Buzz Books 2018: Romance: Exclusive excerpts from forthcoming titles by Jane Feather, Denise Hunter, Shelly Laurenston, Judith McNaught, Karen Rose and more

Buzz Books 2018

Romance

Exclusive Excerpts from Top New Romance Titles

Contents

Introduction

The 2018 Romance Publishing Preview

Buzz Books Authors Appearing at Romance Writers of America

Annie Becker TIME BRIDGE: CASSIE (Eclipse Press)

Jane Feather TEMPT ME WITH DIAMONDS (Zebra)

Helen Hardt UNCHAINED (Waterhouse Press)

Rachel Hauck THE MEMORY HOUSE (Thomas Nelson)

Denise Hunter ON MAGNOLIA LANE (Thomas Nelson)

K.M. Jackson AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME (Dafina)

Shelly Laurenston IN A BADGER WAY (Kensington)

Alexa Martin INTERCEPTED (Berkley Jove)

Judith McNaught THE SWEETEST THING (Gallery)

Priscilla Oliveras THEIR PERFECT MELODY (Zebra Shout)

Angel Payne IGNITE (Waterhouse Press)

Kate Pearce THE RANCHER (Zebra)

Karen Rose SAY YOU’RE SORRY (Berkley)

Meg Tilly SOLACE ISLAND (Berkley)

Copyright

Credits

Introduction

Welcome to Buzz Books 2018: Romance, which includes some of our most anticipated upcoming titles of next season. We have tried to highlight the incredible array of options available to today’s romance reader. We also have some exclusive excerpts provided by publishers for you to check out.

First, a bit about us. We are Bea and Leah Koch, sisters and owners of The Ripped Bodice, the only exclusively romance bookstore in the Northern Hemisphere. We are passionate advocates for the romance genre, and we believe it has never been a more vitally important time to read romance novels. An entire genre that centers female voices and female desire, what could be better?

If you’re new to romance, there are two requirements of the genre: a happy ending and a central love story. Those two are non-negotiable; no matter if it’s two dukes falling in love or a vampire falling for the small town florist, you know that it will all work out in the end. While critics insist the predictability is trite or boring, we find that romance readers and writers thrive within this framework and continue to discover new ways to bring a fresh perspective to love.

Romance is the genre of hope: that anyone and everyone deserves their happy ending. Our focus as booksellers is to highlight romances that celebrate inclusivity. Readers are increasingly demanding books that reflect the world they inhabit, and some publishers are responding to that call by signing new and diverse voices. Our experience has been to watch books written by women of color and featuring characters of color fly off the shelves and we hope to see even more inclusive romance being published in the years to come.

The excerpts and recommendations here are a fantastic place to start to either expand or build your romance collection. If you are looking for more romance reads, check out www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com, www.wocinromance.com, and of course the www.therippedbodicela.com. We hope you’ll share with us which books you’re excited about! Make sure to use the hashtag #BuzzBooksRomance on social media and visit buzz.publishersmarketplace.com for download links and to check out our other Buzz Books offerings.

Leah and Bea Koch

July 2018

Sisters Bea and Leah Koch own The Ripped Bodice, the only exclusively romance bookstore in the United States. After raising $91,000 on Kickstarter, the store opened on March 4th, 2016 in Culver City, CA. Bea and Leah are committed to their mission of being a feminist, sex-positive business that champions the work of female creators of all kinds. You can find them at www.therippedbodicela.com and on Twitter and Instagram @TheRippedBodice.

The 2018 Romance Publishing Preview

We’ve selected the most noteworthy romance titles to be published in the season ahead to help you narrow down your reading lists. You may discover books here that make you excited, curious, and eager for more. Best of all, you can sample many of the highlighted titles right now in Buzz Books 2018: Romance; they are noted in boldface.

Please note that this preview is prepared months in advance, so titles, content, and publication dates may have changed.

Historical

Historical romance has always been the bedrock of the romance genre and 2018 sees both classical and modern takes on the genre.

The queen of the subversive historical is back. Cat Sebastian’s newest novel, A Duke in Disguise (Avon, November), is bringing a much needed breath of fresh air to the subgenre. Verity Plum is a radical, bisexual bookseller who turns to publishing bawdy novels when the government cracks down on sedition. Much to her dismay, she falls for a gentleman that she hires to illustrate her new stories, only to discover that he’s the heir to a dukedom. Sebastian’s previous LGBTQ historicals have been welcomed heartily into the genre.

Beloved historical romance novelist Jane Feather has a new home at Kensington with her first book in four years, Tempt Me With Diamonds (Kensington, January). The novel is based around a group of friends from an elite English boarding school. In the first of the trilogy we are introduced to Diana Sommerville, whose cherished brother has died and left the estate to his best friend, and the man Diana used to love…Can their shared grief and housing arrangements bring them back together?

