Read on to discover our picks and tell us if you have enjoyed reading any of them this year!

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lush and visual, chock-full of delicious recipes, Roselle Lim’s magical debut novel is about food, heritage, and finding family in the most unexpected places.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days gets a millennial makeover in this romantic comedy by USA Today bestselling author Andie J. Christopher.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…

No Judgments by Meg Cabot
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life…

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

After an “oops, we made a mistake” night together, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times bestselling author of Pucked and The Good Luck Charm delivers a Hollywood happily-ever-after where a famous heartthrob falls for his ultimate fangirl in this sexy standalone romantic comedy.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville’s top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it’ll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy
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In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Can a romcom-obssessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Talia Hibbert, one of contemporary romance’s brightest new stars, delivers a witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who’s tired of being “boring” and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang.

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
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Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the critically acclaimed author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart…

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
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An unforgettable romantic comedy about a woman who finally has a shot at her long time crush—if she dares.

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal comes a dazzling new novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne
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From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne comes the second delightfully charming installment in the Central Park Pact series, following a young widow whose newfound cynicism about love is challenged by a sexy, rough-around-the-edges contractor.

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.

The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem
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In Zara Raheem’s fresh, funny, smart debut, a young, Muslim-American woman is given three months to find the right husband or else her traditional Indian parents will find one for her–a novel with a universal story that everyone can relate to about the challenges of falling in love.

Faker by Sarah Smith
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Debut author Sarah Smith nails this fun and sexy multicultural romance where two office foes hammer out their differences to build a love that will last…

What was your favourite 2019 romance read? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Best Romance Books of 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Romantic high stakes fantasy is always an interesting concept for a novel, and to be honest, it quite often falls short of expectation one way or another. And yet, somehow, in Kingdom of Exiles… it all worked.

Beast charmer Leena Edenfrell knows two things. One, she can’t go home (being exiled will do that to a girl), and two, even though it kills her, selling her magical beasts is the only way to fill her pockets. Unfortunately, selling things on the black market isn’t a great way to stay unnoticed, and Leena has ended up with a price on her head despite her best efforts.

Enter Noc, murderer-for-hire and attractive thorn in Leena’s side. Desperate to avoid death, Leena makes him a deal, she’ll supply him with four magical beasts, and he doesn’t kill her. Sounds simple enough. Unbeknownst to Leena, however, is the magical contract that bids Noc to complete all his contracts, and despite his growing affection for the beast charmer… he can’t place her life ahead of the rest of his guild.

Okay, so here’s the thing about fantasy romance, or paranormal romance for that matter. Lately, there’s been a trend towards it being somewhat formulaic with a heavy push on the romance, which is fine, but it doesn’t make for the most interesting read of all time. Kingdom of Exiles doesn’t fall into that category, it’s not your typical romance novel that just happens to be set in a fantasy world. And to be honest, it’s actually a fairly well rounded fantasy novel all on it’s own, but just with more sex.

That’s probably the one thing I’ll mention earlier in the review rather than later – this book is marketed at being a fantasy romance for a reason friends! And that reason is the sex. It’s in there. Consider yourself warned.

This book was pitched as Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts, and for the most part, it fits the bill of the second, with a little bit of Pokémon thrown in for good measure. The only link it has to Assassin’s Creed is the fact that there are assassins thrown in as there wasn’t any kind of exceptional parkour—just the normal kind of fight scenes you’d expect from a book about hired killers.

Leena is our beast charmer, a class of magic-possessing humans who have the ability to “tame” beasts that she finds (Pokémon style, but without the Poké Ball) and keep them in the magical beast realm that she can access (Fantastic Beasts, think Newt’s suitcase). After being banished from the charmer’s haven for a crime that she didn’t commit, Leena finds herself destitute and resorts to selling beasts to get by. Unfortunately, this draws her to the attention of the very people she fled from and she ends up with a bounty on her head.

I really liked Leena’s character as she was this really awesome blend of feminine and masculine. Her character combines sarcasm, wit, and badass fighting ability with the heart and soul of someone who cares so desperately about the people (and creatures) that she loves. It’s always great to see characters (male or female) that combine traits, and here, it made for a well-rounded and interesting character to read about. I will sometimes find myself skim reading internal dialogue, particularly if they’ve got a more annoying voice, and yet, I didn’t catch myself doing that with Leena.

