Here are 100 books that Do You Take This Man? fans have personally recommended if you like
Do You Take This Man?.
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Before I started writing cozy mysteries, like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, I enjoyed a career as a ladies’ apparel sales executive. Fortunately for my writing, sales execs are also students of human nature. All my life, I have been fascinated by what makes people tick. How do they react, especially when they are out of their lane or comfort zone, such as being away from the safety of home and forced to deal with a crisis? I have taken all I have learned and applied it to my writing.
Nothing tickles my funny bone more than a laugh-out-loud, madcap tale chock full of zany, but imperfect characters to fall in love with one moment and want to smack upside their heads the next.
Give me a plot like this one that runs at a breakneck pace, with a bumbling protagonist getting herself out of one mess only to fall into a bigger one the next time, and I’m a happy camper.
Add snappy dialogue that is spicier than hot salsa and a dash of romance with a smokin’ hot local sheriff to the foibles as this book does, and I bought myself a ticket to take a rollercoaster-worthy wild ride that was more fun than whacking a piñata.
Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent and amateur sleuth, puts aside her resentment of her father's widow and books a sixtieth birthday cruise to Cancun for Ruby and three friends. Never does Andi imagine the cruise will include the murder of a has-been lounge singer--or that Ruby might be the main suspect. Flirting with more than danger after arriving in Mexico, Andi connects with charming local sheriff, Manual Gonzales. An embarrassing night involving the sheriff, too many margaritas, and a Mariachi band, can't quell her determination to clear the name of her ex-stepmother. While gathering clues and interviewing witnesses, however,…
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Before I started writing cozy mysteries, like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, I enjoyed a career as a ladies’ apparel sales executive. Fortunately for my writing, sales execs are also students of human nature. All my life, I have been fascinated by what makes people tick. How do they react, especially when they are out of their lane or comfort zone, such as being away from the safety of home and forced to deal with a crisis? I have taken all I have learned and applied it to my writing.
I was anxious to experience all the excitement, romance, sights, and flavors of Paris, but I couldn’t leave the country.
Luckily, French Ghost took me on a fun-filled romp through Paris with descriptions of the food, sights, and social mores so deliciously detailed by the snappy, sassy dialogue of Parisian characters that I had jet lag when I turned the last page of the book.
So, if a Parisian adventure is the same dream for you as it was for me, say Bon Jour to this gem and off you go. Au Voir.
Ghost-writer Melody Layne is stranded in Paris when the over-sexed but unloved French movie star who hired her to produce his memoir accidentally drowns before the interviews begin. It's a major financial relief when his enigmatic Spanish son re-hires her, but the seductive Carlos Ortega is strangely silent about his reasons for funding a feel-good bio about a father that he clearly despised. There's enough amour in the air for Melody to ignore this apparent paradox... at least until she uncovers a hidden cache of death threats addressed to the actor. For the French police, the sexy, secretive Spaniard -…
Before I became an author, I was a sales exec. As a female ladies’ apparel rep in a traditionally male-dominated industry in the Deep Southern states, I had to prove myself every day. When I started, there were no other women road reps in the region. No one, except my mentor father, thought I’d last a season. Grit and stubborn perseverance to prove the industry wrong kept me going. I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I took a sledgehammer to every glass ceiling I encountered and smashed it to smithereens.
This is a breathless ocean adventure to Mexico, chock-full of international intrigue, a deadly hurricane, and a lovesick whale courting Civil Engineer Hetta Coffey’s yacht.
I laughed out loud at the hilarious antics of zany but lovable characters. Give me a madcap escapade featuring a macho rent-a-Captain with Lucy and Ethel as the crew, on a cruise where whatever could go wrong would go wrong.
I loved the snappy, spicier-than-hot salsa dialogue and snarky banter between sassy Hetta and Jan, her BFF. Add a plot that runs at a breakneck pace, and I bought myself a ticket for a rollercoaster-worthy wild ride that was more fun than whacking a piñata.
Hetta Coffey is a woman with a yacht, and she's not afraid to use it!
Hetta, a globe-trotting engineer with attitude, a penchant for trouble, and a yacht, is back, and this time she s steering us into hot Mexican waters.
Miffed that vacation plans with her chronically absent boyfriend Jenks Jenkins have gone awry, she accepts a job in Baja. So what if she and her friend Jan are spectacularly unqualified to take her yacht on a thousand mile cruise in the eastern Pacific Ocean in the middle of hurricane season? Hiring a handsome, if somewhat fishy captain for…
This book is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station in the Svalbard archipelago when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to…
Before I started writing cozy mysteries, like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, I enjoyed a career as a ladies’ apparel sales executive. Fortunately for my writing, sales execs are also students of human nature. All my life, I have been fascinated by what makes people tick. How do they react, especially when they are out of their lane or comfort zone, such as being away from the safety of home and forced to deal with a crisis? I have taken all I have learned and applied it to my writing.
