Romantic Novelists' Association

New Releases: February 2019

4 February 2019

 

Margaret Kaine: The Black Silk Purse

Historical
Romantic Fiction
Magna Format Audio 1 January 2019January 2019

Sent to the workhouse as a child, all Ella Hathaway can remember is a voice whispering, ‘Dearie, promise you will never forget what you saw. Your Ma was killed deliberate . . . and someone oughter pay for it.’
When young, wealthy spinster Letitia Fairchild witnesses Ella being ill-treated, she takes her in as a scullery maid. But as Ella grows up, she is determined to find the truth about her mother’s tragic death and appeals to Letitia for help, revealing to her the contents of her only personal possession, a black silk purse. Intrigued, Letitia agrees to begin a quest to solve the mystery of Ella’s past. But neither could have imagined the astonishing and dramatic consequences. From the miseries of life in a London workhouse to the splendour of a beautiful mansion, will Ella find the love and security she longs for?

 

 

 

Annie Burrows: A Duke in Need of a Wife

Historical Romance
Mills & Boon
24th Jan

Oliver, Duke of Theakstone, needs a duchess— but who will accept his secret illegitimate child?
He invites several eligible ladies to his estate to assess their suitability, including infuriating beauty, Miss Sofia Underwood. Oliver is a master of cool practicality, so he’s hopeful when he sees the connection between Sofia and his daughter. What scares him is that there’s nothing cool or practical about his attraction to Sofia!

 

 

 

 

June Davies: The Apothecary’s Daughter

Historical Romantic Suspense
Endeavour Media
Ebook
January 2019

The arrival of a mysterious stranger from South Carolina at the apothecary where Keziah Sephton works with her father,
the disappearance of a precious family keepsake, and an old tale about a hidden hoard of medieval silver and jewels …

 

 

 

 

 

June Davies: The Legacy of Blackthorn

Historical Romantic Suspense
F.A.Thorpe
Traditional
1 February 2019

Wild and remote, Blackthorn lies amongst the great meres of Lancashire, surrounded by long-held superstitions, tales of witchcraft and uncanny occurrences. Meirian is drawn into a web of scandal, deception, blackmail and tragedy,
risking everything to set right a dreadful wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Orange: Falling on Ice

Romantic suspense
Ulverscroft (Linford Romance Library)
Large Print Paperback
1st February 2019

Elsa has recently fulfilled two ambitions – to open her own café, and to learn to ice skate. But her life is turned upside down on the day she takes part in her first competition and bumps into her teenage sweetheart, Daniel.
He’s now running the local ice rink. Is she opening herself to having her heart broken again – and could he be behind the sinister events there?

 

 

AnneMarie Brear: The Slum Angel

Historical
Independent
ebook and paperback
1st Feb

Can Victoria find the security she has lost?
Will a certain doctor be the man she can give her heart to?

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Stenhouse: Courting the Countess

Historical Romance
Linford Romance Library
Large Print
1st February 2019

When Melissa Neville, widowed Countess of Pateley, suffers life-threatening injuries in a fire, no one expects her to survive long.
However, despite her disfigurement, would-be suitors have been a constant intrusion, all of them hoping to get their hands on her fortune before she expires.
Then one night, in the privacy of her bath, she is abducted without explanation by Colonel Harry Gunn and his steward Zed, who specialise in medicine and seem to want to help her.
What is their real motive – and can Melissa hope to love again?

