It’s crazy that we’re already finishing up the year that was 2019. There are only 2 more months before 2020. I’m not ready for this year to be over but I’m also really ready for this year to be over. Yeah, weird but true. Anyway, here are the books that we’re looking forward to binging in November.
Special Delivery by Lauren Blakely
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is the secret potion that’ll help me resist my brother’s new business partner. You know, the super hot, super sweet, super smart guy I now have to plan all the holiday parties with.
I mean, really. Who thought THAT was a good idea?
Oh, me. Yep, brilliant, strategic me who raised her hand and said yes I’d love to hang mistletoe with that sexy former sports star. I’d love to taste test spiked hot chocolate with that charming, flirty man. I’d love to get snowed in with the one guy I shouldn’t fall for.
As long as I can make it through the holidays I’ll be on my merry way, fa la la la la. But the holidays have a surprise for me.
Holly: I really enjoy Blakely’s books, and I’m sure this will be great. But I absolutely HATE that her characters are never listed on her blurbs. This actually makes me less likely to read them, not more. I wish she’d stop doing that.
Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young
What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek?
Parker Brown can’t believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she’d be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are “settled.” Thankfully, she’s found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother—Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she’s stuck with the manipulative jerk.
Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he’s trying to hold together his late father’s gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker’s boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he’ll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym.
Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn’t so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have?
They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.
Holly: I haven’t read a book by either author in awhile. I haven’t had a lot of reading time lately, so I’m thinking novellas could be good.
Rowena: It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by either of these authors too so I’m in for this one. I enjoy them both so much that I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one.
Where Winter Finds You (BDB #17.5) by J.R. Ward
When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?
Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she’s looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.
Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance…or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted…but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.
Casee: I can’t quit this series. I’m pretty excited that Trez’ story will be wrapped up. His book was awful.
The Fall of Legend (Legend Trilogy #1) by Meghan March
We come from two different worlds.
I’m from the streets. She might as well live in an ivory tower.
I made my living with my fists. I doubt she could even throw a punch.
Our paths never should have crossed.
We never should have met.
That doesn’t change the facts.
I would sell my soul to taste those red lips.
Fight the devil himself to hear her laugh.
Burn in hell to have a single night.
Scarlett Priest shouldn’t even know men like me exist, but sometimes temptation is stronger than will.
If this is how I go down, it’ll be worth every second of the fall.
Casee: I love Meghan March and I will read anything she writes.
Into the Dark (Cincinnati #5) by Karen Rose
Former army ranger Diesel Kennedy considers himself a dead man walking. To help cope with his PTSD, he coaches youth-league soccer, during which he notices two brothers, Joshua and Caleb, who seem to have a troubled home life. When he finds out the boys’ stepfather was murdered, Diesel takes them under his wing and enlists the aid of Dani Novak, a beautiful doctor he’s loved for years.
Though Diesel’s feelings for her are crystal clear, Dani Novak has tried her hardest to keep him at arm’s length because she fears her HIV-positive status makes any kind of relationship out of reach. Despite her efforts, together they are caught in a whirlwind of danger when they discover the boys’ stepfather’s killer has committed a series of murders–and all signs point to Caleb as the next victim. The more time Diesel and Dani spend together and learn to trust each other, the more he wonders if there’s hope for them after all. But the real question is if they can get out of this alive….
Casee: KR continues to be my favorite RS author, even after all these years. She’s one of those authors that keeps getting better and better.
Leopard’s Wrath (Leopard People #11) by Christine Feehan
Born into a life of crime, Mitya Amurov has had a hard life, and his leopard has developed into a feral beast to protect him. It’s constantly trying to claw its way to the surface—until a chance encounter with a stranger instantly calms the predator inside him. While Mitya wants Ania desperately, it’s only a matter of time before his past catches up with him, and he’d rather die than put her in danger. But Ania is dealing with dangers of her own….
Considering her family’s history, Ania Dover should know better than to get mixed up with a criminal like Mitya, but she just can’t stay away. Something wild in her responds to his presence. A need so strong it scares her. But she’s not sure she can accept what he’s offering. Ania has always been an independent woman, and Mitya expects to be obeyed in all things.
Even with her body calling out for his, Ania won’t let anything stop her from settling a deadly score years in the making—not even the man who wants to claim her as his mate.
Casee: I’m behind in this series, but I really do like it. CF writes a great story.
The Bromance Book Club (The Bromance Book Club #1) by Lyssa Kay Adams
The first rule of this book club:
You don’t talk about book club.Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott’s marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.
Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.
Rowena: I got this for review and enjoyed it a lot. I’m definitely looking forward to this book releasing to the public so that everyone can love it!
We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
Following a year in the life of a twenty-something British woman who falls hard for her London flat mate, this clever, fun, and unforgettable romantic comedy is the perfect feel-good holiday read.
Two people. One house. A year that changes everything.
Twenty-nine-year-old Jess is following her dream and moving to London. It’s December, and she’s taking a room in a crumbling, but grand, Notting Hill house-share with four virtual strangers. On her first night, Jess meets Alex, the guy sharing her floor, at a Christmas dinner hosted by her landlord. They don’t kiss, but as far as Jess is concerned the connection is clear. She starts planning how they will knock down the wall between them to spend more time together.
But when Jess returns from a two-week Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started dating someone else—beautiful Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into (hell, sharing a bathroom with) the man of her dreams…and the woman of his.
Rowena: This is another book that I picked up for review and it was a cute one so you’ll want to add this book to your lists to binge this month.
The Rebel King (All the Kings Men Duet #2) by Kennedy Ryan
Ambition. Revenge. Love.
Rita Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the gripping conclusion to the All the King’s Men Duet.
Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.
Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we’re the pawns and players.
Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?
Rowena: I adore all things Kennedy Ryan so when the first book came out, I was all in and even though I haven’t gotten around to reading the first book, I’m going to be reading it along with this book this month. I can’t wait to binge read these!
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Sophie wants one thing for Christmas— a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend the holidays in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much-needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship.
Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.
When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.
This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . Or is it?
Rowena: Another book from my review pile. This book was super cute and I recommend it to fans of contemporary YA romances. This one is definitely a fun one and shouldn’t be missed!
What books are you looking forward to reading this month? Share in the comments!
The Bromance Book Club does sound like fun!