It’s April, everyone! And no, the sheer number of squee-worthy books coming out this month is not an April Fool’s joke. Let’s all have a moment of silence of our budgets. While the books below are ones we’re looking forward to putting on our shelves, here are some other titles to watch out for:
- J.R. Ward returns to her Black Dagger Brotherhood series with The Chosen ( A | BN | K | AB ).
- The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan ( A | BN | K | AB ) is a New Adult sports romance and part of Callihan’s Game On series.
- Pour one out for the conclusion of The Memoirs of Lady Trent – Marie Brennan’s Within the Sanctuary of Wings ( A | BN | K | AB ).
- Blade Bound ( A | BN | K | AB ) by Chloe Neill is book thirteen in the Chicagoland Vampire series.
- The Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep hits number sixteen with Snared ( A | BN | K | AB ).
See any books you haven’t heard of before? Looking forward to any titles we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments what new releases you’ll be reading this month!
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Alex, Approximately
Author: Jenn Bennett
Released: April 4, 2017 by Simon Pulse
Genre: Romance, Young AdultIn this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.
Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.
Sarah says: A teen spin on “You’ve Got Mail,” with online/offline tangles. I love stories that deal with people’s public vs “real” selves, and the ways in which that’s expressed.
Amanda says: I immediately added this to my TBR pile after seeing Sarah’s recommendation.
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The Billionaires
Author: Calista Fox
Released: April 4, 2017 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Erotica/Erotic Romance, Romance
Series: Lover's Triangle #1In The Billionaires, Calista Fox delivers a sexy and sensuous friends-to-lovers tale with a delicious love triangle twist.
Jewel Catalano, Rogen Angelini, and Vin D’Angelo had been childhood best friends, spending every possible moment with one another. Rogen became her first love, the first one to show her what pleasure could be. Until a volatile feud erupted between their powerful California wine country families and she and Rogen were torn apart from each other. What she didn’t expect was to find comfort and passion like she had never known in Vin’s arms and bed. But when that too ended in disaster, Jewel moved to San Francisco to work for the Catalano empire. Years later, a series of daring acquisitions brings Jewel back to River Cross, the hometown where Rogen and Vin have recently returned as well. Jewel has the curves, the smarts, and the success to bring any man to his knees—especially the two men who remained best friends and still burn to possess her.
Mixing family business with erotic pleasure ignites a smoldering love triangle. But in order to pull off the bold deal that will build the trios’ own legacy and to stay in their heady, sensual paradise, they must discover what true love really is—or lose everything their hearts’ desire, in The Billionaires by Calista Fox.
Amanda says: Billionaire menage! I’m into it. And that cover!
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Borrowed Souls
Author: Chelsea Mueller
Released: May 2, 2017 by Talos
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Soul Charmer #1Callie Delgado always puts family first, and unfortunately her brother knows it. She’s emptied her savings, lost work, and spilled countless tears trying to keep him out of trouble, but now he’s in deeper than ever, and his debt is on Callie’s head. She’s given a choice: do some dirty work for the mob, or have her brother returned to her in tiny pieces.
Renting souls is big business for the religious population of Gem City. Those looking to take part in immoral—or even illegal—activity can borrow someone else’s soul, for a price, and sin without consequence.
To save her brother, Callie needs a borrowed soul, but she doesn’t have anywhere near the money to pay for it. The slimy Soul Charmer is willing to barter, but accepting his offer will force Callie into a dangerous world of magic she isn’t ready for.
With the help of the guarded but undeniably attractive Derek—whose allegiance to the Charmer wavers as his connection to Callie grows—she’ll have to walk a tight line, avoid pissing off the bad guys, all while struggling to determine what her loyalty to her family’s really worth.
Losing her brother isn’t an option. Losing her soul? Maybe.
Amanda says: Heard about this one on a previous podcast episode and was super interested.
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The F Word
Author: Liza Palmer
Released: April 25, 2017 by Flatiron Books
Genre: Romance, Women's FictionWe’re all pushing some version of the life we want you to believe. It’s all just PR.
Olivia Morten is perfect. Maybe her high-flying publicist job has taken over her life, but her clients are L.A.’s hottest celebrities. Maybe her husband is never around, but he is a drop-dead-gorgeous, successful doctor. Maybe her friends are dumb, but they know how to look glamorous at a cocktail party. And maybe her past harbors an incredibly embarrassing secret, but no one remembers high school right?
