CATEGORIES: Weekly Recap
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Latest Top Recommendations

I’ve never come across a Sarah MacLean novel that I didn’t absolutely devour, but this book—this fascinating, almost theatrically dramatic gem of a story—stole my heart. A wealthy New England family is shaken by the sudden loss of its larger-than-life patriarch, but no one more so than its prodigal daughter—Alice Storm. After five years of being cast out from the family and forging her own path in life, Alice returns to her family’s private island to pay her final respects to her father. But shortly after arriving there, she realises that her eccentric, controlling father is not done manipulating Alice and her siblings even from beyond the grave, forcing them all to spend one week together on the island in order to receive the inheritance. By exploring the real, messy, and deeply broken dynamics of a family brought together by guilt and grief, but ultimately bound to one another by love, MacLean delivers a powerful story riddled with drama, secrets, and family mayhem, as well as a generous dash of heartwarming romance. A superb read.

Read More...

Kristen Ashley continues to infuse her stories with such depth of emotion that I can see myself re-reading her novels until I’m old and gray. The latest River Rain instalment is a richly layered tale of second chances in life, of redemption, of forgiveness, of knowing our self-worth and believing in the best version of ourselves, no matter how hard our demons fight to break us down. A former celebrity mean girl, Blake Sharp is trying hard to move on from her past and from under the thumb of her controlling mother, but she never expected to find an ally in her childhood frenemy and occasional bully, retired Scottish rugby player and playboy, Alasdair Wallace. When fate suddenly throws them together, an unexpected connection emerges between them, followed by immediate attraction and chemistry, but learning to trust each other with their hearts and not letting their pasts stand in the way is a battle they will both have to fight for what they want the most. A joy to read!

Read More...

The Sunshine Vicram trilogy was one of those on-a-whim picks, a blind draw from my endless TBR list, and my first encounter with Darynda Jones’ s delightful writing, and I simply flew through it. Set in the small town of Del Sol, New Mexico, the series centres around Sunshine Vicram who returns to her hometown as the elected sheriff, only to find herself knee-deep in drama and danger on her first day on the job. And then there’s Levi, her childhood crush and the man who seems to be angry at her for some reason; her teenage daughter who fancies herself an amateur sleuth; her meddling parents… Witty dialogues, endearing (and some downright bonkers) characters, and small town shenanigans made this series a hilarious thrill ride I never want to get off, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Read More...

I honesty can’t say that I had blood-drinking, winged aliens on my reading bingo card this year, yet here we are. A tale of fated mates, unrequited love, with even a surprise pregnancy thrown into the mix, I devoured this book in a single sitting, hopelessly enthralled with the characters, the plot, the angst, the phenomenal world building. This is one of those stories that consumes you until you’ve gobbled up every last word of it, and then leaves you craving for more. It’s technically the third book in the Brides of the Kylorr series, but I jumped in with no prior knowledge of the series so far, and that didn’t impede my enjoyment of this book. This was my first toe-dip into Zoey Draven’s writing, but it then kicked off a week-long binge-read-a-thon of her books I’m still recovering from.

Read More...

Bookish News

The second book in Kristen Ashley’s new mystery romance series, Manors and Mysteries, is coming in February 2026, and we have the gorgeous cover.

Read More...

The second book in L.J. Shen’s dark and decadent new Society of Villains series is coming in April 2026, and we have the gorgeous covers.

Read More...

Zoey Draven has just revealed all the details of the second book in her Hordes of the Elthika series, out on December 9.

Read More...

A woman who trusts numbers more than people discovers that love might be worth the risk in Catherine Bybee‘s powerful new novel of trauma, healing, and unexpected courage, out in June 2026. It kicks off the brand new Queen Anne Hill series.

Read More...

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NBJ WEEKLY RECAP

New & Upcoming Releases; Bookish News; Latest Top Recommendations

11 November, 2025

NEW RELEASES

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Love can be murder, especially when your ex is a serial killer. 

