Can you tell we’re excited about January? This might be the longest Hide Your Wallet yet!

Saga, Vol. 4

Author: Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Released: 12/23 by Image Comics
Genre: Graphic Novel
Series: Saga

Summary: Visit new planets, meet new adversaries and explore a very new direction, as Hazel becomes a toddler while her family struggles to stay on their feet.

Collects SAGA #19-24.

Carrie says: Technically this is a Dec release but it comes out so late in the month that I figure we can sneak it in as a January. This is an amazing series – I’ve reviewed it before and I can’t wait to read this next installment.

 

Dictatorship of the Dress

Author: Jessica Topper
Released: 1/6 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: #1 in Much “I Do” About Nothing series

Summary: As the dress-bearer for her mother’s wedding, Laney Hudson has a lot more baggage than the bulky garment bag she’s lugging from New York to Hawaii. Laney is determined to prove she’s capable of doing something right, but running chores for her mom’s fairytale nuptials is proving to be a painfully constant reminder of her own lost love.

So when she’s mistaken for the bride and bumped up to first class, Laney figures some stress-free luxury is worth a harmless white lie. Until the flight crew thinks that the man sitting next to her is Laney’s groom, and her little fib turns into a hot mess.

The last thing Noah Ridgewood needs is some dress-obsessed diva landing in his first-class row. En route to his Vegas bachelor party, the straight-laced software designer knows his cold feet have nothing to do with the winter weather.

When a severe storm leaves them grounded in Chicago and they find themselves booked into the last available honeymoon suite, Laney and her in-flight neighbor have little choice but to get better acquainted. Now, as her bridal mission hangs in the balance, perhaps the thing Laney gets right is a second chance at love

Amanda says: The heroine is a comic book artist and it’s sounds super cute, especially with the “stranded” aspect.

 

Unbound

Author: Jim C. Hines
Released: 1/6 by DAW
Genre: Fantasy
Series: #3 in Magic Ex Libris series

Summary: For five hundred years, the Porters have concealed the existence of magic from the world.

Now, old enemies have revealed the Porters’ secrets, and an even greater threat lurks in the shadows. The would-be queen Meridiana, banished for a thousand years, has returned in the body of a girl named Jeneta Aboderin. She seeks an artifact created by Pope Sylvester II, a bronze prison that would grant her the power to command an army of the dead. Michigan librarian Isaac Vainio is powerless to stop her, having been stripped of his power and his place among the Porters by Johannes Gutenberg himself. But Isaac is determined to regain his magic and to rescue his former student Jeneta. With no magic of his own, Isaac must delve into the darker side of black-market magic, where he will confront beings better left undisturbed, including the sorcerer Juan Ponce de Leon.

With his loyal fire-spider Smudge, dryad warrior Lena Greenwood, and psychiatrist Nidhi Shah, Isaac races to unravel a mystery more than a thousand years old as competing magical powers battle to shape the future of the world. He will be hunted by enemies and former allies alike, and it will take all his knowledge and resourcefulness to survive as magical war threatens to spread across the globe. Isaac’s choices will determine the fate of his friends, the Porters, the students of Bi Sheng, and the world.

Only one thing is certain: even if he finds a way to restore his magic, he can’t save them all….

Carrie says: Love this series by Jim C. Hines!

 

The Witches of Echo Park

Author: Amber Benson
Released: 1/6 by Ace
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: #1 in The Witches of Echo Park series

Summary: Unbeknownst to most of humankind, a powerful network of witches thrives within the shadows of society, using their magic to keep the world in balance. But they are being eliminated—and we will all pay if their power falls…

When Elyse MacAllister’s great-aunt Eleanora, the woman who raised her, becomes deathly ill, Lyse puts her comfortable life in Georgia on hold to rush back to Los Angeles. And once she returns to Echo Park, Lyse discovers her great-aunt has been keeping secrets—extraordinary secrets—from her.

Not only is Lyse heir to Eleanora’s Victorian estate; she is also expected to take her great-aunt’s place in the Echo Park coven of witches. But to accept her destiny means to place herself in deadly peril—for the world of magic is under siege, and the battle the witches now fight may be their last…

Amanda says: Did you know Tara from Buffy was an author? Well now you do.
Carrie says: What Amanda said.

 

Owl and the Japanese Circus

Author: Kristi Charish
Released: 1/13 by Pocket Star
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: #1 in The Adventures of Owl series

Summary: Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.

Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.

