About Haunt Your Heart Out: A dashing ghost hunter and the bookseller who made up the ghosts he’s chasing wind up entangled in more ways than one in this steamy contemporary romance from the author of Text Appeal, perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Chloe Liese. This not-quite-ghost-story is sure to delight Gilmore Girls fans and anyone who loves flirty romances with a little extra spirit.

I’m going to make enemies for this, but I’m not a summer person. New England, especially my home state of Vermont, is pret-ty famous for its crisp fall days and loads of wintertime snowfall (aka the perfect weather). Summers around here bring buzzing mosquitoes and gross humidity—and lots of it. I’m more of a crunchy leaves and 40 degrees kind of person, forever stuck in that Gilmore Girls state of mind.

During the summer, you can’t snuggle up by a roaring fireplace after skiing or snowshoeing. But, when mornings start with frosted windowpanes, you’ve got the perfect set-up for a romantic cuddle. And how about the fashion opportunities? With cooler weather, out come the hats, scarves, jackets, boots, and, of course, sweaters. Harry’s cable-knit sweater in When Harry Met Sally, Kathleen Kelly’s turtlenecks and sweater dresses in You’ve Got Mail, the plaid flannels that appear in every small-town romance movie ever? It’s official: Sweaters = Romance.

The range for “sweater weather” temperatures is broad and varies by region, but most people would probably appreciate an extra layer before the thermometer hits 55. What’s not to love about pulling on a chunky knit sweater (or baggy sweatshirt; all extra layers count here!), sliding your feet into fuzzy slippers, and lighting a few apple-scented candles? Add a cozy book to the mix and you’ve got a perfect way to spend your day.

Instead of Beach Reads, here’s my list of Sweater Weather Reads: A round-up of the coziest books to keep you warm throughout the ‘Ber months—September through December, or as I like to think of it: Peak Sweater Season. I’ve included some fantastic new romance releases and a handful of favorite comfort reads from years past.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberley Lemming

Banter, comedy, vibes that feel like they’ve been plucked right out a swoony D&D campaign—and plenty of spice to keep you warm no matter how chilly it gets outside. I’m a side-quester through and through, and this book filled that specific joy-seeking part of my nerdy little heart.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

Second chance romance, during the holidays, surrounded by lovely found family and towering snowbanks? Make the Season Bright is as cozy as it gets—just add a fuzzy blanket and hot cocoa for a heartfelt escape.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb

Remember when new seasons of our favorite shows would air starting in September? That summerlong build-up waiting for the resolution to whatever cliffhanger they left us with the spring before? Prime Time Romance offers all the vibes of our favorite comfort watches and makes up for every series finale we’ve ever been denied—and what’s cozier than that?

All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard

Christmas Sweater Weather is a very specific tier of cozy. I love it when holiday romance characters get snowed in—it might be my favorite iteration of forced proximity trope—and All I Want Is You delivers those delicious vibes alongside a bookish second-chance romance.

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

This one’s got all the holiday movie vibes we sweater-clad romance lovers seek! Love You a Latke is set in a Vermont town (+1 sweater-weather point!) where a café owner is tasked with planning a Hanukkah festival—add fake dating and forced proximity for a cozy treat perfect for sweater weather.

The View from the Top by Rachel Lacey

I’m stacking this list with Vermont-set novels because the setting instantly ups the coziness, and The View from the Top is no exception. Come for the cozy setting and one-night-only meet cute, stay for the hope and healing.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Books that feel like hugs are a sweater weather staple, and The Teller of Small Fortunes has been added to my rotation of favorite comforting books. It’s such a warm and lovely read, perfect for when the temperature dips and snow dusts the ground overnight.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

I credit this book for sparking my love of all things fantasy. It was an up-after-bedtime, flashlight-beneath-the-covers kind of book. My original copy is missing the back cover and chunks of pages are taped back inside where they belong. Everything about this one is cozy: The ridiculously lovable characters, the whimsical setting, the magical mishaps—but the coziest of all are my memories of falling completely in love with fantasy during my very first read.

Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts

I crammed so much comfort into this feel-good small-town romance. We’ve got sleigh rides, snowy evenings, crackling fireplaces, the silliest dog, ghost hunting, a creaky old bookstore, and found family, swirled all together like the pumpkin spice in your latte. While writing Haunt Your Heart Out, I was craving sweater weather and books that felt like hugs, so I poured those wants onto the page to create a sorta-spooky, totally cozy book that’s a bit like curling up on the couch beneath a fuzzy plaid blanket while snow falls outside.

The post Nine “Sweater Weather” Book Recommendations appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Want to celebrate Jewish joy with a different romance for each day of the week? I’ve got you covered:

Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer

Jean Meltzer has made a career out of Jewish joy, between her book club, book box, and, of course, her own books. Any of her stories would sit proudly in this space, but I’m going with her third, Kissing Kosher, which, with its foodie themes, is a personal favorite. A rivals-to-lovers romance following competing babka bakers in Brooklyn, this is not only a delicious romance, but a deeply personal and heartfelt story about chronic pain.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Again, any of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books would fit here—she tends to write Jewish female main characters—but I’m picking her most recent one: Business or Pleasure, a spicy romance about a ghostwriter teaching some sexy lessons to her client. I love how, even though most of her Jewish characters are not super observant, their Jewishness is important to them and an integral part of their characters.

Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz

I so love this story about two Jews of color who were childhood enemies finding their happily ever after following a meet-cute on a plane. One thing I especially love is how it takes the reader through a year of Jewish holidays (when’s the last time you read a Passover or High Holidays romance?), which the main characters celebrate with such joy.

Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz

Yes, this is a second Rachel Runya Katz book, I just think she’s that fabulous. Whenever You’re Ready is a sapphic friends-to-lovers romance about two former BFFs who discover something more between them on a road trip exploring southern US Jewish history.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum

Rachel’s voice was so distinctive and fun and delightful that reading this book felt like making a friend. I laughed out loud almost my entire read. Rachel and this book felt so Jewish culturally in the best, most exciting way.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

Food, celebrity drama, a Jewish main character who’s a chef, a New York City setting: did Lindsay Hameroff write this book specifically for me? This charming second-chance romance is as sweet as the main character’s famous blueberry pancakes.

Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

I couldn’t leave my own book off this list when I wrote it specifically as an expression of Jewish joy! My Hanukkah romance is a celebration of the holiday, featuring a grumpy/sunshine duo who have to fake date over the holiday in order to save her beloved café and get his family off his back. My goal for this book was to center Jewishness—to feature the general feeling of the holidays season with snow and hot cocoa and twinkling lights, yes, but to infuse it with the Hanukkah spirit of anti-assimilationism and persisting in the face of all the odds. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

The post Seven Romance Books That Celebrate Jewish Joy appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Amanda Elliot’s Best Served Hot, which is out February 21st 2023!

By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.

While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie’s follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.

Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they’ll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.

The next week found me at Calabaza, a new tapas place all the way downtown. Calabaza was one of those places where you didn’t need to wear a jacket to get in the door, but you probably wouldn’t feel comfortable wandering in off the streets in your cutoffs and T-shirt. Hopefully, a good middle ground between my followers and Bennett’s readers.

I came straight from work, a little overheated with my blue paisley sundress and white cardigan on top. At least I’d switched out my pinchy work flats for my sneakers, which made me feel like walking on clouds. Well, maybe not clouds. Not unless clouds were littered with literal piles of garbage, like the streets of New York. Sometimes I really loved this city, and sometimes I didn’t, and those times were usually when I was walking past a particularly pungent garbage pile. Or a man pooping on the subway floor.

The inside of the restaurant was a portrait in warm elegance, with rustic wooden furniture and wall art in various shades of sun, but I had eyes only for Bennett. Not in  a romantic way, in a know-your-enemy way. I swept the room, glancing into each little nook as the host led me to my table, but he didn’t seem to have arrived yet.

“Hey,” Alice said as I approached, already seated facing the door. “I see you got the outfit memo.” She was also wearing blue paisley, though in a flowy blouse over slacks.

“You didn’t notice the camera I installed over your closet last time I was over? I wanted to make sure we matched all the time,” I said. She rolled her eyes, smirking. “Hey, do you mind switching seats? I want to be able to keep an eye on Bennett.”

I’d told him I didn’t want to have  to look at him, but when I really thought about it, it seemed worse to have my back to him than my front. Better to be prepared.

She stood, obliging without a word, and let me take her spot. Which was perfect. From here, I had a clear view of  the door and the rest of the space. And the tiny golden pumpkin sitting in the middle of our table, a candlewick serving as the stem.

Alice said, “We really need a good code word for him. Something that truly expresses what a dick he is. I’m thinking ‘Dick.’”

“The main thing I love about you is how subtle you are,” I said, and she snorted. “Hey, thanks for coming again, by the way. I know you’ve been seeing a lot of me lately. Some might even say too much.”

“Who would ever say that?” Alice said sarcastically, and now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t that upset about missing tonight’s work happy hour. The guys on my team have really been grating on my nerves lately.” She pursed her lips in a frown. “It’s like now that there are two of us—two women—on the team, they’re feeling threatened and they’re acting out.”

The waiter came by to deliver our menus and give us a spiel about the restaurant. I barely heard him, tensed as I was. When he finally left, I leaned in and said, in a low murmur, “What have they been doing to you?”

Alice held her hands up, palms out. “Nothing!” she said. “They’ve just been kind of annoying lately. And it’s nice, at least, that I have an ally now to face them with.” But her shifty eyes meant that she might not be telling me the whole story. “Maybe you can come with me to work trivia night or something and hang out on my turf.”

I’d definitely do that. “Just tell me when and where.” “Will do.”

The door opened, and I sat up extra straight as two people entered, the same way I sat when my doctor asked  me if I’d been slouching lately. It was Bennett, his narrow  face gold in the reflected light, his brown-blond hair styled   into a high swoosh over his forehead. And with him? A woman around our age, short and a little chubby, with a pixie cut so glaringly pink it almost distracted from the bright orange lace of her dress. His girlfriend, maybe?

What do you care? I asked myself fiercely.

I don’t care, I answered back, just as fiercely.

He craned his neck to look throughout the restaurant;   when those blue-gray eyes settled on me, they narrowed just the tiniest bit. He didn’t smile. He didn’t nod. But then  again, I didn’t smile or nod at him, either. We just regarded  each other in a chilly fashion, like we were opposing generals preparing to order our troops to war. When he sat, he first pulled out the chair for his companion, who fluffed up her skirts as she sat, then he took the seat facing me, placing his back to the door. Unwise move, I tried to communicate through my eye-beams. If an axe murderer runs through the door, you won’t see him, and your head is going to get chopped off.

