Recommendations based on "The Best Summer of Our Lives"

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERIn this utterly charming debut—perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern’s P.S., I Love You andAllison Winn Scotch’s Time of My Life—one woman sets out to complete her old list of childhood goals, and finds that her lifelong dreams lead her down a path she never expects.1. Go to Paris2. Have a baby, maybe two3. Fall in loveBrett Bohlinger seems to have it all: a plum job, a spacious loft, an irresistibly handsome boyfriend. All in all, a charmed life. That is, until her beloved mother passes away, leaving behind a will with one big stipulation: In order to receive her inheritance, Brett must first complete the life list of goals she’d written when she was a naïve girl of fourteen. Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother’s decision—her childhood dreams don’t resemble her ambitions at age thirty-four in the slightest. Some seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other goals (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future. As Brett reluctantly embarks on a perplexing journey in search of her adolescent dreams, one thing becomes clear. Sometimes life’s sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places.Praise for The Life List“A wonderful, touching story that reminds us to live life to its fullest.”—Cecelia Ahern, New York Times bestselling author of P.S., I Love You“Spielman’s debut charms.”—Kirkus Reviews“You won’t want to miss Lori Nelson Spielman’s remarkable debut, an intensely emotional novel of transformation and trust. It’s about how we let go, and how we never let go. The Life List has great heart, and even greater soul.”─Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of The Peach Keeper“Irresistible! Everything I love and look for in women’s fiction. A clever, funny, moving page-turner.”─Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of The Great EscapeLook for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

‘A gorgeous story full of emotion and a very special library.’ – Evie Woods, bestselling author of The Lost BookshopSome stories stay with us forever…For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew.She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow.All you have to do is turn the page…Journey through the pages of this heartwarming novel, where hope, friendship and second chances are written in the margins. Perfect for book lovers everywhere and fans of Sally Page’s The Keeper of Stories.Praise for The Memory Library:'An absolute joy to read. Uplifting, beautiful, and perfect for any book lovers!' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The Memory Library delivers on its promise of hope, friendship and second chances. It's a love letter to the written word.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A powerful and poignant story. There were tears shed.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘I laughed out loud and had more than one glassy eye!’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A real treasure for booklovers everywhere who completely appreciate the joy, knowledge and healing that books can bring.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘There’s page after page of wonderful wisdom in this novel.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Filled with tender moments of sharing, tears, forgiveness, revelation and healing.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘What a beautiful, moving story this was! It really had me sobbing my eyes out.’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . . now a #1 Netflix series!In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all―beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate. Inseparable.So begins Kristin Hannah's magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn't know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she'll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she'll envy her famous best friend. . . .For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship―jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they've survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone's Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it's the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you―and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you'll never forget . . . one you'll want to pass on to your best friend.

MILLION LOVE SONGS sees Carole Matthews at her feel-good best, with a wonderful and emotional story of starting over and finding happiness. An absolute must-read!After splitting up with her cheating husband, Ruby Brown is ready for a change. She's single for the first time in years and she's going to dive into this brave new world with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. The last thing she's looking for is another serious relationship.Mason represents everything Ruby wants right now: he's charming, smooth, and perfect for some no-strings-attached fun, yet Ruby can't help feel that something is missing. Joe on the other hand is kind, attentive and good-looking, but comes with the sort of baggage Ruby wants to avoid: an annoyingly attractive ex-wife and two teenage children.Ruby soon has some very tough decisions to make. Is she even ready for a relationship? Ruby may think she knows what she wants, is that what she needs to be truly happy?Ruby's story will make you laugh, cry and leave you wanting more. It's about to get emotional in Million Love Songs.

www.DebbieMacomber.comWhat do you want most in the world?What Anne Marie Roche wants is to find happiness again. At thirty-eight, she's childless, a recent widow, alone. She owns a successful bookstore on Seattle's Blossom Street, but despite her accomplishments, there's a feeling of emptiness.On Valentine's Day, Anne Marie and several other widows get together to celebrate…a sense of hope. They each begin a list of twenty wishes—including things they'd always wanted to do but never did.Some of the items on Anne Marie's list: learning to knit, falling in love again, doing good for someone else. When she volunteers at a local school, an eight-year-old girl named Ellen enters her life. It's a relationship that becomes far more involving—and far more important—than Anne Marie had ever imagined.As Ellen helps Anne Marie complete her list, they both learn that wishes can come true…but not necessarily in the way you expect!

NOW A TOP TRENDING SHOW ON NETFLIX! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the hit Netflix series, Virgin River! In Sullivan's Crossing, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr has created a place where good people, powerful emotions, great humor and a healthy dose of common sense are the key ingredients to a happy life. Sullivan's Crossing brings out the best in people. It's a place you'll want to visit again and again. Dr. Leigh Culver loves practicing medicine in Timberlake, Colorado. It is a much-needed change of pace from her stressful life in Chicago. The only drawback is she misses her aunt Helen, the woman who raised her. But it's time that Leigh has her independence, and she hopes the beauty of the Colorado wilderness will entice her aunt to visit often. Helen Culver is an independent woman who lovingly raised her sister's orphaned child. Now, with Leigh grown, it's time for her to live life for herself. The retired teacher has become a successful mystery writer who loves to travel and intends to never experience winter again. When Helen visits Leigh, she is surprised to find her niece still needs her, especially when it comes to sorting out her love life. But the biggest surprise comes when Leigh takes Helen out to Sullivan's Crossing and Helen finds herself falling for the place and one special person. Helen and Leigh will each have to decide if they can open themselves up to love neither expected to find and seize the opportunity to live their best lives. Don't miss Robyn Carr's next uplifting novel, The Friendship Club, where four women come together at a tumultuous time in their lives, forging an unbreakable bond that will leave them all forever changed--available January 2024! Sullivan Crossing Series: What We Find Any Day Now The Family Gathering The Best of Us The Country Guesthouse

