AUGUST 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

NOVEMBER 2021

NO ORDINARY CHRISTMAS - Belle Calhoune Mistletoe, Maine (Book #1) Berkley Publishing/Forever BUY (28 September) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Mistletoe, Maine, is buzzing and not just because Christmas is around the corner! Dante West, local cutie-turned-Hollywood hunk, is returning home to make his next movie. Everyone in town is excited . . . except librarian Lucy Marshall. When Dante took off for LA without warning—or even a goodbye—he broke Lucy’s heart. She swore not to spend one more minute thinking about her ex, but Dante makes an offer Lucy’s struggling library can’t refuse: a major donation to film on-site

A VERY INTIMATE TAKEOVER - LaQuette Devereaux Inc. (Book #1) Harlequin Desire BUY (28 Sept) Reviewer:  Cheryl McNeil |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Trey Devereaux is out to prove her corporate mettle to her skeptical father. When she sees a chance to take control of Devereaux Inc. from her estranged grandfather, she pounces. But Jeremiah Benton, his second-in-command, is fiercely protective of the Devereaux patriarch…and absolutely enticing. The intensity of their attraction overwhelms her defenses, and Trey even finds herself warming to her grandfather under Jeremiah’s influence.

	CHRISTMAS DATA BREACH - K. D. Richards West Investigations (Book #3) Harlequin Intrigue BUY (28 Sept) Reviewer:  |  Rating: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Security specialist Gideon Wright knows Mya Rochon’s cancer research is groundbreaking. But when an arsonist destroys his ex-wife’s lab and puts her at risk, he discovers it’s dangerous, too. With Gideon’s protection, Mya’s determined to finish her project—no matter the risk to her life…or Gideon's heart. But will their rekindled partnership face its most deadly adversary yet?

CHRISTMAS IN ROSE BEND - Niama Simone Rose Bend (Book #2) HQN Books BUY (26 Oct) Reviewer:  Shirley Fleming |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store…Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother’s deathbed confession: Nessa’s dad wasn’t really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then she meets the innkeeper’s ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison

A THORN IN THE SADDLE - Rebekah Weatherspoon Cowboys of California (Book #3) Kensington Publishing/Dafina Books BUY (26 Oct) Reviewer:  Shirley Fleming |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Ranch owner Jesse Pleasant always felt too big for his desert town—literally—and too brutish to fit in with his charming, cowboy brothers. After his temper gets the best of him one time too many, he’s ready to accept the truth: he’s cursed to be alone. But when the Senate selection committee comes looking for a man of his public standing, he knows this might be his chance to prove to his family and friends that he can keep his cool...

	REDEEMED BY HIS NEW YORK CINDERELLA - Jadesola James Harlequin Presents BUY (28 Sept) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  B+ CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
What if the man from her past is the key to her future? Don’t miss Jadesola James’s thrilling romantic debut for Harlequin Presents! Kitty Asare will do anything for the foundation inspired by her tumultuous childhood. Including charming her way into Manhattan’s most exclusive gala…then sparring with the man from her past who catches her there!

	MISTLETOE IN JUNEAU - Dahlia Rose An Alaskan Christmas Romance Hallmark Publishing BUY (19 Oct) Reviewer:  Jennifer Copeland |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Danni’s a social media influencer who’s way out of her element. She sort-of broke up with her boyfriend-slash-manager, and she escaped her fast-paced life in L.A. to spend Christmas with an old friend in Juneau, Alaska. Danni takes in the beauty of the scenery and the warmth of the community…and she’s drawn to the local sheriff.

JUST A LITTLE MARRIED - Reese Ryan Moonlight Ridge (Book #3) Harlequin Desire BUY (28 Sept) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

She’s proposing a convenient marriage to the man she can’t resist. What can go wrong? She needs a husband…fast. Could her former flame be perfect for the job? To claim her inheritance, philanthropist Riley George needs to tie the knot—now! Desperate times call for desperate measures, so she turns to Travis Holloway—the celebrity chef catering her gala and her ex-lover. Can she make him an offer he can’t refuse without giving in to an attraction she can’t deny?

	CHRISTMAS IN FULL BLOOM - Denise N. Wheatley Tule Publishing (21 Oct) BUY Reviewer: Jennifer Copeland |  Rating:  B+ CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
This Christmas, can they slow down long enough to smell the roses and fall in love? When savvy, up-and-coming floral designer Lauren Beal returns home to Maple Valley, Michigan, for her sister's holiday wedding, she’s determined to be the perfect maid of honor. She didn’t expect the best man to be the college crush she’d reluctantly left behind to pursue her Chicago-based dreams.

