Are you looking for a new romance book to read in February? Well, look no further! We have compiled a list of the February 2023 book releases we are most anticipating.
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The New Guy
by Sarina Bowen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #13
Tropes: grumpy, widower, workplace romance, neighbors to lovers, male/male, sports, hockey romance
Release date: February 28, 2023
A new male / male hockey romance from 24-time USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen!
My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.
That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.
But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.
What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.
We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.
Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…
Luv Shuv in New York
by N.M. Patel
Genre: Contemporary romance
Tropes: Opposites attract, interracial, romantic comedy, forbidden love
Release date: February 3, 2023
Luv Shuv in New York is an interracial, contemporary romance with lots of humor, opposites attract goodness, a touch of forbidden love, steam, and full-on Indian family drama.
Akira Mishra
My father had one request—more like a condition—to allow me to leave our large, Indian joint family and move to New York to pursue my master’s degree.
To not get involved with anyone who wasn’t a Desi boy.
And I did not miss a beat before I agreed.
Because why not?
All I wanted was Freedom. To live away from my overbearing—but very sweet and supportive—family.
To study hard.
Find a job in NYC.
And make it on my own, like millions of my fellow Indian immigrants.
My plan was all set.
So, of course, it’s completely ruined when I sit beside him on the first day of my class.
Sam White.
Sam White, my White American classmate.
Wth his dark-as-sin clothes, a permanent frown etched on his face, and his perfect grades in class.
Sam, with his total ignorance about my Indian culture but his determination to understand it better.
So what if he makes me feel a little more at home in an unknown country?
So what if he looks at me like I’m the only one he sees?
I will not fall for him, cannot fall for him.
I absolutely cannot break my promise to my father.
So, of course, I do.
Things We Hide from the Light
by Lucy Score
Genre: Contemporary romance
Tropes: Neighbors to lovers, cop, small town romance
Release date: February 21, 2023
Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox’s brother Nash’s story.
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
Encore in Death
by J.D. Robb
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Tropes: crime thriller, cop heroine, billionaire
Release date: February 7, 2023
The homicide cop with a passion for justice returns in the captivating crime thriller series by the #1 New York Times bestselling author.
It was a glittering event full of A-listers, hosted by Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh, a celebrity couple who’d conquered both Hollywood and Broadway. And now Eve Dallas has made her entrance—but not as a guest. After raising a toast, Fitzhugh fell to the floor and died, with physical symptoms pointing to cyanide, and the police have crashed the party.
From all accounts, he wasn’t the kind of star who made enemies. Everyone loved him—even his ex-wife. And since the champagne cocktail that killed him was originally intended for Eliza, it’s possible she was the real target, with a recently fired assistant, a bitter rival, and an obsessed fan in the picture. With so many attendees, staff, and servers, Eve has her work cut out determining who committed murder in the middle of the crowd—and what was their motivation. As one who’s not fond of the spotlight herself, she dreads the media circus surrounding a case like this. All she wants is to figure out who’s truly innocent, and who’s only acting that way…
Radiant Sin
by Katee Robert
Genre: Erotic romance
Series: Dark Olympus #4
Tropes: spicy, mythology
Release date: February 7, 2023
There’s nowhere more dangerous than Olympus…and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm…and the only man I am powerless to deny.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Apollo and Cassandra.*
As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player…Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.
On one condition: when it’s all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.
Apollo may be the city’s official spymaster, but it’s his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there’s no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces… threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.
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Never Seduce a Duke
by Vivienne Lorret
Genre: Historical Romance
Tropes: mistaken identity, studious duke
Release date: February 21, 2023
In USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret’s latest romance, a young lady engages in a steamy flirtation with a bespectacled, studious duke while on holiday, only to return with more than just memories…
After being jilted, Margaret Stredwick has sworn off men and marriage. What she needs is a holiday. But a detour along the way takes a surprising turn that leads Meg to him. And soon she starts to wonder if she should indulge in one grand flirtation before she’s firmly on the shelf.
The instant Lucien Ambrose, Duke of Merleton, finds a strange woman touring the halls of his ancient estate, he knows the minx is up to something. So, when a family heirloom is stolen, it’s clear who the culprit is. She may tempt him beyond reason, but he isn’t about to let her get away, even if he has to chase her across the continent.
Meg never imagined that anyone would mistake her for a notorious thief, known for seducing men to distraction. It’s the most thrilling thing ever! She eagerly plays along. . . until she finds herself falling in love with a man who has no idea who she really is. And by the time she returns to her ordinary life, she discovers that her grand flirtation won’t be a secret for long. Apparently, she brought home an unexpected souvenir…
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
by Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Fantasy
Tropes: Magical realism, mythology
Release date: February 14, 2023
A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.
Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
find your bookish valentine
The Perfect Valentine’s Day Books
Ever wonder about the origins of Valentine’s Day? And wanting to read a romance book that is themed around the holiday? Then you’ve landed in the right place! Check out our special Valentine’s Day recommendations post.