When Ben Dunn, Olivia’s high school arch nemesis and onetime crush, suddenly resurfaces, Olivia realizes how precarious all of her perfection is. As she finds herself dredging up long-suppressed memories from her past, she is forced to confront the most painful truth of all: maybe she used to be the fat girl, but she used to be happy, too.
At once a funny, whip-smart sendup of L.A. culture and an irresistible love story, The F Word is a novel about how sometimes who we become isn’t who we really are.
Sarah says: I love Liza Palmer’s writing.
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Geekerella
Author: Ashley Poston
Released: April 4, 2017 by Quirk Books
Genre: Romance, Young AdultCinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale.
Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.
Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.
Amanda says: A YA Cinderella retelling with cosplay!
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The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life
Author: Sharon Pywell
Released: April 4, 2017 by Flatiron Books
Genre: Historical: American, Women's FictionWith shades of The Lovely Bones combined with the guilty pleasure of a pirate romance: a novel about two sisters coming of age in the 1950s, and what happens when one of them disappears.
Neave and Lilly Terhune couldn’t be more different. Lilly is a beauty who runs through men like water. Neave, having been told at an early age by their mother that she will not be able to get by on her looks, always has her head in a book. Her favorite is The Pirate Lover, a romance novel about a young woman who refuses marriage to the highest bidder and instead escapes to the high seas where she meets the love of her life.
During WWII, when the men are gone, both sisters start working. But when the servicemen return and take back their jobs, Neave and Lilly are left with few options besides marriage. But they have other ideas. They start to build a makeup business (think Avon in its early days) and soon have a hit on their hands. But just as their business is truly taking off, Lilly disappears and Neave must figure out what happened. Luckily, she has Lilly’s assistance helping from above, even if she doesn’t know it quite yet.
Alternating between the sisters’ story and that of Neave’s beloved Pirate Lover book, Sharon Pywell shows how all romantic relationships have dark undercurrents, how even the most cerebral amongst us can enjoy a swashbuckling, page-turning romance, and how sometimes the guiltiest of pleasures might contain essential kernels of truth.
Sarah says: I am often wary of books that attempt to characterize romance readers, but this story looks very affectionate and fun.
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Waking Gods
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Released: April 4, 2017 by Del Rey
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Themis Files #2In the gripping sequel to Sleeping Giants, which was hailed by Pierce Brown as “a luminous conspiracy yarn . . . reminiscent of The Martian and World War Z,” Sylvain Neuvel’s innovative series about human-alien contact takes another giant step forward.
As a child, Rose Franklin made an astonishing discovery: a giant metallic hand, buried deep within the earth. As an adult, she’s dedicated her brilliant scientific career to solving the mystery that began that fateful day: Why was a titanic robot of unknown origin buried in pieces around the world? Years of investigation have produced intriguing answers—and even more perplexing questions. But the truth is closer than ever before when a second robot, more massive than the first, materializes and lashes out with deadly force.
Now humankind faces a nightmare invasion scenario made real, as more colossal machines touch down across the globe. But Rose and her team at the Earth Defense Corps refuse to surrender. They can turn the tide if they can unlock the last secrets of an advanced alien technology. The greatest weapon humanity wields is knowledge in a do-or-die battle to inherit the Earth . . . and maybe even the stars.
Elyse says: HOW IS THIS NOT ON YOUR LIST AMANDA!
Amanda says: Added it after Elyse yelled at me.
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Wanted and Wired
Author: Vivien Jackson
Released: April 4, 2017 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Tether #1A rip-roarin’ new snarky, sexy sci-fi paranormal romance series with the perfect balance of humor, heat, and heart. Now that Texas has seceded and the world is spiraling into chaos, good guys come in unlikely packages and love sprouts in the most inconvenient places…
Rogue scientist • technologically enhanced • deliciously attractive
Heron Farad should be dead. But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what’s left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her mark
Mari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it’s the perfect storm..Elyse says: It had me at rogue scientist heroine…
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The Perfect Stranger
Author: Megan Miranda
Released: April 11, 2017 by Simon & Schuster
Genre: Mystery/ThrillerIn the masterful follow-up to the New York Times bestseller All the Missing Girls—“think: Luckiest Girl Alive, The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl” (TheSkimm)—a journalist sets out to find a missing friend, a friend who may never have existed at all.
Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey, who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.
Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family, or a digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.
Everyone in this rural Pennsylvanian town has something to hide—including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are busy hiding your own?
Elyse’s pick!