ONE CHRISTMAS WISH - Brenda Jackson Caralina Cove (Book #5) HQN Books BUY (26 Oct) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Once a Wall Street rising star, Vaughn Miller had his career abruptly ended by a wrongful conviction and two years in prison. He’s returned to his hometown to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and find a way forward. Sierra Crane escaped a disastrous marriage—just barely. She’s come back to the only place where she and her six-year-old daughter can feel safe. Now a newly independent, divorced single mom, Sierra opens a soup café and settles in to get busy with moving on.

	A GROOM FOR AGATHA - Parker J. Cole The Blizzard Brides (Book #29 Independently Published BUY (26 October) Reviewer:  |  Rating: HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Agatha Waters has embraced widowhood after she loses her husband of twenty years. She had a wonderful marriage and isn't greedy for more. When the pastor of Last Chance forces the women to send for new spouses, she does so reluctantly. While waiting for a reply, she discovers her farm is in trouble. A chance visit from a family friend gives her an answer to her problem in a most unique way.

	BACK TO LOVE - A. C. Arthur Rose Gold Press BUY (28 Sept) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  B+ CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
If the feelings come back, is it possible they never left? When Jorie Kemp set out to put her design company on the national level by entering a contest to be on a flipping houses reality show, she had no idea she’d end up working with her ex-high school sweetheart, Dominic Hughes. Let alone falling for his precious son.

	TEMPTED - Sharon C. Cooper Atlanta's Finest  (Book #7) Amaris Publishing BUY (7 October) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  A ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Temptation has a way of complicating things…Detective Ashton Chambers is ready to quit the police force, but he won’t until he puts the man responsible for his sister’s murder behind bars. No easy task. In fact, the mission is proving to be almost impossible. Though his day job stresses him out, his social life has taken a turn for the better thanks to a sassy bar owner, Dani Eubank

SEDUCING THE SEAL - Yahrah St. John The Mitchell Brothers (Book #2) Independently Published BUY (1 Oct) Reviewer:  Cheryl McNeil |  Rating:  A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

As the middle child of a legacy military family, Cage Mitchell has often felt ignored, the outcast. He wasn't the oldest like Caden or the youngest like Cameron. Cage has always had to fight to be seen. So he joined the baddest branch in the military, the Navy SEALs. The SEALs taught him about family, loyalty and honor. Monae Williams comes from a broken home and was put into the foster care system when she was nine-years-old. Now a social worker, Monae yearns for family and commitment and thinks she’s found it with Cameron Mitchell. So why can’t she keep her hands off Cameron’s older brother, Cage, the bad boy in the family?

	HEART STEALER - Delaney Diamond The Cordaba Agency  (Book #3) Garden Avenue Press BUY (22 October) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating:  A ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
As the wife of a pioneer in the field of biotechnology, Katherine Stallworth had an up close view of the ugly underbelly of corporate espionage and the cutthroat nature of competition. When her husband is murdered and her life threatened, she turns to Raheem Miller, the one man she can trust—despite their sordid past.

THE BUTCHER'S DAUGHTER - Parker J. Cole Daughters of Black Gotham  (Book #1) Independently Published BUY (30 Septembert) Reviewer:  Brenda Larnell |  Rating: A CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Elsia Letchmore was intent on marrying her childhood friend until he left her and New York behind. She tried to console herself and put the man who rejected out of her mind. Now, she’s tasked with finding Zelpher Knight and bringing him to home. Zelpher Knight dreamed of being on the stage, but opportunities for a colored actor in 1846 were non-existent. Spurning his parents’ wishes, he leaves New York and the only woman he has loved, to find the world isn’t ready to accept him.

GAME TIME DECISION - Patricia Sargeant Brooklyn Monarchs (Book #5) Mediopolis Communications BUY (26 OctSept) Reviewer:   |  Rating: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

At thirty-seven years old, Marlon Burress doesn’t need a game clock to know he’s coming to the end of his NBA playing days. After fifteen years with the Miami Waves, the franchise has traded him to their division rival, the Brooklyn Monarchs. Even worse, his new team signed him to only a one-year contract. But before he walks away from basketball, Marlon needs a new plan. As he considers settling down, his thoughts turn to his greatest challenge yet: winning back his former college sweetheart.