Coming Soon… October 2018

Here we are, heading into the back end of the year with our regular monthly look at the books we’re most excited about reading over the coming weeks.  As usual, this is just a small selection of the books released every month – we can’t include them all, so please drop by and let us know if you’re looking forward to something you think we should know about!

Band Sinister by K.J. Charles (11 Oct)

The author says she’s gone “full-on  Heyer with this one”, and I can’t wait.  A country innocent, a disreputable rake (who is known as Philip the bastard baronet beet farmer)  and his equally disreputable friends, a spinsterish, gothic novelist (in secret) … seriously, what’s not to love?! –  Caz

I could list many, many reasons why I can’t wait to read Band Sinister.  Truly.  Suffice it to say, K.J. Charles is one of my favorite writers, and this one sounds like great, naughty fun.  It’s definitely what I’ll be reading at bedtime on October 11th. – Em

… in which the rakish Sir Phillip and the innocent  Guy collide in a battle of wits during a Hellfire Club rite.  Sounds properly juicy!  – Lisa

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (30 Oct)

I always find public proposals frightening (how do you say no??) so a book about what happens after a proposal goes wrong and goes viral is going to be my therapy.  – Caroline

When Nikole Paterson’s actor boyfriend of five months proposes to her on the scoreboard of a Dodgers game, she’s forced to turn him down (he didn’t even spell her name right!).  The resulting press and social media firestroms envelopes her and Carlos Ibarra, an eyewitness who shields Nik from the press, and they find themselves growing closer trying to figure a way out.  It’s not the best way to begin a romance, but Nik and Carlos manage to find a way.  Guillory always puts together beautifully thought-out romances, and this sounds like a good one! – Lisa

When a public proposal goes badly awry Carlos Ibarra comes to Nikole Paterson’s rescue. Spending time with him helps Nikole to realize that you can meet the right man just as your leaving the wrong one. I love funny contemporary books with heart and this perfectly fits that bill.  – Maggie

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (2 Oct)

I awarded a DIK, A, to the written and audio version of the first book in the Montague Siblings series, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.  Monty, the protagonist of that story, was a truly memorable hero (maybe one of my most favorites), but his sister Felicity nearly stole the show.  TLGtPaP picks up a year after the events in TGGtVaV – Felicity is back in England, determined to avoid marriage and enroll in medical school.  Somehow she winds up on a journey of sorts with two other women and… well, I’m not quite sure why!  – but I can’t wait to find out. – Em

I think most anyone who read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue found themselves charmed by the witty, swashbuckling romp through Europe with Percy and Monty. This book will star Monty’s younger sister and I’m interested to see how Felicity comes into her own and what new adventures are in store. – Haley

I mean, who didn’t love The Gentlemen’s Guide To Vice and Virtue? Not many people! So of course I’m excited for this. I felt book one in the Montague Siblings series was a funny, sweet adventure that both didn’t take itself seriously at all and yet still offered up a lot of historical and present day realness in the form of racism, ableism, and abuse. But also with drunken hijinks and roadtripping and disappointing ones’ parents. Mackenzi Lee’s characters were so easy to fall in love with, imperfect creatures that they are, and can’t wait to reunite with familiar faces and also see Felicity take on (and over) the world. I’m here for it. – Hollis

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (2 Oct)

As well as containing yet another complex mystery with high stakes that hit very close to home “… this is the one in which the romance between Charlotte Holmes and her good friend Lord Ingram really picks up steam”, said Sherry Thomas a few months back.  Need I say more? – Caz

I’m wholly invested in this series – it’s wonderfully clever, original, and romantic – and the moment the audio version is available, everything else will just have to wait.  With the marvelous Kate Reading narrating Ms. Thomas’ magical prose, I’m confident you’ll find The Hollow of Fear on my year-end ‘Best of’ list.  – Em

This is the third book of her Lady Sherlock series and I am dying to read it. Thomas is one of today’s premiere historical mystery writers. – Keira

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep (2 Oct)

No stranger to urban fantasy and paranormal romance, Estep storms the fantasy romance field with a heroine who is seventeenth in line for the throne – in other words, overlooked. A royal massacre changes everything. In hiding, our heroine trains with gladiators, with one goal in mind – Kill the Queen.  There are also hints of romance, so we’ll probably have to read the sequels to see it develop into more. – Anne