Nothing prepared Sidney Walsh for the awkwardness of having unknowingly dated an infamous killer. She’s doing her best to move on after her ex got dragged off to jail. If only online amateur investigators, his creepy fans and a particularly belligerent cop would leave her alone. Her social life might be quiet, what with having few friends and the neighbors wanting nothing to do with her. But at least it’s safe. That is until tattooed chef and all-round thirst trap, Noah, moves in next door.

Now Sidney is being asked on dates for the first time in forever, and feeling a dangerous mix of soul-deep connection and red-hot desire. But the darkest moments of her life come crashing back when her ex decides he has unfinished business…her. Will she and Noah make it out alive, and can their love withstand the nightmare of her past?

This is a standalone novel.


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AUPrint | Audio

GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + ONLY ONE BED + FOUND FAMILY

Keston
I’m never lucky.
As a foster kid I bounced from home to home.
My tattoo parlor is my only safe space.
My days are spent making art and my nights are lonely, even when I’m not alone.
Then I meet him.
Bailey Marks.
The man who won’t stop talking and making me laugh. Making me want to see him again and again. But I don’t belong in his suit-and-tie world.

Bailey
I’m never lucky.
I lost my father, and my so-called mother sees me as a bank account. I spend my time bailing my sister out of trouble, but she’s all I’ve got.
Except my law practice, which is the only thing that’s totally mine.
I tell too many jokes to hide how lonely I am, and I have way too many one-night stands.
I just want someone to love.
Then I meet him.
Keston Harris.
The gorgeous loner who’s closed off his emotions, with walls higher than the Empire State building. One kiss from him, and I’m a goner.

We’re two lonely hearts, unlucky in life and love, failed by people who should’ve been there for us.
What we do know is, the world feels better when we’re together, and life seems easier now that we have each other.

Trust issues? We’ve got a million of them.
Yet we keep turning to each other when life gets tough.
But it’s nothing serious.
Maybe if we say it often enough, we’ll believe it.

And maybe…just maybe, we’ll finally be one of the lucky ones.

This is a standalone novel in the Unpredictable series.

Series recommended reading order: Not That Guy | The Lucky Ones


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

SECOND LOVE + SINGLE DAD + FORCED PROXIMITY + HE FALLS FIRST

A Caribbean cruise opens a widow’s heart to a love she never expected…

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she’s become a widow has Mari considered another love of her own. Until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

This is the fifth book in The D’Angelos series of standalone novels with interconnected characters.

Series recommended reading order: When It Falls Apart | Be Your Everything | Beginning of Forever | The Whole Time | Maybe One Day


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

ENEMIES TO LOVERS + SMALL TOWN + WESTERN RANCH

I train horses, not broken men. That’s what I tell myself the day Bryce Raintree walks into my arena—cocky, bruised, and dragging his ego behind him like it’s been trampled in the dust. He’s a bull rider who’s lost his edge. His team sends him to me to get it back.

He doesn’t like being told what to do, especially not by a woman like me. But under all that attitude, there’s a storm brewing. And I can’t seem to walk away.

I’ve spent my life in the saddle, doing what needs to be done after losing our mom and stepping up on the ranch. I don’t fix cowboys. But maybe… I don’t have to. Maybe he’s not the only one who needs saving.

This is the second book in the Wildhaven series of standalone novels with interconnected characters.

Series recommended reading other: Awaiting the Storm | Riding the Storm


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

HOCKEY ROMANCE

Tyler Griffin is gorgeous, ruthless, and arrogant.
He’s also one of the best hockey players in the National Hockey League.
Not known to be a fighter on the ice, he has no problem dropping the gloves at the same time.
The sweet side of Tyler: he has a twin sister that he would do anything for, including disregarding any rules if they mean he can’t protect who he loves.

I know all of this about Tyler because I know him.
We grew up in neighboring towns.
He played against my brothers and ironically, he still does because my brothers are also NHL franchise stars.

The rivalry was in high school.
We’re all adults now.
That means certain grudges should be forgotten…

Wrong.