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The Shadow Land
Author: Elizabeth Kostova
Released: April 11, 2017 by Ballantine Books
Genre: Historical: European, Literary FictionFrom the #1 bestselling author of The Historian comes an engrossing novel that spans the past and the present—and unearths the dark secrets of Bulgaria, a beautiful and haunted country.
A young American woman, Alexandra Boyd, has traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria, hoping that life abroad will salve the wounds left by the loss of her beloved brother. Soon after arriving in this elegant East European city, however, she helps an elderly couple into a taxi—and realizes too late that she has accidentally kept one of their bags. Inside she finds an ornately carved wooden box engraved with a name: Stoyan Lazarov. Raising the hinged lid, she discovers that she is holding an urn filled with human ashes.
As Alexandra sets out to locate the family and return this precious item, she will first have to uncover the secrets of a talented musician who was shattered by oppression—and she will find out all too quickly that this knowledge is fraught with its own danger.
Kostova’s new novel is a tale of immense scope that delves into the horrors of a century and traverses the culture and landscape of this mysterious country. Suspenseful and beautifully written, it explores the power of stories, the pull of the past, and the hope and meaning that can sometimes be found in the aftermath of loss.
Amanda says: I’ve heard great things about the writing in this book.
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Spindle Fire
Author: Lexa Hillyer
Released: April 11, 2017 by HarperTeen
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Spindle Fire #1Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.
And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood–and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.
As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.
Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape . . . or the reason for her to stay.
Spindle Fire is the first book in a lush fantasy duology set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines.
Elyse says: A retelling of Sleeping Beauty!
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The Thief
Author: Michele Hauf
Released: April 11, 2017 by Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Elite Crimes Unit #1The Elite Crimes Unit works behind the scenes of Interpol—and employs some of the world’s most talented criminal minds. Because as everyone knows, it takes a thief to catch a thief—or to seduce one . . .
The old farmhouse in the French countryside is a refuge for former jewel thief Josephine Deveraux. Admittedly, there aren’t many men in the vicinity, but she has her cat to cuddle up with. It’s a far cry from her former life, constantly running from the law, and she’s enjoying her peace . . . until the intruder in the three-piece suit tackles her. He wants her back in the game, helping with a heist—and he’s not above making threats to get his way.
Little does Josephine know that notorious—and notoriously charming—thief, Xavier Lambert, is after the very same 180-carat prize she’s being blackmailed to steal. To his chagrin, he’s doing it not as a free agent, but as a member of the Elite Crimes Unit—the team he was forced to join when his brilliant career came to a sudden end. And little does Xavier know that his comeback is about to include a stranger’s kiss, a stinging slap, and a hunt for missing treasure—along with the infuriatingly sexy woman who’s outfoxing him . . .
Elyse says: Two jewel thieves after this same prize. This is so much my catnip that it should come inside a squeaky mouse.
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Twist
Author: Kylie Scott
Released: April 11, 2017 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Dive Bar #2From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes the second sizzling stand-alone novel in the Dive Bar series!
When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot bearded bartender Joe Collins only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.
Alex Parks is funny, fascinating, and pretty much everything he’s been looking for in a woman—except that she lives across the country. Soon they’re emailing up a storm and telling each other their deepest, darkest secrets…except the one that really matters.
When Alex pays Joe a surprise visit, however, they both discover that when it comes to love, it’s always better with a twist.
Elyse says: I love Scott’s sense of humor and this book about an internet dating misunderstanding sounds amazing
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All I Want is You
Author: Candace Havens
Released: April 17, 2017 by Entangled: Brazen
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceHawke Vance will do whatever it takes to protect the family business, even if it means protecting it from his own father, a man who’s just gotten hitched in Vegas to wife number nine. Growing up seeing how much chaos wedded bliss creates, Hawke’s sworn never to fall into the matrimony trap. But to get the all-important controlling shares of the company, he does need a wife.
Being caught skinny dipping is not the way ballerina Amy Powell planned to start her vacation. When the hot biker who catches her turns out to be the owner of the house she’s staying in, she’s mortified. But embarrassment soon turns to confusion and a good dose of lust when Mr. Sex on a Stick offers her the money she needs to save her brother if she’ll agree to marry him and play pretend for two months.
Only this game of make-believe quickly starts feeling too real…
Amanda says: A modern marriage of convenience between a biker and a ballerina!
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The Thing About Love
Author: Julie James
Released: April 18, 2017 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceTwo undercover FBI agents can hide who they are from everyone but each other in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly One Summer.
FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.
For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .
