CATEGORIES: Weekly Recap
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Latest Top Recommendations

The more I read, the harder I am to impress, and it takes an outstanding book these days to truly shake me into submission. Admittedly, a kinky, sports-flavoured romance penned by one of my favourite writers of late is not a far-fetched bet, yet I never expected to become so infatuated and utterly consumed by this story to the point of re-reading it over and over again in a matter of weeks. Ali Hazelwood continues to bring complex, STEMinist heroines to life with unmatched precision and attention to detail, celebrating their resilience and drive to succeed as well as their softer, more vulnerable parts. And this time around, she does it by deep-diving into the gruelling world of competitive water sports, with the story of two college athletes with something very unexpected in common.

Read More...

I’m a huge fan of Catherine Bybee’s romances, forever addicted to the timeless romanticism of her love stories, the superb writing, and the incredible character development, so any new book of hers automatically jumps to the top of my reading list. This series centres around the Stone siblings whose estranged father suddenly dies, leaving his multibillion-dollar business to them. But the father’s will also reveals a half brother they didn’t know existed, and in order to fully come into possession of their inheritance, they must find him. This book is the lost brother’s story—the tale of a blue-collar worker who becomes a billionaire overnight. But before his existence is even made public, a tabloid reporter starts snooping around him, looking for a connection between him and the Stone family, only to end up helping him navigate his newly found reality. A comfort read!

Read More...

There’s something downright breathtaking about a Kate Canterbary novel and the way her characters pull you in straightaway with the sheer freshness and candour of their quirks and wit. But it’s the way she then breaks them wide open, tenderly, carefully, that has you hooked on her every word. Two perfect strangers meet at a wedding—he’s the best man, she’s not even supposed to be there—thinking one unforgettable night of passion would be all they’d ever have. But when their paths cross again, their new working relationship throws a wrench in any desire they might have of pursuing a romantic connection. Canterbary takes the familiar workplace romance trope and turns it on its head in this heartwarming, fun, thoughtful story about finding the courage to believe in love, and it just so happens to be one of my favourite reads of the year.

Read More...

A young woman stricken by grief after the gruesome murder of her beloved mother moves into a secluded cabin by the lake, looking for peace and quiet, only to discover that she is not only sharing the lake with a rowdy neighbour, but the lake is also believed to be haunted by lovers who were murdered there almost two decades before. We return to Misted Pines with yet another intricately plotted, beautifully paced, spine-tingling whodunit with a beautiful love story (or three) at its core. This gripping tale about long-buried secrets, family bonds, and unexpected twists had me guessing until the very end.

Read More...

Bookish News

Set in the same world as My Dark Romeo and My Dark Desire, a twisted enemies-to-lovers Sleeping Beauty retelling, in which a damaged billionaire with a dark past and his childhood sweetheart fall in love—literally—is coming in February from authors L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington, and we have the gorgeous cover. This is Oliver Von Bismarck’s book.

Read More...

An all-new rockstar, enemies to lovers, second chance romance—set in the same world as The Rocker’s Muse—is coming in February from Penelope Ward, and we have the gorgeous cover.

Read More...

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NBJ WEEKLY RECAP

New & Upcoming Releases; Bookish News; Latest Top Recommendations

28 January, 2025

NEW RELEASES

MARRIAGE IN TROUBLE

A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition to help them reconnect…

High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs.

But Sarah has begun to wonder . . . who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memory of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter after all, independent and capable.

That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.

This is a standalone companion novel to Out on a Limb.


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Apple Books | Print | Audio

SOUTHERN MAFIA ROMANCE

“They were kings, and for a brief part of my life, I was allowed to live inside their kingdom.”

Branwen

Little girls grow up, and time steals their innocence. Memories fade, and things you love change. Except for me. You see, I fell in love at first sight when I was six years old. The problem with that was he was a grown man. My young heart had believed that he belonged to me. That should have faded with time. It didn’t. Although I hadn’t seen him in over twenty years, I still found myself measuring up the men I dated to him. That was until the day he walked into a nightclub in Vegas and sat down beside me at the bar.

