Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Nekesa Afia’s As Long As You’re Mine, which is out now.

Professional ballerina Thea Ross’s world shatters when her screen-legend father commits suicide, leaving behind a shocking confession to a decades-old murder. Determined to uncover the truth, Thea teams up with a relentless journalist, following a trail of clues that leads her back to the glittering yet treacherous world of 1930s Hollywood.

There, she discovers the story of Lorelei Davies, a struggling actress willing to endure anything for her family’s sake. As Thea peels back the layers of Lorelei’s life—her dreams, fears, and dangerous secrets—the connection between Lorelei’s past and Thea’s present challenges everything she believes about her family history. But as she untangles all the lies, she comes to know herself more truly than ever before.

As Thea navigates the glamorous facade of Old Hollywood, she must decide whether uncovering the truth about her father is worth sacrificing the life she planned—and whether some secrets are better left buried in Hollywood’s golden age.

EXCERPT

1934

The song is cloying enough to get stuck in my head. I learned it three months ago, and ever since, it’s been on a dull repeat. I sing it while getting ready. I sing it on the drive to Sunset Studios. I sing it in the makeup chair, as my hair is set, as I’m put into costumes.

It’s always in my head until right now. The words won’t come. All of them are piled up at the back of my throat. I’m unsure which one is supposed to come first. Now that I’m on set, lights on me, makeup caked over my face, I cannot remember the lyrics.

Kenneth Webster has risen from his director’s chair, his wide, flat hands waving in the air. Everything he does is punctuated by a gesture. “Can we do this scene again? And can our star please keep it together? We’re wasting time and money today.” Kenneth is in a mood. He’s glaring at me. I’ve been on set since two in the morning. Some of that time was in hair and makeup; more of it was in costumes. But the majority of it has been spent running the same scene over and over again, trying to live up to Kenneth’s exacting standards.

 I place my hands on my waist, feeling beads of sweat bloom under the stage lights. A flurry of activity happens around me; a woman brushes makeup on while another adjusts the skirt of my dress. The girls behind me, a flock of colored dresses that look muted against mine, prepare to restart the scene.

This is a big deal for me. Everyone on set knows that. Every time we finish, Kenneth finds something wrong. I’m sure my feet are bleeding, but that’s something to worry about later.

“Reset,” Kenneth says. This is my sixth film with him, but it’s the first one I’m starring in. I understand the risk he’s taken for me. Risks. Plural. “Action!”

He sits back down. My flock of girls lines up behind me, and we do it again.

Ramona Penderghast stands right next to me in a brilliant blue dress that contrasts with my red. The colors don’t matter. The film will be in black and white. Ramona smiles at me, part encouraging, part threatening. The flock of girls dances behind me. All our moves choreographed to perfection.

 I need to convince the audience that I’m a woman worthy of love. Sunset Studio’s pictures are all the same. Girl meets boy, boy meets girl, and, through a number of lengthy and complicated dance numbers, boy and girl fall in love.

It’s a successful formula.

“Cut,” Kenneth yells. We hold in place at the end of the number. He rises from his chair again, takes one long look at us. “Print. Moving on.”

Relief.

He turns away from us. Characters are broken; background girls go back to talking about what they’re going to do when they’re done for the day.

“Good work, kid.” Ramona remains by my side. She’s maybe my only friend at Sunset, and that’s saying a lot. We started at the same time, in the same acting and voice and etiquette classes.

 “You think?”

“Stop being so modest.” She’s every bit the vixen. Her dark hair falls into her emerald eyes; her voice is low and throaty. She’s the perfect 36-24-36 hourglass, measurements I have to constantly work to achieve.

And yet I’m starring in this flick, while she plays the best friend.

 “Thanks.” I smile.

Ramona blinks her big green eyes. “Why don’t we change and go to lunch?”

“Would love to but can’t. I need to go run my lines. Next scene,” I say, trying to look apologetic.

Ramona slinks off, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

 It’s true I want to get off my feet, but I have something else.

Something better than Ramona Penderghast. ­

He’s waiting for me when I open the door to my dressing room. I’ve just been moved to Star Row, where all the big Sunset stars have dressing rooms. I’m aware that I have the smallest one. I’m just happy to be here.

 I flick on the radio and turn on the lights to find Tommy Ross sitting on my couch. “You’re early,” I say. He laughs. I kiss him and then disappear behind my screen to change.

“Did old Kenneth keep you?” Tommy asks. “You Do Something to Me” is playing on the radio. I can hear him humming along.

