Rowena: Lots and lots of books to love forward to in June. Are you surprised? Haha.
1. Moonlight on Nightingale Way (On Dublin Street #6) by Samantha Young.
Logan from Echoes of Scotland Street is back with his own smoldering story, as the New York Times bestselling On Dublin Street series returns…
Logan spent two years paying for the mistakes he made. Now, he’s ready to start over. He has a great apartment, a good job, and plenty of women to distract him from his past. And one woman who is driving him to distraction…
Grace escaped her manipulative family by moving to a new city. Her new life, made to suit her own needs, is almost perfect. All she needs to do is find her Mr. Right—or at least figure out a way to ignore her irresistible yet annoying womanizer of a neighbor.
Grace is determined to have nothing to do with Logan until a life-changing surprise slowly begins turning the wild heartbreaker into exactly the kind of strong, stable man she’s been searching for. Only just when she begins to give into his charms, her own messy past threatens to derail everything they’ve worked to build…
Rowena: I’ve been looking forward to this book since I found out Logan was getting his own story. In Cole and Shannon’s book, Logan was a character of interest for me since I know that Shannon carried a lot of guilt around with her where he was concerned. It was so nice to get his story and to see him fall in love with Grace. Such a great ending to this series. I’m going to miss these guys. 🙁
Holly: I’m going to miss these guys, too. I’ve come to consider these characters friends and I’m sad to see the end of the series. This was a great book, though. Young really went out on a high note.
2. Scorched (Frigid #2) by J. Lynn.
Sometimes life leaves a mark…
Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.
Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.
Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.
Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…
Rowena: It’s been a while since I’ve read Frigid for the first time. I re-read it a couple of weeks ago and am ever so eager for Tanner and Andrea’s story. We didn’t get nearly enough of them in Frigid so I’m on pins and needles waiting for this one. Yippy skippy!
3. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway.
Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.
She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.
Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.
He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?
Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.
Rowena: The premise for this story is an interesting one. I’m pretty sure that Oliver and Emmy will get back together but I’m mighty curious to see how everything falls back in place because you know it can’t be easy. I’m so in for this one.
4. The Devil You Know by Trish Doller.
Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it’s just the risk she’s been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions.
A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Rowena: I read the blurb for this book and thought, “Damn, drama!” The premise is interesting and the last book that I read by Doller was great so I’m going to give this one a go.
5. Suddenly One Summer by Julie James.
From the New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Wedding comes a novel about a man and a woman whose summer is about to get very, very steamy…
Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn’t mean she’s opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister’s case, she’s as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford…
Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He’s willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there’s no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…
Rowena: Julie James delivers another fantastic contemporary romance novels that fans of her previous books will enjoy. I devoured this book when I first got it for review and I can’t wait to read it again once my pre-ordered copy comes in. Ford and Victoria are another fabulous couple that I came to love so much!
Holly: This was a great read. It has James’ signature humor and wit, not to mention a great heroine.
6. Dirty Thoughts (Mechanics of Love #1) by Megan Erickson.
Some things are sexier the second time around.
Cal Payton has gruff and grumbly down to an art…all the better for keeping people away. And it usually works. Until Jenna MacMillan-his biggest mistake—walks into Payton and Sons mechanic shop all grown up, looking like sunshine, and inspiring more than a few dirty thoughts.
Jenna was sure she was long over the boy she’d once loved with reckless abandon, but one look at the steel-eyed Cal Payton has her falling apart all over again. Ten years may have passed, but the pull is stronger than ever… and this Cal is all man.
Cal may have no intention of letting Jenna in, but she’s always been his light, and it’s getting harder to stay all alone in the dark. When a surprise from the past changes everything, Cal and Jenna must decide if their connection should be left alone or if it’s exactly what they need for the future of their dreams.
Rowena: I had no idea that this series was about Max’s brothers. I’m in!
7. Shards of Hope (Psy/Changelings #14) by Nalini Singh.
The “smoldering heat, epic romance, and awesome action” of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as two Arrows find themselves caught in a chilling conspiracy that spans all three races…
Awakening wounded in a darkened cell, their psychic abilities blocked, Aden and Zaira know they must escape. But when the lethal soldiers break free from their mysterious prison, they find themselves in a harsh, inhospitable landscape far from civilization. Their only hope for survival is to make it to the hidden home of a predatory changeling pack that doesn’t welcome outsiders.
And they must survive. A shadowy enemy has put a target on the back of the Arrow squad, an enemy that cannot be permitted to succeed in its deadly campaign. Aden will cross any line to keep his people safe for this new future, where even an assassin might have hope of a life beyond blood and death and pain. Zaira has no such hope. She knows she’s too damaged to return from the abyss. Her driving goal is to protect Aden, protect the only person who has ever come back for her no matter what.
This time, even Aden’s passionate determination may not be enough—because the emotionless chill of Silence existed for a reason. For the violent, and the insane, and the irreparably broken…like Zaira.
Rowena: I’m behind in this series and as soon as Holly stops reading them, I’ll pick it up again. Maybe. LOL.
Holly: I loved this book. LOVED. I already loved Aden going in, but I ended up adoring Zaira. She was the best kind of heroine; Strong, fierce in the protection of her loved ones and just a little bit broken.