The rivalry is very much alive.
The hatred is visceral between my brothers and Tyler.
As for myself, I have my own complicated relationship with my brothers.
But things are about to get heated because the NHL team that I recently accepted a position to work for just traded for a certain star player: Tyler Griffin.

He’s the enemy to both of my brothers, but he’s also mine.

This is a standalone novel.


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

GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + ENEMIES TO LOVERS + HOLIDAY ROMANCE

“A ‘World’s Fittest Santa’ contest? Please tell me you’re joking.”

My store manager is in fact not joking.

All I want for Christmas this year is to finally quit my job and figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life. Instead, here I am, auditioning sexy, shirtless men in fake white beards so hundreds of horny mall shoppers can sit on their laps.

A dream come true for some women, I’m sure.

For me? This is my personal nightmare.

As a former professional dancer, my days of excessive exercise and counting calories are behind me. The last thing I need is a Santa with a six-pack.

But that is exactly what I get when my instant nemesis is crowned our winner, and I’m promoted to his personal “Santa Handler.”

Santa is supposed to be ancient and generous and kind. This guy is young. And arrogant. And obtuse. Case in point: this is a man who regularly boasts about going “balls deep into Christmas.” Basically, he is everything I hate about the fitness industry tied up in one glistening, muscle-bound package.

So why am I fantasizing about unwrapping him to see what’s underneath?

This is a standalone novel in the Santa duet.

Series recommended reading other: Santa Has a Six-Pack | Applause for Mrs. Klaus (Oct 2026)


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

SMALL TOWN + MENAGE + COWBOYS + ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Brooke Harper thought she would make it big in New York City, but she knew her heart would always be back in her hometown of Bliss, Colorado. She’d intended to come home as the big-shot fashion designer she’d always wanted to be, but her dream job turned into a nightmare, and now she’s crawling home to lick her wounds. When she meets up with two hot cowboys one night at Hell on Wheels, she decides they’re just what she needs to get her groove back.

Bailey Kent hasn’t stopped thinking about Brooke since he met her years before when he first visited Bliss. She’s his dream woman, and now she’s within reach. She responds so beautifully not only to him, but to his brother. They’ve shared women all their lives, but both know Brooke is the one. There’s only one problem. She’s his muse, but she sees him as a way station, not the destination on this journey she’s taking.

Only one problem? Shane Kent knows his brother sometimes doesn’t see the bigger picture. Bay’s head and heart are wrapped up in his art, and it’s Shane’s job to remember the reality of whatever situation they’re in, and this time it’s big trouble. Their last job took them to a ranch that might have been selling more than cattle. Shane witnessed something criminal and they ran, but their old crew is looking for them and he’s worried they’ll find Brooke, too. And then there’s the fact that they once hit on her sister-in-law and her brothers hate them…

It’ll take a miracle to bring these three together, so it’s a good thing Bliss is known for them.

This is a standalone novel in the Nights in Bliss, Colorado series.

Series recommended reading order: Three to Ride | Two to Love | One to Keep | Lost in Bliss | Found in Bliss | Pure Bliss | Chasing Bliss | Once Upon a Time in Bliss | Back in Bliss | Sirens in Bliss | Happily Ever After in Bliss | Far from Bliss | Unexpected Bliss | Wild Bliss | Brooke’s Bliss


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

ENEMIES TO LOVERS + FORCED PROXIMITY + PARANORMAL ROMANCE

He’s the fire I crave—and the danger I can’t escape.

I entered a hidden city of power and secrets, only to find myself consumed by him. Body and soul.

Strong, unyielding, and impossible to resist, he commands everything around him—including me. Every movement, every word, every heated glance pulls me deeper into his orbit.

His touch scorches, his gaze dragging me closer to the edge where passion and danger collide.

Darkness lurks around every corner, but desire is the deadliest temptation. I never meant to surrender my heart.

But some flames are impossible to fight.

And in this world of shadows and lies, I must face what’s burning between us before it destroys us both.