Kill the Queen is the first book in Jennifer Estep’s new Crown of Shards series. It’s about a young woman who is seventeenth in line for the throne of a fictional country who is determined to become queen. It looks wonderfully dark, and knowing Ms. Estep’s stellar writing, I’m pretty much guaranteed a great reading experience. – Shannon

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Witch Elm by Tana French (9 Oct)
In a suspense market that is essentially deluged these days, Ms. French is always at the top of my list. I haven’t even bothered to look up the synopsis to this, because her name is all I need to know I’ll love it. – Kristen

I’ve loved all of Ms. French’s Dublin Murder Squad books, so The Witch Elm has been on my radar for some months now. It’s her very first standalone novel, and I’m hoping for a wonderfully atmospheric and suspenseful read. – Shannon

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor (2 Oct)

Taylor has to be one of the strongest prose writers out there, and she applies her skills to gripping YA Fantasy. Her lyrical, fairy tale style is completely unique and unmistakable. Muse of Nightmares is the second book in this series, and the followup to Strange the Dreamer. I would probably read a restaurant menu if Taylor wrote it so I cannot wait to see what is in store in this book. – Haley

I’ll be honest. I didn’t think Laini Taylor could make me love another series more than I loved the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy but after Strange the Dreamer.. it’s so close. Starting that book was an exercise in high expectations and though I did think it was a little slow to start, wow. It was just so beautiful and challenging and turned tropes on its head and also that ending was the absolute worst thing ever and I need this book so bad! Cannot wait. – Hollis

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Barbarous by Minerva Spencer (30 Oct)

I enjoyed Minerva Spencer’s début novel and have been eagerly looking forward to reading more from her. Barbarous features a heroine with secrets, and a dangerous, piratical hero who must work together to find out who wishes her harm. I’m have high hopes! – Caz

I ’m looking forward to catching up with Hugh Redvers, pirate hero – an intriguing, mysterious figure we barely glimpsed in book one – as he falls in love with Lady Daphne Davenport .  – Em

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

We’re also looking forward to…

Alex:

Lionheart by Thea Harrison (15 Oct)

I’ve long counted Thea Harrison’s Elder Races books as one of my favorite fantasy series. The two books in her newer Moonshadow series – a spinoff of the Elder Races – have both been stellar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this addition!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh (30 Oct)

Ms. Singh is an amazing world-builder, and after spending so long creating her Guild Hunter series, she’s created a lot of tension and excitement. I wouldn’t recommend this for someone who’s never read the Guild Hunter books, but as a longtime fan, I’m sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Anne:

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (2 Oct)

With a title like that, you know it’s going to be a twist on a standard trope. According to tradition, when the prince comes of age, he must slay a dragon and save a damsel, who becomes his bride. But after Ama is rescued by Prince Emory, she learns that all is not as it seems. Early reviews are already warning that this one is going to be dark, with sexual assault, violence, and self-harm.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders (1 Oct)

What a premise! In this dystopia, overpopulation has led to a strict One-Child policy in the near future US. Disobedience is lethal. Ava Goodwin has a deadly secret. She has an identical twin, Mira, and the only way they can survive is by pretending to be one person, switching places as needed. Of course, they can’t keep this charade up forever. When they are exposed, Ava and Mira become fugitives, forced to flee. This book is told in alternating POV chapters, which sounds like the best way this story can be told. Early readers attest that this book is very fast-paced and that it doesn’t hinge on romance.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (2 Oct)

The tagline for this book is Turn fear into power. That already has me interested. The girls are Marion, Zoey, and Val. They live on Sawkill Rock, an island that may have a monster. An island where girls have been disappearing for decades. There are LGBTQ themes, and the author promises it will involve “trampling the patriarchy.”

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Caroline:

Double Play by Maggie Wells (25 Oct)

I just read my first Maggie Wells, and her strong, sexy contemporary voice with professional high-achieving heroines is a great match for people who like Ruthie Knox or Julie James. In this book, a women’s studies professor ready for children decides to go it alone – but then a data leak at the fertility clinic tells her who the father is. I wouldn’t trust just any author to write a pregnant activist feminist academic, but I’m excited to see what Maggie Wells does with her.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Caz:

The Corset by Laura Purcell

Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions was a superbly spooky and unnerving story of gothic suspense set in a remote, creaky old house containing some very unusual… ornaments. I’m hoping for more chills with The Corset, in which a young lady of charitable bent becomes fascinated by a sixteen-year-old girl imprisoned for murder.

