Books like 'Straying'
Readers who enjoyed Straying by Molly McCloskey also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary psychological literary-fiction female-mc poc-mc
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Healed: Stone and Pepper by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt's Cliffside Bay and beyond in this heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romantic adventure from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson. Stone Hickman is the last of a dying breed. The former Marine believes in integrity, service to his country, a hard day's work, and taking care of his loved ones... -
Marred: Kyle and Violet by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKyle Hicks started with nothing. Now he's a self-made man. And as luck would have it, his latest project as a real estate developer lands him in Cliffside Bay with his very best friends, The Dogs. At the end of his grueling work days, Kyle's got just enough time left for his buddies and not much else... -
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA sensitive and reassuring story about what to do when a worry won't leave you alone. Meet Ruby—a happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It's not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger... And a little bigger... Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about... -
Joy by Victoria Christopher Murray
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVictoria Christopher Murray's bestselling novel shares the story of a successful black Christian woman who must decide how far she is willing to go to have a future with the man she loves.Anya Mitchell feels greatly blessed. The owner of a successful Los Angeles financial services company, she is also prosperous in love, thanks to handsome writer Braxton Vance... -
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Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down... -
Life Goes On by Kelly Moore
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHappy go lucky Olivia McDill adores her fairy-tale life, married to the man of her dreams. It’s a love that should’ve lasted a lifetime…then in the blink of an eye, everything changed. She learns too quickly that life can be unfair, and she’s left trying to pick up the pieces and make sense of things on her own... -
No Beach Like Nantucket by Grace Palmer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Benson family needs a fresh start. Can they find peace and happiness on the beaches of Nantucket?Last summer, a storm blew the Benson family’s lives to bits.It’s been almost a year since that fateful day.Since they learned that life at the beach isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.They’re doing their best to pick up the pieces.Mae is running the Sweet Island Inn... -
Hearts on Fire by Julia Gabriel
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Julia Gabriel does an amazing job with this devastatingly, heartbreaking love story." — RT Book Reviews, 4.5 stars, Top PickReturn to the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Julia Gabriel’s new series about love, family, and second chances ... The 300-year-old town of St. Caroline, Maryland, is part fishing village and part summer playground for the wealthy and powerful... -
Lunch at The Beach House Hotel by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAnn Rutherford’s and Rhonda DelMonte Grayson’s lives continue to be full of surprises as they run The Beach House Hotel, their small upscale hotel on the Gulf Coast in Southwest Florida. Things heat up when Tina Marks (Valentina Marquis, a famous young movie star) is sent to the hotel in secret to lose twenty-five pounds in eight weeks for her next starring role... -
The Essential Tales of Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOf the two hundred stories that Anton Chekhov wrote, the twenty stories that appear in this extraordinary collection were personally chosen by Richard Ford--an accomplished storyteller in his own right. Included are the familiar masterpieces--"The Kiss," "The Darling," and "The Lady with the Dog"--as well as several brilliant lesser-known tales such as "A Blunder," "Hush!," and "Champagne...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc fiction classics anthologies contemporary psychological literary -
The Aftermath by Gail Schimmel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThree women: a mother, a daughter, a friend. Can they save each other from the past?It’s been twenty-six years since the accident, but Helen still lives on autopilot, going through the motions of work and motherhood. Her one wish is for her daughter Julia to settle down with her own family—so Helen can let go... -
Black Light: Saved by Raisa Greywood
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJafari’s little rabbit might try to run, but he’s going to catch her. No matter what.Kacy's past is dark and twisted, and it's coming back to haunt her. But she's not alone this time.Dominant and possessive, Jafari isn't going to let his favorite masochist run away again. He'll keep her tied up and begging for him while he slays her dragons, even if she insists she's no damsel in distress... -
Secret Obsession by D.M. Mortier
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColonel Colton James Ragnarson III should have known better. He wanted nothing more than to enjoy his retirement after his intensely active combat years in the US Army, take care of his family, and find the mystery woman who had made him personalized weapons... -
The Other Son by Nick Alexander, Imogen Church
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the outside, Alice’s marriage looks successful. It’s true that Ken was never her first choice, but four decades in, she’s learned to tolerate him. Their two sons have chosen their own paths, Tim as a successful banker and Matt a carefree globetrotter she can’t keep up with... -
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Let the Light Shine by Nick Alexander, Penelope Rawlins
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom Nick Alexander, the number one best-selling author of The Photographer's Wife and The Other Son.Penny and Victoria are about as different as two siblings can be, one with a smart London lifestyle, the other struggling to make ends meet. But they are joined by more than blood, and their shared tragic past is affecting the present more than they realise... -
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... -
