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 July of 2022.
Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity #6) by Nalini Singh
Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain—a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he’s kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant . . . but that was before he met Lei.
As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace . . . until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.
Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness . . . till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.
But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race
Casee: I am reading this book now & am loving it so far.
Holly: I really enjoyed this book. It’s my favorite of the Trinity books so far.
Garnet Flats (The Edens #3) by Devney Perry
Talia Eden loved Foster Madden for one year, two months and eleven days. It was on day 438 that her love died. The day he chose to marry her best friend. The day she vowed never to think of Foster again.
Until years later when he has the audacity to show up in her small hometown of Quincy, begging for her help.
The ink on his divorce papers is barely dry, yet he comes armed with apologies and promises. She knows it’s all a ploy. Foster is the king of games and secrets. But he’s got delusions the size of Montana if he thinks she’ll help him train for a world championship fight.
Except Talia has forgotten exactly what made Foster famous. The man has dedicated his life to victory. He’s steadfast. He’s determined. And he won’t stop fighting until he’s won her heart.
Casee: This sounds like a painful book, but I’ll still read it because it’s Devney Perry.
Be With Me (Adair Family #4) by Samantha Young
It was the friends-with-benefits proposition he never saw coming…
While Arran Adair might have followed the call of wanderlust in his younger years, it isn’t the reason he stayed away from Ardnoch. Home now, desperate to put the sins of his past behind him, and rebuild his life in the Scottish Highlands, Arran could never have predicted Eredine Willows. The Ardnoch Estate Pilates instructor is a complicated mystery and one Arran can’t help but want to solve.
Eredine has spent the last eight years hiding in Scotland and building walls between her and the people she cares about. Arran is the first Adair who doesn’t treat her as if she’s fragile and demands a genuine friendship. Yet, the attraction sizzling between them is undeniable. So when she realizes she trusts him, Eredine surprises them both by offering Arran one night of no-strings passion.
Arran knows one night will inevitably lead to a desire for more and he’s willing to stay by Eredine’s side for as long as it takes to convince her there’s something real between them. However, just when Arran thinks they might build a future together, Eredine’s past returns to stalk her. And Arran won’t just have to battle her demons to keep them together. He’ll need to battle his own.
Casee: This book sounds really effing good.
Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score
Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon. Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.
Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.
Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.
There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.
At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.
Casee: This one sounds like it’s right up my alley.
Holly: This was a cute contemporary romance. I believe it comes out in print this month, since it’s already available on Kindle Unlimited.
Always Be My Duchess (Taming of the Dukes #1) by Amalie Howard
Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can’t break a man’s heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution…
Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron’s mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.
Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win… but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts.
Holly: My historical reading has been hit or miss lately, but this one sounds really good.
Expecting Her Ex’s Baby (Sutton’s Place #3) by Shannon Stacey
Just one night together.
Now they’re bound…forever.Getting pregnant was never Evie Sutton’s intention. But then again, neither was sleeping with her ex-husband, Lane Thompson. Lane wants to be in their baby’s life, but Evie is afraid of getting too close to the man she has never been able to resist. Is love enough to make them a family? Lane believes it is. He is sure this child will help them find their way home…
Holly: It’s been a long time since I read a Shannon Stacey Special Edition, but I think this entire series sounds great. I’m excited to read it.
Eclipse the Moon (Starlight’s Shadow #2) by Jessie Mihalik
Kee Ildez has been many things: hacker, soldier, bounty hunter. She never expected to be a hero, but when a shadowy group of traitors starts trying to goad the galaxy’s two superpowers into instigating an interstellar war, Kee throws herself into the search to find out who is responsible—and stop them.
Digging up hidden information is her job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. Disrupting their plans will require the help of her entire team, including Varro Runkow, a Valovian weapons expert who makes her pulse race.
Quiet, grumpy, and incredibly handsome, Varro watches her with hot eyes but ignores all of her flirting, so Kee silently vows to keep her feelings strictly platonic. But that vow will be put to the test when she and Varro are forced to leave the safety of their ship and venture into enemy territory alone.
Cut off from the rest of their team, they must figure out how to work together—and fast—because a single misstep will cost thousands of lives.
Holly: I still have the first book in my TBR pile, but I still plan to pick this one up this month.
The Rake’s Daughter (The Brides of Bellaire Gardens #2) by Anne Gracie
An earl is forced to play matchmaker for the daughters of a rake in a smart and witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Scoundrel’s Daughter.
Recently returned to England, Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, discovers he’s been thrust into the role of guardian to an heiress, the daughter of a notorious rake. Even worse, his wealthy ward has brought her half-sister, the beautiful but penniless Isobel, with her. Leo must introduce Clarissa to London society and find her a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter. Her lowly birth makes her quite unacceptable in aristocratic circles.
However, the girls are determined to enter society together. They’re devoted to each other and despite the risk of scandal and ruin if Izzy’s parentage is discovered, they refuse to be separated. Much to Leo’s frustration, nothing he says or does will convince them otherwise. To further complicate matters, sparks fly every time Leo and Izzy interact.
Called away for a quick visit to his country estate, Leo instructs the young ladies to stay quietly at home and consider their position. But when he returns, he’s infuriated to discover that Clarissa and Izzy have launched themselves into society—and with tremendous success! There’s no going back. Now Leo must enter society himself, protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, and try not to be driven mad by the sharp-witted, rebellious Izzy, and the rich, unworthy men drawn to her beauty.
Holly: I also have the first book in this series in my TBR pile.
