Angela: Half of these books I’ve already read because it’s been a hard couple of weeks and I needed comfort. It’s also my birthday month and I expect my one-clicking to be out of control. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
An Unexpected Peril (Veronica Speedwell #6) by Deanna Raybourn 3/2 Historical Mystery– Yep, already read it. This was my first read of this year because I love Veronica and Stoker and I couldn’t help myself. This was another great installment in one of my favorite series. Review to come.
The Heiress Hunt (The Fifth Avenue Rebels #1) by Joanna Shupe 3/9 Historical Romance– I love this author’s gilded age romances. This one features childhood friends, matchmaking, a house party and I’m guessing true love. It sounds delightful. Review to come.
Last Strand (Elemental Assassin #19) by Jennifer Estep 3/16 Urban Fantasy– Another book I couldn’t wait to crack open. This is the last adventure for Gin, Finn, and the gang (at least for a little while) and was a great send-off to a beloved series. All the open threads were tied up quite nicely. I’m really going to miss these guys.
Wild Sign (Alpha and Omega #6) by Patricia Briggs 3/16 Urban Fantasy– I’ve been looking forward to another Charles and Anna book and read it pretty much as soon as it hit my kindle. This was really more Leah’s book than anything, or rather the start of her redemption arc. If you’ve ever wondered about her and Bran’s marriage and history, you won’t want to miss this installment.
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai 3/16 Contemporary Romance– I really enjoyed this author’s previous release, The Marriage Game, and am really looking forward to its follow-up featuring the fake fiance trope.
Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher 3/23 Contemporary Romance/WF- I went into this book thinking it was some light-hearted romantic comedy and it ended up being so much more. I won’t spoil it, but the blurb doesn’t do it justice. I will say that it has some content that may be upsetting to some readers: cancer, death, and grief. This was a five star read for me and will be on my end-of-year best-of-list.
Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S Bryce 3/30 Historical Fiction–
In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart, as a chorus girl and a film student deal with loss, forgiveness, and love…in all its joy, sadness, and imperfections.
Doesn’t this sound fabulous?
Melanie: I am obsessed with the cover of Wild Women and the Blues and combined with the blurb, will immediately be adding it to my TBR. I have already read one of the books on my list and have another one on tap for the coming days. I bought no books in January, more than made up for it in February, and March looks to bring more of the same.
Yes & I Love You (Say Everything #1) by Roni Loren 3/2 Contemporary Romance – Real talk, I already read this one. I’m a big fan of this author and this book seems totally different from anything I’ve read by her before. Loved the neurodiversity representation with the heroine (she has Tourette’s). This was a really lovely book with lots of standout side characters all of whom I hope will get their own books.
Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron 3/2 Contemporary Romance – I have an arc for this one and will be reviewing it for Smexy. I loved her debut so much and have high expectations for this one as well.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters #3) by Talia Hibbert 3/9 Contemporary Romance – The first two books in this delightful series were phenomenal, giving us two fabulously feisty heroines and two incredibly endearing heroes. I can’t wait to see how she closes out the series.
Sweethand (Island Bites #1) by N.G. Peltier 3/30 Contemporary Romance – This book has been on my radar since the cover and blurb floated through my twitter TL sometime in 2020. I believe this is her debut and I’m always excited to discover new voices in romance.
Melinda: Wild Women and the Blues: This is also on my TBR because that cover is gorgeous and it’s not a time period I’ve read much in romance! I’m excited to get to this one.
Sweethand: Another jinx for me as I feel like I’ve watcher the author talk about this book from the beginning and I’m so excited to finally read it!
The Home I Find With You by Skye Kilaen 3/2. This is a new to me author who I just reviewed for Smexy last month. This one is a polyam post-US Civil War dealing with grief and almost post-apocalyptical setting, which sounds ominous right now but I loved the care Skye took with her previous characters so I’ll trust her.
Learned Reactions by Jayce Ellis. 3/9. This is book 2 in Jayce Ellis’s Higher Education series and I loved the friend group in the first book and I’m looking forward to getting to see more of them in this one!
Careless Whispers by Synithia Williams 3/30. I have been waiting for Elaina’s story and I’m so excited it’s finally here so see how Williams redeems her! This series has been filled with messy family drama and I just know there’s more to Elaina than we know. Plus obligatory gorgeous cover!
Jen: My March TBR list is small. I continue to be WAY behind on my current list. Don’t judge me. And, I’m looking to April for the next Blood and Ash Jennifer L. Armentrout book (CAN. NOT. WAIT) and Victoria Aveyard dropped a teaser for Realm Breaker on BookTok. It sounds amazing…but not out till May. Ugh! Till then, here are my March picks.
Once We Were Starlight by Mia Sheridan 3/2 This feels like a bit different kind of story for Mia Sheridan. Twisted, gritty, weird and I believe about sex trafficking. The summary isn’t so clear; a bed posed on a stage under a dazzling spotlight. An audience of hungry eyes. And him, the other half of my soul, our supple bodies moving as one . . . Hmmm…intriguing and I love the author.
