Romance: April 2019

Top Pick
When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes stars a delightful and deserving pair. Having been tasked with salvaging a crumbling country estate, Duncan Wentworth is saved by a mysterious woman during a violent encounter with poachers. Curious, he manages to finagle the lovely “Maddie,” who is obviously in dire circumstances herself, into agreeing to stay and help him edit his travel journals. Widowed duchess Matilda Wakefield is on the run to protect her father and possibly herself. Though determined and resourceful, she can’t resist the temporary respite that Duncan offers—or, finally, the man himself. Readers will root for these two wary people as they learn to trust each other with their foibles and their truths. With revealing dialogue, games of chess and subtle sensuality, this romance sings.

A paranormal wolf pack struggles to maintain its way of life in Maria Vale’s Forever Wolf. The wolves of the Great North Pack can shift into human form, but must remain wolves during the full moon. Varya is an influential and powerful Shielder, a bodyguard and taskmaster for the pack. Her duty to her family’s survival is born of love, and she considers no sacrifice too great. But when she stumbles upon a strange, injured wolf, Varya’s loyalties are challenged even as danger threatens her clan. In an almost mythical voice, Vale deftly conveys the complexity of the pack’s hierarchy as well as their hopes and needs—while still including the broad strokes of a romance. Adventurous readers will appreciate Vale’s unique love story, including the unconventional but poignant happily ever after.

Tiffany Reisz spins an erotic romance based on Greek myth in The Rose. Lia Godwick reaches the age of 21 with a broken heart and a few years’ experience at running a lucrative escort service. The world at large remains unaware of her work until her graduation party, where she meets a mysterious and handsome man. August Bowman is interested in an ancient Greek wine cup that Lia received as a gift and tells her that the artifact was used in the temple of Eros to bring sexual fantasies to life. Lia puts herself into the hands of the seductive August, who joins her in a series of erotic adventures. Lia’s delightfully humorous and sexually open parents nearly steal the show, but the growing love between the main couple and their willingness to sacrifice for each other lend depth to this uninhibited tale. Reisz masterfully balances explicit description with emotional honesty in a way that will entrance readers.