Love Lessons (Brooklyn #7) by Sarina Bowen
He needs an image makeover, she needs a mojo upgrade. A new lessons-in-seduction hockey romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Sarina Bowen.
After I’m arrested for throwing a raucous party, my hockey team says I have an image problem. And I need to fix it, stat.
Charity work? Check. Haircut? Sure. But I draw the line at hiring my neighbor to style me. In the first place “style” shouldn’t be a verb. And I’m tired of people who’d judge me on appearances.
Vera and I don’t see eye to eye on anything. She wants me to try on clothes, while I just want to remove hers. She’s distractingly pretty, with soulful eyes and a sinful mouth that likes to argue with me.
But when management threatens my summer vacation, I grudgingly agree to Vera’s unusual proposal: she’ll give me an image makeover. But in return, she wants lessons in the art of seduction.
It sounds a little nutty, but I know a good opening when I hear it. Besides, it’s not like I’ll ever fall for her…
Holly: I always love Sarina Bowen’s books. I’m excited.
Return of the Duke (Once Upon a Dukedom #3) by Lorraine Heath
In the thrilling third book in New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath’s Once Upon a Dukedom series, the dashing son of a disgraced duke teams up with a sultry beauty to thwart an assassination plot against Queen Victoria.
When his father, the Duke of Wolfford, is hanged for an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Marcus Stanwick is stripped of everything. Vowing to return honor to his family, he seeks to expose the others involved in the treasonous plot and bring them to justice. His search forces him to turn to a woman he despises for her unforgiveable betrayal–a woman known as the heartless harlot.
Harboring secrets, Esme Lancaster has her own reasons for wanting to discover who’s behind the conspiracy that’s still afoot. She doesn’t trust Marcus but can’t deny the handsome devil makes her wonder if she does indeed possess a heart, one he could very easily steal.
As their hunt for the truth leads them into danger, Marcus finds Esme isn’t cold and calculating as he’d assumed but fire and brimstone, with courage and determination to match his own. Soon, they’re unable to deny their growing desire for each other. But giving into temptation comes at a cost, and they must decide if love is worth the risk of losing their one chance for redemption.
Holly: I always love Heath’s novels. I can’t wait for this new series.
Looking forward to Storm Echo and Love Lessons.
A number of books that had June release dates have been postponed until July. Here’s hoping they will show up—although there are several writers whose release dates are often more aspirational than actual. Anyway, as of right now, here’s what I have on my July tbr:
BRAINWASHED by Nyla K (July 7) is the third in her very dark & twisty Alabaster Penitentiary series. This one features a serial killer and the doctor who is attempting to help/understand him. Nyla K isn’t a writer for everyone—her work is full of triggers and transgressive behaviors. I’ve enjoyed some of her books and had to DNF others. I’ll have to wait until July to see where BRAINWASHED lands.
Last month I said if THE CRASH by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde failed to make its June release date, I wouldn’t be surprised: it didn’t and I wasn’t. Right now THE CRASH (a couple-against-the-elements story when the plane piloted by the hero crashes on the way to taking the geologist heroine to a remote jungle site) is scheduled for July 12. Warren’s books frequently miss their scheduled publication dates, so only time will tell.
Sybil Bartel’s ZULU was also postponed from June release and is now scheduled for July 14. Zula is the latest in Bartel’s romantic-suspense Alpha Elite series. Bartel writes to a template (beyond-gonzo alpha heroes; resilient heroines in trouble through no fault of their own; lots of fire power & high body counts; and plenty of sexy-times with a D/s dynamic). If you don’t like the template, her books will not be for you. But if, like me, you do like Bartel’s style, ZULU will be a good read.
Serena Bell’s A LITTLE WILDER (July 19) is the fourth in her Wilder Adventures series. This one features an unplanned pregnancy–the result of a Vegas one-night-stand between a Wilder brother and a woman who is later hired by Wilder Adventures to redesign the company’s RVs. Unfortunately, current events are now making the unplanned pregnancy trope problematic to say the least, but Bell can always be relied on to write smart, sexy romances and I’m expecting A LITTLE WILDER to be a great read.
Amelia Wilde’s BLACKMAIL arrives July 26. As the title indicates, there’s blackmail afoot as the temp heroine is caught embezzling money (this is a romance, so you know it’s for a good reason: she’s supporting her younger siblings) from her wealthy boss. He won’t call the police and break up her family, but he will demand, um, other things. Amelia Wilde writes really hot dark romance, and BLACKMAIL appears to be exactly what it says on the tin.
C.M. Nascosta’s MOON BLOODED BREEDING CLINIC (July 28) is part of her Cambric Creek series of romances set in a world similar to our own but featuring humans, mythological characters, and anthropomorphized animals who live, work, and have relationships with each other. In MBBC, the heroine is a human and the hero is a werewolf. They meet when the heroine is trying to get pregnant (if you’ve read MORNING GLORY MILKING FARM, you know that werewolves in Cambric Creek have a great track record of helping women conceive). I’m expecting a fun read with lots of heat and heart.
A.E. Via’s RAYNE (July 29) is the third & final book in her True Lover’s Stories series of m/m romances. Via could never be described as a great prose stylist, but her books have a lot of heart, sincerity, and passion. Another thing I like about Via is that her stories are set solidly in the working class (no secret billionaires here). In RAYNE, one hero is pushing 50 and owns a landscaping business; the other hero is a recovering sex addict (there’s a vague indication in the blurb that he’s been a sex worker at some point). I liked the little peek we got of this couple’s dynamic in the previous book (WOOD), so I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out in RAYNE.
Some tempting choices above! I’m adding several of these to my list.