Amanda Diehl

USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen returns to her Brooklyn Bruisers series with Hard Hitter, a sizzling, slow-burn romance between a hockey team captain striving to maintain his career under grueling physical demands and the team’s new massage therapist, who is looking for a fresh start.

Patrick O’Doul is a veteran hockey player, and at the age of 32, the hard hits on the ice have begun to take their toll. For years, he has kept his pain to himself, not wanting to express the emotional and physical impacts of the sport. But when a hip injury draws the attention of his trainers and coaches, Patrick is sent to the team’s massage therapist to help get him back on the ice. But there’s just one problem with Patrick’s new health regimen: he hates to be touched.

Ari Bettini is searching for a new lease on life. After ending her long-term relationship, she’s on her own for the first time in a long time. She has her own place and is eager to throw herself into her work, helping the Bruisers stay in shape in some rather unconventional ways. The fledgling team, though, will take whatever help it can get, even if that means going to yoga and using technology to track their exercise and appointments.

Patrick and Ari are opposites in personality, though both are going through changes in life. Ari is a strong and caring heroine, and it was heartwarming to see her patience with Patrick, doing whatever she can to get him to warm up to her. Patrick is the perfect broody hero, worried that any sign of weakness will jeopardize his career or his spot as captain. Plus, the moments of massage between Ari and Patrick are hot enough to melt ice.

Hard Hitter is a standout romance, with two people learning to trust each other while dealing with their own fears regarding their futures. A strong contender for one of the hottest romances this year, Patrick and Ari’s love story is full of everything readers love: tension that pops and crackles off the pages, heart-pounding action on the ice and plenty of humor to leave a smile on your face. 

Jessica Lemmon returns to her Billionaire Bad Boys series with The Billionaire Next Door, in which a a fun-loving, party-boy billionaire falls hopelessly in love with a woman nursing a broken heart with many secrets to hide.

Taggert “Tag” Crane runs the food and drink establishments inside the popular Crane hotels. He’s the life of the party, so it’s a no-brainer that he’s in charge of creating the perfect aesthetic for the bars. But while creative, Tag lacks business acumen and is struggling with how to brand and market Crane hotels’ newest string of bars.

But it all starts with a dog—a very loud Great Dane to be exact.

Tag has had just about enough of the Great Dane downstairs and its incessant barking, but when he goes to complain, he isn’t expecting to see an attractive woman acting as dog-sitter.

Rachel Foster is a dog-sitter by day and bartender by night, despite her background in marketing. Her reasons for taking odd jobs are her own, and she’s reluctant to give up her secrets to the good-looking Tag, no matter how often he seeks her out. But it’s hard to ignore Tag’s charm—and that man-bun—so she offers to help him with marketing designs for his new bars. However, what begins as fun flirtation soon turns to something much more instense.

Tag’s carefree demeanor is infectious. He keeps things light and casual, which is just what Rachel needs. The way he supports her and builds her up, especially in her talents as a marketer, is nearly tear inducing, even though he looks like a gruff mountain man. Rachel’s tenderness is palpable, and many readers will relate to the fragility that only comes with a terrible heartbreak.

The Billionaire Next Door is a great addition to Lemmon’s Billionaire Bad Boys series, and it does a wonderful job introducing the third, mysterious brother Eli. Fans who have read the first book, The Billionaire Bachelor, will easily recapture the warm, nostalgic feelings of reading about the Crane brothers’ exploits. But those new to Lemmon’s books will undoubtedly have a new author to love with this sweet, slow-boiling and sexy romance.

Swedish author Simona Ahrnstedt makes her English debut with All In, the first Swedish-language romance novel to be translated and published in the U.S. Featuring a billionaire venture capitalist and a businesswoman making a name for herself in the boy’s club of corporate banking, All In will have readers talking with its sizzling chemistry and cat-and-mouse intrigue. 

Set in the world of Sweden’s elite, CEO David Hammar is looking to acquire a private financial firm, Investum, owned by the aristocratic De la Grip family. It’s a bold move, but David is known for his aggressive and, at times, conniving tactics. But to David, this acquisition is more than just a business deal—it’s a chance for revenge. And nothing will stop him from destroying the De la Grips once he owns Investum.

Natalia De la Grip is making a name for herself as a corporate banker. She’s dogged and headstrong, working long hours in hopes for some recognition from her father, whose ego and pompousness only drive Natalia to achieve even greater success. Her goal: to earn a spot on the board of Investum. 

David’s plan for power and revenge relies on getting a member of the De la Grip family on his side, and Natalia is the perfect target. She wants an active part in the company, and he needs someone on the inside to aid in his corporate takeover. David just has to convince Natalia that he’s only looking out for the best interests of Investum. 

Can David give up his lifelong, cold-hearted motivations for a woman from the family he hates?

Cutthroat and manipulative, David is used to remaining steadfast in the face of temptation, but Natalia’s loyalty—and especially her naïveté—might prove too much to resist. As business lunches turn into late-night dinners, his plans for revenge begin to falter as his attraction to Natalia increases. Can David give up his lifelong, cold-hearted motivations for a woman from the family he hates?

With glamorous details of the lifestyles of Sweden’s rich and famous, All In is a high-stakes romance entrenched in corporate corruption and overflowing bank accounts, and it feels not unlike a Shakespearean drama with schemes, power struggles and family betrayals. 

Ahrnstedt has given American readers a romance they won’t soon forget. With a smart heroine striving for her father’s acceptance, a jaded hero out to bring down his enemies, and the beautiful setting of Sweden, All In grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very last word.

