DISCLAIMER: I have tried my best to make sure that release dates are accurate but sometimes they change without my notice. Some titles under Independently Published might be being published through a publisher/press but I was unable to find information/confirmation of that. My apologies if any information is incorrect.
Here are all the LGBTQ+ books I found that are being published in February 2022. They are sorted by publishers in alphabetical order with books being independently published at the very bottom. If you click on the covers they will take you to a preorder link.
Angry Robot
Title: Bluebird
Author: Ciel Pierlot
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Three factions vie for control of the galaxy. Rig, a gunslinging, thieving, rebel with a cause, doesn’t give a damn about them and she hasn’t looked back since abandoning them three years ago. That is, until her former faction sends her a message: return what she stole from them, or her twin sister will die. Rig embarks on a journey across the galaxy to save her – but for once she’s not alone. She has help from her network of resistance contacts, her taser-wielding librarian girlfriend, and a mysterious bounty hunter. If Rig fails, trillions of lives will be lost – including her sister’s. But if she succeeds, she might just pull the whole damn system down around their ears. Either way, she’s going to do it with Panache and Pizzazz.
Author: Ciel Pierlot
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Three factions vie for control of the galaxy. Rig, a gunslinging, thieving, rebel with a cause, doesn’t give a damn about them and she hasn’t looked back since abandoning them three years ago. That is, until her former faction sends her a message: return what she stole from them, or her twin sister will die. Rig embarks on a journey across the galaxy to save her – but for once she’s not alone. She has help from her network of resistance contacts, her taser-wielding librarian girlfriend, and a mysterious bounty hunter. If Rig fails, trillions of lives will be lost – including her sister’s. But if she succeeds, she might just pull the whole damn system down around their ears. Either way, she’s going to do it with Panache and Pizzazz.
Aubade Publishing
Title: The Upside-Down Tree
Author: Alden Reimonenq
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: The Upside-Down Tree, by Alden Reimonenq, is an insightful, powerful look at the worst of racial hatred and violence during the early Jim Crow years, a time rarely addressed by historical-fiction authors. The novel stems from the horrific Colfax Massacre in Louisiana on April 13, 1873, but is primarily set between 1900–1908 in rural Louisiana. Surprising at every turn, the plot twists through lynchings, cross-burnings, love between the races, gay love, religious intolerance, poverty, illness, and death. Against the backdrop of ever-threatening danger and intimidation from regulators and white authorities, the spirited characters live their day-to-day lives engaging in joyous family scenes, transcending the severity of the ominous problems they face. Catholic and African religious beliefs blend and clash as interracial relationships develop, and a secret gay relationship moves tentatively yet feels like it might have a chance to grow, against all odds. Full of African spirits, mystical images, magical trees, and dynamic characters, THE UPSIDE-DOWN TREE is a novel of enduring hope. Despite a storyline that can at times seem dark and disturbing, it remains positive, reaffirming the overarching goodness of most people. The love, caring, forgiveness, and loyalty intrinsic in richly drawn characters shine through in beautifully crafted lyrical passages. The novel’s enduring message is that love always wins over hate, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. This message is very timely and craved by many people at this critical moment in American history. After reading the novel, a feeling of hope abides -- a rejuvenating feeling that an unfearing look at the past serves a purpose, not to bind us to it, but to better understand the present and continue to strive towards a better future. The Upside-Down Tree is not only a must-read for readers of historical fiction and southern and resistance literature -- especially Louisiana Créole descendants and African Americans -- but for all readers who yearn for a message of hope and strength for the continued healing of racial discrimination in America.
Author: Alden Reimonenq
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: The Upside-Down Tree, by Alden Reimonenq, is an insightful, powerful look at the worst of racial hatred and violence during the early Jim Crow years, a time rarely addressed by historical-fiction authors. The novel stems from the horrific Colfax Massacre in Louisiana on April 13, 1873, but is primarily set between 1900–1908 in rural Louisiana. Surprising at every turn, the plot twists through lynchings, cross-burnings, love between the races, gay love, religious intolerance, poverty, illness, and death. Against the backdrop of ever-threatening danger and intimidation from regulators and white authorities, the spirited characters live their day-to-day lives engaging in joyous family scenes, transcending the severity of the ominous problems they face. Catholic and African religious beliefs blend and clash as interracial relationships develop, and a secret gay relationship moves tentatively yet feels like it might have a chance to grow, against all odds. Full of African spirits, mystical images, magical trees, and dynamic characters, THE UPSIDE-DOWN TREE is a novel of enduring hope. Despite a storyline that can at times seem dark and disturbing, it remains positive, reaffirming the overarching goodness of most people. The love, caring, forgiveness, and loyalty intrinsic in richly drawn characters shine through in beautifully crafted lyrical passages. The novel’s enduring message is that love always wins over hate, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. This message is very timely and craved by many people at this critical moment in American history. After reading the novel, a feeling of hope abides -- a rejuvenating feeling that an unfearing look at the past serves a purpose, not to bind us to it, but to better understand the present and continue to strive towards a better future. The Upside-Down Tree is not only a must-read for readers of historical fiction and southern and resistance literature -- especially Louisiana Créole descendants and African Americans -- but for all readers who yearn for a message of hope and strength for the continued healing of racial discrimination in America.
Bella Books
Title: Beyond the Blue
Author: T.J. O'Shea
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: Numbers rule Dr. Mei Sharpe’s life. She has no husband, one friend, two daughters, and three random meetings with the same woman within four weeks. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but upon the third meeting, even Mei in all her empirical rigidness must admit that perhaps the universe is giving her a nudge. A nudge that lands her directly in the path of Lieutenant Morgan Kelly—an affable, charming detective for the Sheriff Department’s brand-new cold case team working down the hall from Mei’s morgue.
More golden retriever than hard-boiled detective, Morgan is determined to pull the asocial widow out of her shell. As the icy scientist warms to her cheerful new friend, an irrepressible chemistry develops, and Mei begins to realize she’s perhaps a different number on the Kinsey scale than previously considered.
As Mei and Morgan struggle with guilt and grief, drama and desires, Mei finds her scientific austerity is no match for the universe and its nudges toward the startling revelation of what her heart really wants.
