It’s a Tuesday and that means new books are being released in the world! Here are some titles that may or may not be on your radar.
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Codename Charming
Author: Lucy Parker
Released: August 15, 2023 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Palace Insiders #2Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal’s giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites—she’s spontaneous and enthusiastic, he’s rigid and stoic—but she can sense there’s something softer underneath that tough exterior…
For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.
When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning…
Book two in the Palace Insiders series!
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Thornhedge
Author: T. Kingfisher
Released: August 15, 2023 by Tor Books
Genre: Horror, Novella, Science Fiction/FantasyFrom USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.
There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
“The way Thornhedge turns all the fairy tales inside out is a sharp-edged delight.”
—Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin EmperorAmanda: If it says “by T. Kingfisher,” I’m going to buy it.
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The Witch is Back
Author: Sophie Morgan
Released: August 15, 2023 by Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, RomanceLove is a hex of a thing. Former childhood sweethearts fake a relationship in this charming, witchy romcom.
There’s nothing wrong with being a wallflower. Not to Emmaline Bluewater, anyway. Emma may have been born into witch society, but her days of trying to fit in where she doesn’t belong are over—they ended seven years ago, when the man she’d hoped to marry left town without a word. She’s much happier now, living a delightfully mundane human life in Chicago and running her bar, Toil and Trouble.
Until Bastian Truenote walks through the door and announces that he wants her back.
Bastian had his reasons for leaving—even if he can’t tell Emma what they are. Now, to win Emma’s heart, he’s got to face down an adorably goofy dog familiar, a best friend who’s all too eager to hit him with a carefully aimed hex, and a woman who’s far from the meek witch he remembers.
Magical contracts aren’t easily broken, but as far as Emma’s concerned, not even a marriage of convenience will have her falling under Bastian’s spell again…
The witch contemporary trend is still chugging along!
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I have three books on my tbr for this week—all of them dropping today:
HATE MAIL by Winter Renshaw is the first in a new series called Paper Cuts. It’s about an arranged marriage where the MCs hate each other. I liked Renshaw’s YOU OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU, and I’m looking forward to another emotional, angsty story.
RED FLAGS is the first book in Skye Warren’s new Cirque des Miroirs trilogy about a young woman from a dysfunctional home who runs away to join to circus—and meets the mysterious older man who runs the show.
FRAGMENTS by Nyla K is the fourth book in her super-duper dark Alabaster Penitentiary series of books set in a remote, crumbling prison. Every CW/TW you can imagine, but I consume them compulsively like peanuts. FRAGMENTS is an m/m “romance” (if that’s the right word) between inmates: one an arsonist, the other a hacker. I expect a wild, if brutal, ride.
Lish McBride’s Rough Around the Hedges is out this week as well. I really enjoyed A Little Too Familiar, and the hero of this one sounds like a total cinnamon roll. He “spends his down time doing subversive cross stitch, crafting saucy baked goods for the romance book club he attends with his Nana, and desperately trying to hide the fact that he’s been in love with Vanessa Woodbridge for, well, ever.”
I have a copy of Thornyhedge pre-ordered and I’m hoping it comes in today.
Really looking forward to the new Lucy Parker – I think it’s the only book I’ve actually pre-ordered so far this year, because her books are a guaranteed delight. It’s sitting on my kindle tempting me to drop everything else and start on it straightaway.
Only book in my must have lost this week is Alice Hoffman’s THE INVISIBLE HOUR. For me, no one does magical realism better. On the darkest day of her life they main characters finds a book that perfectly captures her life.Time travel, the power of words and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Really looking forward to this.
SO excited for both “Codename Charming” and “Thornhedge”! I preordered the Parker and have the Kingfisher on hold at the library. I’m also intrigued by the Lish McBride series…I just read her YA novel “Curses” and liked it a lot, so I want to read more of her work.
All three are on my TBR!
@LisaM – Thank you! I had no idea that Lish McBride was releasing another book in the Uncanny Romance series. I loved A Little Too Familiar, so this one is going straight to the wish list.
@JenM I hope you enjoy it! I just been debating whether to re-read the first book.