Books like 'Improvement'
Readers who enjoyed Improvement by Joan Silber also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery action / adventure literary-fiction urban family friendship prison crime coming-of-age
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Penshaw: A DCI Ryan Mystery by LJ Ross
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND When you sell your soul, the devil gives no refunds... When an old man is burned alive in a sleepy ex-mining village, Detective Chief Inspector Ryan is called in to investigate. He soon discovers that, beneath the facade of a close-knit community, the burn from decades-old betrayal still smoulders... -
Bringing Them Home by Barbara Hinske
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe state’s case against Chuck Delgado is foundering as things heat up and turn deadly in Westbury. Frank Haynes and Loretta Nash each possess the proof to put Delgado away for good, but coming forward could destroy their relationship. Will they put self-interest aside to do the right thing? Susan Martin begins her new life as Mrs... -
The Record Keeper by Charles Martin
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWith gripping action and heart-wrenching emotion, Charles Martin continues to explore the true power of sacrificial love.Murphy Shepherd's last rescue mission very nearly cost him his life. He'd like nothing more than to stay close to his wife and daughters for a while. But Bones's brother must be stopped, and there are so many who need to know that they are worth rescuing... -
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsAn utterly wonderful debut novel of love, crime, magic, fate and a boy’s coming of age, set in 1980s Australia and infused with the originality, charm, pathos, and heart of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.The mind can take you anywhere you want to goEli Bell’s life is complicated...Categorized as:
coming-of-age crime family friendship literary-fiction 21st-century action-adventure audiobook -
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Bitter Pill by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNo one weaves a story as well as beloved New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels. In the latest in the Sisterhood series, a team of unscrupulous doctors is profiting from others’ distress—but these loyal friends know just the cure . . . For the Sisterhood, there’s a special satisfaction that comes with helping a friend in need, especially when it’s someone as dear as Charlotte Hansen... -
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In Walked Sin by Stoni Alexander
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIT'S GOOD TO BE BAD…I have no soul.And that suits me.How else could I wield absolute power in the nation’s capital?I own this town and everyone in it. The public thinks the politicos run Washington. Who do you think is pulling their strings?I am.Some hate me for it…until they find themselves in the center of a scandal. That’s when I become their savior... -
Brother's Keeper III: Luke by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLuke O’Reilly has seen it all, done it all, and lived through it all. When a career ending injury forces him to retire from the military, he struggles to adapt. Luke was born to be a soldier, not conform to the nine-to-five mediocrity of everyday life. He needs to protect and serve like he needs his next breath... -
Colorado Cold Case by Elle James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSole survivor of a mission gone wrong, Griff left the Navy to recover from his wounds and grief. The one person he’d loved had left San Diego while he'd been on a mission and hadn't returned or reached out. She’d said she was from Colorado... -
Hidden by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFirefighter Colton Sparks is beautiful, brawny, and lonely? Colton, a die-hard romantic, is looking for a Hallmark worthy happily ever after, but finding Mrs. Right has been as fruitful as playing the lottery. It’s no secret that he dreams of white picket fences, finding love, and having a family. He has the white picket fence, he just needs her. He’s every woman’s dream; they just aren’t his... -
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... -
Redeeming Ryker by Kelly Collins
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsImagine finding out that everything about your life is a lie. Imagine falling for the man who thinks he killed you. Imagine having to remain dead so you can keep him. Twenty-four-year-old Ana Barrett knows who she is. She’s a struggling artist, a loyal friend, an orphan raised by loving grandparents... -
SEAL Salvation by Elle James
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll he wants is to be left aloneJake Cogburn lost his leg, his career, his brotherhood and his will to live when he stepped on that IED in Afghanistan. Back in his home state of Colorado, he’s determined to bury himself as deeply as he can in a bottle of Jack Daniels until the pain in his leg and his heart is so numb he can no longer feel... -
The Golden Girls' Getaway by Judy Leigh
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe most uplifting book you’ll read this year!It has been a long and lonely year for neighbours Vivienne, Mary and Gwen. All ladies of a ‘certain age’, their lockdown experience has left them feeling isolated and alone. They are in desperate need of a change.Things start to look up however, when Gwen comes up with a plan to get them out of London by borrowing a motor home... -
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Lies that Bind by Ashley Farley
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA missing young woman. A grieving mother. An investigative journalist determined to find answers. From the bestselling author of the Sweet Tea Tuesdays and Only One Life comes a suspenseful story of three women who, in search of freedom from the lies that bind them, experience personal growth, discovery, and forgiveness...Categorized as:
family female-mc literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsZoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime?A crime he says he never committed.Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth... -
Stone Sober by Gwyn McNamee
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStone Hawke is precisely the kind of man women are warned about—handsome, intelligent, arrogant, and intricately entangled with some dangerous people. I should stay away, but he manages to strip my soul bare with just a look and dominates my thoughts. Bad decisions are in my past. My life is (mostly) on track, even if it is no longer the one to medical school... -
