Books like 'Tom Lake'
Readers who enjoyed Tom Lake by Ann Patchett also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance family literary-fiction season-summer historical-fiction coming-of-age
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The Keeper of Stars by Buck Turner
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNOW A #1 BESTSELLERWho says you can’t rewrite the stars?1962—Twelve years removed from the summer when she first gave her heart away, Dr. Elizabeth (Ellie) Spencer, Professor of Astronomy at Indiana University, receives a mysterious package that has her asking that very question.Inside the unmarked box is a novel written by Ellie’s first love, Jack Bennett...Categorized as:
historical-fiction season-summer coming-of-age romance fiction mystery contemporary audiobook -
In the Company of Strangers by Awais Khan
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLahore – a city of secretive glamour, whispering elites, and sordid affairs. A city brought to its knees by terrorism. Forty one-year old Mona has almost everything: money, friends, social status… everything except for freedom in the repressed Pakistani society. Languishing in her golden cage, she craves a sense of belonging… of love...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction historical-fiction coming-of-age romance suspense poc-mc fiction -
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The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she soon discovers that her grandmother left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book christian -
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Fireworks over the Loch by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA sleepy Scottish village is about to be woken up … With her boyfriend moving to her hometown of Lannick, Leana Mackenzie is floating on cloud nine. All she needs now is for them to find a home of their own. Alasdair’s lack of interest in house-hunting soon has her worried.For Isla and Logan, moving in together is the logical next step in their relationship... -
The Beach House by Jenny Hale
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Oh, my goodness,” she whispered. At the bottom of the box was a stack of letters. Tied with a ribbon, the pages were faded with age. “These are all addressed from here,” she said, “but they’ve never been sent.”When her gram passes away, Melanie Simpson feels utterly lost. She has no idea what to do with her life after she has devoted years to looking after her beloved grandmother...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book contemporary -
Going Home by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn 1970, Violet Hawkins’ only wish at eighteen is to escape her life in the Dayton, Ohio, foster-care system and make her way to the west coast to enjoy a mellow life and find the love she’s been missing all her life. She makes it to San Francisco, but soon learns she needs a job if she’s to live properly...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction anthologies audiobook contemporary female-mc fiction -
Sunset by Jessie Cave
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe debut adult novel from Jessie Cave is a spry yet reflective comedy of sisterhood, loneliness and second chances as a rootless young woman starts to piece her life back together again.Sunset is an unconventional love story about putting yourself back together when the sky has fallen in.Ruth and Hannah are sisters. They build each other up, and tear each other down... -
A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJill Conroy is tricked by her sister into becoming the housekeeper and cook for the summer at Seashell Cottage where Greg Campbell and his nephew, Brody, have been hired to do maintenance projects on the house. Annoyed at first, Jill soon realizes how wonderful it is to be away from her home in New York and the memories of her deceased, emotionally abusive husband... -
Summer at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratings‘A sparkling, laugh-out-loud, romantic read’ Phillipa Ashley, bestselling author of Summer at the Cornish Cafe ‘The perfect holiday read to warm your heart’ #1 Bestselling author Tracy Bloom The third book in the bestselling series, ‘The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea’... -
Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt's been five years since the original turtle lady, old Miss Lovie Rutledge, passed away, but her legacy lives on with some special women, especially Toy and her daughter, young Little Lovie. Toy Sooner kept her graveside vow to her beloved mentor. She left behind an abusive, dysfunctional lifestyle to become a strong single mother and aquarist at the South Carolina Aquarium...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book contemporary -
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 historical-fiction literary-fiction adult book contemporary female-mc fiction -
The Cottage on Sunshine Beach by Holly Martin
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsStep into the delightful seaside village of Sandcastle Bay, where you’ll discover golden sand, welcoming smiles and an unforgettable romance… Melody Rosewood loves her new home in idyllic Sandcastle Bay . The beautiful little cottage on the edge of Sunshine Beach , with its bright yellow door and view of the sea has captured her heart... -
Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI’m not yours and you’re not mine. That’s what I say to his dreaming face as I watch the shadows of his dark eyelashes dance by the light of a Tilley lamp.It’s not the first lie I’ve told myself. When I was sixteen, I wanted to fly...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction coming-of-age romance fiction contemporary mental-illness sad -
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Champagne Widows: First Woman of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot by Rebecca Rosenberg
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsChampagne, France, 1800. Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker. She is determined to use Le Nez to make great champagne, but the Napoleon Code prohibits women from owning a business...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family coming-of-age literary-fiction romance drama contemporary fiction -
Cánh Đồng Bất Tận by Nguyễn Ngọc Tư
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCánh đồng bất tận bao gồm những truyện hay và mới nhất của nhà văn Nguyễn Ngọc Tư. Đây là tác phẩm đang gây xôn xao trong đời sống văn học, bởi ở đó người ta tìm thấy sự dữ dội, khốc liệt của đời sống thôn dã qua cái nhìn của một cô gái. Bi kịch về nỗi mất mát, sự cô đơn được đẩy lên đến tận cùng, khiến người đọc có lúc cảm thấy nhói tim.. -
A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi, Hildegarde Serle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLaughter, tears, the transformative power of love, unexpected revelations, and striking natural these are the ingredients that combine to make best-selling author Virginie Grimaldi’s English debut the feel-good read of 2024. Grimaldi is among France’s top ten contemporary authors and her uplifting, unputdownable literary novels have quickly garnered her millions of adoring fans...Categorized as:
literary-fiction family season-summer coming-of-age romance fiction contemporary audiobook -
Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPat Conroy called Dorothea Benton Frank’s debut, Sullivan’s Island , “hilarious and wise,” while Anne Rivers Siddons declared that it “roars with life.” Now Frank evokes a lush plantation in the heart of modern-day South Carolina—where family ties and hidden truths run as deep and dark as the mighty Edisto River… Caroline Wimbley Levine always swore she’d never go home again... -
Tell Me How to Be by Neel Patel
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRenu Amin always seemed perfect: doting husband, beautiful house, healthy sons. But as the one-year anniversary of her husband's death approaches, Renu is binge-watching soap operas and simmering with old resentments. She can't stop wondering if, thirty-five years ago, she chose the wrong life...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary -
O'Mara's by Michelle Vernal
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratings‘If you love Maeve Binchy, you’ll love this series...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction adult audiobook book contemporary -
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Lily King has written another masterpiece. This book overflows with her brilliance and her heart. We are so lucky.” —Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time TomorrowFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers comes a magnificent and intimate new novel of desire, friendship, and the lasting impact of first loveYou knew I’d write a book about you someday...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age historical-fiction family romance fiction contemporary friendship -
You Then, Me Now by Nick Alexander
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsShe’s given her daughter everything. Now it’s time to give her the truth. Becky’s father is not just absent: he’s a mystery, a gaping hole in her past. He died before she was born and for her mother, Laura, the subject is strictly off-limits. But when Laura books an unexpected trip to Greece, Becky decides to join her, determined to get closer to her mother—and to the truth... -
Stepping Stones by Maureen Lee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom 1930s Liverpool to London, then California and finally back to Liverpool, the powerful and compelling saga of one woman's turbulent life.Kitty O'Brien's husband is a drunken thug, and in order to feed her starving children, she sells her body on the Liverpool docks. Her daughter Lizzie is pregnant by her father and, still weak after her abortion, she kills him... -
Gemma's Bluff by Karly Lane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGemma's life has always been a foregone conclusion: school, uni, then into the family business. Her best friend, Jasmine, is a whole other story. She thrives on spontaneity, her room is always a mess and she rarely sits down and plans anything in her life... -
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Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn exquisitely moving story about grief, love, and family, from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney. Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable... -
The Bakery at Seashell Cove: A feel good, laugh out loud romantic comedy by Karen Clarke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn absolutely hilarious, uplifting summer read about living life to the full! Meg Larson thought she had everything she wanted: she works in the local bakery, she’s months away from marrying her high-school sweetheart, and home is beautiful, sunny Seashell Cove , where the sky is blue, the sea is turquoise and the sand is golden... -
