You know how we’ve had a few quiet release weeks in a row? Well, next week more than makes up for it! June wastes no time kicking things up a notch, with a crazy busy release week to start things off. I have no idea where to start first, because there are so many intriguing books releasing at the same time! Take a peek at some of the books releasing in the next week below.
June 3: Drawn to Darkness by Michelle Heard
From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.
Poverty is an understatement when it comes to describing my circumstances. My mother is a lost cause I can’t get rid of, and I work my fingers to the bone just trying to keep my head above water.
To ease the stress bearing down on my shoulders, I like to dance. Working as a janitor at a ballet company makes it easy for me to steal thirty minutes at night when the place is empty.
Or so I thought. Just my luck that the dangerously handsome owner catches me red-handed. He thinks I’m a hardworking ballerina, and I don’t bother correcting him… because, you know, I’d like to keep my job.
Dario La Rosa has every girl at the company swooning, hoping she’ll be the one to end his bachelor status. Me? I just want to keep my secret and try to avoid the man at all costs.
But then my mother’s sins burst through my dilapidated front door, and my life takes a turn for the worse.
Turns out Dario isn’t who I thought he was, and the man has the power to not only change my entire life, but to keep me from losing it.
Even though I’m drawn to the darkness coming off him waves, I’m not sure whether I should run or stay.
What would you do?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44Oq739
June 4: Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
“I don’t just want to hear her laugh, I need to earn it. Every time I gain a little ground, I want more. I want to break out of the shade and back into her light. Without even realizing it, I’ve become addicted to it. To her.”
From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy—a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat.
Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.
And they can’t stand each other.
Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.
As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.
There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.
And this one has come for blood.
Tropes:
Hate-to-love
Marriage of convenience
Grumpy / sunshine
He falls first
Groveling, but make it psycho
Touch her/him and die
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WDzzEl
June 4: Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb
A divorcee embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy but sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life in this charming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Ali Hazelwood.
Newly-divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, cliches be damned. So when a friend asks Celeste to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.
Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable. Since they’re both committed to the single life, Celeste suggests a status upgrade: birders with benefits, just until the contest is done. But as the bird count goes up and their time together ticks down, John and Celeste will have to decide if their benefits can last a lifetime, or if this love affair is for the birds.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aw7dip
June 4: Common Grounds by Allie Samberts
Can a lifestyle reporter and a coffee shop owner find love brewing between them? Or will their blend be too bitter to succeed?
Emery Darlis hates her job. She’s a journalist stuck writing feel-good local stories for a web magazine, and she’s grumpy about it. In fact, she’s going to burn out quickly if she doesn’t get to write something more interesting soon.
Trevor Kovacic’s coffee shop is failing. It’s the place that houses all the memories of his family, and it’s got two months, tops. He’s trying to stay positive, but he needs a miracle.
Emery and Trevor have nothing in common. That is, until they share an unforgettable one-night stand.
They never expect to see each other after that, until Emery makes a bold bet with her boss to write a viral feature, and they end up face to face. Again.
Desperate to win and intrigued by Trevor’s situation, Emery pitches a series of articles about his shop. They’ll have to work together, but that should be easy… if they can each stop thinking about that one, passionate night.
If you love dual point of view, grumpy/sunshine, books where he falls first and they both fall hard, don’t miss this standalone romantic comedy. It will have you laughing out loud and crying tears of joy on an emotional journey to a happily ever after.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ap84lg
June 4: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
The romantic and hilarious story of a professional organizer whose life is a mess, and the summer she gets unstuck with the help of someone unexpected from her past, by the bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.
“I loved it—brims with heart, wit, and longing.” — CARLEY FORTUNE, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Benefits of a summer romance: It’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken.
Ali Morris is a professional organizer whose own life is a mess. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember.
No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her…by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. He looks at her like she’s a younger, braver version of herself. The last thing newly single mom Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little summer romance. Is there?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UAX528
June 4: Crossroads by Devney Perry
A sweeping small-town romance about love, loss, and a Montana legacy from USA Today bestselling author Devney Perry.
I met West Haven when I was eight years old. He taught me to play poker when I was nine, and we made paper airplanes together when I was eleven. He kissed me when I was sixteen. He was the best part about my family’s summer vacations to Montana. He was the boy who stole my heart. I was twenty-three when life ripped us apart.
Years later, I’m breaking my vow and returning to the ranch, not as a guest but its new owner. West might want me gone, but even he has to admit the only way to save his family’s legacy is with my help.
It’s not easy working side by side and facing those old memories. But this situation is only temporary. We’re at a crossroads. And as long as I don’t let myself fall in love with West Haven again, maybe this is our chance to put those ghosts to rest. Maybe this time we’ll finally be able to say goodbye.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4avw4TE
June 4: Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon
The New York Times bestselling author of Almost There delivers the start of a new rom-com series with an enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for readers of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory.
Ashanti Wright is thrilled over the success of her doggie daycare, Barkingham Palace. But handling the business and taking care of her teen twin sisters is a lot. And now that the antics of her adorable French bulldog and poodle bestie are blowing up on social media, things are even more chaotic than usual. And they only get worse when the world’s worst dog hater shows up.