Author: T.J. O'Shea
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: Numbers rule Dr. Mei Sharpe’s life. She has no husband, one friend, two daughters, and three random meetings with the same woman within four weeks. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, but upon the third meeting, even Mei in all her empirical rigidness must admit that perhaps the universe is giving her a nudge. A nudge that lands her directly in the path of Lieutenant Morgan Kelly—an affable, charming detective for the Sheriff Department’s brand-new cold case team working down the hall from Mei’s morgue.
More golden retriever than hard-boiled detective, Morgan is determined to pull the asocial widow out of her shell. As the icy scientist warms to her cheerful new friend, an irrepressible chemistry develops, and Mei begins to realize she’s perhaps a different number on the Kinsey scale than previously considered.
As Mei and Morgan struggle with guilt and grief, drama and desires, Mei finds her scientific austerity is no match for the universe and its nudges toward the startling revelation of what her heart really wants.
Title: Legacy in the Blood
Author: Catherine Maiorisi
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: NYPD Detectives Chiara Corelli and P.J. Parker catch the murder of a man found in a Park. What seems like a simple murder gets more complicated when they identify him as Ned Rich, a somewhat paranoid investigative reporter who seems to be living above his means.
The more they dig, the more victims of Rich’s blackmail they find and figuring out which one killed him seems like an impossible task. But then they stumble on the project Rich was working on at the time of his death―a not so white supremacist and a threat to our democracy―and the investigation focuses on people who will do anything to protect their reputations and the secrecy of their traitorous goals.
Undeterred by the threats and attacks Corelli and Parker battle to drag the traitors into the light and put their lives on the line to defend all they believe in.
Author: Catherine Maiorisi
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: NYPD Detectives Chiara Corelli and P.J. Parker catch the murder of a man found in a Park. What seems like a simple murder gets more complicated when they identify him as Ned Rich, a somewhat paranoid investigative reporter who seems to be living above his means.
The more they dig, the more victims of Rich’s blackmail they find and figuring out which one killed him seems like an impossible task. But then they stumble on the project Rich was working on at the time of his death―a not so white supremacist and a threat to our democracy―and the investigation focuses on people who will do anything to protect their reputations and the secrecy of their traitorous goals.
Undeterred by the threats and attacks Corelli and Parker battle to drag the traitors into the light and put their lives on the line to defend all they believe in.
Title: Radiant
Author: Judy Sapphire
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: Blake Harrison's star is rising. Preparing for her new museum installation, she's trying to navigate her work, her newfound fame, and her reputation for volatility. She's also trying to abide by her "monastic before a show" rule, and has no idea what to do about the stunning lawyer who insults her and entrances her in equal measure.
Jenny O'Toole is in a professional and romantic rut. Her career as a corporate lawyer is stifling, she's closeted at work, and her current relationship is with Netflix and wine. She's not looking for a new girlfriend, and if she was, she certainly wouldn't chase an irrational, pretentious conceptual artist like Blake Harrison.
It's dislike at first sight--but when the artist and lawyer keep running into each other, the loathing turns to lust. As they weather Boston's frigid winter, Blake and Jenny navigate their deepening feelings, and hope that their budding relationship can weather everything coming between them.
Author: Judy Sapphire
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: Blake Harrison's star is rising. Preparing for her new museum installation, she's trying to navigate her work, her newfound fame, and her reputation for volatility. She's also trying to abide by her "monastic before a show" rule, and has no idea what to do about the stunning lawyer who insults her and entrances her in equal measure.
Jenny O'Toole is in a professional and romantic rut. Her career as a corporate lawyer is stifling, she's closeted at work, and her current relationship is with Netflix and wine. She's not looking for a new girlfriend, and if she was, she certainly wouldn't chase an irrational, pretentious conceptual artist like Blake Harrison.
It's dislike at first sight--but when the artist and lawyer keep running into each other, the loathing turns to lust. As they weather Boston's frigid winter, Blake and Jenny navigate their deepening feelings, and hope that their budding relationship can weather everything coming between them.
Title: Two Knights Tango
Author: Tagan Shepard
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: I'll see you in Chicago.
Six months earlier, those words echoed in Marisol Soltero's mind as she sprinted across Bogota. Back in Chicago, she waited outside Governor Sabrina Sloane's luxury condo, needing to see the woman she loved return to safety. But Sabrina didn't return. Not to Chicago and not to Marisol.
A series of disappearances in Humboldt Park provides the distraction Marisol needs from her broken heart. Her people are going missing. Snatched off the street right under her nose. Clues are sparse, but Marisol's gut tells her the culprit is her old enemy.
Governor Sabrina Sloane has become a shadow of herself. She haunts the halls of the Governor's Mansion, both her work and personal life flooded with nightmares. She knows Marisol is in danger, perhaps even more now that she's back in Chicago, and Sloane will do anything it takes to keep the woman she loves safe. Even if it means confronting the man at the center of her nightmares.
But when two chess pieces are directed at the same enemy, they can get in each other's way. If Marisol and Sabrina get the moves right, they could tango back into each other's arms. If not, all of Chicago could pay the price.
Author: Tagan Shepard
Publication Date: February 17, 2022
Summary: I'll see you in Chicago.
Six months earlier, those words echoed in Marisol Soltero's mind as she sprinted across Bogota. Back in Chicago, she waited outside Governor Sabrina Sloane's luxury condo, needing to see the woman she loved return to safety. But Sabrina didn't return. Not to Chicago and not to Marisol.
A series of disappearances in Humboldt Park provides the distraction Marisol needs from her broken heart. Her people are going missing. Snatched off the street right under her nose. Clues are sparse, but Marisol's gut tells her the culprit is her old enemy.
Governor Sabrina Sloane has become a shadow of herself. She haunts the halls of the Governor's Mansion, both her work and personal life flooded with nightmares. She knows Marisol is in danger, perhaps even more now that she's back in Chicago, and Sloane will do anything it takes to keep the woman she loves safe. Even if it means confronting the man at the center of her nightmares.
But when two chess pieces are directed at the same enemy, they can get in each other's way. If Marisol and Sabrina get the moves right, they could tango back into each other's arms. If not, all of Chicago could pay the price.