Sarah says: I already read this book. It is so freaking terrific, one of the best contemporaries I’ve read this year, and I can’t talk about it without gesticulating and knocking over a lamp.
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Thaw
Author: Elyse Springer
Released: April 24, 2017 by Riptide Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Seasons of Love #2Abigail is content with her quiet life as a librarian. But when she’s invited to a high-profile charity auction, she finds herself dancing with one of the most beautiful women she’s ever met. Abby’s sure she’ll never see her again, but then Gabrielle calls and asks her on a date. And soon after, another.
Supermodel Gabrielle Levesque has a reputation as the Ice Queen—cold and untouchable—except she warms up whenever she’s with Abby. Only Abby isn’t interested in the heat between them; she’s asexual, and she’s worried that admitting as much to Gabrielle might spell the end of their blooming romance.
They’re two different women from two very different worlds, but Abby knows she can love Gabrielle. Her passion for books, travel, and theater prove there’s more to the Ice Queen than meets the eye. But they’ll have to overcome Abby’s fears—and Gabrielle’s own threatening secrets—in order to find their way to love.
Amanda says: A librarian and a model f/f romance!
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By the Hour
Author: Roni Loren
Released: April 25, 2017 by Roni Loren, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica/Erotic Romance, Romance
Series: Pleasure Principle #2Dr. Elle McCray has a plan. Work hard. Be the best. And do it alone. After her ex-husband’s betrayal, she’s learned being feared is a hell of a lot easier than being humiliated. So when trouble personified, Lane Cannon, dares to flirt with her, she shuts him down cold. Too gorgeous. Too cocky. And his job as The Grove’s sexual surrogate is to sleep with patients. No, thank you.
Former escort Lane Cannon has spent enough years with people looking down on him. Stupid. Trailer trash. Rent boy. He’s heard it all. He’s worked too hard to shed his past to let some haughty doctor cut him down. But something about Elle’s ice queen act has his dominant instincts perking up and his body taking notice. He can’t walk away.
After an evening of verbal sparring turns into a night of steamy hate sex, Lane’s ready for round two. But Elle proposes a business deal. How better to keep things strictly physical than to pay him for his services?
Lane wants her, not her money. But he’ll play along in exchange for one thing—all the control. It’s only supposed to be a dirty little fling between colleagues, but these two are about to learn a lesson in love…by the hour.
Amanda says: I loved the first book, Off the Clock (it’s currently nominated for a RITA), and I’m curious if the heroine in this one can be redeemed (she was a bit of a bad guy in the first book). The hero in this one was also super charming in Off the Clock.
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The Enforcer
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Released: April 25, 2017 by Avon
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Romance
Series: Games People Play #2Security expert Matthias Clarke hunts down people who don’t want to be found. His latest prey: the sole survivor of a massacre that killed his brother years ago. Kayla Roy claimed she was a victim of the carnage. Then she disappeared. Matthias thinks Kayla may have actually been the killer—and he wants justice.
Kayla Roy never stays in one place too long and never lets a man get too close. But keeping Matthias at arm’s length may be impossible. Dark and enigmatic, Matthias draws Kayla in from the start. She knows nothing about his connection to her dark past, or his thirst for vengeance. She only knows their attraction feels overpowering—and very dangerous.
Matthias’s suspicions about the sensual Kayla clash with his instinct to protect her, especially when he realizes her life is in danger. But Kayla’s not looking for a savior—especially one who seems hell-bent on tempting her down a lethal path.
Elyse says: I love Dimon’s romantic suspense.
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I’m really excited for “Strawberry Summer” by Melissa Brayden – f/f contemporary, out April 1st!
How much do I love that “Thaw” has an asexual heroine? I might have to put this on my wishlist.
Where The Dead Lie – the 12th book in the Sebastian St Cyr series by C.S. Harris
There is a LOT of good stuff coming in April (I hear my credit card whimpering in terror). In addition to the Roni Loren, Elizabeth Kostova, Calista Fox, Julie James, HelenKay Dimon, and Kristen Callihan books mentioned above, I’m also looking forward to:
April 4- Laura Florand’s “Trust Me”, Suleikha Snyder’s “The Ishq Factor”, and Lorelei James’ “All You Need”
April 18 – Lauren Layne’s “Walk of Shame”, Lavinia Kent’s “Tangled in Sin”, and Maisey Yates’ “Slow Burn Cowboy”
April 25 – Tessa Bailey’s “Too Hard to Forget” and Kate Pearce’s “The Last Good Cowboy”
Looks like my library card will be getting a big workout in a probably futile effort to keep my credit rating above “dumpster fire” :/
April is going to be a great reading, bad for the budget month. The new Julie James has been hanging out there on my preorder list so long, I find it hard to believe it will soon be in my hot little hands. It has Bad Decisions Book Club written all over it.