He didn’t recognize the woman I had become, but I knew exactly who he was. My heart had soared, and the flutters in my stomach that no one else had ever stirred came roaring back to life. Fate had brought him back to me.

Waking up in his suite alone the next morning with a note and a morning after pill with no way to contact him had taught me that flutters were not to be trusted and that fate was a mean bitch.

Five years later, I am engaged, happy, and about to give my four-year-old daughter the life I want for her, complete with a white picket fence and a father.

That is… until I find out that I can’t get married. Because I already am.

Linc

The fact I never asked a woman I slept with her name served a purpose. If I didn’t know it, then I wouldn’t have to remember it. No getting them confused and saying the wrong one in the heat of the moment. Hell, I didn’t remember most of their faces. I got what I needed and left. My life wasn’t meant for relationships. I’d tried it. My ex-wife now lives in Europe with her current husband.

The day I walked outside to find the gorgeous blonde I’d had a wild drunken night with in Vegas five years ago handing me divorce papers and demanding I sign them, I’d been sure it was a joke or scheme to get money. The tiny replica of her that crawled out of the backseat of her car, however, struck me with an odd familiarity I couldn’t place. My gut had clenched tightly, and I knew my world had just changed. The paternity test confirmed it.

This woman who had been number one in my spank bank for five years had lied to me. Stolen the first four and a half years of my daughter’s life from me. She may have the face and body of an angel, but she was cruel.

The man she planned on marrying and bringing into my daughter’s life wasn’t happening. I’d end that. I was going to be the only father she had. I wasn’t sharing her with a stepfather.

If I had to make sure her mother only wanted me, then I’d do it. When she was addicted to me, and I owned her soul- she was going to suffer. I wouldn’t hurt her body, but I would break her heart. Over and over again.

This is a standalone novel in the Mississippi Smoke series, set in the same world as the Smoke, Judgement and Georgia Smoke series.

Series recommended reading order: Tore Up | Hotter ‘N Hell | Oh, Hell No | Outlaw


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

RIVALS TO LOVERS + GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + FORCED PROXIMITY + WORKPLACE ROMANCE

Royal Manning is a menace. The bane of my existence. The fun-loving teacher next door whose juvenile antics disrupt my class on a daily basis. God, I hate him. So much.

Why can’t he be more like Emmett? The sweet, charming mystery man who texted me on the anniversary of his fiancée’s tragic accident, not realizing her old number had been reassigned to me. We strike up a friendship, agreeing to refrain from divulging any personal information. Emmett isn’t his real name, nor is mine Elle. Being anonymous works for both of us, and soon we’re texting almost daily.

Meanwhile, Royal remains his usual obnoxious self…until he doesn’t. A mix-up at the hotel during a teachers’ convention leaves me stranded without a room, and Royal steps in, offering to share his room with me.

Calm down, and get your mind out of the gutter. There are two beds. Royal and I are not happening. Ever. Not even if hell froze over.

The weekend flows with surprising smoothness despite a couple of drunken escapades by yours truly, and I’m seeing Royal in a whole new light. I even ask for his help with making my class more fun for my students.

Hate turns to grudging respect turns to friendship turns to Oh, my God, I think I like Royal Manning panic. With the help of my friends, I decide to shoot my shot, and I’m not disappointed. We don’t teach chemistry to our fourth grade students, but if we did…

But then, Royal starts acting very weird, making me think he’s lying about something. Something big.

And if he is, this thing between us might be over before it even really gets started.

This is a standalone novel in the all-new Anonymously Yours series.

Series recommended reading order: A Royal Menace | The Dallas Dilemma (Apr 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Print

ALPHA HERO + FORCED PROXIMITY + BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE

Willow Kingsley is everything I don’t need in my life.

She’s sunshine and chaos dressed in a flower crown. She’s a wildflower in a world I’ve spent years trying to keep simple and quiet. She talks too much, smiles too easily, and doesn’t understand the meaning of personal space. Worst of all, she’s staying in my house for the summer, turning my carefully guarded world upside down.