He looked away toward his companion, lips breaking in a smile, and he said something I couldn’t hear. The pink-haired girl’s shoulders shook in what I assume was a laugh, and suddenly I felt like a creep for still staring their way. I tore my eyes off them, fixating on the menu before me. I cleared my throat. “Anything on the menu especially  calling out to you?”

“I want everything patatas,” Alice said. “Especially when the patatas have been fried or smothered in cheese.” The Spanish did love their potatoes. But who didn’t love potatoes, whether their country’s or not? I loved all my potatoes equally, whether they were the french fries on my plate or the Tater Tots on Alice’s. Alice could attest. I’d  nearly lost a finger to her butter knife more than once.

“Got it.”

The excellent thing about tapas was that you could or der a million different things to add up to a full dinner, and yes, it was expensive, but you also got to try a lot more  than you did in a standard restaurant. So we ordered a ton  of food, at least one thing from every section, and when I closed the menu, it was with such a sense of anticipation and excitement that I nearly forgot about my adversary across the room. Which, of course, made me focus on him. He was still laughing with his companion. What could possibly be so funny that they would still be laughing?

I hesitated with my fingertips on the menu, then flipped it back open. “Can I send a dish as a gift to another table?” I asked.

Maybe because it was only one dish versus many, it came out before either of our real orders. The waiter set the plate down on Bennett’s table and said something I couldn’t hear; Bennett glanced over at me. Our eyes met again; only this time, his were crinkled at the corners, unable to meet the force of my serious ones. His dropped away first, his laughter dying, which gave me a sense of victory.

Though it might have been less due to the force of my gaze than the pulpo I’d had sent to his table. I hadn’t for gotten what he’d written in his review. I don’t personally care  for octopus; I find it unpleasantly squeaky against the teeth when cooked well, and even more unpleasantly rubbery when not.

He looked back up at me. I smiled wide, then mouthed, A gift for you.

He scowled. In return, I smiled wider. His companion  exclaimed, her shoulders jumping, and pulled the octopus to herself. His face relaxed as he watched her enjoy the dish, which, in turn, made me scowl.

“So how is Emerson’s business coming along?” Alice asked. “Is she taking investors? Because I’m considering investing in some—”

“Not Emerson—Emerson Leigh,” I said reluctantly. “And no, I will not allow you to even joke about that. But she is planning on throwing herself a big party to celebrate her launch.” I perked up a bit. “I bet she’d let me invite you  if you want to come.”

Alice perked up, too. “A room full of absurdly rich people being ridiculous? Yes, please.”

Anything else she was going to say was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter, a tray on his shoulder. “Wow, that was fast,” I said, impressed, ready to take a note on my phone as soon as he walked away, except when he lowered the tray, none of the food I’d ordered was on there. Just two goblets of bloodred wine. Which we hadn’t ordered. “What’s this?”

The waiter set them on the table, then nodded toward the entrance. “They’re a gift from the gentleman over there. The one you sent the pulpo to.”

I took a deep breath. I was not going to rope the waiter  into this battle. Bennett must have overheard me right be fore he confronted me, when I was talking about my distaste for wine. And what lurked beneath: the uncertainty around it. Because it wasn’t just that I didn’t like it; it was that I couldn’t tell the difference between wines. And that made me feel like a little kid who didn’t know anything. Especially given the company I kept. I stared at the goblets, my forehead growing painfully hot. He was doing this to get back at me for the octopus, to embarrass me. To rub it in that I would have no idea whether these glasses he sent were the good stuff or the cheapest stuff on the menu. Whereas he’d probably grown up with his own personal sommelier.

To make things worse, Alice was nose deep in her goblet. “Mmm, smells fancy,” she said. “Very rich and full-bodied. The kind I . . .”

She probably kept talking, but I didn’t hear her, because I’d finally looked up. Bennett was looking at me with a cheesy grin. His companion had turned around, too, and was grinning in our direction as well. Great. They were both mocking us. Should I make a big show out of drinking it? Or of ignoring it, pushing it all the way to the side of the table like I didn’t even care?

I didn’t really want to drink it. It wasn’t like he’d eaten  the octopus. But I didn’t want to leave it on the table, either. Every time I looked at it, it would be like it was mocking me.

I pulled the goblet away from Alice before she could take a sip, so violently a few drops sloshed over the edge of the glass. I stood, one goblet in each hand. It looked as if I’d cut myself and bled on the table. “I’ll be right back.”

I just want you to be aware that stomping across an entire New York City restaurant is not an easy thing to do.  They’re always packed with people, the tables and chairs shoved as close to one another as possible in order to fit even more profit margins into the day, and of course they’re also filled with the obstacles of restaurants everywhere: waiters carrying precarious trays of food and drink; bussers clearing off tables full of breakable porcelain and glass and sharp silver tines.

But I did it. I stomped across the whole room, not breaking my heavy stride as I twisted and squirmed be- tween tables. Waiters and bussers jumped out of my way.

And all without spilling another drop.

“I think you left these at my table,” I told them from a few feet away. That definitely sounded like more of a burn in my head. “We don’t—”

Something slammed into the back of my legs. A chair?

My knees buckled. I shrieked.

And the goblets of wine went flying. My mouth dropped open in horror, and it all played out in what seemed like slow motion. The pink-haired girl clapping her hand to her mouth, her fingernails a vibrant shade of neon green. The waiter’s howl of NOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooo. Bennett’s eyebrows shooting up to his hairline as he dived to the side.

