About You Won’t Forget Me: From USA Today bestselling author Mazey Eddings comes a dazzling sapphic romance about fame, friendship, and falling for the one person you were never meant to. Released June 9th 2026.

What a beautiful thing Pride Month is. It’s an entire month dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating love, identity, and sexuality in all its forms and flavors. It’s a pause in the middle of the year to uplift love and community. Pride is also a protest. It’s a radical declaration that everyone has a write to love whoever and however they want, to express themselves fully, and be told they are worthy, that they belong, that they are loved. In a time when queer folx rights to simply exist are under daily attack (as of writing this, there are 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the US being tracked by the ACLU) and our access to books telling queer stories are being threatened at an alarming rate through book bans and censorship, it is more crucial than ever to advocate for queer communities and uplift marginalized voices, and one joyful way to engage with that is by reading queer romance novels that celebrate love, identity, and happily-ever-afters for everyone. Below are six (out of many) of my most beloved queer romances that I think everyone should pick up. 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert is one of my all-time favorite romance authors, every page of her books making swoon or laugh or cry… or all three at once, but Dani Brown, in my humble opinion, is Hibbert’s best character. Dani is unapologetically brilliant, gorgeous, and emotionally removed. But nothing could’ve prepared her guarded heart for Zaf, the hopeless romantic that upends her cool, detached bubble. The bisexual and ADHD rep in this book was so beautifully done, and I guarantee this book will leave you giggling and kicking your feet

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell

I cut my teeth on historical romances and it easily my most-read romance sub-genre, so I can safely say that Joanna Lowell is one of the best in the game. A Shore Thing is a tender, gentle, and decadent romance about Kit, a trans, unreformed rake who’s decision to leave a life that didn’t fit and embrace his true identity has also left him unable to paint/express himself creatively. No matter! He’ll spend his days selling bicycles and fooling around with Victorian vacationers at the shore. Enter Muriel, a firecracker of a woman that needs Kit’s artistic help. The pair strike up a deal and spend a summer of scorching intimacy and heart wrenching vulnerability. 

The Queer Principals of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

Some books I’ll borrow from the library, read the first two pages, then rush out and buy my own copy because I know it will be one that I’ll be re-reading over and over again. This is one of those books. Unfairly clever and hilarious, this book is essentially “be gay, do crimes, eat the rich, Georgian style,” and I find that very sexy. When Kit, a reluctantly retired highwayman, is solicited for a little thievery by a desperate aristocrat, he agrees to teach the highborn some tricks of the trade, and they both lose their hearts along the way. This book is not only enthralling and witty, but it takes a close look at dismantling systems of oppression and never shies away from discussions about wealth disparity, disabilities, and queer joy.

Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera

I’m not sure there could be a more fitting title for this perfect MM romance because it will leave you with the biggest smile on your face and the consuming rush that we all hope for from our romance novels. I think what makes Herrara an expert at her craft is her ability to layer her characters and make them so profoundly real and nuanced, which results in a queer love story that does not shy away from the difficulties the main characters face, especially Elias who has been forced into the closet for fear his family and community won’t accept him as a queer person, but these roadblocks to their happy ending are handled with so much care, it never feels like an element is added for the sake of drama but instead to show the power of love between two people and the freedom that comes with living honestly and proudly as your truest self.

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

If Alexandra Vasti writes it, I’ll be reading it, no questions asked. But a sapphic gothic historical romance by Alexandra Vasti? I actually do have a question: HOW DARE YOU WRITE THE BOOK OF MY DREAMS MS. VASTI?? Ladies in Hating is one of those books that had me hooked from the first page, and left me wanting to light my laptop on fire because the story and prose is that good. Rival authors Georgianna and Cat find themselves trapped in a spooky manor, and lots of moaning ensues (of the creepy and sensual variety because this book has range).

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

While this book was not technically marketed as a genre romance to my knowledge, it is perhaps one of the gayest books I’ve ever read filled to the brim with happy endings for all, and so it counts in my head and deserves a spot on any romance reader’s shelf. Greta & Valdin chronicles the antics of the queer, chaotic titular siblings as they navigate love, identity, and what it means to find fulfillment in life. This story has stuck with me for years, and every character in this story feels like family in a way I’ve never experienced from a book before. The choices Gret and Valdin make are messy and outrageous as they navigate adulthood, and their dialogue and observations are some of the funniest writing I’ve ever encountered.

The post Six Queer Romance Book Recommendations From Author Mazey Eddings appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Adriana Herrera’s A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, which is out February 4th 2025.

Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women’s clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Begrudgingly, Aurora accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.

New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess for him. But Aurora won’t give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.

When dangerous figures from their pasts return to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?

Prologue

July 1889

Paris, France

Aurora Montalban Wright was no rebel.

At least that was what most who knew her would say. It was not an unfair assessment of her character. After all, true rebels never bothered with consequences, not when a glorious mission lay in the balance. No one would label Aurora a carefree sort, and that was fine by her. Because what she’d learned early in life was that rebellions cost blood, sweat and tears, and she had none of those to spare. This, of course, did not mean she was above bending a rule—or five—if the situation called for it.

In fact, twice in her past, she’d broken every rule set before her in order to escape her circumstances. Once, humiliatingly, for a man—which came to a disastrous end. The other—equally catastrophic—for her freedom. Despite this, Aurora was not rebellious by nature. It was simply that she was galvanized by the word no. The more she was told she could not do something, the more creative she became at conquering it.

No, Aurora was no rebel, but tonight she felt like one. The worst possible news had come at the worst possible time and she desperately wanted a distraction. In fact, she wanted far more than that, she needed the kind of oblivion that only came from terrible decisions. Thankfully she was in a city where immoral diversions were easy enough to procure, if one knew which objectionable doors to darken.

Her destination, the clandestine apartment of Apollo César Sinclair Robles—a man who’d just claimed his place as the heir to a dukedom by destroying his own father—could be considered a particularly ill-advised one.

As her fiacre came to a stop on the Rue de Volney, she fleetingly considered if there weren’t less potentially disastrous ways to deal with her current mood. Then she felt the weight of the key she’d kept in her pocket for weeks and decided there definitely were, but she still wanted to do this.

The building looked exactly as she remembered from the night she’d spent here a month earlier. It was one of those modern, luxury apartment buildings near the Parc Monceau, kept by wealthy aristocrats and business titans to commit their more slanderous peccadillos in decadent discretion.

