Monday, January 7, 2019

My Most Anticipated Romances Jan - Feb 2019

Last week, I took a look back at some of my favorite romances of 2018. Today, I'm looking ahead to 2019, specifically the first two months, and some of the new books I'm most excited to read. Here are a few of the titles on my list!  




Wishing On a Star (7 Jan 2019) is the third book in Terri Osburn's Shooting Stars series. This contemporary romance promises to be another emotional journey set within the country music industry of Nashville. 

Jesse Gold is teetering on the edge. Her duet partner defected to go solo. Her long-term boyfriend is on tour and quite possibly partaking in extra-curricular activities with the opposite sex. And though she’s landed a deal with Shooting Stars Records, no producer in town is willing to take on the reputedly-difficult new artist.

Enter Ash Shepherd—a successful songwriter coming off a career-topping collaboration with one of the biggest stars in town. Ash is anxious to shift from writing to producing and working with Jesse is the perfect opportunity. 

But after ten years apart, these high school sweethearts struggle not only to find common ground, but to deal with the powerful sparks reigniting between them. Can Ash and Jesse let go of the past and take a shot at a future that neither imagined? Or will they cling to old wounds and lose out on a love they might never find again?





My Kind of Forever (22 Jan 2019) by Tracy Brogan is a book I've been looking forward to since laughing myself silly until the wee hours of the morning while losing myself in her humorous and heartwarming first Trillium Bay novel, My Kind of You


As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?
Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.
When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?




Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite novelists with books set in the WWII era. Her The Orphan's Tale was one of my best books of 2017 and I fully expect her upcoming The Lost Girls of Paris (29 January 2019) to be another keeper. 



1946, Manhattan

One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances.




I discovered Christina Dodd via her historical romances more than 25 years ago then followed her to contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance but it's in her current suspense thrillers, where her twisted imagination comes out to play, that I think her brilliance shines brightest. What Doesn't Kill Her (29 January 2019) is the second book in Dodd's new Cape Charade series. I'm beyond excited to find out what happens to protagonist, Kellen Adams next. 



One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guess which is which.
1. I have the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
2. I have willfully misrepresented my identity to the US military.
3. I'm the new mother of a seven-year-old girl.
Kellen Adams suffers from a yearlong gap in her memory. A bullet to the brain will cause that. But she's discovering the truth, and what she learns changes her life, her confidence, her very self. She finds herself in the wilderness, on the run, unprepared, her enemies unknown--and she is carrying a priceless burden she must protect at all costs. The consequences of failure would break her. And Kellen Adams does not break.
What doesn't kill her...had better start running.


Laura Trentham is one of my go-to contemporary romance authors. I enjoy her complex characters, sensual romance, and the depth of emotion she brings to her stories. In The Military Wife, the first book in her new A Heart of a Hero military women's fiction series, Trentham takes readers in a bit of a different direction from previous novels however, I fully expect plenty of the same emotional punch and multi-layered characters I've so enjoyed in her other books. 

Harper Lee Wilcox has been marking time in her hometown of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina since her husbandNoah Wilcox’s death, nearly five years earlier. With her son Ben turning five and living at home with her mother, Harper fights a growing restlessness, worried that moving on means leaving the memory of her husband behind.
Her best friend, Allison Teague, is dealing with struggles of her own. Her husband, a former SEAL that served with Noah, was injured while deployed and has come home physically healed but fighting PTSD. With three children underfoot and unable to help her husband, Allison is at her wit’s end.
In an effort to reenergize her own life, Harper sees an opportunity to help not only Allison but a network of other military wives eager to support her idea of starting a string of coffee houses close to military bases around the country.
In her pursuit of her dream, Harper crosses paths with Bennett Caldwell, Noah’s best friend and SEAL brother. A man who has a promise to keep, entangling their lives in ways neither of them can foresee. As her business grows so does an unexpected relationship with Bennett. Can Harper let go of her grief and build a future with Bennett even as the man they both loved haunts their pasts?





How could I not be bouncing up and down with glee over the thought of a romance featuring Phoebe, the widowed daughter of Evie and Sebastian (Devil in Winter), and reformed wastrel, West Ravenel? Devil's Daughter (19 February 2019) tells their tale!  