This is the fourth book in the Elven Kingdoms series.

Series reading order: Rising Sun | Dark Heart | Storm Wood | Mountain Fire


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

Izzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed.

Seeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.

This is a standalone novel.


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

MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE + FRIENDS TO LOVERS + SMALL TOWN

Fact or fiction: proposing to your best friend so she can inherit her family business is a great idea.

When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, desperate times call for desperate measures.

She’s sworn off romance. Says she’s been through enough tragedy. So I offer myself as an alternative, ’cause that’s what best friends are for.

But my stubborn friend, who would rather drive a forklift than get her nails done, refuses to accept my help, and now I find myself training to become a lumberjack.

I refuse to let Roe hitch her wagon to some hulking ax wielder who might be a serial killer. She means too much to me.

And I swear there are moments where she looks at me like I mean something more to her, too.

On the surface, I’m offering a marriage of convenience to protect her. But the truth is…I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend.

So if I have to marry her and move her up to Fletcher Mountain just to see if she could love me back, so be it.

Because my only regret would be losing her forever, and that’s a fact.

This is a standalone novel in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series.

Series recommended reading order: Nine Month Contract | Seven Year Itch | Honeymoon Phase | Bad Boy Era (May 2026)


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

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

A stolen treasure, a sabotaged pie, and a town full of trouble…

Silverville’s St. Patrick’s Day is bigger than ever, thanks to Nana O’Shea’s Pot of Gold display at her brand-new magic potion shop, Celtic Moon Herbals. The centerpiece? Antique gold nugget boxes that just might form a treasure map. Most people think it’s just another of Nana’s tall tales—until the display vanishes.

Things go from festive to chaotic when the mayor’s famous Irish cream pie is sabotaged with body lotion, and security footage points straight to Nana. Anna Albertini steps in to defend her, but the missing gold, a town full of suspects, and a crime that makes no sense have her questioning everything.

Meanwhile, federal agent Aiden Devlin is back in town on a case he won’t discuss, and tensions between him and Anna are rising fast. Between nosy matchmakers, a rogue leprechaun fun run, and Nana launching her own mystical investigation, Anna has her hands full. But if she doesn’t get to the truth soon, Silverville’s charming St. Patrick’s Day may end in something far worse than a little bad luck.

This is the seventh full-length book in The Anna Albertini Files series.

Series reading order: Disorderly Conduct | Bailed Out | Adverse Possession | Holiday Rescue (novella) | Santa’s Subpoena | Holiday Rogue (novella) | Tessa’s Trust | Habeas Corpus | Celtic Justice


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

ROMANTIC FANTASY

She’s a daughter of two worlds.

And those worlds are ready to collide.

Carys Morgan is a mythology professor who walked through a fae portal and into a shadow world where myths and magic are reality. She has danced with dragons, bargained with fae, and fallen for a Scottish blacksmith with the heart of a knight.

But now both the Shadowlands and the Brightlands are in danger because Carys unleashed an ancient power, and the old gods are looking to Carys for a solution.

A goddess of war is loose in the modern world, and the fate of both realms depends on Carys correcting her mistake. To return the Morrígan to the Shadowlands and stop the worlds from colliding, she’ll need the help of old gods, new gods, and every ally—living or dead—she’s made along the way.

This is the third book in the Shadowlands series.

Series reading order: First Light | The Shadow Path | Broken Veil


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

REGENCY ROMANCE

Miss Maddie Smythe

My callous father wagered me to a brooding stranger during a hand of cards, leaving me terrified.

But Lord Wheaton was nothing like the baron who’d forced me into servitude and gave me away.

The handsome marquess was compassionate, honorable, and my only hope for a future.

I married him to save myself, not intending to lose my heart.

Never thinking of the danger that loomed, threatening to tear us apart forever.

Alexander, Marquess of Wheaton

The last thing I needed was an innocent to protect, but I couldn’t leave the frightened maid to her vile father’s mercy.