When she reached the door, she took a moment to examine herself in the sparkling glass window. The walking suit she’d donned that morning showed the strain of the day. Her face was framed with wisps of loose curls that had escaped the braid pinned to the nape of her neck. Her hat was a bit more askew than what was fashionable and there was a stain on her left cuff she could not quite identify and was reluctant to smell.

She ought to go home, clean herself up and come another day.

She wasn’t presentable and she was certainly not in a state of mind to interact with someone who had a natural gift for trying her patience. Coming to Apollo for what she needed tonight was the furthest from sensible she’d been in a long time.

The thought sent a flash of alarm through her body. She decidedly ignored the cardiovascular admonition.

Undeterred, she pushed the door open and strode right up to the porter with the key dangling from her hand and her heart making another valiant effort at warning her off.

“Oui, madame.” The porter greeted her with the detached politeness of someone too well trained to openly scowl at her clothes, but too French not to appear at least marginally aggrieved at their deplorable state.

“Lord Darnick.” The two words did the trick, and with a nod, he stepped aside and directed her toward the lift operator, who was already pushing buttons.

Clearly, women coming to see his lordship at all hours of the night was a regular occurrence. Not exactly a surprise. From the moment she’d met the man at a soiree months earlier, he’d been an unapologetic reprobate. She’d never encountered anyone who cared less about other people’s opinions than Apollo César Sinclair Robles.

The evidence of that lay in the way he’d arrived in Edinburgh like a dark avenging angel and exposed his father as a liar and a thief. Upending in a single night, one of the oldest dukedoms in Britain while establishing himself as its rightful heir, leaving the peerage reeling, and his own father a social pariah.

He was arrogant, rude, and blatantly ridiculed the societal norms she’d so carefully ascribed to. From that first meeting, she’d found herself equally appalled and intrigued by him.

A smile tugged at her lips at the thought of what the new Earl of Darnick would do when she turned up at his apartment and told him she was there for sex, and the more depraved, the better.

He would probably think she was out of her mind.

Out of her mind or not, she had it made up, and whatever lapse this was, she would deal with it in the morning. Four steps forward and two firm knocks were all it took for her, a respected physician, to announce herself at a man’s tryst apartment somewhere between one and two in the morning.

Her heartbeat marked hurried footsteps on the other side, while she took in slow, calming breaths. The moment the door finally opened, it was suddenly very clear that she had not properly prepared herself. The rapid escalation of her pulse told the story.

He looked like the very last stop on the train to ruination. All languid grace, and the ease of a man who was well aware of the damage he could do on a woman’s good sense with a mere wink and a smile.

Aurora, to her eternal shame was not immune to either.

“Bella Doctora, I didn’t know you made house calls.” He spoke in that lazy drawl he always used with her, but there was an alertness to his gaze that betrayed his indifference.

“Don’t call me that,” she rebuked, then remembered she was here to ask for something and tempered her manner with what she hoped was a comely smile. “I came to return your key.” She held it up as she endeavored, and failed, not to gape at the triangle of bronzed, muscled chest. She didn’t dare look below his sternum lest she encountered bare forearms and swooned before she could tell the man what she was about.

“My key,” he drawled, without reaching for it. “After more than a month, you’ve decided to deliver it at one in the morning, on a Tuesday.” He’d given it to her on the night he’d brought her here, after her friend Manuela’s wedding day devolved into a scandal that had all of Paris talking for weeks. She hadn’t seen him since.

“I was looking in on a patient close by,” she retorted, truthfully, dropping the key into the pocket of his dressing gown. The other truth she failed to disclose was that she’d kept the damned key in her pocket like some kind of talisman since he’d given it to her.

“Ah yes, Doctora Montalban and her causes.” His voice dripped with cynicism, as if it amused him that she considered her profession anything serious.

“Why is it that every time you call me that it feels like an insult?”

“That might have more to do with you than with me.”

It irked her that his barbs always hit their targets. She’d made an art of letting men’s opinions roll off her back, not a difficult task, since a significant number of men she encountered were imbeciles. But not this earl, not the man who’d ambushed the British aristocracy like Simón Bolívar did with the Spanish at Boyacá.

She wished that diabolical grin of his didn’t start a sizzle under her skin. “Are you going to invite me in?”

He cocked a thick, dark eyebrow at whatever he heard in her tone, but instead of inviting her inside, he braced a large hand on the top corner of the doorjamb, until his very distracting mouth was close enough to kiss. She swallowed audibly when she caught a glimpse of the corded muscle of his forearm, thick veins and dusting of dark hair. Her salivary glands seemed to run out of fluid just then.

“First you have to tell me what you’re really here for, Doctora.” He was showing off his size for her and it was fruitless to pretend it had no effect on her. Everything about the man eroded every preservation instinct she had.

For over ten years, she’d avoided any scenario that could place her in a vulnerable position. She’d practically forgotten that under her walking suits lived a woman with very real urges and burning desires. Until this man had crossed her path. Since then, he’d been like a toothache. Making himself known, throbbing, gnawing at her, until she’d had to do something about it.

His closeness sent her blood from a canter to a gallop, and her breaths became shorter, more erratic. The undeniable biological evidence of arousal and desire. She might as well get on with it. She locked her own gaze with the new Earl of Darnick’s, took a breath and leaned in.

“I came here for sexual intercourse, Lord Darnick.” It was gratifying to see his predatory gaze replaced by genuine shock. But as expected with a hunter, he recovered quickly.

“Well, in that case, do come in, Doctora Montalban,” he told her with a wave of his hand before stepping aside.

She decided to ignore the sarcasm in his voice and walked into the apartment.

The moment she stepped inside, she was once again surprised by how different this place was to what she envisioned for Apollo’s lair. Instead of a showroom full of ostentatious furniture and excessive gilt, what she found was a comfortable, unpretentious room. He had an impressive collection of books. One of which was sitting open on the armrest of a chair by the fire, next to a tumbler of amber liquid. He also collected art, which to her astonishment were tasteful and interesting.

He was rich, handsome, well-read and had an uncanny eye for art. Not that any of it mattered, to her. She was not here for a marriage proposal, she off from the door and taking a few steps toward her place by the bookshelf. “Let’s reserve the endearments for later and see what we can do about all these clothes you’re wearing.”

“What?” She sounded like a dolt. This was what she’d told him she wanted. What did she expect after propositioning a scoundrel? Sweet nothings in her ear, passionate declarations?