            “Ran it twenty times.” I slide on my dressing gown and reappear from behind the screen.

 “Well, you were wonderful every time.” Tommy wraps an arm around me as I settle in next to him. I’m exhausted. I close my eyes.

“You were watching?” I ask.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? Maybe I wanted to hear you say you loved me over and over.”

“Ha.”

He kisses me before I can say anything else, and I melt into him. This, right now, makes all those hours under the hot lights worth it. He pulls me onto his lap.

“Those are just lyrics, you know,” I say with my lips against his.

 “Are you saying you don’t love me?”

“I’m saying we have to work some things out.”

I can smell him; our heat collides as he slides a hand up my bare thigh. His fingertips make ripples on my skin as he touches me. His kiss is disorienting, throwing me off kilter when his lips meet mine.

Tommy and I met on my first Sunset film. He played the lead, and I was a featured dancer.

And now, we’re doing this.

He’s my costar now. I know he’s married. I’ve never overstepped boundaries like this before. I’ve met his wife twice at parties, a stunning thing. Mrs. Ross is cold, reserved.

Being this close to Tommy distorts my thoughts. I meant to tell him here and now that we can’t continue doing this, but when his tongue parts my lips, I lose all sense.

And I don’t ask him to stop, because I don’t want him to.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ by Nekesa Afia appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Nekesa Afia’s A Lethal Lady, which is out July 30th 2024.

CHAPTER 7

MADAME BLANCHET’S SALON was unlike anything Louise had ever experienced. In a dress of midnight blue, delicate beading in gold around the hem of the skirt, matching shoes, and a gold hair band, she felt incredible. Ciarán had also dressed up, as much as he was ever going to, with a dinner jacket and his hair slicked away from his eyes.

The Blanchet house wasn’t the biggest house Louise had ever been in—that honor would always go to the Schoonmaker manse— but it was imposing. A housemaid with the exact same shade of skin as Louise’s opened the door.

“Julie,” Ciarán said, his voice almost a purr. “You, my dear, are a sight for sore eyes.” He kissed the maid on both cheeks.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Dunne.” Louise could tell that Julie was trying not to appear charmed by him. “How are you?” “I am much better now that I’m seeing you,” Ciarán said with a wink. “May I introduce my colleague, Louise Lloyd?” “Nice to meet you,” Louise said.

Julie smiled at her politely. “They’re expecting you and your guest, Mr. Dunne.” The maid nodded her head and was out of sight before Louise could say anything else.

Ciarán jutted his chin out to the wall behind Louise. She turned and was face-to-face with Iris Wright.

The auburn hair, the dancing eyes, the blemish-free white skin, all in an eight-by-ten canvas. She was behind glass, watching every entrance and exit.

“Ms. Wright is a regular here. Just follow me,” Ciarán said. He paused to light a cigarette and held his arm out to Louise.

***

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS different. Louise was used to sitting at Le Chat Noir, getting into arguments and passing drinks around. They were late, and the rest of the group was on to the second course of a five-course dinner.

“Apologies, I’m so sorry.” Ciarán turned on the charm as they entered. The host, seated at the head of the table, wearing a glittering dress of soft pink, rose to her feet.

“I’m used to it, Ciarán Dunne. You must tell me how the new play is going.” She turned to Louise, expression cool.

Louise looked around the table and found that she was the only Black person, only person of color there. She swallowed hard.

“I’ll tell you all about it, Coralie. May I introduce Louise Lloyd. She moved here about a year ago.”

Coralie Blanchet, tall, statuesque, didn’t turn her attention away from Louise. “Miss Lloyd. Are you an artist? A writer?”

Louise cleared her throat. “I’m a photographer.” It wasn’t really a lie. She had also finished the tube of lipstick that had come with the camera. It was a good gift.

“Have you shown anywhere?” a young woman at the table piped up.

“No,” Louise said. “I’ve never thought about it.”

Coralie waved toward the table. “Sit down, both of you. We have much to discuss.”

Louise was placed on Ciarán’s left, and to the right of the woman who had spoken up. As dinner resumed, plates being put down in front of Louise so elegantly and silently that it seemed like they appeared by magic, the woman turned to her. “I’m Margaux Blanchet.” She spoke softly and wore a dress of turquoise, setting off her black hair and blue eyes. There was something about her that Louise would never be able to place, something not exactly attractive, but alluring. Her smile crooked to the left, off-center. “Welcome.”

