99 Books Like The Memory House

This book is a split-time masterpiece, and I was equally invested in both timelines. It also taught me about historical, harrowing events surrounding the adoption industry in the United States that I didn’t know about before.

While the characters in this story face impossible scenarios, it’s also a lesson on the kind of grief that comes from horrific choices being made for a person that can’t be undone.

A powerful, riveting, and unputdownable tale of three women from different eras (Civil War to present) that frames the issue of race relations within the context of family relationships, making the subject immensely relatable and deeply touching. Bartels spins this masterful tale with a deft touch and a caring heart to create a stunning debut. Because the characters were so vivid and the emotions so real, this book opened my eyes in new ways to an issue that remains a hot button in today’s society.

This is an engrossing tale of love, loss, trust, and life-changing choices. Springer’s endearing, well-drawn characters sucked me in from page 1 as they faced a myriad of real-life challenges while struggling to both maintain old relationships and develop new ones. But as Springer demonstrates, real love—not just the romantic variety—can see us through the messiest of situations. While none of the situations depicted in this book were ones I had personally experienced, the author’s deep-dive depictions gave me exactly the kinds of character insights I look for in my reads.

This is the book that convinced me to dive into romantic suspense after writing only contemporary romance for many years. I’d always been tempted to branch into this genre, but I wanted to delve more into psychological suspense and character development, ala Hitchcock. Yet most of what I saw on the market took the constant-action thriller approach to storytelling, often at the expense of character development. Then I read this book. The characters were complex, the plot was compelling but left breathing space in between the action for character development, and the romance was a slow burn. So I took the plunge into suspense—and have never looked back.

A friend once told me to read Becky Wade because her books were similar to mine.

I did and wow, I loved her style and immediately put everything of hers on auto-buy! Realistic temptation and passion mixed with heart- and soul-wrenching life lessons—home run for the Christian romance reader!

This has such a clever premise – a man who can’t let himself get close to anyone because every time he does, he dreams about how they’re going to die and when.

And then he meets Callie, and he does everything he can not to fall in love with her... except he can’t help himself. And then he dreams about her death...

Honestly, what's not to love?!

Oh the tangled webs we weave, when first we attempt to deceive. The book was recommended by my granddaughter. I had no idea what to expect. I was dumbfounded at some of the things that happened and the excuses for them. How does a famous author get her life so twisted up? I was beginning to think I was glad I never knew people like this. When I realized I did know people this twisted for other reasons.

I dare you to put this one down. I am now looking forward to reading more by Colleen Hoover. Had it not been recommended to me, I’d have missed out on a great read. Because, in truth, we all know someone devious and diabolical. 

The book is a page-turner; you can’t put it down. I love it when a writer pulls me right into the pages like I am standing in the… show more.

Even though the marriage in Oh William! ends in divorce while my marriage ended (without my consent) in my husband’s untimely death, the book brought me back to the unconventional nature of my marriage. Elizabeth Strout’s uncanny ability to say much in a single sentence had me traveling back in time and heart to the many moments that made our marriage. The tendernesses and fears, the deep trust and insecurities that quietly but forcefully bound us together made up the subtle mysteries of our uncommon relationship. What makes people move apart yet remain forever close, as in Lucy Barton and her ex-husband, William, or what holds two people together when there are many factors that might drive them apart, as in my marriage? These questions made reading this book a thought-provoking and enriching experience.

When Maggie returns to her family’s grand but decaying English estate, Cloudesley, to care for her ailing grandmother, Maggie uncovers hidden truths about her family’s history. Having left Cloudesley due to unresolved, painful issues, Maggie returns to assist her grandmother out of a sense of duty.

However, this particular visit divulges secrets, including the truth behind her once beautiful grandmother’s seemingly happy, although secretly unhappy, marriage and the consequences of a forbidden love affair her grandmother had during her youth. Faced with this truth and upending all she has previously believed, Maggie is led not only to a deeper understanding of her family but, by confronting past mistakes, gains a deeper understanding of herself.

I love this book for a few reasons. 1.) I love a book where the location becomes a character in and of itself. This book takes place in the San Yuan Islands of Washington State, a location that is near and dear to my heart as I grew up in the area. I spent most of my childhood roaming the shores and popping into the little boutique shops dotting the islands.

The vivid descriptions of the landscape brought me back to those days. 2.) I loved the way this story focuses on a mother/daughter relationship that isn’t the typical “happy family” dynamic. A sprinkle of romance and a touch of culinary had me turning the pages until the very end.