“Your clothes, sweetheart.” He wiggled two fingers somewhere in the vicinity of her chest. “The infernally unending layers of fabric you insist on wearing. They give a man a devil of a time surmising what you’ve got under all that wool and linen.” He made a face, and her mouth twitched. Of all the things to fluster the wicked Earl of Darnick.

She took another look at him, those winged cheekbones, skin like the most perfect caramel, and the umber curls, which made her think of days in bed and rumpled, sweat-soaked sheets. It was a face a woman could ruin her life over. It was a good thing she’d already done that once and had no intention of ever doing it again.

“This is just for tonight.” It needed to be said, but he remained unbothered.

“That you don’t need to worry about, sweetheart.” He lifted a shoulder, his gaze still suspended somewhere below her neck. “I’ve never had much craving for seconds.”

She shrugged and looked away, what more was there to say to that?

“I’d appreciate it if this stayed between us.”

“Keeping secrets from your pride, are you?” he asked in a mocking tone. He was referring to her two dearest friends. The friends with which she arrived here in Paris four months earlier: Luz Alana and Manuela. The only two people in the world who knew every one of her secrets, except for this one now, she thought grimly.

“My dear sister-in-law will be scandalized to know you’ve come to me in your hour of need.” Of all the unlikely twists of fate the last few months in Paris had yielded, Luz Alana finding a love match with a Scottish whisky distiller, who turned out to be an earl and Apollo’s half-brother, had been one of the most surprising.

“It is not like you’re the Marquis de Sade, you’re just convenient.” He laughed again and this time it reached his eyes. “Besides, Luz Alana and Manuela have their own lives.”

“True love is miraculous.” For her friends, it seemed to be. She’d seen enough people entrapped into those cageless prisons of duty and guilt to have any use for the sentiment.

But even she had to admit, Luz Alana and Manuela seemed to have found partners worthy of their devotion. She was glad for them, but that was not what she searched for.

Her friends believed in love worth any sacrifice. That soulmates and fairy tales were possible. Aurora did not. Not for herself, at least. She was too…marked. Too jaded to ever believe in the lies of the heart.

Love, for her, had only ever served to remind her of the ways she never quite measured up, how hard it was for her to inspire that sentiment in another, and she would never again risk her freedom for that chimera. She had a feeling Apollo César Sinclair Robles, in this at least, was a kindred spirit.

“Why are you really here, Doctora?” Apollo asked, taking another step in her direction. He was merely a couple of feet away now. From this distance she could see that his lips had a pink tint to them. She allowed herself the distraction of that perfect mouth for a moment as she considered his question.

She could confess that this very evening she’d received a letter from her brothers informing her they’d suspended her ability to withdraw funds from her trust. She could tell him she’d been using those funds to operate a clandestine clinic that helped women in a certain kind of trouble. She could even say that the friend who delivered the correspondence had seen the man who’d ruined Aurora at the of age fifteen aboard a steamer headed to France. She might even admit that the possibility of running into the villain of her past made her so sick with dread and shame she’d run here, to Apollo. To ruin herself again, by choice, this time. But none of those pitiful confessions would be conducive to what she’d come here for, not comfort or solace, but escape.

“Let’s just say I’m in a fairly destructive mood,” she declared, looking at him square in the eyes. “I would very much like to do something utterly ruinous and you were the first thing that came to mind.”

Excerpted from A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera. Copyright © 2025 by Adriana Herrera. Published by Canary Street Press.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke’ by Adriana Herrera appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some of our picks and let us know if you’ll be picking up any!

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

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Aurora Montalban, an ambitious doctor breaking societal norms to help women in 19^th century Paris, and Apollo Sinclair Robles, the reluctant Duke willing to risk everything for her.

Celebrity Crush by Christy Swift

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A romance writer’s wildest dreams—the bestseller list, a movie deal, and a date with the real-life inspiration for her Hollywood hero—are all within her grasp if only she can hold it all together.    

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

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A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped In A Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

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A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan

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A second chance at love, small-town romance that’s all sweet with just a hint of heat from the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan.

Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

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When two A-list celebrities famous for their on-screen chemistry as TV detectives (think: sapphic Mulder and Scully, or queer Rizzoli and Isles) are reunited to investigate a real-life Hollywood murder, fans who have been ‘shipping the leading ladies for years might just get the ending they’ve always wanted…

Never Planned On You by Lindsay Hameroff

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A glittering, laugh-out-loud second chance romance that reminds us true love is sometimes the one thing you never planned on.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

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In this “brilliant, poignant love story perfect for fans of Emily Henry,” a former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her classmates is her high school crush-turned-nemesis—​and he can’t stop writing about her. 

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

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A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Love and Other Hollywood Endings by Susannah Erwin

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An upbeat production exec is tasked with reining in the cynical director who was her forbidden college heartbreak in this sparkling, sexy contemporary romance.

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

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An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this romance by Kristina Forest, USA Today bestselling author of The Partner Plot.

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

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From the beloved author of Right on Cue and Lease on Love comes a whimsical new rom-com about a workaholic forced to aim for a goal she never thought she’d love.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

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A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Wooing The Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

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In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator

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In this witty and fun rom-com debut from Annabelle Slator, rival coworkers become reluctant daters after they’re forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.

Can’t Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde

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A young woman with Bollywood roots hires a barista to act as her boyfriend for her cousin’s wedding—only to learn you can’t fake chemistry like theirs—in this desi romance from the author of Match Me If You Can.

On Her Terms by Amy Spalding

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For fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall, and Meryl Wilsner, an actually hilarious, sweetly sexy, gloriously relatable sapphic rom-com about a fake relationship, very real emotions, and writing your own Hollywood love story – from the acclaimed author of For Her Consideration.

The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

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The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.

The Girl Most Likely To by Julie Tieu

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A frenemies-to-lovers contemporary romance by Julie Tieu which takes place over the course of one make-or-break evening, almost entirely at a high school reunion….

A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams

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Preslaysa Williams, author of the “emotionally stirring debut” A Lowcountry Bride (Oprah Daily), returns to the Lowcountry with a heartwarming friends to lovers story about the courage to fall in love again.

Back After This by Linda Holmes

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo, a podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love?

Break Point by Yahrah St. John

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Falling in love cost Teagan her heart and a pro tennis career. But when her rival returns, they’ve got one last chance for a rematch…if they can keep the game on the court!