I know I should keep my distance. People like her don’t stay, and I’ve had my fill of being left behind. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to remember why I built these walls in the first place. She’s getting under my skin—into my heart—and making me want things I’ve spent years trying to avoid.

Falling for Willow would be a mistake. She’s a free bird, and I’m the anchor she’s desperate to escape. But every time she looks at me, I can’t help but wonder: What if she’s not the one who’s meant to fly? What if, this time, I’m meant to soar?

This is a standalone novel in the Problem series.

Series recommended reading order: The Problem with Dating | The Problem with Players | The Problem with Falling


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Audio

FAKE DATING

Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams never actually believed in the Hua family curse. But after Break-Up #9, Chryssy stopped laughing. Now she and her aunties run a special healing retreat center for the broken-hearted. After all, there’s nothing a proper cup of herbal tea can’t fix…but Chryssy’s innocent run-in with celebrity cellist and bad boy Vin Chao has everyone brewing about a different kind of tea. So he offers her a deal: they’ll fake-date, he’ll “break” her heart (and increase ticket sales), and in return, he’ll promote her business.

It’s like Chryssy’s whole cursed love life has been leading up to this moment. But all it takes is one kiss—and a whole lot of unexpected chemistry—to land both of them in hot water . . .

This is a standalone novel.


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Apple Books | Print | Audio

OPPOSITES ATTRACT + HIDDEN IDENTITY + SPORTS ROMANCE

Harlow James is destined to rock the dating world. The creator of Kissmet, the app helping singles find love, she’s in New York to secure advertisers. But the sassy, small-town girl can’t help meddling in other people’s business.

When she runs into a muscular stranger at her go-to food truck, Harlow doesn’t realize he’s Landon “Andy” Burke, the NFL’s most-wanted free agent, in town to talk contracts. She just sees a hottie about to get burned by undercooked street food. Though she tries to warn him, he shrugs her off, making a little wager instead.

In a messy twist of fate, Andy finds himself in the same hotel as Harlow. When she collects on their bet, they make a mind-blowing—and bed-rocking—connection. But after the weekend, she goes home to Green Bay to her goofy dad and corgi, ready to focus everything on work again. Kissmet, however, has other ideas, when Andy knocks on her door…

This is a standalone novel in the all-new Not Yours series.

Series recommended reading order: Not Your Biggest Fan | Biggest Player (Jul 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Print | Audio

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Welcome to Knife’s Edge, Alaska, where the four Osprey brothers return from military service with shadows in their eyes and secrets in their hearts. As danger looms, new romances ignite, and these rugged men must fight for love…and survival.

Brock Osprey has spent years in the rugged Alaskan wilderness, far from civilization and even farther from his past. A former Navy Seal, Brock is now the unwilling protector of Knife’s Edge, a remote town with more secrets than residents. But when FBI agent Ophelia Spilazi arrives to investigate the unsolved murder of his guardian—and recent unexplained deaths in the area—Brock’s carefully guarded world is thrown into chaos.

Agent Ophelia Spilazi has one last chance to save her career, and Knife’s Edge is her shot. The isolated town is full of secrets, and she’s certain Brock knows more than he’s letting on. The town’s recent string of mysterious deaths only heightens her suspicion, but the more time she spends with the brooding Alaskan, the harder it becomes to ignore the dangerous chemistry between them.

As a brutal storm traps them in the isolated wilderness, Brock and Ophelia’s growing attraction ignites, even as shadows from their pasts threaten to tear them apart. But with a dangerous conspiracy and powerful enemies lurking in the shadows, their only hope is to trust each other—before the wilderness consumes them both.

This is the first book in the all-new Knife’s Edge, Alaska series. This book was originally published in Kindle Vella.

Series recommended reading order: Dead of Winter | Thaw of Spring (Sep 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Apple Books

FAKE DATING + SMALL TOWN

These former friends might be faking their engagement, but revealed crushes prove there might not be anything fictional about their arrangement.