RELATED CONTENT: Read Simona Ahrnstedt's blog post about the book.

In the opening pages of the first book in bestselling author Kylie Scott’s Dive Bar series, a rock-star-turned-bartender discovers a brokenhearted bride in his bathtub. With that, Scott launches into Dirty, a contemporary romance with passion and humor that’s definitely a good time.

Lydia Green’s wedding day is shattered when someone anonymously sends her a video of her soon-to-be husband getting steamy with his best man. Panicking, Lydia bolts, scaling a fence and trudging through an overgrown lawn to reach the house behind her own. With her future in tatters, Lydia breaks in and breaks down, setting up camp in the bathtub of a stranger’s house.

Vaughn Hewson first meets Lydia while she’s wearing a ruined wedding dress and he’s wearing, well, nothing. He was prepared to take a shower, but instead he finds a crying bride in his bathtub. However, as a former rock star, it’ll take more than a ripped white dress and streaked mascara to scare him. From there, the two form an easy friendship that’s sweet and flirty. Both are down on their luck and dealing with their own messes—Vaughn financially and Lydia emotionally. 

Sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

Watching Lydia gain her footing again after the betrayal of her fiancé is fulfilling. She’s angry and hurt, but she remains strong as she picks up the pieces of her life and alters her plans for the future. Vaughn becomes a great support system—building her up when she needs it, giving a comforting touch—and it shows how a sweet friendship formed in a time of need can turn into something much, much more. But as Lydia realizes she wants more than friendship and furtive glances, Vaughn discovers he might have another chance at rock stardom.

Scott fans and new readers alike will easily fall for Lydia and Vaughn’s whirlwind love story, though those familiar with Scott’s other romances will enjoy seeing old characters pop up. With a plus-sized, confident heroine and a tattooed, teasing hero, Dirty is unforgettably fun and reminds us that sometimes, life needs to be shaken, not stirred.   

Melanie Scott returns to her New York Saints sports romance series with a tale of unlikely love between a baseball player and a Wall Street economist. Full of heat and heart, Playing Hard is a lesson in being selfish when it comes to taking a chance on love.

First baseman Oliver Shields is nearing retirement after nearly 15 years of playing with the New York Saints. The cocky, young upstart, Finn Castro, is poised to take his place, and he’s making more enemies than friends on the team. Finn has a penchant for partying, and Oliver is tasked with escorting Finn home after one too many at a team function. Heartbreakingly, the ride home ends in an accident that leaves Oliver with a season-ending injury, one that could quite possibly force him into early retirement.

Amelia Graham has had her nose to the grindstone for as long as she can remember. Taken in by Finn and his family after her mother got sick, she’s lived her life for other people and set aside her dreams of traveling the world. With a 6-year plan in place to climb the Wall Street ladder, Amelia doesn’t have much time for fun and games, let alone love. She certainly doesn’t plan on being attracted to Oliver Shields, the very man who jeopardizes her surrogate brother’s shot at sports stardom.

The attraction between Amelia and Oliver sizzles off the page, and it’s impossible not to be whisked away by their whirlwind romance. Though Amelia feels as if she’s sleeping with the enemy, she can’t help herself around Oliver. However, as the two become more serious, she finds herself wondering if she’s just a convenient distraction while he recovers from his injury. And when a once in a lifetime opportunity is offered at work, one that requires relocating across the globe, Amelia just might take the advice everyone’s been giving her and do something for herself for a change.

Scott does a wonderful job of creating a couple that complements one another. Watching Amelia grow from people pleaser to a woman who takes charge of her own life is a beautiful and at times emotional journey, and Oliver proves himself to be an ultimate beta hero: caring, supportive and genuine. With their relationship threatened by Finn’s disapproval and Amelia’s promotion at work, the pair discovers that there are things worth fighting for, and a once-in-a-lifetime love is certainly one of them. 

New York Times best-selling author Jaci Burton returns to Oklahoma with Make Me Stay, the fifth book in her Hope series. A contemporary romance with a fun, close-knit cast of characters and adorable pets, Make Me Stay shows that sometimes the right person at the right time can make all the difference.

Reid McCormack and Samantha Reasor are at distinctly different places in life. Reid’s stay in Hope, Oklahoma, is only temporary. As soon as he finishes his restoration project, he’s on the first flight home to Boston. Samantha is a local business owner with ties deeply rooted in the small town, and any free time she has goes toward taking care of her grandmother. But in a town like Hope, where everyone knows everyone, Sam and Reid can’t seem to stop running into each other, and they can't help developing feelings for each other.

Reid knows that his time in town is limited, and as he and Sam grow closer, it’s hard for them not to visualize the countdown to Reid’s departure. But as fate keeps throwing them together, Reid slowly begins to realize that maybe Hope has everything he needs: family, love and some amazing burgers.

Sometimes the right person at the right time can make all the difference.

Sam is sweet and genuine, and her flower shop is a staple in the Hope community. She’s also independent and successful, and she’s looking for love that’s everlasting— something Reid isn’t in the business of supplying. However, something about Reid just seems to reach her core, and it’s impossible not to grin at their easy, adorable flirtations. As Reid gets closer to finishing his home renovation project, Sam hopes that he’ll find a reason to stay.

Quaint and full of character, the small town of Hope provides the perfect setting for this heartfelt romance. Fans of Burton’s previous Hope novels will enjoy seeing previous characters as well as meeting new ones. With relatable dialogue and characters who seem plucked straight from our daily lives, Make Me Stay demonstrates how love can disrupt even the best-laid plans. For those who prefer their romances with the perfect blend of sweet and sexy, don’t pass this one up.