Books to Binge On: March 2016

Posted March 2, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 9 Comments

Books to Binge On

Fire Touched
1. Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9) by Patricia Briggs.

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer…

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

Holly: The next Mercy Thompson book! I’ve been pretty angry with Adam since Night Broken, but I was totally over before I hit the quarter mark of this book. Briggs is such a master.

Rowena: I haven’t read this series yet but I’m planning on it and when I finally get around to reading it, I know that I’m going to want this book so it’s on my list.

Fight to the Finish
2. Fight to the Finish (First to Fight #3) by Jeanette Murray.

The author of Against the Ropes takes her First to Fight series another round with a novel of a JAG officer who loses his cool, when love delivers a knockout punch…

Kara is a single mom working hard to keep life running smoothly for herself and her son, but a custody battle is wearing her down. When her friend suggests asking a JAG officer for some unofficial advice, Kara agrees—and soon finds herself officially head over heels…

As a Judge Advocate, Graham has seen his share of nasty custody disputes—and he plans on keeping his distance from this one. But this purposeful, passionate woman has a way of drawing him ever closer to the edge. And when Kara’s ex starts to throw his weight around, Graham will have to choose between toeing the line or stepping into the ring…

Holly: I’m kind of a sucker for single mom stories.

Rowena: Same. This book looks like a good one. I’m in.

Hawke
3. Hawke (Cold Fury #5) by Sawyer Bennett.

The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team proves that love is a power play. As Sawyer Bennett’s New York Times bestselling series continues, the league’s most notorious party animal gets blindsided by the one that got away.

Off the ice, elite defenseman Hawke Therrien enjoys his fair share of booze and good times. And why shouldn’t he? He’s worked his way up from the minor leagues and made himself a star. The only thing Hawke misses from that life is the pierced, tattooed free spirit who broke his heart without so much as an explanation. She’s almost unrecognizable when she walks back into his life seven years later—except for the look in her eyes that feels like a punch to the gut.

Vale Campbell isn’t the same girl she was at twenty. As crazy as she was about Hawke, her reckless behavior and out-of-control drinking were starting to scare her. She had to clean up her act, and that would never happen with Hawke around. Cutting him loose was the hardest thing Vale ever had to do—until now. Because she’s still crazy about Hawke. And if he could ever learn to forgive her, they just might have a future together.

Holly: I have all the others in my TBR pile, so I may as well buy this one, too.

Rowena: I have been hearing great things about this series so I’m thirsty to give it a go. On my list this one goes.

Because of Miss Bridgerton
4. Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) by Julia Quinn.

Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places…

This is not one of those times.

Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband… someday.

Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should…

Or not.

There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he’s arrogant, annoying, and she’s absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can’t stand the sight of him, either.

But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor…

Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can’t abide is the one person they can’t live without…

Holly: It’s been too long since we saw a new release from JQ. I can’t wait to read this one.

Rowena: It’s Julia Quinn. Duh.

All Chained Up
5. All Chained Up (Devil’s Rock #1) by Sophie Jordan.

There are bad boys and then there are the men of Devil’s Rock . . .

Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.

Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .

Rowena: I’m a fan of Avon books and I’m pretty sure that I’m going to enjoy this one. I can’t wait to read it. It’s kind of giving me flashbacks of Michael Scofield and the nurse from Prison Break. I’m so in for this book.

US
6. Us (HIM #2) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy.

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Holly: Confession: I still have Him in my TBR pile. I know, I know. Someday…

Rowena: I’m going to read this soon. I just know it.

Phoenix Reborn
7. Phoneix Reporn (Alpha Pack #7.5) by J.D. Tyler.

Wolf shifter and Firewalker Phoenix “Nix” Monroe has finally met his ultimate Bondmate—Alpha Pack nurse Noah Brooks. Unable to accept his own sexual identity, Nix rejects Noah despite the intense attraction he feels towards him.

By the time Nix realizes he has cast aside the love of his life, it may be too late to save Noah from a terrifying enemy…

Holly: I really like this series, but I haven’t been reading the novellas. I’m going to have to go back and see what I missed.

Wild Things
8. Wild Thinks (Shifters Unbound #7.75) by Jennifer Ashley.

Wolf Shifter Mason McNaughton is tired of the crazy feral living in his house, endangering him, his brothers, and his sweet auntie Cora. Ferals are Shifters who’ve reverted to the wild stage, forgetting all about the joys of pizza and satellite TV. Not to mention, Mason is sick of waking up to the feral’s rampages in the bedroom next to his. The feral has been given sanctuary, so Mason can’t throw him out—the only thing to do is to find a way to cure him.

The problem is, Shifter healers—elusive, Goddess-touched Shifters who have the healing gift—are few and far between. Mason volunteers to go in search of one, and is sent to a psychic in New Orleans who might have an idea of where to start looking.