Ruby Spencer’s Whisky Year
by Rochelle Bilow
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: foodie, Scottish, blue collar
Release date: February 14, 2023
When a thirty-something American food writer moves to a Scottish village for one year to fulfill her dream of writing a cookbook she finds more than inspiration—she meets a handsome Scotsman she can’t resist.
Ruby Spencer is spending one year living in a small cottage in a tiny town in the Scottish Highlands for three reasons: to write a bestselling cookbook, to drink a barrelful of whisky, and to figure out what comes next. It’s hard to know what to expect after an impulse decision based on a map of Scotland in her Manhattan apartment—but she knows it’s high time she had an adventure.
The moment she sets foot in Thistlecross, the verdant scenery, cozy cottages, and struggling local pub steal her heart. Between designing pop-up suppers and conversing with the colorful locals, Ruby starts to see a future that stretches beyond her year of adventure. It doesn’t hurt that Brochan, the ruggedly handsome local handyman, keeps coming around to repair things at her cottage. Though Ruby swore off men, she can’t help fantasizing what a roll in the barley might be like with the bearded Scot.
As Ruby grows closer to Brochan and the tightly held traditions of the charming village, she discovers secret plans to turn her beloved pub into an American chain restaurant. Faced with an impossible choice, Ruby must decide between love, loyalty, and the Highlands way of life.
The Neighbor Favor
by Kristina Forest
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: bookworm, neighbors to lovers, writer, online romance
Release date: February 28, 2023
In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he’s the obscure author she’s been corresponding with.
Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.
The Phantom
by Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Tropes: enemies to lovers, revenge, harpies and gods
Release date: February 7, 2023
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with The Phantom, the third book in her pulse-pounding Rise of the Warlords series, featuring a vengeful harpy and a callous torture master locked in a battle to the death.
As the son of a war god, Roux Pyroesis has suffered unending pain—he’s caused it, too, dispatching his foes with alarming ease. Now he’s tasked with cutting out the heart of a powerful queen who rules an ancient prison realm inhabited by the most vicious immortal females in existence.
Blythe the Undoing is a decorated harpy warrior determined to annihilate Roux, the invader who killed her beloved consort. Nothing will stop her. Even if she must trap herself for eternity by sneaking into the brutal realm and taking the crown, pitting herself against the merciless male she’s sworn to despise.
Having never known desire, Roux is ill prepared for the stunning beauty who challenges him at every turn. For the survival of his army, duty comes first. Always. But what happens when the flames of Blythe’s hatred burn out and she craves him, too…but only one of them can live?
Powerless
by Elsie Silver
Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Chestnut Springs #3
Tropes: small town romance, road trip, childhood friends
Release date: February 10, 2023
Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. After all, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now.
But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either.
To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. To me, he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold.
The man I’ve loved in secret for years.
So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor.
But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have.
Our feelings aren’t straightforward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present.
Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me.
But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.
Bitter Play
by Alison Rhymes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: False Start #3
Tropes: siblings’ best friend, alpha hero, enemies to lovers
Release date: February 7, 2023
Reed Turner has loved his sister’s best friend, Leighton, for damn near a decade. He’s given her space to grow in her career and her life. Now he’s ready to claim the woman he’s always believed was his. It’s too bad another man in her life keeps getting in the way.
Leighton Ward has never been in love. Now, just as so many things are changing in her life, she finds two men vying for her heart. Both hold strong ties to her future and making the wrong decision comes with heavy consequences.
He knows what he wants.
She’s as confused as ever.
It’ll Be An Adventure
by Cherise Sinclair
Genre: Erotic Romance
Series: Masters of the Shadowlands #16
Tropes: suspense, BDSM
Release date: February 21, 2023
From NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Cherise Sinclair comes an outstanding addition to the beloved Masters of the Shadowlands series.
The secret of author Murphy’s success is hands-on research.
Murphy loves writing popular Regency thrillers and jumping into new adventures under the guise of research. For one novel, she’d joined a K9 search-and-rescue group—and liked it so much she stayed. But this book… Why had she thought a Regency birching club was a good setting?
The challenge is, she’ll have to return to the Shadowlands.
Years ago, she’d sneaked into the area’s most exclusive, private club. And what had happened to her there…well, she still has nightmares. But she’s healed now, right?
When she gets up her courage to visit the club, the owner hands her over to Master Saxon.
Master Saxon is handsome, powerful, and dominant. The veterinarian has a gorgeous smile, a trust-me voice, and does Search and Rescue with his canine helper, Sherlock. In the Shadowlands, he’s known as the Viking god. For years, he’s avoided serious relationships. A quiet, little author can’t possibly slip past his defenses. Even if he does adore her books.
Master Saxon guided her into the dungeon. “If I birch you extra hard, will that get you to write faster?”
Her mouth dropped open at his wicked grin, then his words registered. “No!”
Note: Full-length, sizzling-hot novel with no cliff hanger and no cheating. A protective, dominant hero. A vulnerable, intelligent heroine. Page-turning adventure, sigh-worthy romance, hilarious girl-gang moments…and an adorable, fluffy dog.