All in vain. Because the wine found its mark: all over them. Splotching the pink-haired girl’s orange dress into a sunset. Drenching Bennett’s sharply creased khakis so that he looked kind of like he’d peed himself. If he had a severe kidney infection and he was peeing blood.

Oh my God. What had I done? I opened my mouth, ready to vomit apologies all over them, horrified by their wide-eyed looks of panic and . . . was that fear?

Maybe . . . I could use this.

I stood up straight, clearing my throat. “That’s what I think of your wine,” I said, and then I turned tail and ran away. Yes, ran away. I couldn’t handle their eyes on me anymore, or having them believe I’d thrown those glasses  of wine on them. In theory, yes. In practice, no, because they made me feel kind of like I was going to throw up.

But the look I got from Alice when I got back to our table wasn’t any less horrified. “Why did you do that?”

“It was an accident,” I said, stumbling over my words  even though it was the truth. “Somebody hit me with their  chair, and I just rolled with it.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I knew you weren’t the  type,” she said. “I just didn’t have a good view from over here.”

“If you knew I wasn’t the type, why’d you ask?” I said,  and probably she would have answered if her mouth hadn’t fallen open like she was trying to fit a double club sandwich in there. I turned to see what she was looking at, and my mouth dropped open, too. I could’ve stuffed a double- double club in there when I noticed the pink-haired girl had climbed on top of her chair and was now addressing the entire restaurant, her voice a megaphone.

“I would like everyone in this restaurant to be aware that it was Julie Zee Eats NYC who dumped goblets of wine on us!” And like the hand of God descending from the heavens, she pointed at me. Everybody turned at once.

I felt a little bit like a pointed-at lobster in a supermarket tank, paralyzed, waiting for the hand of the seafood counter guy to pluck me up and stuff me in a bag for boiling.

But the stares only lasted for a few seconds before the first murmurs broke the silence. “Who?” “Are we supposed to know who that is?” “Is she on TV?”

“The food blogger!” added the pink-haired girl hastily,  but she’d already lost the room’s attention. This was Manhattan. Once, I’d ridden the subway and not even noticed  the guy next to me was Tim Gunn until somebody else asked for a selfie.

“Almost sixty thousand followers, and none of you are here? Seriously?”

I blinked, and the waiter was next to our table again, regarding me solemnly. “Ma’am, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you and your friends to leave.”

I wasn’t sure what I was most offended by in that sentence. The “ma’am,” implying I was old? Being disgracefully kicked out of the restaurant? Having it implied that Bennett and the pink-haired girl were my friends?

“You saw it was an accident, right?” I asked the waiter. “Somebody hit me with their chair.”

He regarded me impassively. You knew you were toast when a waiter got unfriendly, because it meant they were no longer worried about a tip. “You’ve all disturbed the experience for our other guests, and I’m afraid you’ll all need to leave.”

I snuck a glance over at Bennett and his friend. He was still dabbing grimly at the wine stains on his khakis, but the girl’s feet were planted firmly on the ground, and she was tossing a scarf around her neck. Getting ready to go.

Well, if they were going to go, I wouldn’t stop them. Or stay myself. “This was a disaster,” I whispered to Alice  as we swept past Bennett and the pink-haired girl’s table. I was careful not to turn toward them at all, but I imagined venomous looks drilling into the back of my head as we exited. We’d been in there long enough that it was starting to get dark. The night crowd was coming out, beautiful people dressed in expensive clothes, groups of friends laughing in the windows of bars.

Alice sighed, glancing wistfully at the menu. “I really wanted my patatas.”

Great. I swallowed a lump of guilt in my throat. “Never fear. I’ll get you your patatas.”

They might not have been Spanish, but potatoes were just as good frenched.

Excerpted from Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot Copyright © 2023 by Amanda Elliot. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Best Served Hot’ by Amanda Elliot appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

From bittersweet endings to a romance trilogy following three sparkling sisters, to magical shenanigans that find characters fake dating a demon to please their family and steamy marriage of conveniences with your secret crush and romance books cover model—our romance-loving hearts are beating faster just looking at what’s on the menu for the first half of 2023!

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2023 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Queer Books lists!

JANUARY

Make a Wish by Helena Hunting
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With her signature charm, Hunting completes the Spark sisters’ trilogy in Make a Wish, a second chance-romance sure to leave you reeling. Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again. Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel.

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached “pug lady” middle age, but she’s already got the pugs—along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin’ appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (if surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it’s not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose’s world suddenly goes full technicolor . . .

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Always a matchmaker, never a match…Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Pó Po’s traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about “animal attraction,” her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family’s legacy . . .

Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From The Astronaut and the Star author Jen Comfort comes a wildly electric romance about two musicians who collide on the stage of a Nevada opera house.

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An awkward first date leads to a sparkling romance between one of the most powerful witches in town and a magical newbie in this rom-com.

Do I Know You? By Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When a couple starts to feel like they’re married to a stranger, a flirtatious game of pretend becomes the spark they need to reignite their relationship.

FEBRUARY

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In April Asher’s next Supernatural Singles novel, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, a one-night-stand between a willful witch and a broody half-demon conjures an adventure that wouldn’t be complete without several magical mishaps.

Radiant Sin by Katee Robert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

There’s nowhere more dangerous than Olympus…and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm…and the only man Cassandra is powerless to deny. A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Apollo and Cassandra that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and TikTok favorite Tessa Bailey comes a steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.

Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.