Buy it at: Amazon

Em:

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune (26 Oct)

As usual, Mr. Klune is keeping secrets.  The Bones Beneath My Skin tease is deliberately vague and unsettling, hinting at magic and secrets and a little girl named Artemis Darth Vader.  I have a few guesses about where this is going, but I’m content to wait and see.  The author never fails to surprise this reader with original, humorous, moving and challenging novels, and I expect nothing less from this one.  Confession:  I’m not (gasp!) a Star Wars fan…but I have two little boys who keep me well versed in it’s characters and mythology, and I think I can keep up. Fingers crossed!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Hollis:

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (9 Oct)

From the authors that brought us books that have been sweet (Albertalli) and sad (Silvera) comes a diverse YA contemporary that is awkward and funny and sweet and charming and filled with the often-strange reality of modern day romance and dating. Yes, I’ve already read this one, yes, it was totally wonderful, and yes, you should be excited about it.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Keira:

Christmas at the Chalet by Anita Hughes (16 Oct)

This book is about  romance, gorgeous gowns, the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps, romance, and forgiveness. And miracles of course during the most magical of seasons. I loved Hughes’ Christmas in London, so I am looking forward to this one.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

House of Gold by Natasha Solomons (23 Oct)

Set in Vienna and England against the backdrop of WW I, a young woman has to decide between the family she married into and the family she left behind. She is also torn between her desire to have the freedom to choose her own life’s path. I have read Solomons’ work before and she is a talented writer. I can’t wait for this one to be released.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Kristen:

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale (30 Oct)

Ms. Rodale’s books are versions of my booknip. I love how she crafts both her characters and her prose and I usually have a good time with her books. This one releases just before I go on (yet another) long business trip and I plan on inhaling it on the plane.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Lisa:

Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (9 Oct)

This sounds like a sparkly, fun little story – about a woman and a man stuck in Boston who decide to pursue a strings-free friends (more like enemies) with benefits relationship.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox (2 Oct)

A historical tale of a witch who doesn’t know she’s a witch trying to escape family scandal and Boston in 1821, this sounds like an intriguing genre mash-up!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Dirty Charmer by Emma Chase (30 Oct)

Tommy finally gets his story in the first volume of Chase’s Bodyguards series, a part of her Royally Screwed series as well!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Maggie:

Under My Skin by Lisa Unger (1 Oct)

This author wrote my favorite thriller of all time – In the Blood – and I am anxiously awaiting this newest offer which involves a woman who is haunted by a series of forgotten days, days during which her husband was murdered.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Maria Rose:

The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory (9 Oct)

One of my favorite romances featuring a strong heroine is Know When to Hold Him by Lindsay Emory. That put her on my radar and the plot of this new one sounds too good to pass up. A princess gets jilted at the altar, then teams up with his brother (a spy!) to track him down uncovering a secret that could change everything. It looks to be a fun and exciting romantic comedy!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Just This Once by Mira Lyn Kelly (2 Oct)

Having thoroughly enjoyed the previous romances in Mira Lyn Kelly’s The Wedding Date series (previously called The Best Men series), I was excited to see that there are two upcoming novels in the series this fall, including this one! It’s a friends to lovers/roommates themed story and promises to have the fun banter and sexy times that have characterized the series so far.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Game Changer by Rachel Reid (22 Oct)

Début author Rachel Reid is starting her writing career off with what looks to be a sexy hockey romance! An in-the-closet hockey captain meets a cute guy who works at a smoothie bar and the sparks fly. Figuring out how to take the relationship public is the challenge. I’m hoping for a good start to this new series.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Couldn’t Ask for More by Kianna Alexander (2 Oct)

Kianna Alexander combines two of my favorite tropes – best friend’s sibling and fake engagement- in this second story of her Southern Gentleman series. I read and enjoyed her Harlequin Kimani story A San Diego Romance (one of my favorite reads in April) so I’m looking forward to reading another romance by this author!

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Shannon:

Consumed by J.R. Ward (2 Oct)

I’m not usually a fan of firefighter romances, but J.R. Ward is one of those authors I’ll pretty much read anything by. Consumed is the first book in a new series, and I’m really excited to see what she does with this blend of romance and suspense.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain (2 Oct)

Diane Chamberlain is an autobuy author for me. I absolutely adore her moving stories and complicated characters who are doing the best they can with the circumstances of their lives. The Dream Daughter is her latest novel, and I’m literally counting down the days until its release.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Links to online bookstores are given where available at time of writing.