Coming Soon – The Romances We’re Most Looking Forward to Reading in February 2020
The best thing about the long, dark, cold evenings is being able to curl up with a good book! Every month, AAR staffers comb through the lists of upcoming releases to find the ones we think we – and our readers – are most likely to enjoy, and now it’s time to look ahead to the books coming out in February 2020 we’re looking forward to reading. As always, this isn’t a comprehensive list – if you’re eagerly awaiting a book that isn’t listed here, leave us a comment and make sure we know about it!
Lilian and the Irresistible Duke by Virginia Heath (1 Feb)
Virginia Heath has been putting out good historicals pretty consistently over the last couple of years and has earned a fair few DIKs, so I’m keen to read her latest, featuring a mature couple who reconnect in Rome – Caz
As Caz says, Heath has been a credit to Harlequin’s stable, and I’m excited for her latest – Lisa
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Blame it on the Billionaire by Naima Simone (1 Feb)
Simone is always a good bet. – Caroline
I’ve been enjoying Naima Simone’s foray into Harlequin Desire romances with her Blackout Billionaire series and am excited to see what she has in store for us this year! – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane (1 Feb)
I’m a big fan of Meljean Brook, and particularly the worldbuilding she’s done in her other series. I can’t wait to explore this whole new world she’s created! – Alex
Milla Vane is another author identity for the amazing Meljean Brook. I read the Milla Vane novella The Beast of Blackmoor in the anthology Night Shift and not only DIK’d it, but explicitly mourned the fact that it was a stand-alone because I loved the world (full of magic, goddesses, barbarians, and warrior women) so much. When I learned Vane was setting a new book in this world, I immediately grabbed it for review – and, spoiler alert, it is TOTALLY EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR. – Caroline
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid (3 Feb)
Reid writes some of my favorite bookIsh heroines. Hope this is as good as her last! – Lisa
I’m very intrigued by this new-to-me author and the partnership of a male (and tattoed) children’s librarian and a female romance reading university professor! – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon
House Rules by Ruby Lang (10 Feb)
Ruby Lang’s shown herself to be an excellent contemporary romance writer -thrilled for her latest! – Lisa
I’ve been enjoying this unique series by Ruby Lang where uptown living and careers set the stage for happy ever afters. This second chance story with a couple who agree to share living space again is ripe for romance. – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas (18 Feb)
The Ravenel series has been a mixed bag of good and great, and as a fan of Lisa Kleypas, I’ve eagerly awaited each new release. Now that all the other Ravenel girls are wed, it’s Cassandra’s turn. She apparently meets her match in Tom Severin, the railway magnate who nearly derailed (ha! see what I did there?) the series before it had a chance to begin. I’m not sure I see these two together, or why they haven’t found themselves in each others path much sooner than this, but I’m willing to be convinced they deserve a HEA. Fingers crossed this will be a highlight in the series. – Em
She has done something different in each of the Ravenel books so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in Cassandra’s book. And I’m looking forward to visiting with the rest of the Ravenels and hopefully some of the characters from the Wallflowers series. – Evelyn
Kleypas does exciting things every time she publishes a new book. – Lisa
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee (20 Feb)
OH MY GOD THIS COVER HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING SO GLAMOROUS?! – Caroline
I’m looking forward to trying this modern marriage of convenience romance by a new to me author. – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
We’re also looking forward to…
Caroline:
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertelli and Aisha Saeed (4 Feb)
A cross-cultural romance about two young people taking up activism in local politics – this is the book Americans need for 2020!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Malice by Pintip Dunn (4 Feb)
The heroine lerrns that a classmate will create a virus that kills two-thirds of the world’s population. In her Forget Tomorrow trilogy, Pintip Dunn showed a deft and sophisticated handling of YA dystopia, romance, and the complexities of a time-travel narrative, so she’s got all the skills she needs to make this one a knockout.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Lisa:
The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews (11 Feb)
The Parish Orphans of Devon series continues apace! This one is Neville’s story, and none of these boys deserves true love more than Neville!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Of Curses And Kisses by Sandhya Menon (18 Feb)
Having read this one for the site I can assure readers that while it doesn’t quite reach the heights of her previous book and is a bit more soapy than they are, Menon’s spin on fairytale tropes is a lot of fun.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
For the Sake of a Scottish Rake by Anna Bradley (18 Feb)
An English miss determined to escape an odious suitor and her uncle’s plan to steal her fortune sets up a fake flirtation with her Scottish chum. Ah, friends to lovers, my one true weakness.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
How the Lady was Won by Shana Galen (20 Feb)
A married couple whose relationship crumbled when he shipped off for the army is reignited when trouble comes for the heroine. Galen’s description of the supporting characters already has me laughing, and she’s good at swashbuckly romantic derring do that this kind of plot requires.
