Contemporaries to covet in March—and giveaway!

Hello hello! Those of you who have followed my blog for long time will know I used to do a monthly feature where I shared the contemporary romances I was most looking forward to each month. I also ask readers to tell me what new releases they’re most looking forward to. One commenter will win a $10 bookstore gift certificate for herself AND one for the author she mentions.

Well, I’m bringing that feature back, baby! Usually I only feature two or three books, but there are so many amazing books out this month that I could only whittle my list down to nine. NINE! Contemporary romance is alive and well, my friends.

So here are the books I’m most looking forward to this month. Tell me yours in the comments!

The List by Anne Calhoun

Who’s on top?

Matchmaker and stationery shop owner Matilda Davies brings people together. For those on her list, Tilda will find the man or woman of their dreams—whether it’s for an hour or a lifetime. But due to a painful past, the British expat has never put her own name on the list. Instead, she limits herself to emotionless and commitment-free hookups. Then she meets Daniel, who wants not just her body, but also her heart…

Daniel Logan hides the soul of a poet under the suit and tie of an FBI agent. Specializing in financial crimes, he pieces together stories of greed and ensures justice is done. He plays by the rules—until he meets Tilda. He’s drawn in by her passion as well as her mysteriousness. Daniel knows that no matter her secrets, he’s the perfect match for Tilda. But even pleasure doesn’t come with a guarantee…

Why I want it: Because it’s written by Anne Calhoun. Need I say more? Anne writes some of the sexiest, smartest characters I know, and every single one of her books is a keeper. I can’t wait to read this one!

Release date: March 3, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

Hero By Night by Sara Jane Stone

He was nobody’s hero until he landed in the wrong bed…

Armed with a golden retriever and a concealed weapons permit, Lena Clark is fighting for normal. She served her country, but the experience left her emotionally numb and estranged from her career-military family. Staying in Independence Falls seems like the first step to reclaiming her life until the town playboy stumbles into her bed…

Chad Summers is living his dream—helicopter logging by day and slipping between the sheets with Mrs. Right Now by night. Until his wild nights threaten his day job, leaving Chad with a choice: prove he can settle down or kiss his dream goodbye. But when he ends up in the wrong bed, the one woman in Independence Falls he can’t touch offers a tempting proposition. Chad is ready and willing to give in to the primal desire to make Lena his at night—on one condition. By day, they pretend their relationship is real.

But their connection extends beyond the bedroom, threatening to turn their sham into reality if Chad can prove he’s the hero Lena needs night and day… forever.

Why I want it: I read Sara Jane’s debut, Command Performance, quite a while ago, and I was so disappointed that she didn’t have a huge backlist for me to glom all over. That book was superb, so I’m looking forward to reading more from her.

Release date: March 3, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

The Bachelor’s Baby by Dani Collins

Your date with Bachelor #3 includes champagne and chocolate in the limo that collects you, a helicopter tour of Marietta and the surrounding mountains and valleys, and dinner at a five star restaurant in Great Falls. While oil baron Linc Brady wines and dines you, a main service will completely clean your home.

Who could resist this tempting offer, but Meg Canon plans to do just that. She is only home to clean out her childhood bedroom for her brother’s new step-daughter and then she’s outta her childhood small town and back to her life in Chicago, but when she meets the sexy, renegade millionaire while she’s stuck in the snow, sparks fly and Meg is tempted to maybe stay a little longer.

Linc Brady is new in town and happy to help a kid in need, but this? Technically he doesn’t owe Meg a damned thing after she bids on him, after setting him up for the Marietta bachelor auction in the first place, but her high-class city polish is his fatal weakness and makes her impossible to forget. When she agrees to come home with him, he makes it clear he’s a confirmed bachelor. This is a one-night thing. One night that turns into nine months and maybe a lifetime…?

Why I want it: I’m a sucker for an “Oops, I’m pregnant!” story, as long as it’s done well—and this one certainly is. I love Dani’s writing, and I think you will too!

Release date: March 6, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | iBooks |

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

In New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past…

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

Why I want it: Nalini Singh writes about a retired rugby player?? SIGN ME UP! I’ve been dying to read this ever since I heard about it. I’m clearing my schedule that day to devour it. Also, I’m selfishly hoping it leads to an upswing in sales for other rugby romances *ahem*.

Release date: March 10, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

What a Bachelor Needs by Kelly Hunter

Your date with ski champ Jett Casey is an either/or deal. He’ll take you off-piste for the ultimate Montana ski adventure or he’ll put his handyman skills at your disposal for a week.

Single mom Mardie Griffin has a run-down old house in need of fixing and a memory of Jett Casey as her saviour in a time of great need. So when her friends acquire Jett’s services at a bachelor auction and send him to fix up her house, she sets aside her mistrust of men and lets him in.

Elite athlete Jett Casey has the world at his feet and no desire for stability. But there’s one woman he’s never forgotten and if he can help make her safe this time, maybe she’ll stop haunting him.