I might not be Irish, but I love leprechaun stories, especially ones featuring a sprite with a mischievous streak who will do anything to get what he wants.
Show me charming characters in a witty tale when past and present worlds collide like this one, and my eyes are glued to every page. Nothing makes me happier than a rollicking rollercoaster ride of magical mishaps that tickle the funny bone and warm the heart as this one did.
Elmville, a mischievous leprechaun, is desperate to retrieve his long-lost gold coin. Without it, the delicate balance between good and evil within him becomes skewed. But the elusive coin has fallen into the hands of the Tobin family, and Elmville will stop at nothing to get it back. Through the centuries, he's relentlessly haunted the Tobin's descendants, leaving a wake of destruction and death in his path. Meanwhile, Kitty and her mother, Annie, arrive in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, modern-day tourists with their own emotional baggage. Neither has a clue about the curse, nor do they believe in leprechauns. After centuries…
As a romance author, I pull a lot of inspiration from my travels. My husband always says that shared experiences strengthen bonds and I believe that wholeheartedly—which is why I think travel romances just work. Romance as a genre isn’t necessarily known for lush setting descriptions, but travel romances are sort of the exception to the rule, and I eat it up every time. If I close the book feeling like I’ve just got back from a vacation, it’s a five-star read for me.
I have a soft spot for a good road trip romance and this one is seriously not talked about enough.
Two strangers—who are, of course, total opposites—miss their cruise ship and are forced to journey home together, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-style. It starts in Costa Rica but covers the Southern U.S. all the way up the east coast. And you better believe that Lauren H. Mae puts all that forced proximity to good use. The tension. The pining. The rummy bears.
Give this one a try if you’re in the mood for a book that covers a lot of ground and has a lot of heart.
Two stranded strangers agree to travel together in order to return home, but when a slew of misadventures derail their plans, it might mean a chance to fall in love . . .
A sexy, opposites attract romance, ideal for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O'Leary and Christina Lauren.
'A steamy, sweet, rummy bear-fueled comedy of errors' Abby Jimenez
'Lauren weaves a beautiful story of self-discovery, loss and love in Wish Lists and Road Trips. My heart is so full. All the stars and more for this stunning, emotional romance' Helena Hunting .........................................
I’ve always lived by the coast and have a healthy respect for the sea and a mortal fear of everything within it. It’s truly terrifying to me that around 80% of the ocean is unexplored – what is down there? This fear partly inspired me to write Those We Drown, my YA horror debut set aboard a cruise ship and featuring a splash of oceanic horror.
Caz is on a cruise with her new partner, Pete, but when she wakes after her first night on board, she finds, to her horror, she is completely alone on the ship. Believe me, when I say that what happens next is utterly unhinged, like Squid Game crossed with The Woman in Cabin 10.
While some of the plot twists can be frustratingly unbelievable at times, this book features some incredibly tense set pieces and a reveal in the ship’s ballroom that is utterly chilling. Once you’ve suspended your disbelief, you’ll absolutely race through this one. It’s an ideal holiday read – and as for that last chapter...
A luxury cruise liner, abandoned with no crew, steaming into the mid-Atlantic. And you are the only passenger left on board.
'Astonishing' IAN RANKIN 'The premise is excellent... [a] mile-a-minute, bite-your-nails-to-the-quick ride of a novel, but I will tell you to trust this writer because I guarantee you'll enjoy where he takes you. Extra kudos for the final twist, which brought me great pleasure' OBSERVER 'Oh my goodness, what a rollercoaster of a read!' PRIMA
Caz Ripley, a cafe owner from a small, ordinary town, boards the RMS Atlantica with her boyfriend Pete and a thousand fellow passengers destined for…
Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away, leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion.
Since spending much of my childhood on the Cornish coast, I’ve been fascinated by the ocean. Fortunately, I get to spend a lot of time at sea these days working as a cruise enrichment speaker! I’ve done 36 cruises so far aboard 15 different ships over the past 8 years. Much as I love visiting ports all around the world, I particularly enjoy a full day at sea with some time to relax and read in. I hope you enjoy your cruise and the books on this list as much as I have!
