Our Books to Binge On feature is pretty simple in its purpose. Every month, we put together a monthly new releases list of books that we’re all looking forward to. These are the books that we can’t wait to read and want everyone to add to their monthly binge-reading lists. Here are the books that we plan to binge on in April of 2021.
Can you find real love when you’ve always got your head in the clouds?
Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.
Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn’t the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who’s as grouchy as he is gorgeous—and it turns out he has very different vision for the property’s future.
Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley’s scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one’s comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.
Holly: I haven’t read this author before, but it sounds like my kind of story. I can’t wait to try it.
Rowena: I’ve been hearing such great things about this book and like Holly, it sounds like my kind of story so on my list it goes!
The Devil Comes Courting (The Worth Saga #3) by Courtney Milan
Captain Grayson Hunter knows the battle to complete the first worldwide telegraphic network will be fierce, and he intends to win it by any means necessary. When he hears about a reclusive genius who has figured out how to slash the cost of telegraphic transmissions, he vows to do whatever it takes to get the man in his employ.
Except the reclusive genius is not a man, and she’s not looking for employment.
Amelia Smith was born in Shanghai, and taken in by English missionaries. She’s not interested in Captain Hunter’s promises or his ambitions. But the harder he tries to convince her, the more she realizes that there is something she wants from him: She wants everything. And she’ll have to crack the frozen shell he’s made of his heart to get it.
Holly: I need this book already!
Heart on a Leash (Hearts of Alaska #1) by Alanna Martin
A pack of rescue huskies inspires love and romance in a coastal Alaskan town fractured by feuding families—but can young pups really teach frozen hearts new tricks?
Taylor Lipin has made it her life’s mission to leave her hometown and its ridiculous, century-old feud with the Porters behind. But when her sister needs help running the family inn, Taylor agrees to return to Helen, Alaska on a temporary, definitely not longer than two weeks, basis. Or so she thinks, until she’s quite literally swept off her feet and into enemy territory by three happy huskies and their drool-worthy owner, Dr. Josh Krane.
Though Josh didn’t grow up in Helen with the rest of his Porter cousins, he’s heard the stories: Porters rescue huskies. The Lipins are cat people. Keep to your pack. But Taylor is too tempting to give up—plus, his dogs love her.
As Taylor and Josh grow closer, tensions in the town escalate and the need for secrecy starts taking a toll. Soon they’ll need to decide whether their newfound love is just a summer fling or if they’ve found their forever home.
Holly: I’m going toing to lie, I’m only interested in this book because of the huskies. 🙂
Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores #3) by Danielle L. Jensen
From bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen comes a thrilling new novel in the Dark Shores world, a series that Sarah J. Maas called “everything I look for in a fantasy novel.”
THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY
Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever.
His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war.
BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN
Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything that he’s fought for.
Torn between her growing allegiance to the Thirty-Seventh legion and her need to liberate her people, Teriana finds herself mired in a web of secrets. She embarks upon a path that will either save everyone she loves—or put them all in their graves.
Readers may read either Dark Shores or Dark Skies first!
Suggested series reading order:1. Dark Skies or Dark Shores
2. Dark Shores or Dark Skies
3. Gilded Serpent (coming spring 2021)
Rowena: Ever since finishing The Bridge Kingdom and The Traitor Queen, I’ve been curious about trying other stuff by Danielle L. Jensen so when I saw this one, I’ve been curious about it. It’s definitely on my list, even though it’s the third book in the series.
Bombshells (Brooklyn Bruisers #8) by Sarina Bowen
The women’s league is in the house! And Brooklyn will never be the same again for Anton Bayer and the team…
This is my last chance to ditch my playboy reputation and finally fulfill my potential. So I’ve made three rules for our biggest season yet: no boozing, no women, and no scandals.
Especially that last thing.
So who do I befriend on the very first day back at the rink? An amazing female hockey player. I want Sylvie in a way that’s more than just friendly. I crave her. But I have a championship to win, and so does she.
Then she gets her heart broken by my teammate, and I make the foolish mistake of comforting her in the best way I know how. Our night together sets off a string of sins.
Nobody can know about our affair, especially my overprotective teammate. I can’t let anyone see into my greedy little heart. Not even her.