Cupid on the Loose by John. J. Jacobson

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From the author of All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone and California Fever comes a romantic comedy about the exuberant intoxication of amore and its often hilarious antics.

Book Boyfriend by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

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Devoted fangirl meets hesitant fanboy in this swoony contemporary love letter to readers who adore fantasy worlds, from the beloved authors of The Breakup Tour.

What February romance releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 24 Swoonworthy Romance Reads Hitting Bookshelves In February 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Prepare your romance-loving heart as there are some stellar romance books releasing in the first half of 2025! Between the months of January and June, you’ll see new releases from Emily Henry, Charlotte Stein, TJ Alexander, Jasmine Guillory, Ali Hazelwood, Meryl Wilsner, Abby Jimenez, Sarah Hogle, Katherine Center, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Ashley Poston, and many more, along with so many debuts too!

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2025 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, YA books, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, and Fiction books list.

JANUARY 2025

Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee

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A struggling vineyard owner gets a second taste of her first crush in this romantic comedy that sparkles with humor and heat.

Work In Progress by Kat Mackenzie

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A warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud rom-com about a woman who, desperate for a fresh start, books a literary bus tour across the UK that consists of a lively group of elderly ladies plus one infuriatingly handsome Scottish driver.

Unromance by Erin Connor

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A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him—one rom-com trope at a time—so he never gets swept off his feet again . . .

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

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Archaeologist Miriam and journalist Rafael are destined to be rivals and must journey together to find the Lost City of the Moon. As they navigate treacherous paths and rival crews, their hearts become entangled in a thrilling adventure where love and duty collide in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

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USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti returns with another hot, hilarious Regency romp about a reclusive earl and the wallflower-turned-radical-pamphleteer who turns his life upside down.

Yin Yang Love Song By Lauren Kung Jessen

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In this charming rom-com filled with Chinese traditions and a family curse, an herbalist fake dates a star musician–perfect for fans of Helen Hoang and Jasmine Guillory.

The Lodge by Kayla Olson

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From the author of The Reunion, a cozy rom-com about a writer who decamps to a Vermont lodge for work but finds herself distracted by the charming ski instructor next door.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

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Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this new rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

I Think They Love You by Julian Winters

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With his funny, big-hearted adult rom com debut, bestselling, award-winning YA author Julian Winters shows sometimes fake dating your ex can turn into a second chance.

For One Night Only by Jessica James

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When two former bandmates—and bedmates—are thrust back into each other’s lives in a fake dating scheme for publicity, they’ll be forced to face the music.

Let’s Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan

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Let’s Call A Truce is a sexy contemporary romance about second chances at life and love, bursting with humor and a touch of angst from debut author, Amy Buchanan.

Once Smitten, Twice Shy by Chloe Liese

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Star-crossed lovers learn that practicing romance leads to the perfect happy ending in this steamy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

FEBRUARY 2025

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

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Aurora Montalban, an ambitious doctor breaking societal norms to help women in 19^th century Paris, and Apollo Sinclair Robles, the reluctant Duke willing to risk everything for her.

Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan

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A second chance at love, small-town romance that’s all sweet with just a hint of heat from the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

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A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle–inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped In A Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming

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A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Never Planned On You by Lindsay Hameroff

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A glittering, laugh-out-loud second chance romance that reminds us true love is sometimes the one thing you never planned on.

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

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A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon

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In this “brilliant, poignant love story perfect for fans of Emily Henry,” a former sorority girl starts a prestigious poetry MFA program only to discover that one of her classmates is her high school crush-turned-nemesis—​and he can’t stop writing about her. 

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

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From the beloved author of Right on Cue and Lease on Love comes a whimsical new rom-com about a workaholic forced to aim for a goal she never thought she’d love.

Love and Other Hollywood Endings by Susannah Erwin

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An upbeat production exec is tasked with reining in the cynical director who was her forbidden college heartbreak in this sparkling, sexy contemporary romance.

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator

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In this witty and fun rom-com debut from Annabelle Slator, rival coworkers become reluctant daters after they’re forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

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A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

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An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this romance by Kristina Forest, USA Today bestselling author of The Partner Plot.

MARCH 2025

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch

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It’s enemies to lovers in this sexy and delightful holiday mash up that pairs the spare prince of Christmas with the crown prince of St. Patrick’s Day!

Code Word Romance by Carlie Walker

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One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo

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The long-awaited follow-up to the Reese’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestselling global phenomenon The Light We Lost: a thrilling love story about the roles fate and choice play in shaping a life.

Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam

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A steamy new rom-com from the popular author of Happy Endings and Full Exposure, where two friends get the opportunity to work together on their dream project—a Cinderella rock musical with an all-Asian cast—and discover that falling in love was the easy part…

My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

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Perfect for fans of Ted Lasso, this delicious slow burn romance turns a pretend marriage into real love.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

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Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not.

Fan Service by Rosie Danan

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The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.

Cover Story by Celia Laskey

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A hilarious, emotional love story about an extremely anxious publicist who’s tasked with keeping an extremely gay starlet in the closet—but who ends up falling for her instead.​

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett

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A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.

Just Our Luck by Denise Williams

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A lottery ticket + donuts = love in this steamy new fake dating romance from beloved author Denise Williams.

A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander

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From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss, a groundbreaking trans Regency romance that’s both delightfully witty and refreshingly iconoclastic.

Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey

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One of the greatest love stories in history gets derailed when a struggling poet at Cambridge runs into a time-traveler who agrees to help him find his muse—a thoughtful and uplifting romantic comedy for fans of About Time and The Midnight Library.

APRIL 2025

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine

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A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice.

The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton

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Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey

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A small-town waitress and a big-city Broadway press agent swap homes to escape the messiness of their personal lives, only to find new purpose—and new love.

My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner

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Meryl Wilsner’s spicy romance, their first with a nonbinary lead, where two lifelong best friends go on a nonrefundable honeymoon together and discover sometimes to find a happily ever after, you just have to ask.

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

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Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

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Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle

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From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door . . . who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage

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From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost.

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

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A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

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The exciting new contemporary romance—and her first to feature a queer romance—by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed

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A society matchmaker realizes she’s in danger when her clients’ weddings are sabotaged in increasingly disturbing ways—an utterly original mystery from the New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed.