Bloomsbury
Title: Golden Boys
Author: Phil Stamper
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. They are about to embark on the summer before senior year of high school, where each is going on a new, big adventure. Reese is attending a design school in Paris. Gabriel is going to Boston to volunteer with a environmental nonprofit. Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a U.S. Senator. And Heath is stuck going to Daytona Beach to help out at his aunt’s beachfront arcade.
What will this summer of new experiences and world-expanding travel mean for each of them—and for their friendship?
Author: Phil Stamper
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. They are about to embark on the summer before senior year of high school, where each is going on a new, big adventure. Reese is attending a design school in Paris. Gabriel is going to Boston to volunteer with a environmental nonprofit. Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a U.S. Senator. And Heath is stuck going to Daytona Beach to help out at his aunt’s beachfront arcade.
What will this summer of new experiences and world-expanding travel mean for each of them—and for their friendship?
Bold Strokes Books
All BSB books release February 1st on Bold Strokes Books site.
Title: Boy at the Window
Author: Lauren Melissa Ellzey
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: It all began with trying to fly.
After jumping off the roof of his house in the middle of the night, Daniel Kim wakes up far from Neverland, his reprieve from the real world. Thrust into a mental health hospital and then into a brand-new high school, he struggles to hold on to reality while haunted by both his very-present past and his never-present parents. But when he joins Cranbrook Preparatory’s cross-country team, he starts to feel like he’s walking on his own two feet once again. He meets Jiwon Yoon—another cross-country runner, who may be the first person to join Daniel in his Neverland daydreams.
Or maybe Jiwon is the one who will finally break Daniel free.
Author: Lauren Melissa Ellzey
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: It all began with trying to fly.
After jumping off the roof of his house in the middle of the night, Daniel Kim wakes up far from Neverland, his reprieve from the real world. Thrust into a mental health hospital and then into a brand-new high school, he struggles to hold on to reality while haunted by both his very-present past and his never-present parents. But when he joins Cranbrook Preparatory’s cross-country team, he starts to feel like he’s walking on his own two feet once again. He meets Jiwon Yoon—another cross-country runner, who may be the first person to join Daniel in his Neverland daydreams.
Or maybe Jiwon is the one who will finally break Daniel free.
Title: Deadly Secrets
Author: VK Powell
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Special Ops Agent Rafe Silva has always been a dedicated soldier, content in the military and jetting from one mission to the next. Her life is structured and clear of emotional entanglements until an old friend requests she provide protection for an industry whistle blower.
Jana Elliott had found her ideal career and a second home within the corporate environment of Alumicor until a coworker dies and Jana suspects the company is covering up a deadly secret. When she starts investigating, her boss quickly shuts her down. Jana is determined to uncover the truth even if it means risking her life. Her friend’s suggestion of a bodyguard seems like overkill, but then Rafe Silva shows up and their irresistible attraction changes everything.
Author: VK Powell
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Special Ops Agent Rafe Silva has always been a dedicated soldier, content in the military and jetting from one mission to the next. Her life is structured and clear of emotional entanglements until an old friend requests she provide protection for an industry whistle blower.
Jana Elliott had found her ideal career and a second home within the corporate environment of Alumicor until a coworker dies and Jana suspects the company is covering up a deadly secret. When she starts investigating, her boss quickly shuts her down. Jana is determined to uncover the truth even if it means risking her life. Her friend’s suggestion of a bodyguard seems like overkill, but then Rafe Silva shows up and their irresistible attraction changes everything.
Title: Enchanted Autumn
Author: Ursula Klein
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When Dr. Elizabeth Cowrie shows up in Salem, Massachusetts to study the witch trials, Hazel and her best friend, Roxy, are both instantly attracted to the workaholic professor. Roxy snags a date with Elizabeth first, but when their chemistry fizzles out, Hazel sees an opportunity to pursue Elizabeth herself—until she realizes Elizabeth is avowedly anti-magic.
That’s definitely a problem since Hazel is a bona fide witch: rides a broom, has a black cat, brews love potions, lives in a haunted house, and has a vampire ex-girlfriend. Roxy is the only person who knows the truth, and Hazel has gotten used to hiding who she is, but she can’t live a lie with the person she loves most. Can Hazel give up magic to make it work with Elizabeth? Or will she give up on the love of her life instead?
Author: Ursula Klein
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When Dr. Elizabeth Cowrie shows up in Salem, Massachusetts to study the witch trials, Hazel and her best friend, Roxy, are both instantly attracted to the workaholic professor. Roxy snags a date with Elizabeth first, but when their chemistry fizzles out, Hazel sees an opportunity to pursue Elizabeth herself—until she realizes Elizabeth is avowedly anti-magic.
That’s definitely a problem since Hazel is a bona fide witch: rides a broom, has a black cat, brews love potions, lives in a haunted house, and has a vampire ex-girlfriend. Roxy is the only person who knows the truth, and Hazel has gotten used to hiding who she is, but she can’t live a lie with the person she loves most. Can Hazel give up magic to make it work with Elizabeth? Or will she give up on the love of her life instead?
Title: Escorted
Author: Renee Roman
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Are you looking for a night to remember? The Agency is your premium choice for sensual female companions who will always leave you satisfied.
Dani Brown has the kind of fantasies she can’t share with just anyone, let alone trust someone enough to make them come true. The Agency is a perfect solution—safe, secret, and best of all, no strings attached.
As the CEO of the Agency, Ryan Lewis has dashing good looks, a lucrative business, and as much kinky sex as she wants. She has it all, right? Everything except the one thing she most desires—true love.
Intrigued by Dani’s fantasies, Ryan takes her on as a client. Ryan is more than capable of giving Dani exactly what she craves, but when the tables turn and her control slips, will she be able to stay away from the woman of her fantasies?
Author: Renee Roman
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Are you looking for a night to remember? The Agency is your premium choice for sensual female companions who will always leave you satisfied.
Dani Brown has the kind of fantasies she can’t share with just anyone, let alone trust someone enough to make them come true. The Agency is a perfect solution—safe, secret, and best of all, no strings attached.
As the CEO of the Agency, Ryan Lewis has dashing good looks, a lucrative business, and as much kinky sex as she wants. She has it all, right? Everything except the one thing she most desires—true love.
