NEW RELEASES
✭ NBJ TOP RECOMMENDATION | SECOND CHANCES + SINGLE PARENT + REDEMPTION + ROMANCE OVER 40
Decades ago, tennis superstar Tom Pierce and “It Girl” Mika Stowe met at a party.
Mika fell in love. Tom was already in love with his wife. As badly as Tom wanted Mika as a friend, Mika knew it would hurt too much to be attracted to this amazing man and never be able to have him.
They parted ways for what they thought would be forever, only to reconnect just once, when unspeakable tragedy darkens Mika’s life.
Years later, the impossible happens.
A time comes when they’re both unattached.
But now Tom has made a terrible mistake. A mistake so damaging to the ones he loves, he feels he’ll never be redeemed.
Mika has never forgotten how far and how fast she fell when she met him, but Tom’s transgression is holding her distant from reaching out.
There are matchmakers in their midst, however.
And when the plot has been unleashed to make that match, Tom and Mika are thrown into an international intrigue that pits them against a Goliath of the sports industry.
Now they face a massive battle at the same time they’re navigating friendship, attraction, love, family, grief, redemption, two very different lives lived on two opposite sides of a continent and a box full of kittens.
This is the fourth book in the River Rain series.
Series reading order: After the Climb | Chasing Serenity | Taking the Leap | Making the Match
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✭ NBJ TOP RECOMMENDATION | JILTED BRIDE + MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE + SINGLE PARENT + SMALL TOWN
When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm–under two conditions.
First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second–and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding–Shay must be married within one year.
Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.
Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.
A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.
Until Shay returns to their hometown and turns his life upside down.
This is a standalone novel.
It all started when I hosted a little party for a bunch of new friends.
Though “friends” might not be the right word since the invitees were all the women I’d found out my boyfriend was talking to behind my back. When the guest of honor walked in—aka my now ex—things took a turn…
Unfortunately, a stranger witnessed the whole blowout. I was in a mood that night and ended up giving this gorgeous guy an attitude, too. As if my night could get any worse, before he stormed off, he informed me he was actually my landlord.
Colby Lennon, along with three of his friends, owned the building where my tattoo shop was located. He and I were total opposites. He wore a tie, oozed confidence that came with years of women falling at his feet, and wasn’t afraid to say what he wanted, which lately—was me.
I hated that I found myself attracted to him. Especially since I was supposed to be on a self-imposed dating hiatus. Yet the two of us couldn’t seem to stay away from each other. We started hanging out, as friends. I even went as far as making rules for what he’d dubbed our “undates.”
But eventually, our explosive attraction became too much to bear, and we broke our resolve. I let my guard down and started to really fall for Colby.
Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
This is a standalone novel.
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SECOND CHANCES
The girl I met when we were nine is now the woman who said “yes” to being my wife.
But Josie’s not planning our wedding; she’s too consumed by things that happened over a century ago.
She has terrible dreams and unrelenting visions of the unspeakable. I believe her, but I don’t understand her.
If I can’t understand her, I can’t stop her.
If I can’t stop her, I can’t save us.
And without us … well, I can’t imagine that world.
This is the fourth book in the Life series, but the second and final book in the Colten & Josie duet.
Series reading order: The Life That Mattered (Roe & Evie #1) | The Life You Stole (Roe & Evie #2) | Pieces of a Life (Colten & Josie #1) | Memories of a Life (Colten & Josie #2)
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Framed for the grisly murder of his shellan, Kane is condemned to the notorious prison camp—unaware of the dark truth behind his arranged mating. Centuries later, when he is horribly burned while attempting to save others, he prays he’ll finally be reunited in the Fade with his mate…not knowing what revelations await him.
Nadya is a self-taught nurse who does what she can to ease the suffering of the prisoners. When Kane comes under her care, she cannot help but empathize with his condition for very personal reasons—and as the guards take him away one last time, she fears he is facing a terrible death.