His Uptown Girl by Liz Talley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife doesn't follow rules... Jazz pianist Dez Batiste knows this all too well. It's taken him years to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina swept away what mattered most. His musician's soul is still lost in the wreckage, but he's after a brand-new future by opening an Uptown jazz club. Too bad the distractingly sexy Eleanor Theriot is getting in his way... -
Change of Heart by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEmerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica... -
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library... -
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 -
Underneath by Andie M. Long, Michelle Dunbar
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the Author of The Alphabet Game comes a tale of drama and suspense. LAUREN LAWLER’s life is visually perfect. However husband Niall seems to have forgotten she exists. Running a Vintage shop on Ebay and meeting her best friend Monique for coffee and shopping, Lauren feels settled but bored... -
The Night Nanny by Nelle Lamarr
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Please don’t worry, Ava. Your baby is safe with me. I’m going to take care of her like she’s my own…”Ever since my daughter Isa was born, I’ve been struggling. I can’t remember anything, and my brain is in a fog. So when my husband Ned suggests we hire a night nanny, I leap at the chance.As soon as she walks into our home, I feel a wave of relief... -
In Sheep's Clothing by Mary Monroe
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA restless young woman thinks she’s found a free ride to happiness and adventure. But it’s a trip that may land her in prison—or worse. . . When Trudy Bell lands a job at a travel agency, she feels like a new woman. And her friendly personality soon wins her the adoration of her colleagues—with one exception... -
The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of If Only I Could Tell You comes the story of two women determined to uncover the truth. But how can you trust the present if you can't remember the past?“Left me gasping. Brilliant.” —Alex Michaelides“Has one of the best story twists I have ever read…superb writing.” —Ruth Jones“Resonates long after you turn the final page... -
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The Shadow Between Us by Carol Mason
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhat is it about the coast that attracts people running from their past? Maybe there’s something in a sea breeze that blows away your problems. Maybe when you look out at the ocean you can see the future; forget the secrets and pain holding you back. Or at least you can forget them for a time. When Olivia moves to Port Townsend, her marriage is floundering, and her life is in pieces... -
The Marriage Mender by Linda Green
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe only relationship she can't save is her own . . .Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it... -
A Life Worth Living by Louise Guy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAre some white lies simply too big to forgive?Eve and Leah are identical twins—but beyond that, they’re polar opposites. Struggling journalist Leah envies Eve’s seemingly perfect life—the loyal husband, the beautiful twin daughters, the stellar career—little knowing that what Eve longs for most is Leah’s independence... -
The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPeople come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they're lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn't know they needed...Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc romance fiction womens-fiction contemporary audiobook psychological -
The Puppetmaster by Linnea May
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI don't just train. I don't just own. I make them dance.My name makes their hearts beat with desire and their skin tickle with sweet fear—a name spoken in hushed voices, hot craving lacing every syllable.They call me The Puppetmaster.And when I’m on the hunt, they come running—willing to serve at my feet.But I’m a cruel Master, and highly selective. Not just anyone can become my puppet... -
Chaser: A Courageous Love Novel (A Billionaire, Friends with Benefits, Romantic Suspense) by Terreece M. Clarke
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“This story had twists and turns I never could have predicted, and during all of that is a beautiful love story between two broken souls that are in need of healing." - Evelyn Sola, bestselling author Friend Zoned, Downfall and CraveA plus-sized, billionaire heiress finds herself entangled in a sizzling friends-with-benefits affair with Xavier, a devoted cowboy businessman...Categorized as:
female-mc poc-mc romance friends-to-lovers billionaire western psychological fiction -
Alice on a Friday Night: A Novel of Addictions and Dreams by Dessi Nikko, Diana Naneva
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNational Award for Debut Fiction (Bulgaria) * Eastern European Bestseller * Deliciously Illustrated She is youwhen youwere lost...Love is an addiction. Trying to understand people is an addiction. As are drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders. And every addiction is a whole new world worth exploring.So Alice explores... -
One Summer Night at the Ritz by Jenny Oliver
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGorgeously glamorous and unforgettably romantic, One Summer Night at the Ritz is the fairy-tale perfect forth story in Jenny Oliver’s ‘Cherry Pie Island’ series... -
Multiple Me's by Sasha Wright
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMoneca Robinson had to grow up fast when, at a young age, she was forced to care for her mother after a nervous breakdown. Living the fast life way before her adult years, she finally met her match when she fell in love with Rex. Although she thought he was everything she’d been missing, she soon learned Rex was not the man she thought... -
Lark Song by Jane Bailey
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThey want to move on—but one terrible truth could shatter it all.As a widowed mother of three, new love seems impossible for Freya—until she meets Duncan, and suddenly she feels alive again. But there are secrets afflicting Freya’s family, some more sinister than others, that could destroy their relationship before it has a chance to flourish...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction adult audiobook book cheating contemporary domestic-drama -
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Everything She Ever Wanted: A Different Kind of Love Novel by Liz Durano
