Need a Laugh?

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about the ten book to read if in the mood for x, y, or z. I chose my category to be—you guessed it—the ten best books to read if in the mood for a good laugh. I’m picking some of my favorite novels that have the best banter, the cleverest quips, and the funniest characters to give you a list that will always supply something good to read if looking for a story that will make you laugh till your sides hurt. I’m always reluctant to list more than one book by the same author, but on this list, I made one exception just because I couldn’t decide which of the two books was better to add to the list. Which is a good problem to have.

All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant

 Check out my review of this book here.

Kat Varland has had enough of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.

At twenty-six years old, Kat is still living in the shadows of her family in Bayou Bend, Louisiana. Still working shifts at her Aunt Maggie’s bakery. Still wondering what to do with her passion for baking and her business degree. And still single.

But when Lucas Brannen, Kat’s best friend, signs her up for a reality TV bake-off on Cupcake Combat, everything Kat ever wanted is suddenly dangled in front of her: creative license as a baker, recognition as a visionary… and a job at a famous bakery in New York.

As the competition heats up, Lucas realizes he might have made a huge mistake. As much as he wants the best or Kat, the only thing he wants for himself—her—is suddenly in danger of slipping away.

The bright lights of reality cooking wars and the chance at a successful career dazzle Kat’s senses and Lucas is faced with a difficult choice: help his friend achieve her dreams…or sabotage her chances to keep her in Louisiana.

Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton

The first book in Debra’s Four of Hearts Ranch Romance series.

 Visit my review of this novel here.

A bet gone wrong. A small town’s meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch.

Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give…and it’s beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie’s bosses know this is the opportunity she’s been looking for to launch her career—and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.

Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he’d like, but he knows it’s the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru’s fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige to his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do—for her own good.

In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart’s desires.

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Comes after Courting Trouble.

Essie Spreckelmeyer is the last woman anyone in Corsicana, Texas, expected to see with a man on her arm. Independent and outspoken, she’s known more for riding bicycles in outrageous bloomers than for catching a man’s eye.

And the last man who seems willing to give her a second glance is Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer’s oil company. The disinherited son of an oil baron, Tony wants more to restore his name and regain his lost fortune—not lose his heart to this headstrong blonde. She confounds, contradicts, and confuses him. Sometimes he doesn’t know if she’s driving him toward the aisle or the end of his rope.

That’s how life is…Deep in the Heart of Trouble! 

In Good Company by Jen Turano

The second book in Jen’s A Class of Their Own series, following After a Fashion.

 See my review of this story here.

After growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren’t always well-received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position.

Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare of every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he’s desperate for competent childcare.

At wit’s end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance—with each other. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges, Everett focuses on achieving the coveted societal status of the upper echelons. But as he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the children’s parents, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whose company he truly wants for the rest of his life.

   

Petticoat Detective by Margaret Brownley

The first book in Margaret’s Undercover Ladies series.

 Check out my review of this novel here.

Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne has a past full of identities…

But posing as a lady companion named Amy at Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Boots in Goodman, Kansas, is a first for her. Amy’s current assignment has her on the trail of the notorious Gunnysack Bandit, when one of Miss Lillian’s girls—Amy’s best hope for a lead—meets an untimely demise.

Former Texas Ranger Tom Colton has every reason to distrust the green-eyed beauty at Miss Lillian’s who calls herself Amy. Determined to clear his brother’s name, he’s convinced she knows more than she lets on, and he means to find out what it is.

As Amy’s investigation continues, her biggest problem is Tom and his stolen kiss. The closer she gets to tracking down the outlaw, the harder it is to keep Tom from finding out the awful truth about his brother. The Gunnysack Bandit she can handle, but it’ll take a whole lot of faith and a little help from Miss Lillian and her girls to snag the man who stole her heart.

Savannah Comes Undone by Denise Hildreth Jones

The second book in Denise’s Savannah series, coming after Savannah From Savannah.

Seeing my mother as the lead story on the six o’clock news was no great cause for alarm…until the camera revealed her chained to a downtown monument!

I thought I knew my mother—but right now im not sure I even know myself. I’m currently a journalist for the Savannah Chronicle. And I don’t need drama. Really, I can create my own. Who needs extra? But in spite of the mind-boggling events in Savannah this week, the truth is going to be revealed by one of its very own. I am Savannah…from Savannah.

So Over My Head by Jenny B. Jones

The third book in Jenny’s The Charmed Life series, coming after So Not Happening and I’m So Sure.

In the third Charmed Life novel, Bella trades her Manolos for clown shoes in order to unravel the secrets of the big top and the drama of high school. Fresh from saving the prom from a disastrous end, Bella—the amateur sleuth of Truman High—is ready to relax with her new boyfriend, Luke. Or o she thought. When Luke’s ex shows up, Bella has to wage a full-scale war to win him back. Her father is moments away from saying “I do” to a diva with shady motives. And a murdering magician has disappeared, leaving Bella dangling on a tightrope of one crazy adventure after another. Can Bella stop a wedding, win back the boy, and catch a killer before he strikes again?

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

 See my review of this book here.

A cowboy who wants to be a preacher. An outlaw’s daughter who wants to change his mind.

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can’t believe it when he’s forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He’s determined to escape—which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

The third book in Denise’s Chapel Springs series, coming after Barefoot Summer and Dancing with Fireflies.

 Look at my review of this story here.

In this competition, it’s not just the house on the line, it’s their hearts.

She has the touch when it comes to food, but PJ McKinley’s dream of opening her own restaurant is one building short of reality. So when a Chapel Springs resident offers her beloved ancestral home as prize to the applicant with the best plan for the house, PJ believes she was meant to win.

Contractor Cole Evans is confident, professional, and swoon-worthy—but this former foster kid knows his life could have turned out very differently. When Cole discovers the contest, he believes his home for foster kids in transition has found its saving grace. All he has to do is convince the owner that a not-for-profit enterprise will be good for the community.

When the eccentric philanthropist weighs the proposals, she proposes an outlandish tie-breaker: PJ and Cole will share the house for a year to see which idea works best. Now, with Cole and the foster kids upstairs and PJ and the restaurant below, day-to-day life has turned into an out-and-out rivalry, with some seriously flirtatious hallway encounters on the side. But could their magnetic attraction cost them everything they’ve ever wanted?

The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren

The fifth book in Susan’s Christiansen Family series, coming after Take a Chance on Me, It Had to Be You, When I Fall in Love, and Always on My Mind.

 See my review of this book here.

Mortified after her semester abroad is cut short, Amelia Christiansen returns to Deep Haven, certain she isn’t brave enough for the adventures she’s dreamed of. The last thing she expects is for the man who broke her heart to cross the Atlantic and beg forgiveness.

Heir to a European hotel dynasty, Roark St. John has trekked from one exotic locale to another, haunted by tragedy and the expectations that accompany his last name. Amelia is the first woman to give him a reason to stop running. He’ll do anything for a second chance—even contend with Amelia’s old flame, who is intent on sending Roark packing.

While one surprise after another leaves Amelia reeling, Roark’s continued presence only highlights the questions pursuing her. Like him, is she running from the life God has called her to? Could finding her new place mean leaving home behind?

Well, those are the ten best books to read if you're in need of a good laugh!

Happy reading and happy Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

To see where I'm linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopses goes to each author and their respective publishers.