After a daring rescue, Kane is offered a treatment that will change his very nature. Choosing life, for the time being, he goes back for the female who took such good care of him—but his duty to Nadya sets him on a collision course with his own past. When long-buried secrets are exposed, his self-destruction is inevitable…unless true love can save his soul.
This is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp series, a spin-off series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
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WORKPLACE ROMANCE
Margot Noble needs some relief from the stress of running the family winery with her brother. Enter Luke: sexy, charming, and best of all in the too-small world of Napa, a stranger. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and Margot is delighted that she lucked into the perfect one-night stand she’ll never have to see again. That is, until the winery’s newest hire, Luke, walks in the next morning. Margot is determined to keep things purely professional, but when their every interaction reminds her of the attraction still bubbling between them, it proves to be much more challenging than she expects.
Luke Williams had it all, but when he quits his high-salary tech job in Silicon Valley in a blaze of burnout and moves back to Napa to help a friend, he realizes he doesn’t want to tell the world—or his mom—why he’s now working at a winery. His mom loves bragging about her successful son—how can he admit that the job she’s so proud of broke him? Luke has no idea what is next for him, but one thing is certain: he wants more from the incredibly smart and sexy woman he hooked up with—even after he learns she’s his new boss. But even if they can find a way to be together that wouldn’t be an ethical nightmare, would such a successful woman really want a tech-world dropout?
Set against a lush backdrop of Napa Valley wine country, nothing goes to your head as fast as a taste of love—even if it means changing all your plans.
This is a standalone novel.
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FANTASY
An heir to the throne . . .
Tessana Allisand might have proven that she’s the oldest living daughter of the dead king of Elysia, and that she’s the rightful heir to the Seat of Power, but that doesn’t mean she gets to be queen . . . yet. Forced to wait until her twenty-first birthday, Tess is supposed to be learning how to navigate court life and all the ways she will one day rule the realm. But circumstances and her nefarious uncle keep getting in the way of her education.
A kingdom in turmoil . . .
While Tess is pampered with the luxuries of castle life, the rest of the kingdom suffers under the oppressive thumb of the Ring of Shadows. And while no other ruler seems all that concerned with the evil rebels intent on destroying everyone and everything, Tess alone must find a way to stand up to the dark magic threatening to choke the life from her precious kingdom.
A love shaken by distance . . .
Tessana and Taelon found each other in the depths of the Blood Woods. And just like when they were children, their affection for each other saved the realm. But now, with separate kingdoms to fight for and royal duties to attend to, life is pushing them in impossibly opposite directions. Tess wants nothing more than for Taelon to be at her side. And yet, she will never ask him to leave his own kingdom for hers. Fate seems determined to keep them apart. But it was love that brought them back together. And love that will defy titles, crowns, and destiny.
This is the second book in the Nine Kingdoms trilogy.
Series reading order: Crown of One Hundred Kings | Throne of a Thousand Lies
HISTORICAL ROMANTIC COMEDY
Smart, capable heiress Emmeline Pershing will do anything to keep her beloved home; and all it takes is an arranged marriage and a teeny white lie to fulfill her family’s silly inheritance rules. But now her little fib means that she and her completely unsuspecting husband are going to inherit big — and very messy! —trouble.
Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They’ve settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way—or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he’s managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.
Then when Emmeline’s grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5—the two most unruly orphans in Britain.
As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.
This is a standalone novel.
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HOLIDAY ROMANTIC COMEDY
Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.
Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhilewhen she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.
But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.
And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.
This is a standalone novel.
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Latest Top Recommendations
There is something about this story that hit a perfect chord for me, beginning to end, and it has everything to do with the way Kristen Ashley brings her characters to life—unapologetically and daringly and true to everything we’ve always known her to stand for. Furthermore, when she decides to sink her teeth into a redemption story, you know all bets are off and she’ll make you feel a whole lot of things. It’s the story of Tom Pierce, former tennis superstar, and Mika Stowe, artist extraordinaire, who first met at a time when Tom was not available to pursue anything between them. Now, years later, Tom’s actions have not only hurt those closest to him, but also knocked him off the pedestal that Mika has always put him on. So when they are forced to cross paths again, they must not only come to terms with the aftermath of Tom’s transgression, but also with two decades of personal history that they do not share. A moving tale of two people taking a second chance on life and love, and moving forward from the past, together.
