NBJ WEEKLY RECAP

NEW RELEASES

CHILDHOOD FRENDS TO LOVERS + FORCED PROXIMITY + FAKE DATING

She thought she’d charted her course … until love came on board.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure.

Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man.

Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

This is a standalone novel.

---

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

MISTAKEN IDENTITY + ROCKSTAR

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

I plan other people’s love stories for a living. Perfect nights. Perfect moments. Perfect control.

So when my guitarist cancels an hour before a high-profile event, I do what any professional would do—panic quietly and pray for a miracle.

Then he walks in.

Late. Soaked from the rain. Incredibly handsome. Unapologetically charming.

A man I absolutely shouldn’t notice.

He plays music like the storm outside taught him how to feel.

He saves the night. And without meaning to, he starts unraveling mine.

I don’t know that he’s a world-famous musician in hiding.

I only know that when he looks at me, the world stops spinning.

I build love stories for other people. It’s chaotic, but it’s always strategic, straight-forward.

But this time, the one falling—hard, fast, and completely unplanned—is me.

There’s no seating chart that can contain, or explain, the storm that is Dexter Vaughn. But maybe his humor, guitars, and big heart are exactly what I need to build my own breathtaking love story.

This is a standalone novel in the Heartbreak Mixtapes series.

Series recommended reading order: (Not So) Simple Lyrics | Lyrics Remain Unchanged | Every Shattered Note | Never After Us (Jun 2026)

---

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

MARRIAGE PACT+ MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE + FRIENDS TO LOVERS + SECOND CHANCES + PRO FOOTBALL ROMANCE

Back in college, I made a pact with Presley Grant—if we were both still single at thirty, we’d marry each other.

It was a joke. A fallback plan we never thought we’d need.

Now I’m an NFL star, playing for Presley’s father’s team, and she’s the team doctor—completely off-limits. But when an injury puts me under her care in the offseason, old chemistry resurfaces fast … and inescapably.

Then tragedy strikes.

Now I’m the legal guardian of my sister’s two young children, facing a custody battle I might lose. Because no matter how much I love them, the court might not see my career as stable.

And Presley … her dream of opening a football camp for underprivileged kids hinges on one seemingly impossible condition: she must be married or thirty-five years old to access her trust fund.

So, I make a proposal and cash in on our pact.

It’s supposed to solve everything—my family, her future. Temporary. Controlled. Nothing more.

But living together, raising two kids, and pretending to be in love—it starts to feel dangerously real.

And when the time comes to walk away … neither of us is sure we can.

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

Series recommended reading order: The Trade | The Pact | The Secret (Jul 2026) | The Decoy (Sep 2026)

---

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

FORBIDDEN + RIVALS TO LOVERS + SMALL TOWN

Professional bull rider, Emmett Bush, is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras.

Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.

Just not with a contestant.

This is a standalone novel in the all-new Emerald Lake series.

---

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

SECOND CHANCES

You never forget your first love. Isn’t that what they say? Verity Hill knows this truth intimately. She didn’t simply miss Wright “Monk” Bellamy when they parted ways in college. She’s haunted by his touch. Every kiss, any lover since—it’s a shadow of what they had.

Time heals all wounds. Isn’t that what they say? Monk doesn’t believe that for a second. He wasn’t simply betrayed when he and Verity split. He was devastated, with parts of him left behind in the ruins of all that was destroyed.

More than a decade after their disastrous breakup, Verity and Monk must work together on the set of an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. With Monk, now a world-class musician, creating the score, and Verity, an award-winning screenwriter, penning the script, there’s Oscar buzz before shooting even begins. This once-in-a-lifetime project could catapult them both to new heights, but can they can put the past behind them for the sake of the film … for the sake of something more?

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

Series recommended reading order: Reel | Score

---

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

MAFIA + GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + DARK ROMANCE

Gwendolyn

I’m a hacker. I deal with dangerous men and dirty secrets every day.
But no one as lethal as Malice.
He’s the kingpin of the underworld, a man whose name is whispered in fear, and he wants my help. After I give it, he offers me something for me and my family I can’t refuse.
Months pass with nothing but late-night calls and encrypted messages between us.
Until one night changes everything, and I’m forced to reach out to him for help.
This time, there’s no screen between us.

Malice

She steps into my world like she’s made for it.
Smart. Defiant. Fire wrapped in temptation.
I crave the spark she throws at me just as much as the softer side, but that’s the part of her that makes me want to protect.
So I’ll keep her close, where no other man will dare look at what belongs to me.