In college, I often saw Judd Sylver in the library. He was a cool, broody type of guy who reminded me of a deeply tortured soul who might write poetry.

He was very different from the boy I met in third grade on National Make a New Friend Day when I passed him a note, asking if he wanted to be my new friend: Check yes or no.

(I’m a bit obsessed with calendar days.)

He was also vastly different from the young man who stood me up after I asked him to his prom.

Twenty years later, I can let bygones be bygones, especially when he rescues me from a bad date.

Then I witness him breaking up with his girlfriend which resulted in a sticky coffee drink on his chiseled cheeks and ice cubes on his fine-fitting jeans.

I offered him a napkin.

Hey, once a friend, always a friend, right? *insert sarcasm*

However, Judd takes us to the next level at my mother’s garden party, where a misunderstanding occurs with a teeny tiny slip of the tongue and a precious ring on my finger.

And suddenly, I’m Judd’s fiancée.

Fake or not, things are about to get a little too real with my old friend.

This is a standalone novel in the Sterling Falls series.

Series recommended reading order: Sterling Heat | Sterling Brick | Sterling Streak | Sterling Clay | Sterling Fight | Sterling Touch (Jun 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Print

OPPOSITES ATTRACT + SURPRISE PREGNANCY + SMALL TOWN

For six months, I hated Asher Hammond.

And then I slept with him.

What started as one night turned into something neither of us expected—something real. Despite Ash’s aversion to romance and my diehard belief in happily-ever-afters, we found our rhythm: my heart, his hands, and a passion that could burn down Sparkwood.

Between late nights at my bookstore, restoring my crumbling Victorian mansion, and falling for a man who swore love wasn’t in his DNA, I let myself believe we were building something lasting. Even if Ash never said those three words, his actions spoke volumes.

Until she showed up.

The first—and only—woman Asher ever loved. The one who wrecked him, shattered his heart, and left scars deeper than any ink. And she’s not here alone.

Ash swears it’s over between them, but their shared history—and one too many secrets—make it impossible to ignore the cracks in the fragile foundation of our love story. I’ve been second best before, and I refuse to play that role again.

Walking away from the man I love is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But just when I think I’ve found my footing, life throws me a twist I never saw coming.

Now, I have a secret, too—one that could bring us back together … or tear us apart forever.

This is a standalone in the Sparkwood: Scenes From A Small Town series.

Series recommended reading other: The First Spark | Chasing Sparks | Igniting Sparks (Oct 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

ROOMMATES TO LOVERS + BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND + SPORTS ROMANCE

My brother’s best friend is such a jerk.

An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.

He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.

Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.

Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.

Not that it matters.

He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.

I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.

That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.

This is a standalone novel in The Holland Brothers series.

Series recommended reading order: Burnout | Playbook | Comeback | Spotlight (Jun 2025)


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

DARK ROMANTIC THRILLER

They say the best kept secrets are hidden in the darkest places.
I know that better than anybody…
Because I’m one of them.

I spend my days locked in a black-market nightmare, held captive by a twisted mastermind who considers me his prized possession. My only form of human contact are the victims in the next room, each of whom disappears faster than the last.

Everyone leaves…except me.

Then I hear him—Isaac. Brash, elusive, and haunted, he isn’t anyone’s idea of a hero. Separated by a wall, our faces hidden, his voice cuts through the darkness, becoming my only hope. He’s driven by vengeance, bearing scars as dark as my own. Despite his rough edges, a fragile bond forms between us—a lifeline.

Isaac might be my best chance of escape, but time is slipping away. Breaking free will mean outrunning both our pasts, and in this twisted game, the cost of freedom may be more than we can afford to pay.

Appearances deceive. Choices have consequences.

And some consequences?
They are irreversible.

This is a standalone novel.


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

FAKE DATING + SPORTS ROMANCE

He’s on edge while she’s en pointe…

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they’ll call it quits.

This is a standalone novel, a prequel to the Cat and Mouse duet.


