The Mother's Promise by Sally Hepworth

Alice Stanhope and her daughter Zoe have only ever had one another to rely on. Poor Zoe struggles with crippling social anxiety and is reliant upon her mother, who fiercely protects her. With no family left and Zoe's father out of the picture, they're all the other needs. That's until Alice is diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer.

Like any mother desperate to make sure her child is well cared for, Alice turns to the only two women she knows. Though they're practically strangers, Alice turns to Kate, her oncology nurse and Sonja, the social worker on her case, to help make sure that Zoe is cared for after Alice is gone. As these four strong female characters come together, they are forced to face their deepest fears--those of abandonment, physical and emotional abuse, estrangement, and infertility. 

Filled with the perfect combination of love, humor, and sadness, Sally Hepworth's The Mother's Promise is an unforgettable novel illustrating the immeasurable amount of love a mother has for her child. 

The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo

Mattie Wallace has always been kind of a screw up, but this time she's really screwed up. Though she constantly thrives to not turn into her mother, Mattie can't help but see a strong resemblance to the mess of a mother she grew up with.

Broke, pregnant, and constantly fighting with her no good boyfriend, Mattie packs all of her possessions into six pillowcases, throws all of it into her ready-to-break-down car, and heads to visit her step-father whom she lovingly calls Queeg. Even now, long after Mattie's mom and Queeg have divorced and Mattie's mom has died, Queeg is the one Mattie goes to whenever she needs advice. Queeg, known for speaking in aphorisms, always tries to make Mattie see the silver lining. This time the silver lining is that Mattie is the sole heir to the estate of a grandmother that she's never met.

The catch? Mattie has to drive from the Florida panhandle to the small town of Gandy, Oklahoma to take care of the estate. Like any small town, Gandy is filled with peculiar characters. There's the local priest, who drinks too much, a staunchly old librarian, and so many busybodies Mattie can barely keep them straight. After spending some time in Gandy, Mattie realizes that her mother suddenly just vanished from the small town and nobody seems to know why. Realizing that she has no choice but to figure out the pieces to the puzzle of her mother's disappearance, Mattie realizes that this might be the way to save herself from the same downward spiral her mother faced.

Melissa DeCarlo's first book, The Art of Crash Landing, will grip you right from the start. Funny and poignant, this is a fast read that will make you laugh and make you think of all of those times as a teenager that you said you didn't want to turn out as your mother.

Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown

Rose and Dottie Krasinsky a Jewish mother and daughter living in 1930s New York happen to find themselves pregnant at the same time. Needless to say, neither one is necessarily thrilled about their unwanted pregnancy. Rose, an Eastern European immigrant who clings to her traditions, is in her 40s, already has five children, and is longing to return to a more socially active role as the world is on the brink of war. Dottie is nineteen, working as a bookkeeper for an insurance company in Manhattan, has a steady boyfriend, and embraces all that the early 1930s has to offer women. When she learns that she's pregnant and her longtime boyfriend isn't the father, Dottie's life is bound change right along with her mother's.

Told in alternating viewpoints, from the perspectives of Rose and Dottie, Modern Girls weaves together social issues, feminism, and history peppered with Yiddish phrases and Jewish traditions.

The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Lolly Lindsey is the matriarch of her small family, living in a fictional small town Michigan city. Lolly's daughter Arden and granddaughter Lauren are busy leading their own busy lives in Chicago, when an emergency call about Lolly leaves Arden stunned. Arden and Lauren realize that it's time to reconnect with Lolly who is now seventy years old and suffering from early onset dementia.

Over the course of their Memorial Day weekend visit home, Lolly tells her life story through the charms on her charm bracelet. From the sewing machine charm given to her by her Irish immigrant to the loon given to her by her husband the night he proposed, Arden and Lauren learn about Lolly's life and in turn learn a few things about themselves. 

This sweet, thoughtful book tells the story of three generations of women. Wade Rouse using the pen name Viola Shipman, in honor of his grandmother, tells her story in this book . For anyone who has ever had a family story telling grandmother or other family member, The Charm Bracelet is sure to read like a family history.

Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes by Jules Moulin

Ally Hughes is a single mom to her ten year old daughter Lizzie. She is a female studies professor at Brown with a heavy course load, has a highly critical mother who refuses to butt out of her daughter's life, and has absolutely no time or desire to date, let alone fall in love. Then she meets Jake, a bright student who has taken nearly every class Ally Hughes has to offer. One weekend, when Ally is supposed to be fixing her house, grading final papers, and not falling in love, she winds up spending the weekend having a fling with Jake.

Fast forward ten years. Ally is still single, tends to interfere with her grown daughter's life, and has recently lost her mom to lung cancer. What Ally doesn't know is that her world is about to change, when her daughter Lizzie brings home her new boyfriend to celebrate her birthday dinner. Imaging Ally's shock when Lizzie's new boyfriend winds up being Jake. Lizzie's birthday dinner is bound to be one awkward family dinner.

Ally Hughes Has Sex Sometimes is a laugh out loud funny book, that reads along the lines of a romantic comedy, with a feminist feel. Will Ally finally realize that she can still embrace her feminist ways and fall in love?