BP Note: Welcome to November. The month of my favorite US Holiday, Thanksgiving, because it is all about the food. I am hoping that we are able to find things to be Thankful for as life in these times seems to be growing ever more stressful. It is also the last month of the year with a long list of book releaases, at least based on what I am aware of. Please feel free to prove me wrong in this month and next month’s blog post comments. Not much is better this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere than warm comfort foods, cozy blankets/clothes, good books, and the sound of happy people. Please take care of yourselves and look out for others. You never know when the smallest bit of kindness will make a much larger difference to someone else.
Happy reading!
~E
- Contemporary Romance
- Cozy Fantasy
- Epic Fantasy
- Fantasy
- Fantasy Romance
- Historical Mystery
- Literary Fiction
- Paranormal Romance
- Science Fiction
- Urban Fantasy
Contemporary Romance
Second Chance Romance (Harlot’s Bay #2) by Olivia Dade – 25 Nov (Avon)
Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery.
The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away.
Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary.
As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.
Cozy Fantasy
Contracts & Cats (MEOW: Magic Emporium of Wares #1) by Toni Binns – 4 Nov (Bardhwood Press)
Welcome to the Magical Emporium of Wares, a bookshop that appears only to those who need to find it.
When Sable answers a too-good-to-be-true job posting—cozy bookshop, perfect espresso machine, adorable black cat, and an apartment upstairs—she thought she’d finally caught a break from her crushing student loans.
But the ink on the deal is barely dry when Sable realizes that the contract is very literal. She cannot leave. Also, her new feline companion talks, the bookstore itself is a sentient enigma with an excellent espresso machine, and magic isn’t just for storybooks–it’s woven into her new reality.
Bound to the shop as the mystical Cat’s voice and hands in the human world, the bookstore’s true purpose begins to unfold, and Sable must choose. Will she embrace the impossible magic blooming around her, or cling to the mundane life she thought she wanted, risking the fate of the shop and its curious inhabitants?
Epic Fantasy
The Blackfire Blade (Last Legacy #2) by James Logan – 4 Nov (Tor Books)
Winter has come early to Korslakov, City of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most visitors to this famous city of artifice seek technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan only desires the unknown legacy his father has left for him, in the vaults of the Blackfire Bank.
But when Lukan’s past catches up with him, his key to the vault ends up in the hands of a mysterious thief known only as the Rook. As Lukan and his companions race to recover the key, they soon find themselves trapped in a web of murder and deceit. In desperation, Lukan requests the help of Lady Marni Volkova, scion to Korslakov’s most powerful family.
Yet Lady Marni has secrets of her own. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his friends. Plans that involve a journey into Korslakov’s dark past, in search of a long-lost alchemical formula that could prove to be the city’s greatest discovery . . . or its destruction.
Fantasy
The Nameless Land (The Witch Roads #2) by Kate Elliott – 4 Nov (Tor Books)
When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin’s (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies.
Meanwhile, as Erin mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister.
And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions.
Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won.
The King Must Die by Kemi Aishing-Giwa – 4 Nov (Gallery/Saga Press)
Fen’s world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers—her last remaining tether to hope—are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate.
With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents’ rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign’s army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign’s heir—a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire’s last chance at survival…or the final push to its doom.
Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop – 11 Nov (Ace)
A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.
Words have power. Intentions matter.
Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.
But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.
When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.
For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.
Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?
Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #3) by Travis Baldree – 11 Nov (Tor Books)
Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!
If only things were so simple . . .
It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.
A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.
As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when anything is possible . . .
Fantasy Romance
A Suitable Brat (The Suitable ‘Verse #5) by R. Cooper – 5 Nov (Self)
Old by Outguard standards, forty-year-old Westin is considering retirement and hoping that the familiar comforts of Solace House will soothe the ache in his chest at the thought. Solace House is renowned for serving the finest wines and teas, providing luxurious baths, and offering solace, be that through conversation or through time spent with a worker in a private room. But the normally centered and calm Westin is finding peace difficult to achieve, so far unsatisfied by both his bath and a good cup of tea, or his conversation with a friend and Solace House worker.
When Sun stumbles into the inn amid a rumble of thunder from the passing storm, Westin is forced to confront why peace has been so hard to come by; he likes a little bit of trouble, at least in one particular form. Another outguard, Sun is young, bold, and pretty. He’s charming to most but impertinent and demanding with Westin, and he only grows more difficult upon discovering that Westin plans to leave him… that is, to leave the Outguard.
Sun acting a brat with Westin, with only Westin, might mean a great deal more than Westin believed it did. Despite his age and old wounds, the raging storm outside, and the brat at his brattiest, Westin feels a glimmer of solace might be found for both of them. All Westin has to do is reach for it.
