Welcome to Top Picks. This is a weekly post which features books out this week which have caught my eye.
I have decided to split the list into three; On my List, On my Radar and Caught My eye. The first is those I have every intention of reading. On my Radar feautures books that I have marked on a wishlist, possibly as I am awaiting a price drop or am not up to that book in the series. The last are more one’s I know next to nothing about but have caught my eye for some reason. All books are one’s which I would potentially read.
As always, I do my due diligence on all books I put on here. I don’t recommend books from authors who I know have engaged in awful behaviour or have bigotted views – I chose not to give them my money so you won’t find them on here. If I make a mistake and feature an author who has engaged in bad behaviour, tell me in the comments and the book will be removed.
I don’t read NA. I do not read reverse harem. I also do not read Pandemic romance. Those books will not feature here.
Due to issues with prices, I will no longer be posting RRP’s of these books – the prices I post seem to be accurate for a day so I feel it is completely pointless.
Also, CLICK ON THE BOOK COVER TO GO TO AMAZON PAGE
I adore this series and have been listening to the audio books in preparation for this. Pre-ordered.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews is back with the newest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to her trilogy featuring fierce and beautiful Prime magic user Catalina Baylor.
An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas, Catalina’s boss… And it’s only Monday.
Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with her fellow Prime and fiancé Alessandro Sagredo by her side, she may not be able to expose who’s responsible before all hell really breaks loose.
I love this author and have pre-ordered this – Ali Hazelwood writes STEM romance and she does it well.
Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project – a literal dream come true – Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school – archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.
But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
I adore Sarah MacLean’s heroines; they are always strong, independent and fierce. This series has been no different – on the list.
HEARTBREAKER Hell’s Belles, Book 2
A Princess of Thieves
Raised among London’s most notorious criminals, a twist of fate landed Adelaide Frampton in the bright ballrooms of Mayfair, where she masquerades as a quiet wallflower-so plain and unassuming that no one realizes she’s the Matchbreaker…using her superior skills as a thief to help brides avoid the altar.
A King of Reputation
Henry, Duke of Clayborn, has spent a lifetime living in perfection. He has no time for the salacious gossip that arises every time the Matchbreaker ends another groom. His own reputation is impeccable-and the last thing he needs is a frustrating, fascinating woman discovering the truth of his past, or the secrets he holds close.
A Royal Match
When the two find themselves on a breakneck journey across Britain to stop a wedding, it’s impossible for Clayborn to resist this woman who both frustrates and fascinates him. But late-night carriage rides make for delicious danger…and soon Adelaide is uncovering Clayborn’s truths, throwing his well-laid plans into chaos…and threatening to steal his heavily guarded heart.
Another historical author who I swear by – I’ve pre-ordered this too.
New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan is back with the enchanting third book in the Duke Hunt series about a marriage of convenience between a fierce female blacksmith and a handsome scoundrel.
A devil’s bargain burns the hottest….
For years, fiercely independent Gwen Cully has worked as the village blacksmith, keeping her family’s business going. But when a local rival threatens her livelihood, Gwen has nowhere to turn … until a devastatingly handsome fugitive takes shelter in her shop and sparks fly.
Unrepentant rogue Kellan Fox’s entire existence has been a dangerous game of deception that leads him into a fight for survival—and straight into the arms of a tall, fiery beauty. When Gwen protects him from an angry mob of villagers, Kellan sees the perfect solution to both their troubles. A marriage—in name only—that will last a single year.
Only a marriage of convenience can’t hide their searing attraction. It glows hotter than Gwen’s forge and reaches deep below the tempting mask Kellan wears for the world. With every sizzling glance and scorching kiss, Gwen surrenders more of herself to the molten passion she finds in Kellan’s strong embrace. But can she ever truly trust her heart to a scoundrel?
Ms Bev … I do not need to say more.
“A living legend.” — Julia Quinn
The newest novel in USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins’s compelling Women Who Dare series features a fearless grifter who goes undercover to reclaim the stolen Declaration of Independence.
Lying and cheating may be sins to some people, but for Raven Moreaux, it is a way of life. She comes from a long line of grifters and couldn’t be prouder…Until she’s forced to help the government.
A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her “husband.” He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they’ll have to put everything—including their hearts—on the line.
I have heard nothing but good reviews for this book – I have put it on the price watch list.
The Princess Bride meets You’ve Got Mail in this enchantingly quirky, completely refreshing fantasy with a rom-com-worthy premise, perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and he’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.
Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart-ache Hart, the man with a knack for showing up right when her patience is thinnest.
After yet another run-in with Merciless Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, he receives an anonymous reply, and a tentative friendship is born. Little does Hart know he’s baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most. . .
