Sponsored by Beach Haven by T. I. Lowe. Learn More.
Free-spirited Opal Gilbert refurbishes vintage furniture for her funky ocean-side boutique, Bless This Mess. One day, Lincoln Cole, a new-to-town ex-Marine nursing deep wounds and harboring hurts he can’t seem to shake, wanders into her shop. Opal knows a person in need when she sees one and offers Lincoln a job in her workshop. And soon it becomes clear Opal wants to not only restore furniture, but also help Lincoln find restoration. As much as Lincoln tries to keep her at arm’s length, Opal’s well-meaning meddling begins to heal his wounds . . . and capture his heart.
Thursday is here, and we’ve got new books to talk about. If your plan doesn’t include observing Passover through Easter and/or alternating between watching The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt and listening to the new cast recording of the stage play of the latter because your brain can’t process new words, then there’s plenty new for you to pick up.
Over on Book Riot
Book Riot is maintaining all of the stories coming through related to the bookworld and COVID-19 in a single story stream.
Isabelle matched Test Kitchen personalities with romances. Do you agree?
You know how I talked about fandom romances and wanting to read more? Here are the ones I’ve already read (some are YA, some adult).
Trisha was sick last week, so Jenn Northington joined me for a special Austen episode of When In Romance. (Note, the alternative title for this episode was “Scolding with his eyebrows” and that really does apply to nearly every Austen hero…even Hugh Grant—I mean, Edward Ferrars.)
Deals
I mentioned last time that Robyn Carr’s Virgin River was 1.99, but I didn’t realize you could get a bundle or two for not much more! The Virgin River Collection Volume 1 is 2.99, which gives you the first four books in the 20 book series.
And if you’re looking for something shorter, Lucy Eden bundled three of her books into A Trio of 90 Minute Escapes, all for 99 cents.
New Books!
It feels like the only thing I saw on Twitter all of Tuesday was people both celebrating and lamenting the fact that there were just so. Many. Books coming out this week. Not all of them were romance, but there is quite the roster of books out this week.
One of which I will be reading once I’ve submitted this newsletter:
To Have and to Hoax
Martha Waters
An estranged couple who perform the absolute most ridiculous stunts to get each other’s attention? Run it through my veins!
Married couple—Married couple! I said I wanted more marriages in trouble romances and had been in a dry historical rut, didn’t I? Didn’t I?!—Violet and James Audley are currently not really speaking to each other. But when a miscommunication leads Violet to think that James has been injured, she’s outraged (in part by her own reaction, probably) when she discovers he’s perfectly fine. So she pretends to have some kind of incurable illness to make him see how he likes it. And then the stunts continue on from there.
If you’ve followed long enough, you know I’m not really fond of romances where the protagonists deceive each other, so I’m actually afraid my squick-meter will go off for this one. But the premise (if you’re okay with feigning illness and potential gaslighting presented as comedy I guess?) is so wild and wildly intriguing that I’m super interested in how it’s done!
And then there’s the one that I’m still not sure whether to side-eye or throw grabby hands at:
Love in the Time of Corona
Rilzy Adams
Here it is, folks. We have a winner for first release (and she even managed to get the title!). Alyssa and her soon-to-be-ex (OMIGOD ANOTHER MARRIED COUPLE) are spite-sharing their apartment and discover they have to quarantine for two weeks. They are not in the same place, mentally, as far as where their relationship is—she’s bound to murder him herself, but he wants them to give the relationship a fighting chance. Either way, two weeks of constant, unrelenting contact will change the pair forever.
What do you think? Are you ready for the quarantine romances, or is it still too soon?
And then there are the others that are out now!
Seduced by a Steele by Brenda Jackson (With those eyes, who wouldn’t be? Intense, I believe the word is.)
The Iron Crown by MA Grant
Her One Night Proposal by Katherine Garbera
Pop Star by Eden Finley
Her Royal Bodyguard by Margaux Fox (here’s a secret, the bodyguard is also a woman!)
Love Layover by Keitra Crooks (this is part of a standaloneable series called Adorable Little Romance and I love it just for that)
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
You or No One by Oliver Bosman
What’s your book weekend look like?
As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at wheninromance@bookriot.com if you’ve got feedback, bookrecs, or just want to say hi!