#NovemberTBR #MustReadNovember
November brings us a reminder for all the things we should be thankful for. This month is full of another full list of phenomenal reads that I can’t wait to share with you. Please note, these are the ones that I’ve been graciously sent ARCs (Advance Review Copies) of to feature for y’all. Enjoy!
My November TBR:
Deadly Tides – Mary Keliikoa – November 2nd
A missing surf legend. Waterlogged clues. Can he trust his gut instincts to end the wave of murder?
Sheriff Jax Turner is learning to live again. Holding tight to the hope of reconciling with his FBI agent ex-wife, the wary man is determined to keep his focus on his coastal Oregon community. And after a concerned brother requests a welfare check, Jax is troubled to find the absent surf shop owner’s tracks lead to a pool of blood.
Now investigating a potential homicide, Turner chases a tip from his former spouse about a severed foot found on the beach. But when a torrent of leads links the victim to a politician’s son, a jealous competitor, and a get-straight program for youth, the steadfast lawman fears layers of lies and secret agendas will keep him from stopping a vicious killer.
Can he unravel the fatal agenda before he’s the next corpse to wash ashore?
If you like flawed heroes, gritty crimes, and dark twists and turns, then you’ll love Deadly Tides, the chilling second book in Mary Keliikoa’s Misty Pines Mystery Series.
Click here to read my review of Deadly Tides!
The Christmas Dilemma – Sarah Vance-Tompkins – November 3rd
Skipping Christmas is easy. But it’s impossible to deny your heart…
Eli Adair is the first call whenever his family and friends need a hand. But this Christmas, he has no obligations, so he’s taking a break from the stress of big family celebrations. No presents under the tree. No stockings by the fireplace. No twinkling lights.
All he wants is to be home alone at Hillcrest House.
Travel nurse Audrey Elliott is returning to Christmas Tree Cove hoping for a big holiday celebration like the ones on her grandparents’ farm—all she has left of happier times before her mom’s condition lost those memories. Candy canes. Gingerbread houses. Holiday carols.
All Audrey wants is a place to call home for Christmas.
When a high school friend assures her there’s plenty of room at Hillcrest House, it seems like all her Christmas dreams are coming true until she discovers she’ll be living with Eli, the boy she’s never forgotten. Or the first kiss they shared.
Eli and Audrey are about to discover whether December is about reliving traditions—or making new ones.
Click here to read my review of The Christmas Dilemma!
Waiting to Win – Evey Lyon – November 7th
Connor Spears is hockey royalty who most definitely never planned to accidentally marry his childhood irritation Hadley Crews.
Connor is smug, grew up destined for his hockey career, and he’s irritatingly good-looking. He was also my next-door neighbor growing up. He wouldn’t give me the time of day and made it clear he would never be friends with me, the ballerina and daughter of a baseball legend. Except for that one time. Years later, one hazy night, and now he’s apparently my husband according to the paper next to his bed in a Vegas hotel room. You would think we would have it annulled, but he needs to clean up his image, and I’m a sucker for his occasional glances.
So, we agree to stay married.
Rumor spreads fast in Lake Spark, and the responses of our parents, who are best friends, well, uh… they’re mixed. But the problem with marrying for convenience is that you discover secrets about each other. You learn things too, like how he is by far more protective of you than you thought, or how sharing a bed brings out his dominant side. The thing is, it turns out that I may mean more to Connor than he’ll ever admit. When life throws me another twist, I need a real husband to support me. And it turns out that Connor may have always been offside, waiting to win…
Connor and Hadley bring heartwarming steam to this marriage-of-convenience romance with a hint of enemies-to-lovers and a dash of unrequited love. Waiting to Win can be read as a complete standalone and is the second book in the interconnected Lake Spark Off-Season series which is a spin-off of the Lake Spark series that includes their parents’ stories. For lovers of small-town romance with a touch of hockey.
Fell For You – Renee Harless – November 7th
Running my sister’s bed-and-breakfast in our small town should have been a piece of cake. Until I opened the door to our new guest and came face to face with the man I had a one-night stand with a year ago. And he was looking at me like I was a total stranger.
Nate Sullivan was fourteen years older than me and was my brother’s best friend. Not to mention a billionaire CEO that looked just as good in well-worn jeans and a T-shirt as he did in a suit. And when he was with his girls? There was no way I couldn’t fall for him.
We both had tarnished pasts that kept our hearts out of the mix. But being with him now gave me a confidence I didn’t know was missing.
It wasn’t until his twin daughters forced us to dance that we acted on our chemistry. And though it was explosive, our time together was limited. As the nights ticked away, we learned time wasn’t the only thing that worked against us.