Mason doesn’t believe in psychics, but Jasmine, the psychic in question, seems to at least put on a good show. Jasmine believes in Shifters all right, but she vowed after her Shifter boyfriend dumped her to never have anything to do with them again.

The easiest way to get rid of the growly Lupine, Mason, is to help him, but Jasmine never dreams what that help will drag her into.

A short novel of the Shifters Unbound series.

Holly: I love novellas for those times when I’m pressed but want to read. I’m not sure where this falls in the timeline, but I’ll probably read it before I read White Tiger.

Risking It All
9. Risking It All (Naked Men #1) by Christi Barth.

Who doesn’t love Naked Men? In Christi Barth’s irresistible series, a group of close-knit friends talk out their problems with naked honesty on a popular blog. Bonded by a high-school tragedy, they’re moving on from the past—and fighting for the future with strong and sassy women.

Griffin Montgomery helps people. As a teenager, he kept his best friends alive after their soccer team’s bus crashed in the Alps. Now, as a Coast Guard search and rescue pilot, he saves lives with reckless abandon—until he goes too far and earns a lengthy suspension. Working on the Naked Men projects keeps his mind busy, but Griff’s itching to get back in the action. That’s when he finds his latest rescue mission: a pretty wallflower who’s stuck in her comfort zone.

Chloe Widmore doesn’t take risks. As a professional letter writer, she gets enough excitement out of expressing other people’s emotions. So when the hottest man she’s ever seen invades her coffee shop, Chloe surprises herself with how much she wants to be with him. Routines make her feel safe. Griff makes her deliciously unsafe, in so many ways. But falling for him is one risk she might just have to take . . . whether she’s ready or not.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Holly: I enjoy Barth’s novels regardless, but the premise here is really intriguing. Plus, how can I resist the NAKED MEN series? (a: I can’t)

Rowena: Hmm, I’m intrigued by that blurb. Bloggers, a Search and Rescue hottie? Yeah. I’m in.

The Study of Seduction
10. The Study of Seduction (Sinful Suitors #2) by Sabrina Jeffries.

A marriage of convenience ignites into a passionate love affair in the hotly anticipated second novel in New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries’s addictive Sinful Suitors series!

When Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough, agrees to help his best friend’s impetuous ward, Lady Clarissa Lindsey, in her time of need, he knows he’s in for trouble. He’s been hunting for someone to wed, and she’ll just get in the way. Although captivated by the witty, free-spirited beauty, he fears she’d be all wrong as a wife…if she would even take such a gruff cynic for her husband. Yet he wants nothing more than to have her for his own.

Clarissa has no intention of marrying anyone—not Edwin, whom she’s sure would be an overbearing husband, and certainly not the powerful French diplomat stalking her. But when matters escalate with the diplomat, she chooses Edwin’s gallant offer of a marriage between friends in hopes that it will deter her stalker. She expects nothing more than an amiable union, but their increasingly tempestuous kisses prove more than she bargained for. When her stalker’s vow to expose the lovers’ deepest secrets threatens to destroy their blossoming attraction, will their tenuous bond withstand public ruin, or will Edwin lose all that’s important to him to protect his bride?

Holly: Jeffries is one of my favorite historical authors. I still haven’t read book 1, but I’m buying this one anyway.

Fully Ignited
11. Fully Ignited (Boston Fire #3) by Shannon Stacey.

When Jamie Rutherford takes a temporary assignment as lieutenant of Boston Fire’s Engine 59, she doesn’t anticipate any problems. She’s been in the fire service for a long time and, even though she’s fairly new to Boston, she knows how to make any firehouse her home. What she’s not prepared for is her reaction to firefighter Scott Kincaid.

Scott is looking for a wife. It’s been a fun ride as a single guy, but he’s tired of being the third wheel, and nearly losing his brother-in-law finally made him realize just how much he wants a family of his own. When the new guy at the firehouse turns out to be a capable, confident and very attractive woman, his plan is completely derailed.

Hooking up with a fellow firefighter has never been part of Jamie’s plan, but she’s tempted by Scott—even though getting involved with him could tarnish the reputation she’s worked so hard for. And Scott can’t stop thinking about Jamie, despite the fact that she’s his superior and not sticking around. Chemistry can crush the best-laid plans, though, and while Jamie and Scott might not be each other’s future…there’s no resisting the right now.

Holly: This actually released at the end of Feb, but it’s listed as a March release, so I’m including it.

Rowena: This is the last book in the Boston Fire series and it’s Scotty’s book. I’m so here for his story. I’m mighty intrigued to meet his heroine.

Kindred Spirits
12. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell.

‘Everybody likes everything these days. The whole world is a nerd.’
‘Are you mad because other people like Star Wars? Are you mad because people like me like Star Wars?’
‘Maybe.’

