There are fifty books on this dang new release list. Fifty! But there are so many more books being released this October. Here are a few more that have some buzz behind them:
- Garth Nix returns with Angel Mage ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
- Penny Reid’s Smartypants Romance imprint is releasing Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorensen ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
- Hidden Cove by Meg Tilly ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) is the third book in her Solace Island series.
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Aurora Blazing
Author: Jessie Mihalik
Released: October 1, 2019 by Harper Voyager
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Consortium Rebellion #2To save her brother and protect her family’s future, a powerful princess must join forces with a dashing man from her past in this thrilling space adventure, the second novel in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy.
As the dutiful daughter of High House von Hasenberg, Bianca set aside her personal feelings and agreed to a political match arranged by her family, only to end up trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage. When her husband unexpectedly dies, Bianca vows never to wed again. Newly independent, she secretly uses her wealth and influence to save other women stuck in dire circumstances. Information is power and Bianca has a network of allies and spies that would be the envy of the ’verse—if anyone knew about it.
When her family’s House is mysteriously attacked, Bianca’s oldest brother, the heir to House von Hasenberg, disappears. Fearful for her brother’s life, the headstrong Bianca defies her father and leaves Earth to save him. Ian Bishop, the director of House von Hasenberg security—and Bianca’s first love—is ordered to find and retrieve the rebellious woman.
Ian is the last man Bianca wants to see. To evade capture, she leads him on a merry chase across the universe. But when their paths finally collide, she knows she must persuade him to help her. Bianca will do anything to save her sibling, even if it means spending time alone on a small ship with the handsome, infuriating man who once broke her heart.
As the search takes them deep into rival House Rockhurst territory, Bianca must decide if she can trust Ian with the one piece of information that could destroy her completely . . .
Amanda: I don’t think my body is ready.
Catherine: I loved Polaris Rising so much that I read it three times in a row over the space of four days. I am SUPER excited for Bianca’s story. Super excited.
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Crier’s War
Author: Nina Varela
Released: October 1, 2019 by HarperTeen
Genre: LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Crier's War #1Impossible love between two girls—one human, one Made.
A love that could birth a revolution.After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will.
Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father.
Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla.
Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human.
Ellen: F/F enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance between a human girl and an artificial life girl. I’m so excited for this book to come out so you can all read it and TALK ABOUT IT WITH ME!!!!
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The Good Luck Girls
Author: Charlotte Nicole Davis
Released: October 1, 2019 by Tor Teen
Genre: Western, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: The Good Luck Girls #1Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.
Aster, the protector
Violet, the favorite
Tansy, the medic
Mallow, the fighter
Clementine, the catalystTHE GOOD LUCK GIRLS
The country of Arketta calls them Good Luck Girls–they know their luck is anything but. Sold to a “welcome house” as children and branded with cursed markings. Trapped in a life they would never have chosen.
When Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by Arketta’s most vicious and powerful forces, both human and inhuman, their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one Good Luck Girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.
It’s going to take more than luck for them all to survive.
Susan: Women teaming up to protect each other and get their revenge! How could I say no?
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The Library of the Unwritten
Author: A.J. Hackwith
Released: October 1, 2019 by Ace
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: A Novel from Hell's Library #1In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren’t finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.
Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing– a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil’s Bible. The text of the Devil’s Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
Aarya: I liked this one. I recognize that it has some first book growing pains, but I’m intrigued enough to stick around for the long haul.
Catherine: I have high hopes of this one – it sounds like it sits somewhere between Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books and Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library, so yes please.
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One Night Gone
Author: Tara Laskowski
Released: October 1, 2019 by Graydon House
Genre: Mystery/ThrillerIt was the perfect place to disappear…
One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew—to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureen’s new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes.
Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all…
Elyse: I love a cold case/missing persons mystery.
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Royal Holiday
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Released: October 1, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: The Wedding Date #4From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and “rising star in the romance genre” (Entertainment Weekly) comes a dazzling new novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.
Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?
Shana: I was ready to read this based on the cover alone. Then, Guillory added in a buttoned-up British hero and a fun-seeking, middle-aged, American heroine PLUS Christmas. Swoon.
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The Shape of Night
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Released: October 1, 2019 by Ballantine Books
Genre: Mystery/ThrillerA woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.
Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie’s Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she’s been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house–until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks–and feels–all too real. Meanwhile, there’s been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don’t add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter’s mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there’s a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava’s waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie’s ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again.
Elyse: Per the blurb the hero of the book is a ghost and I’m really hoping for ghostly sexy times .
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The Vine Witch
Author: Luanne Smith
Released: October 1, 2019 by 47North
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Vine Witch #1A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy of betrayal, vengeance, and self-discovery set in turn-of-the-century France.
For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.
Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.
Ellen: Another great halloween season pick with a witch and a cursed vineyard and FRANCE.
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Whispers of Shadow & Flame
Author: L. Penelope
Released: October 1, 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Earthsinger Chronicles #2The Mantle that separates the kingdoms of Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall. And life will drastically change for both kingdoms.
Born with a deadly magic she cannot control, Kyara is forced to become an assassin. Known as the Poison Flame in the kingdom of Lagrimar, she is notorious and lethal, but secretly seeks freedom from both her untamed power and the blood spell that commands her. She is tasked with capturing the legendary rebel called the Shadowfox, but everything changes when she learns her target’s true identity.
Darvyn ol-Tahlyro may be the most powerful Earthsinger in generations, but guilt over those he couldn’t save tortures him daily. He isn’t sure he can trust the mysterious young woman who claims to need his help, but when he discovers Kyara can unlock the secrets of his past, he can’t stay away.
Kyara and Darvyn grapple with betrayal, old promises, and older prophecies—all while trying to stop a war. And when a new threat emerges, they must beat the odds to save both kingdoms.
Aarya: The previous book has lovely writing and I’m looking forward to this one.
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Master of Restless Shadows
Author: Ginn Hale
Released: October 8, 2019 by Blind Eye Books
Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Master of Restless Shadows #1Freshly graduated Master Physician Narsi Lif-Tahm has left his home in Anacleto and journeyed to the imposing royal capitol of Cieloalta intent upon keeping the youthful oath he made to a troubled writer. But in the decade since Narsi gave his pledge, Atreau Vediya, has grown from an anonymous delinquent to a man renowned for penning bawdy operas and engaging in scandalous affairs.
What Narsi―and most of the larger world―cannot know is the secret role Atreau plays as spymaster for the Duke of Rauma.
After the Cadeleonian royal bishop launches an unprovoked attack against the witches in neighboring Labara, Atreau will require every resource he can lay his hands upon to avert a war. A physician is exactly what he needs. But with a relentless assassin hunting the city and ancient magic waking, Atreau fears that his actions could cost more than his own honor. The price of peace could be his friends’ lives.
Susan: Spies! Assassins! Physicians! Secret identities! This sounds like it’s going to be nothing but drama and tropes, which is exciting!