Intrigued by Dani’s fantasies, Ryan takes her on as a client. Ryan is more than capable of giving Dani exactly what she craves, but when the tables turn and her control slips, will she be able to stay away from the woman of her fantasies?
Title: Her Hearts Desire
Author: Anne Shade
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Eve Monroe couldn’t ask for a better life. She’s free of an unhappy marriage, her event planning business is a success, and she’s surrounded by the love and support of her family. Then Lynette walks into her life and her intense dark eyes and easy charm have Eve longing for a love her heart has always desired, but she’s too afraid to admit to.
The last thing Lynette Folsom is looking for is love, especially with a closeted lesbian. She’s gone down that road before and has nothing but a broken heart to show for it. When she meets Eve, she begins to wonder if love behind closed doors can really work.
Two women. One choice. Will they be able to overcome their doubts and fears to embrace their deepest desire?
Author: Anne Shade
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Eve Monroe couldn’t ask for a better life. She’s free of an unhappy marriage, her event planning business is a success, and she’s surrounded by the love and support of her family. Then Lynette walks into her life and her intense dark eyes and easy charm have Eve longing for a love her heart has always desired, but she’s too afraid to admit to.
The last thing Lynette Folsom is looking for is love, especially with a closeted lesbian. She’s gone down that road before and has nothing but a broken heart to show for it. When she meets Eve, she begins to wonder if love behind closed doors can really work.
Two women. One choice. Will they be able to overcome their doubts and fears to embrace their deepest desire?
Title: My Secret Valentine
Author: Various Authors
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Winning the heart of your secret Valentine? These award-winning authors agree—there is no better way to fall in love.
In I Met Someone by Julie Cannon: Hayes Martin shares everything with her BFF Claire Wheeler. Well, almost everything. Hayes has kept a secret from Claire for years, and she can’t take it anymore. Tonight is the night she comes clean and risks it all to gain everything she’s ever wanted.
In Taking a Risk by Erin Dutton: Police officer Jo Forsythe thinks she could find the love and family she’s been longing for with Kayla McCall. Kayla’s focused on running her business, and if she was looking for love, it wouldn’t be with Jo. Can Jo win the hearts of both Kayla and the small town that’s so protective of her?
In Bouquet of Love by Anne Shade: It’s been twenty-five years since English teacher Alyssa Harris was on the dating scene, but romance is too old-fashioned for love in the digital age. Tennis coach Collette Roberts doesn’t think so and sets out to sweep Alyssa off her feet.
Author: Various Authors
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Winning the heart of your secret Valentine? These award-winning authors agree—there is no better way to fall in love.
In I Met Someone by Julie Cannon: Hayes Martin shares everything with her BFF Claire Wheeler. Well, almost everything. Hayes has kept a secret from Claire for years, and she can’t take it anymore. Tonight is the night she comes clean and risks it all to gain everything she’s ever wanted.
In Taking a Risk by Erin Dutton: Police officer Jo Forsythe thinks she could find the love and family she’s been longing for with Kayla McCall. Kayla’s focused on running her business, and if she was looking for love, it wouldn’t be with Jo. Can Jo win the hearts of both Kayla and the small town that’s so protective of her?
In Bouquet of Love by Anne Shade: It’s been twenty-five years since English teacher Alyssa Harris was on the dating scene, but romance is too old-fashioned for love in the digital age. Tennis coach Collette Roberts doesn’t think so and sets out to sweep Alyssa off her feet.
Title: Perilous Obsession
Author: Carsen Taite
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Detective Beck Ramsey is paying a stiff price for blowing the whistle on a fellow cop. Relegated to the always underfunded, often ignored cold case desk, she’s biding her time until she can escape long-forgotten lost causes and get back in the field.
Journalist Macy Moran digs deep on every story, but when her usually objective reporting turns into an unrelenting hunt for a serial killer, she risks losing her relationships, her career, and her reputation. Haunted by the memory of her best friend’s death, Macy is willing to put everything on the line until she meets the infuriating and captivating Beck Ramsey and somehow convinces her to reopen the coldest case on her desk.
As their plans and their hearts careen out of control, Macy’s obsession with a murderer will either bring her closer to Beck or rob her of a chance at true love.
Author: Carsen Taite
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Detective Beck Ramsey is paying a stiff price for blowing the whistle on a fellow cop. Relegated to the always underfunded, often ignored cold case desk, she’s biding her time until she can escape long-forgotten lost causes and get back in the field.
Journalist Macy Moran digs deep on every story, but when her usually objective reporting turns into an unrelenting hunt for a serial killer, she risks losing her relationships, her career, and her reputation. Haunted by the memory of her best friend’s death, Macy is willing to put everything on the line until she meets the infuriating and captivating Beck Ramsey and somehow convinces her to reopen the coldest case on her desk.
As their plans and their hearts careen out of control, Macy’s obsession with a murderer will either bring her closer to Beck or rob her of a chance at true love.
Title: Reading Her
Author: Amanda Radley
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Awkward teenager Hugo Whittaker doesn’t know a cross-trainer from an elliptical bike, but getting strong is the only way to fight off the bullies who won’t leave him alone. Lauren Evans loves her job as an instructor at Fitness Zone, and she wants to guide him. Unfortunately, Hugo paid for his membership by stealing his mother’s credit card, and it doesn’t take his mother long to track down her wayward son.
In a courtroom, shrewd barrister Allegra Whittaker is unstoppable, but when it comes to her son Hugo, she’s afraid she’s losing her touch. She reluctantly allows him to continue using the gym as long as she can keep an eye on him—and his undeniably intriguing instructor.
As each encounter leaves them wanting more, Lauren and Allegra learn love and happiness are right where they least expect it. There’s just one little problem: Lauren has a huge secret she absolutely cannot tell anyone, and Allegra knows she’s hiding something.
Author: Amanda Radley
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Awkward teenager Hugo Whittaker doesn’t know a cross-trainer from an elliptical bike, but getting strong is the only way to fight off the bullies who won’t leave him alone. Lauren Evans loves her job as an instructor at Fitness Zone, and she wants to guide him. Unfortunately, Hugo paid for his membership by stealing his mother’s credit card, and it doesn’t take his mother long to track down her wayward son.
In a courtroom, shrewd barrister Allegra Whittaker is unstoppable, but when it comes to her son Hugo, she’s afraid she’s losing her touch. She reluctantly allows him to continue using the gym as long as she can keep an eye on him—and his undeniably intriguing instructor.