We’re particularly excited about all the series continuations coming our way from some of the hottest names in historical romance…

Sherry Thomas’ gender-flipped Lady Sherlock series has been flying off our shelves since its debut two books ago. In The Hollow of Fear (Berkley, October), Charlotte Holmes faces her toughest case yet when her dear friend Lord Ingram is accused of the murder of his estranged wife. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte goes undercover in disguise to help prove Lord Ingram’s innocence to Scotland Yard.

Alyssa Cole is also continuing a wildly popular series with An Unconditional Freedom (Kensington, February), the third in the Loyal League series set during The Civil War. The series follows the members of 4L, a coterie of spies working for the Union. This book picks up with the story of Daniel Cumberland, a familiar face to those who have read the rest of the series. He’s gone from free man to slave and back again, and has joined the 4L as a last ditch attempt to do something meaningful with his life. When Daniel is paired with his fellow new recruit Janita Sanchez, their mutual passion flares. But they both have ghosts from their pasts, and as the war rages around them, they must face those ghosts to move forward together.

Other historical upcoming romances to be excited about include:

The Governess Game from Regency superstar Tessa Dare (Avon, August); The Highlander Who Protected Me by Vanessa Kelly (Zebra, October); The pun-tastically titled It’s Getting Scot in Here from Suzanne Enoch (St. Martin’s, March); Not the Duke’s Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt, the first in a new series from this much loved author (Forever, December); The next Cavensham Heiresses offering The Good, The Bad and the Duke by Janna McGregor (St. Martin’s, December); Someone to Trust by Mary Balogh, the fifth Westcott series installment, takes place during the Christmas season (Berkley, November); The Lady Traveler’s Guide to Deception with an Unlikely Earl, Victoria Alexander (HQN, November), continuing another very fun, turn of the century set series; Once a Scoundrel, Mary Jo Putney (Zebra, September); The Governess, Christi Caldwell (Montlake, December); Susanna Kearsley brings her signature blend of past and present to Belleweather (Sourcebooks, August); Rebekah Weatherspoon puts a new spin on the classic amnesia trope with the third installment of her popular Beards & Bondage series in Harbor (December).

Contemporary

Contemporary romance has been making the largest strides towards inclusivity in recent years, and as such there are many fantastic upcoming titles that we, and our customers, are looking forward to reading.

Sports romance has only grown in popularity over the past few years and Alexa Martin is poised to make a big splash with her debut Intercepted (Berkley, September). Martin draws from her own experience being married to a two-time NFL Super Bowl winner to introduce readers to Marlee Harper, the perfect football girlfriend. When Marlee discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she washes her hands of everything to do with football. That is, until an old fling, Gavin Pope, stumbles back in to her life, and onto her ex’s team. Gavin wants a second chance, but with rabid fans and gossip blogs on her case, will Marlee trust Gavin with her heart?

Making romance a truly inclusive genre means not just stopping at race or religion or sexuality.

Small town romance will never go out of style and K. M. Jackson offers her take on the perennial favorite with As Good as the First Time (Dafina, October), the first in a new series. Olivia Gale has failed at the big city life and the big city relationship, and some days it seems like all she has left is her love for baking pies. She returns to her hometown of Sugar Lake, determined to put her beloved hobby to good use at the family bakery and get her life back in order with no distractions. Especially not the handsome ex kind.

Her old flame Clayton Morris is all grown up and has plenty of responsibility as a single dad and a firefighter. Years ago he battered Olivia’s heart and she makes it perfectly clear that the past is in the past and she has no desire to rekindle old flames. But Clayton isn’t giving up so easily. Leaving Olivia was the biggest mistake he ever made, and he isn’t about to let this second chance at love go to waste.

In Couldn’t Ask for More (Sourcebooks, October) Kianna Alexander puts her twist on a classic romance trope—a fake boyfriend. Alexis Devers’s fashion line is a hit, but her publicist told buyers that it also landed her a fiancé, and now it’s Alexis’s job to make that a reality. Luckily, her best friend’s brother needs some help out of a tight spot as well. Maybe they can mutually save each other?

Hardened tennis pro Jay Pierce returns for one more shot at glory in the lesbian romance Love All by Rachel Spangler (Bywater Books, October), but she’ll get more than she bargained for when she falls hard for the mom of one of the newest stars on the circuit. Sadie Larsen has raised her daughter on her own, and will do anything to make her happy, even learning the ins and outs of professional tennis to support her daughters burgeoning career. But can Sadie fight off her growing attraction to Jay?

