For being the shortest month of the year, February certainly has some amazing books coming out!

Once Upon a Rose

Author: Laura Florand
Released: 1/26 by Laura Florand
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: La Vie en Roses #1

Summary: She stole his roses.

Fleeing the spotlight, burnt out rock star Layla—“Belle”—Dubois seeks refuge in the south of France. That old, half-forgotten heritage in a valley of roses seems like a good place to soothe a wounded heart. She certainly doesn’t expect the most dangerous threat to her heart to pounce on her as soon as she sets foot on the land.

He wants them back.

Matt didn’t mean to growl at her quite that loudly. But—his roses! She can’t have his roses. Even if she does have all those curls and green eyes and, and, and…what was he growling about again?

Or maybe he just wants her.

When an enemy invades his valley and threatens his home, heart, and livelihood, Matthieu Rosier really knows only one way to defend himself.

It might involve kissing.

And that might be just the start.

Sarah says: I am told this is cozy, not so angsty, and I am so in the mood for traveling through my reading.

 

Playing by the Greek’s Rules

Author: Sarah Morgan
Released: 2/1 by Harlequin Presents
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: N/A

Summary:

It’s time to throw away the rule book…  

Idealistic archaeologist Lily Rose craves a fairy-tale love, but in her experience it always ends in heartbreak. So now Lily’s trying a different approach—a fling with her boss, infamous Greek playboy Nik Zervakis!

Anti-love and anti-family, Nik lives by his own set of rules. There’s no one better to teach Lily how to separate sizzling sex from deep emotions! But while Nik has the world at his feet, he also has dark shadows in his heart…

It starts as a sensual game, but can Lily stick to Nik’s rules? And what’s more, can he?

Sarah says: New Sarah Morgan. What other reason do I need? None! Even if HQ:P isn’t always my cup of tea, it says “morgan.” I mean, the book could be called Morgan Morgan’ed the Innocent Morgan and I’d be all, “Sarah Morgan? Ok!”

 

Hero

Author: Samantha Young
Released: 2/3 by NAL
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: N/A

Summary: Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

Amanda says: A seemingly tortured billionaire hero? Yes, please. I’ve also been itching for some billionaire heroes after Devil in Denim ( A | K | G | AB | Au ).

 

The Orphan Sky

Author: Ella Leya
Released: 2/3 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Historical fiction
Series: N/A

Summary: Set at the crossroads of Turkish, Persian and Russian cultures under the red flag of Communism in the late 1970s, The Orphan Sky reveals one woman’s struggle to reconcile her ideals with the corrupt world around her, and to decide whether to betray her country or her heart.

Leila is a young classical pianist who dreams of winning international competitions and bringing awards to her beloved country Azerbaijan. She is also a proud daughter of the Communist Party. When she receives an assignment from her communist mentor to spy on a music shop suspected of traitorous Western influences, she does it eagerly, determined to prove her worth to the Party.

But Leila didn’t anticipate the complications of meeting Tahir, the rebellious painter who owns the music shop. His jazz recordings, abstract art, and subversive political opinions crack open the veneer of the world she’s been living in. Just when she begins to fall in love with both the West and Tahir, her comrades force her to make an impossible choice.

Amanda says: I’ve been out of the historical fiction game for quite some time and this particular book seems just what I need to get back into it.

 

Trigger Warning

Author: Neil Gaiman
Released: 2/3 by William Morrow
Genre: Fantasy; Short stories
Series: N/A

Summary: In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction–stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013–as well “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In “Adventure Story”–a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane–Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience “A Calendar of Tales” are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year–stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother’s Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale “The Case of Death and Honey”. And “Click-Clack the Rattlebag” explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we’re all alone in the darkness.

A sophisticated writer whose creative genius is unparalleled, Gaiman entrances with his literary alchemy, transporting us deep into the realm of imagination, where the fantastical becomes real and the everyday incandescent. Full of wonder and terror, surprises and amusements, Trigger Warning is a treasury of delights that engage the mind, stir the heart, and shake the soul from one of the most unique and popular literary artists of our day.

Carrie says: It’s a new Gaiman. So yeah, I’m in!

 

The Diabolical Miss Hyde

Author: Viola Carr
Released: 2/10 by Harper Voyager
Genre: Steampunk
Series: Electric Empire #1

Summary: Forensic science, magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy steampunk fantasy—a retelling of the horror classic, in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll, daughter of the infamous Dr. Henry Jekyll—pursues a dangerous murderer in an alternate Victorian London.

In an electrified Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with newfangled technological gadgets. She will need every advantage available to catch a terrifying new psychopath splattering London with blood. Hidden in the grimy shadows, the fiendish murderer preys on beautiful women, drugging them before slicing off their limbs. Finding the “Slicer” can make Eliza’s career . . . or unmask her darkest secret. Like her father, she has a hidden second self that emerges when she drinks his forbidden magical elixir. Just a few sips, and a seductive and impulsive Lizzie Hyde is unleashed.

The members of the Royal Society do not trust Eliza, and they send their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a dangerous sorceress. The careful doctor knows that one wrong step can make her prey to the clever Lafayette, a man who harbors an evil curse of his own. No matter how much she craves the elixir, she must resist.

But as the Slicer case draws her into London’s luminous magical underworld, Eliza will need the potion’s power to help her . . . even if it might attract the attentions of Lafayette. .