This is a standalone novel.

---

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

ROMANTIC FANTASY

“Moonbeam. A moonfall is coming.”

Raeve’s thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor—a staunch beacon from a past she’s yet to face. With Rekk’s blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the world will face its most devastating moonfall yet, forcing her to pick a path:

Chase death.

Or life.

Desperate to save his kingdom from ruin, Kaan’s crown has never felt so heavy. His many larks to scattered friends and family remain unanswered, and time is running out.

As allies merge and enemies surge with bloodlusting agendas of their own, secrets brew hot enough to burn, but none so mighty as the truth nesting within the icy depths of Raeve’s long forgotten past.

Something … Other.

Something with the knowledge to change it all.

This is the second book in the Moonfall series and the sequel to When the Moon Hatched.

Series reading order: When the Moon Hatched | The Ballad of Falling Dragons

---

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

FRENEMIES TO LOVERS + MISTAKEN IDENTITY + FATED MATES + ALIEN ROMANCE

Danger has a way of turning enemies into something else.

Surviving a planet that wants you dead is hard. Surviving with someone you love to hate? Even harder. Especially when it means learning to trust each other.

Sabaak is a planet where the sand stretches on forever and every second is a reminder of your terrible life choices. Not the ideal location for the adventure Bri has always dreamed of. But she’s not one to let a lack of resources, a disturbing cult, and unruly pack animals stand in the way of a good time. Plus, the best adventures are the ones where everything goes wrong. Right?

It’s also a place Tai swore he’d never step foot on again. Now he’s forced to deal with his past, something he’d rather keep buried. On a planet he hates, on a rescue mission he never wanted, he’ll do whatever it takes to get them home.

The fight for survival brought them closer, but is it enough to keep them together?

This is a standalone novel, set in the same world as Uprooted.

---

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

FORBIDDEN + FRIENDS TO LOVERS + SMALL TOWN + BASEBALL ROMANCE

Jayden Vargas and I have history, a past I’ve finally moved on from. But when my dream job pairs me with the only guy to ever break my heart, old wounds surface, and buried feelings come right along with them.

My father is the winningest baseball coach in Texas history, and Jayden Vargas was his favorite player. While my softball skills were elite enough to pay for college, my best friend Jayden was destined for the majors. My dad knew it then. And so did I. Maybe that’s why I fell for him. Or perhaps it was his sad eyes and perfect dimples. One thing is certain, a desperate kiss after the state championship our senior year made those feelings impossible to outrun.

Then he ghosted me completely. Years of friendship gone. My person, no longer a phone call away. The perfect kiss . . . tainted. So I focused on my game. And I turned my talent into the job my father always wanted—an MLB hitting coach.

I’m the first female member of the Sweetwater Mavericks coaching staff. The weight of it isn’t lost on me. And I have my sights set on breaking down more barriers. I’m determined not to let anything get in my way. Not even Mavericks star player Jayden Vargas.

Even if I’ve always been his biggest fan.

So what if it turns out he’s always been mine.

This is a standalone novel in The Boys of Sweetwater Springs series.

Series recommended reading order: Easy Tiger | Hey There Slugger | Chin Up Champ | Whoa There Cowboy (Jul 2026)

---

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

ENEMIES TO LOVERS + HOCKEY ROMANCE

She’s here to expose hockey’s biggest flaws. He’s the complication she never planned on. Neither one is prepared for the sparks that fly every time they collide.

Juno Paxton has built her award-winning documentary career dismantling institutions people blindly worship. Her latest assignment is her most high-profile yet: immerse herself in the league’s newest hockey expansion team—the Portland Wildfire—for an entire season and create a behind-the-scenes film the league can parade around as “authentic.”

Juno doesn’t buy it. Not the hype, not the hero worship, and definitely not the polished personas of pro athletes. She expects egos, theatrics, and plenty of manufactured grit.

What she doesn’t expect is Crosby Hale.

The Wildfire’s starting goalie is stoic, meticulously focused, and infuriatingly camera-shy. He wants nothing to do with her film, her questions, or her insistence that he “show some personality.” Unfortunately for him, the league wants Juno’s documentary to center on the enigmatic goaltender who refuses to cooperate.

