CATEGORIES: Weekly Recap
1 0

Latest Top Recommendations

The premise of two rival meteorologists who get stuck in a snowstorm together, sharing one bed, might not be uncharted territory in the Romance genre, but B.K. Borison manages to turn a familiar trope into a fresh, richly layered, deeply relatable, warm hug of a story that left me giggling, swooning, and smiling ear to ear. Achingly tender and romantic, Jackson and Delilah dazzle off the pages.

Read More...

This beautifully written second chance romance between a grumpy florist and a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage owned me from the very first page. After two years apart and a very painful breakup that neither of them ever got over, Ama and Elliot are forced to work together on a very high profile wedding that could make or break their careers. Moving between the past and the present, and showing us her characters’ softest spots, their most vulnerable places, Julie Soto paints a love story that is both swoony and bittersweet, but above all, incredibly romantic. This was my first Julie Soto novel but it most definitely won’t be my last.

Read More...

In a rapidly changing world, there is one constant that continues to provide this reader with refuge and much needed escapism, and that constant is Kristen Ashley’s inimitable brand of storytelling. As one of the most versatile Romance writers of today, Ashley’s extensive catalogue stretches across several subgenres and tropes, but all her stories have one thing in common—emotional depth and rich character development—and her latest novel is a perfect testament to that. The quiet, restrained beauty of the English countryside offers an idyllic setting to a poignant tale of love, friendship, and mystery, that is only intensified by a touch of the supernatural. When it comes to delivering stories that take over your entire life while reading them, then settling deep into the fabric of your soul, Kristen Ashley reigns supreme.

Read More...

A young woman who was taught from birth not to dare dream beyond her station, finds herself at rock bottom—divorced, jobless, and living back with her parents. But when her childhood crush turned Hollywood star moves back next door and her every fantasy begins to turn into reality, she must decide whether she is finally brave enough to claim the life and the love she always wanted, or shrink back into the role that others laid out before her. Blending romance with explorations of tradition, cultural identity, and familial expectations, Leylah Attar delivers yet another stunning story that had me crying, laughing, and swooning for a love that was written in the stars. A sublime read.

Read More...

Bookish News

The fourth standalone novel in Claudia Burgoa‘s Heartbreak Mixtapes series is a grumpy neighbour, single mum, slow burning rockstar romance, and it’s coming in Jun 2026.

Read More...

Upcoming Releases

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

20 May

21 May

22 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

28 May

2 Jun

2 Jun

4 Jun

9 Jun

10 Jun

11 Jun

12 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

18 Jun

19 Jun

23 Jun

23 Jun

23 Jun

25 Jun

30 Jun

30 Jun

30 Jun

7 Jul

7 Jul

7 Jul

7 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

16 Jul

21 Jul

21 Jul

28 Jul

28 Jul

More Upcoming Releases...

Share it on your social network:

Or you can just copy and share this url

NBJ WEEKLY RECAP

New & Upcoming Releases; Bookish News; Latest Top Recommendations

12 May, 2026

NEW RELEASES

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

The legacy continues…

Scotland, daughter of the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as War and a formidable warrior in her own right, has dedicated her life to fighting evil with her two demon best friends, Mace and Blade. Their extraordinary bond and uncanny ability to operate in perfect unison has made them legends as special operators with the Demonic Activity Response Team.

Afraid of ruining a good thing, the three teammates swore a pact to protect their friendship by declaring romantic involvement off-limits. But a recent near-tragedy changed things, and it’s getting harder for Mace and Blade to ignore their long suppressed feelings for Scotty. Especially after she announced her intention of losing her virginity and enlisted their help to find the right guy for the task.

So when a routine assignment goes wrong, landing one teammate in the hospital and the other in Scotty’s arms, the fallout puts their team, their reputations, and complete innocents, at risk. Scotty will need to make a choice, but how can she possibly decide between two males she loves equally? All the while, an enemy lurks in the shadows, poised to strike, and an angel finds himself at a crossroads that will test his faith and, perhaps, determine the very future of Heaven and all mankind.

