Recommendations based on "Strands"

** Shortlisted for the 2023 Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction **** An Evening Standard ‘One to Watch in 2023 **** An Independent ‘Best Romantic Summer Reads' **** A Book of the Month pick for Diva, Irish Examiner, Novellic & Sainsbury’s Magazine **** A Most Anticipated pick for PinkNews & Queer on the Street **It's the early 1990s, and in the Irish village of Crossmore, Lucy feels out of place. Despite her fierce friendships, she's always felt this way, and the conventional path of marriage and motherhood doesn't appeal to her at all. Not even with handsome and doting Martin, her closest childhood friend.Lucy begins to make sense of herself during a long hot summer, when a spark with her school friend Susannah escalates to an all-consuming infatuation, and, very quickly, to a desperate and devastating love.Fearful of rejection from her small and conservative community, Lucy begins living a double life, hiding the most honest parts of herself in stolen moments with Susannah.But with the end of school and the opportunity to leave Crossmore looming, Lucy must choose between two places, two people and two futures, each as terrifying as the other. Neither will be easy, but only one will offer her happiness.Sunburn is an astute and tender portrayal of first love, adolescent anxiety and the realities of growing up in a small town where tradition holds people tightly in its grasp. An atmospheric sapphic love story and coming-of-age novel with the intensity of Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation, the long hot summer of André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name and the female friendships of Anna Hope's Expectation.‘A tender and heartfelt coming-of-age tale’ – Heat‘A compassionate take on the push and pull between what's expected and what is felt’ – Herald‘A deeply moving, heartfelt love story’ – Daily Mail‘Lucy tells her story in a true, compelling voice, with an eye for minutiae, quaint apercus, and confidences that make her account moving and convincing’ – SAGA Magazine‘Tender and poignant... Ideal reading for the last month of summer’ – Diva'Intense and all-consuming - like the first love it describes - Sunburn transported me to the heart of summer and the heady days of late adolescence. I won't soon forget Chloe Michelle Howarth's addictive, lushly written debut' - Laura Sims'Capturing all the intensity of first love, blended with the claustrophobia of small-town life, this debut, inspired by real experience, is tender and raw' - The Bookseller'A beautiful coming of age love novel written with an insightful poetical prose, rich with religious allegory and texture which underscores the transformative, spiritual power of first love explored' - Scene Magazine

Daisy Haites thought she’d left everything about her old life in the past: the crime, her family and the man she loves. But when her safety is threatened once again, she finds herself back under the watchful eye of her gang-lord brother Julian and her ex-boyfriend Christian, both desperate to keep her safe.Everything gets more complicated when beautiful, broken-hearted socialite Magnolia Parks enters the scene and Julian finds himself entangled with her. Because for Julian, falling in love isn’t just unwelcome – it could be deadly for everyone involved...

In case you’re wondering, this is not a love story. Chapters 1-7 of the astonishing debut novel, Solitaire.

This heartfelt, poignant YA debut is a second-chance summer romance that will steal your heart--perfect for fans of Heartstopper, Some Girls Do, and It's Not Like it's a Secret. This summer, Elsie is finally going to confess her feelings to her longtime--and long-distance--crush. Ada's fanfics are to die for, and she just gets Elsie like no one else. That is, until Joan, Elsie's childhood best friend, literally walks back into her life and slots in like she never left. Like she never moved away to Hong Kong and never ignored Elsie's dozens of emails and letters. Then Ada mentions her grandmother's own long-lost pen pal (and maybe love?), a woman who once lived only a train ride away from Elsie's Oxford home, and Elsie gets the idea for the perfect grand gesture. But as her plan to reunite the two older women ignites a summer of repairing broken bonds, Elsie starts to wonder if she, too, can recover the things she's lost... With a beautifully earnest voice and a dash of fandom, this wistful and delightful novel is a love letter to queer coming-of-age, finding community, and finding yourself.

Candy Apple is a fresh, fun take on fiction for girls: a new line of single titles with pep and pizzazz targeted at the solid middle-grade reader. Charlie and her best friend Nicole never dreamed that auditioning for the junior high's musical would lead to this much drama! Charlie gets stuck babysitting her little sister -- and her sister's imaginary friend -- at rehearsals. The school's theater diva has it out for her. And who knew the cutest guy in school could sing and act? But when the curtain finally goes up, the spotlight falls on something no one expected . . . especially Charlie.

In the second book of the Suitehearts series, magical Matchmakers and cousins Cora and Rose attend an elite summer training camp where rivals, romances, and troublesome Kindlings await. Perfect for fans of Whatever After by Sarah Mlynowski. You're invited to Camp Hotel Coeur! It's Hotel Coeur's turn to host the annual training camp for Matchmakers-in-training, and they're going all out: charm classes, enchantment exercises, matchmaking competitions, even a magically designed buddy system. After conquering their first matchmaking tests, Rose and Cora feel ready to face anything. After all, what could be harder than headstrong Kindlings, broken hearts, and brand-new magic But this magical camp doesn't play by the rules. Cora, who just wants to lie low, is suddenly thrust into the spotlight for her unique magical abilities and paired with newbie Matchmaker Hunter--who's cool, charismatic...and her total opposite. Rose is paired with her nemesis, Julien Swift--her biggest competition for years. Rose is determined to outshine him, but lately, nothing seems to be going right for her...not even her magic. To succeed, Rose and Cora will have to take on new friends, magical mishaps, a dash of romance, and fiercer challenges than ever on their journey to become Hotel Coeur's finest Matchmakers. Perfect for fans of Witchlings and the Friendship List series, this spectacular sequel will see readers charmed by the same thrills and magic that started Cora and Rose's journey as these two Matchmakers soar to even greater heights.

The Summer BreakThe Hawaiian Getaway Series Book 2As an elementary school teacher in Minnesota, Paige Campbell can't think of a better way to spend her summer break than in Hawaii where her best friend, Mia, lives. Plans of lazy beach days, tropical drinks and ocean adventures is the perfect way to let go of the stress of the school year. Matt Swanson is a local flirtatious bartender who had an instant attraction to Mia's best friend. With a promotion up for grabs at work, and the promise of Paige always being around, this might just be the best summer yet. She's sarcastic, confident and slow to trust.He's obnoxious, flirtatious and always game for a good time. Will she be able to resist his charms? Or will she let her guard down and quite possibly find everything she never knew she was missing?

When a strange Englischer arrives in the cozy Amish town of Willow Ridge, Missouri, claiming to be Rachel and her twin Rhoda's long-lost sister, Rachel finds the promise of a new future with carpenter Micah Brenneman threatened by this woman. Original.