Hot romance novel recommendations to usher in the new year
Some recent romances that captured this reader’s imagination includes a swoony queer romance, the continuation of a thrilling series, the metamorphosis of a grouch, and a holiday story about a Scrooge
‘A Taste of Gold and Iron’
By Alexandra Rowland
Tor.com, $28, 512 pp.
A fantasy romance set in a world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire. Prince Kadou is brother to Sultan Zeliha, who has recently given birth to a daughter and heir. Though Kadou’s new guard, Evermer, thinks the prince is spoiled and careless, Kadou seeks to prove himself by investigating a break-in at the Shipbuilder’s Guild.
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As Kadou, accompanied by Evermer, delves deeper into his investigation, he uncovers a conspiracy that could bring down the empire. Evermer is stunned to realize that his fascination with the prince has blossomed into desire.
There is action and danger to provide thrills, and a hilariously witty secondary character. But it is the aching and longing that makes Rowland’s stunning queer romance so memorable.
‘Archangel’s Resurrection’
By Nalini Singh
Berkley, $9, 400 pp.
Nalini Singh’s latest entry in her paranormal Guild Hunter series, about the powerful archangels who rule the world, is the love story between Alexander, the Archangel of Persia, and fellow archangel Zanaya, Queen of the Nile.
Their tumultuous relationship has burned hotly for thousands of years, cycling from passion to anger to heartbreak. The two estranged ancients had finally both fallen into sleep but were awakened to join the fight against Lijuan, Archangel of Death.
Can the couple overcome the odds forge a true and stronger love? Can they work together to fight a new evil spawned from Lijuan’s darkness?
Singh’s latest can be read as a standalone, but much of the scope of the thrilling fight against Lijuan is lost. Do yourself a favor and read the full enthralling series.
‘Love in the Time of Serial Killers’
By Alicia Thompson
Berkley, $17, 352 pp.
Phoebe Walsh has traveled to Florida to help her brother, Conner, clear out their late father’s house while working on her dissertation dealing with the cultural fascination with serial killers. She is also dealing with the complicated history churned up by returning to her father’s house.
She soon meets her brother’s friend Sam, a music teacher who sees beyond Phoebe’s snarky exterior.
The longer Phoebe stays, the more attracted she is to Sam. At first a prickly character who is not very likable, Phoebe’s efforts to conquer past hurts and anxieties make reading about her emotional growth satisfying.
‘A Very Merry Bromance’
By Lyssa Kay Adams
Berkley, $17, 368 pp.
Lyssa Kay Adams continues her rom-com series about a group of male friends who are members of the Bromance Book Club, where they read romance books to get a less toxic viewpoint on relationships.
Country music star Colton Wheeler had what he thought was a real connection with Gretchen Winthrop when they spent the night together after the wedding of a mutual friend. But the next morning, she hastily exited.
A year later, she appears to ask Colton to be the new face of her family’s high-end whiskey. She is one of those Winthrops! Gretchen is a dedicated immigration lawyer, but also an heiress to one of Tennessee’s richest families.
Their heated attraction is still there, though she tries to cover it up with sarcastic zingers. Colton sets out to woo a resistant Gretchen.
The “sunshiny one-grumpy-one trope” is used effectively. The acceptance from Colton and his extended Bromance family starts to thaw the ice Gretchen built around her heart. She has to reckon with ghosts from her past, which threaten their deepening relationship.