Books like 'Reluctantly Home'
Readers who enjoyed Reluctantly Home by Imogen Clark also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery europe british-isles united-kingdom england urban historical-fiction family grief
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The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPraise for Nicola May’s books ‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson ‘A fun and flighty read’ the Sun ‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ WOMAN Magazine Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life... -
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... -
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... -
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of In an Instant comes the moving story of a family grappling with grief and a woman with the power to help them through it—or stand in their way.After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction grief friendship female-mc north-america usa -
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Lake Season by Denise Hunter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom and A December Bride (now beloved Hallmark Original movies) comes the first novel in a brand-new series! When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic home back into an inn. Adam Bradford (a.k.a...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book -
The Fossil Beach Murders by Rachel McLean
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Susannah Ramsay and Sadie Dawes cases are solved and DCI Lesley Clarke's team is back together.But there are tensions...Categorized as:
europe british-isles united-kingdom england female-mc literary-fiction mystery crime -
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... -
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... -
Dark Water by Robert Bryndza
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsBeneath the water the body sank rapidly. She would lie still and undisturbed for many years but above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning. When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched... -
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... -
Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe second book from the author of A Kind Of Spark, with Neurodivergent characters you'll root for and a moving friendship at its heart. When Cora's brother drags her along to his boss's house, she doesn't expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of Pomegranate Technologies... -
Dreams of Willow House by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA gorgeous, compelling page-turner about one woman’s journey to the heart of Ireland and the family secret she’s destined to discover… Cordelia Mirafiore has never truly felt at home in South Florida, so when she’s unexpectedly called to the reading of a long-lost relative’s will in Ireland, she’s hopeful that escaping to Willow House to meet her family might help her to figure out who she... -
Secrets of Willow House by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMaeve McKenna is on the verge of a breakdown. Having worked herself into the ground as a sought-after interior designer in London, she’s in desperate need of a vacation. Philomena Duffy is a little lonely. After losing her husband, their crumbling mansion, Willow House, feels awfully empty... -
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...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction family romance humor contemporary womens-fiction -
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Little Wing by Freya North
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLittle Wing is the powerful story of two families over three generations.In the 1960s, a pregnant 16-year-old is banished to one of the remotest parts of the UK. Years later, Nell and Dougie are both at critical moments in their lives when their paths cross. Between Camden, Colchester and the Outer Hebrides, the three story lines collide when secrets are uncovered and answers sought...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary -
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 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 -
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... -
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:
historical-fiction family female-mc friendship romance fiction womens-fiction contemporary -
The Butterfly Garden by Sophie Anderson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI blamed my son for the death of my daughter…When twenty-five-year-old Erin flees London for Cornwall and takes a job at Hookes End, a huge house clinging precariously to the Cornish cliffs, all she knows about it are the stories people tell. The owner, reclusive novelist and butterfly enthusiast Maggie, has kept the curtains of her dusty house drawn for many years... -
Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt's not that poor Bertie Pollock is wishing his life away, but having anticipated his 7th birthday for so long he's now longing to be 18. But there's a lot of living to do and Bertie isn't alone amongst the residents of Scotland Street in trying to do just that - with mixed fortunes...Categorized as:
british-isles europe literary-fiction united-kingdom urban action-adventure adult audiobook -
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... -
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... -
The Heart of the Garden by Victoria Connelly
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMorton Hall, with its beautiful, ruined grounds and its reclusive mistress, Emilia Morton, is full of mysteries. For freelance editor Anne Marie, the wild garden has become a serene and secret refuge from her loveless marriage. The only other regular visitor is Cape, the hall’s part-time gardener, who is forbidden to tend to anything except the magnificent maze or to meet his enigmatic employer... -
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The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJust for a moment, I was young and invincible again, back before I made the decision that changed the rest of my life… Susie did something that she knows she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption, to keep her infidelity secret from her family...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book -
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 Importance of Being Seven by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this sixth instalment alongside the familiar cast of favourites - Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril and others - in their daily pursuit of a little happiness. With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith has, yet again, given us a clever, witty and utterly delightful new novel... -
His Secret Daughter by Melissa Wiesner
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNot Noah. Not my husband . But there he is, unconscious in the hospital bed. Our daughter sobs into my shoulder. We love him so much. What if he never wakes up? And who is the little girl beside him, gazing up at us with big, tear-filled brown eyes? Eyes that look just like my husband’s…Our family of three is perfect. Just me, Noah and our teenage daughter Maya...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction female-mc fiction mystery audiobook contemporary -
Where The Story Starts by Imogen Clark
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA strange encounter. An unlikely friendship. But will it survive when they both know the truth?As single mother Leah struggles to get her children ready one morning, the doorbell rings. Standing on the doorstep of their terraced house in Whitley Bay is a well-dressed stranger, Clio, who feels an emotional tie to the house that she can’t explain... -