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American Love Story
Author: Adriana Herrera
Released: October 7, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Dreamers #3No one should have to choose between love and justice.
Haitian-born professor and activist Patrice Denis is not here for anything that will veer him off the path he’s worked so hard for. One particularly dangerous distraction: Easton Archer, the assistant district attorney who last summer gave Patrice some of the most intense nights of his life, and still makes him all but forget they’re from two completely different worlds.
All-around golden boy Easton forged his own path to success, choosing public service over the comforts of his family’s wealth. With local law enforcement unfairly targeting young men of color, and his career—and conscience—on the line, now is hardly the time to be thirsting after Patrice again. Even if their nights together have turned into so much more.
For the first time, Patrice is tempted to open up and embrace the happiness he’s always denied himself. But as tensions between the community and the sheriff’s office grow by the day, Easton’s personal and professional lives collide. And when the issue at hand hits closer to home than either could imagine, they’ll have to work to forge a path forward…together.
Aarya: Love the Ithaca setting and angst in this one! I rec it, especially to fans of the series (not sure how well it works as a standalone but I think it might).
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Iron & Velvet
Author: Alexis Hall
Released: October 7, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: LGBTQIA, Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #1Previously published; newly refreshed by the author
I like my women like I like my whiskey: more than is good for me.
Name’s Kane, Kate Kane. I’m a paranormal private investigator, which is like a normal private investigator except—and stop me if you’re having trouble following this—more paranormal. This business comes with a few basic rules: don’t start drinking before noon, don’t get your partner killed, don’t sleep with the woman who killed him.
Last year I broke all of them.
The only rule I didn’t break was the one that said don’t work for vampires. But then a dead werewolf showed up outside the Soho shag palace of Julian Saint-Germain—a bloodsucking flibbertigibbet who’s spent the last eight centuries presiding over an ever-growing empire of booze, sex and hemoglobin.
I shouldn’t have taken the job. The last thing I needed was to get caught in a supernatural smackdown between a werewolf pack and a vampire prince. Even if the vampire prince was dangerously my type. But what can I say? I was broke, I’m a sucker for a pretty face and I gave up on making good decisions a long time ago.
Susan: I read Iron & Velvet back when it was first published and it was DELIGHTFUL. Kate Kane is all of my favourited washed up PI tropes wrapped in a magical lesbian PI in London who knows her decisions are terrible and makes them anyway. I’m glad she (and her romantic entanglements) is getting rereleased!
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The Play
Author: Elle Kennedy
Released: October 7, 2019 by Elle Kennedy Inc.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Romance
Series: Briar U #3A brand-new standalone novel in the New York Times bestselling Briar U series!
What I learned after last year’s distractions cost my hockey team our entire season? No more screwing up. No more screwing, period. As the new team captain, I need a new philosophy: hockey and school now, women later. Which means that I, Hunter Davenport, am officially going celibate…no matter how hard that makes things.
But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.
Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.
And she’s making a play for me.
Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.
Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.
Catherine: I have never seen a game of ice hockey in my life and yet I am completely addicted to Elle Kennedy’s ice hockey romances. This was an instant pre-order for me.
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The Bodies in the Library
Author: Marty Wingate
Released: October 8, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Series: First Edition Library Mystery #1Hayley Burke’s fresh start as the curator of The First Edition Society’s library in Bath, England, is about to take a rotten turn in this charming new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.
Hayley Burke has landed a dream job. She is the new curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling’s First Edition library. The library is kept at Middlebank House, a lovely Georgian home in Bath, England. Hayley lives on the premises and works with the finicky Glynis Woolgar, Lady Fowling’s former secretary.
Mrs. Woolgar does not like Hayley’s ideas to modernize The First Edition Society and bring in fresh blood. And she is not even aware of the fact that Hayley does not know the first thing about the Golden Age of Mysteries. Hayley is faking it till she makes it, and one of her plans to breathe new life into the Society is actually taking flight–an Agatha Christie fan fiction writers group is paying dues to meet up at Middlebank House.
But when one of the group is found dead in the venerable stacks of the library, Hayley has to catch the killer to save the Society and her new job.
Susan: As a librarian who like classic mysteries, knows nothing about the subject my work library specialises in, and writes fanfic, I feel very seen by this summary!
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Escaping Exodus
Author: Nicky Dayden
Released: October 15, 2019 by Harper Voyager
Genre: Science Fiction/FantasyThe Compton Crook award–winning author of The Prey of Gods and Temper returns with a dazzling stand-alone novel, set in deep space, in which the fate of humanity rests on the slender shoulders of an idealistic and untested young woman—a blend of science fiction, dark humor, and magical realism that will appeal to fans of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor.
Earth is a distant memory. Habitable extrasolar planets are still out of reach. For generations, humanity has been clinging to survival by establishing colonies within enormous vacuum-breathing space beasts and mining their resources to the point of depletion.
Rash, dreamy, and unconventional, Seske Kaleigh should be preparing for her future role as clan leader, but her people have just culled their latest beast, and she’s eager to find the cause of the violent tremors plaguing their new home. Defying social barriers, Seske teams up with her best friend, a beast worker, and ventures into restricted areas for answers to end the mounting fear and rumors. Instead, they discover grim truths about the price of life in the void.
Then, Seske is unexpectedly thrust into the role of clan matriarch, responsible for thousands of lives in a harsh universe where a single mistake can be fatal. Her claim to the throne is challenged by a rival determined to overthrow her and take control—her intelligent, cunning, and confident sister.
Seske may not be a born leader like her sister, yet her unorthodox outlook and incorruptible idealism may be what the clan needs to save themselves and their world.
Susan: The premise of a ship full of people living inside a hollowed out space beastie (until everything goes wrong) sounds AMAZING!
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Fortuna
Author: K.S. Merbeth
Released: November 5, 2019 by Orbit
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Nova Vita Protocol #1A rebellious young woman leads a family of smugglers who become unwittingly entangled in a galactic war in this first book of an action-packed space opera trilogy.
There’s only one thing Scorpia Kaiser wants in the whole galaxy: to finally own Fortuna, the ship she pilots and the only home she’s ever known. But when it becomes clear her predecessor – the family matriarch – has been secretly dealing with various planetary governments, Scorpia realizes that her own family may be the reason the system’s five planets are headed toward a devastating war.
Lies, manipulation, and profit are all she’s ever been taught, but as she ascends into her new position Scorpia finds she has the chance to change everything. Yet even as she takes on more responsibility for the family’s fate, fortune and influence, she is not at all sure she’s ready for it – nor that she has the support of her crew, particularly her brother and rival Corvus.
To stop the war, she’ll have to unite her family and unravel the chaos they’ve left in their wake.
Amanda: A space opera with a family of smugglers!
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The Grace Year
Author: Kim Liggett
Released: October 8, 2019 by Wednesday Books
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young AdultA speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture!
“A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author
No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.
Amanda: I’ve started this one on audio and holy hell, the narrator is fantastic.