MAY 2025

A Simple Twist of Fate by April Asher

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A witch and a shifter get a second chance at love in this new paranormal romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling author April Asher.

Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffatt

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Sparks fly in this summer romp for fans of Casey McQuiston when dancers at a Catskills resort try to pull off the perfect show, and find happiness and a place where they belong on the way.

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

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From the international bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós comes a steamy love story of a divorced schoolteacher who discovers that her perfect no-strings fling is anything but…

Not So Fast by Karen Booth

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It’s Formula One—getting revved up is all part of the fun in this sizzling, high-octane rom-com for fans of Rush and The Hating Game.

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

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A radiant, new escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

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Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ―along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

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A former adolescent TV punch line has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash course with her past, spending a week on Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

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An emotional, irresistible second-chance romance filled with sparkling humor, big feelings, and “melt your face off intimacy” (Jessica Joyce).

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon

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Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

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A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

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No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

And They Were Roommates by Page Powars

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A hilarious, unputdownable second-chance-romance about the most unlikely, gay roommate mishap. Perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Gwen & Art Are Not in Love.

JUNE 2025

Winging It With You by Chip Pons

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Popular bookstagrammer Chip Pons’s gay rom-com about two men who impulsively pose as a couple to compete in a reality show contest just minutes after meeting at an airport, and their run-in with the very real feelings that start to simmer between them.

The Ripple Effect by Maggie North

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A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North’s sparkling second novel about starting over.

If I Told You, I’d Have to Kiss You by Mae Marvel

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Ms. and Ms. Smith meets The Pairing in this heart-racing romance of secrets, spies, and steam.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

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A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Ready to Score by Jodie Slaughter

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Cleat Cute meets Friday Night Lights in this funny, spicy, emotional new sapphic romance from Jodie Slaughter.

Finders Keepers by Sarah Adler

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Two estranged best friends find that their long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson

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A band reunion may be enough to change two musicians’ tune on love in this electric romance from USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson.

I’ll Pretend You’re Mine by Tashie Bhuiyan

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In this contemporary novel from the author of Counting Down with You, singer-songwriter Summer Ali shakes things up with a PR stunt “dating” actor Jules Moradi, but the lines between real and fake begin to blur.

When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa

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The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a fun and flirty rom-com about a pact between friends that goes awry when one of them unexpectedly announces they’re getting married.

Writing Mr. Right by Alina Khawaja

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In this charming, delightfully original rom-com, a struggling writer’s muse suddenly comes to life, but can they create their own happily-ever-after?

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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Mulan is reimagined as a contemporary romance about family expectations, mistaken identity, and high stakes mergers—of both business and the heart.

Total Dreamboat by Katelyn Doyle

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From the author of Just Some Stupid Love Story, an irresistible rom-com about what happens when a cruise ship romance goes…overboard

What 2025 romance books are you looking forward to reading? Any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Swoonworthy 2025 Romance Book Releases You Need appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hello second half of 2023 and hello to all the incredible upcoming book releases we can look forward to!

In this round up, we take a look at some of the most exciting titles to be released between the months of July and December with releases from the likes of Rachel Lynn Solomon, Temi Oh, Chuck Wendig, VE Schwab, Cassandra Clare, Rebecca Yarros, Christina Henry, and many more, along with delightful debuts from new authors you should keep on your radar!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite July to December 2023 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! Looking for our January to June releases? Check them out here.

JULY

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
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Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Immortal Longings is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
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From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
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Jenny Han meets CODA in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
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A searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto
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Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
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Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age.

The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
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Four women come together to save the summer camp that changed their lives and rediscover themselves in the process in this moving new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil and the Peachtree Bluff series.

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
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An exhilarating and expansive new novel about fathers and sons, faith and friendship from Caleb Azumah Nelson, the no.1 bestselling, award-winning author of Open Water.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
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From New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center comes Hello, Stranger, a novel about finding love, confronting a haunting past, and figuring out what, and who, really matters…

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons
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From the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
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A fugitive queen strikes a bargain with her greatest enemy that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever in this unmissable Egyptian-inspired epic fantasy debut. 

AUGUST

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt
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A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend…in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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Some friends–and friendships–are worth killing for in this dark, twisty suspense novel by national bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
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Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

Accidentally in Love by Danielle Jackson
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A delightful rom-com where grumpy-meets-sunshine collides with enemies-to-lovers in this perfect summer novel, written for fans of Kate Stayman-London, Olivia Dade, and Denise Williams.

Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
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Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
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The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she’s the identical twin sister of a rogue spy… and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

More Perfect by Temi Oh
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A reimagining of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, for fans of Becky Chambers and William Gibson by Alex Award–winning author Temi Oh.

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine
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The Push meets The Silent Patient in a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens—while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says.

Actually Super by Adi Alsaid
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A globetrotting novel that takes a determined teen from Japan to Australia and to Argentina and Mexico on a quest to prove that humanity is more good than bad from the author of Let’s Get Lost and Before Takeoff.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
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From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
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From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
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Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

SEPTEMBER

This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin
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Fake dating gets a magical twist in this enchanting queer romantic comedy where a witch worries that the real feelings brewing between her and her crush were sparked by an accidental love potion, and the only way out of the disastrous spell is a healthy dose of the truth–drink up, witches.

The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab
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V. E. Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic.

Dreambound by Dan Frey
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In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series.

The September House by Carissa Orlando
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A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie
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A hotheaded hacker must outwit the AI at the heart of a rogue warship–turned–penal colony if she and her crew of con women want to escape with their lives in this electrifying sci-fi thriller from the acclaimed author of Bonds of Brass.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
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A small town is transformed by dark magic when a strange tree begins bearing magical apples in this new masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
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A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

The Long Game by Elena Armas
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A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this smalltown love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer —from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception.

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
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The first adventure in the Mirror Realm Cycle, a Spanish Inquisition-era fantasy trilogy inspired by Jewish folklore, with echoes of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden.

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For
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14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown – the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker – exploring mermaids like we’ve never seen them before!

Fly With Me by Andie Burke
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A sparkling and steamy opposites-attract romance, Fly with Me by Andie Burke is filled with sharp banter and that sweet, swooping feeling of finding “the one” when and where you least expect it.

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake is back with an epic duology starter that follows a young woman training to join a fabled order as she attempts to lead a hero to his critical first victory. A must-read for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Victoria Aveyard.