“Thank you,” Louise said as she placed her napkin over her lap. She wished Ciarán had thought to warn her that she’d be the only Black person in the room. She’d have to be on her best behavior. She was practically vibrating with nerves at the table.

“All you have to do is get through dinner, and then you’ll see everyone’s ugly side.” Margaux sipped from her wineglass. “It’s tough being new.”

“Well, I believe we’ve met,” Louise said. “I sold you our face-cream-paint-remover.”

Margaux’s blue eyes ran over Louise’s face. “Oui! Allaire’s. Of course. You were very helpful.”

“You’re so kind,” Louise said. Ciarán was already caught up in a discussion, the wine turning his cheeks a ruddy red.

Margaux nudged the woman sitting beside her, equally enthralling, with wavy black hair and a dress of seafoam green. It was sleeveless with a deep V in the back, exposing pale shoulder blades and a few moles trailing down her spine. “Estelle, she thinks I’m kind.”

“And we’ve found the only person in Paris who thinks so.” Estelle tossed her head back, her neck long and elegant. She was concentrating on lighting a cigarette, an emerald-green holder already between her lips.

Coralie tapped her butter knife against her glass, calling the table of a baker’s dozen to attention. “I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Iris Wright, the beautiful soul who is not with us tonight.”

Ciarán leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest, the height of bad manners. Beside her, Louise could feel Margaux shift in her seat.

“Where is she?” the man across from Louise asked.

“You know what she’s like,” Estelle said. “Temperamental, as all artists are.”

“Not all,” Margaux said. “I am a delight.”

“We both know that’s not true,” Estelle said. A look flashed between the two women, lightning quick, with no time for Louise to discern what it meant.

Ciarán looked toward both women. “We’re friends, and I wish she had told me where she was going.”

“More than friends.” Margaux snorted.

Coralie tapped her knife against her glass again, calling the room back to attention. “No more of that. Please, let’s finish, and Adam is going to give us a reading over dessert.” The man across from Louise blushed.

Louise couldn’t concentrate on the dessert, a personal chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She had long gotten out of the habit of eating, and getting her appetite back was harder than she imagined.

She picked up her fork, cut off a piece, and chewed the sawdust in her mouth.

All she could really focus on was the fact that Ciarán had lied to her.

From A LETHAL LADY © Nekesa Afia, 2024 in partnership with Berkley

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Sadly, this century’s 20s have so far failed to provide us with the glamor and sultry decadence we associate with the original Roaring 20s. I know I’m not the only one who moped her way through lockdown while fantasizing about the excessive and perhaps even destructive 1920s-style parties that would hopefully emerge on the other side of the pandemic. Sadly, two years into our own 20s and still no mysterious self-made billionaire is inviting us to parties huge and lavish enough to draw his long-lost love along with the crowds of free-loaders. And so, as it so often does, it falls to books to make up for the deficiencies of reality. Here are six fabulous new and upcoming books set in the 1920s with all the glitz and adventure we’ve been missing.

RISE OF THE SNAKE GODDESS by Jenny Elder Moke
(June 7th, 2022)

Samantha Knox is back for another adventure in this 1920s female-driven mystery-adventure series!

Sam Knox’s second adventure takes her to the island of Crete, just off the coast of Greece, where she discovers the ancient Snake Goddess’s golden girdle in the depths of a cave shrine that has been buried for decades. After having been belittled by her archaeology professor throughout her first college semester, Sam knows this triumph will prove her worth in the field, but before she can take credit for the find, the girdle is stolen and the island is hit with a series of earthquakes that don’t feel quite geological.

Soon Sam, Bennett and Jo are embroiled in a wild hunt―one that takes them to tiny island shops, a glamorous auction party and a near fiery death―to find the girdle before someone can use it to raise an ancient goddess from her slumber. The final battle features gryphons, a labyrinth, the minotaur of legend and lots of snakes. Lots.

OUR VIOLENT ENDS by Chloe Gong
(November 16th, 2021)

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

A SISTERHOOD OF SECRET AMBITIONS by Sheena Boekweg
(June 1, 2021)

Behind every powerful man is a trained woman, and behind every trained woman is the Society. It started with tea parties and matchmaking, but is now a countrywide secret. Gossips pass messages in recipes, Spinsters train to fight, and women work together to grant safety to abused women and children. The Society is more than oaths—it is sisterhood and purpose.

