Big thanks to Heather S. for this wonderful idea that we whipped up in a frenzy!
Way back when, we used to have a Google Maps of “romance-friendly” bookstores, but now there are quite a number of romance-specific bookstores popping up.
I was only able to find US and Canada-based bookstores. This also doesn’t have any of the wonderful pop-up or mobile romance shops out there.
If we missed any in your area, please let us know!
Welcome back to Wednesday Links!
I’m home from a whirlwind trip to South Korea to attend my brother’s wedding. I had a blast and I definitely cried (out of sheer happiness) like a baby several times. He and his now wife (!!!) had a traditional Korean ceremony.
Now my partner and I have to get ready for another wedding this weekend. It’s that time of the year! Thankfully, this one is only a short drive away.
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This article was shared by a colleague at work (hello, if you’re reading this!) about what ecologists can teach us about “rewilding” the internet.
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Tara is moderating a virtual panel on queer romance on Wednesday, June 12 at 6:30pm eastern. Tara will be joined by authors Alyssa Cole, Dominic Lim, Cat Sebastian and Rebekah Weatherspoon.
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Molly Longman of Cosmopolitan took a deep dive into Amish romance!
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90s faves, the Lawrence brothers, put out this cute video about eldest, middle, and youngest siblings.
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha is $1.99! This is book one in Bound to Fire and Steel fantasy romance series. Book two is out this August. Did any of you pick this one up? If so, what did you think?
From cult-favorite writing duo Kit Rocha comes a fiery novel set in a lush fantasy world brimming with ancient magic, dangerous secrets, and erotic connections.
For three thousand years, an ancient dragon god has protected the borders of the Sheltered Lands. In return, he makes only one demand: every one hundred years, the mortal ruler must send their heir to serve as his consort…for as long as they can survive.
Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the thirty-first consort to be sacrificed to the monster who guards the mountain passes. She is young, beautiful—and she has three secrets.
First: she’s a disposable orphan trained in seduction.
Second: her handmaid, Zanya, is an assassin and the only person she has ever loved.
Third—and most dangerous: she’s cursed. Sachi and Zanya have five weeks to murder the Dragon in his bed. If they fail, the mortal king’s curse will steal not just Sachi’s life, but her very soul.
The Dragon has only one secret: he is nothing like what they have been told. And he will do whatever it takes to possess them both.
Truth or Beard by Penny Reid is $2.99! I know Reid is an auto-buy author for many of you and this one has an enemies to lovers feel to it, judging by the description. Readers say it has Reid’s trademark humor and quirkiness, but warn there’s a scene where the hero is with another woman. I know that’s an off button for some, but Reader Katie Lynn explained that it isn’t a form of cheating.
Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!
Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life.
His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…
But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.
Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin is $2.99! This is a fantasy novel with a bit of romance and a strong, fierce heroine who is MUCH loved by readers. This book was nominated for the Hugo, the Nebula, and won the Locus for Best First Novel.
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had.
As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history.
With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably together.
Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen is $1.99! This is a new adult hockey romance that I believe was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet. It’s also the first book in the Moo U Hockey Romance series. Have you read this one? Tempted to buy it for myself.
A new hockey player to steal your heart this fall…
The dreamiest player on the Moo U hockey team hangs a flyer on the bulletin board, and I am spellbound:
Rent a boyfriend for the holiday. For $25, I will be your Thanksgiving date. I will talk hockey with your dad. I will bring your mother flowers. I will be polite, and wear a nicely ironed shirt…
Everyone knows it’s a bad idea to introduce your long-time crush to your messed-up family. But I really do need a date for Thanksgiving, even if I’m not willing to say why. So I tear his phone number off of that flyer… and accidentally entangle our star defenseman in a ruse that neither of us can easily unwind.
Who knew that Weston’s family was even nuttier than mine? He needs a date, too, for the most uncomfortable holiday engagement party ever thrown.
There will be hors d’oeuvre. There will be faked PDA. And there will be pro-level awkwardness…
Need some help deciding what to read this summer? Hopefully our handy bingo card can help!
Beginning on the Summer Solstice, which falls on June 20th in the US and ending on September 21st, right before the Autumnal Equinox, we invite you to play our 2024 Summer Romance Bingo.
Please save the image to use on your own! If you’d like to share on social media, please use the hashtag #SBTBingo so we can see how your card is coming along! Participants who complete at least one bingo are eligible for prizes, including stickers, swag, and a big ol’ box o’ books for one lucky winner.
To submit your card, please fill out this form. Maximum of five entries per person!
Standard disclaimers apply: Void where prohibited. Must be over 18 and ready to read some excellent books. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law.
Winners will be announced and notified shortly after midnight, 21 September.
If you need clarification on any of the categories or want to crowdsource reading recommendations, feel free to ask or brainstorm in the comments section! Remember that bingo doesn’t kick off until June 20th, so don’t start reading qualifying books until then.
RECOMMENDED: A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft is $1.99! Elyse read this one and gave it an A:
A Fragile Enchantment is a gentle, cozy fantasy romance (I refuse to use the word romantasy–you can’t make me), and it’s perfect for anyone looking for a romance that’s got a solid conflict, but isn’t angsty. I loved this book. This book is like being wrapped up in a blanket that just came out of the dryer. This book is like drinking the perfect cup of tea while watching it snow outside, knowing you don’t have to leave the house.
In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.
Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.
But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous gossip columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.
Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher is $2.99! This is book two in the Sworn Soldier series and was released in February. Reading this one in order is preferred, but Kingfisher is a big autobuy for the community.
The follow-up to T. Kingfisher’s bestselling gothic novella, What Moves the Dead.
Retired soldier, Alex Easton, returns in a horrifying new adventure.
After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.
In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.
RECOMMENDED: The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Sarah read this one and gave it a B:
I liked the painstaking and careful character development of the first half more than the zoomy-zoom plot of the second half, but the foundation of historical fiction and incredible detail coupled with folk magic, ghosts, and negotiating with spirits made this an exceptionally fun, absorbing, and thoughtful story.
A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.
Washington D. C., 1925
Clara Johnson talks to spirits, a gift that saved her during her darkest moments in a Washington D. C. jail. Now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So, when the Empress, the powerful spirit who holds her debt, offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, a desperate Clara seizes the chance. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.
Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. She’ll need help from an unlikely team, from a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody to an aging vaudeville actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. But as they encounter increasingly difficult obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn. Conflict in the spirit world is leaking into the human one and along D.C’.s legendary Black Broadway, a mystery unfolds—one that not only has repercussions for Clara but all of the city’s residents.
Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes is $1.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and book one in A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, which has a lot of food talk! I mentioned this one in a previous Get Rec’d.
Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quinones-Smith becomes a seasoned sleuth in Raquel Reyes’s Caribbean Kitchen Mystery debut, a savory treat for fans of Joanne Fluke and Jenn McKinlay.
Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith’s move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, is traumatic enough without having to deal with her son’s toddler tantrums and her husband’s midlife crisis. Her best friend, Alma, adds some spice back into Miriam’s life when she offers her a job as an on-air cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women’s Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again.
When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes–especially after the morning show’s host collapses while interviewing him. But then, Detective Pullman learns that the socialite’s death resulted from a drug overdose–and an anonymous tip fingers Alma as the pusher.
Pullman persuades Miriam to ply her culinary know-how and her understanding of Coral Shores’s Caribbean culture to help find the killer and clear Alma’s name. While her hubby dallies with his ex-girlfriend, Juliet, Miriam quizzes her neighbors for answers and researches all manner of herbs.
As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder.
This HaBO comes from DK and this may be worthy of an award for “most descriptive HaBO”:
I’m reaching out to ask for help in finding the book that I’ve read years ago but couldn’t remember the title and the author. I’ve posted on many book and romance groups already but didn’t get a reply. I even Googled about the book but nothing matches with what I’m looking for.
I don’t remember the exact year this book came out, but I remember it’s around 2018-2020.
All I remember about the book is it’s a standalone contemporary romance with no drama, no cheating, and no 3rd act breakup. It’s a dual POV story. The story is a good and heartwarming one. Not sure if it is set in a small town or not. I got the ARC (advanced review copy) of the book from Enticing Journey Book Promotions but I don’t have it anymore because I permanently deleted all the files on my Kindle app because my Kindle app looks like a big mess. But I remember about this book and wanted to read it again but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the title and the author. I went to check on Enticing Journey’s page but couldn’t find the book there.
Here are the things I remember about the story (this is very long, by the way):
The heroine broke up with her boyfriend and he kicked her out of the apartment they shared making her homeless. She does have a job but I forgot what it is. She lived in her car/truck. Moving on to the hero’s POV, his friends set him up on a blind date using a dating app and they saw the heroine’s profile. The hero’s friends set a date for the hero and the heroine to go on a blind date. I think the hero’s friends mentioned the heroine’s profile picture is her wearing a cowboy hat (?).
Fast forward to the blind date day, the hero met the heroine at a cafe and they talked about so many things including how he looks even more great in person than in pictures because apparently he’s an athlete that many people know of. I forgot which sports he play but they did mention in their conversation about his strong arms, so I guess he might play either tennis or baseball. When they were enjoying their conversation with each other, there’s this man who is a complete stranger suddenly talked harshly about sports and the hero nearly fought the man. After all that, the heroine asked the hero if his house has a large area because she has a horse and since she’s homeless, she need a big space where she can safely put her horse at. The hero agreed to let her put her horse at his house because his house in fact has a very large area.
I don’t remember when this was taking place (could be right after the blind date or maybe a few days after) but I remembered the hero drop off the heroine in front of her vehicle, and then she opens the back door only to realized her mistake which was unintentionally letting the hero know that she’s homeless. The hero stood there and asked, “you’re homeless?” because he saw all her clothes in large baskets at the backseat. Then he went to ask the heroine to move into his house so they could live together, and he can take care of her. He didn’t judge her for being homeless, he was shocked and immediately wanted to help her. She was hesitant to accept his offer at first but after he convinced her, she agreed to live with him.
At his place, they sleep in his room and shared his bed. She didn’t want to at first because she felt awkward about sharing a bed with him but he assured her it’s fine and he won’t do anything funny to her. Later that night when she was sleeping, she had a sexual dream about the two of them. But then she woke up, and after waking up she was horrified after seeing the bloodstain on the sheets which indicate she has her period. She ran straight to the bathroom then after apologized to the hero for the mess, he told her that she shouldn’t panicked because he understand and that it’s fine. During breakfast later, she was even more horrified at seeing the bloodstain on his shorts from her period blood. His friends were shocked too and he asked what’s wrong, then they all explained to him what they saw. He told the heroine no need to freak out because it’s okay and that he understand, he also made a mention that he can just wash it by doing laundry.
Their days living together were peaceful and very much normal. They live happily under the same roof. At one point in the book while they live together, they ordered books and a big package arrived. I think she mentioned she loves reading fantasy and romance books, and that he love reading thrillers because I remember they went on a night drive together, he picked her up and then throughout the drive they were listening to a thriller audiobook in his car which led to them having a discussion regarding the murderer in the story. I don’t know when this happened but I think it was before he found out she’s homeless (?) And when they already live together at his house, she did talk about the ACOTAR book series to him.
Fast forward to days later, he came home saying “honey, I’m home” but didn’t get a reply from the heroine. He also mentioned how he often came home saying that and she laughed, except this time it was silent. He saw her sitting quietly in his room while drinking but she’s not drunk at that time. So he asked her what happened, then she told him that she got tested for breast cancer because of her family’s history. She was heartbroken when she got the result and she also mentioned when she was still in school, the kids at her school made fun of her big boobs. She even said how they called her Lucy Longboob/Lucy Long Long because of her big boobs (I may not remember the heroine’s name to be exact but I remembered about the Longboob/Long Long comment and how she stated the kids at her school rhyme her name with the word “Longboob/Long Long“ so I guess her name is Lucy but I’m not too sure, then again that make sense and sounds like a big possibility the heroine’s name could be Lucy). Then they went on to sing a song about boobs to cheer her up.
At one point in the book (couldn’t remember where in the timeline), they went horse riding together and she made a comment how it’s hard riding on a horse for someone with big boobs like her. She said one time she had a hard time breathing because of her boobs.
Fast forward to the hero’s family event, he brought her to meet his family. She and his family and relatives get along so well, and she also participated in playing games with them including a sports one. I think she was also a goalkeeper in the football/soccer game and then lots of men were impressed by her skills. Some of them asked for her relationship status but she turned them down because she’s not interested in any of them. The hero watched from a distance and is proud of her. They later ended up getting wet together after falling into something big with water in it.