Set in a world equally full of magic and demigods as it is donuts and small-town drama, this utterly unique fantasy is sure to sweep you off your feet.
Vacation romance? Cowboys? friends-to-lovers? I am ALL IN. On the list.
Professional bull rider Justin Forza might have to trade his cowboy boots for flip flops to win the woman he loves.
Forzas aren’t quitters. That’s the motto professional bull rider Justin Forza’s dad has drilled into his head since the first time he climbed into the bucking chute. After a serious injury, doctor’s orders are to stay out of the arena. But if Justin can win one more championship, he’ll be able to continue the family legacy, set himself up for life, and finally confess his love to his best friend Emmeline.
Emmeline Porter lives by one rule: never date a bull rider. She’s seen the damage a bad ride can cause. As a last resort to stop Justin from returning to the rodeo circuit, she convinces him to take a trip to Paradise Island, a tropical haven off the coast of Texas. She hopes cutting Justin off from the pressure his dad is laying on him will give her best friend the clarity he needs to walk away for good.
The close quarters and island adventures put their friendship to the test, and it’s not long before real feelings surface and threaten to sweep them both away.
I had heard nothing about this book before looking at the reviews but I am incredibly excited about it now! On the price watch list …
The four McBride brothers have their worlds turned upside down when their precocious younger sister secretly places an advertisement for a mail-order bride.
Kit McBride knows that Buck’s Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers—plus little Junebug—they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in The Matrimonial News to get them hitched.
After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Maddy is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow’s name, position, and matrimonial prospects….
With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit she’s the wife he never knew he needed.
This sounds AMAZING but I have a tried and tested bunch of reviewers that I trust and none have read this book – it is on the watch list but I can see me ending up buying it.
An astonishingly relevant, funny and heartfelt romantic comedy about a universal experience that is yet to be explored in fiction: the emotional labour of dating men.
Ever since she can remember, Aly has tried fixing things: her parents’ marriage, colleagues’ work problems, and all her friends’ love lives. But when she bumps into her ex – who has gone from a living in his parents’ basement to a happily-married success – she realises she’s been fixing her boyfriends, too . . .
Her best friends call it ‘The Aly Effect.’
When an in-joke with her friends at the office spirals out of control, Aly uses her talents to set up THE FIXER UPPER- an exclusive underground service for women who are tired of mothering, nagging and coaching their boyfriends through life.
Before long, a mysterious celebrity client hires them for their biggest challenge yet: turning her boyfriend into the perfect fiancé in three weeks.
There’s just one catch . . . He’s Aly’s first love.
And he’s not at all pleased to see her.
I dip in and out of this series because although I abso-fucking-lutely adore Sara Cate’s writing, some of the subject matter is too taboo for me. This one? This one I think I will enjoy.
I don’t want to hurt him—I just want to punish him.
It’s bad enough being the only female owner of the Salacious Players’ Club, but I’m also the only one without a kink, or so I thought.
Imagine my surprise when the kink quiz suggests that I’m not so vanilla after all.
In fact, I’m a lot more like Emerson Grant than I thought.
Just one problem—I have no idea how to be a Domme.
That is, until the app matches me with someone willing to help me learn.
He’s too young for me.
Too stubborn. Too good looking.
And, oh yeah, my friend’s son.
Beau Grant is a brat. I’d hate that about him if I didn’t love punishing him so much.
Underneath all of that attitude is a man who is misunderstood, selfless, and in need of direction.
But if he wants mercy, he has to earn it.
There are a million reasons why I should stay away, but I’m tired of doing what everyone thinks I should do.
I finally know what I want, and I’m ready to take what’s mine.
I haven’t heard of this series before but I do like the look of it and it has great reviews!
Arlowe
“I think that there’s been some kind of mix up.”
That’s my first clue that my stay in Lilac Harbor isn’t going to go according to plan.
There’s been a mistake with my rental booking and now instead of having the charming little bungalow on the shore all to myself, I’ve got a not so charming roommate.
Yates Warner.
He’s a grump in every sense of the word, but there’s something about the guarded translator that tugs at my heartstrings.
I’m determined to make the best of this situation, and who knows? Maybe my grumpy giant and I can even be friends.
Yates
Yeah, we’re definitely never going to be friends.
Arlowe Mitchell is too sweet for a grouchy loner like me. She’s too friendly, too generous, and way too optimistic.
Also, way too tempting.
The more time I spend with her, the more I want her.
When she tells me about the newest book her book club is reading and says how she always wanted to have a summer fling like the characters, I finally get my opening.
A four-week fling. No strings attached and we part at the end of the month to go our separate ways. The only rule we have is to not get attached.