If you broke Elena’s heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she’s expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she’s not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels. Kindred Spirits is an engaging short story by Rainbow Rowell, author of the bestselling Eleanor & Park, Fangirl and Carry On, and is part of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day.

Rowena: I’ve really liked the books that I’ve read by Rainbow Rowell in the past so it’s no surprise that I want this one. I just know that it’s going to be a cute contemporary YA romance. I’m all in.

Walk the Edge
13. Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) by Katie McGarry.

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Rowena: I’m a fan of McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series and I was pretty excited to start this new series. I read and enjoyed the first book and was pretty stoked to start this one too. I heart Razor!

Nobody but You
14. Nobody but You (Cedar Ridge #3) by Jill Shalvis.

SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN…

After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She’s broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I’m-too-sexy-for-myself guy who’s now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob’s dark intensity makes her want to tease—and tempt—him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.

Rowena: We’re getting the long lost brother’s book. Of course I want to read it.

If We Were a Movie
15. If We Were a Movie (Power of the Matchmaker #1) by Kelly Oram.

Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder & Ella.

NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get.

Enter his new roommate Jordan–a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.

Rowena: I really like Oram’s writing style and this one sounds like a cute contemporary so since I’m all about the cute contemporary, I’m in.

Cuff ME
16. Cuff Me (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne.

Meet New York’s Finest-three hot brothers sworn to protect and serve the city they love . . . and the women who’ve stolen their hearts.

ARRESTED BY LOVE

Vincent Moretti is one of the NYPD’s top homicide detectives-and one of the most eligible bachelors in town. His family, however, thinks he should date his longtime partner, Jill-a sassy, sexy, smart-mouthed blonde who drives him absolutely crazy.

Behind the quiet authority, tough-guy demeanor, and dark aviator glasses lies a man with a big soul-and a hard body that can soften any girl’s heart. After years as his coworker, Jill Henley has given up hope that anything could happen between her and Vin. Besides, loving him would break all the rules. But seeing Jill with someone else triggers feelings in Vincent he never knew he had. Now he’ll have to stop playing good cop/bad cop-and find a way to convince her to be his partner for life. . .

Rowena: In the last couple of weeks, I have become a pretty big fan of Lauren Layne’s work. I have steadily working my way through her back list and I’m pretty interested in reading this series of hers too. It’s going on my list.

Confessions in the Dark
17. Confessions in the Dark by Jeanette Grey.

Anger. Guilt. Sorrow. They’ve strangled Cole for years-and now they’ve literally damaged him. With his knee out of commission, Cole knows the road to recovery will be nothing but long and irritating . . . until his beautiful and determined neighbor offers to help him in return for a favor. But soon Cole finds himself offering her so much more. Their unexpected passion lays Cole bare, body and soul. And leaves him wondering how he’ll walk away before he ruins her life, too.

Gruff, secretive, and coiled with tension that begs for release, Cole is too intriguing for Serena to resist. The English accent and brooding brown eyes don’t hurt, either. Their nights are beyond compare-yet the truths Cole confesses in his darkest moments reveal a heart bruised almost beyond repair. But Serena’s seen the kindness and support he shows when she needs it most. Armed with a bottomless well of patience and devotion, she’ll show Cole just how good it can be to let someone in . . .

Rowena: I read one book by Grey last year and I enjoyed it, so much that I’m definitely interested in reading this book. She does good angst and this seems more of the same so I’m way interested in reading.

Flawed
18. Flawed by Cecelia Ahern.

The stunning YA debut from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation in which she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

In this stunning novel, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society in which perfection is paramount and mistakes are punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.

Rowena: Cecelia Ahern wrote a YA? How did I not know this? I’m so in for this.

There you have it, the books that we are looking forward to releasing in the month of March. What books did we miss? What books are you excited about?


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9 responses to “Books to Binge On: March 2016

  1. Jen

    I’m not excited about much this month, which is probably good because I don’t have time to read anyway, ha. Although actually I do have a review copy of The Undoing, the new Call of Crows book from Shelly Laurenston. Looking forward to that one!

    • Busy month for you, Jen? Being busy beats being bored so I guess that’s something. I hope you’re not too busy to get some reading done. Reading soothes the soul…I promise! 🙂

      • Jen

        Ha, every month is busy for me lately. Though I do have spring break in a week, and I am determined to get a bunch of reading done then. Wooo!

  2. Kareni

    I have to laugh at your typo ~ Phoneix Reporn! Is this story much hotter than the prior Alpha Pack book?

  3. Kareni

    It’s clearly typo day as I just found Wild Thinks by Jennifer Ashley. Thanks for chuckle #2!

    I’m looking forward to reading several you listed above ~ Fire Touched, Because of Miss Bridgerton, Us, and Wild Thinks (!).

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