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHer perfectly-planned life is off-kilter.... His is off the grid. I was never into fairy tales. But discovering a real live princess in my house reminds me of the story of the three bears and some chick who breaks into their pad, eats all their food, and sleeps in their beds. Just like the one that’s in mine right now... -
Don't Blink by L.G. Davis
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings*This book was previously published under the titles The Girl in the Rain and The Girl in the Storm.* Two years ago, Paige Wilson watched helplessly as her brother Ryan was shot, right on her doorstep. He survived the attack, but never fully recovered from the trauma. Stuck in a wheelchair, Ryan refuses to accept the life of a paraplegic... -
Drive Me Crazy by Eric Jerome Dickey
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe New York Times bestseller-now in trade paperback.Praised for his storytelling, New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey turns up the heat in his explosive new novel of the reckless desires that bind an irresistible woman to a desperate man-and the one wrong move that could destroy them both... -
Moonlight Shadow by Banana Yoshimoto
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Moonlight Shadow" (ムーンライト・シャドウ) is an award-winning novella by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto, partly inspired by Mike Oldfield's song with the same title. The novella is included in most editions of Yoshimoto's novel Kitchen...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary female-author -
Circle of Doubt by Tracy Buchanan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe thought she was the perfect mother—until the new neighbours moved in.Emma and Dele’s dreams came true nine years ago when they adopted their daughter, Isla. It felt like fate, like they were meant to find each other, and now they’re living the life they always wanted... -
The Family Trap by Lorna Dounaeva
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPrudence welcomed Zoe into her home. Now she’s fighting to survive.Two simple words shatter Prudence Ahern’s world - “I’m pregnant.”Her son Nathan is only eighteen when his new girlfriend Zoe drops that little bombshell. Prudence feels she has to support her son and asks Zoe to move in with them.Right from the start, Prudence knows something isn’t right...Categorized as:
female-mc literary-fiction psychological fiction contemporary suspense thriller children -
The Halo Effect by Anne D. LeClaire
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this tour de force, a father, shaken by tragedy, tries to avenge his daughter’s murder—and restore his family’s shattered life. It was supposed to be a typical October evening for renowned portrait artist Will Light... -
Not My Mother by Miranda Smith
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhat if the person you trust most in the world is lying to you?I’d heard of the Baby Caroline case, of course. When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me.Today, my beautiful daughter turned one...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc audiobook psychological fiction suspense contemporary thriller -
The Accident by Natalie Barelli
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIf only she'd said no... Katherine knew she’d had too many drinks, but they were only going a short distance. And as Eve pointed out, it was late, there was no traffic anyway... Now, Katherine would do anything to turn back the clock. If anyone ever found out about the accident, it would ruin Katherine’s life... -
After She Left by Claire Amarti
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAbigail Gibson is gone. The morning after Christmas Day, she walks out of her home in the leafy suburbs of Westchester, New York, leaving behind a strange note on the kitchen table… and her ten-year-old son, Sam.When her sister Gillian gets the call, she can barely believe it...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc fiction contemporary family suspense thriller psychological -
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The Midnight Wife by L.G. Davis
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsShe has a new life and a loving husband, but will her secrets ruin everything? Kelsey Bloom has been living a perfect lie, hiding in plain sight from the past that broke her.Everything is going according to plan. She has made herself at home in the small town of Sanlow, Montana, and her life seems perfect from the outside…… until she’s attacked by someone who claims to know her secrets... -
Skyward by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsE.R. nurse Ella Majors has seen all the misery that she can handle. Burned-out and unsure of her next step, she accepts the temporary position as caregiver to Marion Henderson, a frightened five-year-old who suffers from juvenile diabetes. But Ella soon realizes there is more sorrow in the isolated home than the little girl’s illness can account for... -
Little Friends by Jane Shemilt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTHE STUNNING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB SENSATION DAUGHTERTheir children are friends first. They hit it off immediately, as kids do. And so the parents are forced to get to know each other. Three wildly different couples. Three marriages, floundering.There are barbecues, dinner parties, a holiday in Greece... -
What We Owe by Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNahid has six months left to live. Or so the doctors say. But Nahid is not the type to trust anyone. She resents the cancer diagnosis she has been given and the doctor who has given it to her. Bubbling inside her is also resentment toward life as it turned out, and the fact that it will go on without her. She feels alone, alone with her illness and alone with her thoughts... -
My Daughter's Secret by Nicole Trope
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMy baby girl, I’ll never forget you – your smile, your laugh, the way your hair sparkles in the sun. I cannot comprehend this pain. I cannot breathe through it.In the middle of the night, Claire wakes up to discover that her beloved daughter, Julia, is dead – and life, as she knows it, is over... -
Metamorphosis and The Judgment by Franz Kafka, Steven Berkoff
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGregor Samsa is a man dedicated to industry, self-sacrifice, and survival. On waking one morning, he finds that he has been transformed into a gigantic insect. Being trapped in this alien body is a fate that he passively accepts, just as he accepts the fact of his inevitable death...
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