Postcards from a Stranger by Imogen Clark
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhat if everything you thought you knew about your life turned out to be a lie? A dark secret nestles at the heart of Cara's family but it is only when her dominating father becomes ill with Alzheimer's that the lies begin to unravel. When Cara stumbles across a box of old postcards, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her past...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book -
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... -
Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJune Westwood is devastated by the news the father she never met has died. Now the truth about why Jasper abandoned her as a child will be buried forever. Escaping to the secluded beach house she’s inherited, June hopes to spend time bonding with her two little daughters, away from her hectic job and failing marriage... -
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 literary-fiction female-mc friendship womens-fiction mystery contemporary breakup -
Waking Innis Bree: Highland Legacy Romance by Linda Hughes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEnthralling History ~ Captivating Mystery ~ Epic RomanceForsaken and forlorn, Innis Bree MacIntyre finds herself alone in Scotland on her honeymoon after being dumped at the altar. So she's flattered when three men vie for her affections - a debonair billionaire, a grumpy sheep farmer, and a swarthy ghost. (Never mind that one of them is dead...Categorized as:
europe british-isles united-kingdom historical-fiction female-mc scotland romance fiction -
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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... -
No Time To Blink by Dina Silver
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA profoundly moving story of impossible risks and love without boundaries. Told from alternating points of view––that of a daughter whose past is a mystery, and that of a mother with painful secrets to share.Catherine Clarke defied her family’s expectations when she married Gabriel, a handsome Lebanese businessman...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family historical-fiction female-mc fiction mystery contemporary audiobook -
The Boatman’s Wife: An absolutely heartbreaking and unforgettable page-turner by Noëlle Harrison
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThere was some dark secret in this western edge of Ireland that her husband never wanted her to find out. She might never be able to lay his body to rest, but she could gain some kind of closure by finding out who the man she married was... -
Lady Luck's Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA successful Web designer, forty-year-old India has a fabulously hip life in Denver and a sexy Irish lover in New York who jets out to see her on bi-weekly visits. The long-distance romance suits India just fine: Though Jack is the only man who has ever made India feel truly alive, she doesn’t want things to get too serious...Categorized as:
family female-mc historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary -
Sisters of Willow House: Utterly heartwarming, feel good Irish fiction by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA heart-warming novel about the bond between sisters, set along Ireland’s windswept shores, where romance beckons and secrets unfold… Roisin McKenna and her husband Cian are taking time apart. Unsure of what she wants, Roisin’s prayers are answered when she receives a call from her sister Maeve who is desperate for her help... -
A Borrowed Path by Imogen Clark
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHome is where the heartache is.Eve has always had a tricky relationship with her mother, Agatha, and returning to Fox House, the family home, hasn’t made it any easier. When Eve’s daughter, Lyra, and granddaughter, Skye, unexpectedly turn up, it becomes clear that four generations of women under one roof is a recipe for trouble. Not least because Lyra clearly needs help but refuses to say why...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction female-mc friendship audiobook fiction suspense -
A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's perennially popular and irresistibly charming 44 Scotland Street series.When Pat accepts her narcissistic ex-boyfriend Bruce's invitation for coffee, she has no idea of the complications in her romantic and professional life that will follow... -
The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOnce more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street from Alexander McCall Smith . . .Bertie's respite from his overbearing mother, Irene, is over. She has returned from the middle-east, only to discover that her son has been exposed to the worst evils of cartoons, movies and Irn Bru, and her wrath falls upon her unfortunate husband, Stuart... -
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...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction female-mc friendship fiction mystery contemporary womens-fiction -
The Scent of Death by Simon Beckett
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt has been a good summer for forensics expert Dr David Hunter. His relationship is going well and he's in demand again as a police consultant. His life seems to be on an even keel.But not for long. The call comes from an old associate: a body has been found, and she’d like Hunter to take a look . . .St Jude’s Hospital now stands empty... -
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Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDomestic bliss seems in short supply at 44 Scotland Street. Over at the Pollocks, dad, Stuart, is harbouring a secret about a secret society and Bertie is feeling kind of blue. Having had enough of his neurotic hot-housing mother, he puts himself up for adoption on eBay... -
The Revolving Door of Life by Alexander McCall Smith, Robert Ian MacKenzie
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsOnce more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street from Alexander McCall Smith. With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith gives us another instalment in this popular series, now running in its ninth season in The Scotsman. Anything could happen to Bertie and the gang.. -
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...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook -
Home Stretch by Graham Norton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn this "compelling, bighearted, emotionally precise page-turner" (Sunday Times), the New York Times bestselling writer and acclaimed television host explores the aftermath of a tragedy on a small-town to illuminate the shame and longing that can flow through generations--and how the secrets of the heart cannot stay be buried forever...Categorized as:
british-isles england europe family friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction -
Call the Canaries Home by Laura Barrow
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness.Savannah was four years old when her twin sister, Georgia, went missing from their small Louisiana town, fracturing their family... -
Seaside Sunrise by Nellie Brooks
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's summer in Maine, and the sun shines on old friends, new neighbors, and secrets by the sea as mothers and daughters start over in Bay Harbor.Amelie gets a surprise visitor from the past and finally has a chance at uncovering an old mystery that changed her life. Depending on what she finds, she might have to share a secret of her own..Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc friendship family romance womens-fiction small-town contemporary
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