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How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse
Author: K. Eason
Released: October 8, 2019 by DAW
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Thorne Chronicles #1First in a duology that reimagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera—The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia.
Rory Thorne is a princess with thirteen fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she’d inherit her father’s throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.
Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.
When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairytale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination—how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but change the course of history.
Amanda: This seems all sorts of fun.
Ellen: This book is supposed to use fairy tale tropes in space through a feminist lens and if it really does that I will be very happy.
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Ninth House
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Released: October 1, 2019 by Flatiron Books
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Alex Stern #1The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
Amanda: My roommate committed the most egregious sin by lending my ARC to a coworker who then misplaced it.
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The Widow of Rose House
Author: Diana Biller
Released: October 8, 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Gothic, Historical: American, RomanceA young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel
It’s 1875, and Alva Webster has perfected her stiff upper lip after three years of being pilloried in the presses of two continents over fleeing her abusive husband. Now his sudden death allows her to return to New York to make a fresh start, restoring Liefdehuis, a dilapidated Hyde Park mansion, and hopefully her reputation at the same time. However, fresh starts aren’t as easy as they seem, as Alva discovers when stories of a haunting at Liefdehuis begin to reach her. But Alva doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the eccentric and brilliant professor, Samuel Moore, appears and informs her that he can get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds Liefdehuis, she turns him down flat. She doesn’t need any more complications in her life―especially not a handsome, convention-flouting, scandal-raising one like Sam.
Unfortunately, though Alva is loath to admit it, Sam, a pioneer in electric lighting and a member of the nationally-adored Moore family of scientists, is the only one who can help. Together, the two delve into the tragic secrets wreathing Alva’s new home while Sam attempts to unlock Alva’s history―and her heart.
Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, The Widow of Rose House is a gorgeous debut by Diana Biller, with a darkly Victorian Gothic flair and an intrepid and resilient American heroine guaranteed to delight readers.
Amanda: This sounds like an amazing read for the spooky fall season.
Elyse: This Gilded Age Gothic sounds like pure Elyse catnip.
Ellen: Very intrigued by the fact that a book with a lot of gothic tropes is being billed as a “gilded age romantic comedy.”
Sneezy: A woman who’s trying to find happiness under the strictures of patriarchy, and is set on playing by its rules, as life piles more and more on her until she doesn’t know if she wants to play by those rules anymore. I think this is one of my catnip phases right now.
Aarya: I’ve been wanting more Gilded Age romance and I got my wish.
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Lush Money
Author: Angelina Lopez
Released: October 14, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Filthy Rich #1A marriage of convenience and three nights a month.
That’s all the sultry, self-made billionaire wants from the impoverished prince.
And at the end of the year, she’ll grant him his divorce…with a settlement large enough to save his beloved kingdom.
As a Latinx woman, Roxanne Medina has conquered small-town bullies, Ivy League snobs and boardrooms full of men. She’s earned the right to mother a princess and feel a little less lonely at the top. The offer she’s made is more than generous, and when the contract’s fulfilled, they’ll both walk away with everything they’ve ever wanted.
Príncipe Mateo Ferdinand Juan Carlos de Esperanza y Santos is one of the top winegrowers in the world, and he’s not marrying and having a baby with a stranger. Even if the millions she’s offering could save his once-legendary wine-producing principality.
But the successful, single-minded beauty uses a weapon prince Mateo hadn’t counted on: his own desire.
Amanda: Give us more billionaire heroines!
Aarya: Read it and really enjoyed this one. Very cleverly reverses patriarchal power dynamics normally found in Harlequin Presents.
Shana: Gender flipped tropes are always a must-read for me!
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A River of Royal Blood
Author: Amanda Joy
Released: October 29, 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: A River of Royal Blood #1An enthralling debut perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.
Sixteen-year-old Eva is a princess, born with the magick of marrow and blood–a dark and terrible magick that hasn’t been seen for generations in the vibrant but fractured country of Myre. Its last known practitioner was Queen Raina, who toppled the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands, including her own sister, eight generations ago, thus beginning the Rival Heir tradition. Living in Raina’s long and dark shadow, Eva must now face her older sister, Isa, in a battle to the death if she hopes to ascend to the Ivory Throne–because in the Queendom of Myre only the strongest, most ruthless rulers survive.
When Eva is attacked by an assassin just weeks before the battle with her sister, she discovers there is more to the attempt on her life than meets the eye–and it isn’t just her sister who wants to see her dead. As tensions escalate, Eva is forced to turn to a fey instructor of mythic proportions and a mysterious and handsome khimaer prince for help in growing her magick into something to fear. Because despite the love she still has for her sister, Eva will have to choose: Isa’s death or her own.
A River of Royal Blood is an enthralling debut set in a lush North African inspired fantasy world that subtly but powerfully challenges our notions of power, history, and identity.
Susan: I love stories about complicated relationships between sisters and family politics translating to national politics, so this book had me at “sisters fighting to the death to win the crown.”
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The Absinthe Earl
Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher
Released: October 15, 2019 by Blackstone Publishing
Genre: Historical: European, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Faery Rehistory #1They crossed centuries to find each other. Their love will shatter worlds.
Miss Ada Quicksilver, a student of London’s Lovelace Academy for Promising Young Women, is spending her holiday in Ireland to pursue her anthropological study of fairies. She visits Dublin’s absinthe bars to investigate a supposed association between the bittersweet spirit and fairy sightings.
One night a handsome Irishman approaches her, introducing himself as Edward Donoghue. Edward takes absinthe to relieve his sleepwalking, and she is eager to hear whether he has experience with fairies. Instead, she discovers that he’s the earl of Meath, and that he will soon visit a mysterious ruin at Newgrange on the orders of his cousin, the beautiful, half-mad Queen Isolde. On learning about Ada’s area of study, he invites her to accompany him.
Ada is torn between a sensible fear of becoming entangled with the clearly troubled gentleman and her compelling desire to ease his suffering. Finally she accepts his invitation, and they arrive in time for the winter solstice. That night, the secret of Edward’s affliction is revealed: he is, in fact, a lord in two worlds and can no longer suppress his shadow self.
Little does either of them realize that their blossoming friendship and slowly kindling passion will lead to discoveries that wrench open a door sealed for centuries, throwing them into a war that will change Ireland forever.
Ellen: The blurb sounds delightfully BONKEROONIES (absinthe bars! fairy anthropology! sleepwalking earl! mysterious ruins! RIFT BETWEEN WORLDS) and it has some favorable quotes from authors I enjoy which seems promising.
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The Art of Theft
Author: Sherry Thomas
Released: October 15, 2019 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
Series: Lady Sherlock #4Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, is back solving new cases in the Victorian-set mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of The Hollow of Fear.
As “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork—or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas.
But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure.
Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia’s admirer Stephen Marbleton—everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake…
Sarah: I’m also doing an event with Sherry Thomas October 25 at Loyalty Books – with cocktails, woo hoo!