From that moment on, their relationship upgraded from friends to lovers. Not long after, she got a removal surgery for her breasts to stop the cancer from spreading. She also made a joke about her death to him before her surgery and he told her she’ll be fine. After the surgery, he fed her ice chips and felt bad for the nurse because the heroine kept getting angry at the nurse. Days/weeks later, he brought her back to his house and set the bed properly putting lots of pillows so she would be comfortable lying down and sleeping. He became her personal nurse at home and helped her throughout her recovery process. Near the end, she told him her new boobs won’t be the same because the size is a bit smaller compared to her original/old boobs. She got herself a new set of boobs months after she has fully recovered from her surgery.
I don’t know how the story end but it definitely end in a HEA (happily ever after). That’s all I remember about the book.
Final thing, the title is in red color if I’m not mistaken. And there’s a guy lying down on the bed as for the book cover. Since this book came out years ago, I’m not sure if the cover of the book still stay the same to this day or the author change it. There are many authors who release their old books again using new/alternate covers.
I know we can find this one!
Welcome back to Hide Your Wallet!
We’re officially in June and I am severely worried for my own book budget. Most of these selections are from me and the rest of my month looks equally as “booked.” (lol)
How is your month looking in terms of new releases? Let us know what you’re excited for this week in the comments!
Author: Sarah Dubb
Released: June 4, 2024 by Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
A divorcee embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood.
Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.
Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Since they’re both committed to the single life, Celeste suggests a status upgrade: birders with benefits, just until the contest is done. But as the bird count goes up and their time together ticks down, John and Celeste will have to decide if their benefits can last a lifetime, or if this love affair is for the birds.
This romance sounds super cute and unconventional (birding!).
Author: Leslye Penelope
Released: June 4, 2024 by Redhook
Genre: Historical: American, Science Fiction/Fantasy
A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South.
“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”
Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.
Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he’s might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.
Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.
Amanda: Penelope is on my autobuy list!
Author: Sophie Kim
Released: June 4, 2024 by Del Rey
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
In this sly and dazzling contemporary fantasy, the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . . before it can destroy the mortal world.
Kim Hani has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, she now spends her days working in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating, if unfairly handsome, trickster god as often as she can.
That god is Seokga the Fallen. Exiled from the heavenly kingdom of Okhwang, he now begrudgingly resides in the mortal realm, working toward his redemption and suffering through his interactions with the particularly infuriating, if sneakily charming, gumiho barista at his favorite café.
But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an enticing bargain: Kill this rogue creature, as well as the legendary and elusive Scarlet Fox, and he will be reinstated as a god. Hani, however, has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but she has a trick of her own that he’ll never see coming: teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, Hani will undermine and sabotage his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll help him kill the demon, but she certainly won’t allow him to uncover her secret identity while they’re at it.
As the bickering partners track their case down a path of mayhem and violence, the god and the gumiho find themselves inescapably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely couple stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the world—apart?
Amanda: Anything that mixes romance with mythology and folklore is my catnip.
Author: Katelyn Doyle
Released: June 4, 2024 by Flatiron Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
For fans of Emily Henry, a debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup
Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.
Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.
When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.
Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.
Wickedly funny, sexy, and brimming with laughs and heart like the best romantic comedies, Just Some Stupid Love Story is for everyone who believes in soulmates—even if they would never admit it.
Amanda: Scarlett Peckham’s contemporary pen name!
Author: Swati Hegde
Released: June 4, 2024 by Dell
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
A young magazine writer in Mumbai must prove her matchmaking skills—and contend with growing feelings for her close family friend—in this debut desi romance.
“A delightful friends-to-lovers romance that will curb your sweet tooth and leave you feeling warm and happy!”—New York Times bestselling author Sarah Adams
Confident fashionista Jia Deshpande spends her days writing cliché-ridden listicles for Mimosa, Mumbai’s top women’s magazine. When she can, Jia dishes about the messy truth of real love on her anonymous blog, attends her family’s weekly game nights, and ignores her true feelings for her childhood friend. If that wasn’t enough, Jia needs to successfully set up a coworker with her perfect match to get the green light for her new matchmaking column. Thankfully, organizing meet-cutes has never been difficult for her.
Local pub owner and cocktail genius Jaiman Patil can’t help but be enamored with Jia and her meddling spirit. He’s always been an honorary part of her family, but even more so since his own moved to America. Life with the Deshpandes is chaotic and loud, but it’s also more loving than anything he experienced growing up, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for the world. It feels manageable—until his pub begins to struggle and his long-hidden feelings for Jia grow deeper.
When Jia’s attempts at office matchmaking go haywire, risking new friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she must reevaluate her own thoughts on love. For the first time, Jia Deshpande realizes that love may be a lot more complicated than she thought. Luckily, happily-ever-afters are never in short supply in Mumbai.
Amanda: This sounds super cute and I love the color palette of the cover.
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Released: June 4, 2024 by S&S/Saga Press
Genre: LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Between Earth and Sky #3
The interwoven destinies of the people of Meridian will finally be determined in this stunning conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
Even the sea cannot stay calm before the storm. —Teek saying
Serapio, avatar of the Crow God Reborn and the newly crowned Carrion King, rules Tova. But his enemies gather both on distant shores and within his own city as the matrons of the clans scheme to destroy him. And deep in the alleys of the Maw, a new prophecy is whispered, this one from the Coyote God. It promises Serapio certain doom if its terrible dictates are not fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Xiala is thrust back amongst her people as war comes first to the island of Teek. With their way of life and their magic under threat, she is their last best hope. But the sea won’t talk to her the way it used to, and doubts riddle her mind. She will have to sacrifice the things that matter most to unleash her powers and become the queen they were promised.
And in the far northern wastelands, Naranpa, avatar of the Sun God, seeks a way to save Tova from the visions of fire that engulf her dreams. But another presence has begun stalking her nightmares, and the Jaguar God is on the hunt.
Nominated for the Nebula, Lambda, Locus, and Hugo Awards, winner of the Alex Award from the American Library Association and the Ignyte Award from Fiyah magazine, the Between Earth and Sky trilogy is amongst our most lauded modern fantasy series from New York Times , Los Angeles Times , and USA TODAY bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse.
Shana: Finally! The first book in this trilogy is brilliant and I’ve been waiting for the conclusion for forever.
Author: M.A. Wardell
Released: June 4, 2024 by M.A. Wardell
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Series: Teachers in Love #3
On paper, they’re a disaster. In the sheets, they’re a perfect match.
Kent Lester is proud of the joyful, thriving learning community he’s created as principal of Lear Elementary School. But seven years after his divorce, he’s ready to focus on his personal life and spread his bisexual wings. Things get off to a rocky start when Kent’s first date is an uptight control freak — although that doesn’t stop them tangling some sheets.
