- Contemporary Romance
- Fantasy
- Historical Romance
- Paranormal Romance
- Post-apocalyptic Romance
- Romantic Suspense
- Urban Fantasy
Contemporary Romance
Hanging the Stars (Half Moon Bay #2) by Rhys Ford – Dec 5th (Dreamspinner)
Angel Daniels grew up hard, one step ahead of the law and always looking over his shoulder. A grifter’s son, he’d learned every con and trick in the book but ached for a normal life. Once out on his own, Angel returns to Half Moon Bay where he once found…and then lost…love.
Now, Angel’s life is a frantic mess of schedules and chaos. Between running his bakery and raising his troubled eleven-year-old half-brother, Roman, Angel has a hectic but happy life. Then West Harris returns to Half Moon Bay and threatens to break Angel all over again by taking away the only home he and Rome ever had.
When they were young, Angel taught West how to love and laugh but when Angel moved on, West locked his heart up and threw away the key. Older and hardened, West returns to Half Moon and finds himself face-to-face with the man he’d lost. Now, West is torn between killing Angel or holding him tight.
But rekindling their passionate relationship is jeopardized as someone wants one or both of them dead, and as the terrifying danger mounts, neither man knows if the menace will bring them together or forever tear them apart.
Rules of Contact (Play by Play #12) by Jaci Burton – Dec 6th (Berkley)
A defensive end for the San Francisco Sabers, Flynn Cassidy is used to being in the spotlight—he just doesn’t enjoy it. But if getting in front of the cameras will help his new restaurant succeed, he’s willing. Now if he could just meet a woman who loved him and not his fame…
After her divorce, Amelia Lawrence is thrilled to start over as head chef at Ninety-Two. It’s just the opportunity she needs to heat up her career—if only she wasn’t wildly attracted to her sexy new boss. Their chemistry might be sizzling hot, but Amelia has no intention of being burned again.
Amelia is genuine and fun and Flynn can’t get enough of her—and Amelia loves every second she spends with the tough but tender Flynn. But trust is a hard fought battle for both of them. Breaking the rules of contact and surrendering to their passion was easy, but are they willing to risk their hearts to win at the game of love?
Max (Cold Fury Hockey #6) by Sawyer Bennett – Dec 13th (Loveswept)
The ice is a cold mistress. As the league’s most eligible goalie, Max Fournier has access to his fair share of willing puck bunnies, but right now he’s more interested in bringing home another championship than a one-night stand. A romantic at heart, Max believes in love; he’s just not great at relationships. So when he finally meets a nice girl who’s not blinded by his celebrity, he’s feeling the heat—and the pressure to save her from herself.
Between working two jobs and raising her sister’s kids, Julianne Bradley doesn’t have time for sports—or men. All she knows about Max is that he’s the sexiest customer to ever grace her gas-station counter. And he sees past her tired eyes and makes Jules yearn for things she can’t have: a glamorous fling, a passionate lover, and the time to enjoy both. Max makes her feel like Cinderella, even though Jules has enough baggage to crush a glass slipper. Luckily, he’s no prince—only a fierce competitor determined to win her heart.
Fantasy
Edge of the Blade (Uncharted Realms #2) by Jeffe Kennedy – Dec 27th (Kensington)
A HAWK’S PLEDGE
“The Twelve Kingdoms rest uneasy under their new High Queen, reeling from civil war and unchecked magics. Few remember that other powers once tested their borders until a troop of foreign warriors emerges with a challenge . . .”
Jepp has been the heart of the queen s elite guard, her Hawks, since long before war split her homeland. But the ease and grace that come to her naturally in fighting leathers disappears when battles turn to politics. When a scouting party arrives from far-away Dasnaria, bearing veiled threats and subtle bluffs, Jepp is happy to let her queen puzzle them out while she samples the pleasures of their prince s bed.
But the cultural norms allow that a Dasnarian woman may be wife or bed-slave, never her own leader and Jepp s light use of Prince Kral has sparked a diplomatic crisis. Banished from court, she soon becomes the only envoy to Kral s strange and dangerous country, with little to rely on but her wits, her knives and the smolder of anger and attraction that burns between her and him . . .
Historical Romance
I Will (Capital Theater # 1.5) by Lisa Kleypas – Dec 13th (Avon Impulse)
Andrew, Lord Drake, has been cut out of his father’s will because of his dissolute manner of living. To be reinstated, Andrew decides to pretend that he has changed his wicked ways.