Ruby Spencer’s Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When a thirty-something American food writer moves to a Scottish village for one year to fulfill her dream of writing a cookbook she finds more than inspiration–she meets a handsome Scotsman she can’t resist.

MARCH

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of Love & Other Disasters comes a sparkling grumpy-meets-sunshine romance featuring two men’s sweeping journey across the Western wilderness.

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Bridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance from award-winning author KJ Charles! 

Ellie Is Cool Now by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, one woman finds that to keep her dream job, she’ll have to face her worst nightmare: high school.

Right Girl, Wrong Side by Ginny Baird
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Baird brings her signature charm to this multicultural story about two disputing families sharing a beach house and the messiness that comes from falling in love with someone who your family is determined to despise.

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number.

APRIL

Happy Place by Emily Henry
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from Emily Henry.

Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Equal parts witty and steamy, this debut rom-com brings a healthy dose of queerness and a whole lot of heart to a Pride and Prejudice-inspired enemies to lovers romance. This page-turning, sexy, and delightfully funny rom-com celebrates queer culture, chosen family, coming of age, and falling in love against your better judgment.

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy Sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage-of-convenience…

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae
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With a gorgeous beachfront mansion, salty ocean breeze, steamy nights, and ALL the summertime feels, this funny, sexy queer rom-com is a celebration of summer love, as a cinnamon roll of a pastry chef finds his indie rocker crush suddenly within reach.

To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters
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This is a Regency rom-com set in the world of Waters’ previous books, in which a woman attempts to trick her new husband into thinking his ancestral home is haunted in order to finally get some peace and quiet, only to find herself enjoying his company instead.

Ana Mariá and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa
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A forbidden love between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd British politician makes for a tantalizing Victorian season.

MAY

That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey
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Turns out you’re never too old for a summer camp romance. Or a change of heart. When a divorced woman attends a sleepaway camp for adults only, she reconnects with a man from her past–only to catch feelings for his sister instead.

Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan
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This irresistible adult debut from beloved YA author Jennifer Dugan is a queer romcom for fans of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Written in the Stars, in which a woman gives a drunken bathroom pep talk to a hot stranger, only to find out it’s the bride-to-be she has convinced to leave her fiancé the night before the wedding.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
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Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script.

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
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In this witty and romantic debut novel, Jane Austen’s Emma meets the misadventures of Manhattan’s modern dating scene as two lifelong friends discover that, in the search for love, you sometimes don’t have to look any further than your own backyard.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
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The highly acclaimed author of Accidentally Engaged delivers a delightful rom-com of one woman trying to shed her perfect image at a destination wedding with hilarious—and moving—results.

Love Buzz by Neely Tubati Alexander
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In this spectacularly enjoyable and serendipitous adventure, a chance romantic encounter during a wild night at a Mardi Gras bachelorette party sends strait-laced Serena Khan’s carefully constructed life into chaos.

JUNE

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
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Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
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On screen, they’re in love. Off screen, they can’t stand each other. Two co-stars with a complex history reunite to film the final season of a beloved paranormal drama in this tension-filled will they won’t they romance from the author of How to Fake It in Hollywood.

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting
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The fur is about to fly between a cheerful cat sitter and a grumpy hockey nerd in this hilarious and charming rom-com by the New York Times bestselling author of Meet Cute.

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan
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For fans of Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After, from the author of Nora Goes Off Script comes the ultimate summer nostalgia read, about a woman whose return to her family’s beach house to plan her wedding brings her and her fiancé unexpectedly face to face with her first love who she hasn’t seen in fourteen years, but who she spent every summer with from age five to seventeen when he broke her heart, calling into question everything she thought she knew about their love story, and herself.

The First Date Prophecy by Kate Tamberelli and Danny Tamberelli
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Danny Tamberelli, 90’s Nickelodeon star from All That and The Adventures of Pete and Pete, teams up with his real-life wife Kate Tamberelli for a zany, big-hearted, and truly laugh-out-loud debut rom-com set in Brooklyn, steeped in 90’s nostalgia, and inspired by their very own love story. For two talented romantic misfits who’ve been looking for love for so long, a prophecy from a psychic could be just another disastrous-first-date anecdote—or it could be the beginning of a love story for the ages . . .

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.

What 2023 romance books are you looking forward to picking up ? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Swoonworthy 2023 Romance Book Releases You Need appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

2023 is here, so get ready to be amazed by the incredible books heading your way! In this round up, we take a look at an array of highly anticipated books releasing between the months of January and June from authors such as Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Harlan Coben, Emily Henry, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Kalynn Bayron, and many more plus some dazzling debuts.

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other January to June 2023 lists, including 2023 Romance, 2023 Young Adult, 2023 Middle Grade, and 2023 Queer Books!

Looking for our July to December picks? Check them out here!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below what books you are looking forward to!

JANUARY

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
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Kate Alice Marshall’s What Lies in the Woods is a thrilling novel about friendship, secrets, betrayal, and lies – and having the courage to face the past.

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
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This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Helena Hunting.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
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New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors—and each other.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
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Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. The Ivy League is going straight to hell in the sequel to the smash New York Times bestseller Ninth House from #1 bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Begin Again by Emma Lord
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Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Emma Lord’s Begin Again is an unforgettable YA novel of love and starting again.

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea
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A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
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Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black. 

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters
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Fans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse . . .

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie
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From the macabre mind of a Bram Stoker Award-nominated author, this heart-pounding novel of horror and psychological suspense takes a ghost hunting reality TV crew into a world they could never have imagined.