 

 

 

 

Jenni Fletcher: The Viscount’s Veiled Lady

Historical Romance
Mills & Boon.
1st February

A lady hidden from society. A viscount with his own secrets…
When Frances Webster meets brooding Arthur Amberton on Whitby shore he’s a different man from the dashing young gentleman she once carried a flame for. But life has changed her too.
After a tragic accident left her scarred, physically and emotionally, she’s led a solitary life.
She cherishes their new friendship, and yet she can’t help but hope Arthur sees the beauty within her…

 

 

 

Louise Rose-Innes: Death At A Country Mansion

Cosy Mystery
Independent

1 Feb 2019

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KDJG4SL

A shocking murder in a sleepy English village featuring hairdresser-turned-sleuth, Daisy Thorne.
Daisy Thorne’s pride and joy is her hair salon, Ooh La La, and because almost everyone in the village has been in it at some point or another, there’s not much that goes on that Daisy doesn’t know about.
When her best friend Floria’s mother – the famous opera diva, Dame Serena Levanté – is murdered in her country mansion and a valuable painting is stolen, Floria begs Daisy to investigate. Assigned to the case is gruff-but-effective DI Paul McGuinness who, at first, is against any involvement by the vivacious hairdresser, but after a while, comes to realize her local knowledge just might hold the key to solving the mystery. As Daisy and DI McGuinness work their way through the growing suspect list, they have to figure out which clues are relevant and which are not, in their hunt for the killer. If you love an intriguing cosy mystery with a feisty heroine and colourful cast of characters, then you’ll love this first instalment by Amazon Bestselling Author, Louise Rose-Innes.

 

 

 

Lucy Coleman: Summer on the Italian Lakes

Women’s Fiction.
Aria Fiction.
Traditional. Ebook
5 February 2019

Bestselling Brianna Middleton has won the hearts of millions of readers with her sweeping – and steamy – love stories.
But the girl behind the typewriter is struggling… Not only does she have writer’s block, but she’s a world-famous romance author with zero romance in her own life. So the opportunity to spend the summer teaching at a writer’s retreat
in an idyllic villa on the shores of Lake Garda – owned by superstar author Arran Jamieson – could this be just the thing to fire up Brie’s writing – and romantic – mojo? Brie’s sun-drenched Italian summer could be the beginning of this writer’s very own happy-ever-after…
Escape the January blues with this sun-drenched, heart-warming story from the bestselling author of Snowflakes Over Holly Cove.

 

 

 

Rachel Brimble: A Rebel At Pennington’s

Historical romance/saga
Aria Fiction
Ebook
5th February 2019

1911 Bath.
Banished from her ancestral home, passionate suffrage campaigner Esther Stanbury will do anything to help secure the vote.
Owner of the prestigious Phoenix Hotel, Lawrence Culford is harbouring shame, resentment and anger that threatens his future happiness.
Will Esther’s rebellious nature lead her to ruin or can they overcome their pasts and look to build a future together?

 

 

 

 

Rachael Lucas: Finding Hope at Hillside Farm

Romance
Ebook/Paperback
Pan Macmillan
Feb 7th

A heart-warming tale of love, loss and new beginnings set in the beautiful Welsh countryside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen King: The Year of Starting Over

Heart-warming Romance set in Cornwall
Bookouture7 February.

What if – to find yourself – you had to run away?
Last year was meant to be when Holly got her happy-ever-after. But stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, and a relationship that feels more like it’s going backwards… this year Holly has decided it’s time to change her life.
She just has to: – End the relationship with the commitment-phobic boyfriend – Go on a proper adventure – Learn to be herself again – Definitely, categorically not fall in love. Cramming her belongings into her little yellow Mini, Holly drives on to a ferry bound for Spain, to stay at a remote farmhouse near a beautiful village in the Andalusian hills. But the day she arrives she nearly crashes her car into a gorgeous guy on a motorbike. He’s called Matias and their paths keep crossing, much to Holly’s irritation. Because as she learns to speak Spanish from the locals, finally starts laying out plans for her own design business, and sips sangria in the sunlit village square, Holly is beginning to remember who she is and what she wants. So she won’t allow herself be distracted by Matias. Because this year – for Holly – there are more important things in life than love.
And she won’t let yet another bad relationship ruin everything… will she?