The things I want from her, and the things we’ve already done? If anyone knew, there’d be bombshells.
Contains: a defenseman with dreamy blue eyes, a female goalie with bad ideas, a major battle of the sexes and a swimming pool scene…
Rowena: There’s a new Brooklyn Bruiser book and of course it’s on my list of books to binge for the month.
The Intimacy Experiment (The Roommate #2) by Rosie Danan
Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.
Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she cofounded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won’t hire her.
Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag named him one of the city’s hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Taking a gamble in an effort to attract more millennials to the faith, the executive board hired Ethan because of his nontraditional background. Unfortunately, his shul is low on both funds and congregants. The board gives him three months to turn things around or else they’ll close the doors of his synagogue for good.
Naomi and Ethan join forces to host a buzzy seminar series on Modern Intimacy, the perfect solution to their problems–until they discover a new one–their growing attraction to each other. They’ve built the syllabus for love’s latest experiment, but neither of them expected they’d be the ones putting it to the test.
Rowena: After reading and enjoying The Roommate, I knew that I was going to read and enjoy this book as well. I did, so this listing is for you guys, not me. You guys should definitely add this to your lists for this month. It’s good!
April 1 brought two books from one of my favorite writers, Caitlin Crews: Crews’s latest HP: THE SECRET THAT CAN’T BE HIDDEN—obviously an unplanned pregnancy/secret baby romance; and Crews’s latest for Harlequin’s Dare line, THE PLEASURE CONTRACT, a take on the selection process of The Bachelor. As I’ve said before, HPs require an occasional sex scene to interrupt the angsty heartache, while Dares require an occasional twinge of existential angst to interrupt the almost non-stop sexy-times—and Crews is one of the few writers who can truly handle the different requirements of both.
BRODERICK, the second book in Katee Robert’s Sabine Valley series, arrives on April 13. The premise of the series is that seven brothers (I’m assuming there will be a book for each brother) return to their home town and upend the tenuous balance of power between three rival groups. The books are mashups of contemporary romance tropes along with historical, mythic, and pop-culture elements—not to mention lots of hot-hot-hot sexy-times. BRODERICK is an M/F/F-ménage romance between Broderick, the woman he really loves, and another woman whom he has to marry for political reasons. Let the games begin!
Lauren Blakely’s THE VIRGIN RULE BOOK drops on April 16. Blakely publishes so many books in so many series at such a rapid clip, I just can’t keep up! This one appears to include the brother’s best friend and virgin heroine tropes—not particular favorites, but the hero is a baseball player, so I’ll give it a try.
Kate Canterbary’s THE BELLE AND THE BEARD makes its debut on April 23. Although billed as a stand-alone, the hero of TBATB is the brother of characters from previous Canterbary books (THE MAGNOLIA CHRONICLES and BOSS IN THE BEDSHEETS). There’s a fake relationship element to the plot and the MCs are a little older (mid-to-late thirties). Canterbary is one of my go-to favorites—I expect another book full of heart, heat, low-key humor, and lots of delicious descriptions of food.
Juliana Stone’s older-heroine romance, SLOW KIND OF LOVE, was scheduled for March publication but has now been moved to April 25. I hope it will be available then because I’ve really been looking forward to another visit to Stone’s Crystal Lake world.
Molly O’Keefe (writing as M. O’Keefe—the name she reserves for her darker books) drops BROKEN HEARTS on April 27. It continues the story O’Keefe started in STOLEN HEARTS, about a young widow who begins to realize her husband’s death was not what it seemed and is tied in some way to an enigmatic Irishman who works for the heroine’s mentor and close friend (but is she really a friend?). STOLEN HEARTS ended on a cliffhanger, so I’m assuming BROKEN HEARTS picks up the action right where the first book left off.
Also currently showing as releasing on April 27 is Jackie Ashenden’s WITH THE LIGHTS ON, companion to her earlier Dare, IN THE DARK. I’ll include it here because right now it’s showing a drop date of April 27, but Harlequins usually release on the first of the month, so I won’t be surprised if it shows up on May 1–adding another burden to my already stretched book budget for May!
Lots of good books! I also enjoyed The Roommate, Rowena, and I’m looking forward to The Intimacy Experiment.
I hope you’ll have fun with all your forthcoming reads, @DDD!