Books like 'Counting Backwards'
Readers who enjoyed Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary north-america virginia usa new-york-state urban historical-fiction literary-fiction friendship family
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Sanibel Tides by Hope Holloway
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn order to secure a high-profile feature story for Shellseeker Cottages, the family must come together like never before. But as they do, some of the strongest relationships face daunting challenges, and more than one heart may be left broken on the beach.Olivia and Deeley’s lives are suddenly thrust into a new kind of chaos, and the solution threatens to end their brand new romance... -
![One Long Weekend by Shari Low]()
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... -
![A Mother's Goodbye by Kate Hewitt]()
A Mother's Goodbye by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFans of Jodi Picoult, Kelly Rimmer, and Diane Chamberlain will love this USA Today bestselling author's absolutely gripping, emotional drama with a tear-jerking twist. "My arms ache with the need to reach and hold my precious child, and then to never let go. But I can't. I know I can't."Heather is devastated. There's no way she can keep her baby. She can barely pay the bills as it is... -
![Wife Support System by Kathleen Whyman]()
Wife Support System by Kathleen Whyman
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe’ve got the balance all wrong. Instead of living with our partners, struggling to do everything by ourselves and only seeing each other now and then, we should do it the other way round. We should live together and see them now and then.Erica knows her suggestion sounds extreme, but when her nanny leaves without notice, she’s extremely desperate... -
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![The Promise: Compass Key Book 4 by Maggie Miller]()
The Promise: Compass Key Book 4 by Maggie Miller
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSecond chances do exist. Five former sorority sisters, all in their 50's, undertake the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious invite reunites them at an exclusive resort set on a private island.Olivia was the quiet one. Her divorce from her alcoholic husband freed her in many ways but caused a rift with her daughter that seems impossible to heal.Amanda was the perfect one... -
![Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis]()
Fragile Hearts by the Loch by Hannah Ellis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow long does it take to mend a broken heart?Jess expects life on the Isle of Skye to be calm and peaceful. But when she falls for her colleague things quickly become complicated. Rory comes with a whole load of baggage, but she just can’t seem to stay away from him. When Elspeth is forced to take a break from work, she evaluates what her future holds... -
![Life, Upended by S.W. Hubbard]()
Life, Upended by S.W. Hubbard
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow can one word upend a life?A series of setbacks has left adjunct college professor Roz Schmidt one blown tire away from total financial collapse.Then she lands her dream job as a full-time professor at a local college. Good-bye to robbing Peter to pay Paul. Hello to a sunny new apartment and honest-to-goodness health insurance... -
![Making Waves by Meredith Summers]()
Making Waves by Meredith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMaxi’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expects... Maxi Stevens is at a crossroads. Things between her and James haven’t been the same since their kids left the nest. When she finds proof that indicates he may have strayed, she strikes out on her own. James’ infidelity has a silver lining, though... -
![Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins]()
Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins comes a funny and surprising new novel about losing it all--and getting back more than you ever expected.Lillie Silva knew life as an empty nester would be hard after her only child left for college, but when her husband abruptly dumps her for another woman just as her son leaves, her world comes crashing down... -
![The Dream: Compass Key Book 3 by Maggie Miller]()
The Dream: Compass Key Book 3 by Maggie Miller
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSecond chances do exist. Five former sorority sisters, all in their 50's, undertake the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious invite reunites them at an exclusive resort set on a private island.Olivia was the quiet one. Her divorce from her alcoholic husband freed her in many ways but caused a rift with her daughter that seems impossible to heal.Amanda was the perfect one... -
![The Village of Happy Ever Afters: A BRAND NEW romantic, heartwarming read from Alison Sherlock for 2022 by Alison Sherlock]()
The Village of Happy Ever Afters: A BRAND NEW romantic, heartwarming read from Alison Sherlock for 2022 by Alison Sherlock
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll NEW from Alison Sherlock and her bestselling Riverside Lane SeriesMolly Hopkins has happily watched all of her friends’ dreams come true on Riverside Lane... -
![A Head Start by Christine Gael]()
A Head Start by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGemma Davis has finally come to grips with her husband’s death but is reeling once again when she realizes that he left her a final gift. Already overwhelmed by the thought of raising their two sons alone, finding out that she has a baby on the way nearly sends her over the edge... -
![Whisling Island Weddings by Julia Clemens]()
Whisling Island Weddings by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBess is getting married. To the man who's chosen her again and again. To the man she'd choose forever. And of course Julia is thrilled for her two friends. But she does wonder if that kind of a blessing is out of her own reach. So when Ellis shows up as a wedding guest and insists on being Julia's date, she begins to let her guard down... -