His Wicked Ways: Blaine Wicked (The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside Book 5) – Melissa Foster – November 8th
He’s used to women doing as he says in and out of the bedroom. Find out happens when he meets the one woman who won’t submit to his wicked ways in the newest insanely sexy, deeply emotional, and laugh-out-loud funny standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Blaine Wicked can spot trouble a mile away. As the eldest of five and raised in a Dark Knights biker family, he has always been a protector. Rescuing a stripper from a bad situation comes with the territory, regardless of the hell the mouthy, slightly awkward, and seriously hot leggy blonde gives him for it. She’s far too innocent to bend to his wicked ways, but the more he learns about her, the harder it is for him to walk away.
Forensic scientist Reese Wilder never imagined herself as the entertainment at a bachelor party, but she’d do anything to keep food on the table for her teenage sister. With their mess of a mother in rehab—Third time’s a charm, right?—Reese is stuck paying off their mother’s debt to a dealer and trying to make ends meet. Reese has had it rough, and she knows better than to rely on anyone for help, much less a pushy biker with piercing blue eyes who probably has dozens of women at his beck and call.
The more flames Reese throws, the more determined Blaine is to walk through them. The closer he gets, the hotter they burn—and the more curious she becomes. But Blaine Wicked has the power to torch Reese’s walls to embers, and with her sister’s well-being at stake, that’s a risk she can’t afford to take.
The Brightest Spark – Victoria Lum – November 8th
What is the person she despises is the perfect man for her?
He’s known as a Casanova, a flirt, a philanderer.
But to me, he’s nothing but a pain in the neck.
We’re like oil and water, fire and explosives – a volatile mix that can’t seem to stay away from each other.
Twelve years ago, Jack Szeto was the bad boy with the lip ring and panty-melting grins.
I was the goodie-two-shoes with the fancy last name who never fell for his act.
Now, he’s a devil in an expensive suit – the Jack of all trades who still has the power to seduce women from all walks of life.
When my best friend begged me to model in a sexy photoshoot for an upcoming romance novel from a bestselling author, I agreed without knowing Jack would be one of my partners in the racy sessions.
Suddenly, every room with him in it feels stifling. Every brush of his body against mine feels intoxicating. And the intensity in his gaze threatens to blaze through my carefully erected barriers.
I’m forced to wonder if his bad boy persona is all an act or if I’m going to be another woman falling victim to his charms.
Or maybe he’s the brightest spark I’ve been waiting for all my life.
Tropes for The Brightest Spark:
✔️Unrequited love
✔️Opposite sides of the tracks
✔️Enemies to lovers (from the female character’s perspective)
✔️Touch her and you’ll regret it
✔️Forced proximity
✔️Bad boy with good girl
✔️Forbidden
✔️Swoon and light angst and holidays!
The Seaside Bookshop Christmas – Jennifer Faye – November 10th
Twelve days before Christmas, the forecast is calling for snow with a hundred percent chance of love as the owner of the Seaside Bookshop risks everything, including her heart.
Christmas returns to Bluestar Island in this heartwarming page-turner. While the small town’s holiday calendar is filled with festive events, the friendships of Bluestar’s residents are put to the test. Melinda Coleman, owner of the Seaside Bookshop, finds herself making a deal with the town curmudgeon that could cost her everything. While furniture maker Liam Turner is suddenly a full-time single father, he’s in over his head with an active three-year-old. It will take these two friends helping each other to keep their lives from imploding, and in the process, they find the most precious gift of all—love.
Includes a holiday recipe for Santa’s Mitten cookies!
Does He Know? (Everlasting Ink Book 1) – Kaylee Ryan – November 14th
NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new standalone series surrounding five best friends who co-own a tattoo studio. “Does He Know?” is an age gap, brother’s best friend, small town romance.
Emerson
It’s not like I planned to fall for my older brother’s best friend.
It just happened. With a perfect body covered in tattoos, and a dirty mouth, Roman is the kind of guy women notice—and believe me, I noticed. Even when I tried not to.
When he finally gives in to temptation, there’s no going back. At least for me. Too bad Roman doesn’t see it that way.
He thinks he needs to protect me and my relationship with my brother, but I don’t need him to fight my battles. I just need him.
Roman
My name whispered from Emerson’s perfect pink lips is all it takes for me to betray my best friend.
Before that night, I kept the green-eyed beauty at arm’s length. Watched her from afar and told myself that the chemistry between us was one-sided.
I pretended that I didn’t want her more than my next breath. Which is what’s on the line if her brother ever finds out we’ve been sneaking around behind his back.
But I can’t stay away. Especially after knowing what it’s like to have her and lose her.
Now, I’m given a second chance, and I have every intention of making her mine—consequences be damned.
Girl on Trial – Kathleen Fine – November 14th
Does doing one bad thing make you a bad person?
Sixteen-year-old Emily Keller, known by the media as Keller the Killer, is accused of causing the deaths of a family of four, including young children. Emily is one of the youngest females to be accused of a crime so heinous, making this the nation’s biggest trial of the year. But what really happened that fateful night―and who’s responsible―is anything but straightforward.
