Sierra Simone

Nic needs a career favor and Ben needs a fake girlfriend for a trip to Martha’s vineyard. Obviously these longtime friends are going to be able to help each other without accidentally sexting and sleep-grinding and letting fake kisses turn into real kisses…KIDDING! They start to fall in love and the slow-burning heat of their attraction will have you squirming in the best possible way. Contemp, friends to lovers, m/f.

After Xeni’s aunt dies, the will stipulates that in order to collect her inheritance, Xeni needs to marry the small town’s resident six-and-a-half-foot Scotsman (with thighs like tree trunks and a heart of gold.) Weatherspoon’s writing is literary fusion: of the complicated weight of grief, dialogue that is laugh-out-loud funny, bisexuality and being in an m/f relationship as a bisexual person, the charm of a small town, shocking family secrets, and hot HOT HOTTTTT sex. I mean like, lava hot. SO HOT. (THERES PEGGING!!!) Contemporary, marriage of convenience, queer M/F.

I sometimes say that there’re books that give answers and books that ask questions (and some books that do both). Truly is a book that asks some big questions, and while I didn’t know the answers as I was reading, it’s a book that’s staying with me after I’ve finished it. Gorgeously written, deeply characterized, with scene after scene that you’ll feel in your bones as you read, Truly is the kind of dark romance that lingers in your blood well after the last word. (When this description says “Dark Romance”—believe me, this is like a 400-level dark romance. CW for true non-con and also for dub-con.)

Power, wealth, and sizzling heat collide in this delicious story of secrets and revenge. Ben is your new swaggering book boyfriend, and Olivia is the take-no-crap heroine we need this year, and trust me when I say their chemistry will melt your e-reader. Contemporary, Heist Romance, m/f.

Gorgeous. Riveting. Queen Move is a sizzling, heart-shattering romance that proves the power of courage and passion, and the indelible marks of family and home. Soul mates are REAL, and it is Ezra and Kimba who prove that beyond a doubt. Contemporary, friends to lovers, m/f.

I LOVE ALIEN ROMANCES!!! And Taylor Vaughn (Theodora Taylor and Eve Vaughn writing together) capture all my biggest alien ids. All the humans on New Terrhan must submit to being bred by the hunky Xalthurian soldiers—but Kira refuses. Her defiance piques the interest of the prince—which kicks off an epic romance that changes the fate of Xalthuria and all humans on New Terrhan. Space alien romance, m/f, touches on themes of dubious consent.

This is truly one of the most joyful books I’ve ever read! Jordyn is in LA for a job interview and goes into a romance bookstore (the one we all know and love!) There she meets Mike, the most cinnamon roll who ever rolled, who takes Jordyn on a series of LA adventures. There’s banter, chemistry, love of romance novels—and I dare you not to smile the entire time you’re reading! Contemporary, m/f.

Preorder alert! A second-chance romance between FADE, one of music’s biggest and brightest, and Delightful, his best friend’s sister! Welcome to the world of The Mogul Series where the Young, Gifted and Black are met with intrigue and passion. Where fame is no guarantee of happiness . . . Contemporary, m/f.

Mob boss!!! Secret baby!!! Mob boss’s secret baby!!! When Dante discovers the love of his life survived the fire that rocked his world—and that he has a son—he’ll stop at nothing to possess them once again. Passionate, powerful, and HOT HOT HOT. Contemporary, mob romance, secret baby, m/f.

This is tears-in-eyes, giggling-in-bed hilarious, and Hannah is the fiercely complicated heroine I needed to read. A genderbent retelling of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, this story will have you laughing and panting all at the same time! Contemporary, rom-com, m/f.

A delightful, happy-making cake of a book, with banter for days! Wedding planner Carolina was left at the altar—and it was the best man (and brother of the groom) who made it happen. Now they have to work together on a project that could define their careers—and somehow manage not to cave to their simmering need for each other in the meantime…. (they do, of course!). Contemporary, rom-com, enemies-to-lovers. M/F.

Kiskeya and Sully couldn’t be more different kinds as bakers—but when they’re put on the same team for a British holiday baking competition, the thing simmering between them turns out to be more than honey-poached figs. Chemistry, lots of heart, and food descriptions that will have you drooling. And did I mention there’s only ONE BED??? Contemporary, holiday, f/f.

GAH SURPRISE BABY!!! I cannot tell you how much I love this trope! When India falls into trouble in San Francisco, she has no choice but to call the only person she knows in the city—Mike. Who she hasn’t seen since their delectable sexytimes months ago. And who is also the father of her unborn baby (and doesn’t know it yet!!!) Much Feels ensue (along with even more delectable sexytimes.). Contemp, surprise baby. M/F.

Brought together by betrayal-laced grief, Brooklyn and already-partners Vaughn and Shaw agree to explore some kinky goodtimes together. Brooklyn refuses to fall in love with big-hearted Vaughn and cooly dominant Shaw, but…well, we romance readers know how that will turn out! Weatherspoon deftly weaves a tapestry of grief, boundaries, friendships, and the sexiest of sexy times into this kinky, polyam tale, and you’ll walk away from it thinking, “This is how grown-ups fall in love.”

Contemp, BDSM, M/m/f.

Halle is being hunted by a stalker—and when the police won’t help, she turns to taciturn hitman Callum to keep her safe. Wonderfully bloody, brutally sexy—the kind of romance you consume in one sitting because it’s too dark and delicious to put down! Contemporary, hitman romance. M/F.