It didn’t take me long to realize Maddie was everything I never knew I needed, sweet and caring and lovely.

She made me whole.

When her villainous father tried to take her from me, I vowed to do everything in my power to save my wife.

Even if it meant sacrificing myself…

This is a standalone novel.


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

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More New Releases...

Latest Top Recommendations

I’ve never come across a Sarah MacLean novel that I didn’t absolutely devour, but this book—this fascinating, almost theatrically dramatic gem of a story—stole my heart. A wealthy New England family is shaken by the sudden loss of its larger-than-life patriarch, but no one more so than its prodigal daughter—Alice Storm. After five years of being cast out from the family and forging her own path in life, Alice returns to her family’s private island to pay her final respects to her father. But shortly after arriving there, she realises that her eccentric, controlling father is not done manipulating Alice and her siblings even from beyond the grave, forcing them all to spend one week together on the island in order to receive the inheritance. By exploring the real, messy, and deeply broken dynamics of a family brought together by guilt and grief, but ultimately bound to one another by love, MacLean delivers a powerful story riddled with drama, secrets, and family mayhem, as well as a generous dash of heartwarming romance. A superb read.

Read More...

Kristen Ashley continues to infuse her stories with such depth of emotion that I can see myself re-reading her novels until I’m old and gray. The latest River Rain instalment is a richly layered tale of second chances in life, of redemption, of forgiveness, of knowing our self-worth and believing in the best version of ourselves, no matter how hard our demons fight to break us down. A former celebrity mean girl, Blake Sharp is trying hard to move on from her past and from under the thumb of her controlling mother, but she never expected to find an ally in her childhood frenemy and occasional bully, retired Scottish rugby player and playboy, Alasdair Wallace. When fate suddenly throws them together, an unexpected connection emerges between them, followed by immediate attraction and chemistry, but learning to trust each other with their hearts and not letting their pasts stand in the way is a battle they will both have to fight for what they want the most. A joy to read!

Read More...

The Sunshine Vicram trilogy was one of those on-a-whim picks, a blind draw from my endless TBR list, and my first encounter with Darynda Jones’ s delightful writing, and I simply flew through it. Set in the small town of Del Sol, New Mexico, the series centres around Sunshine Vicram who returns to her hometown as the elected sheriff, only to find herself knee-deep in drama and danger on her first day on the job. And then there’s Levi, her childhood crush and the man who seems to be angry at her for some reason; her teenage daughter who fancies herself an amateur sleuth; her meddling parents… Witty dialogues, endearing (and some downright bonkers) characters, and small town shenanigans made this series a hilarious thrill ride I never want to get off, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Read More...

I honesty can’t say that I had blood-drinking, winged aliens on my reading bingo card this year, yet here we are. A tale of fated mates, unrequited love, with even a surprise pregnancy thrown into the mix, I devoured this book in a single sitting, hopelessly enthralled with the characters, the plot, the angst, the phenomenal world building. This is one of those stories that consumes you until you’ve gobbled up every last word of it, and then leaves you craving for more. It’s technically the third book in the Brides of the Kylorr series, but I jumped in with no prior knowledge of the series so far, and that didn’t impede my enjoyment of this book. This was my first toe-dip into Zoey Draven’s writing, but it then kicked off a week-long binge-read-a-thon of her books I’m still recovering from.

Read More...

Bookish News

The second book in Kristen Ashley’s new mystery romance series, Manors and Mysteries, is coming in February 2026, and we have the gorgeous cover.

Read More...

The second book in L.J. Shen’s dark and decadent new Society of Villains series is coming in April 2026, and we have the gorgeous covers.

Read More...

Zoey Draven has just revealed all the details of the second book in her Hordes of the Elthika series, out on December 9.

Read More...

A woman who trusts numbers more than people discovers that love might be worth the risk in Catherine Bybee‘s powerful new novel of trauma, healing, and unexpected courage, out in June 2026. It kicks off the brand new Queen Anne Hill series.

Read More...

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18 Nov

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