Buy it at: Amazon
We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia (25 Feb)
I fell in love with We Set the Dark On Fire, with its unexpected twists and thrilling plotline, last year. This book’s from Carmen’s PoV, and I need to know what happens next!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Liz:
Loud Mouth by Avery Flynn (17 Feb)
A blogger pisses off a well-known hockey player by blabbing a family secret. When the couple is stuck in a remote cabin after a blizzard, sparks fly. I am ALWAYS down to read an enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romantic comedy set in the sexy world of hockey. 💋 Liz
Buy it at: Amazon
Maria Rose:
My Viral Valentine by Melanie Ting (1 Feb)
Melanie Ting has written some wonderfully engaging hockey romances and I’m so excited to see that she has a new rom-com series (with average guys who play hockey for fun) coming out this year.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (4 Feb)
I really enjoyed Mia Sosa’s Love on Cue series and I love the plot idea of this new romance by her – plus enemies to lovers is my favorite! – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Shannon:
Last Day by Luanne Rice (1 Feb)
I’ve been reading Luanne Rice’s work since the early 2000s, and I’m almost always enchanted by her characters and their stories. Her latest novel is a thriller, and I can’t wait to see how she handles this genre which is so different from the stories she usually writes.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Alone In the Wild by Kelley Armstrong (4 Feb)
The release of a new Kelley Armstrong novel is always something to celebrate, especially if it happens to be set in Rockton, a mysterious, dangerous town set in the wilderness. This series gets better and better with every installment, and I’m hoping this fifth book continues that trend.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The King of Crows by Libba Bray (4 Feb)
Libba Bray’s The Diviners series is a marvelous mix of fantasy and historical detail. It’s set in New York in the 1920’s, and follows a group of teenagers, each of whom possesses a secret supernatural ability. The King of Crows looks to be the last book in the series, and I’m eager to see how the author wraps things up for these characters.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland (4 Feb)
I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this sequel to Dread Nation, and it proved to be everything I was hoping for and then some. I’m so excited for this book to be released out into the world so all of you can fall under its spell just like I did.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Heart of Flames by Nicki Pau Preto (11 Feb)
Nicki Pau Preto’s Crown of Feathers was one of my favorite young adult novels of 2019, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of its sequel ever since I turned the final page. I love everything about this world, especially the bonds between humans and magical creatures, namely the mythical, fiery phoenix.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Stormsong by C.L. Polk (11 Feb)
I was so excited when I first saw the blurb for Stormsong. It’s a fantasy romance between two women, something we don’t see nearly enough of these days. I was intrigued by book one in this series, and I’ll be reading this one as soon as I possibly can.
I’m looking forward to reading Chasing Cassandra. Lauren Layne also has released Marriage on Madison Avenue.
Re: Marriage on Madison Avenue. There’s another one that caught my eye. The troupe best friends-to-lovers is a favourite of mine. :)
I’m looking forward to Marriage on Madison Avenue but holy moly, $12 for the kindle edition! My budget is telling me I’m going to have to wait for it to be on sale.
Unless I missed it, I’m surprised no one has mentioned the new Simone St. James’s The Sun Down Motel out on the 18th, It’s been a while since her last book. Early reviews coming in have me very excited to get to this one.
I’m tentatively hopeful that Lisa Kleypas new book is a good one. The hero intrigues me and so I’m considering it but will probably wait for reviews.
I’m reading an arc of Cherish Reid’s Hearts on Hold and it’s charming and fun. A tattooed, man-bun wearing hero is a children’s librarian and a buttoned-up young female professor of African American literature make for an interesting pair. And like any good researcher, the librarian is reading the heroine’s romance novel for tips on how to be an exciting lover for her. The role of the romance novel in this book is quite funny and provides lots of running jokes.
Interesting you mention the Charish Reid novel. I was wondering about it.. I might buy it, since I like the premise and good reviews keep appearing (like yours, Blackjack).
We have a review of it that will be running soon, so watch this space!
Good lord, ladies (as in people from AAR) . Are you always on top of the subject?! ;)
We do our best :)
I completely forgot about Simone St, James even though I have that one on order as well! I guess February is shaping up to be a very good month for me with three books from “Must read” authors being released.