Noc is the leader of the Cruor, a guild of reborn assassins that are essentially mercenaries for hire. His guild is tasked with ending the life of our intrepid beast charmer, but when the first attempt fails and she shows up on his doorstep with an injured assassin and a chip on her shoulder, they come to an arrangement – Leena provides Noc with beasts, and he doesn’t kill her. Of course, what he doesn’t tell her is that he has to kill her… or he himself will die in her stead. Noc is such a stereotypical hot, tortured male… and yet, he’s just such a cinnamon roll underneath it all that it’s okay.

Leena and Noc’s relationship is explosive, the sexual tension will quite literally sear itself into your mind, and as they take off on their journey with a few other of Noc’s Cruor compatriots, the banter and adventure really sets in.

The side characters are also a great addition to the story and they bring in a few different levels of friendship and familial love that tie together with Noc and Leena’s storyline in a beautiful way. Maxym uses the book as a way to explore bonds and love and friendship, and it manages to be surprisingly poignant in something that’s perceived to be “all about the sex” as romance novels often are.

The plot in Kingdom of Exiles is probably its weakest aspect, in comparison to the portrayal of relationships and character dynamic, but it was still interesting and we moved through a vivid (if simple) world along with our cadre as they hunt beasts and kick ass.

I found Kingdom of Exiles quite a surprise: it was a fun read, emotional at times, and quite dark during others (trigger warning for some fairly serious physical and mental assault at one point), and I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Kingdom of Exiles is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Have you read Kingdom of Exiles? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.

Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins…not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.

The post Review: Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us if you’ll be reading any in the comments below!

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favourite?

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast comes a heartfelt debut about the unlikely relationship between a young woman who’s lost her husband and a major league pitcher who’s lost his game.

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn
Goodreads | Amazon

All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I’m in a viral video for all the wrong reasons. Then, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who’d rather be anywhere other than on a date with me. Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation.

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.

The Accidental Girlfriend by Emma Hart
Goodreads | Amazon

Top Tip: Don’t put out an online ad offering your services as a fake date. Someone will take you up on it. And it won’t just be for one night. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up being Mason Jackson’s fake girlfriend.

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
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A modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.

A Girl Like You by Samantha Chase
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Sam Westbrook has always been the family hell-raiser. Now forced to move to the small coastal town of Magnolia Sound, Sam can’t escape the reputation that has followed him since his teenage years. But he’ll have to do it to get his inheritance. Shelby Abbott was always the good girl – it’s what happens when you’re the pastor’s daughter in a small town. Now, she’s ready to leave that image behind. But Sam’s ready to make some changes. And a girl like her is just who he needs.

The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery
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The Baxter sisters come from a long line of women with disastrous luck in love. But this summer, Sunshine and Margot will turn disasters into destiny…

The Two Week Arrangement by Kendall Ryan
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Dear Sexy AF Intern, I know you don’t particularly care that I’m the CEO of this company, and you’re just an intern. I also know you’re not impressed by my power or my wealth, and that’s fine. I’m not interested in starting something deep and meaningful, but what I am interested in is the way your body reacts to mine when we’re in the same room. You probably assume the concentration on my face is work-related, when in reality, I’m figuring out which I want more–to nail you against the wall, or to bend you over my desk.

Coldhearted Boss by R.S. Grey
Goodreads | Amazon

I’m desperate and destitute when Lockwood Construction rolls into my small town with an offer too good to pass up: high wages to any able-bodied man willing to join their crew. Say no more. I throw on baggy clothes, tuck my long hair under a baseball hat, and apply for a job. Unfortunately, my half-baked idea of disguising myself as a guy is flawed from the beginning. As Shakira says, these hips don’t lie.

Waiting For Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Can a romcom-obssessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey.

The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lorincz
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When a single mom ends up playing an unwilling fake girlfriend to a charming playboy baseball player, love suddenly turns everything upside down in this fun, heartwarming multicultural romance.

What June romance release are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2019 Book Releases: Romance appeared first on The Nerd Daily.