Now that it’s officially 2017 (wow, can you believe it?), I figured it was a great time to talk about our most anticipated reads of the new year. I’m sure there are books I’m going to miss to add into this list–I’ll add them as I remember them–but these are the foremost in my thoughts, ones that I’m absolutely desperate for. Make sure to comment below with which books you’re also desperate for!! (These are in no particular order)
Dating You / Hating You – Standalone (Releasing June 6th) → Kindle | Paperback
I’m a huge fan of Christina Lauren and how they can do such a great hate/love dynamic between their main characters–and this book is all about that hate.
Blurb: Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.
But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?
Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you will get to enjoy Christina Lauren’s heartfelt, raucous, and hilarious romance style at its finest.
Until it Fades (Releasing May 2nd) → Kindle | Paperback
K.A. Tucker has some of the best romantic suspense I’ve ever read, and when she mixes it with romance, well, it’s always a good treat. Plus, that blurb? Gimme.
Blurb: Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.
And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.
Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.
For a time.
But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.
Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?
Hideaway – Devil’s Night #2 (Releasing 2017) → Add to TBR
Although we did have a synopsis with a cover (both will be changed and re-announced soon) I think the only thing we reeeeallly care about is that it’s Kai’s book. If you read Corrupt then you’re just as eager for his book as I am (and each subsequent book). Pen did some really great darker romance with the first book that was unputdownable and it’s still stuck rattling around in my head. While we wait for an exact date and for it to release, make sure you’ve read Corrupt.
Corrupt → Kindle | My Review
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Devil’s Cut – Bourbon Kings #3 (Releasing August 1st) → Kindle | Hardcover
J.R. Ward has created a delectable Dynasty-like feel with her Bourbon series that has been filled with secrets, family issues, romance, and twist after twist. I’m sad it’s ending so soon, but I really, really need to know how it all ends.
Blurb: At first, the death of William Baldwine, the head of the Bradford family, was ruled a suicide. But then his eldest son and sworn enemy, Edward, came forward and confessed to what was, in fact, a murder. Now in police custody, Edward mourns not the disintegration of his family or his loss of freedom . . . but the woman he left behind. His love, Sutton Smythe, is the only person he has ever truly cared about, but as she is the CEO of the Bradford Bourbon Company’s biggest competitor, any relationship between them is impossible. And then there’s the reality of the jail time that Edward is facing.
Lane Baldwine was supposed to remain in his role of playboy, forever in his big brother Edward’s shadow. Instead he has become the new head of the family and the company. Convinced that Edward is covering for someone else, Lane and his true love, Lizzie King, go on the trail of a killer—only to discover a secret that is as devastating as it is game-changing.
As Lane rushes to discover the truth, and Sutton finds herself irresistibly drawn to Edward in spite of his circumstances, the lives of everyone at Easterly will never be the same again. For some, this is good; for others, it could be a tragedy beyond imagining. Only one thing’s for certain: Love survives all things. Even murder.
#1 – The Bourbon Kings • My Review | #2 – The Angels’ Share • My Review
Rock Chick Reawakening – Rock Chick #0.5 (Releasing January 3rd) → Kindle | Paperback
I had the pleasure of reading this book early and it was outstanding. It’s everything we love about our Rock Chicks, but about the one couple we’ve been desperate for the entire series. It brought tears to my eyes and warmed me down to my soul. I loved where KA took this book.
Blurb: From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloan—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his.
Series
Raw Deal – Larson Brothers #1 (Releasing January 24th) → Kindle
Cherrie Lynn is an automatic buy for me and since she doesn’t release books that often, when she does have a new book coming, I’m drooling for it. I know there are a lot of readers who adore her style, and I’ll tell you that you won’t be disappointed. I read an early copy and it had that heart-twisting romance between a woman and the guy who was in a cage fight with her brother when he died. See…that right there. Wow.
Blurb: Savannah’s brother was killed in a cage fight with Mike “Red Reaper” Larson after a savage punch to the head.
When Mike shows up at the funeral, he’s nothing like Savannah expected. Gone is the fierce, brutal beast she’s seen in the cage. In his place is a beautiful man torn with guilt, seeking forgiveness, and willing to do anything to ease her pain.
Her family doesn’t approve, but her heart doesn’t stand a chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither of them can deny the intoxicating desire unleashed between them, turning their pain into the most exquisite pleasure.
But every time Mike steps into the cage, Savannah knows she could lose him too. She can’t go through that again, but how can she let go of the one man who sets her body and soul on fire?