This is the third book in the Demonica Birthright series, a spin-off from the Demonica series, and it picks up three decades after the events of Reaper.

Series recommended reading order: Legacy of Temptation | Legacy of Chaos | Legacy of Desire


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

SINGLE DAD/NANNY + GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + FORCED PROXIMITY + HOCKEY ROMANCE

He can block every shot on the ice…except the one straight to his heart.

Victor Reed has crushed opponents on the ice for over a decade—but nothing knocks the grumpy, foul-mouthed defenseman off his game like being forced to share his off-season home with his four-year-old whirlwind niece, Pip…and her maddeningly cheerful nanny.

Belle is all sunshine and sparkles, the kind of woman who hums while she folds laundry and believes every problem can be solved with kindness. Victor’s convinced she was sent to torment him—until she downloads a dating app and starts lining up dates with men who are absolutely wrong for her.

He’s not jealous. Definitely not.

He’s just…protective. And if he “accidentally” scares off a few of her suitors? Well, someone has to keep her safe.

But when Belle’s big heart starts drifting out of his orbit, Victor is forced to face the truth: the Baltimore Stingrays’ resident beast has fallen for his beauty. And if he doesn’t change his game fast, he might lose the only woman who’s ever made his house—and his life—feel like home.

This is the fifth book in the Stingrays Hockey series of standalone novels with interconnected characters.

Series recommended reading order: Restraint | Resist | Rematch | Release | Reclaim | Return (Sep 2026)

Click to Read An Excerpt


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

FOOTBALL PLAYER/FAN + FAKE DATING + HE FALLS FIRST + FORCED PROXIMITY + SPORTS ROMANCE

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyote football. So after she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain following an awful encounter with the team’s beloved mascot, she is disgruntled, to put it mildly. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of a PR nightmare, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, a strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. But he quickly discovers being with Duffy is much easier than he anticipated, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. This secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

Oozing with chemistry that feels like fireworks and banter that makes you swoon, Lynn Painter delivers her signature blend of heart and humor in this love story that you won’t soon forget.

This is a standalone novel.


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

DYSTOPIAN ROMANCE

Lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart…

LINES WILL BE CROSSED.

After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in overthrowing their rule once and for all.

LOYALTIES WILL BE TESTED.

Though she’s back among her own people, trust is hard-won and hidden agendas abound on the Mod base. And beyond those walls, Wren can’t help but worry that Cross is keeping secrets of his own . . . secrets that could jeopardize everything. Complicating matters even further is her shocking reunion with hotshot fighter pilot and undercover operative Grayson Blake. Once her closest friend in Silver Elite, Gray seems to understand Wren on a level she never thought possible.

AND THE FIGHT FOR THE CONTINENT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

With the war between Mods and Primes growing more brutal by the day, and with her own role in the conflict becoming more essential than ever, Wren must confront some gut-wrenching questions. Who is she fighting for . . . and who is she willing to lose?

This is the second book in the Silver Elite series. It is not a standalone novel.

Series reading order: Silver Elite | Broken Dove


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

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Desire runs deeper than the ocean…

I was never meant to descend into the world beneath the waves—
never meant to fall into the orbit of a Sea Elf whose power could shatter oceans.

He is danger wrapped in control.
Cold. Commanding. Untouchable.

His city is beauty honed into a weapon. His restraint is legendary. And yet the way his gaze lingers tells me he wants me as much as he fears what I awaken in him.

I don’t belong in his realm of tides and shadows, where ancient magic stirs and secrets are buried deep. But every step closer pulls me under—desire tightening, temptation burning hotter than the sea itself.

The truth I uncover could ignite a war.
Loving him could destroy us both.
Leaving may already be impossible.

Because when the ocean begins to rise and everything he’s sworn to protect is threatened, I understand one dangerous truth—

The sea isn’t the only thing capable of burning.
And I’m done resisting the fire between us.