Aarya: I’ve read the series three times between the last release and this one. So you could say I am a little excited for this.
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Betrothed by Christmas
Author: Jess Michaels
Released: October 15, 2019 by The Passionate Pen LLC
Genre: Historical: European, RomanceA madcap plan to avoid marriages they do not desire, leads two women to romance and passion they don’t expect in a duet of novellas by bestselling authors Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex.
A Lady’s Gift for Seduction by Jess Michaels
Lady Evangeline is a Diamond of the First Water, but she fears her father will match her to his own advantage, not hers. She decides marrying a biddable groom is the only way to salvage her future and chooses her old friend, astronomer Henry Killam. But she soon realizes Henry isn’t quite as manageable as she first believed and her feelings for him are stronger than she ever imagined.A Lady’s Gift for Scandal by Elizabeth Essex
Miss Tamsin Lesley desires above all else to be a bluestocking and lead an intellectual life. The only thing standing in her way is her father’s heir, who wants her along with her father’s estate. To foil him, Tamsin enlists the services of masculine wallflower Simon Cathcart to ruin her. But the road to ruination leads to far more pleasurable places than Tamsin could ever imagine, and her charming wallflower proves to have secrets of his own.Susan: I want this solely on the strength of a bluestocking recruiting a wallflower to ruin her.
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Christmas Shopaholic
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Released: October 15, 2019 by The Dial Press
Genre: Chick Lit, Women's Fiction
Series: Shopaholic #9Celebrate Christmas with the ultimate Shopaholic!
The brilliant laugh-out-loud festive novel from the Number One bestselling author.
Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It’s always the same – Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers.
And now it’s even easier with online bargain-shopping sites – if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted!
But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky’s parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she’ll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong?
With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper – surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear . . .
Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas?
Aarya: People are always surprised when I say that I’m a fan of the Shopaholic books. It’s not that I approve of Becky’s frustrating inability to learn from her mistakes, but I am attracted to the idea that she makes even worse life decisions than I do. Yay, perspective! Also, she straddles the line between endearing and annoying, and I choose to view her as endearing.
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Dear Girls
Author: Ali Wong
Released: October 15, 2019 by Random House
Genre: Memoir, Humor, NonfictionAli Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero) cover everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.
In her hit Netflix comedy special Baby Cobra, an eight-month pregnant Ali Wong resonated so strongly that she even became a popular Halloween costume. Wong told the world her remarkably unfiltered thoughts on marriage, sex, Asian culture, working women, and why you never see new mom comics on stage but you sure see plenty of new dads.
The sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she’s learned from a life in comedy and reveals stories from her life off stage, including the brutal single life in New York (i.e. the inevitable confrontation with erectile dysfunction), reconnecting with her roots (and drinking snake blood) in Vietnam, tales of being a wild child growing up in San Francisco, and parenting war stories. Though addressed to her daughters, Ali Wong’s letters are absurdly funny, surprisingly moving, and enlightening (and gross) for all.
Amanda: I’m such a fan of Ali Wong and if she narrates the audiobook, I just KNOW it’s going to be fantastic.
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Fire & Ice
Author: Rachel Spangler
Released: October 15, 2019 by Bywater Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceWill the heat building between a disgraced reporter and a rising curling star melt the already thin ice they each are on?
Max Lauren made a mistake that shattered her pride, her heart, and her career in one fell swoop. Relegated to covering the lowly game of curling, she already resents the so-called “sport,” and then she steps onto the ice, where things get infinitely worse. She’s been knocked down before, and she’s always gotten back up, but a frosty resolve goes only so far in a world of people who thrive on ice.
Callie Mulligan is the amiable skipper of America’s second-place curling team. Upbeat, optimistic, and with a fiery passion for an icy sport, she has both the mental and physical skills to become Team USA’s top contender. What she doesn’t have is the fame or the funding. Coverage from a journalist of Max’s caliber could be the answer to both problems if only Max wasn’t so cold to the idea. As Callie tries to warm her to the sport, a little bit of heat grows into a fire neither of them can contain.
Passion, competition, ambition, redemption, and raw need collide as the bright lights of success and celebrity grow hotter, but can the fire between Max and Callie be sustained when it’s put on ice?
Tara: I’m Canadian. Of course I have to read a romance based around the proud sport of curling!
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Fireborne
Author: Rosaria Munda
Released: October 15, 2019 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Aurelian Cycle #1Game of Thrones meets Red Rising in a debut young adult fantasy that’s full of rivalry, romance… and dragons.
The brutal revolution that overthrew the Dragonlords may have orphaned Annie and Lee, but it’s brought new hope to their city. Now anyone–including the lowborn–can have wealth, an education, and even test into the governing class of dragonriders.
Aristocratic by birth and with his identity concealed, Lee’s confidence and air of power have made him a rising star in the very regime that slaughtered his family. Annie, a former serf, is as bold a rider as they come–in the air. On the ground, she struggles with self-doubt.
Now, after seven years of friendship, Annie and Lee are rivals for the top position in the city’s fleet. All the riders have been preparing to lead their people into the future, yet no one is ready when survivors from the Dragonlord families resurface with dragons of their own, bent on reclaiming the city.
With war looming and their relationship growing, Annie and Lee will both have to confront wavering loyalties. Lee will be forced to choose between killing the only family he has left, or betraying everything he’s come to believe in, while Annie will have to decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.
Amanda: Dragonriders and a hint of romance
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Holiday by Candlelight
Author: Laurel Greer
Released: October 15, 2019 by Harlequin Special Edition
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Sutter Creek, MontanaA tragic accident ended the life he once knew
Is a Hanukkah miracle right around the corner?
This year, Dr. Caleb Matsuda could do without holiday cheer. After an avalanche robbed him of his ability to practice surgery, he struggles to make it through each day. He may be intrigued by new colleague Garnet James, but she’s also a search-and-rescue volunteer who could be in danger at any moment. If only she wasn’t perfect for the man he used to be…
Sarah: Hanukkah romance! Japanese doctor hero! HELLO.
Shana: A Hanukkah romance with an interracial couple? Yes, please.
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The Inn at Netherfield Green
Author: Aurora Rey
Released: October 15, 2019 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceNew York advertising executive Lauren Montgomery loses her job, inherits an inn, and moves to England—all in the span of a week. It’s not how her career, or her life, is supposed to unfold. But necessity is the mother of invention and Lauren has a new plan. She’s going to spruce up the inn, turn the attached pub into a hot spot, sell it for a killing, and start her own advertising agency.
Gin distiller Camden Crawley has a soft spot for the Rose & Crown, the pub where her parents and grandparents got engaged. But the opinionated new owner who wants to turn it into some trendy bed and bar? Not so much. The last thing she wants to do is stick her nose in, but that might be her best chance to save a place she holds dear. And boosting her new line of gin wouldn’t hurt either.
It’s one thing to give in on the cocktail menu. But the very inconvenient, very mutual, attraction? That’s another matter entirely.
