If you’re new to Hide Your Wallet, this is where we list new releases we’re pretty excited for in the coming month.
Each reviewer has a book maximum (five per person), and we’ve separated HYW into two parts. The first HYW of the month will cover books that release from the 1st to the 14th. The second HYW will cover books released from the 15th to the end of the month.
We also think this will help us feature books from smaller publishers who don’t have buy links up as early as the bigger trade houses.
As always, if we missed any books that you’re particularly looking forward to, tell us all about them in the comments.
-
Black Love Matters
Author: Jessica Pryde
Released: February 1, 2022 by Berkley
Genre: Nonfiction, RomanceAn incisive, intersectional essay anthology that celebrates and examines romance and romantic media through the lens of Black readers, writers, and cultural commentators, edited by Book Riot columnist and librarian Jessica Pryde.
Romantic love has been one of the most essential elements of storytelling for centuries. But for Black people in the United States and across the diaspora, it hasn’t often been easy to find Black romance joyfully showcased in entertainment media. In this collection, revered authors and sparkling newcomers, librarians and academicians, and avid readers and reviewers consider the mirrors and windows into Black love as it is depicted in the novels, television shows, and films that have shaped their own stories. Whether personal reflection or cultural commentary, these essays delve into Black love now and in the past, including topics from the history of Black romance to social justice and the Black community to the meaning of desire and desirability.
Exploring the multifaceted ways love is seen–and the ways it isn’t–this diverse array of Black voices collectively shines a light on the power of crafting happy endings for Black lovers.
Aarya: The essays look fascinating and the author lineup is impressive. Disclaimer: I’m mutuals/friendly with the author.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Count Your Lucky Stars
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Released: February 1, 2022 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Written in the Stars #3Aarya: Sad to see this series end, but super excited to follow wherever Bellefleur goes next.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Good Girl Complex
Author: Elle Kennedy
Released: February 1, 2022 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, RomanceAmanda: Something tells me this is proabably spicier than the cover portrays.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Hunt the Stars
Author: Jessie Mihalik
Released: February 1, 2022 by Harper Voyager
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Starlight's Shadow #1The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.
Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.
But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.
Amanda: Yes!!! New Jessie Mihalik!
Catherine: Absolutely can’t wait for this one! Jessie Mihalik is one of my comfort reads, I’m excited to get more.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Ramón and Julieta
Author: Alana Quintana Albertson
Released: February 1, 2022 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceWhen fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!
Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again.
Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work—and the one man who tempts and inspires her.
As San Diego’s outraged community protests against the Taco King take-over and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose
Aarya: I sincerely hope this retelling deviates from the original source’s ending!
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
The Raven and the Banshee
Author: Carolyn Elizabeth
Released: February 1, 2022 by Bella Books
Genre: Historical: European, LGBTQIA, RomanceTara: Lesbian pirate romance alert! I’m especially interested because it’s like a Dread Pirate Roberts scenario. CW for one brief scene of sexual assault and one mention of rape (according to the blurb’s own warning).
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Good Neighbors
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Released: February 2, 2022
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/FantasyWhen a grumpy inventor meets her outrageous new neighbor in the big black castle down the road, more than one type of spark will fly!
Mia Brandt knows better than to ever again allow her true powers to be discovered. Ever since her last neighbors burned down her workshop in a night of terror and flame, she’s been determined to stay solitary, safe, and – to all outside appearances – perfectly respectable…
But Leander Fabian, whose sinister castle looms over her cozy new cottage, has far more dangerous ideas in mind. When he persuades Mia into a reluctant alliance, she finds herself swept into an exhilarating world of midnight balls, interfering countesses, illicit opera house expeditions, necromantic duels, and a whole unnatural community of fellow magic-workers and outcasts, all of whom are facing a terrifying threat.
Luckily, Mia has unnatural powers of her own – but even her unique skills may not be enough to protect her new found family and help her resist the wickedly provoking neighbor who’s seen through all of her shields from the beginning.
This novel-length collection includes all four stories and novellas originally published on Stephanie Burgis’s Patreon in 2020-2021: Good Neighbors, Deadly Courtesies, Fine Deceptions, and Fierce Company.
Aarya: Charming collection of romantic/gentle fantasy stories.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
The Greatest Thing
Author: Sarah Winifred Searle
Released: February 8, 2022 by First Second
Genre: Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA, Young AdultThis tender YA comic is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Real Friends who are ready to graduate to their first teen graphic novel.
It’s the first day of sophomore year, and now that Winifred’s two best (and only) friends have transferred to a private school, she must navigate high school on her own.
But she isn’t alone for long. In art class, she meets two offbeat students, Oscar and April. The three bond through clandestine sleepovers, thrift store shopping, and zine publishing. Winifred is finally breaking out of her shell, but there’s one secret she can’t bear to admit to April and Oscar, or even to herself–and this lie is threatening to destroy her newfound friendships.
With breathtaking art and honest storytelling, rising star Sarah Winifred Searle delivers a heartfelt story about love, friendship, and self-acceptance.
