CHAPTER 1
TANSY

Of all the terrible decisions Tansy Perkins had made in her life, rescuing two parakeets in the middle of a hurricane had to be near the top of the list.

Already, the relentless rain had filled the Grant Gellman branch library parking lot, splashing over the tops of her yellow mid-calf wellies as she raced into the building. She was drenched by the time she reached the door, hair plastered to her forehead and cheeks, pale pink tank top sucked wet against her stomach and breasts. She regretted going braless, not that anyone was here to be scandalized by her nipples showing through the transparent cotton. No one in their right mind was out in this storm.

Tansy unlocked the heavy exterior door, flipped on one set of overhead lights, and jogged, squishing and squeaking, through the main circulation room while the fluorescents flickered to life. Inside their cage, the birds, one blue and one green, squawked at the disturbance, puffing up their feathers and pacing on their perches.

If anyone should have risked their neck to come fetch the parakeets during the storm, it absolutely should have been Marianne, who had recently donated them as branch pets without administrative approval. But because they were new, no one had established a bird-retrieval protocol in the event of a hurricane, and by the time Tansy’s daughter, Briar, asked who was keeping them safe, area roads were already starting to flood.

I’ll be in and out, back in ten minutes. That’s what she’d told her next-door neighbor, Dottie, when she left Briar with her. The scant three blocks between her house and the library couldn’t get that much worse in ten minutes.

The cage was so big her arms couldn’t reach all the way around it, and as soon as she hoisted it up, the water in the dish sloshed out onto her hip. The rain pounded urgently against the roof of the library. Tansy glanced around for a tarp or newspaper, anything to cover the open slats of the cage to keep the birds dry. Upon racing into meeting room A, she immediately spotted the big rainbow-colored parachute that she and the parents puffed up over the babies during story time. It was made of nylon or something—not totally waterproof, but good enough. She wrapped it around the cage, bear-hugged the load, and shuffled awkwardly back toward the entrance.

When she was halfway across the main room, the front door banged open.

“Who the hell is in here?” a deep voice boomed. “I swear, if you’re saving books in the middle of a hurricane—”

Tansy was just rounding the circulation desk into the foyer when the man barreled in and nearly slammed into her. She lurched back, bumping against the checkout counter. Underneath the parachute fabric, the birds let loose a volley of alarmed squawks.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” The man glanced back out the door at the dense veil of rain, then past Tansy into the dim library, where all the books were neatly slotted, and the Children’s Corner toys were stowed away in the chest under the Wish Tree. Finally, he focused on the covered cage, inside which the birds flapped and knocked about noisily. “What is that?”

“Birds.”

He crossed his arms over his sage green polo, which had the adjacent botanic gardens’ logo and a name—Jack—stitched onto the breast. It clung wetly to his broad shoulders and chest. His drenched khaki cargo pants were similarly plastered to his thick thighs. Water dripped from his longish, dark hair onto his collar. “Birds,” he said flatly.

“If the roads get worse, and we can’t get back for a few days, they’ll run out of food and water.”

“If the roads get worse,” Jack echoed, hands on hips, chest rising and falling quickly. Rivulets of water sluiced down his face, catching in his short beard. His thick eyebrows were wet, drawn together with a trench between them, and his nose had a prominent Roman bridge and severe slope. It was a face made for stern looks, just like the one he was giving her now. “You realize that’s a category four hurricane out there?”

His condescension lit a brush fire of shame just under her skin. She shifted the birdcage to her hip, forgetting it was shielding the view of her nipples. Until he tracked the movement, eyes blatantly tripping at her chest. “Of course,” she said, resisting covering herself and acknowledging another of her poor choices. “Why do you think I came for them?”

He shook his head tersely, sending droplets of water flying off the ends of his hair. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

His open scorn was needles under her nails. “I get it,” she snapped. “It’s a big storm. But I’m not an idiot. I was on my way out when you—”

“I was about to lock the gate,” he cut in. “Just happened to see your car. If I hadn’t, you’d be trapped in here.”

That thought sank through her like a cold stone. But for all this man’s urgency and judgment, he was the one holding her up. If not for him, she’d be locking the door by now.