Vincent Manda never seems able to move past the friend zone, and besides, he’s not sure anyone can handle his OCD. But that night with the bearded, older Kent revealed a side of Vincent he’d never experienced before. And he’s equal parts scared of and desperate for a repeat.
When Lear’s test scores take a nosedive, Kent finds himself under the microscope. Forced to implement new software to monitor and collect school data, he’s horrified to discover that Vincent is heading up the project. With his last install ending less than ideally, Vincent’s job depends on this one succeeding — and butting heads with the principal won’t help.
Vincent and Kent need to view each other in a new light, but that could change their futures forever.
Shana: I’ve been loving this series and I’m glad the super sweet principal is finally getting his story.
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Released: June 4, 2024 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult
Series: Today Tonight Tomorrow #2
They fell for each other in just twenty-four hours. Now Rowan and Neil embark on a long-distance relationship during their first year of college in this romantic, dual POV sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow.
When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different places.
In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.
In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.
Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?
Dahlia: This is a sequel to Solomon’s bestselling Today Tonight Tomorrow, which I adored, and she does a beautiful job with one of the shockingly few YAs about long-distance relationships, made extra novel because we got to watch the couple’s story unfold from enemies in the first book. It really well blends Solomon’s trademarks of sex-positivity, skill with (and love for) setting, characters’ passionate nerdery, and hard-hitting mental health representation (and, of course, Jewish rep), and if you loved these characters the first time around, you’re going to love being back with them so much.
Author: K.A. Linde
Released: June 4, 2024 by Entangled: Red Tower Books
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Series: The Oak and Holly Cycle #1
Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?
Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.
Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.
In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.
But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.
He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.
Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.
But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape…
Amanda: I’d say this is in my top ten most anticipated reads of the year.
Author: Christine M. Larson
Released: June 4, 2024 by Princeton University Press
Genre: Nonfiction
Lessons in creative labor, solidarity, and inclusion under precarious economic conditions
As writers, musicians, online content creators, and other independent workers fight for better labor terms, romance authors offer a powerful example—and a cautionary tale—about self-organization and mutual aid in the digital economy. In Love in the Time of Self-Publishing, Christine Larson traces the forty-year history of Romancelandia, a sprawling network of romance authors, readers, editors, and others, who formed a unique community based on openness and collective support. Empowered by solidarity, American romance writers—once disparaged literary outcasts—became digital publishing’s most innovative and successful authors. Meanwhile, a new surge of social media activism called attention to Romancelandia’s historic exclusion of romance authors of color and LGBTQ+ writers, forcing a long-overdue cultural reckoning.
Drawing on the largest-known survey of any literary genre as well as interviews and archival research, Larson shows how romance writers became the only authors in America to make money from the rise of ebooks—increasing their median income by 73 percent while other authors’ plunged by 40 percent. The success of romance writers, Larson argues, demonstrates the power of alternative forms of organizing influenced by gendered working patterns. It also shows how networks of relationships can amplify—or mute—certain voices.
Romancelandia’s experience, Larson says, offers crucial lessons about solidarity for creators and other isolated workers in an increasingly risky employment world. Romancelandia’s rise and near-meltdown shows that gaining fair treatment from platforms depends on creator solidarity—but creator solidarity, in turn, depends on fair treatment of all members.
Sarah: I am so excited about this book, and not because I was interviewed for it (though that’s part of it). I’m always into academic analysis of the romance community, and the first few chapters have already been fascinating. I’m also doing a podcast interview with the author, so stay tuned!
A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee is $1.99! This is book two in the Lucky Lovers of London series and it was mentioned last summer in Dahlia’s Queer Romance Round-Up for July.
London, 1885
David Forester and Noah Clarke have been best friends since boarding school. All grown up now, clever, eccentric Noah is Savile Row’s most promising young tailor, while former socialite David runs an underground queer club, The Curious Fox.
Nothing makes David happier than to keep the incense lit, the pianist playing and all his people comfortable, happy and safe until they stumble out into the dawn. But when the unscrupulous baron who owns the Fox moves to close it, David’s world comes crashing down.
Noah’s never feared a little high-stakes gambling, but as he risks his own career in hopes of helping David, he realizes two things:
One: David has not been honest about how he ended up at The Curious Fox in the first place
Two: Noah’s feelings for David have become far more than friendly
What future lies beyond those first furtive kisses? Noah and David can hardly wait to find out…if they can untangle David from his web of deception without losing everything Noah has worked for.
A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett is $1.99! Catherine, Claudia, and Carrie joint reviewed this one and gave it a C+:
Catherine: Yes, this feels like a C+ to me. The fact that this is a debut makes me pretty excited for the next one, though, because I think that while structural issues can be frustrating, getting to the heart of characters is what we read romances for, fundamentally. And that’s done really well here.
What is a Victorian lady’s formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry–it’s elemental.
Lady Violet is keeping secrets. First, she founded a clandestine sanctuary for England’s most brilliant female scientists. Second, she is using her genius on a confidential mission for the Crown. But the biggest secret of all? Her feelings for protection officer Arthur Kneland.
Solitary and reserved, Arthur learned the hard way to put duty first. But the more time he spends in the company of Violet and the eccentric club members, the more his best intentions go up in flames. Literally.
When a shadowy threat infiltrates Violet’s laboratories, endangering her life and her work, scientist and bodyguard will find all their theories put to the test–and learn that the most important discoveries are those of the heart.
If You Dare by Kresley Cole is $1.99! This is the first book in the MacCarrick Brothers series. Readers might be more familiar with Cole’s paranormal romances, but she started with writing historical romances. Cole typically writes Alpha heroes and this book is no exception.
Kresley Cole introduces a thrilling new romance trilogy featuring fierce Scottish brothers with dangerous lives, dark desires, and a deadly curse.
Can he exact revenge?
High in the Pyrenees, a band of mercenaries led by Courtland MacCarrick wages war for General Reynaldo Pascal. When Court turns on the evil general, Pascal orders him killed, but Court narrowly escapes and exacts revenge by kidnapping Pascal’s exquisite Castilian fiancée.
Can she deny her passions?
Lady Annalía Tristán Llorente despises her towering, barbaric captor almost as much as she does Pascal. Her inexplicable attraction to the Highlander only fuels her fury. But nothing will stop her from returning to Pascal—for if she doesn’t wed him, she signs her brother’s death warrant, as well as her own.
Can there be love between them?
