(And as a member of the pack, I say nerds with love!)
I’m gonna be honest: I almost forgot it was Valentine’s Day! As long as January was, and as cold as it is, it still doesn’t feel like February, so it kind of came out of nowhere. Do you have any plans? I’m sort of hoping I can sneak in some reading while hubs plays video games. Red Dead Redemption: The Perfect Game For Wives Who Just Want To Read, amirite? Then tomorrow, Target. So much chocolate.
Sponsored by Never Let Go by Elizabeth Goddard and Revell Books, a Division of Baker Publishing Group
The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up Forensic genealogist Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather’s footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from a hospital more than twenty years ago. When someone makes an attempt on Willow’s life to keep her from discovering the truth, help will come from an unexpected source. Ex-FBI agent—and Willow’s ex-flame—Austin McKade readily offers to protect the woman he never should have let get away. Together they’ll follow where the clues lead them, even if it means Austin must face the past he’s spent much of his life trying to forget—and put Willow’s tender heart at risk.
Over on Book Riot
Arranged marriages! I have some reading to do!
What’s the sexiest book you’ve ever read? Not all of these are romance, but you’ll definitely see some familiar titles.
If you’re on Goodreads, you should follow these authors. They are good at the recommendation thing.
This comics list is “for Galentine’s and Valentine’s” so it’s a blend of both romantic stories and other fun kinds. But they’re all good so who cares?
What’s this? Another romance quiz? What bounty we’ve been given on Book Riot.
Another giveaway! This time it’s for a six-month subscription to Fresh Fiction!
And of course, Trisha and I discussed easing people in and more on this week’s When In Romance. (PS – Be sure to find out what our next WIR Book Club pick is!)
Deals!
Look, it’s a fact: romances by AOC and LGBTQ+ authors—and therefore romances about them as well—skew high in Romance Prices. I lurked on a conversation recently about how the cost us romance readers are willing to pay for romances isn’t sustainable to the authors, and my immediate thought was “man, I am so guilty of that.” I love looking for deals and making sure you all know when they’re happening, but a lot of times it’s the same rotation of people. DON’T LET THIS LONG PARAGRAPH WORRY YOU: I am still sharing deals! But sometimes, they’re going to be a little higher than 1 and 2 dollars, which is what I most frequently drop. I’ll remind you that novellas like Once Ghosted, Twice Shy are always 1.99 and I’ll keep you posted on monthly deals and other chances at lower prices. But I also want to help surface some books that are just a touch more—still less than five dollars!—but are by authors that ought to have our attention. Yes? Yes. Let’s continue.
Have you ever read any Yahrah St. John? She’s an amazing Harlequin treasure that we need to keep writing all the things. Check out her book At The CEO’s Pleasure, which is 3.99. This is the first in a new series featuring a second-chance romance after an office affair gone wrong. Might be squicky for some, but catnip for others!
Or, how about a marriage contract signed when our couple were kids? The Marriage Contract by Kim Hartfield is 3.99, and is about a pair of women who agreed to marry each other back when they were best friends—if they both hit thirty and were still unmarried. The two lose touch and meet again, right when it’s time!
New Releases!
I’m super behind on my reading, but here are a few books out this week and that I missed in weeks before (whoops).
Be Mine by Savannah J. Frierson
I came across this Valentine’s Day short because Talia Hibbert was raving about it on Goodreads. That’s right, not only do I follow her books religiously, but I will preorder something if she gives it five stars. Not gonna lie. I have one word for you all: FMMM. (MFMM? MMFM? MMMF? Who knows.)
Crazy On You by Crystal B Bright
You might remember the first book in this series, Crazy in Love, which I recall discussing many moons ago on this very platform. That book, which featured an R&B diva and a country singer, set the scene for the second book, Love Like Crazy, and this one. This time, yet another R&B diva and country star are thrown together on a duets album, which both are hesitant to do. But maybe they can make it work…their chemistry definitely wants them to.
Willful Depravity by Ingrid Hahn
Y’all, when I first picked this book up, I didn’t care what it was about. All I cared about was that cover, with that very-much-not-skinny model sighing in ecstasy. Or. You know. What have you. But then I read the description: a debauched painter who has lost his muse, only to find a new one. She has given up on worrying about her size, and is looking forward to being naughty For Art.
I know, right?
Playing Doctor by Cathy Yardley
Another Fandom Hearts book and I’m so excited! If you don’t recognize the double entendre, this one is about Doctor Who fans 😀 If you’ve read any of these books before (which you don’t have to but you should because they’re effing delightful) you might be familiar with the heroine of this book, Cressida. She’s agoraphobic, and only leaves the building housing both her home and her fandom bookstore when absolutely necessary. When she and a fellow fan both need the money that comes with winning a treasure hunt, they set out together in an RV painted to look like the T.A.R.D.I.S.
The Fearless King by Katee Robert
Did someone say fake relationship? I think someone did. An heiress goes to a family rival for help with keeping her father at bay, and then things become dangerous, in every sense of the word. I’ll admit that I didn’t read The Marriage Contract (not to be confused with the one mentioned above) because a few early scenes made me very uncomfortable, but I’ve heard lots of good things about Katee Robert and look forward to checking this one out!
Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose
I don’t read a lot of romantic suspense, but something about Karen Rose’s heroines totally draws me in. This book is the first in a new series! The heroine, Daisy, escapes a serial killer and takes some crucial evidence with her. She works with Gideon, a special agent who has been tracking a cold case linked to the evidence, to find the serial killer—except now he’s on a hunt for them as well.
Motion by Penny Reid
NEW PENNY REID! This is the first book in her Laws of Physics series (not to be confused with Elements of Chemistry, if you’re thinking “weren’t those books red?) and she warns there is a cliffhanger in both this and the next book in the series, which come out a month apart. So if you want to wait to read this one until April when the last is released, I won’t blame you. But you probably want to know that there is a young genius who has her act together and a young musician who very much doesn’t. His name is Abram, and that apparently means something to some people. :shrug-emoji:
That’s enough for now, right? As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!