Living in a trailer park in Baltimore with her twin brother and alcoholic mother, Emily’s life hasn’t been easy. She’s had to grow up fast, and like any teen, has made questionable decisions in a desperate attempt to fit in with her peers. Will her mistakes amount to a guilty verdict and a life in prison? It’s up to the jury to decide.
For readers who enjoy Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
A Temporary Memory – Marie Johnston – November 16th
Nannying two adorable kids was a way to support myself until I got on my feet again. I wasn’t supposed to fall for their stern single dad.
After a sudden, bad breakup, I land in a small town in the middle of nowhere, cut off from all my accounts and resources. I have a stalled dancing career, a mom in long-term care, and no money.
Then I meet Alcott “Cody” Knight. The type of guy I’ve learned to steer clear of—driven, rigid, and devastating in a suit. Only he also has two adorable kids, and he needs a nanny for the summer.
For two months, he’ll pay more than I need to help my mom and myself. For two months, I’ll take care of his kids, give them dance lessons, and see what a normal life could be like. For two months, I have to try not to fall for a guy who’s hotter in jeans and cowboy boots than in a suit and treats me like I matter.
But my stay was only ever for a few months, to get back on my feet so I can get my life back. I might be used to leaving, but I can’t stop wishing Cody and I could be more than a temporary memory.
A Merry Christmas – Liz Zerkel – November 16th
Mae Thompson needs some Christmas magic. As if losing her job right before the holidays wasn’t bad enough, a Midwestern blizzard strands her in the wrong city with the very man who annoyed her for the entire flight.
And the entire cab ride to her hotel.
And at the hotel.
Since the universe keeps throwing Mae and Lon together, they stop fighting it—and each other—and decide to make this a Christmas to remember.
A Merry Little Christmas was originally part of the Tis The Damn Season Anthology and has been expanded with even more holiday magic and spice.
Girl Among Crows – Brendon Vayo – November 20th
Beware the Brotherhood of the Raven
When two boys vanish from her hometown, Daphne Gauge notices uncanny parallels to her brother’s disappearance 30 years earlier. Symbols of an ancient Norse god. Rumors of a promise to reward the town’s faithful with wealth and power, for a price. She warns her husband that another sacrifice is imminent, but just like last time, no one believes her.
This leaves her with a desperate choice: investigate with limited resources, or give in to the FBI’s request for an interview. For years, they’ve wanted a member of the Gauge family to go on record about the tragedy back in 1988. If she agrees to a deposition now, Daphne must confess her family’s dark secrets. But she also might have one last chance to unmask the killer from back then . . . and now.
For readers who enjoy Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, Joshilyn Jackson, Riley Sager, Jennifer McMahon, and Simone St. James.
NAUGHTY-ISH – L.B. Dunbar – November 22nd
With the name Holliday, you’d think I’d be all about the Christmas season. Most years, I am, but this one not so much. Between my ex being a real Scrooge-in-the-backside, re-entering the workforce, wrangling my two children, and evading my eight-year-old’s questions about Santa’s existence, I’m struggling to believe in the magic myself.
Enter Nick, my next-door neighbor. My very hot, single, fireman neighbor. He’s full of the seasonal spirit from hanging my outdoor Christmas lights to playing Santa for the local church breakfast.
Funny thing about Nick, he kind of resembles the man in red, in a younger, sexier, silver fox way, complete with snow in his beard but rather tight abs suggesting cookies are not part of his diet when they are a staple of mine.
Anywho, he’s sweet in a rugged sense, and if he were the man making a list and checking it twice, I’d like to be in his naughty column. Because something tells me being a little naughty-ish with Nick from next door might bring me tidings of comfort and restore my joy in this season.
When he discovers I have a seasonal list myself, he’s determined to help me accomplish all the to-dos, only falling in love with my next-door neighbor wasn’t one of them.
Unhurried Hearts – Kelsey Woods – November 30th
Chris
Swearing off sex for six months in the hopes of preparing myself for a meaningful relationship seemed like a good idea at the time. Go figure the one woman who has never paid me any attention turns up the heat when I still have one month to go.I don’t know if I have the strength to take things slow with the person who makes my heart race.
Anna
It’s been ten years since I escaped my toxic step-father and became the woman I always dreamed of. Being a virgin at nearly thirty was not one of my plans. But, I’m terrified of choosing the wrong man for my first time. When my long-time crush and friend turns out to be everything I’ve ever wanted in a man, it’s almost too good to be true.
Unhurried Hearts is a friends-to-lovers, small-town romance set in the fictional town of West Isle, Canada.
This story can be read as a standalone, but reads best after Lovingly Restored, the first book in the West Isle Romance series.