From the moment Court discovers that Anna’s prim façade masks a fiery, brave lass, his heart’s ensnared, and he dares to defy the curse that has shadowed his life—to walk with death or walk alone. But Pascal vows that he’ll hunt the two, never stopping until he’s destroyed them both.
Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa is $1.99! I mentioned this on a previous Hide Your Wallet. However, it seems like other readers feel like La Rosa’s books don’t quite stick the landing of all the trope-filled goodness promised.
She’s written off more than she can chew…
Romance author Sophie Lyon’s ironic secret just went viral: she’s never been in love. Though her debut novel made readers swoon, Sophie’s having trouble getting her new characters to happily-ever-after, and she blames it on her own uninspired love life. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer’s block: reunite with her exes to learn why she’s never fallen in love—and document it all for her millions of new online followers. Which also means facing her ex-girlfriend Carla, the one person Sophie could have loved.
Luckily, Sophie’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and offers to help. But he doesn’t mention that he’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol and he intends to keep it that way. His family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.
As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash’s pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn’t sure he’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a casual relationship won’t cause any trouble…
Welcome back to Cover Awe!
Elyse: Okay so the stairs would be digging into her back, but I love how different this cover is in terms of composition and color.
Claudia: Beautiful!!
Amanda: It gives me the feeling of it’s just the two of them hanging out after everyone has cleared out following a party.
Sarah: That is a very relaxed and intimate image. I agree, it’s like they’re both thinking, “FINALLY everyone is gone. In related news, stairs are difficult.”
Sneezy: Ah that sweep of the gown down the steps…
Sarah: She’s a golem if I’m reading her forehead correctly. It says emet in Hebrew.
Amanda: Correct!
The description calls it Frankenstein meets Inglorious Bastards
Carrie: Ooooooh. It’s a Carrie trap!
Sarah: That is a stunning illustration.
Sneezy: The lines and movement are BEAUTIFUL! I love how most of the colours pull cool to give it a slightly eerie feeling.
Cover illustration by Mike Pape
Amanda: New cover and I AM IN LOVE
Elyse: Omg I love that
Amanda: That is a perfect “love drunk” face.
Tara: They are so cute!
Sarah: I love that the covers were good to start with and now they’re awesome. What a cool visual development of her success.
Carrie: They kept all the elements I loved!
Sneezy: This just makes me smile.
Cover illustration by Fernanda Suarez
Amanda: That’s definitely Steve from Stranger Things right?
Elyse: Yes
Amanda: Okay cool. Just checking!
I love the hand gripping the sweater vest
Sneezy: Haha, the stack of books!
Sarah: I love his hair, I love the strength of her forearm gripping his sweater, I love that she is clearly in charge here. This is terrific.
Our latest bestseller list is brought to you by the excitement of a new video game, blanket nests, and our affiliate sales data!
I hope your weekend reading gave you a level up!
Silver Silence by Nalini Singh is $1.99! Big thank you to everyone who let us know about this sale and hopefully it’s still valid. This is the start to the first Psy-Changeling Trilogy. If you’re wondering whether you can start here, the answer is yes. Elyse did, though still have some questions, and gave it a B:
I think Silver Silence will be a big hit with readers of the series, and a little less effective with newcomers. I did love the healthy portrayal of an alpha hero, though, and found the world of the bear shifters to be fun and fascinating.
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh introduces a bold new chapter in her extraordinary paranormal romance saga with the Psy-Changeling Trinity series. Wild passion will encounter the darkest of betrayal…
Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bears, brings with him.
Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence—her mind clear of all emotion—Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious…and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.
Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…
Appointment in Bath by Mimi Matthews is 99c! This is book four in the Somerset Stories series. Lara gave this one a C, due a terrible character from previous books being crucial to the main characters of this one.
A chance meeting between the sheltered daughter and the forward-thinking son of rival Victorian families sparks a forbidden romance in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s fourth book in her acclaimed Somerset Stories series.
Shy and stammering Meg Burton-Smythe has spent the whole of her life living on the fringes of local society. She’s more comfortable with her daydreams than she is with people. But when a dashing, golden-haired hero rides to her rescue one morning, she dares to hope that her dreams might finally come true. There’s only one problem: her handsome rescuer is the son of her father’s sworn enemy.
Ivo Beresford doesn’t believe in clinging to the past. Freshly returned from a lengthy grand tour, he’s looking to the future, eager to spearhead the building of a new railway extension in Somersetshire. But an unexpected encounter with Meg Burton-Smythe, the isolated only daughter of his parents’ oldest foe, sets the past and the future colliding.
Resolved to put ancient grudges to rest—at least where innocent young ladies are concerned—Ivo encourages lonely Meg to embark on a secret acquaintance. After all, what harm can a friendship do? It isn’t as though there’s any danger of the two of them falling in love…
The Prey of the Gods by Nicky Drayden is $2.99! Definitely getting some District 9 vibes from this one. Judging by Goodreads reviews, readers loved the world building and ensemble cast. Have you read this one?
In South Africa, the future looks promising. Personal robots are making life easier for the working class. The government is harnessing renewable energy to provide infrastructure for the poor. And in the bustling coastal town of Port Elizabeth, the economy is booming thanks to the genetic engineering industry which has found a welcome home there. Yes—the days to come are looking very good for South Africans. That is, if they can survive the present challenges:
A new hallucinogenic drug sweeping the country . . .
An emerging AI uprising . . .
And an ancient demigoddess hellbent on regaining her former status by preying on the blood and sweat (but mostly blood) of every human she encounters.
It’s up to a young Zulu girl powerful enough to destroy her entire township, a queer teen plagued with the ability to control minds, a pop diva with serious daddy issues, and a politician with even more serious mommy issues to band together to ensure there’s a future left to worry about.
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams is $1.99 ! This is a small town romance with a heroine wanting to rehab her “boring” image. I am personally not a big fan of small town romances, but I may be in the minority.
Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match-someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is “sounbelievably boring.” Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.
Will–the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard–is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.
Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…
From Rogue to Ruin is $2.99 at Amazon! This is an anthology with ten full-length romances from a variety of well known historical romance authors. The description does mention these have been previously released.
10 full length romances from 10 bestselling authors, including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers!
