There are never a ton of releases that come out in December but there are still fun ones that I wanted to bring to your attention. I am also going to start letting you know if there are preorder campaigns for any of the books!
December 5th
A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin.
Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan.
No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court.
Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?
Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla’s journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy.
A River of Golden Bones is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with werewolves. I have been looking for another romantasy to swoon over and I have a feeling this will be it. I love when my fantasy romance also has unique world building and that is what I am getting from this book. I am also for a story about sisters and secret twins.
Rival archaeologists must team up on a secret Aztec expedition, or it could leave their careers—and hearts—in ruins.
Archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has a bone to pick. Literally.
It’s been Corrie’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true…and she’s right.
As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, by rights Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford certainly isn’t thrilled either—with his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.
But as the dig begins, it becomes clear they’ll need to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing the pair to keep their discoveries—and lingering attraction—under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.
After watching The Lost City, I fell in love with the idea of adventure romance and I hope it something we start to see more and more of! Raiders of the Lost Heart just sounds like such a fun time. An enemies to lovers romance between archaeologists who are facing artifact smugglers? Yes please!
Marguerite Florian is a spy with two problems. A former employer wants her dead, and one of her new bodyguards is a far too good-looking paladin with a martyr complex.
Shane is a paladin with three problems. His god is dead, his client is much too attractive for his peace of mind, and a powerful organization is trying to have them both killed.
Add in a brilliant artificer with a device that may change the world, a glittering and dangerous court, and a demon-led cult, and Shane and Marguerite will be lucky to escape with their souls intact, never mind their hearts. . .
Paladin’s Faith is the fourth book in the Saint of Steel series and it is another reminder that I need to read book one. I feel like a fake T. Kingfisher fan! Even my friends who love this series didn’t know this was coming out so soon, so I wanted to shout it out in case you missed it. It was also just announced that Orbit has picked up this series (which were previously independently published) and new paperbacks will be coming out in 2025. I actually like these covers, so it will be interesting to see if Orbit changes them.
Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.
Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.
Something I discovered about my reading this year is a love these paranormal contemporary rom coms! Most of the ones I have read are witchy but we seem to be getting more and more books like this that feature other supernatural characters. In the case of The Fake Mate, we have wolf shifters. What I like about this book is that both the hero and the heroine are wolf shifters and it also has fake dating!
An eerie, atmospheric Polar Gothic following a Victorian explorerin search of his lost shipmate and his own redemption—from the author of the “vivid, immersive” (The Guardian) horror novel All the White Spaces.
William Day should be an acclaimed Arctic explorer. But after a failed expedition, in which his remaining men only survived by eating their dead comrades, he returned in disgrace.
Thirteen years later, his second-in-command, Jesse Stevens, has gone missing in the same frozen waters. Perhaps this is Day’s chance to restore his tarnished reputation by bringing Stevens—the man who’s haunted his whole life—back home. But when the rescue mission becomes an uncanny journey into his past, Day must face up to the things he’s done.
Abandonment. Betrayal. Cannibalism.
Aboard ship, Day must also contend with unwanted passengers: a reporter obsessively digging up the truth about the first expedition, as well as Stevens’s wife, a spirit-medium whose séances both fascinate and frighten. Following a trail of cryptic messages, gaunt bodies, and old bones, their search becomes more and more unnerving, as it becomes clear that the restless dead are never far behind. Something is coming through.
How creepy is the cover of Where the Dead Wait? A Haunting in the Arctic has made me want to read more Gothic horror novels with cold settings, so this looks perfect. It is probably one I will saving for January because I want joy around the holidays and this looks and sounds terrifying.
Seven years ago, he fell in love with a stranger he couldn’t have—today, she’s back in his life and the sparks between them threaten to set her career on fire.
Pearl Harris has learned the hard way to be careful in work and in love. When she is appointed acting director of OurCode, a nonprofit aimed at inspiring high schoolers to code, she has a chance to make lasting change for the organization, but a scandal has put their reputation at risk. Further complicating matters, Pearl didn’t expect the one man she hasn’t stopped thinking about in seven years to be the newest member of her board of directors.
Cord Matthews fell for Pearl when they met in an elevator seven years ago. She’s just his type: smart, capable, and makes him laugh, but when she broke his heart, he decided love wasn’t for him. After five years with no contact, their connection is immediate despite the many roadblocks in their way and Cord must consider breaking his ban on serious relationships. But going public with a romance between them might derail Pearl’s career and the progress she’s made at OurCode.
Pearl and Cord both are hesitant to trust their feelings and take a risk as they grow closer, but it becomes impossible to keep ignoring the electricity between them. Cord is a skilled programmer, but a workplace romance might spell disaster for both of them, and love isn’t easily debugged.
Preorder Campaign (Internationally *If you are willing to pay for shipping*)
Signed, temporary tattoo, art print, and bonus chapters
I have been meaning to read something by Denise Williams for years and I have already seen some early reviewers say that Technically Yours is their favourite of hers! I know the second chance isn’t everyone’s favourite trope but it has been working for me lately.