![A Fresh Start: From Bluebird Bay to Cherry Blossom Point by Christine Gael]()
A Fresh Start: From Bluebird Bay to Cherry Blossom Point by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGayle Merrill knew things would change when she finally worked up the guts to leave her loveless marriage after more than twenty-five years. What she hadn't counted on was her lazy, cheating, soon-to-be ex all but stealing the business she'd nurtured from the ground up into a successful eatery and bar... -
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![The Parker Women by Kay Correll]()
The Parker Women by Kay Correll
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet the Parker Women...Donna and Evelyn, two fifty-something sisters who live in the small town of Moonbeam on the lovely Moonbeam Bay. Evelyn is known for her culinary skills and orchestrating every charity event that crosses her path. Donna runs the Parker General Store that has been in their family for generations, ever since Grace Parker and her husband opened it... -
![Starfish Cottage by Meredith Summers]()
Starfish Cottage by Meredith Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaddie Montgomery has finally found her slice of heaven - a charming cottage on the sugar-sand beach of Shell Cove, Maine. There’s only one problem, the flow of tourists to Shell Cove dried up years ago and now it’s up to her to bring them back... -
![Midnight Shores on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens]()
Midnight Shores on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhisling Island is a beautifully enchanting place, one of healing and growth.Allen is coming home. And sweet Lily is beside herself in joyful, anxious anticipation. After preparing for his homecoming, ensuring that their reunion will be perfect, Lily is thrown a curveball. One she isn't sure how to recover from... -
![My Silent Daughter by Emma Robinson]()
My Silent Daughter by Emma Robinson
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsYour daughter will not speak… But can she teach you how to live?Ever since Ruby was tiny, she has been unique. Her smiles are magically rare, her building blocks are always colour-coded, and she communicates only in gestures. Sometimes, being Ruby’s mother is hard, but the way she sees the world makes it new for Sara every day...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship female-mc breakup domestic-drama contemporary fiction womens-fiction -
![Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou]()
Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBook Two in The Gift Saga: The continuation of Evanthia’s Gift … In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’ named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches...Categorized as:
breakup domestic-drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction adult audiobook -
![Finding Comfort by Christine Gael]()
Finding Comfort by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStephanie Ketterman's only daughter, Sarah, thought her days living in Bluebird Bay were over. Married only two years, living in Washington DC, and on the cusp of an amazing career in law, she had the next decade planned out to a T. When she suddenly realizes she is bitterly unhappy and may have left Bluebird Bay in order to escape the pain of losing her father at such a young age, she returns... -
![The Secret: Compass Key Book 2 by Maggie Miller]()
The Secret: Compass Key Book 2 by Maggie Miller
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecond chances do exist.Five former sorority sisters, all in their 50's, undertake the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious invite reunites them at an exclusive resort set on a private island.Olivia was the quiet one. Her divorce from her alcoholic husband freed her in many ways but caused a rift with her daughter that seems impossible to heal.Amanda was the perfect one... -
![Vineyard Winds by Katie Winters]()
Vineyard Winds by Katie Winters
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe eighteenth book of the Vineyard Sunset Series is coming next. This vibrant cast of characters live out their dreams on Martha's Vineyard. This is the story of the Sheridan and Montgomery siblings, a heartwarming journey of friendship, loss, and love that will have you wanting the next book... -
![The Promise of Tomorrow by Mary Ellen Taylor]()
The Promise of Tomorrow by Mary Ellen Taylor
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the author of The Brighter the Light comes the moving story about one woman’s reason for leaving home and the love that brings her back.When Olympia leaves her small Virginia town, she doesn’t expect to look back, much less ever come home... -
![Life, At Last: Madalyn's Story by S.W. Hubbard]()
Life, At Last: Madalyn's Story by S.W. Hubbard
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDo the right thing.But don’t do it like that.Over the course of a long marriage, Madalyn has chosen to overlook her husband’s roving eye. But when Tom goes from being the charming life-of-the party to an accused groper, Madalyn has had enough humiliation. She files for divorce.Turning the page on her failed marriage proves harder than she expected... -
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![Beachfront Embrace by Michele Gilcrest]()
Beachfront Embrace by Michele Gilcrest
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMike’s ready to pop the question to Clara…But, when news of a secret baby surface, will it ruin his plans for engagement?Clara is happy in her relationship with Mike, but there’s a major shift in focus when her sister shows up with bad news. Solomons Island is a small and peaceful place, with lots of love to go around... -
![Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns]()
Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKeeping secrets comes naturally to him ... but will it ruin his chance at love?Liam Castle knows the secrets of everyone in Bunyip Bay. As the owner of the pub, he's heard it all - from marriage proposals and farming disasters to family rifts and everything in between. The locals love to confide in him, but no one knows he's hiding a tragic past.And he wants to keep it that way... -
![New Beginnings on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens]()
New Beginnings on Whisling Island by Julia Clemens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter darkness, there will always be light. A new beginning. With a beautiful daybreak comes a whole slew of new challenges and experiences for the women of Whisling Island. Join Bess, Olivia, Deb, and Gen as they navigate their new normal. As they come to terms with who they are now after the sun has set on the way that things used to be... -
![No Beach Like Nantucket by Grace Palmer]()
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... -
![The Imperfection of Us by Nick Alexander]()
The Imperfection of Us by Nick Alexander
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDawn and Rob were never meant to be together. It’s the summer of 1990 and seventeen-year-old Dawn is infatuated with Billy. He’s cool, in a band and the opposite of her other besotted gentle electrician Rob. But then Billy disappears, and Rob is still around. He's there when Dawn falls pregnant and he’s there for the sleepless nights...Categorized as:
family breakup domestic-drama female-mc friendship literary-fiction romance marriage -
![A Hope For Emily by Kate Hewitt]()
A Hope For Emily by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLooking back, I wish I could find my way back to that moment. I’d snatch it and hold onto it and live in it for the rest of my life, if I could. When Emily could still throw her arms around me. Oh God, just give me that moment, or one like it again. That’s all I want...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction female-mc literary-fiction friendship breakup domestic-drama fiction -
![Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan]()
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsA soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side... -
![No time to say good bye by Kate Hewitt]()
No time to say good bye by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis ISBN 10 and 13 is for the paper back because although I read the audible (audiobook) format there was no ISBN listed for it. It hit me, the reality of it, in a way it hadn’t before like a sledgehammer straight to the chest. Laura was gone. She was never coming back...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family female-mc friendship literary-fiction fiction contemporary womens-fiction -
![One Last Thing Before I Go by Michele Brouder]()
One Last Thing Before I Go by Michele Brouder
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe retired librarian from Hideaway Bay, Carol Rimmer, has been handed a terminal diagnosis. As she looks over the course of her life, she decides she must do one more thing before she goes. But she’s going to need help and who better to ask than Thelma Schumacher. Despite their history, she puts aside any dislike she has for the woman and asks for help in her last task... -
![A Dog's Chance by Casey Wilson]()
A Dog's Chance by Casey Wilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA reminder of the unbelievable bonds we form with the dogs in our lives. No matter how broken you are, the unconditional love of a dog can piece you back together in this book that's perfect for fans of A Dog's Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and Marley and Me.Madison knows her fourteen-year-old daughter Abbie is struggling... -
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![Finding Refuge: A Bluebird Bay Novel by Christine Gael]()
Finding Refuge: A Bluebird Bay Novel by Christine Gael
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCee-cee and Mick are madly in love, but have been putting their wedding on the back burner because life keeps getting in the way. Well, no more! She is going to get her man down that aisle, come hell OR high water. But when the fates throw both at them all at once, she starts to wonder if they're ever going to get their happily ever after... -
![The Island: Compass Key Book 1 by Maggie Miller]()
The Island: Compass Key Book 1 by Maggie Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecond chances do exist.Five women, all in their 50's, undertake the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious invite reunites them at an exclusive resort set on a private island.Each one comes with her own story of love and loss, her own hopes and heartaches, her own trials to work through... -
![In Little Stars by Linda Green]()
In Little Stars by Linda Green
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn a divided northern England, love and hate are about to collide . . .Sylvie and Donna travel on the same train to work each day but have never spoken. Their families are on different sides of the bitter Brexit divide, although the tensions and arguments at home give them much in common... -
![One More Day by Emma Heatherington]()
One More Day by Emma Heatherington
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen everything is lost, can their love survive?Annie Madden and her husband Peter seemed to have the perfect life. They had two beautiful children, a wonderful home and each other. That was before everything changed. Now Annie must face a different life, after a devastating event casts a shadow over her family, and their future...Categorized as:
literary-fiction female-mc family friendship breakup domestic-drama fiction contemporary -