From the Highlands of Scotland to London’s ballrooms, From Rogue to Ruin includes ten full length romances intended to introduce you to fabulous new authors and exciting new series. You’ll find a swoon worthy collection of Dukes, Earls and Lords and the ladies (both wicked and otherwise) who love them. This limited time, special box set includes TEN romances from ten bestselling authors, including Jill Barnett [Bewitching], Anna Bradley [Not Just Any Earl], Kerrigan Byrne [Seducing a Stranger], Tanya Anne Crosby [Seduced by a Prince], Sofie Darling [At the Pleasure of the Marquess], Danelle Harmon [The Wild One], Amy Jarecki [The Duke’s Fallen Angel], Amanda McCabe [The Earl’s Second Chance], Holly Newman [A Grand Gesture] and Cynthia Wright [His Make-Believe Bride].
Please note: All the stories in this limited-time collection are previously published, but never before in one collection.
The Runaway Bride by Felicity York is $1.99! This is the first in a series and released last spring. If you’re looking for a new author or series to try, this is a good price!
Only the boldest of ladies risks her heart and her reputation…
Inspired by the incredible true story of Lyme Park’s most scandalous love affair, perfect for Bridgerton fans
1827. At first sight, young heiress of Shrigley Hall, Ellen Turner, does not seem the type to elope with a stranger. Yet when Ellen vanishes from her boarding school in the arms of the rugged scoundrel Edward Wakefield, and the pair are sighted in a carriage racing from Gretna Green to the Port of Dover, everyone is forced to question her virtue. What possessed her to make such a wild transgression?
As the newlyweds appear in court, the rumours fly out of control. And the man judging the case is—mortifyingly for Ellen—her childhood sweetheart, the handsome and adventurous Thomas Legh of Lyme Park.
He says she planned the whole scandal.
She says she had no choice.
Who will society believe?
The Rogue Steals a Bride by Amelia Grey is $1.99! This is book six in the Rogues’ Dynasty series. Readers loved the hero and the secondary characters, but some felt the conflicts of the romance were solved rather abruptly.
Matson Brentwood has finally met the woman of his dreams. The lovely, red-haired Sophia Hart heats his blood like no other lady. Her alluring countenance has stopped him dead in his tracks. But no matter how attracted he is to her, he can’t give into his desire to possess her in every way because she is the ward of the man he’s sworn to hate.
Newly arrived in London, Miss Sophia Hart is in need of a husband, but not for herself. She has twin, spinster aunts and one of them has decided she wants a man. Sophia agrees to help her aunt by allowing older gentlemen to call on her and then make sure Auntie spends more time in the gentleman’s company than Sophia does. But when Sophia meets the darkly handsome and intriguing Mr. Matson Brentwood, she knows that for the first time, she in danger of losing her heart.
But there’s more than just an adversarial guardian and a long list of beaus standing between Sophia and Matson. Sophia promised her dying father she would honor his lifelong plan for her as an heiress and marry a titled gentleman. Matson isn’t titled so she must deny her love for him and make up to her father for costing him the love of his life.
A Problem Princess by Anna Harrington is $1.99! This is book six in the Lords of Armory series and features a bodyguard/princess romance. Are you a fan of this series?
Enter into a steamy, forbidden romance between a princess destined to marry a duke and her bodyguard—the one person she is sure she can trust and the man she’s passionately falling for.
General Clayton Elliott, Home Office Undersecretary and new viscount, gets suspicious when London is too quiet. Everyone says that the anarchist group he’s been fighting died along with its leader, but his instincts say just the opposite.
Then he meets Her Serene Highness Princess Cordelia of Monrovia. Resigned to doing her duty for her country, she is in London to make a match with a royal duke—whichever duke wants her. But when she is shockingly attacked at a party, Clayton becomes her bodyguard. Is there a connection between the evil group Scepter and whoever apparently wants the princess dead? While Clayton and Cordelia evade her enemies and pursue their individual missions, the more they realize they can depend only on each other…
Fans of Sarah MacLean, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Bridgerton won’t want to miss this adventurous, danger-filled Regency romance.
This Rec League is from Anna. Thanks, Anna!
I read a little article here about floating house guests, being A Thing in grand houses, rather than just being around for the great parties. Here is a link.
And I was thinking I would like some recommendations around this, where either the hero/heroine has some hangers on, or some come by for a time or where the hero/heroine is a travelling guest.
Sarah: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare might fit. The first book in the Lynn Messina series, A Brazen Curiosity, ( A | BN ) would fit though it’s the first of a mystery series and the romance threads throughout the series.
Which books would you recommend? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome back to Wednesday Links!
I have to thank all of you for the outpouring of gluten free recipes and resources in the comments and in my inbox. My partner all says thank you; the biggest thing they’re struggling with is quick and easy stuff, like ordering takeout requires more thought and consideration.
Also, it’s officially wedding season! Two of my friends got married this month and we have three weddings to attend in June, including my brother’s! My partner and I are so happy to celebrate with all of our friends and family for their special days, but this also reinforces our decision to not have a wedding because wow…it looks exhausting. (Personal aside that we plan to elope, buy a house, and start a family in the next three years and a wedding ceremony seems like a good budget cut.) If any of you eloped, I’d love to hear your elopement story!
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Thanks to EC Spurlock for this link! Fantasy romance often takes inspiration from fairy tales and Reactor has a great piece on the pros and cons of this.
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I stumbled across this antique salesman trying vintage recipes. So far, he’s only tried two but I hope more are on the way.
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In the SBTB Patreon Discord, I was talking about the Electric Callboy concert I attended recently and their new collab with BABYMETAL and the wonderful Kate showed me this article that really encapsulates how goofy and fun the vibes were at this metal show.
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Sometimes, we wind up on the weird side of YouTube and that’s how I found this silly ASMR video.
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller is $1.99! Admittedly, this sounds all sorts of comforting and adorable and Miller’s books have been previous staff picks at the bookstore where I worked. However, I’m always iffy on books that are positioned as women’s fiction. Do you have any experience with reading Miller’s titles?
A full-hearted novel about a big-city baker who discovers the true meaning of home–and that sometimes the best things are found when you didn’t even know you were looking
When Olivia Rawlings–pastry chef extraordinaire for an exclusive Boston dinner club–sets not just her flambeed dessert but the entire building alight, she escapes to the most comforting place she can think of–the idyllic town of Guthrie, Vermont, home of Bag Balm, the country’s longest-running contra dance, and her best friend Hannah. But the getaway turns into something more lasting when Margaret Hurley, the cantankerous, sweater-set-wearing owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, offers Livvy a job. Broke and knowing that her days at the club are numbered, Livvy accepts.