As each encounter leaves them wanting more, Lauren and Allegra learn love and happiness are right where they least expect it. There’s just one little problem: Lauren has a huge secret she absolutely cannot tell anyone, and Allegra knows she’s hiding something.
Title: The Willing
Author: Lyn Hemphill
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Kitty Wilson doesn’t know how, but she can bring people back from the dead as long as someone is willing to take their place and keep the universe in balance. Oxford student Talia McGregor’s life goes from bad to worse when she’s killed in a hit-and-run. When the drunk driver responsible agrees to sacrifice his life to save Talia’s, Kitty makes the trade and brings Talia back to life. Neither of them expects the ghost of Matt, Kitty’s BFF, to come back with her.
Kitty has to figure out how to untether Matt’s ghost from Talia and bring him back for good. In her quest to discover the extent of her magic, Kitty must confront a secret society with questionable motives and connections to tragedies in her past, and a magical bloodline she never knew was hers.
As the stakes and the spells rise, Kitty and Talia rely on each other to survive, but can they open their hearts and trust the magic of love?
Author: Lyn Hemphill
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Kitty Wilson doesn’t know how, but she can bring people back from the dead as long as someone is willing to take their place and keep the universe in balance. Oxford student Talia McGregor’s life goes from bad to worse when she’s killed in a hit-and-run. When the drunk driver responsible agrees to sacrifice his life to save Talia’s, Kitty makes the trade and brings Talia back to life. Neither of them expects the ghost of Matt, Kitty’s BFF, to come back with her.
Kitty has to figure out how to untether Matt’s ghost from Talia and bring him back for good. In her quest to discover the extent of her magic, Kitty must confront a secret society with questionable motives and connections to tragedies in her past, and a magical bloodline she never knew was hers.
As the stakes and the spells rise, Kitty and Talia rely on each other to survive, but can they open their hearts and trust the magic of love?
Title: Three Left Turns to Nowhere
Author: Various Authors
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Three strangers heading to a convention in Toronto are stranded in rural Ontario, where a small town with a subtle kind of magic leads each to discover what he’s been searching for.
Ed Sinclair and his friends get stuck in Hopewell after their car breaks down. It’s snark at first sight when he meets local mechanic Lyn, but while they’re getting under each other’s skin, the town might show them a way into one another's hearts.
Rome Epstein is out and proud and clueless about love. He’s hosting a giant scavenger hunt at the convention, but ends up in Hopewell. When the town starts leaving him clues for its own scavenger hunt, he discovers a boy who could be the prize he’s been searching for.
Fielding Roy has a gift for seeing the past. His trip to reunite with friends hits an unexpected stop in Hopewell, but a long-lost love letter and two local boys give him a chance to do more than watch the past. This time, Fielding might be able to fix the present.
Author: Various Authors
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Three strangers heading to a convention in Toronto are stranded in rural Ontario, where a small town with a subtle kind of magic leads each to discover what he’s been searching for.
Ed Sinclair and his friends get stuck in Hopewell after their car breaks down. It’s snark at first sight when he meets local mechanic Lyn, but while they’re getting under each other’s skin, the town might show them a way into one another's hearts.
Rome Epstein is out and proud and clueless about love. He’s hosting a giant scavenger hunt at the convention, but ends up in Hopewell. When the town starts leaving him clues for its own scavenger hunt, he discovers a boy who could be the prize he’s been searching for.
Fielding Roy has a gift for seeing the past. His trip to reunite with friends hits an unexpected stop in Hopewell, but a long-lost love letter and two local boys give him a chance to do more than watch the past. This time, Fielding might be able to fix the present.
Title: Watching Over Her
Author: Ronica Black
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: All Riley Robinson wants is peace and serenity. She can’t wait to spend the winter at her new cabin in snowy, remote Northern Arizona. On the way Riley meets Zoe Mitchell, a secretive woman whose barely hidden vulnerability captures her curiosity and sparks her interest.
Zoe was doing just fine until without warning she becomes the focus of a stalker. With no idea who is following her and desperate to shrug off the sense of being watched, Zoe takes off to her grandfather’s old cabin. Unfortunately, the cabin hasn’t been used in years, and the snowstorm of the century is moving in. Zoe has no intention of taking chances with a beautiful woman she’s just met, but she can’t turn down Riley’s offer of help and a warm place to take refuge.
As they face the storm and the looming threat of a stalker, Riley and Zoey just might find love in the most unexpected of places.
Author: Ronica Black
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: All Riley Robinson wants is peace and serenity. She can’t wait to spend the winter at her new cabin in snowy, remote Northern Arizona. On the way Riley meets Zoe Mitchell, a secretive woman whose barely hidden vulnerability captures her curiosity and sparks her interest.
Zoe was doing just fine until without warning she becomes the focus of a stalker. With no idea who is following her and desperate to shrug off the sense of being watched, Zoe takes off to her grandfather’s old cabin. Unfortunately, the cabin hasn’t been used in years, and the snowstorm of the century is moving in. Zoe has no intention of taking chances with a beautiful woman she’s just met, but she can’t turn down Riley’s offer of help and a warm place to take refuge.
As they face the storm and the looming threat of a stalker, Riley and Zoey just might find love in the most unexpected of places.
Bywater Books
Title: Plain English
Author: Rachel Spangler
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When Claire Bailey left London to open her own art gallery in the tiny village of Amberwick, she'd hoped the slower pace and lower cost of living might allow her to focus on her own painting, away from all the drama and distractions that had plagued her in the city. She fully intended to make an honest go at simple living right up until the moment a shockingly attractive aristocrat rocketed off the road and knocked her world off its axis.
Pip has learned to play the part of a ne'er-do-well upper elite: charismatic, enigmatic, and a little bit erratic. Luckily, women tend to like those characteristics. After leading such a charmed existence, where even motorcycles wrecks come with the added bonus of meeting beautiful women, Pip finds that Claire's complete lack of interest in money or status sparks both curiosity and attraction.