Reid’s academic heroes and heroines are so much fun, I really enjoy them.
I hope my library gets the audio for Deathless Divide. I loved the audio for Dread Nation. I really liked how the author sets up the reluctant/growing friendship between Jane and Catherine. Nice to see them both featured on the cover.
I’m also interested the new Milla Vane (Meljean Brook) book and Nicki Prau Preto’s followup to Crown of Feathers.
Just an FYI (not a complaint) my ad blocker apparently treats covers in this post as ads, so I don’t see them. I can see the covers cycle through on the home page, though. Weird.
Ad blockers, while lovely, are destroying online newspapers. Without ads, we wouldn’t survive. I use one myself but it doesn’t block out our ads!
I never used an ad blocker until three months ago when the ads became far more intrusive and made several sites I visit practically unreadable.
I completely understand. It’s just a hard reality for websites. Content can’t be free so it’s an issue where revenues come from. If not ads, where?
I heard somewhere that YouTube channels don’t get any ad revenue unless people watch a certain amount of the commercials, so ever since then I try to suffer through some ads on You Tube channels I want to support. Particularly if they are smaller ones or up and comers.
I’ve never used an ad blocker for the same reason. A lot of websites I enjoy use ads to support them so I would feel guilty if I enjoyed the site while costing them some “free” money. I also try to buy through the links for books on sale as well, even though I know it’s a tiny percentage of the book’s price.
I do hate it though when the ad just covers the entire screen on a website and you can’t seem to get rid of it. It’s just obnoxious. Thankfully here the ads all seem to be for romance books which I pretty much want to see anyway, lol.
It’s such a tough call. I personally think the future for all self-sustaining websites–those that are not MEGA huge and have monopolistic like market shares–will be subscription/paywall. Ads are a dying concept thanks to ad blockers and Google and FB dominance.
I also use (almost religiously) an ad-block, but AAR is in the whitelist. :)
Thanks for that! <3
A new Meljean Brook is good news. A pity I didn’t discover her back when Night Shift came out… I just read the Ilona Andrews.
If the new Kleypas can match the sublimely good first half of Devil’s Daughter I will be ridiculously happy. If it is like the second half until the shaving scene I will be very happy. If it is like the rest I will DNF.
Thank goodness for other eagle eyed readers like you! I completely skimmed over and missed that Milla Vane=Meljean Brook. I used to enjoy her steampunk books so I will probably try this new book out as well.
I also have high hopes for the Kleypas book!
As usual, I have a portion of my monthly book budget dedicated to Harlequin Presents and Dare books. New ones from my favorites Jackie Ashenden, Claire Connelly, and Caitlin Crews all drop Saturday. I’m also interested in the Naima Simone book. I read the previous book in the series (which featured one of my favorite tropes: a man falling for his late best friend’s widow) and liked its angsty, emotional style. There’s also a new book from Erika Wilde called NO INHIBITIONS due this month. I’m unfamiliar with Wilde—but the plot sounded interesting: a woman designs a boutique hotel full of “fantasy rooms”; she falls for the contractor she hires to oversee construction. Plus the cover was hot. lol
So I see you haven’t given up on the “Dare” line. Maybe now that they’re a little more established, they might live up to their name. For the record, I haven’t read any, but I know a lot of people were disappointed at how the heat level in this category wavered too much between euphemistic and sexy.
“Plus the cover was hot. lol.” I don’t have much of a comment on this except to say that I like that you wrote it. :)
@Nan: I haven’t given up on Dare, but I tend to only read Dare books by my favorite writers. I’ve said before that I think it’s a real shame that Harlequin shut down its Blaze line and replaced it with the supposedly more adventurous Dare line—but I don’t think Dare has lived up to that promise…yet!
As for covers, I hope no one is laboring under the delusion that I’m not a shallow old woman who has on more than one occasion purchased a book based solely on hot the cover (or cover model) was. That has not always yielded great results reading-wise, but the eye candy is always nice.
Hey, nothing wrong with eye candy! I applaud your honesty on the subject.
As for Dare, I think Harlequin is trying to walk a narrow tightrope between serving customers who want sexless, closed door romances and those who want their reading to be so hot the book is practically on fire.
The Submittable guidelines on Harlequin- even for the Dare line- specifically say they do not accept erotica or erotic romance, and yet they are simultaneously trying to push Dare as edgy. KDP is similar in that “pornography” is forbidden but “erotica” is both allowed and encouraged. Go figure.
