Coming Soon… The Romances We’re Looking Forward to Reading in March 2020
For some of us, February was a bit of a lean month when it came to new releases, but March is more than making up for it, and we’ve a bumper list of what we think are going to be fabulous reads to lighten your bank balance! Mysteries, contemporaries, historicals, paranormals… whatever your poison, there’s sure to be something here to tempt you; and if the book you’re MOST looking forward to reading in March isn’t here, then please drop by and tell us about it in the comments!
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Charlie Adhara (2 Mar)
I was delighted when I learned Charlie Adhara was writing more in her Big Bad Wolf series; Cooper and Park are one of my favourite couples and I can’t wait to meet them again! – Caz
Ditto! – Em
Gotta love Charlie Adhara’s shifter romances! – Lisa
Buy it at: Amazon
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
Yes, it’s technically fantasy, but the blurb promises “searing romance”, and because Sarah J Maas has given me some of my favorite (relation)ships based on death-defying mating bonds and (as she put it) “3 day sex marathons”, I am trusting that book one of her new series will be VERY romantic. Plus, it’s billed as adult now, and not NA/YA, so could it possibly get sexier….????? – Charlotte
Sarah J. Maas can do no wrong in my eyes. She is a gifted storyteller who builds extraordinary worlds and crafts well-drawn characters. I am a huge fan of her YA fantasy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is adult-level steamy. So, I expect Maas’s adult fantasy debut, Crescent City, to be an extraordinary tale with hot sex. 💋 Liz
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (10 Mar)
I haven’t even read the 1st book in the Bromance Book Club series, but I have a feeling I’ll be reading all of them. Another member of the male romance book club gets his HEA, while helping the heroine get justice against her former boss, “inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading”. – Charlotte
I also haven’t read the first in the series but the setup sounds interesting and I’m looking forward to trying this new to me author! Maria Rose
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn (10 Mar)
After the declarations (at LAST!) in the previous book, were interrupted (grrr!) we find our heroes on the trail of a vicious killer in London’s East End. Veronica and Stoker on the hunt for Jack the Ripper? Count me in! – Caz
We last left Veronica and Stoker declaring their love and pledging to finally get it on when they return to London. Will this finally happen? My guess is no – some other mystery will intervene to delay the inevitable. But a girl can hope! – Evelyn
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh (17 Mar)
I enjoyed Melinda Leigh’s Morgan Dane series – the mysteries are well conceived and the characters and relationships between them are three dimensional and well-developed – so I’m really looking forward to reading his, the first in her new series featuring Philadelphia detective Bree Taggert. – Caz
I love Melinda Leigh’s brand of suspense mixed with romance. It took me quite a while to pick up her books, but now that I have, I consider myself a devoted fan. Cross Her Heart is the first book in a new series that I’m really looking forward to diving into. – Shannon
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
In the Solace by Hailey Turner (23 Mar)
OMG – I am jumping for joy at the prospect of a new book in the awesome Metahumans series! Liam Wessex (a minor royal and former member of the SAS) immediately captured my attention when he first appeared in book two and I’ve long been hoping he’d get his own story. Honestly, I am All The Squee! – Caz
I love, love, love Hailey Turner’s Metahumans. Remember my blog/love letter to them? And apparently, I’m not the only fan who was clamoring for Liam’s story, too! Unbeknownst to her fans, the author was secretly writing his book and it drops this month. Sexy Liam falls for MI6 Agent Oliver Archer when they partner up to stop terrorists targeting London. Yay!!!!!!!! – Em
Buy it at: Amazon
Blue on Blue by Dal Maclean (24 Mar)
Bitter Legacy, the first book in the Bitter Legacy trilogy, won Dal MacLean a LAMBDA award. Blue on Blue is the much anticipated third book and I can’t wait to see how things work out in this murder investigation and romance. BJ
I came late to the party on this series and author, but having now read (well, listened to) the previous two books I’m completely hooked and can’t wait for this latest release. I haven’t even read the blurb, but there’s no way I’ll be missing this one! – Caz
Really, the only reason I sort of like Tom Gray (Object of Desire) is because of his love for Will Foster, and Will’s for him. And obviously Dal likes him too, because Blue on Blue is HIS story. Commitment to the Met seems to trump Will’s relationship with Tom – which has me worried – and so when Will finds himself investigating his friends and colleagues, I can see disaster in the offing. DM writes stories I struggle with! But love anyway. This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. – Em