Surrendering to both boredom and sheer chemistry, the two agree to an unconventional, no-strings, romantic adventure designed to provide them both a bit of freedom and entertainment. However, once released from the pressure to project perfect images of themselves, the walls they depended on for protection begin to crumble. Worlds blend and identities blur as their whirlwind romance quickly becomes more than they bargained for. Will their almost elemental attraction be enough to overcome the complexities rushing in from all sides? Or will the pressures they've both sought to escape force them to forge a new path neither of them had dared to dream of?
Author: Rachel Spangler
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When Claire Bailey left London to open her own art gallery in the tiny village of Amberwick, she'd hoped the slower pace and lower cost of living might allow her to focus on her own painting, away from all the drama and distractions that had plagued her in the city. She fully intended to make an honest go at simple living right up until the moment a shockingly attractive aristocrat rocketed off the road and knocked her world off its axis.
Pip has learned to play the part of a ne'er-do-well upper elite: charismatic, enigmatic, and a little bit erratic. Luckily, women tend to like those characteristics. After leading such a charmed existence, where even motorcycles wrecks come with the added bonus of meeting beautiful women, Pip finds that Claire's complete lack of interest in money or status sparks both curiosity and attraction.
Surrendering to both boredom and sheer chemistry, the two agree to an unconventional, no-strings, romantic adventure designed to provide them both a bit of freedom and entertainment. However, once released from the pressure to project perfect images of themselves, the walls they depended on for protection begin to crumble. Worlds blend and identities blur as their whirlwind romance quickly becomes more than they bargained for. Will their almost elemental attraction be enough to overcome the complexities rushing in from all sides? Or will the pressures they've both sought to escape force them to forge a new path neither of them had dared to dream of?
Title: The Language of Light
Author: Kathleen Brady
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: It’s 1982, and China has just barely begun to open to the West.
When Lu McLean sells all her possessions and leaves Los Angeles to study Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute, she imagines a life of serious scholarship and an eventual job as a translator at the United Nations. On the night of her arrival, Lu meets the captivating, Ming, a Chinese teacher at the institute. Still recovering from a failed ten-year relationship, Lu has vowed never to give her heart away again.
But as Lu struggles to balance Beijing’s simple beauty with the confounding rigidity of ageless custom, her feelings for Ming deepen. She soon finds herself vacillating between letting herself love Ming and her escalating fears about the certain barriers that would prevent them from ever navigating a life together. Against the backdrop of China’s Spiritual Pollution and a tightening cultural climate, it becomes clear that Ming cannot leave—and Lu cannot stay indefinitely. Events soon force Lu—and Ming—to balance the love that binds them against the social and political forces that threaten to tear them apart.
The Language of Light seamlessly interweaves the expressive and timeless beauty of the Chinese language with the poignant tale of a profound love, inveighing against the oppressive climate of cultural and political change.
Author: Kathleen Brady
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: It’s 1982, and China has just barely begun to open to the West.
When Lu McLean sells all her possessions and leaves Los Angeles to study Mandarin Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute, she imagines a life of serious scholarship and an eventual job as a translator at the United Nations. On the night of her arrival, Lu meets the captivating, Ming, a Chinese teacher at the institute. Still recovering from a failed ten-year relationship, Lu has vowed never to give her heart away again.
But as Lu struggles to balance Beijing’s simple beauty with the confounding rigidity of ageless custom, her feelings for Ming deepen. She soon finds herself vacillating between letting herself love Ming and her escalating fears about the certain barriers that would prevent them from ever navigating a life together. Against the backdrop of China’s Spiritual Pollution and a tightening cultural climate, it becomes clear that Ming cannot leave—and Lu cannot stay indefinitely. Events soon force Lu—and Ming—to balance the love that binds them against the social and political forces that threaten to tear them apart.
The Language of Light seamlessly interweaves the expressive and timeless beauty of the Chinese language with the poignant tale of a profound love, inveighing against the oppressive climate of cultural and political change.
Harlequin
Title: Season's Change
Author: Cait Nary
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Olly Järvinen has a long way to go. He’s got a fresh start playing for a new team, but getting his hockey career back on track is going to take more than a change of scenery. He’s got to shut his past out and focus. On the game, not on his rookie roommate and his annoyingly sunny disposition—and annoyingly distracting good looks.
All Benji Bryzinski ever wanted was to play in the big leagues, and he’s not going to waste one single second of his rookie season. Yoga, kale smoothies and guided meditation help keep his head in the game. But his roommate keeps knocking him off track. Maybe it’s just that Olly is a grumpy bastard. Or maybe it’s something else, something Benji doesn’t have a name for yet.
Olly and Benji spend all their time together—on the ice, in the locker room, in their apartment—and ignoring their unspoken feelings isn’t making them go away. Acting on attraction is one thing, but turning a season’s fling into forever would mean facing the past—and redefining the future.
Author: Cait Nary
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Olly Järvinen has a long way to go. He’s got a fresh start playing for a new team, but getting his hockey career back on track is going to take more than a change of scenery. He’s got to shut his past out and focus. On the game, not on his rookie roommate and his annoyingly sunny disposition—and annoyingly distracting good looks.
All Benji Bryzinski ever wanted was to play in the big leagues, and he’s not going to waste one single second of his rookie season. Yoga, kale smoothies and guided meditation help keep his head in the game. But his roommate keeps knocking him off track. Maybe it’s just that Olly is a grumpy bastard. Or maybe it’s something else, something Benji doesn’t have a name for yet.
Olly and Benji spend all their time together—on the ice, in the locker room, in their apartment—and ignoring their unspoken feelings isn’t making them go away. Acting on attraction is one thing, but turning a season’s fling into forever would mean facing the past—and redefining the future.
Title: Sink or Swim
Author: Annabeth Albert
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Navy chief Calder Euler loves to win big. His latest score? A remote mountain cabin. Checking it out is supposed to be a quick trip, but Calder’s luck abruptly turns when a freak injury and a freakier snowstorm leave him stranded.
Oh, and the cabin isn’t empty. A silver fox caring for two young girls claims that the property is his, but Calder’s paperwork says otherwise.
Felix Sigurd is on a losing streak, and his ex-husband risking the cabin in a reckless bet is only the latest in a series of misfortunes. He’ll tolerate the handsome stranger for a couple nights--even care for his injuries—but that’s it.
