7 Romance Book Releases Not To Miss in January

New Year, New Book Boyfriends to Meet

The new year is upon us, my bookish friends, and I am already looking forward to so many new romance releases this year. To start things off, let me tell you about the romance book releases I’m excited about for January 2024. These releases are in edition to most anticipated reads for 2024, so if you’ve read that list already don’t worry that we’re rehashing things here because we aren’t.

As a self-confessed reading addict, I’ve already been scouring the internet for the best books coming out this year. There are several books I’m excited to read this month and I thought I would share my list with you. Explain what caught my eye about them and what ultimately led me to wanting to read them. 

For more romance book release news, check out my upcoming releases page or check out my most anticipated reads for 2024 list.

Now, let’s dive into some new book adventures, shall we?

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE LAKE

Vi Keeland

Releasing January 15

When life took an unexpected turn, I decided to get out of New York for a while. What better place to go than the idyllic small town my father spoke about so fondly when I was growing up? Laurel Lake held the title America’s Friendliest Town for seventeen years running, and friendly was just what I needed right now.

Unfortunately, friendly wasn’t the welcome I got when I arrived.

Instead, I got Fox Cassidy. My tall, dark, and burly neighbor, who grunted at me instead of saying hello.

Okay, so I might’ve had his mailbox in my hands the first time we met. And it might’ve been a little crushed after removing it from under my tire. And I might’ve needed his help breaking into the place I was staying in after the key broke off in the lock. But still…he didn’t have to be so grumpy.

As time went on though, I started to notice things about Fox other than his glares. Like how he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking, or how fire ignited in his eyes whenever we bickered. Though I was in Laurel Lake to escape my problems, not create new ones. And getting involved with a man like Fox screamed trouble, even if he was gorgeous and unlike any man I’d ever met.

But alas, problem seemed to be my middle name this year. So why not have some fun while I was here for the summer? It seemed like a good plan. At least until it was time to go home…

They say what happens at the lake, stays at the lake. But it’s not so easy to walk away when what stays behind…is your heart.

Why I’m interested: I’m all for the grumpy/sunshine small town romance stories, and the blurb on this one just sounds fun. Not to mention the author is Vi Keeland, whom I love reading. So yeah, this one is almost a no brainer for me for January. Plus, how hot is the dude on this cover?!

 

LOVE, NATURALLY

Sophie Sullivan

Releasing January 16

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear to him she’s made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip? He’s got other things on his mind though—a crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred—so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. Even so, neither Beckett nor Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

Why I’m interested: I saw this one mentioned a ton of different places over the past few months, which made me curious about it. And the blurb just settled it for me. Fish out of water, opposites attract, city girl/outdoor guy, insta-attraction, what’s not to love about that? Plus, its another book that takes place around a lake…and I’ve apparently been noticing those enough to make note of them for my 2024 reading list.

 

FINDING MR PURRFECT

Codi Gary

Releasing January 16

Frenemies + Fake Dating = Falling for the wrong person…for all the right reasons
 
Charity Simmons may have great taste in friends, felines, and fruit tarts, but if there’s one thing the baker and co-owner of Meow and Furever Cat Café knows, it’s that she has horrible taste in men. Case in point: Will Schwartz. He may be the best friend of her best friend’s boyfriend, but after their one night together, Charity is positive Will’s nothing but a womanizing charmer—despite his nice-guy persona and adorable, crooked smile. So why then did she pick him to pretend date to get her parents off her back about being single?

Will Schwartz may give relationships a hard pass, but he’s not about to say no to fake dating Charity. She’s brilliant, hilarious, and best of all, she’ll put an end to his mother’s interrogations about his love life. And maybe, after all this time giving him the cold shoulder, Charity will finally warm up to him.  But it’s not long before Will and Charity realize they got much more than they bargained for–and they’re freaking out. What if what they have isn’t make believe but the real, forever kind of love?

Why I’m interested: Let’s face it. I love a good fake dating book. Add in a former one-night stand, some cute pets, and some food and I’m completely sold on reading it. Plus, I’ve read a few Codi Gary books in the past and enjoyed them immensely.

 

I WISH YOU WERE MINE

Jessica Peterson

Harbour Village #2

Releasing January 18

I know Tuck Monroe is trouble the second I walk in to interview for the nanny position. Six-four and covered in tattoos, he’s distractingly hot. He’s also grumpy as hell. But I need to pay for school, so I take a job as his daughter’s live-in caretaker and move into the apartment above his garage.