OCTOBER

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
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The National Book Award-winning author of  Felix Ever After  delivers a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
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A revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself

Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone
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Midnight Is The Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
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From the critically acclaimed author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife comes a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher’s daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth.

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
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The adult debut of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within her fan-favorite Kingdom of the Wicked world, perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, and mystery alike.

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
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Two outcasts find themselves caught in a web of forbidden love, dangerous magic, and dark secrets that could change the world forever in the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

Wildfire by Hannah Grace
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The latest in the TikTok sensation and deliciously “swoonworthy” (Elena Armas, New York Times bestselling author) Maple Hills series follows two summer camp counselors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand.

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
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New from the author of The Keeper of Night comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
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Bestselling authors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.

Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros
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Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds in this stunning Jewish historical horror novel from the award-winning author of The City Beautiful.

The Intern by Michele Campbell
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A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Juniper’s Christmas by Eoin Colfer
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From acclaimed, mega-bestselling author Eoin Colfer comes a Christmas classic-in-the-making–a beautifully illustrated novel about an eleven-year-old girl’s wild adventure to find her mother, protect a public park, and save Christmas.

NOVEMBER

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
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In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
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Amara’s journey has taken her far; from a slave in Pompeii’s wolf den to a high-powered courtesan in Rome… though her story is not over yet. While Amara plays for power in Rome’s imperial palace, those dearest to her remain in Pompeii. But it is AD 79, and mighty Mount Vesuvius is about to make itself known…

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
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A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

The Future by Naomi Alderman
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From the award-winning, bestselling author of The Power comes a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares – Publication has now changed to February 20, 2024
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Rumor has it on the streets of sixteenth-century New Spain, there’s a new vigilante in town serving justice. This reimagining of Zorro–featuring a heroic warrior sorceress–weaves Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history two decades after the Spanish conquest into a swashbuckling, historical debut fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
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Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
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Master storyteller and internationally bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the World of Eragon in this stunning epic fantasy set a year after the events of the Inheritance Cycle. Join Dragon Rider—and fan favorite—Murtagh and his dragon as they confront a perilous new enemy!

Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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A hilariously fresh and romantic send-up to You’ve Got Mail about a gamer girl with a secret identity and the online bestie she’s never met IRL until she unwittingly transfers to his school, from the bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties, The Obsession, and Well, That Was Unexpected.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
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The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez’s lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
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Yellowjackets meets She Is a Haunting in this debut speculative thriller that follows a disgraced teen idol who comes face-to-face with the demons of her past in a glittering, cutthroat K-pop competition.

The Fascination by Essie Fox
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The estranged grandson of a wealthy collector of human curiosities becomes fascinated with teenaged twin sisters, leading them into a web of dark obsessions. A dazzlingly dark gothic novel from the bestselling author of  The Somnambulist.

Emmett by L. C. Rosen
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A modern-day gay YA Emma, with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.

DECEMBER

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
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Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.

The Ruined by Renée Ahdieh
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The stunning conclusion to the instant New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful.

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford
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From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy–A River of Golden Bones begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse.

Perfect Little Lives: A Novel by Amber and Danielle Brown
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Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson
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Perfect for fans of Jennifer Niven, Abigail Johnson draws a searing and lyrical portrait of grief, forgiveness, and the kind of love that blooms in the aftermath.

Second Chances in New Port Stephen by T.J. Alexander
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A trans man returns to his Florida hometown for Christmas after his career goes up in flames, only to cross paths with his high school ex in this charming rom-com about family and second chances from the author of the “delectable” (Time) Chef’s Kiss.

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
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Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra
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A woman learns to follow her own road in this heartwarming novel inspired by The Wizard of Oz by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

What July to December book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from On The Hustle, which releases on October 11th 2022.

Alba Duarte is the queen of the side hustle.

As the eldest daughter in her crisis-prone family, she’s always stepped up to help. Her favorite gig is doing Instagram-worthy, bookish-themed bedroom makeovers for friends. Her most hated? Working as the assistant to the most gorgeous—and most infuriating—man on earth.

Theo Ganas is a former Olympic swimmer and heir to a bona fide real estate empire. He’s also about as warm and fuzzy as a New York City winter, and quite frankly, Alba has had enough of his ridiculous demands and cold shoulder. When opportunity knocks, she decides to put herself first for once…which means leaving her demanding boss—and relatives—behind.

Her new life in Dallas seems like everything Alba’s ever wanted, until a bafflingly charming and attentive Theo turns up in the Lone Star State with an offer she simply cannot refuse. Agreeing to do a home improvement reality TV show with her sexy, and suddenly flirtatious, former boss is not a good idea, but it just might be the makeover her heart has been waiting for.

“What’s this?” I squeaked out, pointing at the two plates on the coffee table. There were two cushions side by side on the rug and he’d lit all the candles. It was atmospheric as hell and this meal had just become an endurance challenge.

“I thought we could watch something,” he said, as he uncorked a bottle. I stared at the food like it was going to jump off the plate and grab my face.

“Sit,” he ordered as he passed me my glass and lowered himself down, but my knees didn’t budge.

“They’re going to get cold,” he grumbled through a mouthful of taco. Seeing him wolfing down food like a regular human put me a little bit more at ease.

“Damn, you’re so freaking pushy,” I protested, sinking down next to him. He scoffed or maybe some taco went down the wrong pipe. It was hard to know with how much food he was shoveling down this throat. “Also, rude. Isn’t the chef supposed to eat after the guests?”

“The chef does whatever the fuck he wants,” he informed me after washing down a mouthful with some beer. It was so annoying how hot I found his rude ass. “Eat, and if you don’t stop putting your ass in my face, one of these days I’m going to take a bite out of it.” I almost dropped my damn tacos.

“What the fuck, Theo?” I knew my face had to be beet red. He just grinned and licked his lips, and thankfully I was already sitting down, or my knees would’ve given out for sure.

“What?” he asked, like I was the crazy one. “I said what I said. Your ass is bitable.” He popped the rest of the taco into his grinning mouth.

I had shit to say. A lot of it. But I decided to eat a taco first, because there was still the chance that I’d gone into some kind of low blood sugar episode and was hallucinating. I picked up what looked like a birria taco with one eye on the plate and the other on Theo’s slick expression. I dipped it in the little bowl of broth first, then closed my eyes and moaned when I actually took a bite.