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Apple Books | Print | Audio

SECOND CHANCES + SINGLE MUM/WIDOWER

Devorah Campbell’s life falls apart under the pressure of one truth: her husband is having an affair with her best friend. So Devorah packs up her daughter and their shared heartbreak for small-town Oyster Bay, where she grew up. Her relationship with her father is still on the rocks, but Devorah has her brother there—and, unexpectedly, her brother’s best friend.

Hayden McKenna lost his wife a year ago and has struggled with single fatherhood ever since. Moving back home with his son is a last but best resort, a chance to start fresh, surrounded by family and old friends. But when Hayden runs into Devorah, his childhood crush, sparks fly as bright as ever. If only he could make her see them too…

Amid a swirl of hurt and healing, Devorah and Hayden grow closer, rekindling what they had all those years ago to discover that, sometimes, a new start means going back to the beginning.

This is a standalone novel.


 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Print | Audio

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Latest Top Recommendations

The more I read, the harder I am to impress, and it takes an outstanding book these days to truly shake me into submission. Admittedly, a kinky, sports-flavoured romance penned by one of my favourite writers of late is not a far-fetched bet, yet I never expected to become so infatuated and utterly consumed by this story to the point of re-reading it over and over again in a matter of weeks. Ali Hazelwood continues to bring complex, STEMinist heroines to life with unmatched precision and attention to detail, celebrating their resilience and drive to succeed as well as their softer, more vulnerable parts. And this time around, she does it by deep-diving into the gruelling world of competitive water sports, with the story of two college athletes with something very unexpected in common.

Read More...

I’m a huge fan of Catherine Bybee’s romances, forever addicted to the timeless romanticism of her love stories, the superb writing, and the incredible character development, so any new book of hers automatically jumps to the top of my reading list. This series centres around the Stone siblings whose estranged father suddenly dies, leaving his multibillion-dollar business to them. But the father’s will also reveals a half brother they didn’t know existed, and in order to fully come into possession of their inheritance, they must find him. This book is the lost brother’s story—the tale of a blue-collar worker who becomes a billionaire overnight. But before his existence is even made public, a tabloid reporter starts snooping around him, looking for a connection between him and the Stone family, only to end up helping him navigate his newly found reality. A comfort read!

Read More...

There’s something downright breathtaking about a Kate Canterbary novel and the way her characters pull you in straightaway with the sheer freshness and candour of their quirks and wit. But it’s the way she then breaks them wide open, tenderly, carefully, that has you hooked on her every word. Two perfect strangers meet at a wedding—he’s the best man, she’s not even supposed to be there—thinking one unforgettable night of passion would be all they’d ever have. But when their paths cross again, their new working relationship throws a wrench in any desire they might have of pursuing a romantic connection. Canterbary takes the familiar workplace romance trope and turns it on its head in this heartwarming, fun, thoughtful story about finding the courage to believe in love, and it just so happens to be one of my favourite reads of the year.

Read More...

A young woman stricken by grief after the gruesome murder of her beloved mother moves into a secluded cabin by the lake, looking for peace and quiet, only to discover that she is not only sharing the lake with a rowdy neighbour, but the lake is also believed to be haunted by lovers who were murdered there almost two decades before. We return to Misted Pines with yet another intricately plotted, beautifully paced, spine-tingling whodunit with a beautiful love story (or three) at its core. This gripping tale about long-buried secrets, family bonds, and unexpected twists had me guessing until the very end.

Read More...

Bookish News

Set in the same world as My Dark Romeo and My Dark Desire, a twisted enemies-to-lovers Sleeping Beauty retelling, in which a damaged billionaire with a dark past and his childhood sweetheart fall in love—literally—is coming in February from authors L.J. Shen and Parker S. Huntington, and we have the gorgeous cover. This is Oliver Von Bismarck’s book.

Read More...

An all-new rockstar, enemies to lovers, second chance romance—set in the same world as The Rocker’s Muse—is coming in February from Penelope Ward, and we have the gorgeous cover.

Read More...

Upcoming Releases

4 Feb

4 Feb

4 Feb

4 Feb

6 Feb

7 Feb

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