 

 

 

 

HELENA FAIRFAX: IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF

Romantic suspense
IndependentFebruary 8th

Previously published as A Year of Light and Shadows
When actress Lizzie Smith is asked to stand in for a Mediterranean princess, she accepts, despite her misgivings.
Lizzie needs the work, but she soon finds herself thrust her into a world of intrigue and danger. Alone in a glittering palace by the sea, isolated from her friends, Lizzie is forced to rely on her quiet bodyguard, Léon, to guide her. But who is Léon really protecting? Lizzie…or the princess?
On her return to Scotland, Lizzie begins rehearsals for Macbeth – and finds danger is still stalking her through the streets of Edinburgh. Lizzie is once again forced to turn to Léon, for help…and discovers a secret he’d do anything not to reveal.
From the heat of the Mediterranean to the atmospheric, winding streets of Edinburgh, In the Mouth of the Wolf will take you on a journey of mystery and romance. Perfect for fans of Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt and Daphne du Maurier.

 

 

 

 

Kate Field: The Man I Fell in Love With

Women’s Commercial Fiction
Avon Books UKEbook and paperback

7 February 2019

Sometimes we find happiness where we least expect it…
After twenty years of contented marriage, no one is more surprised than Mary Black when her husband announces he’s leaving her…
for another man. For the sake of the children, Mary has no choice but to pick herself up and start again. She hosts family meals that include Leo and his new partner. She copes with the kids wanting to spend less time with her,
and more time with their “fun” dads. But one thing she can’t quite ignore is Leo’s gorgeous brother, who has just come back to town…
After living a life of sliding doors and missed opportunities, can Mary finally put herself first and take a chance that could change everything?
A wonderfully uplifting novel full of wisdom, spirit and charm – this is a love story with a difference...

 

 

 

Pippa James – The Happiness Project

Commercial Women’s Fiction
Bookouture
Ebook
12th Feb

Alison has always carefully planned everything in her well-ordered life, but her head is left spinning when her beloved
larger than life mother-in-law, Maggie, passes away and Alison is left heartbroken. After an emotional New Year’s Eve get together, Alison creates a happiness project with her two best friends, challenging themselves to step outside their comfort zones and make the most of every single day as they attempt to be more Maggie. Daring to do things differently, can Alison learn to live more spontaneously and find happiness along the way? Or will letting go be harder than she ever imagined?

 

 

 

Jackie Ladbury: The Potter’s Daughter

Romance
ChocLit/Ruby Fiction
12th February

Is love powerful enough to cross the class divide?
When Daniel Davenport saves Maddie Lockett and her young brother Tom from drowning, an immediate bond is forged between them. But Daniel is an aspiring doctor and son of a wealthy manufacturer, whilst Maddie is a potter’s daughter from a poverty-stricken area of the Potteries. Even a friendship between the two could be frowned upon, let alone anything more. But Maddie and Daniel want more, and as they grow closer gossip and prejudice look set to spoil their blossoming romance.
Do the young couple stand a chance when there are those who would stop at nothing to keep them apart?

 

 

 

Joan Fleming: Moment of Truth

Contemporary Romance
Tirgearr Publishing

Ebook13 February 2019

The Rowanbrae Series: #1
As lady Captain of the local golf club, feisty Mandy Campbell, a school teacher in the Scottish village of Rowanbrae, must work together with Gavin Simpson, the gents’ Captain. She is determined to strive for equal status for ladies in a male-dominated club. Despite their rivalry, Mandy is attracted to Gavin, a handsome businessman, but does he return her affection?
Mandy feels responsible for her recently widowed mother who is drinking heavily. Her troubles increase when a student’s mother threatens to take legal action against the school and possibly Mandy. Will Mandy find solutions to her problems in Rowanbrae? Or must she make her escape?

 

 

 

Rosie Travers: Your Secret’s Safe With Me

Romantic Suspense
Crooked Cat Books
Ebook & Paperback18 February 2019

Career girl Becca Gates’ organised life is thrown into chaos when her mother, romantic novelist Pearl, announces her surprise engagement
to Jack, a man she has only just met. Worse news follows when Pearl tells Becca she intends to leave London, quit writing and retire to Jack’s idyllic waterside home on the south coast. Becca is determined to prevent Pearl from making a disastrous mistake, but when she arrives at Rivermede she encounters an unwelcome face from her past. As Pearl embraces her new life amongst the local sailing fraternity, Becca receives a warning that all is not as calm as it seems at Rivermede, and if she wants to keep her family safe, she should keep them away. But why should Becca trust the man who has betrayed her before, the man who broke her heart, the man who thinks he knows all her secrets?