In 1926, seventeen-year-old Elsie is dropped off in a new city with four other teenage girls. All of them have trained together since childhood to become the Wife of a powerful man. But when they learn that their next target is earmarked to become President, their mission becomes more than just an assignment; this is a chance at the most powerful position in the Society. All they have to do is make one man fall in love with them first.

FIRE BECOMES HER by Rosiee Thor
(February 1st, 2022)

In Rosiee Thor’s lavish fantasy novel with a Jazz Age spark, a politically savvy teen must weigh her desire to climb the social ladder against her heart in a world where magic buys votes.

Flare is power.

With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground — and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.

Ingrid doesn’t have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden’s father who refuses to acknowledge her.

So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.

Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?

DEAD DEAD GIRLS by Nekesa Afia
(June 1st, 2021)

Harlem, 1926. Young black girls like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead.

Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Manhattan’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that.

When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore–several local black girls have been murdered over the past few weeks. After an altercation with a local police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or let a judge make an example of her.

Louise has no choice but to take the case and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind. She’ll have to tackle her own fears and the prejudices of New York City society if she wants to catch a killer and save her own life in the process.

THE CHOSEN AND THE BEAUTIFUL by Nghi Vo
(June 1st, 2021)

Immigrant. Socialite. Magician.

Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society―she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.

But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

Nghi Vo’s debut novel reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

The post 6 Glitzy 1920s-Set Novels with All the Adventure We’ve Been Missing appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes the long anticipated romantic comedy that puts a queer spin on Kate & Leopold.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell… he was, quite simply, mine. Neon Gods is a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A phantasmagorical indictment of hereditary power, Star Eater takes readers deep into a perilous and uncanny world where even the most powerful women are forced to choose what sacrifices they will make, so that they might have any choice at all. 

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A wedding harpist disillusioned with love and a hopeless romantic cater-waiter flirt and fight their way through a summer of weddings in this effervescent romantic comedy from the acclaimed author of Today Tonight Tomorrow.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home…

The 2000s Made Me Gay by Grace Perry
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From The Onion and Reductress contributor, this collection of essays is a hilarious nostalgic trip through beloved 2000s media, interweaving cultural criticism and personal narrative to examine how a very straight decade forged a very queer woman.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Every month, a letter. That’s what Lauren decides to leave her husband when she finds out she’s dying. Each month, she gives Josh a letter containing a task to help him face this first year without her, leading him on a heartrending, beautiful, often humorous journey to find happiness again in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins.

What June 2021 releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

Hi! I’m a Canadian. I’m a seamstress who loves dogs, and I used to be a swing dancer as well.

How is your 2021 going in comparison to that other year?

2021 has been busier, certainly, than last year. It’s been more exciting as well. I think I’m used to the pandemic now. It’s not how I’d imagine I’d debut, but I’m grateful to be here.

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!

I was a Baby-Sitters Club girl for most of my childhood. The Harry Potter series made me want to be a writer. Currently, I cannot stop thinking about Sarah Zachrich Jeng’s upcoming release The Other Me and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I was young when I started writing, but I didn’t take it seriously until I was in junior high. I think I fell in love with it then. Who needs math class when you have writing?

Your debut novel, Dead Dead Girls, is out June 1^st 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Tiny, tired lesbian solves crime.

What can readers expect?

Readers can except a dazzling 1920’s setting, a spunky protagonist and a wonderful cast of characters, and a murder mystery that will keep you up at night.

Where did the inspiration for Dead Dead Girls come from?

A couple of places! The main case is based off of the 1800s Jack the Ripper case. I chose to set it in the 1920’s because it is one of my favourite time periods. I was eager to write a mystery novel as a challenge and it was a blast.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

I had to do a lot of research, and finicky research as well. I had to spend time sussing out what a day in 1926 looks like and I had to adapt that to my novel.

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

I love writing dance scenes. I started swing dancing just after I started writing this novel. I loved being able to transfer that, the feeling and the love of dancing into the book, being able to have it be something Louise loves as much as I do. Aside from dance scenes, almost any scene with Louise, Rafael, and Rosa Maria. Those three are ultimate squad goals.

What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

Honestly? It was fast. I realize that my story is not the norm, but from getting an agent to getting a book deal was about six months. There was less time for me to worry, or for me to be anxious over the process, which was nice.

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

Write what you know is the worst writing advice I’ve ever gotten, to an extent. I would never have written a novel about a 1920’s murder mystery if I had stuck to what I know. The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to be patient. Patience is one of the most valuable traits in publishing. Focus on your own work and be patient.

What’s next for you?

Dead Dead Girls has a sequel, when I am very excited about.