Redemption by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJessie Clarke has worked hard for almost a decade to overcome the trauma of her past, and building her career as a fireman in McKenzie Ridge has helped her become a strong, independent woman. But, underneath her fowl mouth and tough exterior, Jessie hides a secret that could not only endanger her but all those she loves in her small mountain town... -
Fateful Secrets by Kay Riley
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was a mistake thinking Kyro would choose me over his family. Even love doesn’t come before his own blood.I betrayed him and then ran like hell.I buried Vanessa Ace and became someone new. For seven years. Until Kyro found me and dragged me back to the life that I never expected to survive.His father’s gang needs my help and they’re taking it, without giving me a choice... -
Heartbeat: A Courageous Love Novel by Terreece M. Clarke
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMaya Anderson only knows success: set a goal, create a plan, achieve. Everything she can control she does, down to her color-coordinated closet. Then someone tried to kill her. Now, she has a new goal: stay alive. New town. New identity. No men... -
A Mother's Secret by Caroline Finnerty
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA gripping, emotional book that asks the question: What does it take to be a parent?In one split second, Aidan Whelan’s perfect world is changed forever when his wife Rowan and three-year old daughter Milly are involved in tragic accident... -
A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it. Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets. Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc family coming-of-age fiction mystery contemporary -
The Viaduct Killings by Wes Markin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsStill grieving from the tragic death of her colleague, DCI Emma Gardner continues to blames herself and is struggling to focus. So, when she is seconded to the wilds of Yorkshire, Emma hopes she’ll be able to get her mind back on the job, doing what she does best - putting killers behind bars.But when she is immediately thrown into another violent murder, Emma has no time to rest... -
Rocky Mountain Madness by Elle James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNo stranger to loss, he refuses to care again…After losing his wife and son in a car crash, Bryce “Cole” Coleman never planned on loving or having a family again. Every time a woman tries to get close to him, he pushes her away. After losing a friend in battle, he’s riddled with even more survivor’s guilt... -
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Isolate by K.E. Osborn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe was the girl next door.Then she broke my heart.When she fell for my best friend instead of me.Unwilling to come between them, I left LA. Found sanctuary in New Orleans with a brotherhood who calmed my storm.She should have been safe.She was his to protect.The problem is—she should have been mine.And now his mistakes have come back on her... -
Redemption by Traci Hunter Abramson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGage Stewart has spent five years trying to overcome his past. Once an abused and troubled teenager, he has worked tirelessly to move beyond the fateful day he was manipulated into holding a group of teenagers hostage. Now, with a new identity and a college degree in criminal psychology, he accepts an unlikely job teaching others what to do during mass shootings... -
Watching Over You by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWelcome back to Ridge Trail, Colorado! Get ready for the next book in Lori Foster’s thrilling McKenzies of Ridge Trail series.Detective Crosby Albertson has been tracking a criminal network. While investigating leads, he keeps crossing paths with members of the highly trained, suspiciously well-informed McKenzie family... -
Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde returns with an unforgettable story of courage. Seventeen-year-old Ethan Underwood is totally unprepared to search for his father in the Blythe River National Wilderness. Not only is he small, scrawny, and skittish but he’s barely speaking to the man after a traumatic betrayal... -
The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHumor and action abound in this second follow-up to the Newbery honor winner and New York Times bestseller, Three Times LuckyThe trial of the century has come to Tupelo Landing, NC. Mo and Dale, aka Desperado Detectives, head to court as star witnesses against Dale's daddy--confessed kidnapper Macon Johnson. Dale's nerves are jangled, but Mo, who doesn't mind getting even with Mr... -
Need You Tonight by Roni Loren
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe’s making a wish list, and he wants to be on top. From foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree. Boring in bed? Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one... -
No Holding Back by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNot needing him won’t stop her from wanting him…Trucker Sterling (Star) Parson is no stranger to the challenges a woman faces, both in her industry and in life. But she can take care of herself. She’s never needed—or wanted—a man around...until she meets Cade McKenzie. The take-charge bar owner sets off all kinds of alarm bells for Sterling, but he also sets her heart racing... -
Breaking Silence by Elle James
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRucker Sloan thinks all he’s good for is a fighting, killing machine. Long-term relationships are out of the question. Until he meets a nurse who’d risk her life for someone she doesn’t know…After her mother died of a broken heart, nurse Nora Michaels joined the Army to do something to help others and to escape her sad memories... -
Stronger Than You Know by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTheir secrets run deep, but desire runs deeper…Kennedy Brooks has spent years learning how to protect herself, and empowering other women to do the same. Still, there are some hazards that can’t be predicted. That includes Reyes McKenzie, who owns her local gym. Strong, capable, and watchful, he seems like the one man who might understand her past... -