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Master Wolf by Joanna Chambers (26 Mar)
I really enjoyed the first part of this duology set in eighteenth century Edinburgh and am eagerly awaiting this second instalment. – Caz
Honestly, I wasn’t blown away by the first book in the series, although I enjoyed the story and liked the principal character. Fortunately, this is an author who writes books I want to read, penned my favorite historical romance trilogy, and is trying something different from her usual. I’m here for it and rooting hard for Ms. Chambers to knock my socks off. Again. – Em
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Transactional Dynamics by Gregory Ashe (27 Mar)
Book three in Gregory Ashe’s second run of Hazard and Somerset stories sees the pair dealing with a blast from Hazard’s past… I love this author’s work, I love these characters and I can’t wait to get stuck into this book! – Caz
Favorite author, favorite series, favorite romantic couple, hands down some of the best romantic fiction out there. Hazard and Somers own my heart, and as long as they’re together (DON’T EVEN THINK OF HURTING EITHER ONE OF THEM MR. ASHE. OR, BREAKING THEM UP. OR, ANYTHING BAD. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.), as long as they’re together (FOREVER), I’m here for them and this series. Friends, if you aren’t reading the best romantic suspense series out there, you’re missing out. Big time. – Em
Buy it at: Amazon
Charlie Sunshine by Lily Morton (March – date TBC)
I’m a bit late to the Lily Morton party, but I’ve really enjoyed the books of hers I’ve read and listened to so far, so I’m hoping this will be no different! – Caz
What can I say? I drop everything for Lily Morton releases. The second book in the Forced Proximity series features Charlie, a former roommate of Jesse (Best Man), and… well, that’s pretty much all I know! – Em
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
We’re also looking forward to…
Caroline:
Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimura (3 Mar)
A heroine who’s a washed up Olympian ice skater – at seventeen! – and a hero who’s just started training for a speed skating medal at her family’s rink. Sounds like a fantastic spin on sports romance!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
On the Corner of Hope and Main by Beverly Jenkins (3 Mar)
I like romances about married couples, so I’m curious about Jenkins’s latest, in which a husband and wife run against each other for mayor.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Love Hard by Nalini Singh (10 Mar)
We don’t see enough rugby player heroes! This one is a straight-laced single dad who definitely doesn’t need a scandal-magnet bad girl like the heroine in his life.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Charlotte:
The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren
This book looks to be a satire/homage to the cult phenom US TV show “Fixer Upper”, in which husband and wife Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate houses in Waco, TX. The premise is that they secretly loathe each other and their employees have to do constant damage control. . . and maybe fall in love.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
McFarlane’s Don’t You Forget About Me received one of my highest grades yet for 2019, so I’ll be waiting for her next book. It sound suspiciously like The Wedding Date (elevator meet-cute + fake romance), but if it’s as funny and enjoyable as her other stuff, it’ll be good nonetheless.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Em:
Docile by K. M. Szpara (3 Mar)
I looked forward to Docile for months. Spoiler alert: I’ve read it, I’m reviewing it, and I was blown away… Look for a review of this much buzzed about novel in the next few weeks!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle (10 Mar)
In Five Years found its way to me via one of those ‘you liked this, so you might like this, too’ things. And honestly, after reading the blurb, I’m super excited to read it! Danni is asked at a job interview how she sees herself in five years. But when she wakes in the middle of night, IT IS five years later (2025), and nothing is as she expected. After falling back asleep, she reawakens back in 2020. She can’t forget her vision, and the novel charts how it affects her life in those five years. I think. Ha! Sounds interesting and early buzz is good. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (17 Mar)
Magic. Kids. T.J. Klune. Great early reviews from favorite reader friends of mine. This could be one of my favorite books of the year or a total miss. I’m putting my money on the former.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Bench Player by Julianna Keyes (20 Mar)
The second book in the Charleston Thrashers baseball series features two significant secondary characters from Team Player: Connor (Tyler’s jailed best friend), and Allison (Gwen’s not so evil boss). Both of these characters deserved their own books, and I’m happy to see them paired up. I gave Team Player a DIK, and I’m hopeful this one is just as good!