But the more time Juno spends with Crosby, the more she glimpses the steady, thoughtful man beneath his guarded exterior. He isn’t the stereotype she’s built her name exposing—he’s better. The more she learns about him, the harder it becomes to keep her documentary, and her heart, objective. And for Crosby, letting Juno in feels less like a mistake and more like the beginning of something worth fighting for.

This is a standalone novel in the all-new Portland Wildfire series.

Series recommended reading order: Crosby | Locke (Aug 2026)

---

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

RIVALS TO LOVERS + DARK ACADEMIA + ROMANTIC FANTASY

Two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their lust and loathing to save the world…

All Gwendolynne Chan needs is to get through final year at Seamere College, where she is on track to graduate as number one —as long as the pretentious prat Harrisford Briggs doesn’t beat her to it.

Harrisford Briggs’s father, the chief financial officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the class. Harrisford, though, can’t help but notice that his father has been acting odd. And there are strange whisperings, too, of uncontrollable surges of excess magic.

When these magical surges begin to rock London, causing chaos and explosions and animal familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves reluctantly involved, putting both of their veterinary careers at risk.

Along with Gwen’s snarky cat familiar, Gwen and Harrisford must team up to diagnose the problem. But as the two academic rivals fight their burgeoning feelings, they quickly realize that magic is not the only thing surging.

This is the first book in the all-new Seamere College duology.

---

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

ROMANTIC FANTASY

Cādra is on the brink of war. With their king in a coma and rebellion spreading across the lands, the winged Volari and horned Süra gather for tense peace negotiations. But beneath the momentary fragile truce simmers unrest—the mixed-blood Mütra rise, demanding the freedom denied them for centuries, as the gods themselves seem poised to intervene.

Tanwen—now a known Mütra and fugitive of the crown—and Zolya, a prince on the precipice to inherit his father’s broken kingdom, find themselves caught in a web of betrayal and divine reckoning. When their forbidden bond is exposed, they risk far more than their love—their lives, their families, and the fragile hope of peace.

Together they must decide whether their love is worth the ruin it may bring to their fractured world…or perhaps be the only key to healing it.

This is the second and final book in the Way of Wings duology inspired by the Icarus myth, about an outcast woman and a winged prince torn between forbidden love and born duty.

Series reading order: Scorched Skies | Darkened Dawn

---

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

FAKE DATING + FANTASY + SPORTS ROMANCE

Orok Monroe: Half-giant. Rawball defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds. Follower of Urzoth…only Orok’s tired of following the god of aggression.

Alexo Warden: Cheerleader. Human? A dancer with a stadium’s worth of secrets.

When Orok saves Alexo at a bar, fans go feral for the star athlete protecting the pint-size dude-in-distress. The Hellhounds propose that Orok and Alexo start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Orok’s god. Orok is set to refuse and renounce Urzoth—but that wouldn’t let him see Alexo again.

So, like a sap, he agrees.

As Orok tries to drop the fake part of their fake-relationship, Alexo’s dangerous truths emerge. To save him, Orok will have to sacrifice far more than his divine association.

This is a standalone novel in the Magic and Romance series.

Series recommended reading order: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards | The Fake Divination Offense

---

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

We are all alien, even to the people who know us best.

College professor Jesse del Ruth has been abandoned. Thirty years into their relationship, Jesse witnesses his husband, Norman, get out of bed late one night, walk into their Joshua Tree backyard, step into a strange beam of light and . . . disappear. How could Norman desert him after a lifetime together? Where did he go? And, most confoundingly . . . will he ever return? Jesse knew they were both feeling stuck, longing for something they couldn’t quite name. But was their rut so deep that Norman’s only option was to leave Jesse behind?

As Jesse struggles to understand Norman’s disappearance, he tries to piece together his new reality. Is he expected to wait patiently for a partner who may never come back? Or is this an opportunity for reinvention? He is, after all, alone for the first time in his adult life. Should he return to the classroom? Put in a pool? Get a dog? Call his estranged mother? What does it mean to be alone when you’ve always been one half of a whole?

When Norman’s sister, Lally, lands on Jesse’s doorstep with an urgent request, Norman’s absence becomes even more profound. Add to Jesse’s grief and confusion a conspiracy-theorist neighbor, a strange man following him, and suspicions that he may have had a hand in Norman’s disappearance, and Jesse starts to crack under the pressure. With his husband missing and the world closing in, all eyes are on Jesse. Before he can understand how Norman could leave it all behind, Jesse must confront what it means to stay.

This is a standalone novel.

---

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Print | Audio