Kate Canterbary is an author whose books I buy without even reading the blurbs, and her latest novel is to die for. It’s the story of a young woman named Shay Zucconi who inherits a tulip farm from her beloved step-grandmother, only to find out that the inheritance comes with two conditions—she has to move back to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island, and she has to be married within one year. But after being left at the altar by her fiancé, Shay has sworn off marriage and thus has no intention of following the terms of the will. She decides to move to her hometown only temporarily, to regroup and recover emotionally in the only home she’s ever known…until she meets her next-door neighbour and his foul-mouthed little niece. And then realises that her bossy new neighbour might not be a stranger at all but a long forgotten childhood best friend. A perfect blend of funny and heartwarming, sprinkled with some very juicy scenes, this is the kind of story you read in a single sitting, and then bemoan your own ability to read so fast. Another absolute gem from an author who never disappoints.
In my ongoing mission to discover as many remarkable new voices in Romance as possible, I came across this glorious, sparkling gem of a book that you’ll want to push into the hands of everyone you know. Whether the idea of a celebrity falling for an everyday person is your tropetonite, or you’re just a sucker for the ‘famous life’, there is something about this story that is both wonderfully fanciful, and also completely relatable. What begins as a one-night stand between two old childhood friends—one of them a hugely successful actor, and the other an ambitious investigative journalist on the verge of a career-making scoop—quickly deepens and evolves into something more for them both. But fame and anonymity don’t go hand in hand, and soon, both their lives are thrown into precarious waters as scandal hits home. I rarely read a book cover to cover, twice in the same week, but this one I did.
I’m on a mission to discover as many new voices in Romance as possible this year, and my latest find was simply BREATHTAKING. It’s actually really hard to believe this is a debut novel. We meet Percy Fraser just as she receives a call that sends her racing back to a small town in Ontario’s cottage country—a place that holds both her fondest childhood memories and her greatest heartbreak, and to Sam Florek, her childhood best friend and the boy she never stopped loving. Half of the story unfolds through flashbacks into Percy and Sam’s teenage years, and the six summers spent falling in love with one another. And the other half is told in the present day, where we meet the characters almost two decades later, one consumed by grief and loss, and the other by guilt and heartache. Their past and present intertwine to tell a story that is both charged with the guileless naïveté of childhood, and the heart-on-your-sleeve intensity of second chances. Nostalgic, evocative, heart-wrenching at times, hopeful, uplifting, and romantic in every sense of the word, this is the kind of book that transports you in time and place, and reminds you of all-consuming young crushes and all those summers spent running wild without a care in the world. The audiobook version narrated by the amazing Aj Bridel is especially transporting. A true gem!
Bookish News
L.J. Shen has revealed the cover of the second novel in her Cruel Castaways series, an angsty billionaire romance coming out in May 2023.
We have the cover of Carley Fortune‘s second novel, out in May 2023. If you haven’t read her debut novel, Every Summer After, you’re seriously missing out. It’s one of my top favourite books of the year.
We have the cover of the next book in Laura Pavlov‘s Honey Mountain series, a best friend’s brother, forced proximity, secret past, small town romance, releasing on October 20.
An emotional new rockstar romance duet is coming in October from Claudia Burgoa, part of the larger Decker Family series, and we have the gorgeous covers.
She’s the ‘other woman’ we all hated in Alison Rhymes‘ Broken Play, and he’s the man she wronged all those years ago. Lorelai and Noah are finally getting their second chance at a happily ever after, and we have the cover of their book.
Ginger Scott is taking us back to Welles Academy in October, and we have the gorgeous cover of this angsty boarding school romance.
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