Livvy moves with her larger-than-life, uberenthusiastic dog, Salty, into a sugarhouse on the inn’s property and begins creating her mouthwatering desserts for the residents of Guthrie. She soon uncovers the real reason she has been hired–to help Margaret reclaim the inn’s blue ribbon status at the annual county fair apple pie contest.
With the joys of a fragrant kitchen, the sound of banjos and fiddles being tuned in a barn, and the crisp scent of the orchard just outside the front door, Livvy soon finds herself immersed in small town life. And when she meets Martin McCracken, the Guthrie native who has returned from Seattle to tend his ailing father, Livvy comes to understand that she may not be as alone in this world as she once thought.
But then another new arrival takes the community by surprise, and Livvy must decide whether to do what she does best and flee–or stay and finally discover what it means to belong. Olivia Rawlings may finally find out that the life you want may not be the one you expected–it could be even better.
Kissed by Magic by Erica Ridley is $2.99! This is the first book in the Magic & Mayhem series. Seems light and silly if that’s what you’re after right now! If you haven’t listened to Ridley on the podcast yet, check it out!
Enjoy an Outlander-meets-Frozen romantic comedy from a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author:
Adventurer Lance Desmond needs to produce a fortune before his arch-rival collects the bounty on his head. He risks an ancient curse to retrieve treasure hidden within icebound Castle Cavanaugh, only to become trapped inside. Not with the gold he so desperately needs, but with medieval Princess Marigold who’s been cooling her heels since…well, medieval times.
The lonely princess refuses to acknowledge the blossoming attraction between them. Not just because she deserves a better future than a penniless rogue. But because at midnight, he’ll vanish like all her other would-be heroes. And the evergreen in the parlor will have one more figurine hanging from its boughs…
The Harvest Bride by Kati Wilde is $1.49! This fantasy romance novella was mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about Wilde’s books from the SBTB comment section.
After losing everything to a curse that struck the kingdom of Galoth, Sarya just wants the world to leave her alone. Yet when a demon begins hunting the people in the forest near her village, staying hidden isn’t an option. Neither is avoiding the warrior who helped saved all of Galoth. Bannin the Blowhard has never said a serious word in his life…and yet the warrior claims that he intends to marry Sarya.
Now she’s about to discover how serious Bannin can be when her happiness is at stake—and how completely devoted to her pleasure…
Please note: Although this novella’s plot and romance can stand alone, the story follows the events of The Midsummer Bride and the hero was introduced in that novel. This novella was originally written for an audiobook podcast audience in an abridged format. This ebook edition includes expanded chapters, including scenes from the hero’s point-of-view, an epilogue, and a map.
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot is $1.99! This is book one in The Witches of West Harbor small town paranormal romance series. This one came out last September and I feel like it flew under the radar.
It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match
In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.
So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.
She’s the Chosen One
Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch.
No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself . . .
As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows
But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was.
And suddenly Jess finds herself having to make another kind of choice: trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always has: to keep herself, and her heart, safe.
Can she work her magic in time?
How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly is $3.99! This is book three in the Nashville Love series and it was released in February! Many readers of the Bitchery have enjoyed Kelly’s queer contemporaries.
Chemistry sizzles in this workplace rom-com set in the world of high school basketball from the author of Love & Other Disasters , named a “must-read” by USA Today , PopSugar, SheReads, and Harper Bazaar.
When smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joins the high school basketball team Julie Parker coaches, Julie’s ready for the challenge. What she’s not ready for is Vanessa’s new foster parent, Elle Cochrane—former University of Tennessee basketball star. While star-struck at first, soon Julie persuades Elle to step into the unfilled position of assistant coach for the year.
Even though Elle has stayed out of the basketball world since an injury ended her short-lived WNBA career, the gig might be a way to become closer to Vanessa—and to spend more time with Julie, who makes Elle laugh. As the coaches grow closer, Elle has a hard time understanding how Julie is single. When Julie reveals her lifelong insecurity about dating and how she wishes it was more like sports—being able to practice first—it sparks an intriguing idea. While Elle still doubts her abilities as a basketball coach, helping Julie figure out dating is definitely something she can do. But as the basketball season progresses, and lines grow increasingly blurred, Julie and Elle must decide to join the game—or retreat to the sidelines.
On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe is $2.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet and I remember it being pretty buzzy. Did any of you read this one?
After a painfully public break-up her senior year in college, Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate post-grad life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she refuses to apply for her dream job as a graphic designer, why she hides behind an anonymous username on the online forums for her favorite make-over show, ON THE PLUS SIDE, and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can’t break your heart or insist that you’re too much.
This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of ON THE PLUS SIDE. Overwhelmed by the fast-paced production schedule and the show’s trio of hosts, she finds comfort in grumpy but honest cameraman Logan Samuel (and his supremely well-sculpted arms). Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it.
But when their growing connection is accidentally caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Overcoming her own self-doubt and embracing change on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk another heartbreak with the whole world watching?
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo is $2.99! This was a previous Hide Your Wallet pick for me, as I loved Choo’s The Ghost Bride. It’s a mix of historical fiction, mythology, romance, and magical realism. Have you read this one?
A sweeping historical novel about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy whose fates entangle over an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers.
When 11-year-old Ren’s master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master’s soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace.
Ji Lin always wanted to be a doctor, but as a girl in 1930s Malaysia, apprentice dressmaker is a more suitable occupation. Secretly, though, Ji Lin also moonlights as a dancehall girl to help pay off her beloved mother’s Mahjong debts. One night, Ji Lin’s dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir: a severed finger. Convinced the finger is bad luck, Ji Lin enlists the help of her erstwhile stepbrother to return it to its rightful owner.
As the 49 days tick down, and a prowling tiger wreaks havoc on the town, Ji Lin and Ren’s lives intertwine in ways they could never have imagined. Propulsive and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores colonialism and independence, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and first love. Braided through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order.
How to Catch a Duke by Grace Burrowes is $2.99! This is book six in the Rogues to Riches series and it features a fake engagement. I feel like this series has been on a sale quite a bit recently, so you all might be close to completing the current set.
“I have come to ask you to kill me, my lord.”
Miss Abigail Abbott desperately needs to disappear, and the only person she trusts to help her do that is Lord Stephen Wentworth, heir to the Duke of Walden. Stephen is brilliant, charming, and—when he needs to be—absolutely ruthless. So ruthless, that, he proposes marriage instead of a pretense of murder, to keep Abigail safe.
