May is quieting down for us and I’m pretty sure our wallets are thanking us. This week and next looks less packed, but the beginning of June appears to be merciless on our book budgets.
What books are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!
-
The 7-10 Split
Author: Karmen Lee
Released: May 21, 2024 by Afterglow Books by Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceThis is how love rolls…
For teacher Ava Williams, some subjects are not up for debate. Like history—specifically, the one she has with Grace Jones, bowling pro and local celeb. Who is now, for no identifiable reason, teaching at the same small-town Georgia high school as Ava. Once upon a time, they were thick as thieves, best friends, rivals who pushed each other, and total bowling nerds. Then they shared a kiss, sweet and confusing…and after that, they split and nothing was ever the same.
Ava is pretty sure she has every reason to hate Grace. Especially when the school’s soggy potato of a principal announces—finally—that the students can have the bowling team Ava has been pushing for, for years…only to hand it to Grace.
Now they’re expected to be partners and lead their new bowling team to victory in six months. And with that, their rivalry is back. Fierce, ultracompetitive…and with an undeniable attraction that pushes, pulls and crashes together. It’s history. It’s chemistry. And it’s just a matter of time before it explodes…one way or the other.
Dahlia: A bowling-centric Sapphic romance is that thing I never knew I needed in my life until I saw the announcement for this book.
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! -
Here for the Wrong Reasons
Author: Annabel Paulsen
Released: May 21, 2024 by Alcove Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceIn this swoon-filled lesbian romcom, two dating show contestants vying for the affection of the leading man fall head over heels—for each other.
Fans of Ashley Herring Blake and Alexandria Bellefleur, and readers who love The Bachelor, will adore this steamy, laugh-out-loud debut romance.
Krystin knows exactly what she a husband, a horse, and a place to hang all her competitive rodeo blue ribbons. But when none of the eligible bachelors in Montana end up being right for her, she turns to reality TV. On Hopelessly Devoted, Krystin will compete against dozens of other women for the heart of this season’s Hopeless Romantic, Josh Rosen. She’s determined to win the perfect life she came here for—if she can just ignore the glossy brunette whose crimson smile gives her goosebumps.
Lauren has never done anything for the right reasons—and she’s definitely not on Hopelessly Devoted to win Josh’s heart. Lauren’s plan is simple: stay on the show long enough to build her social media following, and then gracefully leave when it’s her turn to be eliminated. With enough followers, she’ll finally have enough influencer clout to do whatever she wants—including come out of the proverbial walk-in closet. But the longer she stays on the show, the more she finds herself tangled up in a certain blonde’s lasso.
But neither contestant expects a heteronormative dating show to challenge their own deeply-ingrained ideas of who they are—and what they want. Fans of The Charm Offensive and Love Island will swoon for this sparkling debut romcom.
If you’re on a reality TV romance kick!
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! -
I Hope This Finds You Well
Author: Natalie Sue
Released: May 21, 2024 by William Morrow
Genre: Chick Lit, Literary Fiction, RomanceAs far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.
When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.
But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.
Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.
Amanda: I can’t tell if I’m going to love this, as I’m a fellow nosy person, or if it’ll give me too. much secondhand embarrassment.
Sarah: It sounds like Attachments except the heroine sends snarky signature files in white text – and oh how I have been tempted to do that.
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! -
Mind Games
Author: Nora Roberts
Released: May 21, 2024 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense, RomanceThe #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Identity presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits.
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.
Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.
The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…
New Nora Roberts alert!
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! -
Second Night Stand
Author: Karelia Stetz-Waters
Released: May 21, 2024 by Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, RomanceOne hook-up is about to become one seriously hilarious situationship in this vibrant and lively romantic comedy about taking chances . . . and breaking the rules.
Prima ballet dancer Lillian Jackson is all about control—on stage and in bed. Which is precisely why she keeps her hook-ups to one night, and one night only. No strings. No phone numbers. No scones in the morning. There’s no room for mistakes, especially now that her dance company’s survival depends entirely on winning a million-dollar cash prize in one of America’s biggest reality competitions. That is, until one night with a certain curvy, blue-haired siren changes everything . . .
As burlesque dancer “Blue Lenox,” Izzy Wells is the queen of on-stage seduction. Almost no one knows that she’s close to losing everything—her theater, her home, and her troupe—unless she wins this competition. Now she’s going toe-to-toe with a gorgeous ballerina in front of the world. The chemistry between them is hot, but even more distracting are the feelings they’re starting to develop. There’s no way Lillian can fit Izzy into her life, and Izzy knows better than to fall for someone who can’t put her first. But if they can make it through the show with their hearts and dreams intact, they just might win the biggest prize of all.
Sarah: A ballerina hooks up with a burlesque dancer, and they end up in a reality competition against each other. THE COVER is SO Cute.