Amanda says: Urban fantasy where the heroine is a modern day Indiana Jones and has a dragon in the guise of a circus owner – IS THIS FOR REAL? You can also preorder it for $1.99 right now.
Sarah says: I WANT TO READ THE DRAGON CIRCUS BOOK OMG.
Carrie says: Addendum: I want to read everything Amanda is reading because it looks AMAZING.

 

First Frost

Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Released: 1/20 by St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction; Magical Realism
Series: #2 in Waverly Family series

Summary: It’s October in Bascom, North Carolina, and autumn will not go quietly.  As temperatures drop and leaves begin to turn, the Waverley women are made restless by the whims of their mischievous apple tree… and all the magic that swirls around it. But this year, first frost has much more in store.

Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley’s Candies.  Though her handcrafted confections—rose to recall lost love, lavender to promote happiness and lemon verbena to soothe throats and minds—are singularly effective, the business of selling them is costing her the everyday joys of her family, and her belief in her own precious gifts.

Amanda says:  Sarah Addison Allen is an auto buy author for me and I loved Garden Spells – the first book in the series ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ). I should mention that this book has been eight years in the making given that the first came out in 2007.

 

Trade Me

Author: Courtney Milan
Released: 1/20 by Courtney Milan
Genre: Contemporary Romance; New Adult
Series: N/A

Summary: Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.

To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.

But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart…but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

Carrie’s pick!

 

Flirting with Disaster

Author: Victoria Dahl
Released: 1/27 by HQN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: #2 in Jackson: Girls’ Night Out series

Summary: There’s no hiding from sizzling chemistry…

Artist Isabelle West has good reasons for preferring a solitary life. Tucked away in a cabin in the woods, she has everything she needs . . . except a red-hot love life. That is, until a hard-bodied U.S. marshal threatens to unearth secrets she’s spent years protecting. But giving in to the sparks flying between them can only lead to one thing…disaster.

Tom Duncan lives by the letter of the law. But no one has tempted him—or confused him—more than free-spirited Isabelle, who arouses his suspicion and his desire. As their connection grows, and their nights get hotter, they find their wild attraction might shake everything he stands for—and expose everything she has to hide.

Elyse says: I love everything Dahl writes.

 

 

In Your Wildest Scottish Dreams

Author: Karen Ranney
Released: 1/27 by Avon
Genre: Historical Romance: European
Series: N/A

Summary: Seven years have passed since Glynis MacIain made the foolish mistake of declaring her love to Lennox Cameron, only to have him stare at her dumbfounded. Heartbroken, she accepted the proposal of a diplomat and moved to America, where she played the role of a dutiful wife among Washington’s elite. Now a widow, Glynis is back in Scotland. Though Lennox can still unravel her with just one glance, Glynis is no longer the naïve girl Lennox knew and vows to resist him.

With the American Civil War raging, shipbuilder Lennox Cameron must complete a sleek new blockade runner for the Confederate Navy. He cannot afford any distractions, especially the one woman he’s always loved. Glynis’s cool demeanor tempts him to prove to her what a terrible mistake she made seven years ago.

As the war casts its long shadow across the ocean, will a secret from Glynis’s past destroy any chance for a future between the two star-crossed lovers?

Elyse says: Ranney is hit and miss for me, but I’m looking forward to this new series.

 

Playing Dirty

Author: HelenKay Dimon
Released: 1/27 by Avon
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: #1 in Bad Boys Undercover series

Summary: As an elite Alliance agent—the joint undercover operation of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, and the CIA—Ford Decker lives for the adrenaline. But when he befriends sexy property manager Shay Alexander in hopes of finding her cousin, a known national security threat, Ford crosses the line, getting to know her better . . . in bed.

After being burned by her last relationship, Shay wants to take things slow. Yet she can’t keep her hands off the drop-dead gorgeous hottie who’s moved into her apartment building. So when Ford’s identity as an undercover agent is exposed, his betrayal cuts deep. Shay never wants to see him again, but Ford can’t let her go, not when her life is still in danger. He will sacrifice everything to protect her, then be prepared to walk away from the only woman he’s ever loved, even if it breaks him.

Elyse says: I love Dimon’s romantic suspense!

 

 

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

Author: Julia Quinn
Released: 1/27 by Avon
Genre: Historical Romance: European
Series: #4 in Smythe-Smith Quartet series

Summary: Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can’t be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family’s infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She’s the type of girl you don’t notice until the second—or third—look, but there’s something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she’s the one.

Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can’t quite believe it’s all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can’t help thinking that he’s hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.

Sarah says: Is there such a thing as comfort crack? This is my comfort crack. And my comfort crack is bubbly. It has bubbles. Bubbly comfort crack.