Jessica Pryde is a member of that (some might call) rare breed that grew up in Washington, DC, but is happily enjoying the warmer weather of the desert Southwest. While she is still working on what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s enjoying dabbling in librarianship and writing all the things. She can be found drowning in her ever-growing TBR and exclaiming about romance in the Book Riot podcast (When in Romance), as well as on social media. Find her exclamations about books and pho on twitter (JessIsReading) and instagram (jess_is_reading).
Hey folks, happy December! We’ve successfully made it through one major American holiday and now have several more to go! Christmas is the same day every year, but this year we get to actually celebrate Chrismahanukwanzaakah! (AKA Hanukkah spans from Christmas, December 25, to January 2, the day after Kwanzaa ends.) This would be a great year to explore the traditions of all three celebrations, whether you celebrate religiously, culturally, or not at all. We are disgustingly bereft of romances set during and centered around the seven-day Kwanzaa festival (I think I can name three, and they’re all older), but we have seen an increase over the past few years in winter holiday books centering Jewish characters celebrating the Festival of Lights (and occasionally snarking in-text about how Hanukkah isn’t even a Big Holiday but is focused on over-proportionately because of its proximity to Christmas). And of course, whether the authors and characters are Christmas People or not, their stories are firmly set in the Christmas Tradition that American capitalist culture has moved increasingly forward in the calendar. (There were definitely Christmas decorations out in stores before Halloween this year.)
But really, that’s neither here nor there because by the time we get to new December releases, Holiday Romance Season is already well underway, and there aren’t that many notable new releases this month that focus on holiday celebrations. Instead, we get a nice range of long-awaited series updates like Alexis Hall’s Something Extraordinary, the traditional republication of Natasha Bishop’s Only for the Week, and some books by familiar names and new favorites that I’m excited to see released. Here are some upcoming December releases that I’m looking forward to!
Not in My Book by Katie Holt
This aptly-titled debut features Rosie, a Peruvian-American young woman who leaves Tennessee behind for the Big City to pursue a writing degree. When she ends up in class with a former crush who has become an arch-nemesis, their bickering leads to so much disruption in class that their instructor only allows them to stay if they write a book together—a tall order for two people who write in such different genres.
The Dreidl Disaster by Stacey Agdern
Outgoing town mayor Olivia is ready to get started with her work on the state legislature, but a PR disaster with the incoming mayor leads to a major setback. When a PR fixer is hired to help clear up the issue, he comes to Olivia to figure out how to make things right. But the combination of the community issues and the pair’s budding attraction could lead to fiery consequences for the both of them.
Stuck in the Country With You by Zuri Day
City girl Genesis has inherited a farm, which is trouble enough in its own right. But then she discovers that her new neighbor is the man she had a one-night stand in a moment of weakness, and the man is just as fine as he was all those years ago. His help with her new venture leads to lots of time together, but they’re not destined to be together. Right?
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How to Get a Life in Ten Dates by Jenny L. Howe
Haleigh needs a plus-one to a wedding, but isn’t dating anyone and is tired of the dating grind. So she lets her family set her up with 10 people of various genders to try out while harboring a giant crush on her best and oldest friend, Jack. But when Jack decides to throw himself in the mix, everything she thought she knew comes crashing down.
The Blessed by Anne Shade
Anne Shade’s newest book features a pair of supernatural women who must trust each other in order to protect themselves and, potentially, the world as they know it. Suri is a member of The Blessed, a line of women charged with protecting the gates between worlds. When she moves back to New Orleans to take over as Orisha priestess, she must accept the help and protection of Layla, an immortal half-demon.
(Please note: early reviews of this book note that there is a scene featuring graphic sexual assault.)
Keep Me by Sara Cate
This first book in a new series by Sara Cate (of Salacious Players Club fame), Keep Me involves a marriage of convenience between a curious New Yorker and an angry Scot with a playboy reputation. Sylvie might be in this marriage for the millions Killian’s family offers her to help fix his reputation, but as the year she promised comes to an end, can she really leave the man she’s come to love?
The Dratsie Dilemma by G.L. Carriger
Finally! Like. FINALLY! (No shade to Miss Gail. No author is beholden to us. But still. FINALLY.)
The last San Andreas Shifters book came out in 2020, and we’ve all been waiting with bated breath for the story of Trick, a dratsie (which is apparently an otter shifter? We get otter shifters???) who is confronted with his childhood best friend and betrayer, who happens to be a mermaid. I’m so excited to dive back into the world of SAS after the taste we got of newsletter-exclusive Vixen Ecology.
Prince’s Reunion in Paradise by Faye Acheampong
Look, when I decided to include this book on the list, I had no idea what the book was about; I just knew that this had to be one of, if not thee first time we saw a woman with Vitiligo on the cover of a Harlequin romance, and I needed everyone to see it. In this case, the story is also my catnip: a secret prince and a retired pop princess used to be pen pals until circumstances broke them apart. When they run into each other in the Maldives, can they build something new?
A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath
And speaking of Finallys—this book has been nearly a decade in the making! Lorraine Heath returns to the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series with a Victorian Beauty and the Beast-style story featuring a recovering Viscount who somehow owns a private island and the notorious courtesan who washes up on his beach after her hot air balloon (!!!!???) is blown off course. Like, we have to read this one, right?
An Imperfect Truth by Leigh Carron
I was turned onto Leigh Carron a couple of months ago and was delighted to discover a new title of hers coming out so soon after I devoured her backlist! In An Imperfect Truth, Lexie moves to a small town to reinvent herself and escape some of the less-desired features of her life. When she meets Chaz, they have an instant connection, but the secret she’s keeping about her real identity and the ties she has to a company that all but ruined Chaz could lead to more than trouble between them.
Coming for the Champion by Renée Dahlia
We don’t get a lot of Regency romances featuring boxers (although…it’s probably one of the more prominent professions among middle-class romances…hmm). Okay, so maybe we do, but we definitely don’t get a lot of Regency gay boxers. These two are past their glory days, but Circumstances lead them to potentially fight each other in an exposition match (why does that sound familiar lol).
PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
Maddie and Dom are charged with a task from Josh, his dying wish: that his sister (Maddie) and best friend (Dom) travel to several locations he wanted to go to before he died from cancer to spread his ashes. Unfortunately, Maddie and Dom also have a complicated history between them, and this trip is going to open wounds and bring up memories even more than the grief they’re both experiencing at Josh’s loss allows.
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