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

Yes! Some books I’ve read recently and loved are The Last Change Library by Freya Sampson, At Summer’s End by Courtney Ellis, and Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald

Will you be picking up Dead Dead Girls? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Nekesa Afia, Author of ‘Dead Dead Girls’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

After whatever that last year was, we’re certainly hoping that 2021 will be a significant improvement! Just like every single industry, the publishing industry faced its own challenges with many 2020 releases delayed by months or even years in some cases and it caused much concern for authors with either recent or upcoming releases.

But with every year, there’s also the improvement when it comes to diversity and whilst it still unfortunately takes devastating events to invoke some kind of change or even discussion, there’s great change heading our way with 2021 releases (and even 2022 and 2023 based on book announcements made thus far).

The year promises for more #ownvoices authors to be heard with stories of fierce Black characters taking the lead role (and also killing it on their covers), queer characters and their journeys offering hope, characters embracing their bodies and their culture, and so much more. Then there’s the continuing shift in perception on genres, including romance and YA, with some incredibly great stories and offering a new take on the genres altogether.

To be honest, it’s quite exciting and refreshing, and we at The Nerd Daily can’t wait to see what comes next and cover 2021 releases!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite January to June 2021 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

Want more 2021 releases? Check out our lists for  2021 Queer Book Releases, 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases, 2021 Romance Book Releases, 2021 YA Book Releases, and 2021 Queer SFF Book Releases.

JANUARY

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An alien artifact turns a young girl into Death’s adopted daughter in Remote Control, a thrilling sci-fi tale of community and female empowerment from Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Nnedi Okorafor

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Project Runway goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story about creativity, passion, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

The Push by Ashley Audrain
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Hugo award-nominated author Stina Leicht has created a take on space opera for fans of The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop in this high-stakes adventure.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

FEBRUARY

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

What is a Victorian lady’s formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humour and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it’s elemental.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

The Project by Courtney Summers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Courtney Summers, the New York Times bestselling author of the 2019 Edgar Award Winner and breakout hit, Sadie, comes a sensational follow-up―another pulls-no-punches thriller about an aspiring young journalist determined to save her sister from a cult.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride, perfect for readers of Big Little Lies and enthusiasts of Killing Eve and Westworld­.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
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In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice. Get ready for battle. The start of a bold and immersive fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther.

A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
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Sarah J. Maas’s sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre’s fiery sister, Nesta.

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
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From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell comes an unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel about the lengths one woman will go to save her son.

MARCH

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
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Steven Salvatore’s debut Can’t Take That Away is about Carey Parker, a genderqueer teen who dreams of being a diva like their hero Mariah Carey. When they are cast as the female lead in the school musical, they must fight against discrimination and injustice from their closed-minded school administration. 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
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In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
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In an epic political fantasy unlike any other, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
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Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
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The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
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The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
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From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, a standalone epic fantasy set in a brand-new world of towering mountains and sparkling cities, in which a band of ageing warriors have a second chance to defeat dark magic and avenge a haunting loss.

Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
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For readers of The Silent Patient – a taut, twisty, character-driven suspense novel about a famous novelist and a small-town striver locked in a struggle for fortune and fame

APRIL

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
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K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical.

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
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From the USA Today  bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author and rom-com queen Becky Albertalli comes a buoyant new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life, and, yes, theater.

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
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Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
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A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night.

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
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Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
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Deadly, fierce, magnetically addictive: this Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut is a thrilling journey where dangerous magic reigns supreme and betrayal lurks beneath every word. 

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
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The New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Never Have I Ever builds on her success with this addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves—a chilling and thoughtful tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.

MAY

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six . . . Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
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In this sweeping debut, actress Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.

A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin
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It’s a club like no other. Only the most important women receive an invitation. But one daring young reporter is about to infiltrate this female-run secret society, whose beguiling members are caught up in a dark and treacherous business.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
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From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, the first book in the Nameless Republic trilogy is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forbidden magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.

In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland
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A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead, in this dark YA fantasy by A.M. Strickland, author of Beyond the Black Door, whom Richard Kadrey calls “a storyteller of both grace and power.”

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
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The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behaviour in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
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Irresistibly action-packed and full of lethal surprises, this stunning new fantasy series from Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series, begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword?

JUNE

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
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Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
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Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
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A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
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The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home…

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
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Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
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Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
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A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams
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The New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight returns with a gripping and profoundly human story of Cold War espionage and family devotion.

What 2021 book releases are you excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.