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28 New Romance Reads Hitting Bookshelves In January 2025

Elise Dumpleton — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 03:00:00 +0000

A new year brings new reads and you are going to swoon over the romance books that will be hitting bookshelves in January! The first month of 2025 sees new books from Chloe Liese, Sarah Adams, Jo Segura, Hannah Bonam-Young, Jenny Holiday, and so many more, along with delightful debuts!

Read on to discover our picks and let us know in the comments if you’ll be picking any!

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.

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.

Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

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A swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museum—a handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologist—realize they are the perfect match.

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.

Single Player by Tara Tai

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Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance debut, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Helen Hoang.

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.

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.

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

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In this Latinx adult romance debut from National Book Award Finalist Sonora Reyes, two friends enter into a marriage of convenience to save one from deportation—but everything changes when they unexpectedly fall in love.

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 . . .

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.

Only In Your Dreams by Ellie K. Wilde

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A spicy small-town, brother’s best friend, sports romance “packed with sizzling tension, heat, and sweet, swoon-worthy moments” (Peyton Corinne, author of TikTok sensation Unsteady) between a college football coach and the one that got away that you’ll want to devour in one sitting.

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.

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.

Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel

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The game is on for two nerds who love to outplay each other . . . even when their hearts are on the line, in this charming and geeky romantic comedy perfect for fans of Olivia Dade and Jen DeLuca.

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.

Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen

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After a case of mistaken identity and an almost one-night stand, two stranded wedding guests have to find their way to their final destination together, in this riotously fun debut romance.

A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault

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Get ready to swoon for this dreamy, forget-me-not romance that’s filled with the delightful tartness of Jane Austen and the sweeping, unputdownable drama of Bridgerton.

Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar

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She needs a divorce from her husband—but a hurricane threatens to dredge up their stormy, passionate past in this sizzling romance from the bestselling author of Say You’ll Be Mine.

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young

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A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition to help them reconnect in this heartfelt companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation Out on a Limb.

Into the Woods by Jenny Holiday

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Summer camp heats up for a grumpy rockstar and a cynical dance instructor in this funny and heartwarming enemies-to-lovers romance.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

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With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen―from murder to a second chance at love―in Jenny Elder Moke’s half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding.

The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee

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There’s more than one way to love and more than one place to call home in this rousing small-town romantic comedy that’s sure to charm fans of Hannah Bonam-Young’s Next to You and Ashley Herring Blake’s Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date

Book People by Jackie Ashenden

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When a fledgling bookseller opens a shop and café celebrating popular genre fiction across the street from a well-established upscale bookshop, she incurs the wrath and disdain of its highbrow owner, until a long-held family secret that connects their pasts comes to light during a literary festival . . .

Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

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A stolen latte results in a meet-cute for the ages in this brand-new edition, with bonus content, of New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter’s rom-com Accidentally Amy.

All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles

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Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.

The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns

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A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings – and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.

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

The post 28 New Romance Reads Hitting Bookshelves In January 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read An Excerpt From ‘Out on a Limb’ by Hannah Bonam-Young

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0000

A hot one-night stand—and an unexpected pregnancy—lead a young woman to someone she can depend on, from the viral TikTok author of Next of Kin and Next to You.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Hannah Bonam-Young’s Out on a Limb, which releases on June 4th 2024.

Winnifred “Win” McNulty has always been wildly independent and not one to be coddled for her limb difference. Win has spent most of her life trying to prove that she can do it all on her own. With some minor adjustments, she’s done just fine.

Hooking up at a costume party with the incredibly charming Bo changes everything. Win finds herself pregnant—and decides to keep the baby. While Bo is surprisingly elated to step up to the plate, Win is unsure of whether she can handle this new challenge.

Together, Win and Bo decide to get to know one another as friends and nothing more while they embark on this parenting journey together. But, as they both should know by now, life rarely goes according to plan.

One

“Did you know this song might be about an orgy?” I ask the witch standing next to the punch bowl, pointing toward the speaker.

“What?” she shouts, using tar-black talons to pull her willowy silver wig away from her ear.“ The song—‘Monster Mash.’ ” I point toward the speaker again.

“What about it?” she asks, louder.

“An orgy!” I yell just as the music comes to an abrupt stop—my friend and host of the evening, Sarah, hopping onto a dining chair to address her guests.

“No, thanks . . .” Witch woman sends daggers my way as she slowly turns around and walks, funnily enough, toward the archway decorated in bloodied weapons.

“You should be so lucky,” I mutter under my breath as I fill my cup with an undisclosed neon-green substance, successfully avoiding the floating candied eyeballs.

Sarah, my lifelong best friend, is giving her yearly thank you so much for coming to my Halloween party; it’s the only thing I care about speech while I’m debating about whether anyone is secretly keeping track of how many hot-dog-mummies I’ve eaten thus far.

Nah. And so I reach for another.

“Aye, aye, Captain Winnifred!”