Midnight Target – Killer Instincts #8 (Releasing April 25th) → Kindle | Mass Market
Kennedy sure knows how to make us wait for a couple she’s been teasing since the first few books in the series. This Killer Instincts series is probably one of my most favorite romantic suspense series because Kennedy fills it with the most badass women (and men) possible and keeps the suspense and romance neck and neck with one another. And she’s finishing out the series with two couples, our long-awaited Liam and Sullivan and Morgan’s daughter Cate. I’m desperate!
Blurb: Four years ago, Cate’s entire life changed when she discovered she was the daughter of a supersoldier. But Jim Morgan’s overprotectiveness has pushed her away. These days, she’s working as a freelance photographer and living the dangerous life Jim never wanted for her.
When Cate snaps a photo linking a corrupt South American politician with the leader of a notorious drug cartel, her mercenary father leads a team to rescue her—only to get shot and critically wounded in the process.
As Morgan’s operatives rally together on a revenge mission, they’re faced with new alliances and old heartaches. Cate is forced to work with David “Ash” Ashton, the man who broke her heart two years ago, while Liam Macgregor and Sullivan Port resurface after years apart to finally try to deal with everything they’d left unsaid.
Soon it’s all-out war between the cartel and the mercenaries—with two couples caught in the middle of the blood feud. Love and redemption are within their reach…but first, they have to make it home alive.
#1 – Midnight Rescue • My Review | #2 – Midnight Alias • My Review | #3 – Midnight Games • My Review | #4 – Midnight Pursuit • My Review | #5 – Midnight Action • My Review | #6 – Midnight Captive • My Review | #7 – Midnight Revenge • My Review
Hunted – Young Adult (Releasing March 14th) → Kindle | Hardcover
I’ve never read this author, but I absolutely love when authors do twists or retellings of fairytales, and this one is about Beauty and the Beast. Just read the blurb and I know you’ll be desperate for it like I am.
Blurb: Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering its secrets. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.
Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
Trusting You and Other Lies – Young Adult (Releasing June 20th) → Add to TBR
I found Nicole Williams years ago with her Eden trilogy, and I can’t tell you how excited I am that she’s releasing another YA book especially featuring a summer camp romance.
Blurb: Phoenix can’t imagine anything worse than being shipped off to family summer camp. Her parents have been fighting for the past two years, do they seriously think being crammed in a cabin with Phoenix and her little brother, Harry, will make things better?
On top of that, Phoenix is stuck training with Callum, the head counselor who is seriously cute, but a complete know-it-all. His hot-cold attitude means he’s impossible to figure out and even harder to rely on. But despite her better judgment, Phoenix is attracted to Callum. And he’s promising Phoenix a summer she’ll never forget. Can she trust him? Or is this just another lie?
What I Need – Alabama Boys # (Releasing March 5th) → Paperback
I don’t think anyone needs to say anything other than CJ. Yeah. Also, it’s a standalone too!
Blurb: Riley Tennyson has made a huge mistake.
At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.
Showing up to her brother’s wedding pissed off and newly single, Riley seeks comfort in solitude and an open bar, until the gorgeous and irresistibly charming CJ Tully makes her a better offer―a wild night with the master of smooth-talking where nothing is off limits.
Riley does what any single woman would do, and a connection is made. One neither one of them can ignore. But when she comes home to the boyfriend she no longer thought she had, Riley buries her secret and begs CJ to do the same.
Forget about each other. It was a mistake. That’s all it was… right?
Desires are hidden. Distance is kept. Until one night CJ makes the ultimate sacrifice, and Riley can no longer avoid the man she can’t stop thinking about.
Not with him sleeping down the hall…
Series
The Deep End – Honey Series #1 (Releasing March 7th) → Kindle | Paperback
I’m a huge KA fan so of course I cannot wait for this new series, but considering it was a series she had thought about not releasing because of how kinky and sexy it is? I mean, come on. KA writes incredible stories and I am anxious for where she’ll take us next with this series.
Blurb: Enter a decadent sensual world where gorgeous alpha males are committed to fulfilling a woman’s every desire…
Olivier isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into when he joins the Honey Club, only that a dark part of him hungers for the lifestyle offered by this exclusive club. Here, no boundary will be left untested…and one’s deepest fantasies will become an exquisite reality.