Do you read many Carina Press titles? I enjoy how they are able to blur genre lines while still offering the HEA/HFN promise. Maybe if Harlequin put Dare under a different imprint, they might feel the freedom Carina Press does. Just a thought.
I find it interesting what HQN considers permissible for Dare – like public sex, or the heroine totally being part of an orgy club – and what they won’t portray on-page.
Yeah, it’s odd. I have heard other accusations of the Dare line “telling” rather than “showing” their raciest story elements, and I think it’s because of their no-erotica policies.
As for erotica and erotic romance at Carina Press, I get the sense their titles in those categories aren’t doing well. They used to have a line called “The Dirty Bits,” which were 10,000+ word erotic novelettes and novellas with a guaranteed HEA/HFN. But looking at those titles’ rankings on Amazon, I can see why they discontinued the niche. Novellas tend to be a poor sell regardless of genre.(Stephen King had a little video about this, calling the 20,000 word story a kind of marketing dead zone.)
Also, they just have too much competition from KDP erotica authors to make publishing erotica shorts worth their time and investment of resources. If you check the Top 100 erotica books on Amazon at any given time, the vast majority are self-published short stories priced between $0.99 to $2.99. Incidentally, I’ll bet most of them aren’t professionally edited, and yet they still sell.
So how does this relate to Dare? I suspect Harlequin is floundering in their sexier material because their “The Dirty Bits” experiment through Carina Press didn’t really work out and yet they know there is money in racy material. On the other hand, creating an explicit erotic romance category line under the Harlequin name could be a serious financial risk if conservative readers end up boycotting them. I notice to this day Harlequin category romances are still the one man one woman standard. True, maybe this is what a big chunk of their fan base expects and enjoys, but I get the feeling they are playing it safe by keeping gay romances, ménage, erotica, etc. tucked away under their imprints like Avon and Carina.
This is all speculation based on my observations, of course. But like you, I find it interesting.
I’ve definitely noticed that with some of them. It’s as if they want to be racy, but don’t want to offend certain sensibilities. So the heroine can be in an orgy club, and have participated in the orgy club offpage, but the orgy club can’t hold a candle to the hero, and in fact she REALLY wants a traditional white-picket fence relationship, slightly spiced by kinks that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow outside of the Midwest (light bondage; a little anal; outdoor sex, etc, etc.)
“It’s as if they want to be racy, but don’t want to offend certain sensibilities.” That’s a good, succinct way of putting it.
Maybe they’re also trying to appeal to curious “traditional” CR readers who want hints of kink but would be totally turned off by full blown (tee hee) explicit descriptions. It’s hard to say.
“…that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow outside of the Midwest…” Incidentally, I heard some interviews of phone sex operators who said the majority of their calls come from “red states.” I guess there’s not too much to do on a Friday night in a rural small town…
Ugh… My poor TBR list. “Lilian and the Irresistible Duke” is now on it, thank you very much. I haven’t read a Virginia Heath book yet, but I like the sound of the story. Good for Harlequin for having HR stories with older heroes and heroines finding love again. Maybe I’m just extra happy about it because I know an older widow who is going to be married soon after many hard years alone. I hope she and her husband-to-be get their HEA too!
Caroline, I absolutely agree with you about the gorgeousness of the cover for “Temporary Wife Temptation.” Harlequin has been on a roll lately. I like their new color-coded rhomboid tags for the lines too, providing they are not sticking into the cover model’s head like a spear.
I hadn’t thought about the diamond before, but you’re right – it has a clean, modern look.
I heard, but haven’t been able to confirm, that this might be Harlequin’s first contemporary cover featuring two Asian leads (I know for sure Jeannie Lin has historical covers with two Chinese leads, so it’s not the first of any kind), and it may be their first Korean characters period. I’d love to hear from anybody who can confirm this or recommend other Harlequins with Asian characters on the covers.
That’s interesting about the lack of two Asian leads in CR. You’re right that there don’t seem to be many.
As for Harlequin recommendations with Asian characters, I enjoyed reading Nico Rosso’s Harlequin Intrigue title “Undercover Justice.” The hero is Iranian/Persian and the heroine is Chinese-American. https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781488045790_undercover-justice.html. (Just FYI, it is the sequel to “Renegade Protector,” which has a black hero and Mexican-Italian heroine, both Americans.)