I fall hard for Katie, his adorable four-year-old. But I never expected to fall for my new boss, who’s a decade older than I am. Turns out there’s a heart of gold beneath Tuck’s broody exterior, one I work to reveal bit by bit. Casual small talk leads to late-night conversations I can’t get enough of.

No surprise our simmering sexual tension explodes with one deep, toe-curling kiss.

He tells me I’m his good girl; I tell him I love the praise. We give ourselves one night, and one night only, to explore the fiery attraction between us.

It’s the best sex of my life. But when I wake up, Tuck is gone, and life goes back to normal. Or at least I think it does, until I start to feel nauseous. Turns out I was right: my boss is trouble. The kind that comes with one night I can’t forget and two pink lines that will change our lives forever.

Why I’m interested: single dad/nanny, age gap, one night only, accidental pregnancy, small town. Need I say more? I can. Six-feet-four and tattooed. Sounds like a must read to me. 

 

ON THE EDGE

K. Bromberg

Full Throttle #2

Releasing January 18

Surely this can’t be the only solution to overhaul my tarnished rep – faking a romance with the good girl intern?

But that’s what my agent says. Just a few months of taming my ways—of shedding Formula 1’s party boy image—will land me a lifetime branding deal. One I desperately need.

The key condition?

Pretend I’m madly in love with my new girlfriend. The quiet wallflower who I figured wouldn’t put me in my place. Yeah. This girl is anything but that.

Maddix Hart is defiant and intelligent. Loyal and real. Determined and sexy. And damn it to hell, before I know it, she’s in my head, in our bed . . . and if I’m not careful, she’ll see there’s more to me than the man I show the public. She’ll discover the man I hide from the world. The one who struggles to live up to the unrealistic expectations that should never have been mine.

All I have to do is make sure no one sees the truth behind our farce.

But instead, I let my heart get involved. I begin to believe the lie. And now with everything on the line—the deal, a championship, us—am I willing to risk it all to make her see what the rest of the world believes? That we belong together.

Why I’m interested: fake relationship, bad boy/good girl, only one bed. I love a good sports romance and it’s been a bit since I’ve read one with a car racing hero. Plus, the tropes in this one are among my favorites to read, so it feels like it’s a must-read romance to me.

 

HER ADVENTURES IN TEMPTATION

Megan Frampton

School for Scoundrels #3

Releasing January 23

Simeon Jones has a secret—he is soft-hearted. Despite his scandalous exterior, he will quietly give money to orphans (after all, he was one himself), animals, and damsels in distress. One such damsel is Lady Myrtle Allen—but it’s not her funds that are lacking, but rather she needs to get to London—fast.

And so begins a wild adventure. First, the pair tells all the ton that they are engaged to be wed—how else to prevent scandal once they are found together—alone! They plan to carry out this deception, fully knowing that once the season is over, they will quietly part ways. But then, they discover that they have fallen in love, which was definitely not part of their plan! Can this scandalous man and adventurous woman turn this pretense into reality?

Why I’m interested: Well, a heroine in distress, a bad boy with a good heart, a road trip, and fake engagement, sure sounds like a good time, doesn’t it? Add in the fact that this is a historical and I want to read it, for sure. This one sounds like a lot of fun, and I want to know how wild their adventure gets, you know?

 

Eleven Eleven

Micalea Smeltzer

Releasing January 23

After my divorce, I decide to move across the country away from family and friends for a new start.

What I don’t expect is him.

He’s only supposed to be a one-night stand, but fate has other plans.

The next time I see him it’s because I’m on a date with his dad.

I’ve always believed in wishing on elevens, but this time I get a little more than I bargained for by falling for a guy eleven years younger than me.

Reid is everything I shouldn’t want and everything I need.

The question is, am I willing to open my heart up to him? Or am I doomed to let my past hold me back?

Why I’m interested: What originally caught my eye on this one was the cover then it was the title. After that, I read the blurb and then figured out the tropes were one night stand, older woman/younger man, age gap, small town, and secret romance… all tropes I love and need to read. So, after that, I realized this was another January release that I’m excited to read. 

 

 

What books are you excited to read in January?

Share your choices with us in the comments.

 

 

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