![The Letter by Mia Kent]()
The Letter by Mia Kent
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA simple request. A chance to find answers. And one last hope for the woman who has spent a lifetime searching.For eighty years, the search for John Sullivan has been plagued by dead ends and dashed dreams. Now, thanks to Robyn Wright’s former career and a last-ditch quest for answers, a glimmer of hope has emerged...Categorized as:
historical-fiction female-mc friendship breakup domestic-drama romance womens-fiction contemporary -
![Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans by Cathy Sharp]()
Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans by Cathy Sharp
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA gritty and compelling drama from the bestselling author of The Orphans of Halfpenny Street. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Sheila Jeffries.Little twin sisters, Sarah and Samantha are all alone in the world. When their mother died giving birth to Sarah, she was blamed for the death by her father and her learning difficulties serve only to make him more angry and violent towards her... -
![Beach Cove Home by Nellie Brooks]()
Beach Cove Home by Nellie Brooks
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJoin the women of Beach Cove as they grow friendship into sisterhood.Maisie has avoided Beach Cove for a decade. Now in her early fifties, a desperate search brings her back to her old beach house, new neighbors, and the friends she’d left behind.Ellie's fish market is in trouble, and she feels alone and isolated...Categorized as:
breakup domestic-drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult -
![The Exit Strategy by Lainey Cameron]()
The Exit Strategy by Lainey Cameron
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSilicon Valley investor Ryn Brennan is on the verge of achieving everything she dreamed. She's succeeded in the male-dominated venture capital world, has a supportive husband, and is about to close the deal of her career. Everything is going exactly as planned, until she meets Carly, her husband's mistress, across the negotiating table...Categorized as:
friendship literary-fiction female-mc breakup domestic-drama womens-fiction fiction contemporary -
![When We Let Go by Rochelle B. Weinstein]()
When We Let Go by Rochelle B. Weinstein
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA moving novel of family and forgiveness and of hope and healing by Rochelle B. Weinstein, the USA Today bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends.When Avery Beckett is proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves, it should be a time of great joy. Instead, Avery is on edge. She’s wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap... -
![Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary]()
Daughters of Wild Rose Bay by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heart-warming page-turner set on the Irish coast, where secrets hide, romance is waiting and there is every chance to make a new beginning… Jasmine Delon feels completely lost: having just broken up with the man she thought was the love of her life, all she knows is that she can’t face living alone in her empty apartment in Paris... -
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![The Beach Babes by Judith Keim]()
The Beach Babes by Judith Keim
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOld friends are the best…Catherine “Cate” Tibbs, Brooke Ridley, and Amber Anderson, friends since they were awkward thirteen-year-olds who named themselves “The Beach Babes,” are about to face their 40th birthdays. Because they haven’t been able to get together for some time, Cate arranges for them to rent a house along the Gulf Coast of Florida for a long weekend... -
![Amazing Grace by Lesley Crewe]()
Amazing Grace by Lesley Crewe
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe new novel from bestselling author Lesley Crewe! Grace Willingdon has everything she needs. For fifteen years she’s lived in a trailer overlooking Bras d’Or Lakes in postcard-perfect Baddeck, Cape Breton, with Fletcher Parsons, a giant teddy bear who’s not even her husband... -
![A Life Without Flowers by Marci Bolden]()
A Life Without Flowers by Marci Bolden
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwenty-four years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Carol Denman has finally made peace with Katie’s father. But releasing her ex-husband from blame and facing how deeply she held herself responsible were only the first steps in Carol’s journey toward peace.With the pain of her failed first marriage behind her, Carol is determined to mend her broken relationship with her mother... -
![The Sunrise Cove Inn by Katie Winters]()
The Sunrise Cove Inn by Katie Winters
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA divorced criminal lawyer. Her first love. The island she abandoned for a better life over twenty years ago.Susan Sheridan knows Martha’s Vineyard like the back of her hand. She grew up there as the eldest of the three Sheridan Sisters, their father the longtime owner of the Sunrise Cove Inn in Oak Bluffs... -
![Happiness by Danielle Steel]()
Happiness by Danielle Steel
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsSabrina Brooks is a wildly successful bestselling author of gripping thrillers. Unlike her fictional characters, Sabrina lives a quiet life in the Berkshires with her two beloved dogs. But behind this peaceful exterior is a dark, painful past. As a child raised by an emotionally distant father, Sabrina rarely felt love... -
![Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner]()
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...Categorized as:
breakup domestic-drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction adult
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