“Risking your life for some fucking birds.” He knifed a hand at her cargo like it personally offended him.

“I couldn’t leave them to starve to death.”

“When the creek overflows its banks in about an hour, it’s gonna run directly through here. Won’t be inches. It’ll four, five feet, maybe more. They wouldn’t starve. They’d drown.”

Tansy gulped. She knew the library was prone to flooding. Just before she was hired last year, it had closed for a six-week renovation following a springtime flood that brought three inches of water into the building. But she hadn’t realized the nearby creek could rise so high, or so quickly. Pains in the ass or not, the birds drowning in their cage was an unbearable thought, followed immediately by what that much water would do to all the books. And to her house, half a mile away.

Shit. She should have heeded all the early warnings, should have taken Charlie’s offer to evacuate to his place in Dallas. But three days ago, that had seemed like an overreaction.

By the time the storm had intensified to a greater threat and admin closed all the branches yesterday, the traffic heading out of town was already congested, even with the southbound lanes reversed for contraflow. Maybe she still should have tried to leave. Instead, she’d driven all over her northeast Houston suburb with Briar and managed to snag a couple gallons of water, some bread, and peanut butter. She’d charged backup battery packs and filled the tub with water for flushing toilets, all the while hoping she was overpreparing.

But now, seeing this man’s incredulous expression, Tansy felt like an utter idiot. And a terrible mother. As hard as she tried to make better choices for herself and Briar, she kept winding up here, about to face the consequences of yet another crucial misjudgment.

“What are you, five-five? A buck thirty soaking wet?” Jack asked.

Tansy straightened to her full five feet, seven inches. “Excuse you. What does my size have to do with—”

“Forget it,” he said, sweeping his arm impatiently toward the exit. “We have to get out of here. Assuming you can make it out of the lot without flooding your engine.”

Was the water already that high? She’d been inside less than ten minutes.

“I get it, okay?” she snapped. “You don’t have to be a jerk.”

He ran a hand over his hair and clutched the back of his neck. He looked almost chastened. But then he said, “What even is that toy car out there?”

She huffed. “It’s a Civic.” She hoisted the cage back up, its bottom edge digging uncomfortably into her stomach. If he was in such a damn hurry, he could have helped with the cage. But he clearly already thought she was incompetent, and she wasn’t about to prove him right by asking for a hand.

“If you’re gonna run around in a flood, at least have the sense to drive a truck.”

The nerve of this man. She clenched her teeth and marched ahead of him. “Noted.”

Tansy’s first step onto the slick linoleum in the foyer sent her suddenly pitching forward. She fully expected to slam onto her knees, unable to break her fall without losing hold of the birds, but something hooked under her ribs and caught her mid-drop. The abrupt stop knocked the wind out of her, and all she could do for a few long seconds was open and close her mouth like a fish on land. Jack didn’t speak and didn’t immediately unhook his arm after pulling her back to standing. Finally, she caught a productive gasp, and he passed her to shove the door open, back to the business of rushing her out. No Are you okay? No Sorry for basically Heimliching you. Well, fine.

The overhang outside blocked the downpour, but the wind whipped the rain sideways at their backs and legs as Tansy wedged the cage between her hip and the door to lock up. Jack tapped his boot impatiently. “Come on. Hurry up.” She was already rehearsing the phone call she would make come Monday to his supervisor at Lerner Botanic Gardens. That would teach him not to be an asshole when his place of business and his name were embroidered right there on his shirt.

But as Tansy fantasized about his comeuppance, the rain-slick keys slipped her grasp and fell into the water. It churned above the curbs now, licking the underside of her car in the lot, sloshing up near her license plate. She froze, overwhelmed by the sudden lake between her car and the exit.

“Which one?” Jack had her keys now.

“The big one.”

He jammed it in quickly then dragged her away by her elbow. Rain beat with incredible force on her head and shoulders. His strides were too long, and she tripped after him. Jack indelicately manhandled the birdcage between the door frame and her folded-down front seat, then shoved the seat back into place with a loud thunk. When he turned to find her still frozen on the curb, he snapped, “Get. In.”

On principle, Tansy didn’t take orders from assholes. But in this case, with water sloshing onto her floorboard, she obeyed without a word.