Summer at 23 The Strand by Linda Mitchelmore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEscape to the seaside this summer!After actress Martha’s painful break-up hits the headlines, the warm golden sands and sparkling seas of Elberry Cove are the perfect escape from the paparazzi!Nestled amongst a gorgeous line of brightly-coloured beach chalets, Number 23 The Strand is a home from home, a secret paradise where she can slowly begin to piece her heart back together... -
Hunger for Life by Andy Marr
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn the day of his graduation, James says goodbye to the future and moves back to his parents’ house in Myreton, the sleepy village of his childhood. He’s not happy, but the thought of continuing his life anywhere else seems unthinkable while his sister, Emma, continues to suffer with the illness that’s plagued her since she was a child...Categorized as:
family coming-of-age literary-fiction romance fiction contemporary mental-illness psychological -
The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea by Jennifer Joyce
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEscape to the seaside this summer! Mae loves running her little Bed & Breakfast, it’s the perfect place to raise her adorable four-year-old daughter! And no matter how persistently local vet, Alfie, chases her, she just doesn’t have time for men in her life... -
Maggie's Way by Linda Bradley
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMiddle-aged, Maggie Abernathy just wants to recuperate from cancer during the solitude of summer vacation after a tiresome year of teaching second grade. Maggie’s plans are foiled when precocious seven-year-old Chloe McIntyre moves in next door with her dad, John. Maggie’s life changes in a way she could never imagine when the pesky new neighbors steal her heart... -
Letting in Light by Emma Davies
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRowan Hill seemed like the perfect place for Ellie to escape and lick her wounds; a huge estate surrounded by a nice big wall and plenty of peace, quiet, and time to think ... Will has a reputation for being a humourless grumpy loner, but it’s his estate and he doesn’t want anything to change; things would be perfect if everyone would just leave him alone... -
Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSweetgrass is a historic tract of land in South Carolina that has been home to the Blakely family for eight generations. But Sweetgrass—named for the indigenous grass that grows in the area—is in trouble. Taxes are skyrocketing. Bulldozers are leveling the surrounding properties. And the Blakelys could be forced to sell the one thing that continues to hold their disintegrating family together...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book contemporary -
Pioneer Summer: A Novel by Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis star-crossed gay romance is a #1 bestselling TikTok sensation that took listeners by storm, made international news, and catalyzed one of Russia’s largest-ever crackdowns on LGBTQ representation The year is 1986, and Yurka Konev, 16, has been sent off for another summer at Pioneer Camp...Categorized as:
historical-fiction season-summer coming-of-age literary-fiction romance lgbtq fiction young-adult -
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Missing Beats by K.L. Shandwick
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTo Jo, rock stars = Fame. Money. Music. Sex. A lifestyle she literally has no respect for. Josie Carmichael's no rock star. She's not even famous and she doesn't particularly like musicians, but when a boy from her childhood reconnects unexpectedly, her life is put on hold...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family literary-fiction adult book contemporary fiction friends-to-lovers -
McKellan's Run by Nicole Hurley-Moore
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYears ago, Violet Beckett made the mistake of falling for the wrong McKellan brother and both she and her younger sister, Lily, paid the price. Now eight years later, fate has brought Violet and her daughter, Holly, back to the house Violet grew up in. As soon as Violet runs into James 'Mac' McKellan, she wonders if she should run all the way back to the city... -
For the Summer by Camille Harte
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's 1983 and eleven-year old Cat Rossi watches the launch ramp at her father's marina where dozens of trucks patiently wait to back their boats into the shallow water. They're out-of-towners, Paychecks, her brother likes to call them because they bring the money. But just for the summer...Categorized as:
historical-fiction season-summer coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult fiction small-town -
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecret walks and late-night phone calls. An undeniable chemistry. A tragedy that haunts them both. A powerful yet tender love story between two people who can’t help but be pulled back to one another, time and againThis is the story of Will and Rosie. Bad boy meets good girl, opposites in every way...Categorized as:
literary-fiction season-summer family romance fiction contemporary womens-fiction friendship -
Dear Marley by Danielle Keil
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone at Ryder High knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.For Marley “Sunny” Sorenshine, a Secret Admirer might be just what she needs to put her recent, very public, break up behind her.Her optimism is dimmed when she reads the first note—her admirer was tricked into participating. He didn’t choose Marley, a dart did...Categorized as:
literary-fiction coming-of-age romance contemporary young-adult loner-mc fiction book -
Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“One of those books you just want to hug to your chest. I loved it so much... -
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s a Friday night in a campus bar in Berkeley, fall of 2000, and Percy Marks is pontificating about music again. Hall and Oates is on the jukebox, and Percy—who has no talent for music, just lots of opinions about it—can’t stop herself from overanalyzing the song, indulging what she knows to be her most annoying habit. But something is different tonight...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family romance fiction contemporary university season-spring -
A Good Time by Shannyn Schroeder
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA passionate free spirit and a sweet-talking playboy sound like a match made in heaven—until life gets in the way of all the fun and games… Indy Adams values her freedom above all else. She works hard to support herself, moonlighting as a waitress while she fights for her first big sale in the Chicago real estate market... -
The Butterfly Garden by Mary Campisi
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s all about that second chance… The Butterfly Garden is Book Six of That Second Chance Series. (These are stand-alone stories tied together by a common theme— belief in the beauty of that second chance.) Sometimes love happens when you least expect it… Jenny Romano has never been a white-picket-fence, happily-ever-after girl...Categorized as:
family literary-fiction coming-of-age romance contemporary womens-fiction fiction small-town -
Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style by Paul Rudnick
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom the acclaimed writer Paul Rudnick, a riotously funny, perceptive, and life-affirming novel following the decades-long, rule-breaking romance between the son of one of American’s wealthiest families and a middle-class aspiring author.Devastatingly handsome and insanely rich, Farrell Covington is capable of anything and impossible to resist...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family season-summer romance fiction lgbtq contemporary -
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Turn Towards the Sun by Emma Davies
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLizzie wants nothing more than to start over and put the past behind her. So when she is offered the chance to live and work at Rowan Hill, a beautiful country estate and bustling community of artists, it feels like a dream come true. But soon after her arrival a series of accidents and misunderstandings begins to threaten the happiness and livelihoods of everyone at Rowan Hill... -
Kokoschka's Doll by Afonso Cruz
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAt the age of forty-two, Bonifaz Vogel begins to hear a voice.But it doesn't belong to the mice or the woodworm, as he first imagines. Nor is it the voice of God, as he comes to believe. It belongs to young Isaac Dresner, who takes refuge in the cellar of Vogel's bird shop on the run from the soldier who shot his best friend... -
The Temptation to Be Happy by Lorenzo Marone, Shaun Whiteside
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCesare is a seventy-seven-year-old widower and cynical troublemaker, a man who has always struggled to care for others and has given up trying. Aside from an intermittent fling with a nurse called Rossana, he avoids contact with his neighbours and even his own children. One day, the enigmatic Emma moves into the neighbouring flat with her strange and sinister husband... -
The English Bookshop by Janis Wildy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn inheritance, a bookshop and a promise…Lucy isn’t ready for a life-changing journey when it comes knocking; she just wants to keep everything the same as the day her stepfather died. Unfortunately, expenses have overtaken her small family business, forcing her to do something quickly to keep it afloat... -
The Olive Tree by Lucinda Riley
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt is said that anyone who comes to stay at 'Pandora' for the first time will fall in love . . . It has been twenty-four years since a young Helena spent a magical holiday in Cyprus, where she fell in love for the first time. When the now crumbling house, 'Pandora', is left to her by her godfather, she returns to spend the summer there with her family...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction season-summer adult audiobook book contemporary -
The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsShe thought she knew her best friend…She was wrong.The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life...Categorized as:
season-summer coming-of-age literary-fiction family romance mystery fiction contemporary
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