 

 

 

Catherine Curzon & Eleanor Harkstead: A Late Summer Night’s Dream

Contemporary m/m novella
Pride
ebook
19th Feb

Among Oxford’s dreaming spires, can a widowed professor and a wide-eyed scholar make their own dreams of love come true?
When Anthony and Simeon discover they have more in common than a shared love of the Bard, it looks as though the stage is set for romance. Yet with the memory of Anthony’s lost love keeping the professor from moving on, can Simeon’s love mend his broken heart?

 

 

 

 

Tania Crosse: The Street of Broken Dreams

Historical Fiction/saga
Aria Fiction, Head of Zeus
e-book and print on demand
19 Feb 2019

 

1945: The war might be over but for some, it can never end.
Fragile, broken, dead inside, she only comes alive when she dances.

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Thorne, The Stone’s Heart

Romantic Fantasy/Science Fiction, Space Opera
Bookouture
Traditional. Ebook. Audio19th February 2019

The Queen’s Wing book 2
Something evil is gathering power in the kingdom. It knows the secrets in your heart, and nobody is safe…
Petra Kel – young and headstrong – has been named General of the Queen’s Guard. But while Petra’s head may be in rebuilding the war-torn kingdom alongside her childhood friend Queen Belengaria, she left her heart miles away in their homeland, the day she turned her back on the only man she ever loved and fled. But then Petra’s past – in the form of Bel’s roguish brother Zander – comes crashing in, just as rumours of dark magic begin to swirl at court. Petra can’t afford to be distracted… but the unfinished business between herself and Zander is like a vice upon her heart. When evil takes hold of the kingdom and threatens Bel, Petra is forced to make the impossible choice between love and loyalty.
And will the insidious magic of the Stone’s Heart reveal the heart-breaking reason why she left Zander behind all those years ago? A gripping and magical read that will captivate you from the very first page.
Perfect for fans of The Selection, Bella Forrest and Sarah J. Maas.

 

 

 

Clare Chase: Death Comes to Call

Crime fiction
Bookouture
Ebook/print-on-demand
20th February 2019

When a promising local artist disappears, the victim’s brother begs Detective Tara Thorpe to take the case.
Tara agrees to do some digging… never mind that her unorthodox approach to policing has got a few of her colleagues’ backs up.
Amongst them is her former supervisor Detective Patrick Wilkins… he’s had enough of Tara calling the shots and will do anything
to knock her down. At least she has an ally in their boss, Detective Garstin Blake. If anything, they work together too well… at least, that’s the rumour around the station these days. When a body of a young woman is found frozen near the fens,
Tara’s evidence suddenly becomes key to solving a high-profile murder. Is their missing artist still a victim… or in fact a clever murderer with a deadly plan?

 

 

 

Kate Johnson: Not Your Knight In Shining Armour

Romantic comedy
Independently published
ebook & paperback
21st Feb

They call him the Problem Prince. They call her a rock’n’roll disaster.
Together, they’re about to make a royal mess… Scarlet is not the sort of woman who needs rescuing. That’s something she’s pretty clear about. The other thing she’s really clear about is that if she’s going to relaunch her music career and be taken seriously, she needs to clean up her act. No more sex, drugs & rock’n’roll. So the last thing she needs is a messy affair with another celebrity…
Except that this isn’t any celebrity. To Scarlet, he might just be Tom, a scruffy former pilot with PTSD,
but to the world, he’s Prince Thomas, and his grandmother is the Queen. And the grandsons of queens do not marry tattooed rockstars. Unless it happens to be Christmas in Las Vegas and things get a little bit out of hand…

 

 

 