F***, I’ve been spotted. I drop the mummy into my drink and cover the top of my cup with my hand.

“You okay?” Caleb, Sarah’s husband, asks, eyeing my cup with suspicion.

“Never been better,” I say sweetly. “It’s another successful year,” I say, admiring their home, decorated with professional precision.

Caleb does the same, and when his expression turns to subtle pride and admiration for his wife’s work, I place a bet to the universe that the next three words out of his mouth will be . . .

“Anything Sarah wants,” we say in unison. He smiles into the top of his beer with a hint of guilty shyness, but mostly resolve. Sarah and Caleb met in the ninth grade. He’s been carrying her textbooks, literally and metaphorically, since.

I love Caleb. He’s like a brother to me. A brother-in-law if Sarah and I were actually sisters like we used to boldly claim (see: lie) in school. Turns out, according to a DNA test a few years back, we’re fourth cousins once removed. Sarah simply says we’re cousins now, when given the chance.

“You know, my friend Robbie is here. I thought I might introduce you,” Caleb says after a long sip of his beer.

Yeah, absolutely not.

I’ve been successfully avoiding the guys Caleb wants to set me up with since my date with his buddy from work. Winston cried while describing his—very much alive—mother and the “beautiful bond” they shared. He also brought me an orchid, which could have been a sweet gesture—I do love plants. Unfortunately, it was in a large ceramic bowl with rocks and bark, and it weighed a ton. I couldn’t just put it on the ground, lest a server trip over it and meet an untimely death, so it had to sit on the table between us—blocking our view of each other. Then, after a dull dinner, I had to carry it home with me, clinging to it in the back of the taxi as I wrote a kind but firm let’s-not-do-this-again text.

If anything, that date only solidified my desire to remain casual and stick to dating apps where I could properly vet the men for myself.

“Maybe later,” I answer Caleb. “I’m just waiting to talk to our hostess.” I tilt my chin toward Sarah, who’s dressed as the Princess Buttercup to Caleb’s Westley.

“Okay, fine. This one is different, though. He even has a dead mom,” Caleb adds far too excitedly.

“Oh, bonus!” I say, matching his energy. “I love when their mom is dead. It makes things so much easier around the holidays.”

Caleb laughs, turning to fill a cup with lime punch. “Here.” He holds it out to me before taking my mummified drink and tossing it into the trash can. “Eat however much you want, Win.”

I take the drink, leaning toward him. “That might be the sexiest thing you have ever said to me, Caleb.”

Just then, someone slaps my ass. “Is he flirting with you again? God, I’ve told you both so many times—if you’re going to have an affair, at least be discreet.”

“Buttercup! So nice of you to join us,” I say, smiling broadly.

“Love the costume . . . again.” Sarah sighs, pointing with a limp wrist to my elaborate pirate get-up.

“Until I grow a hand, this will still be prime comedy.” I jab her boob with my hook until she giggles, swatting me away.

“We have to go talk to a bunch of people, but do you want to sleep over tonight? I made up the spare bedroom and—”

“Yes, I will help clean up. I do it every year, babe,” I interrupt. “Go! Entertain your masses.”

Sarah jumbles the words thank-you-you’re-the-best into one long sequence as she tugs Caleb away like an extremely willing puppy on a leash.

“Great costumes,” an exceptionally drunk woman dressed as a red crayon slurs, walking toward me. The blue crayon next to her adds, “Think you might win the couples’ contest,” as they pass by.

Couples costume? Me? Single Winnie? Puh-lease.

They must have mistaken Caleb for a pirate and my betrothed. Westley was the Dread Pirate Roberts, after all. So it’s not a far-off presumption. But my pirate style is a lot more of your classic wench-whore. My boobs are practically earrings at this height, and my fishnet stockings are ripped from years of re-wear, giving them the perfect accidentally slutty look. My waist is cinched with a wide pleather belt, and I’ve tied a red bandanna around my shoulder-length black hair. That’s a new addition after my accompanying pirate’s hat was lost during last year’s debauchery. May she rest in peace.

I will keep wearing this costume until the joke gets old. That wasn’t a lie. But it’s also because—let’s be real—I look hot in it. Additionally, I’m too broke to buy something new. But let’s not talk about that.

There’s another layer of Sarah’s genius. Lock down the cutest computer geek as early as possible, make them fall madly in love with you, and then wait for them to become filthy rich. Now Sarah’s the fun friend full time. Party hostess, event planner, voracious reader, a childless housewife with a maid. She’s currently trying to decide between themes for my thirtieth birthday party, which still isn’t for another eighteen months.

“Pardon me?” a low, sardonic voice calls from behind me, making me turn.

Oh, there he is. The other pirate I’ve been unknowingly paired with. Though this one, I would certainly not make walk the plank.