“Follow me close,” he shouted over the rain, ducking his face near hers. “Stay on my bumper. The lot dips through the middle there. If you stop, you won’t make it. Got it?”

“Like . . . how close?” Her hands were slick on the steering wheel.

“Close. My truck will push the water out, but it’s gonna flow right back at you if you stop.”

“Okay, but—” Shit, she was suddenly so scared. She was sure he could see it all over her face, in the tremble of her chin and her wide eyes.

If he did notice, he had no patience for her panic. “Whatever you do, don’t fucking stop,” he said and then slammed the door.

Tansy followed his huge truck as closely as she could, tapping frequently on her brakes so she didn’t ram him, then lurching to catch back up. Just like he’d said, his truck pushed up high walls of water on either side of Tansy’s car. Her heart was fully lodged in her throat, hands clenched around the wheel so tightly they ached.

As they crossed the center of the lot, Tansy’s headlights submerged and dimmed, and for one brief, terrifying moment, all the warning lights on the dashboard flashed on. She was sure she was going to stall right there. Would Jack stop or just leave her behind? What if she got trapped? If she couldn’t push her door open? The power windows wouldn’t work. She didn’t have one of those window breaker things. Why had she never bought one of those?

Tansy couldn’t breathe. She hunched forward over the steering wheel, nearly pressing her forehead to the windshield.

But just as quickly as the warning lights flashed on, they blinked off, and her car kept going. Soon they were ascending the slope of the lot up onto the road. Jack pulled through the gate and parked on the shoulder. On his jog back to lock the gate, he bent to meet her eyes through her window. Despite the rain and chaos, he didn’t break away immediately, just held his gaze on her and saw her face crumple with the threat of tears before she controlled it. He nodded as if to say, I know. And for that brief moment, Tansy felt seen and okay. Then a loud bang on the roof of her car startled her—his fist—and he waved her on.

The short drive home was a panic-ridden eternity. Even on the most aggressive setting, her windshield wipers barely cleared the rain for brief glimpses of the street ahead of her. After hydroplaning twice, her stomach plunging to the floorboard both times, Tansy steered to the higher middle of the road. She couldn’t even see the center line, could only guess where it was.

Finally, Tansy pulled into her driveway, half of which had disappeared into the wide canal the road had become. Teeth chattering so violently it hurt, she killed the ignition, hugged the steering wheel, and sobbed.

Once she composed herself enough to mask her distress from Briar, she muscled the birdcage from the back seat and hissed shakily into the parachute cover, “Sure hope you’re worth all that, you lucky little shits.”

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Where You’re Planted’ by Melanie Sweeney appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

Sure! I write character-driven, trope-filled, contemporary romance in which ordinary people find extraordinary love! I live in Texas with my husband, three kids, and way too many cats but dream of being a person who summers in cooler climates. I read almost exclusively via audiobooks. Two years ago, I started taking figure skating lessons as a complete beginner to the sport, and aside from writing and reading romance, it’s my favorite thing to do. I also enjoy hand embroidery, playing Taylor Swift songs on my ukulele, and naming all the stray cats in my neighborhood.

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

I received a Christmas gift when I was about four or five, a Sony recorder, which had a microphone, and you could record yourself talking or singing onto blank tapes. I used to carry it around and tell little stories into it. Pretty much from the time I could hold a pencil, though, I told stories on paper. I remember having to ask for an extension on an autobiography assignment in third grade because I hand-wrote eighteen pages instead of the two or three my classmates did. I wrote my first chapter-length manuscript at twelve. It’s been a lifelong affair!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary.
• The one that made you want to become an author: All of those Ramona books!
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Your debut novel, Take Me Home, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Messy people who are trying.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect a feel-good romance with a little angst and a little spice, some family drama, small town whimsy, forced proximity/only one bed, and a grumpy/sunshine pairing where she’s prickly but secretly soft, and he’s a patient, pining sweetheart.

Where did the inspiration for Take Me Home come from?

The origin of the book came from a pretty simple idea: a guy and a girl fight over the best chair in a coffeehouse. It’s still the opening situation of the book, even though Hazel and Ash pretty quickly leave the café behind and road-trip across Texas to their hometown.