Although beautiful young widow Phoebe, Lady Clare, has never met West Ravenel, she knows one thing for certain: he’s a mean, rotten bully. Back in boarding school, he made her late husband’s life a misery, and she’ll never forgive him for it. But when Phoebe attends a family wedding, she encounters a dashing and impossibly charming stranger who sends a fire-and-ice jolt of attraction through her. And then he introduces himself...as none other than West Ravenel.
West is a man with a tarnished past. No apologies, no excuses. However, from the moment he meets Phoebe, West is consumed by irresistible desire...not to mention the bitter awareness that a woman like her is far out of his reach. What West doesn’t bargain on is that Phoebe is no straitlaced aristocratic lady. She’s the daughter of a strong-willed wallflower who long ago eloped with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent—the most devilishly wicked rake in England.
Before long, Phoebe sets out to seduce the man who has awakened her fiery nature and shown her unimaginable pleasure. Will their overwhelming passion be enough to overcome the obstacles of the past?
Only the devil’s daughter knows…



Lorraine Heath's Sins for all Seasons series is shaping up to be one of my all-time favorites by this beloved historical romance author. The third book in the series, The Scoundrel in Her Bed (26 February 2019) brings us the highly anticipated second-chance story of Finn Trewlove and Lady Lavinia Kent. I can't wait!


The bastard son of a nobleman, Finn Trewlove was a shameful secret raised by a stranger. As Finn came of age he had secrets, too--the clandestine nights spent with an earl’s daughter. But her promise of forever ended in betrayal.
Driven by a past that haunts her, Lady Lavinia Kent seeks redemption in London’s underworld, engaged in a daring cause inspired by the young man to whom she gave her innocence, and who then proved himself a scoundrel by abandoning her.
When their paths cross again, they can’t deny the yearning and desire that still burns. As they discover the truth behind the deceptions that tore them apart, Finn and Lavinia must fight to reclaim what they’ve lost, no matter how dangerous—because love is worth the risk….




Offer me a book titled It's Getting Scot in Here (26 February 2019) and I'm immediately intrigued. Tell me it's written by Suzanne Enoch and first in a "wickedly seductive new Scottish historical romance series" about wild Highlander brothers forced to marry or lose their estate and I'm all over that puppy!




HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER

London socialite Amelia-Rose Baxter is nobody’s fool. Her parents may want her to catch a title, but she will never change who she is for the promise of marriage. Her husband will be a man who can appreciate her sharp mind as well as her body. A sophisticated man who loves life in London. A man who considers her his equal—and won’t try to tame her wild heart...
IN THE HIGHLANDS
Rough, rugged Highlander Niall MacTaggert and his brothers know the rules: the eldest must marry or lose the ancestral estate, period. But Niall’s eldest brother just isn’t interested in the lady his mother selected. Is it because Amelia-Rose is just too. . . Free-spirited? Yes. Brazen? Aye. Surely Niall can find a way to soften up the whip-smart lass and make her the perfect match for his brother for the sake of the family.
JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HOTTER.

Instead it’s Niall who tempts Amelia-Rose, despite her reservations about barbarian Highlanders. Niall finds the lass nigh irresistible as well, but he won’t make the mistake his father did in marrying an Englishwoman who doesn’t like the Highlands. Does he have what it takes to win her heart? There is only one way to find out...



I've fallen in love with Alyssa Cole's beautiful writing and intriguing characters. In An Unconditional Freedom (26 February 2019), Cole takes readers back to the American Civil War for the third book in her The Loyal League series. I'll be right there waiting for her characters to arrive. 


An assassination plot that could end the Civil War, and a hidden enemy that could destroy a secret league of unsung heroes …

Daniel Cumberland, born free in Massachusetts, studied law with dreams of helping his people—dreams that died the night he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Daniel is rescued, but he’s a changed man. When he’s offered entry into the Loyal League, the covert organization of Black spies who helped free him, he seizes the opportunity for vengeance against the Confederacy and those who support it.

When the Union Army occupies the Florida home of Cuban Janeta Sanchez, daughter of an enslaved woman and the plantation owner who married her, her family’s wealth does not protect her father from being imprisoned. Under duress and blaming herself for the arrest, Janeta agrees to infiltrate a group called the Loyal League as a double agent—and finds a cause truly worth the sacrifice.

Daniel is aggravated by the headstrong and much too observant new detective he’s paired with, and Janeta is intrigued by the broken but honorable man she is tasked with betraying. As they embark on a mission to intercept Jefferson Davis and thwart European meddling, their dual hidden agendas are threatened by the ghosts of their pasts and a growing affection that could strengthen both the Union and their souls—or lead to their downfall.  




