Romance Reader at Heart and HarperCollins announce the following upcoming releases. Read what we think about these books in our Novel Thoughts and Ponderings Review webpages!
Coming February 2013:
"THE RED DIARY" by Toni Blake ISBN: 9780062229571
Prim and proper Lauren Ash has a secret side no one else sees: she records her sexual fantasies, in intimate detail, in a very personal book meant for her eyes only.
When hired hand Nick Armstrong finds the red diary, he's shocked . . . and aroused. Never before has he come across anything so private—or so sensual. And, given the way the Ash family has hurt his, he soon begins to see this as a potent weapon for righting an old wrong. Wouldn't it serve the haughty Lauren right if he used her own fantasies to seduce her, make her fall in love, and then break her heart?
But there's much more to Lauren than Nick expects, and before he quite realizes it, he's opening himself—and his heart—to her. Can Nick let go of the past and surrender to Lauren, body and soul?
"THE LASS WORE BLACK" by Karen Ranney ISBN: 9780062027801
Catriona Cameron was once famed for her seductive beauty and charm. Now she saw no one, hiding from the world . . . and no one dared break through her self-imposed exile.
No one, that is, until Mark Thorburn burst into her home, and Catriona's darkened world began to have color again. Thorburn, secretly the heir to an Earldom, claimed he was a footman. But Catriona didn't care about the scandal their passion could cause . . . for his very touch sparked her back to a life of sensuality, one she thought she'd never have again.
Little does she know that Mark is part of a masquerade. One that will end when they become the target of a madman set on revenge. Mark realizes he will have to do more than win her love . . . he will have to save her life as well.
"CIRCLE OF DECEPTION" by Carla Swafford ISBN: 9780062225344
After disappearing days before her wedding to fellow Circle agent Rex Drago, Abby Rodriguez discovered that trying to reclaim a life—and a love—lost is a whole lot harder than she thought. When her family's safety is threatened by an arms dealer, Abby must go undercover with the one man who sees right through her as they play the scariest roles yet: husband and wife.
Mission or no mission, Rex Drago wants answers from his ex-fiancee. Forced to play along as a rival arms dealer and the husband he once wanted to be, Rex is finding it hard to stay professional—especially since Abby is just as hot as ever. And when they find themselves in a very intimate position, Abby and Rex must act the part—or risk blowing their cover entirely.
"DECK THE HALLS WITH LOVE" by Lorraine Heath ISBN: 9780062219343
Christmas is a time for miracles … and second chances at love.
In her dazzling first Season, Lady Meredith Hargreaves gave her heart to Alistair Wakefield, the Marquess of Chetwyn, only to have it shattered when he proposed to another. And now that he's free to pursue her? It matters little, because she's on her way to the altar, heartbreak be damned.
Chetwyn once set aside his dreams in favor of duty and honor. But as Christmas approaches, he is determined to put his own desires first and lure Lady Meredith back into his arms, where she's always belonged.
First he steals a dance; then he steals a kiss. But when they find themselves alone in an abandoned castle during a snowstorm, reignited passion consumes them both. And Chetwyn will have one last chance to steal back Meredith's heart, once and for all.
"BET YOU'LL MARRY ME" by Darlene Panzera ISBN: 9780062252562
Marry her and win
When tall, handsome out-of-towner Nick Chandler first sets eyes on Jenny O'Brien, she's storming into the Bets & Burgers Café, wielding a broom and threatening the safety of every man in sight. Hey, he figures, she's got the right to be annoyed—the whole town seems to be laying bets on whom Jenny will marry.
Nick's annoyed as well. He didn't think he'd have to propose to romance the land away from her, but to save his sister and his ill-fated business, he jumps into the fray and bets $10,000 that Jenny will marry him.
Now the only thing stopping him from seizing her land . . . may be his own heart.
"A CHANCE ON LOVIN' YOU" by Eboni Snoe ISBN: 9780062275462
Sasha Townsend always plays it safe—in life and in love—until an unexpected inheritance brings her to the lushly tropical Florida Keys.There, beneath the hot sun of Magic Key, she begins to relax and renew...until she's summoned to the neighboring estate by it's enigmatic owner, Cay Ellis. The handsome millionaire's highhanded ways and infuriating demands awaken Sasha to emotions and a world available only in her imagination.