Before that specific idea came to me, at the end of 2019, I had been watching a bunch of Hallmark holiday movies and felt desperate for a Christmassy romcom with more emotional depth, higher stakes, weirder and more specific characterization, and more heat. I don’t write screenplays, so it had to be a novel. The holiday aspects ultimately took a bit of a backseat to the more timeless themes in the book — one reviewer called it “not overly bedecked.” But it will still scratch that itch if readers are looking for a Christmas in July read or, like me, they’re simply yearning for a cool escape this time of year.

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

First of all, before this book, I had been working on a different novel – not a romance – that was very depressing, so this was a total joy compared to that, pretty much the whole way through!

One scene I really enjoyed writing is in the first part of the book, when Ash and Hazel stop at a very quirky place for dinner. In my original manuscript, it was a Subway restaurant – nothing special. But my editor pushed me to make it more specific, and I remembered this diner from the town I grew up in as a kid in Kansas where you ordered your meal from a phone at the table. This was in the early 90s, before cell phones, so it was a more novel idea at the time! I changed the setting from a Subway to my own version of that diner and added in this wonderfully weird waitress, and the entire scene suddenly became very funny and fresh. It was such a joy to discover that kind of energy so late into the editorial process. Readers tell me it’s the funniest scene in the book, and I think that’s true!

This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

As I mentioned, before Take Me Home, I was writing a different kind of book. I went the MFA route, so there was a long stretch during my program and after when I was writing a more emotionally restrained kind of story. Even though I’ve read a lot of romance throughout my life, my program didn’t focus on genre fiction, so I wrote all these short stories about families and grief, but I’d slip in romance tropes and beats and hope people didn’t call me out for it! Marriage in trouble and second chance themes were a great compromise between romance and more typical workshop stories. I did write a pretty classic sibling’s best friend moment into my MFA thesis, and that did not quite fly under the radar!

Post-MFA, I wrote a lot of different things – nonfiction, poetry, a chunk of a novel. I was also starting my family at that time and had a colicky baby and then, a few years later, twins, so my writing process and my literary interests changed a lot. I started Take Me Home about seven years after my MFA. My kids were old enough by then that I could more fully commit to a big project, and I think all those years gave me time to find the right kind of story for me, which is romantic comedy that’s grounded in realism and has a strong emotional lean to it. That gap also gave me time to hone my craft and learn a lot about revision before I ever took a project that next step toward traditional publication. I spent about two and a half years writing and revising Take Me Home, and things happened pretty quickly after that.

What’s next for you?

I’ll be on tour for this book July 9^th through the 17^th, and then I’ll be right back to work on revising my next book, which is a romantic comedy set in Houston in the aftermath of a hurricane. It’s a story about resilience, recovery, and hope after disaster, told through the lens of a super-swoony romance.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?

That would be way too long of a list, so let me mention some standout romance debuts I’ve read this year! Naina Kumar’s Say You’ll Be Mine, Laura Piper Lee’s Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair, Etta Easton’s The Kiss Countdown, Maggie North’s The Rules for Second Chances, and Ingrid Pierce’s Not You Again. I’ve also read early copies of Ellie Palmer’s Four Weekends and a Funeral and Jamie Harrow’s One on One, both of which blew me away and come out in August and September. I’m excited for Alexandra Vasti’s Ne’er Duke Well, out in just a couple of weeks.

You can find Melanie on Instagram and Facebook, along with at her website and her newsletter.

Will you be picking up Take Me Home? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Melanie Sweeney, Author of ‘Take Me Home’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In need of a good swoon? Well get ready for all of the exciting romance books hitting shelves in the second half of 2024! With new releases from Emma Lord, Tessa Bailey, Jessica Joyce, Hannah Grace, Andie Burke, Carissa Broadbent, Lyla Sage, Nora Roberts, Sangu Mandanna, Lana Ferguson, and many more, along with those making their sweet debuts!

With just about every trope explored to historical romances and fantasy romances, you’ll be sure to find something for your romance-loving heart!

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and also be sure to check out our Most Anticipated list.