As part of his plan, he wants to convince his father that he is courting a respectable woman with the intention of marrying her. The problem is, he doesn’t know any decent women, except for his friend’s spinster sister, Miss Caroline Hargreaves. He blackmails the reluctant Caroline into helping him, and so the charade begins . . .
Paranormal Romance
A Stone Kissed Sea (Elemental World #4) by Elizabeth Hunter – Dec 6th (Self)
An immortal wanderer. A brilliant scientist. A centuries-old menace written in blood.
Lucien Thrax, son of the earth and child of the ancients, is a healer of immense power. But years of work on a deadly vampire virus have not led to a cure, nor have they softened the wall he built around his heart. When he’s forced to work with Doctor Makeda Abel, Lucien is convinced he’s reached his limit of patience with humanity.
Makeda Abel may be human, but she’s far from impressed with the brooding vampire healer, even if his mind draws her reluctant admiration. She’s learned how to survive in the immortal world, and it’s not by being afraid. Working together may lead them to answers, but it also pushes Lucien and Makeda’s attraction to the boiling point.
When nightmares become reality, Makeda will have to trust Lucien with her life. Finding answers has never been more vital. Finding love has never been more deadly. To heal the Elemental World, Lucien and Makeda must follow ancient paths and ask for help from the most inhuman of immortals. Because even with a cure in hand, the battle has only begun.
Broken Angel (Bad Things #4) by Cynthia Eden – Dec 13th (Hocus Pocus Publishing)
What happens when an angel falls? Find out in Book 3 of Cynthia Eden’s “Bad Things” series, BROKEN ANGEL.
Angel Lila is being hunted—she can feel the hunter closing in behind her. Every move she makes, he’s stalking after her. But does the werewolf on her trail want to destroy her—or can he protect her from the growing darkness that she is trying so desperately to fight?
Werewolf Rayce Lovel doesn’t know what to do with an angel—especially one who makes him think too much about paradise. Lila may be heavenly, but every time he’s near her, Rayce wants to sin. Angels aren’t supposed to feel, but Lila was introduced to the world by way of pain. Pain is all she’s known for far too long, and now, Rayce is tempted to introduce gorgeous Lila to pleasure.
But the longer an angel stays out of heaven, the more dangerous she can become. Lila sinks deeper into the darkness with each night that passes, and she finds herself becoming a pawn in an eternal battle…good versus evil. Is Rayce really her protector? Perhaps he is just the hungry wolf who has been sent to ensure that Lila never sets foot back in her paradise.
A fallen angel has a bad side…and that side is about to be set free.
Phoenix Blood (Old School #1) by Jenny Schwartz – Dec 27th (Self)
In a grim biker bar with wizard mercenaries on her tail and a “found” amulet around her neck, Sadie Howard needs a miracle. What she gets is the man who broke her heart nine years ago.
Marcus Aurelius is a changed man, in more ways than one. The preppy, confident medical school student is now a hard-bitten, magic-wielding assassin. He’s also a man on a mission. He has debts to pay and old wrongs to right before he dies—sometime this week.
As the secrets of Marcus’s heart are revealed, Sadie learns that nothing is as it seems and that the man who broke her heart also saved her life and paid in agony for her freedom.
With wizards trying to kill her, phoenix blood burning in Marcus’s veins, and a villain who’ll stop at nothing to acquire the amulet Sadie has promised to a friend, their roadtrip is a one-way ticket to extraordinary adventures. The question is, who will survive?
Reluctant Mate (Cascadia Wolves #0.5)–Edited/Re-release by Lauren Dane – Dec 12th (Carina Press)
Previously published under a different title (Reluctant – a prequel novella)
“I can’t touch you yet. Once I do, it’s over.”
As daughter of the ruling Pack family, Layla Warden is under pressure to settle down. Find a nice wolf mate from a nice wolf family and have nice wolf babies. Layla has other plans, but when you’re a werewolf, biology trumps plans. And when Layla meets Sid, the sex is so intense, so hot, so consuming, it’s more than just a connection. It’s a mating bond.