When Amélie invites Olivier to surrender, she gives the alpha submissive what he craves. Soon they both find themselves falling harder than they ever anticipated—but as their connection deepens, the truth about Olivier’s past could destroy everything…
The Farthest Edge – Honey Series #2 (Releasing June 6th) → Kindle | Paperback
Blurb: A man without a past. A woman who lost her future. Together they’ll push each other to the farthest edge and ignite a passion that’s harder and deeper than they ever imagined. But is it strong enough to turn into something real and lasting? In the second highly anticipated book in the Honey series, New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley once again delivers a smoldering hot story that is achingly romantic and populated with intensely raw characters that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.
Too Hard to Forget – Romancing the Clarksons #3 (Releasing April 25th) → Kindle | Mass Market
I’m in love with this series. The first two books were absolutely amazing, and considering we’ve met each of the Clarksons and know a bit about the ones we’re getting next, it makes me even more anxious to get their books. Especially Peggy’s because it’s a second-chance romance with the older football coach from her college…Yum.
Blurb: This time, she’s calling the shots.
Peggy Clarkson is returning to her alma mater with one goal in mind: confront Elliott Brooks, the man who ruined her for all others, and remind him of what he’s been missing. Even after three years, seeing him again is like a punch in the gut, but Peggy’s determined to stick to her plan. Maybe then, once she has the upper hand, she’ll finally be able to move on.
In the years since Peggy left Cincinnati, Elliott has kept his focus on football. No distractions and no complications. But when Peggy walks back onto his practice field and into his life, he knows she could unravel everything in his carefully controlled world. Because the girl who was hard to forget is now a woman impossible to resist.
Too Close to Call – Romancing the Clarksons #3.5 (Releasing June 13th) → Kindle
Even if we haven’t met either character in prior books (yet; though I’m assuming we’ll see maybe one of them in Too Hard to Forget?), I’m still excited to get a hot second-chance romance centered around an NFL player and his high school sweetheart.
Blurb: All-American wide receiver Kyler Tate’s life is about to change. A fairytale college career skyrocketed him to the NFL draft. Adoration and opportunity are thrown in his direction wherever he goes, thanks to being chosen in the first round by the Los Angeles Rage.
None of the accolades mean anything, though, without his high school sweetheart, Bree Sutton, by his side. Four years ago, she walked away from Kyler, choosing a quiet life over the flash and notoriety his career would someday bring.
Now he’s back in their Indiana hometown, refusing to leave for Los Angeles without her. Demanding she give their life together a shot. Her heart never stopped bleeding for the love of her life, but Bree’s decision was final. Too bad their wild attraction has only been amplified by their separation, and Kyler won’t quit until Bree is wearing his ring.
Too Beautiful to Break – Romancing the Clarksons #4 (Releasing September-ish) → Add to TBR
Anyone who has read this series knows that Belmont and Sage are this tumultuous and oddly paired duo of friends that teeter on the edge of more but never quite get there. Bailey has been teasing us with their dynamic since the first book and OMIGOD I need it now. Nooooow. We don’t have a blurb yet (nor a cover), but I don’t even need that.
#1 – Too Hot to Handle • My Review | #2 – Too Wild to Tame • My Review
Rise of Fire – Reign of Shadows #2 – Young Adult (Releasing February 7th) → Kindle | Hardcover
I loved Reign of Shadows with its dark world and the brave heroine, Luna, who battles more than just the world around her. Her romance with Fowler was sweet and tinged with the right amount of sexy. The last book left off in a high spot of tension, and I can’t wait to see how this continues on!
Blurb: Luna and Fowler have escaped the kingdom of Relhok, but they haven’t escaped the darkness. When a battle against the dark dwellers mortally injures Fowler, Luna is faced with a choice: put their fate in the hands of mysterious strangers or risk losing Fowler forever.
Desperate to keep the one bright part of her life alive, Luna accepts the help of soldiers from a nearby kingdom. Lagonia’s castle offers reprieve from the dangerous outside world—until the King discovers both Fowler and Luna’s true ties to Relhok and their influence over the throne.
Now pawns in each kingdom’s political game, Luna and Fowler are more determined than ever to escape and build the life they’ve been dreaming of. But their own pasts have a tight hold on their hearts and their destinies. Luna must embrace the darkness and fire within her before she loses not only Fowler but the power she was destined to inherit.