Happily, GoodReads popped me note about Hot Shot. This is my favorite sports romance series, bar none. I didn’t even realize there was going to be a fourth book.
Also looking forward to Saga, Vol 7. I had to cut out trips to the comic store a few years ago for budgetary reasons, but I put on blinders and make exceptions for this one.
Then there’s The Dastardly Miss Lizzie, the third book of Viola Carr’s rif on the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde story. Hoping we’ll be spending more time with Lizzie as I find her the more likeable personality of the two.
And then there’s the latest Kresley Cole, Wicked Abyss. I feels like FOREVER since there has been a new Kresley Cole. So grabby hands for this.
@DonnaMarie: Oh my god, I am ashamed that I forgot to mention Wicked Abyss.
Oh, man. I enjoyed reading Off the Clock, but I really couldn’t get past the Wine Bottle Shenanigans because I found it so infuriating that two SEX THERAPISTS would engage in something SO unsafe. It kind of ruined the fantasy for me. But on the other hand I’m intrigued by the pairing in the second book, so I’m sort of torn.
@Ellen: See, I liked the wine bottle shenanigans. But then again, it didn’t register as a potential safety issue for me.
@DonnaMarie: I want to tell you that the new Julie James is so incredibly good, and so enjoyable, I adored every moment and you are going to LOVE IT when it arrives. Clear your calendar – it’s not just Bad Decisions Book Club good, it’s “Yeah, I Ate a Bad Burrito Last Night, Sorry. I’m Not Coming In” good.
@Amanda—yeah, I have a master’s in sexual health, so it drove me nuts. The only glass that should be anywhere near anyone’s bits is glass that is designed to go there!!! Plus sugary alcohols anywhere near the genitals = not a good idea, HELLOOOO irritation and/or bacterial infection. I could forgive it if they weren’t supposed to be Super Knowledgable Sex Doctors, *crying emoji*
Gah. I would be on a book-buying moratorium this month. DAAAAAAAAMMMIIIITTT.
They’ll still need my money in May, right?
Ugh, that Julie James tho.
New Emma Barry/Genvieve Turner book in their space program series – “Star Crossed” f/f with computer/astronaut! Releases April 4th.
I’ve been dying–DYING!!!–for Kylie Scott’s Twist since I read Dirty last summer. It was originally slated to publish last November, then was pushed back. I wept, sobbed, made a mess of myself, and then sat down to wait. And wait. And wait.
The waiting is almost over.
I’m going to read that so hard–one sitting, making tea and taking potty breaks while still reading, and probably calling in sick the next day.
And now I have other books to look forward to as well. Thanks!
So, even though I was not going to by another book until I get my next paycheck, By the Hour totally caught my attention. Of course, in my case I have to start at the beginning of a series so I was so ready to buy Off the Clock until I saw the $9.99 sticker-shock price and didn’t touch that one-click button! No matter how great a story seems, I will never pay more for a digital version than I would for paperback. Thank you, Penguin, for saving me from myself:(
I pre-ordered Thaw when I bought all the books in the series (over at Riptide.)
The one other book I know I’m going to devour is Joanna Chambers’ A Gathering Storm(April 17). It’s ban M/M historical so my face is pretty much 😀 right now.
Oh, and also Frances Gideon’s Hopeless Romantic (April 10). It’s an M/F New Adult in which the woman is transgender and the guy’s bisexual.
Thanks for the heads up, Sarah. I will be putting in my PTO request on Monday.
@Amanda, that’s where those GoodReads algorithms come in handy. It popped up in my upcoming releases notice a few months ago, and I have doing the anticipation dance ever since (a sort of variation of the pee-pee dance, but with less potential for stains). Really, between that and the Julie James book, I don’t understand why I haven’t lost about 20 lbs in the last month.
New Kylie Scott! Finally!
I’m ridiculously excited about JT Geissinger’s new rock star romance Sin With Me. I absolutely loved the epic angsty crazysauce of the second book Make Me Sin. Fingers crossed the new one is just as good. Now, whether to buy it outright or do a month of Kindle Unlimited? Hmmmm.
So many good choices! Thanks for this fun post.
I’m certainly looking forward to the new Julie James novel.
