Releasing July 9th 2024, The Next Best Fling sees two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

The book community can moan and groan about love triangles all they want—I’ll be on the couch with my Kindle and a snack because I eat it up every single time. Whether it’s time to move on from an unrequited love, exes who stick around to wreak havoc when someone new enters the chat, a main character torn between two siblings, or even a love square, there’s something so captivating to me about these complicated dynamics of the heart.

Love’s a mess, and sometimes we’re not sure what we want until we navigate our way through it. I had a blast exploring the messier dynamics in The Next Best Fling, and it’s one of my favorite aspects to read in romance books.

Here are some messy romances that had my eyes glued to the page, and if quite a few of these also involve fake dating? I guess you could say I have a type.

Complicated Exes

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake

After a (failed) one night stand with an unlucky in love romance author leads Stevie’s friend group, including her ex who’s now dating within said friend group, to believe she’s finally moving on, Stevie will have to fake date the woman to save face. Luckily, Iris is in desperate need of inspiration for her next book, and what better way to beat her writers block than living out a beloved romance trope?

The Bright Falls series explores the joys and complexities of queer friendships in beautiful and fascinating ways. Stevie is put in an awkward position, but it’s made even worse when her ex’s jealousy comes out once Stevie and Iris start fake dating. I loved the way Iris helped Stevie through her anxiety, and it was so satisfying to watch Stevie break down Iris’s walls and convince her she’s worthy of love. And while the series overall is fever hot, this book is the hottest by far.

Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop

Janelle is completely over her ex. Is it a little weird that he’s now engaged to her sister? Completely, but she’s always known he was wrong for her on some level, despite all the pitying glances she now gets from her friend group. When her ex’s best friend and best man, Rome, joins everyone for the destination wedding, they can’t deny their attraction to each other. After all, he’s always had a thing for Janelle even when she was with his best friend. Their friends might think the worst of Janelle if they knew what was going on between her and Rome, but their fling will last only for the week leading up to the wedding, so it’s no problem…right?

Rome is the book boyfriend we all deserve. Renting a yacht all because Janelle’s one wish for the wedding getaway was to read in peace by the water? The definition of if he wanted to, he would. He stands firmly beside Janelle as she discovers the true reason her sister has become so cold with her recently as the wedding date creeps closer and closer.

Brothers

My American Duchess by Eloisa James

Merry Pelford is infamous in English society for jilting two fiancés, which is why she intends to make it down the aisle with her third come hell or high water. Enter the aforementioned hell and highwater: The Duke of Trent, AKA her current fiancé’s older brother, who has his eye set on Merry after a chance encounter leaves him wanting more. But the consequences of their attraction might be even greater than they both realize…

Something I love about historical romances is that they’re always going to have the most delightfully unhinged plotlines. There is a point in this book where I audibly gasped, shouted “no way” and paced the length of my bedroom. Just when you think this book is going one direction, the rug gets pulled out from underneath you. Just trust me on this one, Eloisa James is a staple in hist-rom for a reason.

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath

Edward has always held a torch for his twin brother’s wife, Julia. But when an expedition abroad goes terribly wrong, his brother’s dying wish is for Edward to take his place as the Earl of Greyling until Julia delivers her baby safely to term. As Edward is pretending to be the Earl and falling for his brother’s wife more and more every day, he knows he can’t keep up the ruse for much longer. But the deception may be too great for Julia to ever look past, no matter how conflicted her heart.

Speaking of unhinged plots? Lorraine Heath hasn’t met a line she’s not willing to cross for the sake of a really good romance. Not everyone will be able to get behind Edward’s actions, but this book was so expertly crafted that I could not put this book down until the conflict was resolved and he and Julia had their well-deserved HEA.  

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

What’s more humiliating than being left at the altar? Being a wedding planner and a jilted bride at the same time. So when Lina receives an opportunity to change the downward trajectory of her career, she’ll do anything for the chance to prove herself. Even if it means collaborating with Max, her ex fiancé’s brother, the man who encouraged him to leave her at the altar…

Packed with Mia Sosa’s sparkling brand of humor and hijinks, this is the perfect set up for an incredible forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers rom-com that explores Lina’s long-held grudge as she begins to thaw and Max’s rocky sibling relationship as he reckons with the fact that he’s falling for his brother’s ex fiancé.