JULY 2024

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti

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In this steamy Regency romp, Lady Selina is determined to find the Duke of Stanhope the perfect wife―the only problem is she’s starting to think that might be her.

Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream by Tehlor Kay Mejia

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A small-town bartender juggles motherhood and a sexual awakening in this heartwarming queer friends-to-lovers romance from the author of Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review.

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton

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Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with an all-new sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny…

The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

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A fake engagement, second chances, and newfound family members come together in this new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the “swoon-worthy” (Business Insider) The Spanish Love Deception.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

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A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up…

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney

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A spicy, swoony frenemies-to-lovers romance, whilst full of heart, humour, and heft – and offers a moving ode to the people and places we call home.

What’s in a Kiss? by Lauren Kate

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From # 1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate comes an enemies-to-lovers “what if” romance about a prom kiss that never was, and one woman’s magical chance to live what might have been.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

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The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

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Set against a sizzling-hot Greek summer filled with sunshine and souvlaki, Rufaro Faith Mazarura’s Let the Games Begin is a page-turning debut rom-com about two strangers at the top of their game.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

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Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance from the USA Today bestselling author of You, with a View.

The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle

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The Rocky Mountains get unBEARably hot in Katie Ruggle’s brand-new series packed with adventure, action, tall dark & scruffy heroes, and a sense of quirky humor that will be your next perfect escape.

AUGUST 2024

Miranda in Retrograde by Lauren Layne

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After getting passed over for tenure and having her life upended in the process, a physics professor decides to throw caution to the wind and live by her horoscope predictions for a year in this effervescent rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Made in Manhattan.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

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The hardest thing for a paranormal conspiracy theorist and a web series producer to believe in is finding love in this swoony debut romantic comedy.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

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Two best friends who haven’t spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional novel.

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno

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The beloved New York Times bestselling author of Birds of California hits it out of the park with this smart, sexy, thrilling take on the celebrity-athlete story—a funny, sizzling, ripped-from-the-headlines romance between an international pop star and a major league baseball player who thought his best days were behind him.

I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram

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A smart, tender, vivacious romantic comedy about mistaken identities, the line between love and sex, and the way one night—and one person—can change your life forever.

Daydream by Hannah Grace

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The third in the New York Times bestselling Maple Hills series follows fan-favorite Henry and a bookish fellow student who come up with a plan to help them both overcome their respective challenges in a difficult year.

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

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A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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From the creator of the viral TikTok videos about the sunshine assistant to the evil villain and their unexpected romance comes the second book in the hotly-anticipated fantasy romance series.

You’re the Problem, It’s You by Emma R. Alban

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The enemies-to-lovers queer Victorian romance follow-up to Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, in which a young lord and a second son clash, but find themselves thrust together again and again by their meddling cousins.

Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai

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Diamond necklaces, billionaires, Mafia bosses, and student loans—it’s all in a day’s work for Simi Chopra and her ragtag heist crew in the next romantic-comedy caper from Sara Desai.

Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller

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In this sparkling romance, two professors with a complicated past get a second chance to prove history won’t repeat itself.

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

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It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits in this new series from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

SEPTEMBER 2024

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz

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After reconnecting on a road trip, two friends must decide if love is the ultimate risk worth taking in this funny, emotional sapphic romance.

The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain

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Business or Pleasure meets Evvie Drake Starts Over in this delicious opposites-attract romance from debut author Sarah Chamberlain.

All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard

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Two rival authors—and ex’s—are thrown together just in time for the holidays in this delightful new romantic comedy from beloved author Falon Ballard.

Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen

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A rollicking, unforgettable romance about two strangers finding love despite their best efforts as they embark on a sweeping matchmaking tour through Việt Nam, perfect for readers of Carley Fortune and Abby Jimenez.

Fall For Him by Andie Burke

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In Fall for Him by Andie Burke, seven-hundred-fifty square feet isn’t enough for the home-renovation-fueled hatred and the building sexual tension.

The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose

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Equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean expertly weaves the wonder and terror of falling in love into a beautifully crafted story about the joy that can be found when you’re willing to dust yourself off and try again.

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

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A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.

Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

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From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

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Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Can’t Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan

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A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

One On One by Jamie Harrow

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For readers of The Hating Game and The Ex Talk, a workplace, enemies-to-lovers debut for anyone yearning for a courtside romance, perfect for anyone who can’t get enough sports rom-coms.

OCTOBER 2024

Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore

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A hilarious and heartfelt rom-com about having it all, slowing down to see the big picture, and finding out that the person you least expect could be your perfect fit

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

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From the author of The Christmas Wager comes a charming holiday rom-com about a young, recently heartbroken woman who is tasked by her sister to complete Advent calendar challenges in the lead up to Christmas to reignite her belief in herself, the holidays, and love again.

The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky

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The Santa Clause meets Husband Material in this delightful holiday novel!

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

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When doppelgänger best friends trade one’s cabin Christmas vacation for the other’s Hawaiian would’ve-been-honeymoon, both might just find love they weren’t expecting.

Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll

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A big-hearted small-town romance from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll, Some Like it Cold is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Talia Hibbert and Gilmore Girls.

I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

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In this smart and swoony adventure rom-com, a journalist and a movie star find themselves teaming up to cover up a murder…and falling for each other in the process.

The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling

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Erin Sterling brightens up the Winter Solstice with another delightfully spooky novel following Bowen Penhallow and the girl he feels strangely drawn to—especially when she becomes his only hope of salvation after a strong spell sends them to a Yuletide celebration… more than 50 years in the past.

Sleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie Caña

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The third book in the riotously funny Vega Family Love Stories finds self-assured firefighter Leo Vega trying to reignite a flame that’s gone cold and finally bring his secret love affair into the open.

Wish I Were Here by Melissa Wiesner

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Opposites attract when a buttoned-up professor and carefree doorman must restore a magically missing identity in this sparkling romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Ashley Poston.

Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts

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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.

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

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Madeleine Roux’s next season in Regency England follows a rebellious writer and the man who risks everything to publish her.

The Wedding Engagement by Zoe Allison

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Planning a wedding is so romantic . . . except when it’s not yours, and you’re planning it with the guy you’re secretly crushing on.

NOVEMBER 2024

A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley

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After accidentally going viral on social media, a cupcake-baking football player gets assistance from a social media maven—and his best friend’s little sister—to help promote his new bakery.

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens

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From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year, a hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

The Co-Op by Tarah DeWitt

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Filled with crackling tension, The Co-op is a steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation, and uncovering all the things that build character within ourselves. It’s about the never-ending construction project that partnership is, and finding enjoyment at every stage.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent

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New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

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She thrives in chaos. He prefers routine. The only thing they have in common? How much they hate each other. From the author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance featuring enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

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When her student goes missing, an independent bluestocking must seek the help of the arrogant duke who spurned her in this sizzling tale of romance and intrigue, perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series

Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith

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When a pyrotechnic engineer discovers her biological father is an international criminal, she must work with a sexy CIA agent to take him down in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea

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Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side.

Love in Bloom by Lucy Eden

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In this hilarious and steamy rom-com, a hardworking city woman unexpectedly inherits her grandparents’ farm that comes equipped with a handsome horticulturist.

Wake Up, Nat & Darcy by Kate Cochrane

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A sapphic romance in which two former hockey teammates turned rivals with unresolved feelings for one another are paired to host a popular morning show’s Olympic coverage and must remain professional amid a nation of fans closely scrutinizing their incredible chemistry.

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts continues the hauntingly spectacular Lost Bride Trilogy with book two, The Mirror.

Pickleballers by Ilana Long

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A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy.

DECEMBER 2024

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

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A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Not in My Book by Katie Holt

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The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious enemies-to-lovers romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

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When a young woman trades places with her noble cousin, their innocent ruse leads to true love in this new Regency-era romantic comedy of manners from the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List.

How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe

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In this charming new rom-com from Jenny L. Howe, a young woman who’s fed up with dating challenges her family and friends to set her up on ten dates, but gets more than she bargained for when her best friend adds himself to the roster.

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

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In this splendidly bittersweet romantic comedy, enemies forced together by a mutual loss are led on a cross-country journey toward a second chance.

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

The post Enjoy These Swoonworthy July to December 2024 Romance Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.