Coming Soon – The Romances We’re Looking Forward to Reading in December 2019
Hard as it is to believe, we’ve reached the final Coming Soon for 2019 releases. Soon, the AAR team will be looking back at their favourite books of the year, some of which will undoubtedly have been featured in these monthly posts, but for now, here are the new releases we’re most looking forward to getting stuck into in December. Don’t forget to drop by to tell us what books YOU’RE eagerly awaiting – and look out for our Best of 2019 lists, starting early in December.
In the Dark by Loreth Anne White (1 Dec)
I loved the sound of this one the moment the synopsis was revealed; a riff on And Then There Were None from one of my favourite authors this is bound to be a fabulous, clever and twisty-turny story! – Caz
Loreth Anne White has written some of the most chilling and atmospheric stories of romantic suspense I’ve come across in recent years. They’re perfect to curl up with on a cold winter night, so I’ll definitely be picking up In the Dark as soon as it’s available. – Shannon
Buy it at: Amazon
Blitzed by Alexa Martin (3 Dec)
The previous book in this series (Fumbled) was one of my favorite 2019 reads so far, coming across as a balance of funny and realistic. I’ve no doubt the next book will be just as good. – Alex
Alexa Martin has a winning series so far with her authentic and unvarnished look at the NFL and its players and the romance that surrounds that life on the field and off. I definitely plan on picking this up. -Keira
I’ve loved this series so far and I’m excited to read the third part! – Lisa
Alexa Martin’s insider view of the NFL scene gives her romantic comedies an edge over other football romances. They’re fun, authentic and guaranteed to delight so I can’t wait to read the next in her Playbook series! – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh (3 Dec)
I’ve always loved Singh’s paranormal books, and when she made the jump into contemporary with her Rock Kiss series I was thrilled with the results. Now I’m excited to see what Singh can do with a move into suspense! – Alex
Best known for her paranormals, Singh is branching out with a suspense novel set in her native New Zealand. – Caroline
I love Nalini Singh’s paranormal romances, so I was super intrigued to learn she was writing her first mainstream thriller. Pre-publication buzz has been positive, and I can’t wait to read it for myself. – Shannon
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes and Noble/Kobo
Mangos and Mistletoe: A Foodie Holiday Novella by Adriana Herrera (23 Dec)
Two foodies take on a Holiday Baking Challenge, but the bigger challenge may be keeping their hands to themselves… – Caroline
This plotline sounds right up my alley! – Lisa
Buy it at: Amazon
The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe (30 Dec)
This is the second book in the Uptown Girls series. I’m looking forward to another HR set in New York. – Evelyn
I’ve had a lot of fun with Shupe’s series and I’m looking forward to the next part! – Lisa
Shupe’s writing is so smart and sensual, making her one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her latest offering features a powerful casino owner and the woman who is standing in the way of the revenge he’s been seeking for years. It sounds utterly delicious, and the end of December can’t come soon enough for my liking! – Shannon
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (31 Dec)
I don’t read many contemporaries, but I enjoyed the author’s Chance of a Lifetime series and am keen to see how she’s going to follow up that success. – Caz
There’s a reason why Clayborn has become the talk of the romance world lately; excited about reading this one! – Lisa
I thoroughly enjoyed Kate Clayborn’s debut series Chance of a Lifetime so when I saw that she had a new romantic comedy releasing in December, I made sure to put it on my list! The heroine has an interesting career (using her artistic skills for hand lettering) and the circumstances of how she meets the hero are definitely unique. – Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
The One For You by Roni Loren (31 Dec)
Roni Loren wraps up her series about survivors of a high school shooting with this pairing of a heroine who lost her boyfriend and a hero who was the heroine’s best friend. This has been a solid and emotional series that handles a hard subject respectfully (bless books that let people go to therapy!). – Caroline
This whole series has been a gripping, heartbreaking experience; I’ve enjoyed it so much and I’m hoping the last chapter will be just as good – Lisa
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
We’re also looking forward to…
Anne:
The Clergyman’s Wife: A Pride & Prejudice Novel by Molly Greeley (3 Dec)
Did you ever wonder what happened to Charlotte Lucas after she married the odious Mr. Collins? This book explores by what happened next. From all reports, this debut author remains very true to canon — sometimes a novelty in Austen-inspired fiction.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters (10 Dec)
Part coming-of-age story about teen-aged girls obsessed with dark things and part present-day mystery. Add a ghost (maybe), and even better, an unreliable narrator who makes bad decisions. Those are some of my sweet spots. Even better, I’ve already heard great things about award-winning author Damien Angelica Walters.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher (16 Dec)
The twist in this psychological thriller sounds very promising. Why would women share the same husband on different days of the week? From the time I read about this book, my mind has been trying to figure it out!
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Caroline:
Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt (3 Dec)
A kindergarten teacher accidentally (read: drunkenly) creates a podcast reading romance sex scenes out loud. What gets me curious is that Andi Arndt, a co-author, is an Audible hall-of-fame romance book narrator with lots of sexy titles under her belt (she’s done Kyle Scott and Emma Chase, among others), so I think this could be a cool behind-the-scenes peek at what it’s like to record “those scenes.”