This is the fifth book in the Elven Kingdoms series.

Series reading order: Rising Sun | Dark Heart | Storm Wood | Mountain Fire | Burning Sea | Dark Ruin (2027)


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

EX’S SISTER + COWBOY + SMALL TOWN

Hunter Calloway is a small town smokeshow and the kind of man my father warned me about.

He’s got a reputation a mile wide, a smile that could burn through any girl’s good sense, and did I mention he’s also the man my sister once loved and left behind?

He strolls through town like he owns it, tips his hat with a promise in his eyes, and slides those calloused hands across my bakery counter like they haven’t been haunting my dreams for years. He’s six feet of pure temptation wrapped in worn Wranglers, and every time I’m near him, it’s like striking a match during a drought…

Dangerous, inevitable, and exactly what I shouldn’t want.

I try to convince myself I don’t notice the way his gaze lingers, or the way he says my name as if he’s tasting it. But all my good intentions crumble to dust when we find ourselves alone under a sky full of stars with nothing but whiskey and want between us.

And it changes everything.

We promise each other we’re just having fun, yet his fingertips brush across my skin when no one’s watching, and we pretend we don’t ache for each other in a room full of people who would never understand. Every kiss stays in the dark, every desire whispered like a secret, and every touch brands me with guilt.

I know better than to fall for a cowboy like him.

I know better than to want my sister’s past.

But when his eyes find mine, I forget every reason I’ve ever had to say no.

Every touch feels like a risk and every secret like a countdown. I’m lying to everyone, falling harder for a man who never promised me anything, and wondering how much longer I can pretend I don’t care whether I’m just another notch on his well-worn belt.

Because I’m in love with Hunter Calloway regardless of the cost.

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

Series recommended reading order: Cowboy Casual | Small Town Smokeshow


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

ROMANTIC DYSTOPIAN FANTASY

Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her.

She is happy with her life as a soldier, defending her small country from the Talusar, a powerful nation who worships a deadly Fever. A fever that blesses half of its victims with mysterious gifts.

But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with.

In just one day, Elegy’s old life–her job, her purpose, and her future–is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing.

Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

This is the first book in the all-new The Burning Empire series.


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

ENEMIES TO LOVERS + SMALL TOWN + SECRET CRUSH + MOTORCYCLE CLUB

I was never meant to stay in Rose Ridge.

My father was the president of a notorious motorcycle club, so if something rattled him enough to request that I go, I should have listened.

In my defense, at the time, it seemed more terrifying to give up the only dream I ever had than to leave like everyone else.

I should have known that chasing that dream would lead back to the club, because everything in this town eventually did.

I wasn’t expecting to see a familiar face, glaring as usual, amidst the chaos surrounding the Stone Riders. For years, I had endured scowls, glares, and scoffs from Ford Ryan. However, there was something new and different about his heated stare, and even that oddly protective touch.

Something dangerous and addictive.

I should have left when I had the chance, because my proximity to Ford and the club meant I was close to danger. Even worse would be discovering exactly why Ford chose to stay when, out of all of us, he had every reason not to.

This is the first book in the all-new Generations of Rose Ridge series.


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

RIVALS TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS

A bookseller with a dream of running her beloved bookstore vs. the owner’s out-of-touch grandson who inherits everything. Game on.

Ella has grown up at The Last Page, a charming local bookstore in New York City where she now works. Her first kiss was in the women’s health section. A boyfriend dumped her in comedy. The owner is like a second father to her and has begun training her to take over the store. So when he unexpectedly dies and his estranged grandson is left everything in the will, Ella is devastated.

Henry doesn’t know the first thing about running a bookstore. With his aging mom back in Tennessee, he plans to stay in New York just long enough to ensure things are running smoothly and then head back home. What he never could have counted on was the beautiful, funny bookseller who loves The Last Page more than any place in the world—and who sees him as the villain who’s come to ruin her life.