The follow-up to Foz Meadows’s A Strange and Stubborn Endurance , a sultry political & romantic fantasy exploring gender, sexuality, identity, and self-worth.
With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, Velasin and Caethari have begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they’re summoned north to Tithena’s capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present themselves to its monarch.
With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother’s heir and Velasin’s old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace they’ve managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae’s recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now.
Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan’s court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive – because there’s more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail.
All the Hidden Paths is the sequel to A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, which is a book that has been on my TBR since it came out. I have been avoiding book one because I know there is a pretty graphic scene that happens pretty early on but I have heard good things about the story overall and it is one I would like to try eventually.
A spell for you to forget your ex, but what else might you lose?
Reeling from a recent breakup, a young woman tries to heal heartbreak with a spell–only to wake up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for–in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut rom-com.
“Once lovers, now enemies, soon to be strangers with some memories, this love cleanse will rid you of your woes.” When Gemma Wilde gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax, and performing a love cleansing spell to forget all about her ex. Sure, it sounds a little crazy, but nothing else has worked, so why not try it? They follow the instructions, complete with an absolutely platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal, and Gemma falls asleep in a margarita haze, thinking nothing of it.
But when she wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only has she never dated her ex; her life looks completely different –and spoiler alert, the grass is not greener in the alternate reality. The worst part of all: Dax has no idea who she is.
To get back to her old life, Gemma must reverse the spell before the next full moon. That means she has one month to convince a now near-stranger, Dax, to become friends with her in order to get his kiss. But as Gemma carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him, and begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things were…
I love a good “spell gone wrong” kind of story so This Spells Love sounds like fun to me! Historically, alternate realities in romances haven’t worked for me but I am hoping this will be the exception because it looks cute and I am hoping that it leans into the ridiculousness of the setup..
The year is 2050. Ava and her girlfriend live in what’s left of Brooklyn, and though they love each other, it’s hard to find happiness while the effects of climate change rapidly eclipse their world. Soon, it won’t be safe outside at all. The only people guaranteed survival are the ones whose applications are accepted to The Inside Project, a series of weather-safe, city-sized structures around the world.
Jacqueline Millender is a reclusive billionaire/women’s rights advocate, and thanks to a generous donation, she’s just become the director of the Inside being built on the bones of Manhattan. Her ideas are unorthodox, yet alluring—she’s built a whole brand around rethinking the very concept of empowerment.
Shelby, a business major from a working-class family, is drawn to Jacqueline’s promises of power and impact. When she lands her dream job as Jacqueline’s personal assistant, she’s instantly swept up into the glamourous world of corporatized feminism. Also drawn into Jacqueline’s orbit is Olympia, who is finishing up medical school when Jacqueline recruits her to run the health department Inside. The more Olympia learns about the project, though, the more she realizes there’s something much larger at play. As Ava, Olympia, and Shelby start to notice the cracks in Jacqueline’s system, Jacqueline tightens her grip, becoming increasingly unhinged and dangerous in what she is willing to do—and who she is willing to sacrifice—to keep her dream alive.
At once a mesmerizing story of queer love, betrayal, and chosen family, and an unflinching indictment of cis, corporate feminism, Yours for the Taking holds a mirror to our own world, in all its beauty and horror.
Reading the synopsis of Yours for the Taking reminds me why I love scifi as much as I do and why I need to stop neglecting it. The themes that are being explored in this book definitely appeal to me and I have read some great reviews for it already!
When the gods make the rules, the players must choose: Sacrifice their love to save the world, or choose love and let it burn?
Six months after saving their island from destruction and almost losing Dante, Alessa is ready to live happily ever after with her former bodyguard. But Dante can’t rest, haunted by a conviction that the gods aren’t finished with them yet. And without his powers, the next kiss from Alessa could kill him.
Desperate for answers, Dante enlists Alessa and their friends to find the exiled ghiotte in hopes of restoring his powers and combining forces with them to create the only army powerful enough to save them all. But Alessa is hiding a deadly consequence of their last fight–a growing darkness that’s consuming her mind–and their destination holds more dangers than anyone bargained for. In the mysterious city of the banished, Dante will uncover secrets, lies, and ghosts from his past that force him to ask himself: Which side is he on?
When the gods reveal their final test, Dante and Alessa will be the world’s last defense. But if they are the keys to saving the world, will their love be the price of victory?
In This Cursed Light, Dante and Alessa face their most daunting challenge yet when the Gods demand they prove their worth by choosing the ultimate sacrifice to save humanity, once and for all.
Preorder Campaign (International)
Signed bookplate, bonus chapters, and art prints (December 9th)
I do not think it is a secret that This Vicious Grace was one of my favourite books of 2022 and I have been not so patiently awaiting the release of the sequel, This Cursed Light. I am so thrilled that the time is almost here and I will be rereading book one in preparation.
December 12th
When an unexpected Player Two enters her life, a gamer must decide if their relationship is worth leveling up in this new romance from the author of The Love Con.