(NB – this title is an Audible Original, and was released in audio format in October).
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Charlotte:
Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters (3 Dec)
Much like Waiting for Tom Hanks, this looks like an homage to 80s/90s romantic comedies.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Lisa:
The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen (3 Dec)
A Bow Street lawyer investigates a murder on small Bell Island, bringing him in touch with a charming citizen of the island. Sounds interesting!
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian (10 Dec)
A lady who hates society falls for a handsome surveyor!
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Liz:
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson (3 Dec)
Cassie and Jett meet through an online dating site and hit it off in real life. When the two are suddenly saddled with caring for someone else’s children, they hide their “insta-families” from each other. Sounds like a funny, sweet novel that with a lot of heart. 💋
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
One Small Step by MA Binfield (10 Dec)
MA Binfield’s debut is a friends-to-lovers f/f romance set in London and features professional women playing sports. Right on! Iris Miller has given up on love. When Cam Hansen joins Iris’s law firm and soccer team, Iris is attracted to her beautiful colleague. Cam, who is engaged to a man, appears to only want a friendship with Iris. But, the women develop feelings for each other that can’t be denied. – 💋
Buy it at: Amazon
Double Dirty by Jodi Redford (13 Dec)
A male escort “tag team” introduces the boss’s daughter to carnal delights as part of research for her comic web series. The guys are careful not to go too far with their pupil, but forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. Jodi Redford is Queen of Kink! Her ability to craft truly believable love stories of erotic exploration is unparalleled. Can’t wait to read! – 💋
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Maria Rose:
Secret Santa by Noelle Adams (11 Dec)
I really enjoy Noelle Adams’s contemporary romances and Secret Santa is part of her latest series Milford College, all about the staff who work at a liberal arts school. This one is a friends to lovers story and looks like a fun holiday novella.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Candy King by Christine d’Abo (17 Dec)
The Sugar series by Christine d’Abo, featuring a sugar daddy/momma website and the relationships that have developed for some of its clients has been quite a fun read for me, so I’m excited to see another entry in the series! The Candy King is the man behind the website, and for the journalist who discovers his true identity, it could be the start of something pretty sweet…. -Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Shannon:
The Pretenders by Rebecca Hanover (10 Dec)
The Similars, book one of this duology, left our characters in a bit of a sticky situation, and I’m really eager to see how things turn out for them. I absolutely loved the first book, and the synopsis of this one gives every indication of being just as spell-binding.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison (31 Dec)
Books centered around boarding schools are some of my favorite things to read, so this latest stand alone novel of psychological suspense from J.T. Ellison looks to be right up my alley. Her past few novels have been extremely compelling, and I’m expecting nothing less from this one.
I was fortunate to read an advanced copy of Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering and it was just phenomenal and is officially now my favorite book of 2019. It was scheduled for early 2020 release but it looks like it will be out at the end of this year instead. I’m still in the throes of a major book hangover.
For December I’m looking forward to Loreth Anne White’s In the Dark and hope that Courtney Milan’s new book will still be here by year’s end.
I am still trying to overcome my long grief that Loretta Chase’s newest book was supposed to be released in Dec. 2019, but now, it’ll be Dec. 2020. I wonder if Courtney Milan is still saying that her historical will be out in 2019 or early 2020. Hope so.
That is sad news. But I’m grateful that there will be at least one more of her books for me to read. She’s my gold standard in HR, and while I wish she’d write faster, I’m willing to wait for the perfection that is Loretta Chase.
I look forward to reviews of The Clergyman’s Wife and A Delicate Deception.
I have three “read the moment I get them” books on my December tbr: Clare Connelly’s THE DEAL, the fourth and final book in Dare’s Billionaires Club series (each book written by a different author). Julie Kriss has SEXY AS SIN, the next in her series about four guys who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and unexpectedly became billionaires (as so often happens). Kriss is one of Romancelandia’s most underrated writers, imho. Finally, Skye Warren’s several-times-postponed AUDITION is supposed to be released on December 9…we shall see. This is the start of a new trilogy featuring two people (a ballet dancer and a security specialist) who were secondary characters in the first trilogy of Warren’s North Security series.
And speaking of oft-postponed…I live in hope that LOSING IT ALL, the next installment of Kati Wilde’s Hellfire Riders MC series, will eventually see the light of day. On her website, Kati said she liked but didn’t love the book as she had written it, so she pulled it back from September release to make a few changes…which led to many more changes. Meanwhile, someone very close to Kati was going through a difficult time, plus Kati’s “real job” (it’s such a shame that so many romance writers can’t make ends meet on their writing alone) had a major project on a deadline, which further reduced her writing time. Also, Kati has another book, EVIL TWIN, in the pipeline…but only time will tell whether that will come before or after LOSING IT ALL is published.