But when it becomes evident that the store is in deep financial trouble and Henry and Ella are both at risk of losing everything, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and team up—despite the inconvenient chemistry blossoming between them.

This is a standalone novel.


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

COACH’S DAUGHTER + BASEBALL PLAYER + SINGLE MUM + EX’S BROTHER + CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS + BASEBALL ROMANCE

I’m the coach’s daughter. Falling for one of my father’s players was never the plan.

Especially not Decker Davis.
Chicago Colts third baseman.
Dependable. Steady. The guy everyone trusts.
And the man who’s spent years keeping his distance—especially from me.

We have history. The kind that ten years and a thousand miles can’t touch.
So, this time, I promised myself I’d be smarter.
No getting attached. No blurred lines. And definitely, no falling.
He broke every last one within the first week.

Because Decker doesn’t just show up for me. He shows up for my daughter.
Because he fits into our lives like he was always meant to be there.
Because he looks at me like I was never something he wanted to lose.

And suddenly, the walls I’ve spent years building don’t feel nearly as solid as they used to.

But if I let him in, I’m not just risking my heart—I’m risking hers too… and I already know what losing him costs.
I won’t let my daughter pay that price.

This is a standalone novel in The Dugout series.

Series recommended reading order: The Hotshot | The Wild Card | The Rulebreaker | The Troublemaker (June 2026)


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

BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER + HE FALLS FIRST + SMALL TOWN

Four friends made a promise to live one night like it was their last.
That night changed everything.

Ten years ago, Mila Ferguson left behind a devastating fire, a stolen kiss, and a shattered circle of friends in her hometown of Hart’s Landing. But when a crisis brings her back, Mila just wants to get in and get out, unscathed by her mother’s constant criticism and unseen by her former crush, Everett McKean.

Only…Everett is everywhere. The town’s attractive, beloved mayor has resisted settling down, but he’s never stopped wondering about Mila. Having her back in Hart’s Landing is the second chance he didn’t know he was waiting for—and he’s not about to waste it.

As Mila slowly opens her heart to Everett and begins to rebuild her fractured friendships, she wonders if coming home was exactly what she needed. But old wounds threaten to open again when questions emerge about what really happened the night Mila left. Who’s really responsible for the fire that destroyed the bakery? And will knowing the truth free Mila from the past, or ignite a blaze that burns down the future she’s trying to build?

People say you can never truly come home again, but sometimes coming home isn’t about where you’ve been. It’s about who you’re brave enough to become.

This is a standalone novel.


Amazon US | Amazon CA | Print | Audio

FANTASY ROMANCE + DRAGON SHIFTERS

I was never meant to be queen.

I was betrothed to the spare. Destined for life in the background, with a prince I thought might like me with time, but I accepted my fate, just grateful to be near my sister in this distant kingdom so far from home.

Then everything changed and I’m forced out of the shadows, into the light.

Alaric will be King which means I have to be his Queen. Now I have to learn how to become what my sister was trained for and marry a male who doesn’t want me, all while falling in love the head of our guard.

Kol’s tasked with protecting Alaric and I, but he’s so much more to both of us. They were best friends as younglings, and now it feels like he’s all I have. But Kol would never betray Alaric like that, even if I’m his ryder.

The King is determined to make Alaric into the prince he wants, no matter the cost. There are enemies at every turn and I feel like I can’t trust even the ground under my feet.

We have all paid a high price in this war, but if we put our faith in each other and protect the family we’ve made, will we triumph or will it ruin us all?

This is the fifth book in the Flyers Of The First Kingdom series.

Series reading order: The Ryder Of The Night | The Keeper of The Kingdoms | The Storm Of The Empire | The Thief Of The Light | The Spark In The Darkness


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

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU + FORCED PROXIMITY + HEROINE IN PERIL + SMALL TOWN

Ex-con artist Phoebe Graves must pull off the biggest grift she’s ever devised to keep her friends and family safe…

Conning the rich and fleeing to new cities is all ex-grifter Phoebe Graves has ever known—until she started building real relationships in a small yet wealthy Connecticut town. But she’s worried these new bonds won’t hold fast as more than one big bad wolf threatens to blow down those she loves most.