Samara Reynolds has built a large following as a gamer under an anonymous screen name, and uses her skills as a DEIA consultant to advocate for equal representation in video games. When she posted a video critiquing the popular game Legendsfall, she knew she’d get a reaction from her fans, but the video leads to hundreds of female gamers critiquing the game and its company, Artemis Games. The only thing more unexpected than starting an online movement is getting a job offer from the handsome CEO of Artemis.
Aron Galanis has been on a mission to get his company certified to create gaming content for people with disabilities. When he sees Artemis trending online for all the wrong reasons, he’s determined to right his wrongs and offers the originator a mea culpa, as well as a job offer to overhaul the character options in Legendsfall.
Working together turns Aron and Samara from adversaries into allies, allies into friends, and after that—something more. But once their relationship goes public, will Aron and Samara be able to weather the storm and fight for their happy ending, or is it game over?
I love that Game On is a love story between a gamer who streams online and a video game developer! I have watched a few girl gamers and the comments that they get are pretty disgusting, so I appreciate that this book is shining a lot on some of the problems in the gaming world while also being a romance.
December 19th
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series.
Nick and Charlie are very much in love. They’ve finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick’s house … But with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?
By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper encompasses all the small moments of Nick and Charlie’s lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.
Contains discussions around mental health and eating disorders, and sexual references.
Am I right in saying that this is the last volume of Heartstopper? I can’t believe it! I don’t think I have to sell this book to you but just in case you weren’t aware, volume five is out in December!
Meet Alexander Chen, one of the most talented chefs to ever grace the culinary world. Now meet Eden Monroe, his newly hired sous chef who may or may not have (definitely) embellished a lot on her resumé to land herself the job.
Alexander rules his kitchen with an iron fist and fiery temper. Mistakes simply won’t be tolerated. It’s no secret that if you can’t handle the heat, he’ll gladly toss you out with the trash. As one of the very first Chinese-American chefs to claw his way to the top of the world of French haute cuisine, he has a lot to prove and a massive chip on his shoulder.
But he wasn’t always like this. Eden knew him back when he still went by his real name, Shang. He used to be sweet and helpful and definitely not the second coming of the devil himself.
Eden won’t say anything, though, no matter how hot her curiosity burns. Especially not if it could cost her this job. She needs to save as much as she can if she wants any hope of hiring a private detective to find something she lost long ago.
All she needs to do is fly under the radar. It’s just a shame that she and her new boss butt heads more often than they fulfill orders. What will happen when things finally boil over, and they discover that things between them are spicier than they first ordered?
I love a good foodie romance but I have not read many in 2023, so I am excited that we are ending the year with the release of one that looks like such a good time. I feel like the cover of Knives, Seasoning & a Dash of Love tells you everything you need to know about this book!
December 23rd
The Elven Queen of Aelfheim, Rhianelle Wiolant grew up with tales of the cruel Fae King all her life. When the wicked fae murdered her beloved sister, she swore fire and death would come for him.
Caught between a divided court, the threat of war and her kingdom in peril, the Elven Queen has little chance of avenging her sister.
But a song calls for Rhianelle to leave the safety of the tall walls of Aelfheim.
It lead her to an abandoned well, where her only hope lies.
A creature of night chained in the dark, forgotten by time.
The beast that haunt her nightmares.
A bloodthirsty immortal Vampire.
A Serenade to the Elf Queen is a Fantasy Romance trilogy featuring elements of Enemies to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, and a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The book has strong language and scenes intended for mature audience.
I am slowly learning what I like in fantasy romance, I have this feeling that A Serenade to the Elf Queen is it. The only thing that makes me nervous is that it is a Beauty and the Beast retelling but the synopsis makes me think that the author is doing something unique with the tropes within that story that I usually struggle with.
December 26th
The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.
Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.
Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
Preorder Campaign (Internationally *If you are willing to pay for shipping*)
Two art prints, signed (and/or personalized) (December 15th)
I am one of the few people who still has not read Divine Rivals but I am desperate to get to it because I think I will love it. I am thrilled for those who adore the first book that we are getting the sequel, Ruthless Vows, so soon. It seems like the perfect book to read in that time between Christmas and the New Year.
I am really looking forward to PALADIN’S FAITH! I love that series, and was so excited when I saw Kingfisher post that there was a preorder link for it! I hope you like those books when you get to them, too!
I normally don’t have many December releases I’m excited for, but I’m SO hyped for the next Heartstopper volume 🥰 I think Alice said that there will be one more volume though!
Can’t wait for Emily Thiede’s book!
Me too!! I am excited to reread the first one!
I can’t wait for Ruthless Vows!
Volume 5 isn’t actually the last volume of Heartstopper. There will be a volume 6 and that will be the last one.
I am really looking forward to PALADIN’S FAITH! I love that series, and was so excited when I saw Kingfisher post that there was a preorder link for it! I hope you like those books when you get to them, too!
The Fake Mates sounds good.
i’m looking forward to emily’s new book!
I normally don’t have many December releases I’m excited for, but I’m SO hyped for the next Heartstopper volume 🥰 I think Alice said that there will be one more volume though!
Oh that’s good to know!!