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
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The Hate U Give meets One of Us Is Lying in Nick Brooks’s Promise Boys, a trailblazing, blockbuster YA mystery about three teen boys of color who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names―for fans of Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen McManus.

Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen
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About a Boy meets What We Do In The Shadows in the next fun genre-mashup from Mike Chen, featuring a punk-rock vampire learning to connect to the world again when her surly teenaged grand-nephew needs her, and her music, to get him through a tough time.

FEBRUARY

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
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Intricate and epic, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the world of A Priory of the Orange Tree, showing us a course of events that shaped it for generations to come.

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author and TikTok favorite Tessa Bailey comes a steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood
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Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version—his mother, Danae; his trophy, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda—but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all.

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan
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The House Guest is another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan―but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?

The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
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In the early 1900s, a young woman is caught between two worlds in H. G. Parry’s spellbinding tale of miracles, magic, and the adventure of a lifetime.

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong
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In a dazzling new fantasy world full of whispered secrets and political intrigue, the magic of women is outlawed but four girls with unusual powers have the chance to change it all.

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury
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The Haunting of Hill House meets Sadie in this evocative and mind-bending psychological thriller following two teen girls navigating the treacherous past of a mysterious mansion ten years apart.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
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In the riveting new novel from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers, a woman must reckon with her past when new details surface about a tragedy at her elite New England boarding school.

Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot
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Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb
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Discover what’s lurking in the shadows in this dark fantasy debut with a murder-mystery twist, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
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A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher
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In April Asher’s next Supernatural Singles novel, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, a one-night-stand between a willful witch and a broody half-demon conjures an adventure that wouldn’t be complete without several magical mishaps.

MARCH

The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten
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In this lush, romantic epic fantasy series from a New York Times bestselling author, a young woman’s secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf
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For fans of Ikegna and A Tale Dark and Grimm comes a story of a brave heroine, a beguiling villain, fantastical worlds, magical adventures, and a journey that will remind you that hope, friendship, and love endures all.

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
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Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
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For fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.

Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
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From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another.

Jane & Edward: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Eyre by Melodie Edwards
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This powerful reimagining of Jane Eyre, set in a modern-day law firm, is full of romance and hope as it follows the echoing heartbeats of the classic story.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
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Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
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A “wildly surprising, entertaining” (Jodi Picoult) novel featuring a college dropout and an eighty-four-year-old woman on the run from the law, full of tremendous heart, wit, and wisdom from the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island.

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
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A teen boy tries to discover the reason behind his best friend’s disappearance―and the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic stranger―in misty Victorian London, in Kalynn Bayron’s My Dear Henry, a gothic YA remix of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, sixth in the Remixed Classics series.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
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An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive, and must break out of prison to find out the truth in #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben’s latest breathtaking thriller.

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
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A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

APRIL

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker
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Terry J. Benton-Walker’s contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is “an extravaganza from start to finish” (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans.

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
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New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Happy Place by Emily Henry
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A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
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From the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and “master of suspense, Megan Miranda”, a thrilling mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

Silver In The Bone by Alexandra Bracken
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken cements her status as one of the top fantasy authors writing today in this stunning series opener inspired by Arthurian legend and fueled by love, revenge, and pure adrenaline!

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
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Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa
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A forbidden love between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd British politician makes for a tantalizing Victorian season.

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
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In Lambda Award finalist Chana Porter’s highly anticipated new novel, an aspiring chef, a cyberthief, and a kitchen maid each break free of a society that wants to constrain them.

Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat by Sonya Lalli
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An impulsive decision to join an Alaskan cruise getaway brings the chance for an onboard romance in this new enemies-to-lovers romance from the author of A Holly Jolly Diwali.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
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A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you, Some Desperate Glory is Astounding Award Winner and Crawford Award Finalist Emily Tesh’s highly anticipated debut novel.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
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A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match from “a true talent” (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
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A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions—a hilarious, observant, and deeply tender novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep.

MAY

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.

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin
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A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia—where the truth isn’t what it seems.

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
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A small-town sweetheart and an emotionally unavailable bad boy try to find some common ground in this chemistry-filled romance from the author of The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome.

The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman
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Magic, romance, and slumbering gods clash in the start of a riveting fantasy series that spans gangsters’ dens, forgotten temples, and the high seas from the New York Times bestselling author of the Aurora Cycle and the Illuminae Files.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon
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Utterly original and wildly entertaining, with a protagonist whose life is a total mess, Killing Me is the laugh-out-loud funny thriller that we never knew we needed.

The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
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A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises—especially to ourselves—by the bestselling and celebrated author of The Guncle.

Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena
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Of Light and Shadow is a novel about magic, mayhem, love, and betrayal―the story of a bandit and a prince who change each other in unexpected ways.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop
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Joining a post #MeToo discourse, The Girls of Summer grapples with themes of power, sex, and consent, as it explores the complicated nature of memory and trauma––and what it takes to reframe, and reclaim, your own story.

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore
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Two enemy kingdoms are forced to work together to break a curse in this lush YA fantasy, featuring a transgender prince and a bigender dama/assassin in the lead roles.

Dragonfall by Laura Lam
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Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the first in this magical new epic fantasy trilogy from a bestselling author

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
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Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners.