Stephen knows that Abigail has the dignity and determination of a duchess and the courage of a lioness. When she accepts his courtship of convenience, he also discovers she kisses like his most intimate wish come true. For Abigail, their arrangement is a sham to escape her dangerous enemies. For Stephen, it’s his last, best hope to share a lifetime with the lady of his dreams—if he can convince her his love is real.
This HaBO request is from Wynn, who wants to find this novella:
I saw a Reddit post on r/RomanceBooks where OP posted “[WWTBC] Contemporary Novella with heartbroken English farmer”. I want to read the book so badly!! I have been searching high and low on Google and Reddit communities. I even used ChatGPT at one point to see if I could dig it up, but I have had no luck so far. Here is what OP wrote:
“So this is what I remember. An American woman gets dumped but decides to go on the trip she was planning with her boyfriend/fiance to England. Omg don’t hate me but it might have been Scotland or Wales.
Anyway, she gets left behind by the tour bus somewhere out in the country and she ends up falling asleep on the couch of a little cottage. She’s woken by a grumpy man who is mad she’s there. He isn’t a Duke or someone famous, just an ordinary man. It starts raining heavily and the roads are no longer safe so she must stay a bit.
The man is heartbroken because years ago he lost his wife and child, but he’s clearly attracted to the woman. I remember the eventual sex scenes were steamy. At some point he lies about the roads still being not passable to keep her there longer but she ultimately figures it out and leaves angry. They of course eventually get back together.
Can anyone help me? He’s not a Duke. I found a book by Sarah Maclean that sounded so similar but it definitely wasn’t it.”
The Reddit post also hasn’t been solved, for anyone wondering.
Welcome back to Hide Your Wallet!
This is a quiet end to the month for us. Only three books are on our radar. June is looking much beefier in terms of our personal TBR piles.
Do you have anything on your release week list? Or are you in the same boat as us?
Author: S.T Gibson
Released: May 28, 2024 by Angry Robot
Genre: LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Series: The Summoner's Circle #1
From The Sunday Times bestselling author of B&N’s best books of 2022 A Dowry of Blood, comes a spellbinding and vibrant new series.
The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.
As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.
But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.
Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…
A new queer fantasy series from S.T. Gibson!
Author: Jennifer Dugan
Released: May 28, 2024 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Molly McDaniel’s life is falling apart. Between her day job as a barista, her night job at a call center, and her crushing student loans, she’s barely getting by. And that dream she has of starting a wedding event planning business? The dream that led to all those student loan in the first place? She can feel it slipping farther and farther out of reach every day. So the absolute last thing she needs is to discover she’s inherited a run-down, struggling horse barn out of the blue, courtesy of her estranged late aunt.
Molly is so ill-equipped to run the barn, it’s laughable. She certainly doesn’t have the money, time or knowledge needed to save it, no matter how much faith everyone who loved her aunt has that she will. But the more Molly gets involved, the more she starts to wonder: maybe the barn is a blessing in disguise. If she can sell the land, the profits could be the small-business seed money miracle she’s been waiting for. So what if she’s starting to love everyone in the mismatched family she’s found here?
Well, everyone except Shani, the resident farrier and family friend who took care of Molly’s aunt in her last days. Judgmental, grouchy Shani, who refuses to give up on the barn; who walks around like she so much better than Molly; who’s actually really good with the horses…and kind of thoughtful. And obnoxiously hot. And unfailingly loyal.
And suddenly, Shani has become an entirely different kind of problem, one Molly can’t possibly solve, not without risking her whole future, no matter how much her heart wishes she could.
Dahlia: Jennifer Dugan is an autobuy for me, and I can’t wait to see what she can do with Sapphic horse girls.
Author: Suzanne Rindell
Released: May 28, 2024 by Dutton
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
You’ve Got Mail for a new generation, set in the days of AOL and instant messenger banter, about a freshly engaged editorial assistant who winds up spending her “summer Fridays” with the person she least expects
Summer 1999: Twentysomething Sawyer is striving to make it in New York. Between her assistant job in publishing, her secret dreams of becoming a writer, and her upcoming wedding to her college boyfriend, her is plate full. Only one She is facing an incredibly lonely summer as her fiancé has been spending longer and longer hours at work . . . with an all-too-close female colleague, Kendra.
When Kendra’s boyfriend, Nick, invites Sawyer to meet up and compare notes about their suspicions, the meeting goes awry. She finds Nick cocky and cynical, and he finds her stuck in her own head. But then Nick seeks out Sawyer online to apologize, and a friendship develops.
Soon, Sawyer’s lonely summer takes an unexpected turn. She and Nick begin an unofficial ritual—exploring New York City together every summer Friday. From hot dogs on the Staten Island Ferry and Sea Breezes in a muggy East Village bar to swimming at Coney Island, Sawyer feels seen by Nick in a way that surprises her. He pushes her to be braver. To ask for what she wants. Meanwhile, Sawyer draws Nick out of his hard shell, revealing a surprisingly vulnerable side. They both begin living for their Friday afternoons together.
But what happens when the summer is over?
Summer Fridays is a witty and emotional love letter to New York City that also captures the feeling of being young and starting out, uncertain what to do on your summer Friday. It’s also perfect for readers who remember when “going online” meant tying up the phone line, and the timeless thrill of seeing a certain someone’s name in your inbox.
Elyse: I wept a little listing a book set in 1999 as historical, but this novel explores dating just as email and instant messanger were becoming a thing which was exactly where I was at that time.
RECOMMENDED: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is $1.99! Apologies if this is a leftover KDD from the weekend. We had a guest squee review of this one:
Chilling, packed with lore, and a slow burn, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is the type of book I’ve been looking for. Their adventure from faerie field research to two professors running like hell from a faerie nightmare kept me on the edge of my seat.
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is $2.99! I think Moreno-Garcia is an extremely talented writer and this one blends historical settings and horror. Have you read it? We also recommended it in our Horror Romance Rec League.
From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes a reimagining of the classic gothic suspense novel, a story about an isolated mansion in 1950s Mexico — and the brave socialite drawn to its treacherous secrets.
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find — her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough, smart, and has an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center is $2.99! We mentioned this one on a previous Hide Your Wallet and I believe early readers of the book had good things to say. The heroine is an artist with face blindness.
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.
But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.
If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.
Devolution by Max Brooks is $1.99! Carrie was reading this one on a previous Whatcha Reading. It’s a mix of monster horror and thriller, told through epistolary storytelling. Definitely curious about this one!
As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.
But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten.
In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.
Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.
Yet it is also far more than that.
Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.
Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before.
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