Julie Anne Long could pen a phone book and I'd probably buy it; I love her writing that much. After bringing us heartfelt and humorous contemporary romances for the past three years, Long returns to her historical roots with Lady Derring Takes a Lover (26 February 2019), the first book in her The Palace of Rogues series. I've already dusted off a spot on my JAL keeper shelf for this new entry. 


A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building.
Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man.
But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice.
They both believe love is a myth. But a desire beyond reason threatens to destroy the armor around their hearts. Now a shattering decision looms: Will Tristan betray his own code of honor…or choose a love that might be the truest thing he’s ever known?


I love, love, love the Wicked Wallflowers series by Christi Caldwell. Book two, The Vixen made my Best of 2018 list, increasing my excitement for The Governess (12 February 2019) even more and I'm beyond giddy to learn that I'll only have to wait until May for the fourth book, The Bluestocking!

Regina (Reggie) Spark has loved Broderick Killoran, the resourceful and protective proprietor of the Devil’s Den, ever since he saved her from the streets and made her his right hand at the notorious gaming hell. For just as long, Reggie has never admitted her true feelings for him. Nor has she revealed her spirited ambitions—to buck convention and expectations and open a music hall.
While Broderick built his gaming empire with ruthless cunning, his loyalty to his employees is boundless. So when he learns of Reggie’s plan to leave his side and take charge of her own future, the betrayal cuts Broderick to the core. He responds as he would to any business rival…with swift retribution.
Instead of wilting, the savvy Reggie rebounds with a fury that shocks Broderick and stirs a desire he’s been holding in reserve for only ladies of nobility. But as their seductive battle of wills ignites under the harsh spotlight of the London Season, secrets are exposed as well—ones that could be ruinous in decent society but invaluable for the heart.





I so enjoy historical novels where women buck societal norms, which makes Lady Notorious (26 February 2019) by Theresa Romain instantly intriguing. Add in the fact that Romain is one of my go-to historical romance authors and Lady Notorious goes from intriguing to can't miss!


Cassandra Benton has always survived by her wits and wiles, even working for Bow Street alongside her twin brother. When injury takes him out of commission, Cass must support the family by taking on an intriguing new case: George, Lord Northbrook, believes someone is plotting to kill his father, the Duke of Ardmore. Decades before, the duke was one of ten who formed a wager that would grant a fortune to the last survivor. But someone can’t wait for nature to take its course—and George hopes a seasoned investigator like Cass can find out who.

Cass relishes the chance to spy on the ton, shrewdly disguised as handsome Lord Northbrook’s notorious “cousin.” What she doesn’t expect is her irresistible attraction to her dashing employer, and days of investigation soon turn to passionate nights. But with a killer closing in and her charade as a lady of the ton in danger of collapsing at any moment, Cass has no choice but to put her life—and her heart—in the hands of the last man she ought to trust . . .



Those are a few of the novels I'm most anticipating over the next two months. What January and February books are on your can't miss list?

I have four more packages of books looking for new homes. One package each will go to four randomly selected people who leave a comment on this post before 11:00 PM (EST), January 8, 2019. (U.S. addresses only)



27 comments:

  1. I'm choosing Theresa Roman's book first because I've enjoyed all of her past stories but every one of those historicals calls to me!!!

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  2. The Military Wife and My Kind of Forever. Storylines sound like ones I would enjoy.

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  3. Every single one of the historicals are on my list of books that I would love to read. Julie Anne and Lisa's books are a "definite" for me.

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  4. I have long been waiting to read: Theresa Romain's LADY NOTORIOUS; Christi Caldwell's THE GOVERNESS; and Lisa Kleypas's DEVIL'S DAUGHTER to name just a few. I already have a list as long as my arm for January, February and beyond. It's so exciting to wander through Goodreads, NetGalley, and Edelweiss and check out all of the delicious upcoming books. Better than a candy store any day!! Hope everyone gets to read every book on their lists...and more! Happy Reading!