The Boy on the Bridge by Sam Mariano 3/4 Sam Mariano is a new author for me, but my book club is reading it, so I’m picking this up. It feeds my enemies to lovers/bully romance need. “The day I met Hunter Maxwell he wasn’t the rich kid who lived in the giant house, he wasn’t the most popular guy in school, he certainly wasn’t the bully who had chased his own best friend out of town after a falling out—he was just a boy with a black eye and a dark secret.” Ohhh…dark secrets + rich kids. Yes. Tell me more.
The Devil Wears Black by LJ Shen 3/9 LJ Shen is one of my favorite authors. I wasn’t a huge fan of her last book, The Villain, but am hoping this standalone delivers. This is a second chance romance about love, loss, finding yourself and getting lost in the right person.
Private Property by Skye Warren 3/9 Skye Warren kicks off a new series. She writes the sexiest, taboo-ish stories! Absolute crack. This blurb has me one clicking.
When I signed up for the nanny agency, I didn’t expect a remote mansion on a windswept isle. Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role. His brother’s death means he’s now in charge of a moody seven year old girl. She’s lashing out at the world, but I can handle her. I have to. I need the money to finish my college degree. As long as I can avoid the boss who alternately mocks me and coaxes me to reveal my darkest secrets.
Let us know what you are looking forward to in March!
DiscoDollyDeb says
I only have a few books so far on my March TBR. (But no worries—I only have about 300 other books to get to!)
Sarah Mayberry’s SWEETHEART arrives March 1. It’s about a woman who falls for her sister’s ex. There is a subplot involving a secondary character with mental illness, which I’m sure Mayberry will handle with her reliably understanding touch. SWEETHEART is being published by Sarina Bowen’s Heart Eyes Press, which is publishing over 40 books (by various authors) in 2021 connected in various ways to Bowen’s True North series.
[As a side note, this month Heart Eyes Press is publishing several books in the Vino & Veritas series, all revolving around the wine bar & LGBTQ bookstore that was featured in Bowen’s ROOMMATE. All of the books are m/m pairings and are written by such authors as Annabeth Albert, Eliot Grayson, and L.A. Witt.]
Jackie Ashenden releases her next HP, THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS GREEK, on March 1. It’s a marriage of convenience story—and the hero has the only-in-the-Harlequin-Presents-universe name of…Achilles Templeton! How could you not want to read that?
March 9 brings Ainsley Booth’s SHAME, which apparently involves a husband who has cheated on his wife. Cheating is generally a hard pass for me in romance novels, but Ainsley Booth (aka, Zoe York) is one of my favorite writers and, if any writer can bring a nuanced approach to a difficult subject, it would be her.
March 9 also brings Skye Warren’s PRIVATE PROPERTY, the first book in her Rochester trilogy, a modern take on Jane Eyre. I expect Warren to bring her usual mix of dysfunctional families and transgressive eroticism to the story.
Juliana Stone’s older-heroine romance, SLOW KIND OF LOVE, was scheduled for February release, but has now been moved to March 26. I’m looking forward to this latest visit to Crystal Lake from a very underrated writer.
And, finally, on March 31, Clare Connelly releases THE SHEIKH’S BABY SURPRISE, the seventh and final book in her Montebello Family series. I’ve really enjoyed Connelly’s stories of the sprawling Italian-Greek Montebello family (the hero of this book is the son of a Montebello daughter who eloped with a sheikh many years before). Based on the title, I’m assuming there’s an unplanned pregnancy involved in the plot.
Angela says
I’ve been eyeing the Heart Eyes Press romances, but now I guess I have to read Roommate first… which is on my TBR.
I’m really interested in the Juliana Stone older heroine romance and the Jackie Ashendon book you mentioned. I’ll have to go to the Zon to check them out.
Thank you!
DiscoDollyDeb says
As I understand it, Heart Eyes Press is publishing several different series, all of them related in some way to Bowen’s True North series. I think you’d only need to read ROOMMATE first if you plan to read the Vino & Veritas series—and that’s basically because the wine bar & bookstore make their first appearance there. The Sarah Mayberry book, although published by Heart Eyes Press, is from a different series called The Busy Bean. On the other hand, I liked ROOMMATE and (despite an odd choice regarding the priest of an anti-gay church Bowen makes Kate in the book) it’s a worthwhile read.
DiscoDollyDeb says
Kate=late
Kini says
I have so many of these books on my list. But here are some that I have on my list:
Game of Cones by Abby Collette
Set to Music by Negeen Papehn
Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell
And based on Deb’s list I’m adding Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry and Ainsley Booth’s Shame.
I only read 2 books in Feb so here’s hope March is better.
DiscoDollyDeb says
Glad to return the favor, Kini, because I read Katie Golding’s FEARLESS based on your recommendation and I LOVED it. I was unfamiliar with Golding—and her book reminded me of books by Kari Lyn Dell and Pamela Clare (especially the competence porn)—and now I can’t wait for the second book in the series!
Kareni says
What a lot of tempting choices! I’m definitely looking forward to the new Patricia Briggs book.
Kareni says
And happy birthday, Angela!