrets, and the possibility of new love from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.Emma Laurent has always preferred helping others to asking for help. But now, she’s the one in need... -
44 Cranberry Point by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPerfect for fans of Maeve Binchy' - Candis. Things haven’t been the same in town since a man died at the bed-and-breakfast. Turns out his name was Max and that Bob Beldon, the owner of the Thyme & Tide, knew the dead man in Vietnam. No one has any idea why Max came to Cedar Cove, or – more importantly – who killed him… But there’s plenty more news to share... -
Sweet Tomorrows by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe much-anticipated conclusion to Debbie Macomber’s beloved Rose Harbor series, set in the picturesque town of Cedar Cove, Sweet Tomorrows is a vibrant and poignant novel of letting go of fear, following your heart, and embracing the future—come what may. Nine months ago, Mark Taylor abruptly left Cedar Cove on a perilous mission to right a wrong from his past... -
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... -
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 female-mc womens-fiction mystery contemporary breakup literary-fiction -
Iced Spy by A. Gardner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe small town of Bison Creek has been chosen to host the highly-anticipated Sugar Mountain Bake-Off. But as a new snowstorm rolls in, Essie Stratter finds a frozen body near the lake - the body of her former client. As Essie joins in the murder investigation she discovers that her tiny hometown is tangled in a web of secrets. Secrets that could stab her in the back like a deadly icicle... -
The Garden House: A Novel by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarcia Willett's The Garden House is a charming and heartwarming novel about family, yearning, and long-buried secrets …Fresh out of university and right on the precipice of adulthood, El is trying her best to figure out what it is she really wants from life. This is complicated by the fact that she is also dealing with the loss of her father, Martin... -
Paradise Valley Mysteries Boxed Set by Debra Burroughs
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis boxed set contains: The Scent of Lies (Book 1), The Heart of Lies (Book 2), The Chain of Lies (Book 3), plus a BONUS Prequel Short Story, The Edge of Lies , (best read after reading at least one of the other books). OVERVIEW: A captivating series, full of romance, mystery, and intrigue. Think "Sex and the City" meets "Nancy Drew"... -
Sugar and Sliced by C.A. Phipps
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDid she fall or was she pushed?A world away from small town Maple Falls where she grew up, Madeline Flynn is working in a bakery in Manhattan. Baking is her dream come true—but not everyone is happy for her.When a body lands at her feet, Maddie is suddenly thrown into the investigation. The death is literally too close to home and things don't add up with the crime... -
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Breaking News by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLife Is Full Of Surprises Teresa “Toots” Amelia Loudenberry has her quirks, but no one—especially not her trusted friends Sophia, Ida, and Mavis—would ever question her loyalty. So it’s no surprise when Toots decides to extend her stay in Charleston to help care for her ailing housekeeper... -
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... -
The Passions of Chelsea Kane by Barbara Delinsky
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter the death of her adoptive mother, thirty-six-year-old Chelsea Kane is consumed by the need to uncover her biological heritage. Taking a break from her successful architecture career, she arrives in the New Hampshire town where she was born, determined to learn the truth, her only clue a tarnished silver key... -
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... -
Forgive Me by Lesley Pearse
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCheltenham, 1991 When Eva Patterson returns home from work one day, a devastating scene awaits her. Her mother, Flora, lies dead in the bath. Beside her is a note saying only: 'Forgive Me'. Until then, Eva always believed her family's life would be comfortable and secure - but Flora's suicide changes everything... -
Lesser Evil by Lesley Pearse
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWould you cross the street if wickedness lived there? When Fifi moves to London with her bricklayer boyfriend Dan, her mother is outraged. Despite initial feelings of horror at her new surroundings, Fifi finds the freedom from her middle-class family background exhilarating... -
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Home for Winter by Rebecca Boxall
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSerena Meadows and her twin sister, Luna, are identical in appearance—but the similarity ends there. Luna always had a mean streak and, as a teenager, her selfishness culminated in an almighty betrayal from which Serena thought she’d never recover.Years later the twins are reunited by tragedy and Luna is a changed woman... -
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... -
Her Mother's Shadow by Diane Chamberlain
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnnie A loving mother and wife, Annie O'Neill was the heart of the small community of Kiss River. But her generous nature hid a darker side that remained secret for years after her tragic death. Lacey When Lacey O'Neill finally learns the shattering truth about the mother she's spent a decade emulating, the foundation of her life begins to crumble... -
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Closer Home by Kerry Anne King
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen Lise Redding’s estranged sister, country-pop star Callie Redfern, is killed during a publicity stunt, the small-town music teacher is dragged from her quiet life into the spotlight.Lise hadn’t spoken with Callie in ten years, ever since Callie’s betrayal split them apart, so she’s shocked to discover that she’s inherited her sister’s massive estate... -
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... -
A Play for Revenge by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this emotional story from Starlight Cove, a single mother must solve the mystery of the town theater to learn why it was shut down and stop the unknown forces trying to keep it closed.Newly divorced Lily Kimura returns to her hometown to start fresh with her daughter and her recently retired parents. She’s committed to rebuilding her life, starting with a new job at the town theater... -
A Violet March by Evan Katy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSamantha Rialto and her best friend, Maxie Peters are looking for a place to live, determined to put the traumatic events of the last two months behind them. But things start to go horribly awry when they find a dead body soaking in the bathtub of a potential rental. On that same afternoon, Violet Arnold, one of Samantha’s favorite students, asks for help finding her missing father... -
More Than a Feeling by Sara Richardson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSTOP RUNNING . . .AND START FALLING For Ruby James the Walker Mountain Ranch is her safe haven. Here in Aspen, Colorado, she can finally build a quiet life for herself without fear of her old one rearing its ugly head. Or so Ruby thinks. Any single woman would be happy to indulge a tall, dark, and curious cop-but the closer Ruby gets to him, the closer she gets to losing her newfound peace... -
Another's Child: A Gripping Novel by Einat Danon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsImagine inheriting a child that you don’t even know! One morning, Yael and Arik Katz are startled by a surprise inheritance: Noa, the ten-year-old daughter of Canadian friends with whom they had made a long-forgotten will-exchange agreement, is delivered to their doorstep with no warning...Categorized as:
family drama female-mc romance contemporary fiction literary-fiction action-adventure
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