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.
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The Fraud Squad
Author: Kyla Zhao
Released: January 17, 2023 by Berkley
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, RomanceA working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive millennial women’s fiction novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status make her dream feel like a distant fantasy.
Now, Sam finds herself working at a drab PR firm. The closest she’ll get to that life is living vicariously through her socialite coworker and friend, Anya Chen. Then she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Sam’s one chance at infiltrating the high society world to which she desperately wants to belong.
To Sam’s surprise, Tim and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. The borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far; the rest is on Sam, and she’s determined to make an impression on the editor-in-chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Sam wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed, forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.
Amanda: Sounds salacious and fun!
Shana: Fab cover, fab blurb. I’m in!
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Good Girl Fail
Author: Roni Loren
Released: January 17, 2023 by Roni Loren, LLC.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica/Erotic Romance, LGBTQIA, New Adult, RomanceFrom the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge and the Say Anything series comes a new steamy standalone MMF romance that proves good girls can have fun too…especially when she’s their good girl.
O’Neal Lory has been taught that one mistake can undo an entire life of right decisions. That it doesn’t matter if a person has been good ninety-nine percent of the time. One misstep, one snap judgment, can derail everything. So, she’s taken a lot of right steps on the straight and narrow path. Eighteen years of them, in fact. Perfect grades. No rules broken. And definitely no boys.
Until she kisses him.
Auden Blake knows he shouldn’t touch his little sister’s best friend, knows that innocent girls like her should stay far, far away from him and his roommate Lennox—especially when she could reveal their behind-closed-doors activities to his family. But when sheltered O’Neal goes rogue, ditching her scholarship to a conservative all-girls college and showing up at Bennette State—his school—instead, it’s going to take everything Auden has to keep his and Lennox’s hands off the curious good girl whose teach me vibes could unravel them both.
Good Girl Fail is a full-length standalone MMF romance with lots of steam, two heroes who like to share and get a little bossy, and a good girl heroine who’s about to break every rule that’s ever been placed upon her.
Aarya: Sounds extremely hot.
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How to Sell a Haunted House
Author: Grady Hendrix
Released: January 17, 2023 by Berkley
Genre: HorrorWhen Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.
Mostly, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. But she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.
Some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…
Amanda: I always love seeing what Grady Hendrix does with horror!
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Magic Tides
Author: Ilona Andrews
Released: January 17, 2023 by NYLA
Genre: Novella, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #1Ilona Andrews invites you back to the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series in this exciting new long novella featuring Kate, Curran and Conlan, some familiar faces, some new friends, and all the special brand of chaos they create!
Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.
It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she’s never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!
Aarya: Pretty sure my screaming could be heard miles away when I saw the preorder announcement.
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The Reunion
Author: Kayla Olson
Released: January 17, 2023 by Atria Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceWhen two former teen stars reconnect at the reunion for their hit TV show, they discover their feelings for one another were not merely scripted in this charming and heartwarming novel perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.
Liv Latimer grew up on TV.
As the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge, Liv spent her adolescence on the screen trying to be as picture perfect as her character in real life. But after the death of her father and the betrayal of her on-screen love interest and off-screen best friend Ransom Joel, Liv wanted nothing more than to retreat, living a mostly normal life aside from a few indie film roles. But now, twenty years after the show’s premiere, the cast is invited back for a reunion special, financed by a major streaming service.
Liv is happy to be back on set, especially once she discovers Ransom has only improved with age. And their chemistry is certainly still intact. They quickly fall into their old rhythms, rediscovering what had drawn them together decades before. But with new rivalries among the cast emerging and the specter of a reboot shadowing their shoot, Liv questions whether returning to the past is what she needs to finally get her own happy ending.
Elyse: I’m a sucker for celebrity romance.
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Begin Again
Author: Emma Lord
Released: January 24, 2023 by Wednesday Books
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Young AdultAs usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.
But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.
But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.
Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.
Aarya: Not my favorite Lord, but still a fun read. Always here for more college-set books.
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Chick Magnet
Author: Emma Barry
Released: January 24, 2023 by Montlake
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceAarya: I know COVID-19 in romance isn’t for everyone, but I thought it was well-done in this book.
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Georgie, All Along
Author: Kate Clayborn
Released: January 24, 2023 by Kensington
Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomanceThe acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.
Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.
But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.
Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.
Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .
Aarya: I am prepared for my heart to be torn into a million pieces.
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The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone
Author: Audrey Burges
Released: January 24, 2023 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction/FantasyA woman learns to expand the boundaries of her small world and let love inside it in this sparkling and unforgettable novel by Audrey Burges.