My first thought? He’s tall. Really tall. As if his body was stretched out with a rolling pin before being placed into whatever magical golden boy oven he was baked in. He’s got that tousled, nineties-boy-band, middle-parted hair that’s suddenly back in style. It’s dark blond, which I can choose to forgive. He has a crooked smile that says get out while you can under a not-crooked but rugged nose and soft eyes. The juxtaposition of which is strikingly adorable.

“I’m so sorry,” he says without any sincerity, “but one of us has to change.”

“Oh my god,” I say, flattening my skirt before resting my hands on my waist. “This is so embarrassing. . . . What are the odds?”

“Right? I mean there’s no way either of us is winning the singles costume contest this way and”—he leans in to whisper by bending over at the waist, and he’s still taller than me—“I’m not wearing anything under this.”

I fight the laugh, not wanting this bit to end. I so rarely get a new sparring partner. Never one this cute.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. You should have planned better. I have a few costumes under this one.”

The corner of his lip twitches, but he seems to resist giving me any reaction beyond that. Challenge accepted.

“Such as?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“A Viking,” I answer.

“Now that you mention it, I do see a horn peeking out just a little.” He motions to the side of my head with a bent finger.

“That’s actually standard issue for all of Satan’s spawn, but I could see how you got confused.”

“Concerning. What else?”

“A sexy maid, of course,” I say, batting my lashes.

“Well, that I have to see,” he quips back far too quickly.

Here, I think, is where I win the laugh-off we’re pretending not to have. Shock value always wins.

Excerpted from Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. Copyright © 2024 by Hannah Bonam-Young. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Q&A: Hannah Bonam-Young, Author of ‘Next of Kin’

Elise Dumpleton — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 08:00:59 +0000

We chat with author Hannah Bonam-Young about Next of Kin, which follows two bickering strangers who are trying to foster their younger siblings, so they team up to create a stable home, but the chemistry between them threatens to undo their plans.

Hi, Hannah! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me! My name is Hannah Bonam-Young and I live in Niagara Falls, Canada with my childhood-friend-turned-husband, Ben, and our two kids. I’m the author of three previously independently published romance novels that are being rereleased this year by Dell (Penguin Random House). I’m obsessed with my orange cat, Higgins, (named after a beloved character from Ted Lasso), Taylor Swift, all genres of books, and spend far too much time watching reality tv and scrolling TikTok.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I started writing “poetry” when I was a kid because I had a lot of feelings—haha. From the third grade onwards, I was a frequent flyer at my school’s library and devoured multiple books a week. Everything from classics like Anne of Green Gables to Jane Blonde and the entire Rainbow Fairies series. English was always my favorite subject in school and I knew from a young age that books were always going to be my ideal way to escape. In middle school I began writing stories of my own and never really stopped.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: Anne of Green Gables
The one that made you want to become an author: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang or Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

**Your latest novel, Next of Kin, is out February 6^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Comforting, tender, thoughtful, romantic, and hopeful.

What can readers expect?

Next of Kin is a romance novel about two bickering strangers forced to move into the same apartment in order to qualify for guardianship of their younger siblings. I think it would be a great fit for readers who enjoy found-family, forced proximity, a strong female lead overcoming people pleasing tendencies, and a grumpy but secretly a softie hero. Readers can also expect some open-door spicy scenes after a slow-burn.

**Where did the inspiration for Next of Kin come from?**

While driving a few years ago I heard a local news story about two grandparents who’d met in an online forum and had decided to move in together in order to qualify for guardianship of their grandchildren who had been placed in foster care. They successfully raised those kids together in an unconventional household and I thought that was so beautiful and affirming.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love any scene with Warren’s younger brother, Luke. Luke is Deaf and communicates exclusively with American Sign Language. He’s incredibly sarcastic, a little bit of a trouble-maker, and enjoys riling up his big brother. Luke and Chloe form such a fun, unique bond and I love all the moments in which they awkwardly navigate their new familial dynamic, wind up Warren together, or whenever Luke cares for Chloe’s newborn baby sister, Willow.

What do you love about the romance genre?

Is “everything” too vague? Because, honestly, everything. I love witnessing two characters fall in love. I love that romance novels reflect what is arguably humanity’s most universal experience and shows us that despite all our messy, flawed parts we are all worthy and capable of receiving and giving love. Plus, as someone who deals with anxiety, I’m glad there’s a genre with a guaranteed happy ending.

What’s next for you?

Next to You, the sequel to Next of Kin, comes out April 9 and Out on a Limb comes out June 4th! I’m finishing up my next project and will be able to talk more about that later this year—which I am very excited about.

Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?

SO many! The Catch by Amy Lea, Right on Cue by Falon Ballard, Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle, Match Me If You Can by Swati Hegde, Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman, This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan, Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage, Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia, The Rule Book by Sarah Adams, Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, Daydream by Hannah Grace, Napkins and Other Distractions by M.A. Wardell, The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava, Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi, and The Design of Us by Sajni Patel.

You can find Hannah on Instagram and Tiktok, and at her website.

Will you be picking up Next of Kin? Tell us in the comments below!

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