Reign of Shadows | My Review of RoS
Wrecked – LOST #6 (Releasing May 30th) → Kindle | Mass Market
I’ve loved every suspenseful book in this series because Eden always brings intense and thrilling battles, both internal and external, to these books. And the heroine in Wrecked was teased in the prior book and knowing her history, well, I’m so very curious to see how her story will go.
Blurb: SHE LEFT HIM ONCE.
LOST Agent Ana Young was only fourteen when she was abducted by a madman, but unlike many kidnapping victims, she did go home. Now, her mission is to find the missing. But her new case has her on the hunt for the escaped convict who’s obsessed with her. And Ana has an unlikely partner—the sexy, supposedly-by-the-book FBI agent she had one amazing night with and had to forget.
NOW HE HAS TO PROTECT HER 24/7…
FBI Special Agent Cash Knox knows that Ana, the petite, tough-ass former bounty hunter, can get the job done again. But this time, someone else leads them to “Bernie-the-Butcher,” someone who’s been watching Ana. Waiting for her.
FROM A CRAZED KILLER.
Now, catching a deranged murderer means Ana must trust her guarded heart to the gorgeous, complicated G-man she wasn’t supposed to fall for.
#1 – Broken • My review | #2 – Twisted | #3 – Shattered • My Review | #4 – Torn • My Review | #5 – Taken • My Review
I Knew You Were Trouble – Oxford #4 (Releasing June 13th) → Kindle
We thought the Oxford series was going to end with Lincoln, but LL threw us a bone and we’re getting another one! I love this sexy, witty series and can’t wait to see what we get!
Blurb: Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with: Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.
Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.
#1 – Irresistibly Yours • My Review | #2 – I Wish You Were Mine • My Review | #3 – Someone Like You • My Review
Gilded Cage – Dark Gifts #1 (Releasing February 14th) → Kindle | Hardcover
All I saw was that it was a darker fantasy novel and I was like, “sign me up!” But then I read the blurb and saw that it was about a commoner falling for a noble son at the same time that her imprisoned brother decides to start a revolution, and I couldn’t not want it.
Blurb: A darkly fantastical debut set in a modern England where magically gifted aristocrats rule, and commoners are doomed to serve—for readers of Victoria Aveyard and Susanna Clarke
NOT ALL ARE FREE.
NOT ALL ARE EQUAL.
NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED.
Our world belongs to the Equals—aristocrats with magical gifts—and all commoners must serve them for ten years.
But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of their noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty—but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?
Next to Never – Fall Away #4.5 (Releasing January 17th) → Kindle
I had the pleasure of reading this one early and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was. It’s not Quinn’s story (think of it as a story told through her perspective but that it’s about someone else), but it does give a nice lead into what her story will be, whenever we get it. Plus, we get more of our beloved Fall Away characters along with little insights into where their kids will be when their stories come along.
Blurb: Quinn Caruthers has several problems.
Her father, Jason, and her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon.
Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings—or even date—without them jumping in to hover. And when a family friend—several years older—from her childhood captures her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man—experienced, sophisticated, and important. And knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden.
But Lucas left town years ago and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.
But then a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn Quinn’s world upside down. She’s never asked about the tumultuous path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start.
As she begins to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting…or finally go after what she really wants.
Series
The Impossible Vastness of Us – Young Adult (Releasing June 27th) → Kindle | Hardcover
I also found Samantha Young years ago with one of her YA series, Warriors of Ankh , and I’ve followed her ever since. The blurb has such a quiet kick and I can’t wait to get into the trickiness that is this storyline.
Blurb: “I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.”
India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend, Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.
But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful and big enough to change them forever…
Sin With Me (Not final cover) – Bad Habit #3 (Releasing April 25th) → Kindle | Paperback
I’m pretty sure I cursed J.T. at the end of the second book, Make Me Sin, and even though Sin With Me is about a different couple (and the end to the series), it left me hanging and I have been so intensely desperate for this book since I hit the last page of it. I can’t wait to get Grace and Brady’s story as well as get some much-needed answers that we’ve been waiting for about the prior couple.
Blurb: The past she can’t remember. The secret he hides. And a love that’s worth risking it all.
After a devastating car crash stole both her family and her memory, Grace Stanton was left with no past and an uncertain future. Now Grace likes to keep things simple. No sleepovers, never date a guy more than a month, and never, ever fall in love. Which is exactly why Grace avoids Bad Habit’s lead guitarist, Brody Scott, at all costs. The green-eyed, sexy-as-hell musician has “trouble” tattooed all over him, and Grace isn’t taking any chances with her heart.