“Holy shit!” It was hard to stay pissed at his greasy behind when he provided me with tacos this good. The meat was tender and perfectly seasoned and the broth was tangy with a hint of smoke. My taste buds were in heaven. “Did you make this?” I asked, the ass-biting comment forgotten as I practically came from a second bite of taco.

“Nah.” He was smiling with teeth now, like me losing it over a taco was the absolute best thing. “I got it at a spot down the street.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. It was kind of fun not having to be pleasant to him all the time. “I thought you were going to cook for me.”

The smile from a minute ago was still tipping up his lips. But it wasn’t amusement I saw on his face. Not quite. It was…satisfaction. It seemed that me being a brat about him cooking for me was great news for Theo.

“I said I’d feed you,” he teased. “Not that I’d make it.” I really resented that he could look that hot in just a white T-shirt and jeans.

“Thank you, again,” I said through my last bite. Instead of answering he grabbed his beer from the table and leaned back to watch me eat.

“There’s nothing to thank me for.” It was unnerving to have him this close. Especially when my body could no longer refrain from reacting to his proximity. “You were great this morning.”

“I hated not being able to ream out that asshole,” I finally said and kept my attention on a smudge on the glass top of the table.

“I was surprised you didn’t. You never shied away from going toe to toe with me in the office.” He sounded genuinely confused that I hadn’t acted with Chase the same way I did with him. But truth was that with Theo, even when he was at his most forbidding, I’d never felt like it wasn’t safe to tell him what I thought. Even when I knew he wouldn’t like it.

“Chase is looking for any excuse to claim I’m not fit to do this job. I’m not giving him any ammunition by running my mouth. But now that you scared the shit out of him, I assume he’ll be watching his back.”

“He better.” Jesus, that sexy, mildly threatening rumble in his voice. It made my entire lower body turn to water.

“You’ve got something there,” he said, as he lifted one of the linen napkins he’d brought from the kitchen—the man was the poster child for Taurus rising, always prepared—and dabbed the corner of my mouth. That little bit of contact, barely a touch, jolted me. My nipples hardened from the blood rushing to places it ought not go. I bit my lip and his own parted just a bit, a sharp intake of breath lifting his chest. I knew the air couldn’t actually be crackling around us, but I could almost swear that if I lifted my hand thunderbolts would shoot right out of it.

He was so close, those gray eyes sparkling, lit up by something that I’d only gotten glimpses of before, but that now he was finally letting me see. There had been occasions when I’d catch Theo looking at me in a way that felt…not so much intrusive, but maybe startled. Like he didn’t want to be staring but couldn’t quite help it. But since his arrival in Dallas he just let himself linger for long moments. Examining me as if he found the sight absolutely riveting. My lips tingled as he locked his gaze on them. I desperately wanted him to kiss me. I was woman enough to sit with that truth.

I wanted Theo Ganas.

From ON THE HUSTLE by Adriana Herrera, published by Carina Press. Copyright © 2022 by Adriana Herrera. Reprinted courtesy of Carina Press.

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Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Chapter One of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, which is out May 31st 2022.

The City of Light is where Luz Alana will expand Caña Brava, the rum business her family built over three generations. It’s a mission that’s taken on new urgency after her father’s untimely death and the news that her trust fund won’t be released until she marries. But buyers and shippers alike are rude and dismissive; they can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color.

From her first tempestuous meeting with James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, Luz Alana is conflicted. Why is this man—this titled Scottish man—so determined to help her? And why, honestly, is he so infuriatingly charming?

All Evan Sinclair ever wanted was to find a purpose away from his father’s dirty money and dirtier politics. Ignoring his title, he’s built a whiskey brand that’s his biggest—and only—passion. That is, until he’s confronted with a Spanish-speaking force of nature who turns his life upside down.

Evan quickly suspects he’ll want Luz Alana with him forever. Every day with her makes the earl wish for more than her magnificent kisses or the marriage of convenience that might save them both. But Luz Alana sailed for Paris with her eyes on liquor, money and new beginnings. She wasn’t prepared for love to find her.

SS La Bretagne, April 1889

Life in the Caribbean had taught Luz Alana Heith-Benzan a few vital lessons. First, corsets in the tropics were the purest form of evil. Second, a woman attempting to thrive in a man’s world must always have a plan. Third, a flask full of fine rum and a pistol served well in almost any emergency.

And most recently, if one was to ever find herself setting sail for the Continent in search of a fresh start, one must do so with her two best friends at her side.

“Can I go up to the Eiffel Tower too?” Luz’s little sister asked, as if she could sense she had been left out of Luz’s mus­ings. “I promise I won’t drink any of your champagne.” Clar­ita had been attempting to commandeer their schedule while in Paris since the moment they’d boarded the first steamer in Santo Domingo.

“Clarita, you’re ten. You would not get champagne regard­less of the circumstance.” That elicited a frustrated huff from the little monster, who at the moment was sitting primly by a bay window with the blue sky and water at her back, pos­ing for a portrait.

“Stop needling her, Luz. You know how she fidgets, and I’m almost done with the sketch.” The artist was Manuela, one of Luz’s two best friends and Clarita’s most fervent en­abler. “Don’t worry, querida. I’ll smuggle you up the tower.”

She was, at the moment, capturing Clarita’s likeness while her sister sat with her hands crossed over her chest and eyes closed, affecting a disturbingly funereal air. One eye popped open. “Can we go to the catacombs?”

“Don’t encourage her, Manuela. At this rate we will spend the summer traipsing through cemeteries.”

Clarita responded by lolling her tongue, making Manu guffaw.

Luz’s sister had become obsessed with the macabre after their father’s death eighteen months ago. She’d tried her best to fill the void he’d left, but with both their parents gone, she also knew there was nothing that could repair becoming an orphan at such a young age. That still didn’t make Luz any more inclined to haunt every graveyard in Paris.

The truth was that despite the hardships of the last few years, and her unease about what the future held for her and her sister, she was looking forward to the summer. Leaving Santo Domingo had been bittersweet: no matter how sound the reasoning, leaving home was its own sort of death. But there had been too much mourning in her life already. Look­ing ahead was the only alternative.

They were finally only a day away from the harbor at Le Havre. From there, another day of travel would take them to the French capital for three months at the Exposition Univer­selle. Three months of opportunities for her to meet buyers for her rum, Caña Brava. Three months in which to get her and her sister’s future in order, before the two of them were to permanently settle in her father’s ancestral home in Edinburgh.