It’s impossible to overstate Hibbert’s gift with words. She has these sentences that are so magnificent that I frequently have to pause just to savor them. Add in BANANAS sexiness and subtle but gutting characterization, and you have a Talia Hibbert romance. Work For It is about a sad, grunty country giant and a cold, beautiful visitor from London—lots of angst, heat and gorgeously written prose that will have you ready to re-read it the moment you finish. Contemporary, British, m/m.

Abbie is running from a dangerous past. So is Alexi. They meet in London as Abbie pursues her dream of being a photographer and Alexi struggles to break free of his family. Money, secrets and sexytimes abound--not to mention the gorgeous London scenery!!! Contemporary. M/F.

After a passionate affair that had promise for more, Fab abandons Likotsi with nothing more than a text. Determined to forget her months later, Likotsi returns to New York on a mission to forget Fab—which of course is when she and Fab meet again on the subway. What follows is a sweet second-chance story of family, sacrifice, and love. F/F, contemporary novella.

A hopeful but also unflinching examination of love, racism, homophobia, community, and family, Herrera gives her readers a powerful story that manages to be sobering and joyful all at once. Nesto is a city guy coming upstate to start his dream of running a food truck, and Jude is the adorable NPR-listening librarian who can’t get enough of his food (and him.) What follows is sexy, delicious, and sweet beyond belief. M/M, contemporary.

Friends to lovers is a hard trope for me sometimes, but Simone takes it and turns into into a delightfully steamy and emotional journey between two driven people. Tenny has loved quarterback Dom forever—bending her life around his, even working as his PA—and she realizes one day that he’s really never going to love her back and she has to learn to live her own life. Away from him. Page one, she quits, page two - the end is Dom waking the eff up and realizing just how much he craves her after all. Contemporary, sports romance. M/F.

TABOO! STEPBROTHER! SEX!

Cypress and Jude are stepsiblings who haven’t seen each other since they were kids, and after a chance meeting, they tumble into a hot, HOT, hot sexytimes scene that leaves them both craving more. Of course, once they discover they’re related by marriage, they can’t have more. Or can they? (THEY CAN!) . Contemporary, taboo, M/F.

Some romances are just plain gamechangers—both for the reader and for the genre, and American Love Story is one of them. Academic activist Patrice and assistant district attorney Easton fight for a love that will not only transform them, but transform the world around them as they both work for justice. It’s a book that’s as powerfully visionary as it is sexy (and it’s one of the sexiest books I’ve ever read). Contemporary, M/M.

Ryan creates rich and deeply human characters to weave together a story of raw desire, profound pain, and the healing magic of love...and she does it using language so beautiful I could weep (and did.) The story follows Lotus, a fashion maven who’s experienced childhood sexual trauma, and Kenan, a basketball star currently tangled in the messy, post-divorce life of being a single dad, and how they find love through it all. Sexy, SEXY, hot sex ensues. The best romance of 2019. Contemporary, sports romance, M/F.

Rich boy? Check. Clique of jerky private school boys? Check. Plucky poor girl? Check. This book is all teen angst and desire and class politics set against the backdrop of private school hallways, beach parties and luxurious mansions. Contemporary, New Adult. M/F.

Sexy prince Sebastian has gone missing, and it's up to brand-new Royal Guard Penny to track him down and bring him home. Power, sex, and laughs abound--not to mention angry kissing!!! Contemporary, royal romance. M/F.

This book wrecked me. Like straight f***ed me up for days. DAYS. Solene is my perfect heroine—smart, dignified and elegant, and honestly, I didn’t think I was going to like this hero because he’s in a boy band but OMG HAYES CAMPBELL. For sure one of my top three reads of that year. Contemporary, Reverse Age Gap, Women’s Fic. M/F.

The Kingmaker is a soaring masterpiece of explosive chemistry and destiny, of heritage and the ways we choose to change the world. Maxim is perfection and Lennix is a triumph, and their love story is one readers will come back to again and again. Contemporary, political romance. M/F.

A searingly sexy second-chance romance. Baby rock star Jessen broke Ian’s heart once upon a time…but now seven years later, he’s back, ready to win Ian for good. HOT and heartbreaking, the kind of story that has you thinking about the characters long after you finish. Contemporary, second-chance, novella. M/M.

Those who know me know that it takes a lot for me to enjoy a friends-to-lovers tale. It’s not a trope I normally dig. BUT in Hibbert’s talented hands, it becomes a rich journey of self-discovery, raw emotion, and potent desire. Heroine Jasmine is complicated and struggling—and sexy, sexy Rahul is done being patient and done picking up the pieces of her self-destruction. Together they unravel and find a way to weave a new life. Contemporary, M/F.

Elle, a former slave returns to the South to spy for the Union Army, and Malcolm is infiltrating a Rebel stronghold. Danger, secrets and a sizzling attraction make this one a page-turning, riveting delight. American Historical. M/F.

No one does alphaholes like Whit G, and Turbulence is a singing example of the magic of a jerk, crazy chemistry, tons of banter, and off-the-charts sex. M/F.

The (free!) first in a stunning series about love, success, race, family, police brutality, loss, and desire. Flow introduces us to fledgling rapper Marlon (Grip) and tough-as-nails Bristol. Their chemistry is undeniable...and so are the reasons they should stay apart. Contemporary. M/F.