From the moment Cay first lays eyes on Sasha he knows she's trouble. Not only does she refuse his claim on her property, but she insists in poking her nose in where it doesn't belong. For all is not what it seems on Magic Key, and though Cay would do anything to keep Sasha in his protective embrace, he knows that by falling in love with this beautiful woman he's taking the greatest chance of his life.
"MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVE" by Malia Martin ISBN: 9780062275448
Shakespeare's In Love
At the royal command of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Ian Terrance has sought out a popular local playwright named William Shakespeare-only to discover that "he" is a "she."..and a most desirable and delectable she indeed! And now that the remarkable Olivia is his prisoner, Sir Ian is the one in chains-bewitched by the singular young woman's irrestible beauty, deliciously sharp wit, and innocent sensuality.
Olivia's secret life was well hidden, until Ian burst through her wall of pretense. There is much the devilishly handsome man can teach an imaginative, if inexperienced, maid, with his tender caresses and intoxicating kisses. But how long will the exquisite writer be able to remain aloof from the passionate attentions of her bold kidnapper? And can a breathtaking romance turn Ian form his duty-and ensure a happy ending?
"DESTINY'S EMBRACE" by Beverly Jenkins ISBN: 9780062032652
Gentleman Seeks Housekeeper. Must be willing to travel.
Desperate for another life away from Philadelphia, headstrong and beautiful Mariah Cooper answers an advertisement for a housekeeper at the other end of the continent. Waiting in California is the most breathtaking—and arrogant—man she has ever met . . . and he'd like nothing better than for Mariah to go back home!
Logan Yates has run Destiny, the family ranch, since he was a boy. He doesn't need this Eastern miss his stepmother hired, though his home's chaotic state suggests otherwise. Still, he's secretly pleased that Mariah gives as good as she gets—and he must fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her whenever she proudly stands her ground. But when he's in danger of losing her, Logan will have to choose between pride . . . and his heart's true desire.
"FRANKLY, MY DEAR" by Sandra Hill ISBN: 9780062019035
Lost in the Bayou...
Selene has always had three great passions: men, food . . . and Gone With the Wind. Still, the glamorous model always seems to be starving for both nourishment and affection. Weary of the petty world of high fashion, she heads to New Orleans for one last shoot before she chucks it all and begins a whole new life. But she doesn't realize that, thanks to an errant voodoo spell, her new life will happen 150 years in the past . . . and in the company of a dark and brooding gentleman who could give Rhett Butler a run for his money!
An alarmingly handsome Southern planter, James Baptiste may not have Rhett's cavalier spirit—and his plantation is certainly no Tara! But it's clear as crystal that this virile Creole is a lover worth giving a damn about. And with God as her witness, Selene vows she will never go hungry for this man again!
"ONE GOOD EARL DESERVES A LOVER" by Sarah MacLean ISBN: 9780062068538
Lady Philippa Marbury is . . . odd
The brilliant, bespectacled daughter of a double marquess cares more for books than balls, for science than the season, and for laboratories than love. She's looking forward to marrying her simple fiancé and living out her days quietly with her dogs and her scientific experiments. But before that, Pippa has two weeks to experience all the rest—fourteen days to research the exciting parts of life. It's not much time, and to do it right she needs a guide familiar with London's darker corners.
She needs . . . a Scoundrel
She needs Cross, the clever, controlled partner in London's most exclusive gaming hell, with a carefully crafted reputation for wickedness. But reputations often hide the darkest secrets, and when the unconventional Pippa boldly propositions him, seeking science without emotion, she threatens all he works to protect. He is tempted to give Pippa precisely what she wants . . . but the scoundrel is more than he seems, and it will take every ounce of his willpower to resist giving the lady more than she ever imagined.
"SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN" by Jennifer Bernard ISBN: 9780062088987
There's a hardnosed new training officer in town, and that's bad news for the
Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel . . .
But great news for firefighter Sabina Jones . . . maybe.
The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the "Bachelor Firemen" media hype. But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it's going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay.
But there's even more Sabina isn't telling him. Before dedicating herself to battling blazes, Sabina led a very different life, one that made her famous. The last thing she wants is to have her secret exposed. The papers, bloggers, and TV gossips will have a field day with that—expecially when they sense the obvious sexual heat between Sabina and Chief Roman, who's torn between firing her . . . and falling in love with her!
Find one you'd like to read? Find it the easy way, by searching Amazon.com!