Shana: I’m so excited to read this f/f about an American who inherits a British inn. Why doesn’t that happen to me?
Tara: American inherits an inn in England and falls for a gin distiller? I have to. I may also have to keep a bottle of gin handy while I’m reading it, because this book will make me want a G&T for sure.
Sneezy: GENTRIFICATION BEGONE! My smiting aside, one woman is looking to start fresh and trying to get her game plan going to change her life. Another is busting out of her shell to preserve the integrity and character of her community. IRL callous developers are my enemy, bookworld makes it Slytherin+Hufflepuff honey.
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Mooncakes
Author: Suzanne Walker
Released: October 15, 2019 by Lion Forge
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young AdultA story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Susan: A non-binary werewolf and a queer witch fall in love while trying to clear a demon out of a forest! Wendy Xu’s art is really cute, so I’m looking forward to this.
Ellen: Witch and werewolf friends-to-lovers graphic novel, perfect for halloween vibes.
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The Never Tilting World
Author: Rin Chupeco
Released: October 15, 2019 by HarperTeen
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: The Never Tilting World #1Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.
Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.
While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.
But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.
Susan’s pick!
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One Walk in Winter
Author: Georgia Beers
Released: October 15, 2019 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceNothing’s ever been handed to Olivia Santini, and she’s proud of her work ethic. After seven years as the assistant manager of the Evergreen Resort and Spa, she has ideas to improve the bottom line and increase reservations. When her manager resigns, Olivia puts in her résumé and waits for the interview. The job is practically hers—all she needs is the paperwork.
Hayley Boyd Markham is the youngest Markham, the only girl, and the most spoiled. An artistic soul in a family of business-minded type As, she’s always felt like a bit of a screwup. After an embarrassing party situation, her father puts a hold on her allowance and gives her an ultimatum: Spend the winter as manager of the Evergreen Resort and Spa and show him it can turn a profit. Only then will he reconsider her future (and her inheritance).
A chance encounter in the woods is filled with chemistry and promise, and though neither Olivia nor Hayley is looking for love, they both feel the possibility. Until they get to work…
Tara: Georgia Beers is one of my autobuy authors because the romances are always super satisfying and she writes some of the best first kisses going in f/f romance. Like, I don’t even care what the premise is, I will read this book.
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Top of Her Game
Author: M. Ullrich
Released: October 15, 2019 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceKenzie Shaw is the most sought-after rookie in women’s major league soccer, but her life changes forever when she’s drafted in her home state of New Jersey. After all, it’s not every day you get a chance to play alongside your idol and the woman you’ve crushed on for years.
Sutton Flores has soccer in her blood. Her father raised her to play, her brothers pushed her even harder, and her coaches shaped her into a superstar athlete. Despite her success, Sutton never lost sight of what matters most—her family, friends, and the woman she’s dating—even if most of her relationships fizzle out as quickly as they start.
Kenzie and Sutton’s chemistry as teammates quickly escalates to undeniable attraction off the field, but when allegations of sexual harassment rock the team and their relationship, they must decide if they’re willing to sacrifice their dreams for love. Are they destined to last, or are they players in a game set to lose?
Tara: Two teammates on a professional soccer team fall in love. If one of them doesn’t have short purple hair, I’m going to be sad.
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The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street
Author: Emma Davies
Released: October 16, 2019 by Bookouture
Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Women's FictionThirty-two-year-old Daisy Turner has worked at Buchanan’s Family Jewellers since the day she finally escaped her troubled home. With a unique talent for matching the perfect piece of jewellery to any romantic milestone, she painstakingly polishes each stunning creation every morning and safely locks them away each night, longing for the day she’ll have a love story to call her own…
But everything changes one day in December when the owner announces she is retiring. She will leave the shop to whichever of her three sons creates the perfect piece of Christmas jewellery for Daisy.
In danger of losing the job that once saved her, Daisy is catapulted out of her comfort zone as each of the brothers sweeps her off her feet to find out what her heart truly desires. Between ice-skating, starlight shopping and cosy candle-lit dinners, it’s only handsome and guarded youngest brother Kit who really seems to be listening. Because Daisy has a secret. Every night, when the shop closes, she lays out her tools in neat rows and creates sparkling designs of her own…
As Christmas Day approaches, Daisy’s growing feelings for Kit fill her with a confidence she never knew she had. But as the brothers present their elaborate gemstone masterpieces, she’s in for the shock of her life… Was Kit using her to get ahead in the competition all along? Or has he truly worked out the one thing she has always longed for?
They say all good things come in small packages, but the best things don’t need wrapping at all…
Snuggle up with an absolutely heartwarming Christmas read and find a warm spot by the fire. An unputdownable festive treat for lovers of Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Debbie Johnson.
Shana: I’ve never read this author before, but the aspiring jewelry designer heroine sounds intriguing.
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War Girls
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Released: October 15, 2019 by Razorbill
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: War Girls #1Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria.
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky.
In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life.
Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together.
And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there.
Acclaimed author, Tochi Onyebuchi, has written an immersive, action-packed, deeply personal novel perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marie Lu, and Paolo Bacigalupi.
Susan: And in the opposite track: two sisters fighting together to build a future that they can share!
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A Whore’s Manifesto
Author: Kay Kassirer
Released: October 18, 2019 by Thorntree Press
Genre: NonfictionSex work was once thought to be anathema to women’s liberation. Now, to some, we represent the tenacity of women’s struggles under patriarchy and capitalism—that is, at least, the white, straight, cis, able-bodied sex workers who don’t engage in actual sex with clients. These are the workers who get the glossy media profiles and get touted as feminist icons. But the red umbrella is wide and covers so many: escorts, sugar babies, strippers, session wrestlers, cam performers, fetish models, DIY queer porn stars, and the full range of gender, race, and ability.
Our work and our identities are as vast and variable as the spectrum of sexuality itself. We do the work. In the streets, in the clubs, in hotel rooms, and in play party dungeons. We make dreams come true so we can afford a place to sleep. We do business in a marketplace that politicians and police are constantly burning down for our “own safety and dignity.” We have high heels and higher anxiety. This isn’t a collection of sob stories of heartbroken whores. This is a testament of life at ground zero of sexual discourse, the songs of canaries in the coal mines of sex, gender, class, race, and disability. We may dance on the table, but we still demand our seat at it. Sex workers of the world unite. This is A Whore’s Manifesto.
Sneezy: From the title and summary, this books promises to be an intersectional platform for sex workers in all walks of life to tell their story the way they want to tell it. I fully expect this book to challenge me, and I’m absolutely HERE FOR IT!!!!!
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Lucky Break
Author: A.M. Arthur
Released: October 21, 2019 by Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Western, Romance
Series: Clean Slate Ranch #4Welcome to Clean Slate Ranch: home of tight jeans, cowboy boots and rough trails. For some men, it’s a fantasy come true.