Unrequited Love

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

After Meghna’s best friend, writing partner, and object of her affection gets engaged, she knows it’s time for her to move on. After agreeing to let her parents introduce her to a potential match, she meets Karthik, who isn’t interested in forming anything real but is looking for a way to get out of his mom’s matchmaking schemes. Maybe fake dating someone else will make Meghna forget all about her crush and get Karthik’s mom off his back. That is, if they don’t accidentally fall for each other in the process.

A delightful twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding—Meghna and Karthik’s banter and sizzling chemistry won me over immediately. It was so lovely to watch Karthik convince Meghna that she deserves so much more for herself than the scraps she receives from her best friend/unrequited love.

The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

Joy has secretly been in love with her best friend, Malcolm, for forever, but when he announces that he’s found the love of his life, she’s crushed. Even worse, he wants Joy to go on a weekend getaway with his newfound love and a man named Fox, who has a complicated relationship with Malcolm’s girlfriend. After forming a tentative bond, Fox proposes they pretend to have a fling to get make Malcolm jealous, but surprise themselves when they realize they might actually be right for each other.

Joy knows her approach to relationships is different from others because of her asexual identity, which is partly why she clings to the idea of Malcolm because of their shared experiences and years of friendship. But it isn’t until she meets Fox that she realizes she’s been doing herself a disservice by holding herself back from other opportunities for love. The complicated dynamics between these four characters are explored with humor and self-reflection, and it was incredibly beautiful how the resolution between everyone was handled with so much care.

The post Gabriella Gamez’s Favourite Messy Romance Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We had the pleasure of chatting with author Lorraine Heath about her new novel Scoundrel of My Heart, writing, book recommendations, and much more!

Hi, Lorraine! Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hello! Thank you so much your interest. I am a bestselling author of Victorian-set historical romance. My first book was published in 1994. Hard to believe it was so long ago, but time has passed quickly. I have a BA in psychology from the University of Texas, which has aided me over the years when developing my characters. I live in Texas, near Dallas, with my husband and a rescue mutt, Jake, named after the hero in my first novel.

After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?

My goal is to strive for optimism and to seek out joy wherever I can find it. It did hit a bit of a snag during February when the cold weather hit Texas and wreaked havoc with so many lives. However, we were incredibly fortunate. Lost power for only 50 minutes. Never lost water, had no pipes freeze so much to be thankful for.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer. It was the first romance I read, and I fell in love with the genre. I hadn’t been much of a reader before that book, but afterward I was devouring any romance I could get my hands on. It remains on my keeper shelf and still serves as the occasional comfort read.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love writing. From an early age, I kept a diary and would write lengthy letters to my grandmother and great-aunts in England. I was seven when I wrote my first story—it involved a fisherman who fell in love with a mermaid.

Your new novel, Scoundrel of My Heart, releases on March 30^th 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Love redeems and conquers all.

What can readers expect?

Two characters who have to come into their own and be willing to let go of the past in order to embrace a future together. As with most of my stories, it’s an emotional read with a few unexpected twists here and there.

Where did the inspiration for Scoundrel of My Heart come from?

When I was researching another book, I discovered situations where the Crown would take away a noble’s title and properties. I wanted to explore how someone, who thought he knew what his life would be and had the comforts of prestige and power, would adjust if he suddenly lost everything and was unprepared for the life he now found himself living.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you overcame them?

Because the hero and heroine have a past, I found it challenging to give the reader a glimpse into that past without letting it take over the story. In the end, I changed how I had originally envisioned the story opening and what brought the characters back together. Because I’m not an outliner, I often have to rework various aspects of my story to ensure I give the reader a thoroughly enjoyable read. I do a lot of revising, writing scenes from different points of view to determine which is the best way to convey the story.

If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

One of my favorite moments is when the hero and heroine meet up after they haven’t seen each other for nearly a year. After his family lost everything, the hero has become hardened. The heroine, learning he had taken advantage of some information she’d shared with him in secret, has lost her innocence and now has an edge to her. When they meet up again, it’s at his newly established club. They are in a room with the door open, having words, and he dismisses her. I love her reaction. “I’m not done with you yet.” And she slams the door shut to finish confronting him.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

The best: Write the story the way you think it needs to be written. It can be reworked later if need be.

The worst: Never have a prologue. No exceptions.

What’s next for you?

