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| The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay AdamsWhat it's about: Professional baseball player Gavin Scott will do anything to win his wife Thea back, even...join a romance book club?
Why you might like it: Gavin learns to be a better man by unlearning some bad habits, Thea embarks on a quest to balance personal goals and family commitments, and the members of the book club offer hilarious advice throughout.
Don't miss: excerpts from Courting the Countess, the fictional Regency romance that Gavin uses as his instruction manual. |
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| This Earl of Mine by Kate BatemanThe plan: To secure her inheritance, which is contingent upon marriage, Georgiana Caversteed heads to Newgate Prison and weds inmate Ben Wylde, who's about to be transported to Australia. Problem solved!
Or is it? Georgiana discovers that Ben, an earl's son, was only posing as a felon to gather intelligence for the Crown. Now legally married, they decide to make their relationship real -- starting with a public courtship.
Why you might like it: This 1st book in the Bow Street Bachelors series playfully subverts aspects of both the "marriage of convenience" and "fake relationship" tropes. |
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| The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn FisherWhat it's about: Scholar Ada Quicksilver travels to Ireland for her research on fairies and meets Edward Donoghue, the mysterious Earl of Meath, who requests her expertise in examining an ancient fairy mound.
Why you might like it: This atmospheric 1st installment of the Faery Rehistory series offers a richly detailed Steampunk-infused world of magic.
For fans of: Irish history and folklore, brooding heroes, independent heroines, and fated lovers. |
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| Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia HibbertWhat happens: Following a near-death experience, web developer Chloe Brown takes stock of her life and finds it lacking.
Carpe diem! Chloe's ambitious "Get a Life List" (e.g. "Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex") will require some help from building superintendent (and secret artist) Redford "Red" Morgan.
What sets it apart: a diverse cast of well-drawn characters and a sensitive portrayal of living with fibromyalgia. |
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| Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina LaurenThen: During a trip to London, 18-year-old Tate Jones, the incognito daughter of a Hollywood star, embarks on a whirlwind romance with college student Sam Brandis, who breaks her heart with a betrayal.
Now: Ten years later, Tate is set to star in a film with her famous father -- a film that Sam wrote, which means that he'll be on set.
Is it for you? Fans of the authors' Hating You/Dating You or The Unhoneymooners may find this moving second chance romance more poignant than zany. |
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| The Perfect Present by Rochelle Alers, Cheris Hodges, and Pamele YayeWhat it is: a trio of heartwarming African American holiday romances.
Contains: Rochelle Alers' "A Christmas Layover," in which things heat up between two snowbound travelers; Cheris Hodges' "The Christmas Lesson," which offers a pair of almost-lovers a second chance to get it right; and Pamela Yaye's "Christmas with You," in which a one-night stand promises to turn into something more.
"Series" alert: Like its predecessors Holiday Temptation and A Christmas Kiss, this seasonal romance anthology spotlights some of Dafina Books' most popular authors. |
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| Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie CoxWhat it's about: After her London flat is destroyed in a gas explosion, Charlie's cousin Jez, who runs a high-end pet spa, offers Charlie a place to stay in exchange for helping out at Cozy Canine Cottages, where she meets sexy, grumpy veterinarian Cal.
Charlie's problem? "It's true. I do hate dogs. Which is not something I often admit to in public. Among the British, it's a little like saying you hate chocolate. Or sunshine. Or world peace."
Read it for: Charlie's candid narration, an opposites-attract romance, and a very pregnant beagle named Peggy. |
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| Best Laid Plans by Brenda JacksonThe setup: Matchmaking Madaris matriarch Mama Laverne is up to her old tricks. This time, she's determined to pair her great-grandson Nolan with cybersecurity analyst Ivy Chapman.
The twist: Ladies' man Nolan is skeptical but intrigued when Ivy suggests a fake relationship over the holidays to satisfy their respective families. Will it work or will it work too well?
Series alert: Best Laid Plans is the latest in Brenda Jackson's long-running Madaris Family series, which began with Tonight and Forever in 1995 (and is still going strong). |
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| The Good, the Bad, and the Duke by Janna MacGregorHome alone! Left behind in London when her family decamps to the countryside, Lady Daphne Hallworth spends Christmas working on a personal project, which leads to an unexpected reunion with Paul Barstowe, the notorious Duke of Southart.
The backstory: The rest of the Hallworths may hate Paul, the former best friend of Daphne's brother, but Daphne has never given up on the kind young man she once knew.
Is it for you? Paul was the villain of previous installments the Cavensham Heiresses series; in this 4th entry, he's a reformed rake trying to repair his bad reputation. |
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| Alaskan Holiday: A Novel by Debbie MacomberIntroducing: Josie Avery, an up-and-coming chef who takes a seasonal job in Ponder, Alaska; swordsmith Palmer Saxon, who's head-over-heels in love with Josie but struggles to express his feelings.
What happens: After Palmer proposes, Josie declines and returns to Seattle, only to discover that she can't stop thinking about him.
Why you might like it: Debbie Macomber is the queen of heartwarming holiday romances, some of which have been made into Hallmark movies. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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