Calder doesn’t know a damn thing about kids, but making pancakes for Felix’s girls is a surprising delight. Trapped in the cabin, the four of them slip easily into the rhythms of a family. But when the ice melts, they’ll have to decide if a future together is in the cards.
Author: Annabeth Albert
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Navy chief Calder Euler loves to win big. His latest score? A remote mountain cabin. Checking it out is supposed to be a quick trip, but Calder’s luck abruptly turns when a freak injury and a freakier snowstorm leave him stranded.
Oh, and the cabin isn’t empty. A silver fox caring for two young girls claims that the property is his, but Calder’s paperwork says otherwise.
Felix Sigurd is on a losing streak, and his ex-husband risking the cabin in a reckless bet is only the latest in a series of misfortunes. He’ll tolerate the handsome stranger for a couple nights--even care for his injuries—but that’s it.
Calder doesn’t know a damn thing about kids, but making pancakes for Felix’s girls is a surprising delight. Trapped in the cabin, the four of them slip easily into the rhythms of a family. But when the ice melts, they’ll have to decide if a future together is in the cards.
HarperCollins
Title: Count Your Lucky Stars
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found "the one" and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married... and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
Author: Alexandria Bellefleur
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found "the one" and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married... and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
Title: Don't Cry For Me
Author: Daniel Black
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice Walker
As Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob's tumultuous relationship with Isaac's mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob's role as a father and his reaction to Isaac's being gay.
But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace.
With piercing insight and profound empathy, acclaimed author Daniel Black illuminates the lived experiences of Black fathers and queer sons, offering an authentic and ultimately hopeful portrait of reckoning and reconciliation. Spare as it is sweeping, poetic as it is compulsively readable, Don't Cry for Me is a monumental novel about one family grappling with love's hard edges and the unexpected places where hope and healing take flight.
Author: Daniel Black
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice Walker
As Jacob lies dying, he begins to write a letter to his only son, Isaac. They have not met or spoken in many years, and there are things that Isaac must know. Stories about his ancestral legacy in rural Arkansas that extend back to slavery. Secrets from Jacob's tumultuous relationship with Isaac's mother and the shame he carries from the dissolution of their family. Tragedies that informed Jacob's role as a father and his reaction to Isaac's being gay.
But most of all, Jacob must share with Isaac the unspoken truths that reside in his heart. He must give voice to the trauma that Isaac has inherited. And he must create a space for the two to find peace.
With piercing insight and profound empathy, acclaimed author Daniel Black illuminates the lived experiences of Black fathers and queer sons, offering an authentic and ultimately hopeful portrait of reckoning and reconciliation. Spare as it is sweeping, poetic as it is compulsively readable, Don't Cry for Me is a monumental novel about one family grappling with love's hard edges and the unexpected places where hope and healing take flight.
Title: Extasia
Author: Claire Legrand
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Her name is unimportant.
All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain--an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men.
She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.
Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?
This searing and lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood--where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it.
Author: Claire Legrand
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Her name is unimportant.
All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain--an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men.
She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove.
Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you?
This searing and lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood--where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it.
Title: From Dust, A Flame
Author: Rebecca Podos
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Hannah’s whole life has been spent in motion. Her mother has kept her and her brother, Gabe, on the road for as long as she can remember, leaving a trail of rental homes and faded relationships behind them. No roots, no family but one another, and no explanations.
All of that changes on Hannah’s seventeenth birthday when she wakes up transformed, a pair of golden eyes with knife-slit pupils blinking back at her from the mirror—the first of many such impossible mutations. Promising that she knows someone who can help, her mother leaves Hannah and Gabe behind to find a cure. But as the days turn to weeks and their mother doesn’t return, they realize it’s up to them to find the truth.
What they discover is a family they never knew, and a history more tragic and fantastical than Hannah could have dreamed—one that stretches back to her grandmother’s childhood in Prague under the Nazi occupation, and beyond, into the realm of Jewish mysticism and legend. As the past comes crashing into the present, Hannah must hurry to unearth their family’s secrets—and confront her own hidden legacy in order to break the curse and save the people she loves most, as well as herself.
Author: Rebecca Podos
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Hannah’s whole life has been spent in motion. Her mother has kept her and her brother, Gabe, on the road for as long as she can remember, leaving a trail of rental homes and faded relationships behind them. No roots, no family but one another, and no explanations.
All of that changes on Hannah’s seventeenth birthday when she wakes up transformed, a pair of golden eyes with knife-slit pupils blinking back at her from the mirror—the first of many such impossible mutations. Promising that she knows someone who can help, her mother leaves Hannah and Gabe behind to find a cure. But as the days turn to weeks and their mother doesn’t return, they realize it’s up to them to find the truth.
What they discover is a family they never knew, and a history more tragic and fantastical than Hannah could have dreamed—one that stretches back to her grandmother’s childhood in Prague under the Nazi occupation, and beyond, into the realm of Jewish mysticism and legend. As the past comes crashing into the present, Hannah must hurry to unearth their family’s secrets—and confront her own hidden legacy in order to break the curse and save the people she loves most, as well as herself.
Title: The Symmetry of Stars
Author: Alex Myers
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Beyond the stars, two gods vie for rule of the world.
One stands for Nature – the belief that everything is stamped in flesh from the start. The other, Nurture – the belief that all is potential, that the true self is coaxed out through love and living.
And so, they take a bet.
Each immortal selects a set of twins as their champions. The twins that prevail in contest will decide which immortal rules….
In a westerly valley, a girl and boy are born to a noble family, to be raised by a mysterious teacher – ready to love and instruct them in everything, regardless of society’s expectations…
To the east, a woman washes ashore on an island inhabited only by a sorcerer. With her final breaths, she gives birth to twins. These two are raised with careful neglect by the sorcerer – surrounded not with love but with danger, magic and wildness.
Society expects these children to become men and women. But the immortals care nothing for human norms and raise the twins according to their own ends. Which twins will prevail?
What truly matters in determining who a person will become?
Author: Alex Myers
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Beyond the stars, two gods vie for rule of the world.
One stands for Nature – the belief that everything is stamped in flesh from the start. The other, Nurture – the belief that all is potential, that the true self is coaxed out through love and living.
And so, they take a bet.
Each immortal selects a set of twins as their champions. The twins that prevail in contest will decide which immortal rules….