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! -
Summer Nights and Meteorites
Author: Hannah Reynolds
Released: May 21, 2024 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Young AdultFrom the two-time Sydney Taylor Honor author comes another sweet Nantucket-set summer romance, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and K.L. Walther.
Jordan Edelman’s messy dating days are over. After a few too many broken hearts, and a father who worries a bit too much, she’s sworn off boys—at least for the summer. And since she’ll be tagging along on her father’s research trip to Nantucket, she doesn’t think it’ll be too hard to stick to her resolution.
But hooking up with the cute boy on the ferry doesn’t count, right? At least, not until that cute boy turns out to be Ethan Barbanel. As in, her father’s longtime research assistant Ethan Barbanel, the boy Jordan has hated from afar for years. And to make matters worse, Jordan might actually be falling for him.
As if that didn’t complicate her life enough, Jordan’s new summer job with a local astronomer turns up a centuries-old mystery surrounding Gibson’s Comet—and as she dives into her research, what she learns just might put her growing relationship with Ethan in jeopardy.
Aarya: Love this series; Hannah Reynolds is probably my favorite YA romance writer at the moment. She used to write adult romance as Allison Parr.
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!
Two books on my tbr this week:
A FOREVER KIND OF RANCHER (May 21) is part of Maisey Yates’s Carsons of Lone Rock series of cowboy romances. In this one, the hero has pined for years for the heroine–his best friend’s wife—but now the heroine is divorcing her unfaithful husband, and the hero is ready to step up.
HER VENETIAN SECRET by Caitlin Crews (May 21) has an only-in-an-HP plotline: prim heroine lets her hair down once and has a night of passion with a stranger. Then she is hired to tutor a wealthy man’s sister—and the man is none other than her one-night-stand. But—oh noes!—he doesn’t recognize her!
The ballet/burlesque combination reminds me that ballet star James Whiteside has a parallel career as a drag queen in a dairy-themed drag queen burlesque troupe, which brought me to the realization that some author needs to write a book starring a character inspired by Whiteside because the man is a phenomenon; he would be iconic if ballet or burlesque were less niche. His specialty, if you aren’t familiar with him, is Sexy Evil characters, but he’s very bland as a princey hero, which confused me until I realized that Sexy Evil is actually Whiteside’s default stage persona setting and that he’s bland when he plays princes because he tries to dial that back but overcompensates.
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman is out on the 23rd. This is the sequel to Scarlet, aka The French Revolution only with vampires.
I’m not crazy about this series. If I was Eleanor, I would have bailed in the first book, but it’s a library check-out.
I found “I Hope This Finds You Well,” to be an impressive debut novel. However, I could only read a few chapters at a time because waiting for everything to blow up in the MC’s face made me anxious. You have to be ok with a morally gray MC whose redemption is still a work in progress at the end.
POINTE OF PRIDE by Chloe Angyal is officially out today, but my library hold came in a couple days ago, so I’ve already started it. It’s a sequel to PAS DE DON’T but can be read on its own. Fans of sexy contemporary romance set in the ballet world will enjoy these books!
Also out today is BETTER LEFT UNSENT by Lia Louis. I’d characterize her books more as women’s fiction with strong romantic elements, but I do tend to enjoy them and find the romances satisfying.
All on my TBR!
…And this is what I get for not following any authors on social media: I just discovered that on May 23 Eve Dangerfield will be dropping SO HECTIC, the third & final book in her Silver Daughters series about three sisters who run a tattoo shop after their father goes AWOL. I’ve been waiting for years for Dangerfield to finish this series, so to say I’m jazzed is an understatement!
Seconding POINTE OF PRIDE, which delicately and sensitively covers chronic pelvic pain, a subject I’ve never seen before in a romance. The FMC finds penetrative sex almost unbearable due to this condition. As a dancer, she’s used to performing though all kinds of injuries and pain, so she’s suffered through years of painful sex, but is finally seeing a PT who specializes in helping women with this problem. There’s no magic peen that instantly cures her and there’s no penetrative sex in the book – which doesn’t at all preclude some very hot scenes!
Also wanted to mention SAVOR IT by Tarah DeWitt, which was a lovely romance and most importantly, the couple actually approach their problems maturely and communicate with each other like adults.
Have just read the Nora Roberts. I’m generally in favour of cosy domestic fiction, but this was slightly too skewed in that direction for me – candles, children’s crayon drawings, chickens. Not a lot of suspense. Also, it irks me that so many Roberts heroines are so keen for their partners to buy more cushions.
Summer Nights and Meteorites gives off vibes of Madeline L’Engele’s Arm of the Starfish. They probably are nothing alike, other than teenagers, young love, and a summer with scientists on an island. Sounds interesting.