Aarya: I’m a big fan of Searle’s graphic novels.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks! -
Not the Witch You Wed
Author: April Asher
Released: February 8, 2022 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Paranormal, RomanceA fake relationship between a magic-less witch and a wolf shifter turns to more in the start of a bewitching new paranormal rom-com series.
Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne—the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.
The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance—along with Violet’s magic—they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.
In Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic-comedy—plus a fun dose of magic—to this spell-binding new series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City.
Sarah: Witch + werewolf rom com!
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!
Grave Oversight, first in a trilogy of the same name, is available today at the big sellers (trickling toward smaller ones and libraries).
• Ghosts
• For your soap opera needs, amnesia and an evil twin
• A maybe-immortal swordsman
• Pining (because, y’know, GHOST)
There is a whiff of romance, but this is not A Romance.
https://books2read.com/u/mdd20W
Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron: First Jane Austen mystery in several years.
I got a preview copy of GOOD NEIGHBORS and totally enjoyed it. I liked the exploration of the main characters’ relationships with their families, how the concept of being a good neighbor is explored, how Mia (the heroine) does and does not use her powers, and a bunch of the secondary characters.
I didn’t quite like the relationship between the hero and heroine because it felt a bit pat—Burgis has a tendency to write books that I always wish were longer and when she’s writing about characters with a shared past, it totally works for things to be more abbreviated. When there’s a new relationship to develop, it doesn’t work quite as well. That said, highly enjoyable.
Now that Harlequin Presents is dropping its ebooks late in the month rather than the first day of the new month, I grabbed Caitlin Crews’s latest, THE SCANDAL THAT MADE HER HIS QUEEN, on its release date of January 25. Which means the first book I’m waiting for in February is Karla Sorensen’s THE PLAN (February 9), which features a bodyguard-client romance—with the bodyguard being a grumpy former football player.
Serena Bell’s WILDER WITH YOU, the latest in her Wilder Adventures series, arrives February 15 and is my most anticipated February release. In this book, the widowed Wilder brother gets involved in a fake relationship with a friend of his late wife. Then they have to share a tent on a camping trip.
February 22 is a red-letter day with a bumper crop of new releases: Jackie Ashenden’s latest HP, THE INNOCENT’S ONE-NIGHT PROPOSAL; Ruth Cardello’s HE SAID TOGETHER, the next in her Lost Corisis series, this one featuring a male exotic-dancer/stripper; Amelia Wilde’s BINDING CONTRACT, the third and final book in her dark Wealth trilogy; Ella Frank’s m/m, WICKED HEAT, the start of a new series called Chicago Heat; and Sybil Bartel’s ROMEO, the latest in her Alpha Elite romantic-suspense series.
And finally on February 28, C.M. Nascosta releases PARTIES, the sequel to her GIRLS WEEKEND. In this book, three female elves have to decide if the orcs they met on a girls’ weekend are going to be long-term relationship material. I love Nascosta’s world where humans, monsters, mythological creatures, and anthropomorphized animals co-exist (and interact with each other socially & sexually), but YMMV.
I’m excited to hear about GOOD NEIGHBORS. I read Burgis’ SNOWSPELLED in December and it was a wonderful surprise of a book and new series.
I have yet to comment on the anniversary post as there have been so many books and authors I’ve discovered here I’m not sure where to begin! I love this site for the introduction of new -to-me beloved authors and series that have enriched my reading life.
Season’s Change by Cait Nary dropped today. It is a M/M (or mlm? I am not certain the current best practice) hockey romance that I’ve heard good things about.
“Ramón and Julieta” is super cute! I also really liked “Count Your Lucky Stars.” Planning on reading the rest of these, especially “Good Neighbors.”
@Ren Benton/Lena Brassard: Snapped that up quickly. I’m so glad you mentioned it.
I picked up “Season’s Change” by Cait Nary, the first in a contemporary m/m hockey romance series, which just came out today. It’s filling the “The Long Game”-shaped hole in my reading heart until I can have more of Shane and Ilya in April. I’m really enjoying it, although the characters do tend to say variations on “buddy/dude/bro” way too often, so I think that was something that the editor could have nipped in the bud.
As it is, Oliver and Benji are adorable and I’m very happy to be spending a few reading hours with them. Like Rachel Reid’s “Game Changers” series, this book spends a lot of time talking about mental health and characters grappling with anxiety, etc, and seeking professional help as needed with no toxic macho sports dudebro “man up and suck it up” nonsense (and when Olly tries, Benji shoots him down, encourages him to get help, and is open about the fact that he regularly sees a therapist, too).
So, if like me, you are wanting something new to hold you over until “The Long Game” comes out, then this might fit the bill nicely.
Sarah J. Maas’s new book comes out on February 15! It’s the second in the Crescent City trilogy.
I just finished reading Jessie Mihalik’s “Hunt the Stars,” which both my wife and I loved. In my opinion, no one writes in the particular intersection of romance and science fiction better than Jessie Mihalik. It was sexy, compelling and throughly enjoyable.
[…] all you genre fans, we’ve got romance from SBTB and Goodreads, sci-fi and fantasy from Gizmodo and Lit Hub, and crime reads from, of course, […]