8. Ride Steady (Chaos #3) by Kristen Ashley.
The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy—until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa—or ride away forever . . .
Rowena: I read and enjoyed the first two books in this series so of course I’m going to give this one a whirl. Though I’m not too keen on the name “Joker”, I got over Hop’s name so I’m sure I’ll get over this one.
Holly: I don’t even care that his nickname is Joker, I loved that man. The book was wonderful. He was great and Carissa was the perfect match for him.
9. Midnight Captive (Killer Instincts #6) by Elle Kennedy.
“For those who enjoy their romantic suspense on the dark and steamy side,”* here’s the blisteringly sexy new novel in the Killer Instincts series by the author of Midnight Action and Midnight Pursuits…
Former CIA agent Bailey Jones has spent months trying to forget her night of passion with mercenary Sean Reilly. An elite and methodical assassin, she has no room in her life for a reckless, rule-breaking Irishman, and she’s vowed to steer clear of the tempting bad boy who lured her into his bed under false pretenses.
When Sean is implicated in the robbery of a Dublin bank, Bailey knows something isn’t right. So what if she can’t trust him? There’s no way Sean would end up on the wrong side of the law. In fact, he’s stuck in the middle of a dark and dirty conspiracy that could put his twin brother’s life at risk with one wrong move. And Bailey’s life too when she agrees to help.
As the stakes are raised and Bailey finds herself torn between two brothers, the fine line between danger and desire is crossed…and it’ll take more than a killer instinct to survive.
Rowena: SEAN AND BAILEY!! I can’t wait to get my hands on this book. I am completely addicted to this series and I’m so anxious for Sean’s story. I heart Sean and I’m mighty curious about Bailey. Can this book be out already?
10. Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge #1) by Jill Shalvis.
RESCUE ME
Cedar Ridge, Colorado, is famous for crisp mountain air, clear blue skies, and pine-scented breezes. And it’s the last place Lily Danville wants to be. But she needs a job, and there’s an opening at the hottest resort in her hometown. What has her concerned is the other hot property in Cedar Ridge: Aidan Kincaid-firefighter, rescue worker, and heartbreaker. She never could resist that devastating smile . . .
The Kincaid brothers are as rough and rugged as the Rocky Mountains they call home. Aidan has always done things his own way, by his own rules. And never has he regretted anything more than letting Lily walk out of his life ten years ago. If anyone has ever been in need of rescuing, she has. What she needs more than anything are long hikes, slow dances, and sizzling kisses. But that can only happen if he can get her to give Cedar Ridge-and this bad boy-a second chance . . .
Rowena: This book takes place in Colorado, a place that I absolutely love so I’m going to give it a go. I love outdoorsy men so count me in!
Holly: I’m on a quick break from contemporary romance while I binge-read PNR, but this will be on the top of the list once I start reading them again. I heart Shalvis.
11. Opening Up (Ink & Chrome #1) by Lauren Dane.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Dane delivers Book #1 in her Ink & Chrome erotic romance series.
The men of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle shop are great with their hands… and they’re not afraid to get dirty.
PJ is exactly the kind of woman Twisted Steel owner Asa Barrons doesn’t need. The last thing he wants to do is mix business with pleasure, and PJ has some of the best custom detailing he’s ever seen. But the chemistry between them won’t be denied, and soon he’s introducing her to a whole new world in the bedroom, pushing her far beyond anything she’s ever experienced. PJ finds she can’t get enough, but how far is too far before he consumes her completely?
Rowena: I haven’t read too many books by Lauren Dane but the ones that I have read, I enjoyed so I want to read more. I’m going to start with this. It sounds good.
Holly: I loved this book. LOVED. LOVED. Did I say loved? PJ was such a great heroine and I really loved Asa (once he got over his stupid age hang-up, I mean).
12. Dream of You (Wait for You #4.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Abby Erickson isn’t looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she’s thrust into the hands of the sexiest man she’s ever seen – Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she’s in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.
Rowena: Colton! Yay!
13. One Night with a Billionaire by Jessica Clare.
The New York Times bestselling author of The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed delivers a delicious new novel about a secret society of six men who are incredibly wealthy—but not always so successful when it comes to love…
Kylie may be a makeup artist to the stars, but she knows what it feels like to be overshadowed. Especially by her famous boss, the pop star Daphne. That’s why she’s stunned—and delighted—when one night at a party, she attracts the attention of a gorgeous stranger. But when Daphne decides she wants the handsome billionaire for herself, Cade Archer is suddenly off-limits for Kylie…
Cade has known Daphne for years, and always wondered if she might be the right woman for him—even though she never gave him the time of day. But one sizzling night with Kylie has changed everything. So why is she suddenly avoiding him? Fortunately Cade is determined to get what he wants, and he’ll do anything to show Kylie she can get everything she wants too…
Holly: I’ve been stockpiling Clare’s books for when I start reading contemps again.
Rowena: I’m sure there are plenty of books that we missed but these are the ones that made the cut this month.
What books are you looking forward to coming out this month? Any books we missed?
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