Buy it at: Amazon
American Sweethearts by Adrianna Hererra (30 Mar)
The Dreamers series was a favorite of mine in 2019, and I expect (I hope) the author to save her best for last. After all, every story in the series has improved on the one before it. Memorable characters, compelling – timely – story lines, and partners who seem destined for each other…This is a ‘read it the day it drops’ book.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Dear Enemy by Kristen Callihan (31 Mar)
I wish I still had Kristen Callihan’s back catalog to binge; she’s written some of my favorite novels, but I was disappointed by the last book in the VIP series. I’m not sure if this is the start of a new series or is a standalone, but it features a favorite trope – enemies to lovers – and I’m eagerly looking forward to it.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Lisa:
First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn (20 Mar)
A fresh Rokesby novel from Quinn once again pulls the Bridgerton clan in, as Georgiana Bridgerton ends up tangled with Nicholas Rokesby.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Earl Takes a Fancy by Lorraine Heath (31 Mar)
Heath’s Sins For all Seasons series continues apace, wherein Fancy Trewlove (natch) finds her man.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Lord Holt Takes a Bride by Vivienne Lorret (31 Mar)
Fans of Lorret’s goofy regencies will likely be delighted by this story of a betrothed girl whose friends kidnap a Lord to help her pick his mind – but ends up falling for him instead.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Most Eligible Lord in London by Ella Quinn (31 Mar)
Quinn opens a fresh series – Lords of London – with a miss trying to keep a noble from being tricked into marriage.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale (31 Mar)
Rodale’s series of Gilded Age romances gets another chapter, in which a businesswoman falls for her rival. Rodale hasn’t failed me yet.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Liz:
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver (3 Mar)
A young woman is reunited with her deceased fiancé in a parallel life. She must decide whether or not living in the past is worth sacrificing her current with someone special. I enjoy romantic fiction that uses magical realism to guide the protagonist toward figuring out her/his true destiny and heart’s desire. It’s especially excited to see that Publishers Weekly gave this novel a starred review!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Through Love’s Eyes by C.A. Popovich (10 Mar)
A scarred woman who was teased for her appearance in high school crosses paths with the mean girl who tormented her. A friendship develops and attraction deepens. This enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story (a nicely layered combo) published by Bold Strokes Books is set on a tiny, remote island (cozy + remote = forced proximinity, of which I am a fan). Bold Strokes Books published the last A-rated romance that I reviewed, so I am excited to dig into this new one!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Maria Rose:
Secret Heir Seduction by Reese Ryan (3 Mar)
I’m a big fan of Reese Ryan’s Harlequin Desire category romances so I’m happy to add this one to my list! Secret Heir Seduction is a second chance romance and looks like it will have a healthy mix of family dynamics, drama and passion.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Love Around the Corner by Amanda Weaver (9 Mar)
This Brooklyn set second chance romance looks delightful! It’s got a classic ‘coming back to the old neighbourhood’ theme and long ago teenaged lovers all grown up who have opposing agendas, making their attraction to each other rather inconvenient.
Buy it at: Amazon
Temp by Noelle Adams (11 Mar)
I’m enjoying the Milford College series by Noelle Adams and this one features a workplace romance trope with a temp assistant and a grumpy VP. Grumpy heroes are my catnip!
Buy it at: Amazon
Undercover Billionaire by Amy Andrews (31 Mar)
I love Amy Andrews’ sexy contemporary romances and I’m excited to read this ‘forbidden’ cruise ship story!
Buy it at: Amazon
Shannon:
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (3 Mar)
I don’t always love Clare’s Shadow Hunter books, but this one takes place in Edwardian England, so I figure I’ll give it a try. Her Infernal Devices series is among my favorite YA trilogies of all time, and this new series features the descendants of those characters.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs (17 Mar)
A new Mercy Thompson book is always cause for celebration! This series is akin to getting a hug from a friend you haven’t seen in years.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel (17 Mar)
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is a disturbing mental illnesses, and it also happens to be the basis for Darling Rose Gold. This psychological thriller promises to be super dark and twisty, so you can bet I’ll be reading it as soon as I possibly can.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Between Burning Worlds by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (24 Mar)
Book one in the System Devine series was one of my top reads of 2019, and I’m super excited to see how the authors will wrap up this remarkable duology. It’s basically a YA retelling of Les Misérables set in space, and there’s not much more I need to say. After all, things just don’t get much better than that.