Then there was “Holiday by Candlelight,” a Harlequin Special Edition by Laurel Greer that didn’t get good marks here on AAR.
HelenKay Dimon has the Whitaker Island Series published through Avon, which includes “Her Other Secret” and “The Secrets She Keeps.”
These examples definitely weren’t easy to find though!
Back to the Good Fortune Diner by Vicki Essex is the other CR I know with an Asian cover model: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781460301142_back-to-the-good-fortune-diner.html Still, it’s only the one character (not an Asian couple), and she’s Chinese-American, so it wouldn’t be an earlier example of Korean representaiton. Also, to the best of my knowledge, this and the ones you listed are not Own Voices. (Not a complaint at you for listing non-Own Voices, just thinking about ways this cover/book is groundbreaking).
A commenter on my review of this book offers Cara Lockwood’s The Big Break, a CR from 2016, with an Asian couple cover. Romancelandia’s knowledge base astounds!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014CZU07G?creativeASIN=B014CZU07G&linkCode=w61&imprToken=Rw6kK58cqVBNQkuiCu8J7g&slotNum=6
“Romancelandia’s knowledge base astounds!” No kidding!
Take a look at the comment I left on that thread. I have found a way to search for multicultural romances through Harlequin’s website and give step by step instructions for those interested.
I really enjoy Virginia Heath’s historicals – she’s one of the few really good authors around in the genre right now and she’s received quite a few DIKs here from me and other reviewers. Lilian… wasn’t my favourite book of hers (my review is up now), but still much better than many of the other HR out there atm.
I’m so looking forward to “Chasing Cassandra” by Kleypas and I am totally hooked on Kelley Armstrong’s “Rockton” series and already reserved “Alone In The Wild” so February is looking like a good reading month for me!
I am also eager for Chasing Cassandra. I have enjoyed this series a great deal and while I assume it’s the final book, Kleypas’ Work is always worthwhile. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
I agree, Kleypas is one of the few auto-buys I have left. She is an author that just works for me although I strongly prefer her historical to her contemporary romances.
I have really enjoyed this series. The first book was the weakest IMHO but it really picked up from there. My personal theory is this book will be similar in theme to “Tempt me At Twilight” with Poppy Hathaway and Harry Rutledge but time will tell.
I thought of Poppy and Harry whilst reading this book more than once.
I’m looking forward to your review!
I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Chasing Cassandra and I absolutely loved it. It was really just unabashedly romantic and *sweet*. I have liked but not loved most of this series — Marrying Winterborne was my other fave, but I wasn’t too fond of the external drama in that one and felt it detracted from the romance, which I did really love. Cassandra’s book was actually more character-driven and really light on external drama, which is rare for Kleypas in my experience (she’s always been a loved author of mine but I can generally do without the superfluous third-act dangers that frequently befall her couples).
That just makes me want to read it even more! I love sweet romances and Kleypas has written some great ones. I agree on the extra drama too. I hate it when the couples get to a good point then some random baddie pops out and shoots one of them or something.
I have rarely been as disciplined about a book as I’m being about The Deathless Divide. I so loved the audiobook of Dread Nation that, despite having an advanced copy of TDD, I haven’t read it and am waiting for the release of the audio. I really can’t wait!
I second the Milla Vane (which we reviewed and gave an “A,” to in our group review) – it’s terrific. I had two more that didn’t make this post:
Book of Orlando (Mortal and Divine, #1)
Laura Lascarso
In Book of Orlando, Laura Lascarso pivots away from the YA/LGBTQ she’s known for (it’s wonderful!), and offers up the first in a new adult, erotic, fantasy trilogy. The story, featuring angels and demons and ballet dancers (I think), sounds intriguing and radically different from anything she’s written before. I’m nervous about this new direction, but confident she can deliver. Early reviews are positive…hoping mine is too!
Pansies (Spires Universe, Book 4) – audiobook
Author: Alexis Hall
Narrator: Cornell Collins
Everyone has a favorite Hall novel (and if you don’t, why not?) and this one is mine. Alfie and Fen and their enemies to lovers story…it’s brilliant. Tender, funny, sweet, and sexy, Pansies showcases all the reasons I love Hall’s novels. I tore through it – knowing I would regret it when I finished, and well, I have no regrets. It was sooooo good. I’m always looking for new audio books to enjoy on my evening runs, and this one is sure to be a repeat pleasure.
I left out the Pansies audio because it’s not a new release in the sense that the book has been out for a couple of years. (Audios often come out after print – sometimes years after!)