Carrie Elks: Let Me Burn

Contemporary Romance
Self Published
Ebook and Paperback
21st February 2019

As a big city firefighter, Lucas lives for his job.
Forced to take extended leave following an accident, he returns to his small hometown to stay at the beach cottage his grandparents
left him. The problem is, he’s not used to having so much time on his hands.
After a broken engagement, Ember isn’t ready for love right now. Though her heart might be mended, she prefers to keep herself busy with her family and work; that way she won’t get hurt again. But she didn’t count on meeting a handsome firefighter with a dimpled smile. After Lucas saves her from one awkward situation too many, she can’t stop thinking about him. Ember finds Lucas impossible to resist, and he’s determined not to let her. As long summer days melt into sultry, passionate nights what begins as a fling develops into something much deeper. Until the day Ember’s ex-fiancé returns to town and threatens to destroy the fragile connection
that’s building between them.

 

 

 

Sheila Norton – The Pet Shop at Pennycombe Bay

Contemporary women’s fiction
Ebury Press
Traditional
Paperback
21 February 2019

Jess has moved to the beautiful Devon seaside town of Pennycombe Bay, but although she enjoys her job at the local pet shop, she feels like she’s treading on eggshells living with her moody cousin Ruth. When she meets a handsome stranger, Nick, on the beach, she thinks she’s made a new friend. Or perhaps something more…? But her hopes of romance are soon dashed.
With faithful dog Prudence by her side, she’s determined to become more involved in the local community. How can shy Jess make Pennycombe feel like home?

 

 

 

Julie Caplin: The Northern Lights Lodge

Romantic Comedy
HarperImpulse
Ebook
28th February

With a shattered heart and her career completely in tatters, Lucy needs to get away from her life in the UK. But, when she takes a job as hotel manager of the Northern Lights Lodge, she doesn’t quite expect to find herself in a land of
bubbling hot springs and snowflake-dusted glaciers – and in the company of gorgeous Scottish barman, Alex. Determined to turn her life around, Lucy sets about making the lodge the number one romantic destination in Iceland –
even though romance is the last thing she wants. However, as Alex and Lucy grow closer under the dancing lights of the Aurora, Lucy might just learn how to fall in love again…

 

 

 

Christina Hollis: Struggle and Suffrage in Bristol

Non-fiction/history
Pen and Sword Books
Traditionally published paperback
28th February 2019

How would you survive as a second-class citizen in a world without hope?
Making a good marriage used to be the only promotion a girl could expect.
Then some exceptional women stepped forward. They improved education, healthcare, and the conditions in which everyone lived and worked.
Many of those women had one thing in common: the city of Bristol. Between 1850 and 1950, Bristol was home to women who became important
reformers, intellectuals, activists, and politicians. Struggle and Suffrage in Bristol tell their story.

 

 

 

Lindsay Townsend: Blue Gold

Historical Novel set in Ancient Egypt
Free to read with Kindle Unlimited
https://amzn.to/2H1BUUt 99p

Two Pharaohs, Many Gods, One Kingdom. Who Wins?
The guards put her with the whores, the drunkards, the killers.

 

 

Lindsay Townsend: BRONZE LIGHTNING

Can a creature-caller and a storm-bringer ever be together?
She is Sarmatia, a bull-leaper and creature-caller, renowned for her uncanny skills with all animals. He is Fearn, a red-haired healer and storm-bringer from the northern Isle of Stones. They meet on the dusty flagstones of a Kretan palace courtyard, where both save a life, and they fall in love.
Will fate allow them to be together or will the unknown enemy who hates Sarmatia prevail?

 

 

 

 

                                               New Releases are brought to you every month by Sheila Riley.

Sheila is currently writing the second novel in her Reckoner’s Row series. Set in post WW2 around Liverpool Dockside, it focuses on the trials and tribulations of the residents of Reckoner’s Row. Crime, fears, laughter and tears – but most of all love – are at the heart of Sheila’s gritty tales of this feisty, close-knit community. She is represented by Felicity Trew at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.