Final Justice by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Sisterhood - Myra, Annie, Kathryn, Alexis, Yoko, Nikki, and Isabelle - have risked everything in the name of justice, including their own freedom. Their most recent mission promised to reward them with the ultimate prize - a presidential pardon and a chance to leave their enforced exile. But as they've learned too many times before, life doesn't always turn out as planned... -
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Home Free by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUnited by a desire to overcome their personal misfortunes, seven very different women formed an indelible bond and vowed to right wrongs wherever they found them. They’ve succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. After years known as the Vigilantes, Myra, Annie, Kathryn, Alexis, Yoko, Nikki, and Isabelle are enjoying their hard-won freedom and the chance at a normal life... -
Point Blank by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe women of Fern Michaels’ New York Times bestselling Sisterhood series are beloved for bringing justice to strangers in need. And when one of their own needs help, that loyalty and commitment goes double… Nothing compares to the bond between Sisters—except perhaps the special brotherhood between some of their menfolk...Categorized as:
crime female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult book contemporary -
Eyes Only by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSisterhood Forever Lush, exclusive Spyder Island is home to many of the world's billionaires. Years ago, Gretchen Spyder, daughter of the island's namesake, gave her twin babies up for legal adoption. Now Gretchen and her father are trying to get them back. The twins' adoptive parents are a loving but poor couple, completely outgunned by the Spyders' wealth...Categorized as:
crime family female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult billionaire -
All They Need to Know by Eileen Goudge
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA woman escaping a violent past finds new friendships, romance, and tenuous sanctuary in an emotionally gripping novel by New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge.On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family female-mc friendship romance fiction contemporary womens-fiction -
Fast Track by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s been years since the members of the Sisterhood first banded together, with the help of their mentor Charles Martin, to exact their own form of justice on those whose crimes had gone unpunished by the legal system... -
Darkest Sin by J. Saman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone has an ex who haunts them. Mine shot me in the arm and told me to run or he’d kill everyone I ever loved. And then he’d kill me. Years later, he’s made good on that promise. I’m the only one left. He’s got his sights set on finding me, and my options on places to hide are quickly running out. Until I meet a gorgeous assassin with an agenda of his own.. -
Dace by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe O’Reilly brothers are back with a vengeance in another riveting novel overflowing with mayhem and murder. Dace O’Reilly is in for the fight of his life to clear the name of the woman who stole his heart... -
Luring Light by K.E. Osborn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the life you had was a lie? That the virtuous person you tried to convince yourself you were, isn't anything like the woman you are deep inside... -
Liam by Stephanie St. Klaire
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYou met them in the McKenzie Ridge Series, get to know them in Brother's Keeper...This broody bunch of Irish Alpha's with heart are the brother's you want on your side when things go wrong... This edge of your seat series will make you laugh just before it takes you through twists and turns you won't see coming and will give you all the feels along the way..Categorized as:
crime female-mc literary-fiction action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary female-author -
Spark of Hope by Kathleen Kelly
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy woman has been taken.As President of the Loyal Rebels MC, I look out for a lot of people.Lola has never been one of them. She’s always taken care of herself.I’ve never officially claimed her.Everyone knows Lola is mine, and no one touches what’s mine. She’s been with me for four years, but Lola has secrets, ones I never even thought to ask her about...Categorized as:
family crime female-mc literary-fiction romantic-love contemporary organized-crime suspense -
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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 . .Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc family friendship romance fantasy fiction magical-realism -
Christmas Miracles at the Little Log Cabin by Helen J. Rolfe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA snow-covered log cabin surrounded by Christmas trees brings plenty of surprises for Holly … do you believe in Christmas miracles? Holly is looking for a change and even though not everyone agrees with her career choices, she’s determined there’s more to this life than the long hours she works as an editor in New York City... -
The Fearless One by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“Count on Lori Foster for sexy, edgy romance.” —Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling authorHe had it all planned…until she showed up. Jedidiah Stephens came to the Colorado Rockies for one to uncover the truth behind the fire that killed her family. She’s been chasing down clues, and everything has led her to an isolated campground... -
A French Affair by Jennifer Bohnet
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratings*Brand new from the bestselling author of Villa of Sun and Secrets*What will be will be...Belinda Marshall’s idyllic teenage life in Brittany, France, fell apart when her parents dramatically separated and her mother took her backto England.Fast forward thirty-five years when Belinda’s world is once again turned upside down... -
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... -
Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWe don’t pick and choose what to be afraid of. Our fears pick us.Tash Carmody has been traumatised since childhood, when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a carnival. At the time nobody believed Tash, and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing...
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