Apt to be Suspicious (Liminal Mysteries #2) by Celia Lake – 7 Nov (Celia Lake)
Edmund keeps busy.
He’s reading Greats at Oxford, and key exams are looming. That’s nothing compared to his work the last two years of World War 2, but there are expectations on all sides. Unlike most of his classmates, he’s also apprenticing in two different types of magic with their own demands and assignments. It’s supposed to be a year full of learning, expansion, and making the right show with the right people to build the future he wants.
Pen is frustrated.
Being at Oxford reading maths is everything she’s supposed to want. But it turns down to be rather a let down after her war work. Her time at Bletchley Park mattered. It would be different if she’d been able to find someone to talk to about her ideas around a magical approach to cryptography.
Edmund and Pen are drawn together when they independently notice several odd things that make them suspicious. It’s not just the comments about people having less money, or the odd classifieds. In between the ordinary sounds and demands of Oxford’s days and nights, there’s something else going on. When they combine their excellent minds and skills, there’s a chance they can solve the problem as smoothly as they do the crossword.
Apt to be Suspicious is set in the 1947-1948 year at Oxford University. It’s full of Oxford’s particular customs, cryptic crosswords, classics, and magic. Second in the Liminal Mysteries exploring the magical community of Britain after the Second World War, it can be read in any order.
Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz – 18 Nov (Ace)
A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.
Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.
The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.
Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery—and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.
When a mysterious blight threatens every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with a figure from her past knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she’s worked so hard to grow, Violet can’t help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?
Historical Mystery
The Devil in Oxford (Ruby Vaughn #3) by Jess Armstrong – 4 Nov (Minotaur)
If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen’s penchant for arcane, unusual—and occasionally illegal—books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.
When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is hastily arrested, and Ruan arrives…wanting to speak with Ruby. It seems both the arcane and her Pellar have followed Ruby to Oxford.
The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for Ruby’s help. It soon becomes painfully clear that there is more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together.
A Case of Life and Limb (Trials of Gabriel Ward #2) by Sally Smith – 18 Nov (Raven Books)
Winter, 1901. The Inner Temple is even quieter than usual under a blanket of snow and Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case. All is calm, all is bright – until the mummified hand arrives in the post…
While the hand’s recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive – one with fatal consequences – Gabriel realises that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.
Someone is holding a grudge that has already led to at least one death. Now it’s up to Gabriel, and Constable Wright of the City of London Police, to find out who, before an old death leads to a new murder.
Literary Fiction
Days at the Torunka Cafe by Satoshi Yagisawa – 4 Nov (Harper Perennial)
Tucked away on a narrow side street in Tokyo is the Torunka Café, a neighborhood nook where the passersby are as likely to be local cats as tourists. Its regulars include Chinatsu Yukimura, a mysterious young woman who always leaves behind a napkin folded into the shape of a ballerina; Hiroyuki Yumata, a middle-aged man who’s returned to the neighborhood searching for the happy life he once gave up; and Shizuku, the café owner’s teenage daughter, who is still coming to terms with her sister’s death as she falls in love for the first time.
While Café Torunka serves up a perfect cup of coffee, it provides these sundry souls with nourishment far more lasting. Satoshi Yagisawa brilliantly illuminates the periods in our lives where we feel lost—and how we find our way again.
Paranormal Romance
The Telepath’s Associate (Charmed Away Temp Agency #5) by Amy Padilla – 44 Nov (Self)
Alistair wasn’t the kind of man to let the bad keep him down. His ex-wife may have left and taken his kids, but when his little brother offered him a lifeline, he took it and pulled himself back up. He joined a temp company, started working again, and did what he could to heal after a military mission gone wrong. He doesn’t expect to face his issues so soon, but when Isaac asks him to help a friend, the least he can do is give the man a ride. Right?
Elijah just wants to help others. It’s all he’s ever wanted. But with powers like his, powers that unnerve people, he’s learned the best way he can help is by keeping his distance. But when a plumbing disaster leaves him homeless, he finds himself crashing with one of the few people he considers a friend, along with said friend’s grumpy older brother with arms like a fantasy and eyes full of shadows. And when the brother decides he needs protection? He can totally resist a man like that. Right?
Not all telepaths are bad, Elijah just wants to help, Alistair has hit rock bottom, it’s all up from here– right?, Alistair gets protective, some things aren’t as they seem, give Elijah alcohol and hilarity ensues, accidental bonding, Alistair is okay with it, Guaranteed HEA
Enticing the Elf (Elf Magic #2) by Louisa Masters – 6 Nov (Self)
There’s nothing I want more than a life with him… but my past is the world’s worst wingman.