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  5. The Lost Girls of Paris is #1 on my list. I love these stories. I just finished Lucinda So let's Lilac Fields, same storyline with past & present stories. I Loved it. I also can't wait for Lisa Kleypas 's The Devil's Daughter and a few more are :
    The Military Wife
    It's Getting Scot In Here - Suzanne Enoch
    The Wrong Highlander-- Lynsay Sands
    The Highland Renegade -- Any Jarecki
    I love those Highlander stories.
    Carol Luciano
    Lucky4750 at aol dot com

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  6. Besides all the historical romances you listed, I am also looking forward to the following:
    The Infamous Duchess by Sophie Barnes 3/19
    No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman 4/19
    When A Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes 4/19
    The Earl Next Door by Amelia Gray 5/19
    Never Deny A Duke by Madeline Hunter 4/19
    The Cinderella Countess by Sophia James 2/19
    This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan 3/19

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  7. I am looking forward to so many wonderful novels. Your choice is captivating. The Lost Girls of Paris since I have read all of Pam Jenoff's memorable novels. The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear since I have read all of her wonderful novels. All of these historicals interests me greatly.

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  8. What beautiful books. Historicals are my favorite. Many books which I can hardly wait to enjoy. The Beantown Girls, The Wartime Sisters, The Last Romantics, Judgment and so many more. A great reading year awaits.

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  9. My TBR pile just got larger. Been looking forward to devils daughter for months

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  10. Can't wait to read The Conspiracy by Kat Martin!!
    So many books, so little time :)
    Patricia Bennett Barber

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  11. THE LOST GIRLS sounds intriguing--I haven't heard of that author before. Writing her down! As for the historicals, your list is basically my list! JAL really could write a book of phone numbers and I'd buy it immediately and love every word of it. As much as I loved her contemporaries, I long for her historicals (sorta like it was when Lisa Kleypas did contemporaries but returned to historicals.) Alyssa Cole's historical series looks intriguing as well--and I loved her contemporaries, so I imagine her historicals are just as riveting.

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  13. I’ve been eagerly anticipating the Tracy Brogan and Lisa Kleypas books for what feels like forever!!

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  14. I've been looking forward to Lorraine Heath's Lisa Kleypas' and Julie Anne Long's books. Theresa Romaine's sounds good, too.

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  15. I'm anxiously awaiting Untouchable by Jayne ann Krentz and several more.

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  16. You have several historical romances on your list that I am looking forward to reading. And I am anxiously awaiting 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne.

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  17. I'll take any of them!! They all look so good!! Although I do have an ARC of The Military Wife.

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  18. Night chaser by Amanda Bouchett and gentleman sinner by Jodie Ellen malpas and lisa kleypas next

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  19. Theresa Romain, I love her work. Suzanne Enoch, I love her work. Lorraine Heath, I love her work. Do we see a pattern here? If I am honest, there are several authors on this list which are some of my favorites. There are also authors who are new to me. I absolutely am intrigued by this list.

    I do believe there are many books I must find on your list.

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  20. There are so many books coming out this year; I'm not sure that I can remember when the publication days are set for. Pam Jenoff's book is definitely one of the ones I've been wanting to read. Some I recall: The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella, Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, In Another Time by Jillian Cantor, The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth, The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, and Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  21. My Kind of Forever, love funny and heartwarming.
    Natty's Mama (Karen T.)

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  22. So many on your list are on mine. Wishing on a Star by Terri Osburn, My Kind of Forever by Tracy Brogan, What Doesn't Kill Her by Christina Dodd, The Military Wife by Laura Trentham, and It's Getting Scot in Here by Suzanne Enoch. Thank you for reminding me about Alyssa Cole's Unconditional Freedom.

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  23. There are some wonderful books coming out this coming year. I am a big fan of historical books and those listed here are by some of my favorite authors. I like that more WWII books are being published. Alyssa Cole's An Unconditional Freedom looks like it will be an interesting take on a favorite trope. I want humor in the books I read and Tracy Brogan promises to provide it. Like you I discovered Christina Dodd through her historicals. Her suspense books have been most enjoyable. The Military Wife combines suspense and a military connection which I enjoy. Thanks for letting us know about these books.
    Patricia B. - still having google problems.

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  24. Can't wait to read Kat Martin this month!!!
    Patricia Bennett Barber

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  25. Am looking forward to the 2 Military books you highlighted on the last 2 posts. Also any new ones by Deb Macomber, Susan Mallery and Robyn Carr, some of my fav authors.

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  26. Lorraine Heath and Theresa Romain books look good--I've read others in the series.

    denise

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