And now more than ever, she has a reason to stay in one place. Among them is Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock, her best friend’s older brother, who’s been a partner to Phoebe during every daring and exhilarating con. And then of course there’s Hailey Tinrock, her best friend, whose precious secret they’ll do anything to protect. . . .

As Phoebe and her family team up with the Tinrocks to fight for a chance at a home, they confront the demons of their pasts and must do the impossible . . . deceive the most cunning con artist they’ve ever known.

This is the third and final book in the Webs We Weave series.

Series reading order: Dishonestly Yours | Destructively Mine | Dangerously Ours


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

(Visited 570 times, 156 visits today)

More New Releases...

Latest Top Recommendations

The premise of two rival meteorologists who get stuck in a snowstorm together, sharing one bed, might not be uncharted territory in the Romance genre, but B.K. Borison manages to turn a familiar trope into a fresh, richly layered, deeply relatable, warm hug of a story that left me giggling, swooning, and smiling ear to ear. Achingly tender and romantic, Jackson and Delilah dazzle off the pages.

Read More...

This beautifully written second chance romance between a grumpy florist and a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage owned me from the very first page. After two years apart and a very painful breakup that neither of them ever got over, Ama and Elliot are forced to work together on a very high profile wedding that could make or break their careers. Moving between the past and the present, and showing us her characters’ softest spots, their most vulnerable places, Julie Soto paints a love story that is both swoony and bittersweet, but above all, incredibly romantic. This was my first Julie Soto novel but it most definitely won’t be my last.

Read More...

In a rapidly changing world, there is one constant that continues to provide this reader with refuge and much needed escapism, and that constant is Kristen Ashley’s inimitable brand of storytelling. As one of the most versatile Romance writers of today, Ashley’s extensive catalogue stretches across several subgenres and tropes, but all her stories have one thing in common—emotional depth and rich character development—and her latest novel is a perfect testament to that. The quiet, restrained beauty of the English countryside offers an idyllic setting to a poignant tale of love, friendship, and mystery, that is only intensified by a touch of the supernatural. When it comes to delivering stories that take over your entire life while reading them, then settling deep into the fabric of your soul, Kristen Ashley reigns supreme.

Read More...

A young woman who was taught from birth not to dare dream beyond her station, finds herself at rock bottom—divorced, jobless, and living back with her parents. But when her childhood crush turned Hollywood star moves back next door and her every fantasy begins to turn into reality, she must decide whether she is finally brave enough to claim the life and the love she always wanted, or shrink back into the role that others laid out before her. Blending romance with explorations of tradition, cultural identity, and familial expectations, Leylah Attar delivers yet another stunning story that had me crying, laughing, and swooning for a love that was written in the stars. A sublime read.

Read More...

Bookish News

The fourth standalone novel in Claudia Burgoa‘s Heartbreak Mixtapes series is a grumpy neighbour, single mum, slow burning rockstar romance, and it’s coming in Jun 2026.

Read More...

Upcoming Releases

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

19 May

20 May

21 May

22 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

26 May

28 May

2 Jun

2 Jun

4 Jun

9 Jun

10 Jun

11 Jun

12 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

16 Jun

18 Jun

19 Jun

23 Jun

23 Jun

23 Jun

25 Jun

30 Jun

30 Jun

30 Jun

7 Jul

7 Jul

7 Jul

7 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

14 Jul

16 Jul

21 Jul

21 Jul

28 Jul

28 Jul

More Upcoming Releases...

Natasha

previous
“I want to start dating.”

Add Your Comment

Copyright © 2026 Natasha is a Book Junkie
Kept safe and running like a well-oiled machine by Carrie Loves Design, despite this blogger's many attempts to crash everything.
Proudly Hosted by Flywheel  |  Privacy Policy