Julia aka mizzelle, I read an advanced reader’s copy of Star Crossed by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner. I came to have this copy because the authors put out a call recently asking for suggestions for a bar name. The name I suggested, The Tipsy Abbess, was one of two chosen to appear in the book; I even got a credit in the acknowledgements. Fun times!
@Amanda, I don’t remember exactly when, but Kresley Cole published a novella (I think it’s a novella) titled Shadow’s Seduction recently. It seemed like it could be interesting, but I haven’t read it, and it seems as though it was self-published. It’s part of the Immortals After Dark series, but it’s about two men (males? they’re not human).
I used to really love Black Dagger Brotherhood, but when it started to be less about romance and more about …. who knows what the hell its even about anymore? I stopped reading. I was waiting to see if she’d ever write about Xcor (how do you even pronounce that name?!) becaus I love a filthy evil almost irredeemable bad boy with a hidden heart of gold. But 14.99 for an eBook?!?! I’m all about supporting authors but damn Gina that is a lot for a digital book.
Tawna Fenske has one coming out this month on the 4th, This Time Around. I’m looking forward to it, even have it pre-ordered. And she just had one of her previous books, Now That It’s You, nominated for a RITA. I’m a little sad that I don’t see her mentioned more on this site.
@Aidee: I knew about that title! I’m purely speculating here, but I know that one is part of the Dacians spin-off series. I wonder if the Dacians didn’t perform as well sales-wise compared to the rest of the IAD books and that’s why it’s self-pubbed.
Lady Trent! Lady Trent!
*rushes off to get book*
@qqemokitty, if you really want to see what happens with Xcor, get it from the library. It’s what I did when Beast came out, and I allowed myself to be tempted because it was supposed to be about Rhage and Mary. I thought I needed more Rhage and Mary, but it turns out I did not. The refund demand would have been epic, if I’d actually had to pay for that with something other than tax dollars. Ward changed things about Rhage in that charming way she has of ignoring her own continuity. And it was mostly about four or five other story lines which gave me a pretty clear picture of what’s coming up. It seems she is rehashing the story lines from the previous books. Xcor is going to be Zadist.2, and you’ve already read that story.
I CANNOT wait for Julie James’ The Thing About Love!
@DonnaMarie if I really thought Xcor was going to be Zsadist 2.0 I would have already pre-ordered that book with a quickness. But I just don’t feel his appeal and that has been bothering me ever since I knew that was where the story was going next. Your suggestion of getting the book from the library is a good one, because I spent nigh upon $15 for the ebook of The Beast and was similarly disappointed. I had to go back and re-read Rhage and Mary’s original book to make myself feel better.
HOWEVER this month is going to give my credit card a workout anyway, with new Kylie Scott, new Julie James (who I only discovered a month or so ago and has quickly become a favorite), new Helen Kay Dimon, that marriage of convenience one looks kinda interesting, and I’m starting to think I need to read some Roni Loren….yikes.
@KB, I didn’t say it would be a good Z 2.0.
@qqemokitty I’ve also definitely started to noticed Ward’s Brotherhood is well, is not as exciting as it was at first. For the first time I actually waited until The Beast was in paperback. I think she’s running out of material and doesn’t know the long term plot plans for the series, least that’s the feeling I’m getting.
I’ve always pronounced it “score” as in cut something, since most of the characters names are dark.
I’m looking forward to the new one a little just to see how she portrays him, but also for the heroine’s story.
@DonnaMarie LOL! Point taken. I think I might just re-read Lover Awakened and call it a day. 🙂 @Olivia, funny you have pronounced it “score” because I have always gone with X-cor, like excoriate. I’m not even entirely sure what that word means but it sounds like a bad thing. However I totally agree that she just doesn’t seem to know where all this is going. Not that I want to see this series end but even the most beloved series needs some kind of long-term arc, in my opinion. I signed up to review The Beast for the RITA challenge and that is a big theme of my review so far!
I just noticed there is also a new Kristen Callihan this month. I had stopped following her NA sports series because I felt very meh about the last one, but the first book in that series (The Hook Up) was super good. Might try again with the new one. Because having entirely blown the book budget for the month…I should probably just keep shopping, right?? #baddecisions
“How to Bang A Billionaire” by Alexis Hall is out on April 16th. I’m biting my nails a little on this one, because I was somewhat disenchanted with his last couple of books.
“Shelter the Sea” by Heidi Cullinan, the sequel to “Carry the Ocean”, is being released on April 18th. I’ve already read this, and I really enjoyed it. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s better if you read “Carry the Ocean” first.
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