This Week's New Releases

It's Monday... is there anything positive to follow up to that? I did have a great weekend. Didn't do much but reading and shopping. Which is good right? This week is a mix of contemporary, mystery, women's fiction and young adult. It's a short list which is good for my wallet and my TBR pile. How's your TBR pile?

I was happy to hear the show Longmire would be continuing on Netflix with season five starting September 23. I've enjoyed the show but, as books to movies and TV shows, the book(s) is usually better. So while I'll still watch the show, I also get to look forward to the books!

An Obvious Fact
Craig Johnson
Mystery/Western
Walt Longmire Series/Book 12

In the midst of the largest motorcycle rally in the world, a young biker is run off the road and ends up in critical condition. When Sheriff Walt Longmire and his good friend Henry Standing Bear are called to Hulett, Wyoming—the nearest town to America's first national monument, Devils Tower—to investigate, things start getting complicated.

As competing biker gangs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; a military-grade vehicle donated to the tiny local police force by a wealthy entrepreneur; and Lola, the real-life femme fatale and namesake for Henry's '59 Thunderbird (and, by extension, Walt's granddaughter) come into play, it rapidly becomes clear that there is more to get to the bottom of at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally than a bike accident. After all, in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the Bear won't stop quoting, "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."

Alice Clayton's Cocktail series is such a fun adventure in sexy romances. Now Clayton is teaming up with Nina Bocci to bring the new series, Broad Abroad, to life. I loved the movie Under the Tuscan Sun so the idea of starting over, in a foreign country tempts me to no end.

Roman Crazy
Alice Clayton & Nina Bocci
Contemporary Romance
Broads Abroad Series/Book 1

Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.

Carolyn Brown is known for her western romances featuring hot cowboys. This is not a romance but a about a second chance that is long over-due. Love the sound of this blurb!

The Lullabye Sky
Carolyn Brown
Women's Fiction

After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.

And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.

A young adult to round out the short list this week. This sounds like a story that could easily pull me in fast and not let go until the end. Love the premise!

The Forgetting
Sharon Cameron
Young Adult/Fantasy

What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.

This Weeks New Releases

I look forward to this weekly post and at the same time I almost dread it. Why you ask? Because it reminds me of how much I want to hideaway for hours and simply read!

It's all contemporaries this week. In comments, please add any releases you are anticipating.

Sarina Bowen is a favorite author of mine. Thanks to Nath for first recommending Ms. Bowen's wonderful Ivy Years series. I have yet to start this new series but have read some glowing reviews.

Steadfast
Sarina Bowen
Contemporary Romance
True North Series/Book 2

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there's no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie's police chief father. But it's a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

And... another series I haven't started yet but I have enjoyed Alice Clayton's writing in the past. She writes witty, sexy, fun contemporary romances. If you haven't ready her, give her a try.

Cream of the Crop
Alice Clayton
Contemporary Romance
Hudson Valley Series/Book 2

Manhattan’s It Girl, Natalie Grayson, has it all: she’s a hot exec at a leading advertising firm, known industry-wide for her challenging and edgy campaigns. She’s got a large circle of friends, a family that loves her dearly, and her dance card is always full with handsome eligible bachelors. What else could a modern gal-about-town wish for? The answer, of course, is...cheese.

Natalie’s favorite part of each week is spending Saturday morning at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, where she indulges her love of all things triple cream. Her favorite booth also indulges her love of all things handsome. Oscar Mendoza, owner of the Bailey Falls Creamery and purveyor of the finest artisanal cheeses the Hudson Valley has to offer, is tall, dark, mysterious, and a bit oblivious. Or so she thinks. 

But that doesn’t stop Natalie from fantasizing about the size of his, ahem, milk can.Romance is churning, passion is burning, and something incredible is rising to the top.Could it be...love?

I've read Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series and liked the small town setting with a diverse character group and some amusing secondary characters. Daughters of the Bride sounds like a sweet romantic story.

Daughters of the Bride
Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romance

With Joy, Love and a Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother's

Courtney ~ The Misfit ~ 

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom's wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family's view of her—and how she views herself—forever.

Sienna ~ The Free Spirit ~ 

When Sienna's boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say "I do" even if she's not sure she does?

Rachel ~ The Cynic ~ 

Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom's wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she's forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she'll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

This sounds like a fun, tropical romantic suspense. A little on the short side, 222 pages per Amazon. Which is actually a good length for a beach/vacation read. I've read some of Lauren Blakely's novels and she writes steamy romances. Not too dark but with plenty of action.

The Sapphire Affair
Lauren Blakely
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Jewel Series/Book 1

Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hires him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.

Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.

Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.

But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…

Review: Wallbanger

Wallbanger
Alice Clayton
Contemporary Romance
Omnific Publishing/November 27, 2012

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the sexiest apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.

Oh, I had such a good time with this book!  It was sexy, highly amusing and left me feeling a little guilty for enjoying it so much!  Sounds like a great date night with my husband!  lol  Instead, I got to know Caroline and Simon as they got to know each other.  Their romance got off to a rocky start with the wallbanging.  Then a truce with a tentative friendship as the result.  I tend to think the best romances start with friendship.

Caroline is slowing being driven crazy by her wallbanging, long lasting next door neighbor.  She's turning into a peep-hole peeping tom, trying to catch a glimpse of the one she dubs "the manwhore".   Caroline is intelligent, funny and a little obsessive but I found her obsessions endearing.  Especially the one focused on Simon!

Simon doesn't know what to make of his crazy neighbor.  Her first impression leaves him thinking she's kind of cute in a "lunatic-escaped-from-the-asylum" way and being neighbors, he can't help but run into her.  As it turns out, they have more in common than they could have guessed.

Sometimes a romance has the hero and heroine jumping into bed rather quickly, and it works.  Sometimes they take their time and that's what happened with Caroline and Simon and it made the ending so much more believable and honest.

If you're looking for a smart, humorous and entertaining romance, give Wallbanger a go.

Rating: A