Romance
July 2022
Recent Releases
A Proposal They Can't Refuse
by Natalie Caña

Starring: Kamilah Vega and Liam Kane, childhood friends-turned-enemies who fake an engagement to appease their matchmaking grandfathers, who aren't above a bit of blackmail to get what they want.

What's at stake: the future of El Coquí, the Vega family restaurant, as well as that of Kane Distillery, which occupies the same building.

Why you might like it: Set against the backdrop of Chicago's rapidly gentrifying Humboldt Park neighborhood, this warmhearted debut introduces two close-knit working-class families, one Irish American and one Puerto Rican. 
A Lady for a Duke
by Alexis Hall

A new beginning: Missing in action after the Battle of Waterloo, soldier Viola Carroll leaves her former life (and title) behind to live openly as a woman.

An old friend: An unexpected reunion with Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, places Viola in a precarious position: should she say nothing and allow her friend to keep blaming himself for her "death," or reveal the truth and sacrifice the life she's worked so hard to build?

You might also like: Mary Balogh's Survivors' Club septet. 
From Bad to Cursed
by Lana Harper

What happens: rebellious Isidora "Issa" Avramov and her "lawful good" nemesis, Rowan Thorn, join forces to unmask a saboteur who's threatening to derail their town's Beltane celebrations.

Is it for you? Issa, who narrates, possesses and employs an exuberantly profane vocabulary.


Series alert: From Bad to Cursed is the 2nd book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, after Payback's A Witch.
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
by Adriana Herrera

Paris, 1889: Black Dominican heiress Luz Alana Heith-Benzan attends the Exposition Universelle to promote her family's rum business and embarks on a marriage of convenience with James Evanston Sinclair, the heir to a Scottish dukedom who owns a whiskey distillery.

Series alert: This engaging and well-researched novel kicks off the Las Léonas series, which follows four 19th-century Dominican women who travel the world and find love.

For fans of: Vanessa Riley's Rogues and Remarkable Women series.
Something Wilder
by Christina Lauren

Introducing: Lily Wilder, daughter of treasure hunter Duke Wilder, who makes her living guiding tourists through Utah's red rock country using her father's treasure maps; and Lily's old flame, Leo Grady, who reenters her life when he shows up with his friends for a "guys' trip" vacation.

Think: National Treasure meets City Slickers meets Romancing the Stone.

Reviewers say: This standalone novel by popular author duo Christina Lauren is "equal parts exhilarating puzzle-filled adventure and steamy second-chance romance" (Booklist). 
99 Percent Mine
by Sally Thorne

What it's about: For as long as she can remember, Darcy Barrett has had a crush on Tom Valeska, her twin brother's best friend. When Tom reappears in her life, newly single, Darcy's determined to win his heart. 

Author alert: Australian author Sally Thorne won many fans with her debut, The Hating Game.

For fans of: Christina Lauren's witty romantic comedies, such as Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating.
Wicked Beauty
by Katee Robert

Welcome to: Olympus City, ruled by the wealthy and powerful Thirteen, who style themselves after the Greek Gods.

Where you'll meet: Achilles Kallis and his partner Patroclus Fotos, who embark on a relationship with Helen Kasios, who has thrown her hat in the ring to become the new Ares.

Series alert: Wicked Beauty is the steamy 3rd installment of the Dark Olympus series, which begins with Neon Gods and Electric Idol.
The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes
by Cat Sebastian

Starring: unconventional Marian Hayes, a new mother who befriends and then falls in love with her blackmailer, Rob Brooks, a career criminal who comes to Marian's aid when she goes on the lam after shooting her abusive husband.

Can you start here? The plot of this Robin Hood-themed 2nd book in Cat Sebastian's rollicking Georgian romance series unfolds parallel to the events of The Queer Principles of Kit Webb.
The Bride Goes Rogue
by Joanna Shupe

His misdeed: Katharine Delafield, betrothed since childhood to Preston Clarke, the son of her father's business partner, is furious when she discovers that her intended has no plans to marry her.

Her revenge: Katharine attends the risqué French Ball at Madison Square Garden, where she begins a steamy affair with a masked stranger who turns out to be...her very own fiancé.

Series alert: The Bride Goes Rogue is the 3rd installment of the Fifth Avenue Rebels series, which begins with The Heiress Hunt.
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