Shawn Matthews never imagined he’d be living out of his car, trying to make ends meet, but life doesn’t always go your way—he knows that better than most. When an accident leaves the Clean Slate Ranch shorthanded, Shawn is enlisted to help cook and finds himself bunked next to the sexiest cowboy he’s ever laid eyes on.
The first time Robin Butler spots the new chef, he thinks he’s seeing an actual ghost. Shawn is the spitting image of his late husband, and it spooks the hell out of him. The former rodeo-star-turned-ranch-hand does his best to avoid the soft-spoken cook—except it’s kind of tough when the man makes the best damn grub this side of the Mississippi and has a boy-next-door charm that’s impossible to resist.
Even though the tension between them practically sizzles, Shawn doesn’t do hookups and Robin isn’t ready for a new relationship. Besides, Robin can tell Shawn’s been hurt and deserves a partner who isn’t saddled with a tragic past. But chemistry doesn’t lie. Maybe finding each other—and a second chance at love—is the lucky break they both need.
Shana: Hello, cowboy m/m with a working class hero and a widower working on a ranch together…and sleeping on adjoining bunks…
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A Convenient Fiction
Author: Mimi Matthews
Released: October 22, 2019 by Perfectly Proper Press
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Parish Orphans of Devon #3She Needed a Husband…
It’s been three years since Laura Hayes’s father died, leaving her and her invalid brother to subsist on the income from the family’s failing perfume business. But time is swiftly running out. What she needs is a husband, and fast. A noble gentleman who can rescue them all from penury. When a mysterious stranger arrives in the village, he seems a perfect candidate. But Alex Archer is no hero. In fact, he just might be the opposite.
He Wanted a Fortune…
Alex has no tolerance for sentiment. He’s returned to England for one reason only: to find a wealthy wife. A country-bred heiress in Surrey seems the perfect target. But somewhere between the village railway station and the manor house his mercenary plan begins to unravel. And it’s all the fault of Laura Hayes—a lady as unsuitable as she is enchanting.
From the beaches of Margate to the lavender fields of Provence, a grudging friendship slowly blossoms into something more. But when scandal threatens, can a man who has spent his entire life playing the villain, finally become a hero? Or will the lure of easy riches once again outweigh the demands of his heart?
Claudia: Mimi Matthews is always meticulous about her research and this series, set in mid Victorian times, gets bonus points for having nary a nobleman in sight. In fact, the heroes were charity cases forging a bond amid trying circumstances.
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Cosmoknights
Author: Hannah Templer
Released: October 23, 2019 by Top Shelf Productions
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/FantasyPan’s life used to be very small. Work in her dad’s body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn’t even matter that Tara was a princess… until one day it very much did matter, and Pan had to say goodbye forever. Years later, when a charismatic pair of off-world gladiators show up on her doorstep, she finds that life might not be as small as she thought. On the run and off the galactic grid, Pan discovers the astonishing secrets of her neo-medieval world… and the intoxicating possibility of burning it all down.
Ellen: The blurb says “ragtag band of space gays,” which speaks to me on a deep personal level.
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The Queens of Animation
Author: Nathalia Holt
Released: October 22, 2019 by Little, Brown and Company
Genre: NonfictionFrom the bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, from its early days to the present.
In The Queens of Animation, bestselling author Nathalia Holt recounts the dramatic stories of an incredibly influential group of women who have slipped under the radar for decades but have touched all our lives. These women infiltrated the all-male domain of Disney Studios and used early technologies to create the rich artwork and iconic storylines that would reach millions of viewers across generations. Over the decades — while battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace harassment — these women also fought to influence the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.
Based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation tells the story of their vital contribution to Disney’s golden age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney’s first female-directed full-length feature film.
Sneezy: ALL HAIL THE QUEENS!!!!!! You can’t see me, but the queens have bespelled me into an animated creature living in a magical palace. I sparkle.
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Things She’s Seen
Author: Pat Esden
Released: October 22, 2019 by Lyrical Press
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Series: Northern Circle Coven #2The coven’s under investigation. Its future is in peril. And for one troubled young psychic, the coming battle will threaten her newfound freedom—and brings back a dangerous desire . . .
Exploited as a child medium, Emily Adams escaped to grow up on the streets—and hit rock-bottom. She took shelter with the prestigious Northern Circle, intent on staying only long enough to get back on her feet. But the Circle is still reeling from a devastating supernatural attack and betrayal. And vengeful High Council of Witches investigator Gar Remillard is determined to make Em surrender the truth—and disband the Circle forever.
When Em’s psychic ability allows her to see Gar is haunted by a formidable ghost, her attempts to free him challenge Gar’s rugged French Canadian heart and rancorous loup-garou instincts. But even as their new alliance and past connection kindles into raging desire, a malevolent force rises up to destroy them—the Circle and even the High Council.
With all she’s grown to love on the line, Em must draw on her darkest nightmares and alliances with the dead to outwit and out magic a force who can imprison souls with a flick of the fingers and command legions of wraiths with one word. . .
Sneezy: Ghosts, magic, werewolves, politics, BOOM!!!! Plus a French-Canadian. I am expecting there to be maple syrup, crepes, or at least a moose in here. To protect me from all the ghosts.
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Twice in a Blue Moon
Author: Christina Lauren
Released: October 22, 2019 by Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…
Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.
During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.
Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.
Amanda: Have I mentioned how much I love these ladies?
Sarah: I’m in conversation with them at One More Page books in Arlington, Oct 23, 2019 at 7:00 PM.
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A Snowy Little Christmas
Author: Fern Michaels
Released: October 29, 2019 by Zebra Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceSometimes love needs a little help from Mother Nature—and what better time than the holidays to let it snow . . . and snow . . . and snow . . .
STARRY NIGHT * Fern Michaels
As the host of a radio program for the lovelorn in Chicago, Jessie Richmond is surprisingly lonely, especially with the holidays approaching. So she decides to make the trek to her uncle’s bookstore in rural New York state and hold a speed dating event—only to find herself snowed in—with one very special single . . .
MISTLETOE AND MIMOSAS * Tara Sheets
After years of hard work, real estate agent Layla Gentry has her dream home on Pine Cove Island. She’s perfectly content to be on her own. Until her childhood nemesis, Sebastian, comes to town. When a snowstorm and a stranded kitten bring them together on Christmas Eve, Layla discovers he’s all grown up—and she may have one more dream left . . .MISSING CHRISTMAS * Kate Clayborn
It’s all work and no play for two longtime friends-turned-business-partners Kristen and Jasper—until an unexpected kiss turns things personal. Will it mean the end of something, or the beginning? With a major contract in the balance, Christmas around the corner, and a lot of unspoken feelings, it may take an unpredictable blizzard in New England to seal the deal . . .Aarya: I normally don’t read anthos where I’m unfamiliar with most of the authors, but I love Kate Clayborn and am weak for a good Christmas novella. Also, I have heard that the KC novella features the “only one bed” trope and why the hell am I not reading it right this second?