I found myself reading this exciting murder mystery late into the night and could barely put it down for meals. It’s set in the 1930s on the Queen Mary during a transatlantic voyage.
The book has charming characters and oozes with the glamour of traditional cruising. I found the smart plot intriguing and well-crafted, with a hint of another favorite author of mine, Agatha Christie.
'Charming characters, a cross-Atlantic setting, jazz, cocktails, sex and a brilliant murder mystery. You couldn't ask for more! I loved it' Harriet Tyce
'This is a cracker. A thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking historical crime novel that oozes glamour' Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Last Act of Love
'An engrossing read' Guardian
'Hare's well-crafted second novel oozes glamour . . . Did someone mention Agatha Christie? Yes, but with the bonus of subtle reflections on race and class' Observer
* * *
London, 1936
Lena Aldridge is wondering if life has passed her by. The dazzling theatre…
After years dedicated to the hard facts of a newspaper reporter’s life, including a sting covering the police beat, Carmen Radtke has changed her focus to fiction. She’s been fascinated by both history and mystery as long as she can remember and stays dedicated to the truth behind the lie, and the joys of in-depth research. As a repeated emigrant, she is enthralled by voyages into the unknown and the courage (or madness) that takes.
Carolyn Hart is one of those cozy mystery writers who effortlessly reel me into their world. Set Sail for Murder satisfies my longing for travel with its itinerary and the lush vivid descriptions, as well as having an enjoyable mystery at its core. As a former journalist, I’m also a sucker for retired reporters turned sleuth. I read this first on a train, and it made the hours fly by. As soothing as the sound of waves gently lapping a boat.
Though retired newspaper reporter Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins, Henrie O to her friends, once turned down a marriage proposal from Jimmy Lennox, he's still one of her most cherished friends. So when he asks for her help on behalf of his wife, world-famous documentary filmmaker Sophia Montgomery, Henrie O reluctantly agrees to join them on a Baltic cruise. Sophia is the stepmother to the now-grown heirs of a great fortune, who are none too happy that she controls their inheritance. But do they really want her dead? Jimmy thinks so, and he wants Henrie O to prove it.
Growing up in the South as the daughter of a single mother, I’ve always appreciated strong women, in reality and in fiction. Before I could read, I made up stories featuring me as the super heroine. Later, I devoured all the Nancy Drews I could get my hands on. I credit Ms. Drew for nurturing my fascination with mystery. I especially enjoy suspense with a psychological turn that frequently takes the form of gaslighting or manipulating someone into doubting their perception of reality. As an author of Southern suspense with heart and humor, my female characters fall victim to this device but are strong enough to persevere.
I was immediately pulled into a world of deception, greed, and murder.
Despite being traumatized, the main character stays strong. Her description of the luxury cruise ship made me feel as if I were onboard, too. The dark twists and turns throughout this novel, along with the gaslighting of the protagonist, were intense enough that I couldn’t stop reading.
Like the heroine in the story, I was determined to unravel the truth and decide who could be trusted and who might be a cold-blooded killer. For me, this wild ride was exhilarating. But it could be a few years before I consider booking my own cruise.
The Duke's Christmas Redemption
by
Arietta Richmond,
A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.
Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…
I’ve always thought books with fake relationship storylines are incredibly interesting and entertaining. There’s so much nuance in creating a believable scenario in which two people agree that pretending to be enamored with each other is the easier/better option than telling the truth, and there is so much awkwardness that goes with pretending to be in love with someone you dislike or barely know. That fascination, along with an appreciation for humor, is what inspired me to write two different fake dating romantic comedies of my own, The Wedding Date Deal and The Gratitude Guarantee. It’s also why I can’t get enough of books like the ones on this list!
The banter in this book is fabulous, and I was intrigued from the get-go to find out how Jack and Lauren would go from enemies to faking a relationship to lovers. I also really enjoyed the setting since at least half of the story takes place on a cruise ship. This book has strong small-town vibes once they get off the ship and lots of great side characters.
Even though it’s a romantic comedy, there are also some deeper layers to the characters that make the story interesting on top of the humor. And I liked that the grumpy/sunshine dynamic was reversed from the way it is in most stories, with Lauren as the grump and Jack as the sunshine.
He calls it fake dating, but she calls it being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Lauren Foley and Jack Fletcher already tried to be amicable once—on a blind date that ended in complete disaster. Now, years later, they have to put up with each other for the sake of her sister and his best friend, who are eloping on a cruise to the Bahamas. But that’s not the worst of it. No, Lauren’s in even deeper water when she finds herself agreeing to play Jack’s fake girlfriend for the duration of the cruise.