Thad Sims is not a dog person. He’s barely a person’s person. But after his grandmother is transferred to a senior living facility that doesn’t accept pets, the former army officer agrees to care for her annoying standard poodle, and his first move is taking Puddin’ out of daycare.
Now Ashanti’s beloved Duchess is bereft of her companion, social media is outraged, and Ashanti’s business is hanging in the balance. Her only option is to make nice with the surly, sexy Thad at all costs. But it’s gonna take a tiara-wearing Frenchie, a well-dressed poodle, and a whole lotta treats to teach these humans a few new tricks about falling in love.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yrC42A
June 4: Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett
A grumpy, rich recluse meets his match in this steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling—with a Succession twist. Fans of fairy tale adaptations, and readers of Julie Murphy and Falon Ballard, will adore Mae Bennett’s debut romance.
Bellamy Price has just been offered the job of a lifetime: lead contractor on the restoration of the mysterious and sprawling Killington Estate. If she meets the owner’s ridiculous timeline, she’ll finally make a name for herself in this male-dominated industry. But when she rolls up her sleeves, slips on her suspenders, and shows up at the crumbling mansion, Bellamy finds the estate very much occupied.
After a traumatic car accident that left his parents dead and himself injured, Oliver Killington, heir to the Killington empire, took up residence as the grumpy caretaker of his grandfather’s mansion. None too pleased by the presence of the hammer-wielding woman who’s moved into his house, Oliver tries to block her at every turn.
But when Bellamy discovers Oliver’s facing his own ultimatum from his grandfather, the two form a cautious truce, which leads to flying sparks that are definitely not from faulty wiring. As Bellamy restores the gleam to the Killington Estate, she’ll have to decide if the walls she’s built around herself are worth knocking down to make space for someone else.
Perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey, this clever, steamy debut novel will have readers rooting for this Beauty and her Beast until the very last page.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bneJO6
June 5: Free Fall by Kathryn Nolan
Fifteen years as a protection agent and I’ve never—not once—been tempted to break the rules. My reputation and professionalism are the reasons I’m about to secure the promotion of a lifetime. So the last person I need anywhere near me is Luke Beaumont, the very definition of temptation.
The man I’ve just been ordered to protect at any cost.
Luke is everything that I’m not. Charming and wealthy, messy and reckless. And he’s made it his mission to make my job impossible. While my irritatingly impulsive client would rather ignore the dangers of old family secrets and new forbidden attractions, I know better.
If this job’s taught me anything, it’s that emotions are a complication, and complications lead to distraction. Though nothing can prepare me for the onslaught of emotion when Luke is kidnapped. I’m hit with the glaring truth: I’ll risk it all to save him.
Even if that means losing everything.
FREE FALL is a steamy, standalone M/M bodyguard romance filled with flirty banter, forced proximity, action-packed suspense, small-town secrets, and all the queer joy.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bmwcGp
June 6: Forbidden King by Laura Pavlov
From USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling Author Laura Pavlov, comes an all new Small Town, Brother’s Best Friend, Found Family Standalone Romance.
Saylor Woodson is the one girl I can’t have, and the only girl I want.
She’s my best friend’s little sister, and completely off limits.
We have a history, a connection—one that no one else knows about.
One that I’ve tried hard to forget.
I’ve kept my distance for years, which was easy because she’d been away at school.
But now she’s home, and she’s everywhere I turn.
And the way that I want her is unexplainable.
She’s always on my mind.
She’s sunshine on a cloudy day.
So, I do everything in my power to keep my distance, because her brother is my best friend.
My family.
But the pull is too strong.
Overpowering in every way possible.
I want to claim her and keep her and make her mine.
So, we cross that line in the sand—slowly at first.
Until I’m drowning in this girl and can’t find my way up for air.
Betrayal runs deep, and guilt hangs over me like a dark cloud.
But I can’t seem to walk away, no matter how hard I try.
Because she makes me want things that I never thought possible.
And now that I’ve had a taste of forever, I’m willing to risk everything to keep it.
But can we weather the storm that’s coming for us?
Only time will tell.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3V2cDNO
June 6: Sterling Streak by L.B. Dunbar
Love was a losing battle for this country music darling and a single dad, baseball star until one night brings them together and one small town sets the playing field for a possible winning streak.
They call me Lady Boss. Maneater. Queen. But beneath the makeup, blond wig, and glitzy costumes, I’m just a country girl who likes to sing. I don’t hate men, I’m just struggling to find a good one. I’ve learned my lesson. Fool me once, and it will never, ever happen again. So I’m baffled when I meet Ford Sylver.
A superstar in his own right as the centerfielder for the Chicago Anchors baseball team, plus a single dad to three adorable little girls, we share a moment when I save his firm backside and pretend he’s mine. Something that he can never be.
Only, when he suffers a season-changing injury and I need a place to disappear, we both end up back in Sterling Falls, where I’m suddenly and unwittingly his nanny.
There’s danger in having a wild side. I’ll try anything once. However, forced into close quarters with Ford, acting as his personal nurse, and caring for his three little ones might backfire. Because I’m staring at all I ever wanted and never thought would happen for me.
After losing at love in the past, could I finally be on a winning streak?
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WN0U7g
Check out this week’s new releases here.
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