Ever wonder how werewolves handle leash laws? Or how angels deal with the FAA? What about vampires? How do they manage their estate planning?
 
For starters, if a person dies without a will, their family inherits their assets: the car, the house, the accounts. They all go to the spouse and/or children according to with state law.
 
But what if the person who died isn’t dead—because they’re undead?

With Valentine’s Day approaching, we know that you’re scrambling to figure out the perfect gift for your favorite bibliophile. While we don’t know them like you do, here are some of the bookish gifts we’d love to receive!

Until a few years ago, I never really read romance. I mostly read young adult books, as I used to be a YA and kids librarian. I particularly loved (and love) YA books that dealt with mental health, neurodiversity, and characters who were true to life. When I started reading romance, that was something I really looked for as well, because I think representing our world the way that it actually is is beneficial for everyone.

Enter Kari Lynn Dell. Now, I’ve never considered myself a fan of cowboys. I grew up in Mississippi, and well…I’m not a fan. But Kari’s editor told me to give her books a shot—not only do they have incredible writing, she said, but they have a truly authentic voice and characters from an author who has lived this life.

I fell in love with Kari’s writing and books almost immediately, and quickly devoured books 1 and 2 in her Texas Rodeo series, Reckless in Texas and Tangled in Texas, but I was really excited to read Tougher in Texas. In this book, rodeo producer Cole Jacobs is stubborn, tough, sometimes difficult to understand; he is also neurodiverse—he has Asperger’s. Then there’s Shawnee, the bold, brave, plus-sized opposite of Cole.

They don’t seem like the perfect couple on paper, but burn that paper because Cole and Shawnee are perfect for each other. They bicker and rub each other the wrong way but their banter is delicious, they center each other, and I swooned the entire time. Cole helps ground Shawnee, while she helps him loosen up a little. Like all of Kari’s characters, they’re real, authentic, and incredible.

Kari made me a fan for life after Tougher in Texas. I will read anything she writes. She even got me to go to a rodeo last month! If like me, you like reading about realistic characters that you wish you knew IRL, authentic world-building, and the most incredible banter, give this HEA a shot. ​

We made it through the polar vortex, everyone! And you know how we did it? Puppies, highlanders, and swoony cowboys! We’re so excited to share the amazing covers for many of our July 2019 books, coming on July 30. Keep scrolling for the gorgeous covers of:

• Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns
• Highland Captive by Alyson McLayne
• Cowboy Charming by Dylann Crush
• I Love This Bar by Carolyn Brow

​2018. That was a year, huh? Whether you felt good or bad about what was happening in the world at large, we know there was some amazing stuff happening in Romancelandia!
 
There are a lot of “Best of” lists out there, and Romance is no exception. We reviewed eight Best Romance of 2018 lists, 72 books in total, so you can make sure you’ve checked the most lauded books of 2018 off your list!
 
Here’s what we looked at:

• Entertainment Weekly’s The 10 Best Romance Novels of 2018
• The Washington Post’s The 5 Best Romance Novels of 2018
• Smart Bitches Trashy Books Best of 2018: Our Personal Faves
• Goodreads Reader’s Choice Best Romance
• Amazon’s Best Romance Books of 2018
• Publishers Weekly’s Best Books 2018, Romance
• Kirkus’s Best Romance Novels 2018
• Library Journal’s Best Books 2018, Romance

 
And here are the books! 

Are you ready for a thrilling debut?! We're so excited about Juno Rushdan's Every Last Breath, which will be out in the world in April 2019. BUT you can read an excerpt now! Let us just say that we could not put this one down. 

It might sound cheesy but when we heard that we were publishing Puppy Love, it was absolutely love at first bark. Service puppies (look at his adorable vest!), swoony men (look at that smile!), and snarky, smart, heartwarming writing? Check, check, check. We were sold, and we hope you will be too! Read on for an excerpt from the first book in Lucy Gilmore's Service Puppies series, out May 28, 2019!

We're SO excited for the first book in Katie Ruggle's upcoming Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series, In Her Sights, that we wanted to share an excerpt and some love for the cover! In Her Sights hits shelves March 26, 2019!

“Pax. Pax, wake up.”
She tried burrowing deeper into her pillow, tugging her covers up around her ears in a futile attempt to block the voice invading her dreams. Unfortunately, John didn’t stop. “Pax, get up!”
She groaned into her pillow. It was still dark, for Pete’s sake. Was this her punishment for being a bad person? Was karma going to send him to her every morning to rudely wake her at an ungodly hour until she’d made amends for whatever horrible thing she’d done? What could her sin have been to be bad enough to call for this miserable a penance?
“Someone’s trying to break in,” John whispered. All traces of her lingering sleepy haze immediately evaporated. She was out of bed in an instant, moving so quickly that she almost crashed into John. Turning, she pulled a Taser out of the nightstand. As she bent to grab the weapon, she heard John make an indistinct sound, but his expression was bland by the time she’d straightened and turned to face him.
“Let’s go,” she said, ignoring his weirdness for now. There’d be time enough to try to solve the puzzle that was John Carmondy when they didn’t have a burglar at their door. Without waiting for a response, she charged for the hallway.
John followed her, but when they reached the top of the stairs, he moved in front of her. Making a barely audible sound of protest, she poked him in the back. He ignored it and moved silently down the stairs. Although she could see the readiness in his movements, his hands were by his sides, empty of any kind of weapon, and she frowned, wishing she’d grabbed the second Taser. Tapping his hand lightly, she offered him the one she did have. Giving it a surprised glance, he waved it off with a smile of thanks. She withdrew, determined to do her best to save the crazy, unprepared man from any danger.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he slipped through the living room, a silent shadow. She was amazed again how agile and coordinated he was for such a big man. Molly was pretty sure she was klutzier than he was, and she was half his size. As he made his way toward the front door, she realized that she was following behind him like a scared kid, rather than acting like the badass she was—a badass with a Taser, at that. Rolling her eyes at herself, she peeled off, heading for the kitchen.
Before she managed to get a few steps away from John, he caught her wrist, tugging her gently back into place behind him. Knowing that she couldn’t win a tug-of-war between them, she acquiesced…at least until he released her and refocused in front of him. As soon as her wrist was free, she slipped away, moving quickly, expecting and dodging his grab for her. Ignoring his low growl of annoyance, she headed for the kitchen, planning the lecture she was going to give him when they didn’t have to be quiet anymore.
In the kitchen, shadows draped over the familiar room, turning the innocent appliances and counters into menacing shapes. Attempting to ignore the unease creeping into her mind, she briskly moved past the threshold, telling herself she was being ridiculous. There was no reason to be scared of her own kitchen.
As she passed the pantry, the door flew open, hitting the wall with a bang that made her jump into the air like a startled cat. A shadow detached itself from the darkness of the small room and lunged for her. Her arm started to rise so that she could deploy the Taser, but it was too late. The attacker was already on her.
Strong arms wrapped around her as they both toppled to the floor. Molly hit first with a grunt, the Taser flying out of her grip. The weight of the burglar knocked the air out of her lungs, preventing her from calling out to John. She could only hope that he heard them struggling. After a split second of shock, she started to fight.