Sid Rosario wasn’t expecting to find his mate so soon—some wolves never find theirs. Now that he’s found Layla, he’s never letting her go. But lust and desire alone aren’t enough to secure their bond. If they want this incredible happiness to last, there’s one more thing they’ll have to do…
Pack Enforcer (Cascadia Wolves #1)–Edited/Re-release by Lauren Dane – Dec 19th (Carina Press)
Previously published under a different title (ENFORCER)
This wolf mates for life…
Nina Reyes knows trouble when she sees it, and Lex Warden, Enforcer for the local werewolf pack, is nothing but. When her brother gets in too deep with some dangerous wolves and comes to Nina for help—dragging super alpha protector Lex into her life—she can handle it. She might have put her grifter past behind her, but she’s still got what it takes. If only she didn’t find Lex—his body, his scent, even his domineering nature—so intoxicating.
As Enforcer, it’s Lex’s job to protect his people. Nina might be more capable of handling herself than he initially thought, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe from their enemies. His need to protect her is more than just pack business—Nina, a human, is his mate. Bedding her once is not even close to enough; to satisfy his wolf, he needs a true bond.
The heat between them scares Nina, but sometimes the reward is worth the risk, and the thought of living without Lex terrifies her more than any threat the werewolf mafia can pose. Lex will do anything to keep her safe. And when the Rogues catch up to them, he’ll get a chance to prove it…
Post-apocalyptic
Beyond Surrender (Beyond #9) by Kit Rocha – Dec 13th (Self)
The final book in the bestselling, award-winning series…
She’s the heart of O’Kane liquor.
He’s the brains of the revolution.
They’re facing a war that could end their world. Again.
On December 13th, the Beyond series comes to its climactic conclusion with Nessa and Ryder’s story–and the final battle between the sectors and Eden.
Romantic Suspense
Absolute Trust (True-Heroes #3) by Piper J. Drake – Dec 20th (Forever)
LOVE IS THE GREATEST RISK OF ALL
After multiple tours of duty, Brandon Forte returns to his hometown on a personal mission: to open a facility for military service dogs like Haydn, a German shepherd who’s seen his share of combat and loss. It also brings him back to Sophie Kim, a beacon of light in his life . . . and the one woman he can’t have. But Forte’s success means he’s made enemies in high places. Enemies who are now after Sophie . . .When Forte enlisted and left without saying goodbye, Sophie did her best to move on. But with her first love back in town, looking sexier than ever, she’s constantly reminded of what they could have had. Then after he risks himself for her, Sophie realizes she’ll have to put her life in the hands of the man who broke her heart, knowing the danger -and the sparks between them- could consume them both.
Urban Fantasy
Nice Guys Bite (Elemental Assassins #15.5) by Jennifer Estep – Dec 12th (Pocket Star)
Working for Gin Blanco (aka the Spider, the assassin who runs the Ashland underworld) doesn’t leave much time for romance, especially with Gin’s holiday party planning in full swing. But when he catches the eye of a charming gentleman, Silvio finds himself going out for coffee.
All’s fair in love and war, though. Just as Silvio is starting to enjoy himself, he realizes he’s being watched. His nice-guy date doesn’t sense the danger, and Silvio wants to keep it that way (and, well, keep the guy alive) so Silvio ends the date early—only to be abducted by some villainous giants.
Will Silvio survive the night and make it back to the Pork Pit in time for Gin’s holiday party? Only if he decks the hall with bodies …
Note: This is an e-novella that takes place after the events of Unraveled, book #15. It is told from the point of view of Silvio Sanchez, Gin’s personal assistant. It is about 20,000 words — around 70 pages — and is available as an e-novella only.
One Fell Sweep (Inn-Keeper Chronicles #3) by Ilona Andrews – Dec 21st (Self)
Also available as a free online serial at author’s website.
Gertrude Hunt, the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, is glad to have you. We cater to particular kind of guests, the ones most people don’t know about. The older lady sipping her Mello Yello is called Caldenia, although she prefers Your Grace. She has a sizable bounty on her head, so if you hear kinetic or laser fire, try not to stand close to the target. Our chef is a Quillonian. The claws are a little unsettling, but he is a consummate professional and truly is the best chef in the Galaxy. If you see a dark shadow in the orchard late at night, don’t worry. Someone is patrolling the grounds. Do beware of our dog.
Your safety and comfort is our first priority. The inn and your host, Dina Demille, will defend you at all costs. We ask only that you mind other guests and conduct yourself in a polite manner.
The monthly Must Have list is a compilation of the upcoming release titles that we, The Book Pushers, just can’t wait to get our hands on. Don’t see a title you’re excited about listed here? Add it to the comments section below. Let us know what you’re looking forward to!