For a big chunk of my life, I expected to die along with the rest of my species. Nobody thought we’d make it, and I did my best to live in the now and enjoy every second of precious life.
Now that’s coming back to bite me in the ass.
Because the impossible happened, and we got our second chance. A safe home. A tomorrow worth planning for. And a future I want to spend with Dáithí.
He’s amazing—sassy, clever, the kind of guy who can cut you down with one eyebrow and still make you laugh. We’ve known each other a long time, and convincing him to date me was one of the best wins of my long life. Convincing him to be my boyfriend? That’s a fight I might not win.
Because the reputation I earned when I was living life to the fullest has stuck, and Dáithí’s convinced I’m only in this for a good time, not a long time. He’s protecting his heart from future damage by keeping things casual between us… even though they’re not.
How do I prove I want him forever?
Broken Veil (Shadowlands #3) by Elizabeth Hunter – 13 Nov (Recurve Press LLC)
She’s a daughter of two worlds.
And those worlds are ready to collide.
Carys Morgan is a mythology professor who walked through a fae portal and into a shadow world where myths and magic are reality. She has danced with dragons, bargained with fae, and fallen for a Scottish blacksmith with the heart of a knight.
But now both the Shadowlands and the Brightlands are in danger because Carys unleashed an ancient power, and the old gods are looking to Carys for a solution.
A goddess of war is loose in the modern world, and the fate of both realms depends on Carys correcting her mistake. To return the Morrígan to the Shadowlands and stop the worlds from colliding, she’ll need the help of old gods, new gods, and every ally—living or dead—she’s made along the way.
Mistletoe and Mayhem (Charmed Away Holiday Special) by Amy Padilla – 14 Nov (Self)
The Charmed Away crew is home for the holidays! This series of vignettes gives you a glimpse into how our favorite couples celebrate the holidays, and the chaos that ensues along the way!
Science Fiction
Haze by Katharine Kerr – 11 Nov (CAEZIK SF & Fantasy)
Three thousand years in the future, a starship pilot battling addiction becomes the unexpected key to unraveling a mystery that threatens the very foundation of space travel.
In the tradition of Kim Stanley Robinson’s deeply researched science fiction and Lois McMaster Bujold’s thrilling space opera adventures, HAZE transports readers to a multi-alien society governed by the Rim Council, a loose republic of planets protected by the formidable military force known simply as The Fleet. Interstellar civilization hinges on the use of hyperspace “shunts” for travel, but alarming rumors suggest that this crucial system is under threat.
In response, The Fleet deploys a reconnaissance team from its Special Ops branch to investigate. This team includes a washed-up, drug-dependent star pilot with a talent for finding hidden paths in hyperspace, an AI wrangler with an extensive network of artificial intelligences, a soldier gifted in detecting patterns in time and space, an alien gunner with impeccable aim, and a steadfast female captain who keeps them all in line. Together, this motley crew of space misfits discovers far more than they bargained for, uncovering secrets that could shake their society to its core.
Haze is a character-driven novel featuring a diverse cast of POC and alien characters, set in a future where humanity embraces bisexuality and polyamory, adding layers of complexity to an already captivating narrative.
Urban Fantasy
Grave Intentions (Grave Affairs #2) by Lilith Daniels – 11 Nov (Pen & Page Publishing)
In the aftermath of being kidnapped by crazed mercury dragons, Kirani Kinsley Ramons dusts off her rusty skills and takes up the mantle of private investigator. With the dead growing more restless by the day and the fear of missing women in need of rescue looming before her, Kinsley dives into the case.
With her fiancé, her trusty carbunclo, and her hummingbird familiar at her side, Kinsley is ready for anything the world might toss at her.
As Kinsley unveils the identities of the missing and begins unraveling the mystery of their disappearances, she discovers there might be something far worse than a necromancer lurking within Dragon Heights. Uncertain of who to trust or where to turn, she seeks out the unlikeliest of the restless dead.
To save those lost in the darkness, Kinsley will have to put everything on the line, embracing the full power of her line, no matter the cost.
Magical Misconduct (Merlin Mysteries #3) by Kim Richardson – 30 Nov (Self)
All I wanted was one quiet week.
Instead, I got cursed pastries, magical sabotage, and a suspiciously smug vampire telling me I told you so.Welcome to Gallows Gate—where the crimes are magical, the suspects have claws, and the only thing worse than the paperwork is the body count.
I’m Rhea Morven, Merlin on probation. And if I can’t get this latest mess under control, I won’t just lose my license… I might lose the whole town.
Again.
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!