From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four-year-old Myra Malone blogs about a dollhouse mansion that captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra’s stories have created legions of fans who breathlessly await every blog post, trade photographs of Mansion-modeled rooms, and swap theories about the enigmatic and reclusive author. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by mysteries she can’t understand—rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.
Across the country, Alex Rakes, the scion of a custom furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room. The pair show him the Minuscule Mansion, and Alex is shocked to recognize a reflection of his own life mirrored back to him in minute scale. The room is his own bedroom, and the Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds—big and small—and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.
Amanda: I love a bit of quirkiness with my books!
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Murder at the Seven Dials
Author: Cara Devlin
Released: January 28, 2023
Genre: Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
Series: Bow Street Duchess Mystery #1A murdered opera singer. A duke drenched in her blood. For Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden, the brutal killing is a straightforward case. Ever since his exile from polite society, the chance to arrest a high and mighty peer of the realm has never presented itself. Hugh won’t snub the opportunity now.
But Audrey Sinclair, the Duchess of Fournier, is certain her husband is wrongly accused, and she’s determined to prove it to the arrogant Bow Street officer, even if she must employ her most peculiar ability—or perhaps curse—to guide her investigation. After all, a duchess can do as she pleases.
Exasperated with the meddling duchess, Hugh is convinced she is protecting her own secrets, and the duke’s. But when Audrey’s discoveries persuade him to believe the true killer is still at large, he has no choice but to join her in the hunt—if only to keep her from becoming the next victim.
Sarah: The description reads like a mixture of several genres and I’m intrigued.
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Behind the Scenes
Author: Karelia Stetz-Waters
Released: January 31, 2023 by Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceFans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse . . .
Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached “pug lady” middle age, but she’s already got the pugs—along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin’ appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (if surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it’s not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose’s world suddenly goes full technicolor . . .
Ash never looks at anyone. Not since her ex ripped her heart from her chest in Spielberg-esque style, crushing Ash’s reputation, dreams, and directorial career in one brutal blow. But Rose is altogether different. She’s curvy, beautiful, and just so damn put together. And her business expertise might be Ash’s best bet for getting her last film—and her last chance—financed. Now if they can just keep their attraction under wraps, Ash’s lost dream could finally come true. But are they creating movie magic . . . or setting the stage for disaster?
Amanda: I read this one and it was an absolute delight!
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Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is out January 17. I really want to see how they deal with the events of the previous book.
Exiles by Jane Harper is out January 31. This is the next Aaron Falk mystery.
@MirandaB I was so infuriated with how Bloodless ended that I swore off of Preston and Child forever. And then I got my hands on an arc of Cabinet of Dr. Leng and completely changed my mind. It’s a solid sequel to the original Cabinet of Curiosities.
Jackie Lau is hit or miss for me, but I’m looking forward to NOT YOUR VALENTINE. As the former host of Disillusioned Single Chicks Valentine, I dread the romance oversell while wishing for a little romance. (And, yes, former host as all the other chicks have married/remarried.) I also think we all dread the unwanted fame someone with a camera can bring down at one of the worst moments of your life. I already have empathy for MC Helen, and I’ve overdosed on grumpy male characters (hard to believe) so I’m looking forward to the chipper Valentines loving love interest.
Can I just say how happy I am that January & February are slow new release months for me? Yes, the Christmas bills have come home to roost.
@KatiM, yeah, my Aunt (HUGE Pendergast fan) and I were both done after Bloodless, but then we saw they were building off Cabinet of Curiosities, and we were sucked back in.
It’s like after Star Trek 5, everyone swore they’d never watch another Star Trek movie, but then the Trek 6 trailer dropped and there were Klingons, so we had to see what happened 🙂
BTW, another good book about Cabinets is The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart. I wish she’d do a sequel.
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone sounds intriguing, so thank you for mentioning it above.
@MirandaB, thanks for the reminder about Exiles by Jane Harper.
Doesn’t matter to me, since I’ve had it on preorder since before it was officially announced, but the B&N link for the Andrews points to Kobo. Which is ok, because they informed me there was a prequel novelette for Jessie Mihalik’s Starlight’s Shadow series. So now I have something to read tonight.
Ooh, Murder in the Seven Dials sounds right up my alley!
ETA: I’ve read CHICK MAGNET and it’s good, but 100 percent NOT the fluffy read the blurb insists it is. Nic’s ex and her PTSD over this takes up way more of the plot than the blurb insists.
Miniscule Mansions of Myra Malone is also really good.