Most definitely Deanna Raybourn’s A Murderous Relation is my most anticipated book for March and one of my most anticipated for the entire year. I always look forward to a new Raybourn book and am never disappointed.
McFarlane’s book is on my radar too, though I haven’t yet read anything by her. I look forward to the review of If I Never Met You.
Just popping back in because Deanna Raybourn announced on Twitter today that she has a new standalone coming out soon based on four female assassins. No title yet or release date, but it sounds amazing.
I saw that, too. It does sound amazing. Something to look forward to!
My reading year is centered around Raybourn, Harris, Thomas, Penrose and the Andrews. The historical mystery genre has been fabulous these past few years. I am very happy about this release and St. Cyr in April.
Have you read Simone St. James’s The Sun Down Motel? It’s a great mystery read, though it’s also definitely on the creepy side. Given your list, you may really like it. I’m pretty sure it’ll be one of my favorite books of 2020.
Since you mentioned “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” by Charlie Adhara, you might be interested in her recent author interview on the Carina Press blog: https://www.carinapress.com/blog/2020/02/will-they-wont-they-the-joy-of-slow-burn-romance/. The Carina Press blog doesn’t add content nearly as often as it used to, but I love whenever they have an author interview.
As for Beverly Jenkins’s “On the Corner of Hope and Main,” the plot sounds like it has a charming old timey movie feel to it, like a Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy type story.
I picked that article up off Twitter over the weekend (I beat you to that one!) and yes, it’s an interesting read.
“I beat you to that one!” Dang, you’re obviously learning from the best. :)
Actually, I saw it over the weekend too but didn’t have a good place to post it on AAR. Glad we’re both on the job.
So excited for BENCH PLAYER (I really want to know why the hero is in jail and didn’t want to talk to the hero of TEAM PLAYER)—Julianna Keyes is one of my favorite writers.
In addition to BENCH PLAYER, I have the following books on my March list:
Molly O’Keefe’s HOME TO RIVERVIEW INN, the third and final book in an angsty (and soooo good) trilogy about three brothers (one just reunited with his brothers after 30 years) and their lives and lives at the title inn.
Sybil Bartel’s HARD SIN—another third and final books in a trilogy about a former Army Ranger our for revenge against the man who led the religious cult in which he was raised and the man who was the father of his late wife.
Clair Connelly’s LOVING THE ENEMY—the next in her Montebellos series about a family of Italian-Greek siblings and cousins. This one is a second-chance romance between a couple whose relationship crumbled years before because of misunderstandings. I love Connelly’s angsty style (she writes for Harlequin Presents and Dare, but I don’t think the Montebello books are published through Harlequin.)
Then I’m really intrigued by MINE, the first book in what appears to be a new series by Natasha Knight and A. Zavarelli. Knight is one of my favorite “dark romance” writers and I’ve liked some of Zavarelli’s books (especially TAP LEFT and her Boston Underworld series). This appears to be a secret baby romance involving a crime/mafia family.
Speaking of mafia romances, are you familiar with the “Lucky Santangelo” series by Jackie Collins? I haven’t read any of them yet, but they sound like a lot of sexy fun. I am generally not into dark romance, but I can tolerate gangster stories if they aren’t too mushy in the romance department. In other words, I have no problem with sexy gangsters getting it on, but I can’t quite make the leap to mobster = romance hero with HEA. Anyway, if I ever make any progress on my poor TBR list, I have the first book in the series “Chances” on my e-book wishlist at the library.
In the meantime, I have the HR “Angel in a Devil’s Arms” by Julie Anne Long checked out on e-book as well as “A Conspiracy of Whispers,” a Carina Press SF romance by Ada Harper.
Lucky/Lennie was one of my early romance OTPs TBH. Fun, trashy series.
I had to pop back in because I just saw that Skye Warren, another of my “dark romance” favorites, has a new book scheduled for March: MATING THEORY. The hero is the man the heroine didn’t choose in the Trust Fund duet, so it will be interesting to see how he gets over his heartbreak.