Next up, is The Duchess Hunt, Sept. 28, 2021. In Scoundrel of My Heart, the reader will be introduced to the Duke of Kingsland and he is the hero of the next book. In his story, he has tasked his secretary, Penelope Pettypeace, with finding him a wife. The problem: she’s in love with him.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

• Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean
• The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe
• The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
• The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne
• Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay
• Beach Read by Emily Henry

Will you be picking up Scoundrel of My Heart? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Lorraine Heath, Author of ‘Scoundrel of My Heart’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Lorraine: First I have to say how much I enjoyed reading My Kind of Earl and getting to know these characters. You bring their world alive with your sumptuous descriptions. In the opening, you paint such a vibrant portrait of London at night that I truly experienced Raven walking through it. He is a wonderful male lead. I fell in love with him in the first scene when he purchased wilting flowers from an elderly woman. Like Beast in my story, Raven doesn’t know anything about his background or parents. How did not knowing his past shape him?

Vivienne: Thank you so much! I’m beyond thrilled that you enjoyed Jane and Raven’s story.

In answer to your question, not knowing anything about his past and enduring the abuses he suffered were the very things that compelled Raven to create a life of his own making. He didn’t want anyone to have power over him again. But it’s also, for this very reason, that he’s afraid of what Jane might discover. He has worked hard to become the man he is and he doesn’t want to risk losing that, too. So the more Jane pushes to find out the origins of the strange birthmark on his arm, the more he wants to turn back. And yet, there’s also part of him that needs to know who his parents are and why they left him on the doorstep of the foundling home so that he can finally have answers and take full possession of who he really is.

And as for your story… Beauty Tempts the Beast is a thoroughly entrancing romance. From the very beginning, you captivated me with these dynamic characters. And Benedict Trewlove is utterly swoon-worthy! He’s a big, broad-shouldered hero with a dark past and a soft spot for the less fortunate. I just love him! So much of his life could have easily turned him mean and bitter, but instead he has a strong code of honor. How much did growing up being called “Beast” shape him?

Lorraine: Being called Beast had a large impact on his attitude toward others. Originally, he fought it and those who addressed him as such—but his siblings fought alongside him, which helped him to realize his family had his back. Throughout the series, he never says, “My name is Beast.” He always says, “They call me Beast” or “I’m known as Beast” and he does it as a way of having control. “They may see me that way, but I don’t see myself as such. However, rather than continue to fight to be known under a different name, I took the power away from them by saying, ‘All right, call me Beast.’” Because of his beginnings, he is always standing up for others and striving to show them how to take advantage of what power they might have. 

Speaking of power . . . Newton’s apple! I love Jane. Her inquisitive scientific mind is wonderful. I love how she thinks about and responds to kisses in such physiological terms. Did writing her require a lot of research? And how did you come up with “Newton’s apple” as her response where other’s might use profanity?

Vivienne: I had so much fun writing Jane. She believes she’s perfectly logical. So, when she requires insight into the differences between gentlemen and scoundrels, her mind instantly jumps to studying her subjects inside a brothel. To her it makes perfect sense. And since she’s a character who is prepared for every possible outcome, I gave her a giant red paisley reticule to keep her supplies on hand. At the end of the first scene, she uses (what she refers to as) her urgent escape smoke. And yes, I did research the potential ingredients for this, along with other sorts of incendiary devices that might have been available during a firework exhibition at Vauxhall or on the stage of the theatre. And considering all the weird things I’ve googled, I’m pretty sure I’m on a government list by now. As for Newton’s apple… Jane just didn’t seem like the kind of heroine who would think in terms of dear heavens or gracious sakes. However, I did briefly consider having her exclaim Galileo! until I found myself singing Bohemian Rhapsody all day.

And I have to say that your heroine is simply amazing! Althea Stanwick has a no-nonsense approach to choosing a life of her own making. I love the way she decides to accept Beast’s offer and then makes a scandalous counteroffer of her own. And the passion between these two is absolutely explosive (… that glove scene…the corset scene)! This book should be sold with a fan. You have such skill in creating chemistry between your characters and building the intensity between them. My question is, are the love scenes something you look forward to writing or do they make you blush?

Lorraine: Too funny about Bohemian Rhapsody. Now I’m not going to be able to get the tune out of my head. Maybe I’ll sing it the next time I write a love scene. After writing 44 books with love scenes, keeping them fresh is becoming a little challenging, and to be honest, there are times where I’ll put [insert love scene here] because it actually takes an emotional toll and sometimes I’m not ready to expend that energy yet. I don’t know about you, but I find it draining when writing the emotional scenes, and usually I find the love scenes change the relationship between the characters and tend to be pivotal moments in the story. I will write them late at night, with only the computer and a dim light glowing. I also always listen to a thunderstorm CD that I’ve used for over twenty-five years now to set the mood.