Brody knows he doesn’t deserve an amazing woman like Grace—her creamy skin, red hair, or that smart mouth that fuels his every fantasy—but there’s something between them that’s more than chemistry. Something real. He’ll just have to convince Grace that he’s worth the risk—and hide the secret that haunts his worst dreams. But when fate plays a cruel hand, Brody’s darkest sin suddenly threatens his last chance at redemption . . . and the life of the woman he loves.
#1 – Sweet As Sin • My Review | #2 – Make Me Sin • My Review
After the Dark – Killer Instinct #1 (Releasing March 28th) → Kindle | Mass Market
As I said up above, Eden is great at romantic suspense (as well as paranormal) so any new series of hers, I’m wanting. With it being about a disgraced FBI agent partnering up with her ex-partner to save her reputation? Yes. Need.
Blurb: Former FBI agent Samantha Dark was one of the most respected profilers in the bureau, an expert on the twisted minds and dark hearts of the most depraved criminals. But when her own former lover turned out to be the serial killer she was hunting, Samantha’s career was destroyed. Blamed for the FBI’s failure on the complex case, Samantha left Washington, DC, for the quiet anonymity of Alabama.Now an all-too-familiar killer is hunting once again. She can catch the cunning assassin, but that means putting her trust in her former partner, Blake Gamble. Ex-military, Blake is tough, protective, precise. With her entire life on the brink, she knows he wants her back in the FBI…and possibly more.
But someone else wants her, too. A threat is waiting in the dark, a killer who has set his sights on the ultimate trophy victim—Samantha.
Good Boy – WAGs #1 (Releasing January 31st) → Paperback
New series by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy? Heck yes! I can’t wait for both of these!
Blurb: Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody (nobody!) can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.
Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.
Stay – WAGs #2 (Releasing 2017) → Add to TBR
No Blurb Yet!
Roar – Stealing Storms #1 – Young Adult (Releasing June 13th) → Kindle | Hardcover
A YA fantasy about Stormlings and a forced marriage that the heroine isn’t wanting? Um, hello! Cannot wait!
Blurb: In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
Love in Lingerie (Releasing January 16th) → Add to TBR
Best friends to lovers written by Alessandra? I’m pretty sure that sells itself. I love Torre’s writing and I can’t wait for the sexual tension that is sure to ensue.
Blurb: I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.
The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.
Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.
Damn the company.
Damn our friendship.
Damn my fears.
If You Were Mine – Standalone (Cover to Come) (Releasing February 28th) → Kindle
Melanie Harlow always fascinates me with her witty characters and sexy storylines. What intrigues me about this novel, in particular, aside from it being written by her, is that these two characters are complete opposites and they’re forced to be together because they’re snowed in. I see a lot of tension with this novel.
Blurb: Theo MacLeod wasn’t supposed to be the one.
Tall, dark and handsome suits me just fine, but the cocky grin, know-it-all attitude, and mammoth ego? No thanks. I only hired him so I wouldn’t have to sit at the singles table again. It was just pretend.
He wasn’t supposed to kiss me.
My heart wasn’t supposed to pound.
We weren’t supposed to spend the night together—the hottest night of my life.
One night turns into a snowed-in weekend away, and even the blizzard of the century can’t cool the fire between us. I can’t get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he makes me feel.
We’re nothing alike. He’s a daredevil, and I’m a nervous Nellie. He’s a drifter, and I want to put down roots. He’s an opportunist with a checkered past, and I’m a Girl Scout volunteer.
But none of it matters when I’m in his arms.
I know he’s made mistakes. I know his wounds are deep, and he doesn’t trust easily. I know he doesn’t believe he could ever be enough to make me happy, but he could.
All he has to do is stay.
A Thousand Letters (Cover to Come) (Releasing February 9th) → Add to TBR
All one has to do is read the blurb and feel the pain. I can already feel the heart twinges and the deep love that this book will give us, and with is coming from Staci Hart, I know it’s going to hurt so good.
Blurb: Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.
I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.
But now he’s back.
I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.
Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.
One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey bought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.
*A contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion*
Falling Hard – Blackhawk Boys #4 (Cover to Come) (Releasing May 23rd) → Add to TBR
I love this series that features a college football team and their perspective love stories, and I cannot wait for Keegan’s story! Though, I’m also anxious for another character too.
No Blurb Yet!