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Angel in a Devil’s Arms
Author: Julie Anne Long
Released: October 29, 2019 by Avon
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: The Palace of Rogues #2From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.
He has devil’s blood in his veins. At least, that’s always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford’s notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright…and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove’s bed.
Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.
But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn’t believe in it…because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove’s heart.
Claudia: This is the story of Angelique, the other “proprietress” of the Grand Palace on the Thames, and a newly arrived viscount seeking revenge. With the cast of characters I came to love from the first book earlier this year and very, very funny. I’m so glad that Julie Anne Long returned to historical romance!
Catherine: I’ve got the ARC of this and it is a total delight – so very funny and unexpectedly sweet.
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The Earl’s Christmas Pearl
Author: Megan Frampton
Released: October 29, 2019 by Avon Impulse
Genre: Historical: European, Novella, Romance
Series: Duke's Daughters #4.5A duke’s daughter. An irrestible earl. And an energetic Corgi named Mr. Shorty. What more could you want in a Christmas novella by Megan Frampton?
It’s Christmastime in London, and Lady Pearl Howlett is eagerly ready for the festivities—until her family goes off to their country estate…accidentally leaving her home alone! But she’s not dismayed. Rather, she’s thrilled to do exactly what she wants. Unfortunately, this daughter of a duke doesn’t know how to do anything.
The Earl of Llanover has come to London to take refused in his godmother’s townhouse, free to be as awkward and grumpy as he wants. With his pet Corgi, Mr. Shorty, for company, Owen Dwyfor is ready for a quiet holiday away from his mother and sisters who would have him married off. That is, until his godmother’s neighbor, Lady Pearl Howlett comes barging in to his solitude.
After some reluctance, the two come together for a joyous—and steamy—Christmas they won’t forget.
Aarya: *hums Christmas music in September; prepares for onslaught of horror directed my way*
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Finding Home Again
Author: Brenda Jackson
Released: October 29, 2019 by HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Catalina Cove #3First love. Second chances. In Catalina Cove, anything can happen…
Bryce Witherspoon’s heart races every time she sees Kaegan Chambray. Everyone in town knows they can’t stand each other, but the truth is, even though the man broke her heart ten years ago, she still feels that irresistible, oh-so-familiar jolt of desire.
When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business, he knew there’d be no avoiding Bryce. The woman he thought he’d one day marry was instead the biggest heartbreak of his life. But when Bryce lets slip a devastating secret, he discovers just how wrong he was to let her go all those years ago.
He knows they both still feel the spark between them, but it’ll take more than attraction to convince her. Kaegan will pull out all the stops to show Bryce he’s the man who can give her the future they once dreamed of—if only they give love a second chance.
Shana: I love a second chance romance after a past misunderstanding.
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The Lady’s Deception
Author: Susanna Craig
Released: October 29, 2019 by Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Rogues and Rebels #3Can a runaway English bride find love with a haunted Irish rebel?
Paris Burke, Dublin’s most charismatic barrister, has enough on his mind without the worries of looking after his two youngest sisters. The aftermath of a failed rebellion weighs on his conscience, so when the young English gentlewoman with an unwavering gaze arrives, he asks far too few questions before hiring her on as governess. But her quick wit and mysterious past prove an unexpected temptation.
Rosamund Gorse knows she should not have let Mr. Burke think her the candidate from the employment bureau. But after her midnight escape from a brother bent on marrying her off to a scoundrel, honesty is a luxury she can no longer afford. With his clever mind and persuasive skill, Paris could soon have her spilling her secrets freely just to lift the sorrow from his face. And if words won’t work, perhaps kisses would be better?
Hiding under her brother’s nose, Rosamund knows she shouldn’t take risks. If Paris learns the truth, she might lose her freedom for good. But if she can learn to trust him with her heart, she might discover just the champion she desires.
Claudia: Third in a series featuring an Irish family in the aftermath of the Irish rebellion of 1798. The first book was great, the second less so, and this one may just settle the score for me.
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This Earl of Mine
Author: Kate Bateman
Released: October 29, 2019 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Bow Street Bachelors #1Introducing the Bow Street Bachelors—men who work undercover for London’s first official police force—and the women they serve to protect. . .and wed?
WILL A FALSE MARRIAGE
Shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed is done with men who covet her purse more than her person. Even worse than the ton’s lecherous fortune hunters, however, is the cruel cousin determined to force Georgie into marriage. If only she could find a way to be . . . widowed? Georgie hatches a madcap scheme to wed a condemned criminal before he’s set to be executed. All she has to do is find an eligible bachelor in prison to marry her, and she’ll be free. What could possibly go wrong?
LEAD TO TRUE AND LASTING LOVE?
Benedict William Henry Wylde, scapegrace second son of the late Earl of Morcott and well-known rake, is in Newgate prison undercover, working for Bow Street. Georgie doesn’t realize who he is when she marries him—and she most certainly never expects to bump into her very-much-alive, and very handsome, husband of convenience at a society gathering weeks later. Soon Wylde finds himself courting his own wife, hoping to win her heart since he already has her hand. But how can this seductive rogue convince brazen, beautiful Georgie that he wants to be together…until actual death do they part?
Amanda: A shipping heiress and an undercover Bow Street Runner!
Susan: This sounds bananas in a fantastic way, and I desperately want to know how the heroine makes the leap to “The only way to solve my problems is to skip the husband and go straight to being a widow.”
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I’m excited for:
Doing Time by Jodi Taylor: Spin off about the Time Police.
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theordora Goss: Next Athena Club.
The Hell of It by Phil Rickman: Next Merrily Watkins!
You got three of my four. The outlier:
BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR by A.M. Strickland on 10/29. Dark fantasy, soulwalkers, court intrigue, and an asexual main character.
LUSH MONEY looks so good! I put it on my tbr as soon as I heard about it. I’m always there for a billionaire heroine—especially self-made, not inherited or married into it.
Looking at my October wish list, I see quite a bit of dark romance. I’m looking forward to the new Megan Crane Alaska Force book, but I really prefer the books she writes under her alternate name, Caitlin Crews. Crews has an October release for the Dare line, THE RISK. It’s part of a four-book series called The Billionaire’s Club, with each book written by a different author. I enjoyed the first book, Jackie Ashenden’s THE DEBT, very much.
Clare Connelly, Queen of the HP (and HP-manque) angsty melodrama, has two books due in October: THE GREEK ‘S BILLION-DOLLAR BABY and JUST THIS ONE SUMMER. You either love her style or you don’t…and I’m usually in the “love it” camp.
Willow Winters’s DESPERATE TO TOUCH is the follow-up to HARD TO LOVE. These are dark mob/crime-boss romances. Same for Natasha Knight and her COLLATERAL & DAMAGE duet. COLLATERAL was released this week—but I’m waiting to read this dark forced-marriage/mafia romance until DAMAGE is released in October. I don’t care for cliffhangers and try to wait until all the books in a particular storyline are published before I read them.