Unexpectedly finding herself at the helm of her family’s distillery had been…difficult. On more than one occasion, Luz wondered if she was capable of stewarding their legacy into the future. A dream that had begun almost fifty years ago with Luz Alana’s mother Clarise and her grandfather Roberto Benzan. A distillery owned and operated not by the children of Spanish colonials but by a Black family. Where every pair of hands that worked to make the rum—from cutting the sugar cane to preparing the spirits for shipment—was entitled to a share of the profits. Caña Brava from its inception had been an experiment in what industry without exploitation could be, and it had thrived for decades.

Her father, Lachlan Heith, a Scotsman who had arrived in the Caribbean looking for investment opportunities, had been the main investor of the distillery. It had not been long before Lachlan proposed marriage to Clarise, and for the next thirty years poured his life into her and her vision. After her mother’s death, her father had continued their plans to expand Caña Brava’s operations. Their rum was well-known all over the Americas. From the Unites States to Argentina, Caña Brava was coveted for its quality and unique smoky flavor. Lach­lan wanted to bring the rum to European markets. His strat­egy was to elevate the spirit’s image, to replace the bottles of brandy being served in the grand homes of Britain and the Continent with their Gran Reserva. Luz was more interested in making products for everyday people. Her father loved the hands-on operations, being in the distillery with the workers. Luz preferred to think of new ideas. Where he’d wanted to focus on selling their rum to the higher echelons of society, Luz believed the key to future success was to enlist the life­blood of commerce: women merchants. The modern woman had ideas and preferences of her own and that were distinct from men’s, and Luz saw the potential in focusing on them as a market. Her vision for the future of Caña Brava was not quite what her father had wanted, but he at least recognized her talents and innovative thinking.

Which was why, she could only assume, after his death she’d found out that he’d passed the operations of the distillery to his second-in-command and left her in charge of the expan­sion to Europe. She’d been hurt by the slight, affronted that her father did not trust her with the business that her mother’s family had built, until she realized that staying in Santo Do­mingo was much too painful. That she desperately needed a fresh start. And so, before her departure she’d transferred the majority of her holdings in Caña Brava to the people who, like her family, had nurtured it from the beginning.

She’d left with the promise to find them new prospects, new markets, new buyers… Building partnerships was where she’d always excelled. She hoped her skills would be as ef­fective in Paris as they’d been in the tropics. Like her mother before her, Luz left with the intention to blaze a few trails.

“Did you hear that, Luz?” Clarita’s voice, which every day sounded less like a little girl’s and more like a young lady’s, brought Luz Alana out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, amor. What did I miss?”

“Manu has made us appointments at the House of Worth!” Luz had to bite her lip at the reverence in Clarita’s voice. The child also loved dresses…as long as they were dark as night.

“You have more tiny black dresses than I know what to do with, Clarita,” Luz admonished. She’d been complacent in in­dulging her sister’s penchant for gloomy clothing for months after their mourning period had ended, but she would put her foot down at acquiring more of them. “No more new dresses until you’ve had a chance to wear the ones Manu bought you in New York,” Luz said, to which Clarita responded by mak­ing a very unladylike noise. Luz turned her attention to Man­uela, who was still focused on her sketch.

“More gowns, Manu?” Luz asked and received a shrug in answer. Luz’s friend had wheedled permission to come to Paris with the excuse of securing a proper trousseau for her upcoming nuptials. Her betrothed and her parents, who had been waiting for almost three years for Manu to set a date, had agreed enthusiastically. So far it seemed Manuela intended to spend the man’s money until he regretted ever setting his sights on her. They’d already spent a fortune in New York. It didn’t matter: Manuela treated money like air. Something she consumed without any thought, always expecting there would be more when she needed it.

Their current accommodations were the perfect example. When Luz enlisted her friends to make the trip to the Univer­sal Exposition, Manuela had written back insisting they travel in one of the new steamships from the French Line. This one had been decorated by Jules Allard, the Vanderbilts’ personal designer. Because only a sea vessel outfitted for the likes of Alice Claypoole Vanberbilt herself would do. It wasn’t that she objected to fine things: on the contrary, she quite liked the tearoom they were sitting in now. The pale blue and green damask drapes, the ornate Aubusson carpets and the velvet-covered armchairs built if not for comfort, certainly for broad­casting opulence. It was just harder to enjoy these things when one knew how much money was required to access them.

Luz hadn’t exactly grown up without comforts either. Her family’s business provided the means for that and more—but this was a different level of affluence. The kind of overt display of wealth meant to stun and intimidate. The kind of environ­ment that usually brought with it people Luz had to mentally arm herself for. And it wasn’t that she could not handle her­self among this crowd. Two years in a Swiss finishing school had prepared her well for this, but it was exhausting. It was a world she always navigated with caution. She could never fully let her guard down among the so-called well-born, lest one of the barbs they deployed so swiftly caught her unaware.

“I could get her just a few things, Luz,” Manu muttered softly, still absorbed in her task, her countenance a study in concentration as her charcoal-stained fingers fluttered over the page. Luz noticed the dark smudges on the otherwise-pristine cuffs of her friend’s lavender jacket and was struck by a wave of pure affection. Manuela, who loved baubles and expensive things, never thought twice of ruining them when it came to pleasing those she loved.

“Manu,” Luz responded in an equally soft tone, because demands never worked with her friend, unless your intention was to get the exact opposite of what you were asking for. “You already bought Clarita four gowns during that outing to the Ladies’ Mile in Manhattan.” Luz ignored the huff coming from her little sister’s direction as she spoke. “You know that until I’m able to get in touch with the solicitor in Edinburgh and discern what our finances will be like, I can’t spend—”

Manuela opened her mouth to protest—and possibly offer financial assistance again—but Luz Alana held up a hand. “No, querida. You have already been too generous.” She blew a kiss in her friend’s direction in an attempt to soften the rebuff.

Luz would not budge on this. She could not be frivolous, not when the only thing she could count on at the moment were the funds her father had reserved for this trip and what­ever income she would obtain from the sale of the three hun­dred casks of premium rum currently in the cargo hold of this ship. Her inheritance was inaccessible to her for now, and the future of Caña Brava was too uncertain for any unnecessary expenses. Despite knowing that Manuela truly wanted to help her financially, Luz also knew how fast women could become burdens and nuisances to their loved ones. She would stand on her own two feet.

Excerpted from A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. Copyright © 2022 by Adriana Herrera. Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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