I thought it would be a piece of cake to follow but the more time I spend around my new roomie, the more I realize that I’m in real trouble of breaking our one and only rule.
The Mix Up is a standalone, grumpy sunshine romance that is part of the multi-author series, Meet Cute Book Club series. Escape with this swoon-worthy collection of romances where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.
I do like Erin McCarthy and this one does sound quite fun .. on the list (especially as the price point is good)
My best friend is stubborn.
And my best friend has a super hot dad.
I’ve had feelings for Sullivan since he lost his wife four years ago, but he doesn’t see me that way. The plan?
Fake date his dad.
If he thinks Liam, who has tattoos, a beard, and the reputation of being a heck of a lover, is interested in me, maybe it will spark his own interest. Liam is totally on board— in fact, it’s his idea.
The only problem is that with every fake date, I find myself falling harder and harder for the father and not the son.
It’s definitely time to pivot and see what is real and has been right in front of me all along… Liam.
I do love Jaci Burton and this seems to e a complete change of pace for her – I will keep an eye on the reviews to see what everyone thinks.
Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable story—that she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans. She doesn’t believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans.
She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul. Vampire Adrian and Lycan Duncan’s goals are entirely different—to mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity. But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival. Choosing love is the only thing that can save her.
I adore the Charley Davidson series but I find the novella’s are hit and miss to me. On the list.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Darynda Jones comes a new story in her Charley Davidson series…
When Donovan St. James’ precocious charge asks him—no questions asked—to tail the doctor who keeps their ragtag team patched up, he wants to refuse. Not because the saucy teen is getting too big for her britches, ordering him around like a mob boss, but because the woman stirs feelings in him he would rather not explore. However, when evil threatens the doc’s life, he realizes he has no choice. Sia saved his life once. He will try to return the favor. He just prays he can do it without losing his heart.
Running from the supernatural entity that has destroyed entire worlds to have her, Sia thought she’d found a haven on Earth with a motley team of warriors protecting the girl destined to save humanity. But when Sia’s found, she realizes something on this plane is more scrumptious than her: that very teen. So, she runs—and Donovan St. James follows. Nothing is more alluring than a scruffy biker with a lacerating gaze. And she vows to tell him that…if they survive.
I think this sounds fabulous .. some of the snippet’s I’ve read have had me really intrigued. On the list to wait for reviews.
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA.
A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win.
No exceptions.
Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders.
When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one.
The pair find themselves stuck together in more ways than one, but it’s fine, because Anastasia doesn’t even like hockey players…right?
I’ve never heard of this series before (looking at the reviews it seems it may be) but I think I may enjoy it. On the list.
Fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series will love this captivating second chance story—from the series that delivers “both emotional intensity and lush sensuality, and vivacious writing enhanced by ample measures of wit.” (Booklist, Starred Review)
Lady Georgiana Arlington has always done what’s best for her family—even when it meant marrying a man she didn’t love to save her father. Her husband’s death has left her stronger and bolder—a hellion, some would even say. When a mysterious enemy jeopardizes her livelihood and reputation, there’s only one person she can trust to help her uncover the threat: the same man she left heartbroken years ago.
Captain Henry Harris is no longer the penniless fortune hunter he was when they first met. Now a decorated naval hero, he could have his choice of women, but no other woman has Georgie’s allure, nor the tenacity he can’t help but admire. Assisting Lady Arlington will put both his body and his heart in danger—and yet, he can’t resist a second chance with the one woman he’s never been able to forget.
It’s a Pride and Prejudice retelling – I am IN.
A modern Pride and Prejudice retelling with gender-swapped leads.
When Fiona Darcy finds herself in the wilds of Yorkshire to launch her new wedding dress collection, she’s only got one aim; get back to Bath as quickly as possible. What she doesn’t need is her best friend falling for their cupcake supplier, forcing her into the proximity of the crass Bennet family. Worst of all is Elliot, the tall, handsome Yorkshireman who has not only taken an instant dislike to her, but seems to be pushing his brother into a relationship purely for financial gain.
Baker extraordinaire Elliot Bennet is pleased when his brother finally finds love, but less happy playing third wheel with Fiona Darcy, a woman who clearly despises him and his family. But the Darcy contract could be the big break their struggling bakery needs, even if it doesn’t show his messy, overcrowded family to their best advantage. And besides, even if she doesn’t like cupcakes, maybe Fi isn’t quite as icy as she seems…
North meets south as sparks fly between Elliot and Fiona. Will their undeniable connection survive meddling families, misunderstandings and their own prejudice?
I’m looking forward to the new Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs release.