I’m utterly fascinated with Raven. Without revealing any spoilers, from the moment you envisioned him, did you always know the journey his life would take or did it come as a surprise?

Vivienne: I sort of knew from the first moment he appeared on the page in The Rogue to Ruin. As I was typing up the description for this subordinate character with inky dark hair, pale eyes, and a past so dark he never spoke about it, the rest of it flooded me all at once. And I was like, of course! He’s Tarzan in London! Being the oh-so organized writer that I am *cough*, I jotted down a thoroughly descriptive “Raven is Tarzan” on one of 2.3 billion Post-it notes littering my desk, then went back to writing the main story. The surprise came with wrapping up the details of the villains. Thankfully, my youngest happens to be a plotting guru and he gave me the insight I needed.

The way you wrote Benedict and Thea’s world, it is so vivid with lush descriptions and interesting sub-characters that I could easily imagine stepping through the doors with them. Did the inspiration for the brothel come from an actual building you found in your research? And in regard to your sub-characters… I have to know… will Jewel have her own story in the future?

Lorraine: I did read about some brothels that were very fancy indeed, but I didn’t model this one on a specific house of ill repute. For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated by brothels. My first published book has a Texas setting and a brothel. The last time I was in a New Orleans, I had dinner with some readers at a restaurant that was converted from a brothel and I looked at those chandeliers and imagined all that had happened beneath them. So it’s probably that building more than anything that influenced the way I described the one in this book. As for Jewel, I don’t know if she will ever get her story, but I do know who I’d like to match her with . . . so who knows? Maybe I’ll find a way to work her story in.

Jane’s inquisitiveness and her need for answers drives a lot of the story—she’s just not willing to let a question go unanswered and I felt like she had a lot of influence over Raven. She is such a strong female lead. Since you’ve kindly shared some of your past research tidbits with me, I know you enjoy discovering the details of things others might not even wonder about. So in some ways, Jane reminded me of you. Do you identify with her or share any traits?

Vivienne: In a way, I do identify with Jane. We both have somewhat unconventional ways of finding answers. She, too, can easily fall into a research rabbit hole. I can only imagine what her Google search history might look like! But Jane is much braver in her “real life” than I am. Where I might wonder what it would be like to enter a brothel under the cover of darkness—for research purposes, of course—she doesn’t hesitate to turn that thought into action.

Lorraine: I’d be right there with you—not going into the brothel. But I was certainly rooting Jane on in her exploration. I’m thoroughly enjoying your Mating Habits for Scoundrels series. Lord Holt Takes a Bride pulled me and now My Kind of Earl has me anxious for the next. When will we see the third book, and can you give us any hints about it?

Vivienne: The third book, The Wrong Marquess, will be available in 2021. This is Ellie’s story and it has a love triangle between herself and the marquess she’s wanted to marry all her life and the marquess who keeps getting in the way. If you’ve read Ten Kisses to Scandal from my previous series, The Misadventures of Matchmaking, then you’ve already met one of the marquess’s. Hint: He was London’s most elusive bachelor.

And speaking of wrapping things up for our characters… Beauty Tempts the Beast is such a wonderful story to wrap up your Sins for All Seasons series in a perfect bow. You are so adept at layering mystery upon mystery that I find myself needing to know more about Althea’s brothers. Is there something on the horizon for Marcus and Griffith, and can you share a bit with us?   

Lorraine: I can’t wait for The Wrong Marquess. I’m so glad you enjoyed the wrap up to the Sins for All Seasons series. It’s always hard to say goodbye to a cast of characters. Yes, there is a future for Althea’s brothers. Through that family, I wanted to explore what happens when your destiny is snatched away from you. So in Scoundrel of My Heart coming in April 2021, Griff will start the Once Upon a Dukedom series. After experiencing London’s darker side, the spoiled spare becomes a man to be reckoned with, hard and unforgiving, until a woman from his past shows him how to love again.

Vivienne: That ticks every box for the perfect romance. I can’t wait!

Will you be picking up either or both books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Authors In Conversation: Vivienne Lorret and Lorraine Heath appeared first on The Nerd Daily.