Finally, Skye Warren’s AUDITION arrives at the end of the month. It has a beautiful “ballet shoes” cover and features secondary characters from Warren’s North Security series. The heroine is a dancer from New Orleans who apparently experienced childhood trauma related to Hurricane Katrina. The hero is equally damaged from an abusive/dysfunctional childhood. It sounds grim, but Warren generally makes this stuff work for me.
And seeing as how my girl Kati Wilde again had to postpone the release date for LOSING IT ALL (it was supposed to drop yesterday, but Amazon had taken it down and I think the pre-order was cancelled), I’m looking forward to eventually reading this book with the story of a couple I’ve been waiting for for, oh, three years! At this point, I feel as if Kati might be toying with me—lol!
My most awaited books this month are Deosil by Jordan L. Hawk – final book in the Whyborne & Griffin series, out on the 11th, and Gilded Cage by KJ Charles, 3rd book in the Lilywhite Boys series, out on the 23rd. Squeee!! Can’t wait!
A lot of good picks!
Tragically, “Lush Money”, for all of its trope reversals, didn’t do it for me because there are some major consent issues for the first quarter of the book.
I’m practically vibrating with excitement for T. Kingfisher’s contemporary folk/ Southern Gothic/horror novel THE TWISTED ONES, which drops today.
This is the book that freaked out Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant when she read the ARC back in February, causing her to (supportively and delightedly) yell at Ursula Vernon/ T. Kingfisher over Twitter. That kind of sincere, horrified endorsement is worth its weight in gold and I have had it on pre-order for months.
(If you’re looking for this book it shares a name with a Five Nights At Freddie’s tie-in, so be sure to grab the one by T. Kingfisher.)
Just pre-ordered Holiday by Candlelight! Small-town Hanukkah romance? A hero who thinks he’s not worthy? Asian hero just adds icing on the rugelach.
I am also looking forward to Angel in a Devil’s Arms by Julie Ann Long and Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory. A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau is pre-ordered to hit my Kindle next week.
The Earl’s Christmas Pearl ended up on my Wish List. Megan Frampton writes some fine novellas. The Widow of Rose House look interesting, too….
You’ve hit most of mine, but I will add Penny for Your Secrets the latest Verity Kent mystery from Anna Lee Huber.
Also, WTF with all the Christmas books? It’s OCTOBER! Can’t I just enjoy my atmospheric romantic suspense with gothic elements for a few weeks before getting tinsel thrown in my face?
@Susan, re: “This Earl of Mine”:
“I desperately want to know how the heroine makes the leap to ‘The only way to solve my problems is to skip the husband and go straight to being a widow.’ ”
Clearly, she read Kathleen Woodiwiss’ “Shanna”…
but only the beginning.
I’m very curious for Bateman’s twenty-first century update of all that crazy.
I read an ARC of Widow of Rose House and loved it. The hero is an absent-minded professor, cinnamon roll kind of guy, just adorable. The heroine is a strong woman who has been through the wringer but is determined to gain control of her life.
However, I think the book description does it a bit of a disservice in describing it as “gothic”. I’d describe it as an American set Gilded Age romance with paranormal ghost story elements. The paranormal elements are well-integrated into the story, creepy, yet not overly scary, and make sense given the widespread belief in ghosts at that time, but I’d hate for people to be expecting a gothic (as I was) and then be disappointed.
@JenM – It is an HEA romance, though?
@MaryK – oh absolutely. It’s a romance through and through. My problem with it being described as a gothic is that good gothics (at least the ones I’ve read) have an almost palpable air of menace threatening the main characters. In this book, there are mysterious goings on, and creepy things do happen, but the overall tone of the book is lighter, more of a typical romance rather than filled with suspense.
::::looks at preorders LOLsob:::
I have no self-control and it’s the most wonderful time of the year! With pumpkins a-glowing and ghosties tip-toeing singing be of good feeeeear! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Yes, Halloween makes me break into song. Which is good because my preorder habit is strong this month. Today saw The Good Luck Girls, Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys, and Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky all landed on my Kindle. The rest of the month will also see Ninth House and The Art of Theft also show up in there, and I am eyeing that Julie Anne Long with covetousness in my heart.
@Susan, I think we have similar catnip. Re: “This Earl of Mine”, I love the “I only married him because he was about to die” plot! I know I’ve read several of them. I am also craving the Elizabeth Essex novella, I love all her books.
I read an ARC of This Earl of Mine and enjoyed it.
Just preordered Mimi Matthews…thanks for the heads up
Did anyone else notice that Daisy the heroine of The Little Shop on Silver Lining’s works at Buchanan’s Family Jewelers?
I’m not ready for holiday reads, but Jewish characters are welcome.
Thanks so much for the heads up on The Queens or Animation! My husband and I are Disney super fans and I hadn’t heard this book was coming out, so that is exciting.
I love that Garth Nix is on this list!!! <3
Michelle Diener has a new book coming out this month ~ Dark Matters (Class 5 Series Book 4).
@Kareni: If you heard a distant squeal wherever you are, that was me. (Sorry.) I just today finished my umpteenth rereading of the series and am thrilled there’s another installment coming.
@Susan, ah, that was that sound I heard! I am equally excited. Do you care to share any other science fiction romances you like? I’m always happy to hear a recommendation.
@Kareni: I only wish I could, but I went back thru my GR list for the past few years and there’s a dearth of true SFR, and what’s there wasn’t memorable enough to recommend–not even Diener’s other works. I don’t know if there really is a shortage, or if I’ve become more hard to please. I wish Linnea Sinclair was still writing/publishing…
@Susan, thank you for your effort.
I’ll recommend a couple of series to you. It’s not really a romance (unless you call it the slowest of slow burns over three books), but one of my favorite series is Linesman by SK Dunstall.
Do you read male/male romances? How about human/alien romances? If you answered yes to both questions, I’ll suggest the Claimings series by Lyn Gala.
@Kareni: I listened to the Linesman audiobooks earlier this year and really enjoyed them. But, yes, they’re really more SF than SFR, imo. (BTW, since you liked the Linesman series, you might enjoy Jennifer Foehner Wells’s Confluence series if you haven’t tried it.)
And, courtesy of Sirius’s reviews on DA, I’ve actually picked up 3 of the Claimings books, but haven’t read any of them yet. Guess I need to get moving!
Thank you!
@Susan, I’m happy to hear that you, too, enjoyed the Linesman series. I have read the first of Jennifer Foehner Wells’s Confluence series but have yet to read on. (One day!)
As regards the Lyn Gala’s Claimings series, the first four books feature my favorite characters. The newly released fifth book features a new couple.
@Susan, I’m happy to hear that you, too, enjoyed the Linesman series. I have read the first of Jennifer Foehner Wells’s Confluence series but have yet to read on. (One day!)
As regards the Lyn Gala’s Claimings series, the first four books feature my favorite characters. The newly released fifth book features a new couple.
Happy reading!