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#1 – Spinning Out | #2 – Rushing In • My Review | #3 – Going Under • My Review
Royally Matched – Royally #2 (Releasing February 21st) → Kindle | Paperback
I absolutely loved the first book in the series, and considering who Henry is (and how he is), I cannot wait to get his book to see how he’ll possibly fare in his new position.
Blurb: Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry John Edgar Thomas Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.
He’s not handling it well.
Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:
Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.
A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world’s most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.
While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.
The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit… and her naughty sense of humor.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight.
As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.
Royally Endowed – Royally #3 (Cover to Come) (Releasing June 15th) → Kindle
Blurb to come!
Bk #1 – Royally Screwed • My Review
The Witch and the Blade – The Bird and the Sword #2 (Cover to Come) (Coming Spring 2017) → No TBR or preorder
We don’t have a blurb or a way to preorder, but after reading The Bird and the Sword last month, I can tell you that I am drooling for another tale from Jeru. This fantasy series by Amy Harmon is fantastic in every way and I hope this book will be about who I’m hoping for (though I’ll literally take anyone!).
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Bk #1 – The Bird and the Sword • My Review
Keep Her Safe (Cover to Come) (Releasing August 22nd) → Kindle | Paperback
I don’t think I need to explain my love of K.A. Tucker again, but just read the blurb and I think you’ll get why this book excites me so.
Blurb: Noah Marshall has had a privileged life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that’s been rattling in her closet for years: she doesn’t deserve her commendations or her medals—in fact, she deserves to be locked behind bars. When she finally succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family’s life, she leaves Noah alone to carry the burden of this shocking secret.
Gracie Reynolds wasn’t born into trailer park life, but after ten years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it’s all she knows anymore. At least here people don’t care that she is a byproduct of a white mother and a black father. And they certainly don’t care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop. Here, she and her mother are just another broken family struggling to survive…until a man who clearly doesn’t belong shows up on her doorstep one night, asking questions.
Together, Noah and Gracie set out to uncover the truth about the Austin police department’s dark and messy past—but the scandal they uncover is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.
Complex, gritty, sexy, and suspenseful, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker’s reputation as one of today’s most talented new writers of romantic suspense.
Mend – Waters #2 (Cover to Come) (Releasing 2017) → Add to TBR
I couldn’t believe that the first book, Bend, was Kivrin Wilson’s debut book and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to get more from this author.
Blurb:
PAIGE
Logan McKinley. My ex. I knew he was trouble from the first moment I laid eyes on him.
Fresh out of law school with a new job at one of San Diego’s biggest firms, I was supposed to focus on my career. No distractions, no men, and especially no office romances.
Then I met Logan. He was cocky, smooth-talking, and gorgeous—a hotshot associate on the fast track to a partnership and exactly the kind of guy I needed to avoid.
But he was relentless. He pursued me, intrigued me, and seduced me. And when I had no defenses left, my ambitions shifted, and I only wanted him.
For a while, that was enough.
But no one’s perfect. The man who put a ring on my finger isn’t who I thought he was, so I left.
Now he’s back in my life, and he’s pushing me into a corner. It’s time to show him how hard I can push back.
LOGAN
“It’s over.”
When those words came out of her mouth, I wasn’t surprised. What I didn’t expect was how damn near impossible it’s been to move on.
The first time I saw Paige Waters, the new associate at my firm who was as intelligent and self-confident as she was stunning, I wanted her. I wasn’t used to women rejecting me, but she did—or tried to, anyway—which made me even more determined to have her.
I had no idea that when I finally got her, I wouldn’t want to let her go.
But I screwed up. She doesn’t even know how badly I screwed up, and everything still went to hell.
Now, one year after our split and with so much still unresolved between us, we’re suddenly going head to head on the same case. Seeing her at the office again, where it all started, I realize that this is far from over.
She’s still mine.
And whether it’s in the courtroom or the bedroom, I always win.
Bk #1 – Bend • My Review
Every Little Thing – Hart’s Boardwalk #2 (Releasing March 7th) → Kindle | Paperback
This series is magical without any real magic, aside from love. I adored the first book and with the little tease we’ve gotten of the two people in book two, I’m looking forward to the hate/lust that’ll explode in it.
Blurb: The New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series returns to Hartwell, Delaware—the perfect place to get away from it all, and find what you never knew you needed….
Bailey Hartwell has many reasons to feel content—her successful business, a close circle of friends, and her steady boyfriend…even if their romance feels staid after ten years without a serious commitment. The only challenge in h