No strings, no sex, no commitment. Just fix things. Surely it can’t be that difficult…

Why I want it: Kelly Hunter wrote one of my favorite books of 2014, The Honeymoon Trap. She writes with wit and steam, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Montana Born Bachelor Auction throws her characters’ lives into turmoil!

Release date: March 13, 2015

Purchase at:  Tule Publishing

Out of the Game by Kate Willoughby

Book three of In the Zone

Alex Sullivan may be the San Diego Barracudas’ resident playboy, but he hasn’t been able to forget the woman who kissed him like her life depended on it ten months ago. When he sees her again at a teammate’s wedding, he can’t think of anything but spending more time with her. Preferably naked.

Claire Marzano lost years catering to an overbearing husband, and she’s not going to answer to anyone ever again. A hot fling is just what she needs to get back in the game, and that’s exactly what sexy Alex offers—one wild long weekend away, with no promises or obligations.

But that one weekend changes everything. Despite knowing full well Alex isn’t the kind to ever commit, Claire is falling for him. And Alex secretly imagines a future with his strong, smart “accidental girlfriend.” Until a surprise announcement and an on-ice accident threaten to derail everything…or cause Alex to finally ditch his old ways and become the man Claire needs him to be.

Why I want it: Kate Willoughby is a friend of mine, and she writes hockey players that’re so sexy my ereader is in danger of melting. I hope you’ll give Kate a try if you haven’t already!

Release date: March 16, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

In Bed With the Bachelor by Megan Crane

Our latest bachelor has enough family in Marietta to qualify as an honorary native, but hails instead from Seattle, WA, which is where he’ll fly you for a glamorous weekend on the shores of the sparkling Puget Sound. Jesse Grey will treat you the way a local boy turned construction tycoon should: five star accommodations, gourmet dinners, and celebrated Washington wines. We just can’t promise he’ll smile much. Or at all.

Sold to the highest bidder!

Jesse Grey, notorious bachelor and one of Seattle’s foremost construction tycoons, has been roped into participating in the Marietta Bachelor Auction thanks to an expertly executed guilt trip laid out by his family.

Michaela Townsend already has a fiancé and certainly doesn’t need another man in her life. So when her family buys her surly, sexy Jesse at the auction and wrangles him into driving her from Montana to Seattle, she’s appalled yet disturbingly attracted.

As far as Jesse is concerned, Michaela is forbidden fruit. Even though he knows her fiancé isn’t all he seems, Jesse would never take what didn’t belong to him. But how long can he resist the one woman he shouldn’t touch?

Why I want it: That title—I’m sold. And written by Megan Crane? Bonus!

Release date: March 20, 2015

Purchase at:  Tule Publishing

Captive by Brighton Walsh

He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything.

Why I want it: Brighton Walsh is one of my favorite authors—and not just because I love her books. She is amazingly friendly and fun in real life, too. Her books reflect her humor and sensitivity, and she has a sparkling career ahead of her. I’m really looking forward to reading more of her books!

Release date: March 24, 2015

Purchase at:  Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

One Night With Her Bachelor by Kat Latham

Wild Montana Nights book 1

Bid on a date with this wounded warrior for an unforgettable night of adventure. Aim high—and bid higher!—because no one comes close to local hero Gabriel Morales.

Molly Dekker hates being the town charity case, but when her son Josh is seriously injured she has no choice. She lets her best friend organize a bachelor auction to help pay her massive bills and make Josh’s life more comfortable. She can’t bid on any of the men, but a surprise bidder gives her a gift she never expected: a date with the man who saved her son’s life—the only one she’s in danger of losing her heart to.

Former Air Force pararescueman Gabriel Morales made a career of flying to the rescue, until a tragic helicopter crash stole more than his livelihood. Being auctioned off like a slab of beef isn’t in his recovery plan. But one look, one touch and one night unlocking Molly’s pent-up passion make him realize how badly he needs to be rescued…and how badly he wants to rescue Molly right back.

Will Molly and Gabriel’s never-quit attitude have them rushing head-first into love? Or will Gabriel’s secret pain stall their relationship before it can get off the ground?

Why I want it: Well, I wrote it, so it’s not really that I want it but that I wanted to remind you about it! It’s not available for pre-order yet, but I’ll let you know when it is!

Release date: March 27, 2015

Find out more:  One Night With Her Bachelor

 

Giveaway!

Answer at least one of the questions in bold below. By “contemporary romance” I mean romance between human beings set in the present day. It can be romantic suspense, inspirational, erotic, category-length, novellas or whatever.

I’ll randomly choose one winner on Tuesday March 10, 2015. That person will get a $10 gift certificate to the online book retailer of their choice, AND I’ll send the same to the author they mention.

If the winner mentions more than one author, I’ll ask the winner to choose which one gets the gift certificate.

This is open internationally.

Questions:
What contemporary romance novel(s) being released in March are you looking forward to? (There’s a wonderful list at Heroes & Heartbreakers.) Have you read anything by the authors I mentioned? Which of their books do you like best?

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