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Set in Cedar Cove’s charming Rose Harbor Inn, Debbie Macomber’s captivating new novel follows innkeeper Jo Marie and two new guests as they seek healing and comfort, revealing that every cloud has a silver lining, even when it seems difficult to find.   Since opening the Rose Harbor Inn, Jo Marie Rose has grown close to her handyman, Mark Taylor. Jo Marie and Mark are good friends—and are becoming something more—yet he still won’t reveal anything about his past. When Mark tells her that he’s moving out of town, Jo Marie is baffled. Just when she is starting to open herself up again to love, she feels once more that she is losing the man she cares about. And as she discovers the secret behind Mark’s decision to leave, she welcomes two visitors also seeking their own answers.   Best friends Kellie Crenshaw and Katie Gilroy have returned to Cedar Cove for their ten-year high school reunion, looking to face down old hurts and find a sense of closure. Kellie, known as Coco, wants to finally confront the boy who callously broke her heart. Katie, however, wishes to reconnect with her old boyfriend, James—the man she still loves and the one who got away. As Katie hopes for a second chance, Coco discovers that people can change—and both look to the exciting possibilities ahead.   Heartwarming and uplifting, Silver Linings is a beautiful novel of letting go of the past and embracing the unexpected. Praise for Silver Linings   “A heartwarming, feel-good story from beginning to end . . . No one writes stories of love and forgiveness like Macomber.”—RT Book Reviews   “Macomber’s homespun storytelling style makes reading an easy venture. . . . She also tosses in some hidden twists and turns that will delight her many longtime fans.”—Bookreporter   “Reading Macomber’s novels is like being with good friends, talking and sharing joys and sorrows.”—New York Journal of Books

This summer, escape to the Seaside Cottages in the Scottish isles with this delightful mother-daughter story about second chances in love, life, and home renovations, by New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan. EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR THEIR PERFECT HOUSE. BUT HOME IS REALLY WHERE THE HEART IS... Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for—a home by the sea in the Scottish isles, a job that she loves, two kids who have successfully launched, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her thirty-year-old daughter Essie announces she’s moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly, but she was never the easiest to live with, and Janie has been enjoying the empty nest life. Yes, Essie Carter has just lost her job, can’t afford her rent in Edinburgh, and her boyfriend isn’t ready to commit. She hates to admit defeat and isn’t wild about moving back to the remote island community where she was raised. But maybe the sea air will clear her head? No sooner is Essie back under her mother’s roof than an unusual opportunity pops up: the shabby and unloved Seaside Cottages next door come up for sale. Janey has some experience renovating the island’s famous stone fisherman’s cottages, Essie needs something to do, and they could both use a little Air B&B income to warm their pockets. Mother and daughter slowly bond over the shared challenge, which delivers some much-needed revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well. “If I could live in a Jenny Colgan novel, I'd be happy forever.” — bestselling author Jill Mansell

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Beach House! The most fulfilling journey is one that leads back home... "Mary Alice Monroe is helping to redefine the beauty and magic of the Carolina Lowcountry. Every book she has written has felt like a homecoming to me." --Pat Conroy Twenty years ago, Caretta Rutledge left her Southern roots far behind for a successful career as a businesswoman in Chicago. But an unusual request from her mother--coming just as her own life is spinning out of control--has Cara heading back to the scenic Lowcountry of her childhood summers. Before long, the rhythms of the island open her heart as she repairs the family beach house, becomes a bona fide "turtle lady" and renews old acquaintances long thought lost. But it is in reconnecting with her mother that she will learn life's most precious lessons--true love involves sacrifice, family is forever and the mistakes of the past can be forgiven. Known for her moving characters and emotional honesty, Mary Alice Monroe brings readers a beautifully rendered story that explores the fragile yet enduring bond between mothers and daughters.

Discover the healing power of community in this charming, feel-good second chance romance, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell & Milly Johnson. *** 🌸Could a new start heal her appetite for life?🌸 When Cath moves to a rural Northumberland village to escape her husband’s betrayal and a life that no longer feels her own, she’s determined to embrace a fresh start. But the quiet charm of her new surroundings seems only to magnify the loneliness of being on her own for the first time. On a whim, Cath suggests starting a supper club, transforming her garden shed into a cosy, twinkling haven where neighbours can gather. What begins as an effort to ease her solitude becomes something far greater – a circle of friends, each bringing their own stories, struggles, and laughter. As bonds deepen over shared meals and mishaps, can Cath discover the healing power of community...and dare to believe in love again? Readers have fallen in love with The Second Chance Supper Club 'A heartwarming story of hope, second chances and starting over. A sublime read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Brilliant cosy read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A brilliant heartwarming 5 star read I would definitely recommend’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Couldn’t put it down! I loved the sense of community’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