Even if it means setting the wild Lizzie free. . . .

Elyse says:  I recently started reading steampunk and found I really like it. The heroine in this story is a Dr Jekyll/ Ms. Hyde character who solves crimes with steampunk tech. PUT IT IN MY EYEBALLS

 

The Billionaire and the Virgin

Author: Jessica Clare
Released: 2/16 by InterMix
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Billionaires and Bridesmaids #1

Summary: Waitress Marjorie Ivarsson is the picture of naiveté. Raised by her grandmother, she’d rather go to bingo than go dancing. But when she’s asked to be a bridesmaid in her friend Bronte’s destination wedding, she finds herself venturing into new and exciting territory. The wedding is set on the billionaire groom’s private island and Marjorie is fascinated by all the new people she’s meeting.

Most fascinating of all is the man she saves from almost drowning in the blue waters of the island lagoon. She might even have a bit of a crush on him. Unfortunately, she’s not the only girl who finds him so intriguing. Hot shot television producer Robert Cannon has a reputation for womanizing, drinking, and partying to excess. They couldn’t be more wrong for each other…so why are they constantly drawn together like magnets?

Amanda says: I’ve never read any of Clare’s books before, but after reading some of the SBTB’s reviews of her Billionaire Boys Club, I definitely want to jump on board. A new series seems like the place to start. Oh and the heroine rescues the hero for a change.

Elyse says: I second the Jessica Clare excitement because I love her books. Her Billionaire Boys Club series is one of my favorite contemporary series of all time.

 

 

The Master

Author: Kresley Cole
Released: 2/17 by Gallery Books
Genre: Erotica
Series: The Game Maker #2

Summary: Everyone fears the Master…

Rich, irresistible politician/Mafiya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his…complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint.

Except her.

Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door.

If pleasure is a game, play to win.

After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past—to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow.

Amanda says: The first one was crazysauce and you can bet your ass I’m reading the second book. I also have a deep love for Kresley Cole.

 

 

At Wolf Ranch

Author: Jennifer Ryan
Released: 2/24 by Avon
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: Montana Men #1

Summary: Everything’s bigger in Big Sky country, including the hearts of the Montana Men…

After years on the rodeo circuit, Gabe Bowden wants nothing more than land of his own and a woman who will claim his heart for more than one night. When he has the chance to buy the enormous Wolf Ranch spread, he snaps up the incredible deal. Everything is set, until Gabe rescues a woman on the deserted, snowy road leading to the property, and the half-frozen beauty changes everything.

Ella Wolf rushes to her family’s abandoned Montana ranch after her twin sister is murdered. She knows she’s next . . . unless she can uncover a secret hidden somewhere at Wolf Ranch. The last thing Ella expects is to be rescued by a rugged rancher with his own agenda. A man who almost makes her forget how dangerous love can be.

As an unlikely partnership sparks into something so much more, and a killer closes in, can Ella and Gabe learn to trust one another before it’s too late?

Elyse says: Romantic suspense featuring a rancher hero, and a heroine he finds half frozen on his property. I’m not sure if this a snowed-in romance, but yes please.

 

Diary of an Accidental Wallflower

Author: Jennifer McQuiston
Released: 2/24 by Avon
Genre: Historical romance
Series: Seduction Diaries #1

Summary: The first irresistible installment in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer McQuiston’s Seduction Diaries series proves that some secrets are too delicious to hide.

Pretty and popular, Miss Clare Westmore knows exactly what (or rather, who) she wants: the next Duke of Harrington. But when she twists her ankle on the eve of the Season’s most touted event, Clare is left standing in the wallflower line watching her best friend dance away with her duke.

Dr. Daniel Merial is tempted to deliver more than a diagnosis to London’s most unlikely wallflower, but he doesn’t have time for distractions, even one so delectable. Besides, she’s clearly got her sights on more promising prey. So why can’t he stop thinking about her?

All Clare wants to do is return to the dance floor. But as her former friends try to knock her permanently out of place, she realizes with horror she is falling for her doctor instead of her duke. When her ankle finally heals and she faces her old life again, will she throw herself back into the game?

Or will her time in the wallflower line have given her a glimpse of who she was really meant to be?

Sarah says: Since the podcast interview I did with her, I’ve been curious about this book.  

 

Tempt the Night

Author: Dixie Lee Brown
Released: 2/24 by Avon Impulse
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: Trust No One #5

Summary: Samantha “Mac” McCallister barely believes her own tale of dirty cops and murder that landed her in the hands of the sexy Jim Brady. One minute she was enjoying a ride-along in her best friend’s cruiser, the next he’s dead and she’s wanted for his murder. Mac never expected to be hiding out from the law, but with Jim by her side, maybe she can survive long enough to clear her name. The question is, can she survive the way Jim makes her feel?

Former Navy Seal Jim Brady works best under pressure. At least he used to. Now, fighting flashbacks from his time in Iraq, he has given up everything he knows in order to protect the innocent … from himself. So working with a woman on the run from the law? Not in his plans for this lifetime. Still, something about the blue-eyed beauty tells him she’s not the source of the danger—she’s running from it. Deep down he knows he’ll protect her no matter what. But his heart? That’s another story.

Elyse says: Is that the Hoff on the cover? Seriously, is that the Hoff? Navy SEAL hero plus conspiracy plot sounds like a lot of Elyse catnip.