JUNE

Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool
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In this romantic, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy/mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious―and deadly―society that holds clues to her mother’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager
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Bestselling author Riley Sager returns with a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier
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Set in the glamorous, competitive world of showjumping, a novel about the girls who ride, their cutthroat mothers, and a suspicious death at a horse show…from the author of Good Rich People

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with the hilarious follow-up to Secretly Yours, in which a down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine
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For fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Mexican Gothic, a novel set in 18th-century Venice at a prestigious music school, about two girls drawn together by a dangerous wager

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.

What Remains by Wendy Walker
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Detective Elise Sutton is drawn to cold cases. Each crime is a puzzle to solve, pulled from the past. Steeped in guilt, and on a leave of absence from work, she’s numb, even to her husband and daughters, until she connects with Wade Austin, the tall man whose life she saved. But Elise soon realizes that he isn’t who he says he is. 

Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould
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Two sisters travel to an isolated Arizona town to investigate its connection to their mother’s death, but uncover more than they bargained for in this supernatural thriller from the author of The Dead and the Dark.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
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The bestselling author of The Party returns with a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
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At Camp Mirror Lake, terror is the name of the game . . . but can you survive the night? This heart-pounding slasher by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Fear Street.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
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If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today? The First Bright Thing is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
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In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

What 2023 book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

As far as my favorite activities go, reading romance books and eating tasty food are both way up there. So when I can combine them by reading a swoony romance featuring mouthwatering descriptions of food, I am fully here for it. In all of the books featured here, falling in love is delicious both literally and figuratively.

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

In this absolutely delightful confection by Lucy Parker, two bakers must fight it out to see which one will earn the chance to bake the royal wedding cake. Sylvie is known for her colorful hair, glittery baked goods, and fanciful candy animals. Dominic is known for stately monochrome perfection and the lollipop stick up his ass. They might start off enemies, but as they’re forced to spend more time together in competition, the heat they begin to generate might melt all that sugar into caramel.

I literally laughed out loud the whole way through this hilarious romp. Sylvie and Dominic captured my heart as they slowly broke each other’s walls down to find the soft gooey vulnerabilities beneath. I finished the book feeling not just sad that it was over, but that I couldn’t actually visit their bakeries in real life. It’s a good thing I’m already married, because if I was wedding planning right now, I’d be disappointed by any cake that didn’t come from Sugar Fair.

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park

A main character who runs a Korean cooking YouTube channel and meal prep service? I’m so in. Jessie Kim’s had enough of the racism and sexism in investment banking, and has to move home to figure out the next step in her career. Which involves not just the YouTube channel and meal prep service mentioned before, but a sweet love story with her main childhood enemy, Daniel.

I couldn’t get enough of the mouthwatering descriptions of Korean food depicted in Jessie’s channel, or the hilarious antics Jessie’s mother gets into as she does her best to “help” with it. This book was also a really fun look at the business side of the food world, as Jessie grows into herself and gets her food out to an audience eager for it.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

As you might guess from the plot of my own book, I have a thing for books set on cooking reality shows. In this book, the titular Rosaline Palmer must battle her way through a British baking show, which might also involve falling for not just one but two men.

While this book leans heavier on Rosaline’s journey and her food than the romance, it is a joy to devour. Reading through each of Rosaline’s bakes and the creations of her competitors will make you crave cupcakes and crumpets. I’m already salivating for the next book in this series!

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Watching a fake-dating relationship turn into a real-dating relationship is the second-best thing ever—the first is, of course, when that transformation involves a lot of cooking and food descriptions. Which this book does. Reena, the main character, wants to enter the biggest food competition show around, except they’re only casting couples. Why not team up with the hot guy across the hall? Even if there are some complicated family dynamics intertwined with their budding friendship? And even if Reena still has some personal journeys to go on herself?

I loved Reena as soon as I read that she named her sourdough starters. Reading about all the different kinds of bread she bakes made me want to go buy out a bakery. (Special shout-out to the challah—my heroine Sadie approves!) And I loved learning more about East African Indian food and the discourse about not dumbing her family’s cuisine down for a Western palate. I can’t wait to make the Zanzibar egg curry recipe included in the back of the book!

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Albertson

Spoiler alert: this Romeo and Juliet retelling fortunately has a much happier ending than that of its inspiration. While their families are bitter enemies thanks to a stolen taco recipe many years ago, celebrity chef Julieta is forced to work for fast food magnate Ramón. There’s all sorts of tensions between them of both the literal variety and the sexual variety. Will the two of them overcome their families’ history to find a new start together?

Make sure you’ve got all the ingredients ready, because this book is going to make you crave tacos and all sorts of delicious Mexican food. But the world of Barrio Logan that the author builds is just as rich and vibrant, as are the important issues of gentrification and identity that the plot explores.

Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander

Sorry in advance, because this queer romance isn’t out until May, but trust me: it’s worth the wait. Pastry chef Simone has her dream job developing recipes at a food magazine, and she doesn’t need the super-friendly, super-hot nonbinary kitchen manager Ray getting their messy feelings all over her tidy, well-ordered life. But when Simone and Ray are tasked with creating a new video series together, and transphobia from some of their coworkers threatens Ray’s job and their health, Simone starts to realize that maybe she does have feelings for Ray after all.

This book presented a major dilemma: how could I bake the winter squash galette and chocolate-on-chocolate trifle that it made me crave without having to put the book down? Simone’s voice was both relatable and hilarious as she learned to loosen up, and her slow burn romance with Ray was tender, sweet, and hot. I desperately want to go to their dinner party (with Simone cooking and Ray hosting, of course).

Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot

I couldn’t leave my own book off a list like this! Having just been fired by her ex-boyfriend/boss (yes, bad decision), Sadie is ecstatic to receive an invitation to compete on her favorite reality TV show, Chef Supreme. Surely that will revive her flailing career, right? And it’s a bonus when she has a meet-cute and a whirlwind date with the hot guy sitting next to her on the plane there. But when she turns up to set the next day and realizes that he’s the new judge, she’s going to have to keep the heat between them tamped down so that the pot doesn’t boil over and get her kicked off the show.

My book is less a romance with food than a romance about food. Because the main characters aren’t able to vocalize their feelings without consequences for most of the story, they use food as a substitute to tell the other person who they are and how they feel and what they want. I hope it makes you laugh, makes you feel happy, and above all, makes you crave the food!

The post 7 Foodie Romances to Fall in Love With (and Make You Hungry) appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Let’s face it: we might not know what 2022 may look like while we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, but what we do know is that it will be a year filled with sweet, saucy, steamy, and sexy romances! Read on to find our most anticipated romance releases from January to June and dive headfirst into the loveliest of distractions – reading!

JANUARY

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
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They were cowriting literary darlings until they hit a plot hole that turned their lives upside down. Forced to reunite as they’re facing crossroads in their personal and professional lives, Katrina and Nathan will learn that relationships, like writing, sometimes take a few rough drafts before they get it right.

Electric Idol by Katee Robert
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Lore Olympus meets Helen Hardt in this unspeakably hot take on Eros and Psyche. After delivering an unputdownable Hades/Persephone retelling, Robert returns to the Dark Olympus series with the second installment following socialite Psyche and involuntary hitman Eros.

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
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From the acclaimed author of Boyfriend Material comes a delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured with the other.

FEBRUARY

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
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A fake relationship between a magic-less witch and a wolf shifter turns to more in the start of a bewitching new paranormal rom-com series. In Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic-comedy—plus a fun dose of magic—to this spell-binding new series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City.

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
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Following Written in the Stars and Hang the Moon, national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur pens another steamy sapphic rom-com about former best friends who might be each other’s second chance at love.

I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson
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A chance to rewrite their ending is worth the risk in this swoony romantic comedy from Kosoko Jackson. When Kian and Hudson end up fake dating to appease Hudson’s parents, old wounds and feelings return.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
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Once Delilah Green begrudgingly returns home for her step-sister’s wedding, all bets are off when she crosses paths with a former mean girl from her childhood and old feelings reignite. A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love—with all its complications.

MARCH

Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
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In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man.

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter
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Things get textual when a steamy message from a random wrong number turns into a thrilling anonymous relationship in this hilarious rom-com by Lynn Painter.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy
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A debut #ownvoices rom-com about a plus-size heroine who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup, with the help of an irresistible cast of friends and family, a kitchen reno, and a devastatingly handsome contractor.

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings
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Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. With the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control. Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture.

APRIL

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
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After a wild bet, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery
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The West Wing meets Red, White and Royal Blue by way of The Hating Game in this debut enemies-to-lovers queer romcom in which a viral photo forces two ruthless political staffers to fake a relationship to save their presidential candidate’s campaign.

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare
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It’s one hex of an attraction in this romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare. When Reggie Johnson answers a job ad in the paper, she’s astonished to find that she’s not applying for work at her favorite card game, Spellcraft: The Magicking. Instead, she’s applying to be an actual familiar for an actual witch. As in, real magic. The new job has a few perks – The biggest problem, however, is warlock Ben Magnus, her employer’s nephew and the most arrogant, insufferable, maddening man to ever cast a spell.

Business Not as Usual by Sharon C. Cooper
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A woman learns the hard way about mixing business with pleasure in this hilarious new romantic comedy by USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper. Dreamy Daniels dreams of making it big and nothing is going to stand in her way – not even her boss’s potential investor who has the social grace of the Duke of Sussex and the suaveness of Idris Elba – no distractions allowed.

MAY

Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky
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Wren Roland has never been kissed, but he wants that movie-perfect ending more than anything. Feeling nostalgic on the eve of his birthday, he sends emails to all the boys he (ahem) loved before he came out. In this warm, witty, and hilarious LGBTQIAP+ romcom, a hazy summer might just lead to the perfect kiss.

Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
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Charming, hilarious and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting’s second installment in the Spark sisters series! London Spark just got her heart broken and wants nothing more than be single for a while – but when a mysterious man pays for her drinks on a night out only to end up being a future business partner of her family’s event hotel, sparks fly despite her vow to stay single.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry
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One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…A by the book literary agent must decide if happily ever after is worth changing her whole life for in this insightful, delightful new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot
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A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella.

JUNE

Fake It Till You Bake it by Jamie Wesley
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A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It.

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond
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A people-pleasing semi-closeted bridesmaid-for-hire meets her polar opposite in this delightfully heartwarming debut. Will she find her happily ever after?

The Sizzle Paradox by Lily Menon
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The Kiss Quotient meets Love Potion No. 9 in the next sparkling romantic comedy by Lily Menon, The Sizzle Paradox…

As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr
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Emerging journalist Adina Geller is done with dating in New York City. Following the romance movies suggestion that real love can be found in a small town, she heads off the grid to Pleasant Hollow – only to learn that there isn’t all that much pleasant about it. That is, until Finn Adams makes her question whether the movies got it right, after all.

What 2022 romance releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Swoonworthy 2022 Romance Book Releases You Need appeared first on The Nerd Daily.