Priscilla Oliveras burst onto the scene last year with her sweet Latinx romances. Their Perfect Melody (Zebra Shout, November) brings us a new couple to love in Lilí María Fernandez and Diego Reyes. Lilí has faced more than her fair share of tragedy, leading her away from a wild child past to become a victim’s advocate. When she meets Chicago police officer Diego Reyes she is wary about opening herself up to love. But Diego loves life, and he wants to draw Lilí out of her shell. Armed with his talent for playing classical Spanish guitar and their shared love of community, Diego is willing to work at reminding Lilí that life can be fun, especially if he’s in it.

Other forthcoming contemporary romances to look forward to include:

The Proposal, Jasmine Guillory (Berkley, August), a follow up to Guillory’s smash debut success The Wedding Date; Superheroes invade Los Angeles in Ignite by Angel Payne, (Waterhouse, July); Denise Hunter wraps up her Blue Ridge series with a You’ve Got Mail style meet cute in On Magnolia Lane, (Thomas Nelson, November); Love in Catalina Cove, Brenda Jackson (HQN, October); Perennial contemporary romance fave Christina Lauren offers a new standalone romance Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating (Gallery, September); Sally Thorne follows up her smash debut The Hating Game with 99 Percent Mine (William Morrow, January); With her first book in 15 years, The Sweetest Thing (Gallery, October), Judith McNaught is sure to excite her legions of devoted readers; Roni Loren wraps up her sensitive trilogy about the aftermath of school gun violence with The One You Fight For (Sourcebooks, January).

In The Rancher, Kate Pearce weaves a charming contemporary cowboy romance (Zebra, November); I Am Grace, Diana Muñoz Stewart, (Sourcebooks, September); Magic Mike meets Bridesmaids in Stripped from Zoey Castille (Kensington, August). The popular romantic suspense subgenre gets a jolt of adrenaline from Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose (Berkley, February) and The Memory House, Rachel Hauck (Thomas Nelson, April).

Paranormal

We’re excited for perennial favorite Nalini Singh’s return to her popular Guild Hunter series with Archangel’s Prophecy (Berkley, October). Human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux and her consort Archangel Raphael face their toughest challenge yet as Elena appears to be regressing back to her human form, and she’s not the only angel facing challenges…

Shelly Laurenston charmed longtime fans and new readers alike with the first in her new Honey Badger Shifters books in 2018. Now it’s time to dive deeper with In A Badger Way (Kensington, March), the second in the series about three snarky sisters who just so happen to shift into honey badgers hybrids. This time, it’s youngest sister Stevie Barsuk’s turn to fall in love, and given her own eccentricities (her sisters would just call her a nutcase) it’s going to be a wild ride. Can Stevie finally make her heart happy, all while saving the honey badger world?

In Unchained by Helen Hardt (Waterhouse, October) vampire Dante Gabriel has finally escaped from years of servitude to a female vampire, and he’s craving human blood. He heads to the nearest blood bank to satisfy his hunger where he runs into ER nurse Erin Hamilton who finds herself oddly drawn to the handsome stranger. As their connection grows, Erin demands answers from the enigmatic man who has appeared in her life, and in his quest to find answers for her, Dante might be putting her in even more danger.

Time travel romance is as hot as ever and Annie Becker brings us a new dark take with Time Bridge: Cassie (Eclipse Press, October). Ex-reporter Cassie Martin is hoping for peace and quiet to write when she arrives at her brother’s Wisconsin farm. Her reporter’s instincts are piqued when she overhears an argument between two men about manipulating time and she has to know more. Enter Aaron Reegan, the head of security at a secretive facility. As he and Cassie realize they share the same dark erotic tastes and explore them together, Aaron never questions her motives. But suddenly, he’s travelling back in time to the 14th century to murder the woman he loves.

More paranormal romance titles to look out for:

Amanda Bouchet follows up her hit Kingmakers Chronicle trilogy with Nightchaser (Sourcebooks, January); Donna Grant brings passion to dragons with Dragonfire (St. Martin’s, October); More Than A Phoenix, Ashlyn Chase, (Sourcebooks, September). In the Mood Fur Love is an anthology featuring Kate Baxter, Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden, (St. Martin’s, October). One of the joys of long running series is that characters who were once children are now all grown up and ready for love, as in Crossbreed, the 23rd Breeds novel from Lora Leigh, (Berkley, September); Ilona Andrews continues the wildly popular Kate Daniels series with Magic Triumphs (Ace, August); Chloe Neill spins off her successful Chicagoland Vampires series with the first offering in Heirs of Chicagoland, Wild Hunger (Berkley, August).

Buzz Books Authors Appearing at Romance Writers of America

Shelly Laurenston (keynote speaker)

Annie Becker

Helen Hardt

K.M. Jackson

Alexa Martin

Priscilla Oliveros

Kate Pearce

SUMMARY

RomCon Reviews is calling this title the best time travel since Outlander. Hard science fiction meets scorching hot romance in Time Bridge: Cassie, the first book in the Time Bridge series.