In a westerly valley, a girl and boy are born to a noble family, to be raised by a mysterious teacher – ready to love and instruct them in everything, regardless of society’s expectations…
To the east, a woman washes ashore on an island inhabited only by a sorcerer. With her final breaths, she gives birth to twins. These two are raised with careful neglect by the sorcerer – surrounded not with love but with danger, magic and wildness.
Society expects these children to become men and women. But the immortals care nothing for human norms and raise the twins according to their own ends. Which twins will prevail?
What truly matters in determining who a person will become?
Iron Circus Comics
Title: Real Hero Shit
Author: Kendra Wells
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: The layabout Prince Eugene has decided on a whim that he will be a HERO . . . much to the dismay of the adventuring party of Michel, Hocus, and Ani. They are in need of an at least moderately capable fighter and it looks like Eugene, being a prince and all (albeit a bastard one), is going to be it as long as he wants in.
Life on the road is different than Eugene expected, but there's no time to wallow in pouty disappointment; townsfolk are going missing and our heroes have answered the call to adventure. It feels straightforward enough; the perfect opportunity for the prince to save the day and make his companions some coin before moving on to the next distraction. But outside the palace walls, Eugene crashes into a hard reality: the system that kept him safe in his silk-sheeted bed isn't particularly concerned with the well-being of anyone who isn't him.
Eugene will have to level-up his awareness if he means to be a real hero, and time is running short!
Author: Kendra Wells
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: The layabout Prince Eugene has decided on a whim that he will be a HERO . . . much to the dismay of the adventuring party of Michel, Hocus, and Ani. They are in need of an at least moderately capable fighter and it looks like Eugene, being a prince and all (albeit a bastard one), is going to be it as long as he wants in.
Life on the road is different than Eugene expected, but there's no time to wallow in pouty disappointment; townsfolk are going missing and our heroes have answered the call to adventure. It feels straightforward enough; the perfect opportunity for the prince to save the day and make his companions some coin before moving on to the next distraction. But outside the palace walls, Eugene crashes into a hard reality: the system that kept him safe in his silk-sheeted bed isn't particularly concerned with the well-being of anyone who isn't him.
Eugene will have to level-up his awareness if he means to be a real hero, and time is running short!
Macmillan
Title: Cold
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at Albright Academy seem to know, or want to say, anything about him?
Todd Mayer is dead. Now a ghost, hovering over his body, recently discovered in a snow covered park, naked and frozen. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people linked to the events leading to his death, Todd replays the choice that led him to his end.
Georgia didn't know Todd. But ever since she heard about his death, she can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe because they’re both outcasts at their school, or because they’re both queer. Maybe because the story of Todd people keep telling feels like a lot of fake stories Georgia has heard people tell. Plus Georgia has a feeling she’s seen Todd somewhere before, somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be.
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at Albright Academy seem to know, or want to say, anything about him?
Todd Mayer is dead. Now a ghost, hovering over his body, recently discovered in a snow covered park, naked and frozen. As detectives investigate Todd's homicide, talking to the very people linked to the events leading to his death, Todd replays the choice that led him to his end.
Georgia didn't know Todd. But ever since she heard about his death, she can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe because they’re both outcasts at their school, or because they’re both queer. Maybe because the story of Todd people keep telling feels like a lot of fake stories Georgia has heard people tell. Plus Georgia has a feeling she’s seen Todd somewhere before, somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be.
Title: Manhunt
Author: Gretchen Felker-Martin
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Beth and Fran spend their days traveling the ravaged New England coast, hunting feral men and harvesting their organs in a gruesome effort to ensure they'll never face the same fate.
Robbie lives by his gun and one hard-learned motto: other people aren't safe.
After a brutal accident entwines the three of them, this found family of survivors must navigate murderous TERFs, a sociopathic billionaire bunker brat, and awkward relationship dynamics―all while outrunning packs of feral men, and their own demons.
Manhunt is a timely, powerful response to every gender-based apocalypse story that failed to consider the existence of transgender and non-binary people, from a powerful new voice in horror.
Author: Gretchen Felker-Martin
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Beth and Fran spend their days traveling the ravaged New England coast, hunting feral men and harvesting their organs in a gruesome effort to ensure they'll never face the same fate.
Robbie lives by his gun and one hard-learned motto: other people aren't safe.
After a brutal accident entwines the three of them, this found family of survivors must navigate murderous TERFs, a sociopathic billionaire bunker brat, and awkward relationship dynamics―all while outrunning packs of feral men, and their own demons.
Manhunt is a timely, powerful response to every gender-based apocalypse story that failed to consider the existence of transgender and non-binary people, from a powerful new voice in horror.
Title: Ophelia After All
Author: Racquel Marie
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys - way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn't change, even if she wanted to.
So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia's firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love--and sexuality--never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she's always imagined or upending everyone's expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
Author: Racquel Marie
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys - way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn't change, even if she wanted to.
So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia's firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love--and sexuality--never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she's always imagined or upending everyone's expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
Muswell Press
Title: The Whale Tattoo
Author: Jon Ransom
Publication Date: February 4, 2022
Summary: When a giant sperm whale washes up on the local beach it tells Joe Gunner that death will follow him wherever he goes. Joe knows that the place he needs to go is back home.
Having stormed out two years ago, it won’t be easy, nor will returning to the haunted river beside the house where words ripple beneath the surface washing up all sorts of memories. Joe turns to his sister, Birdee, the only person who has ever listened. But she can't help him, she drowned two years ago. Then there’s Tim Fysh, local fisherman and long-time lover. But reviving their bond is bound to be trouble.
As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to.
Ransom’s fractured, distinctive prose highlights the beauty and brutality of his story, his extraordinarily vivid sense of place saturates the reader with the wet of the river, and the salty tang of the sea
Author: Jon Ransom
Publication Date: February 4, 2022
Summary: When a giant sperm whale washes up on the local beach it tells Joe Gunner that death will follow him wherever he goes. Joe knows that the place he needs to go is back home.
Having stormed out two years ago, it won’t be easy, nor will returning to the haunted river beside the house where words ripple beneath the surface washing up all sorts of memories. Joe turns to his sister, Birdee, the only person who has ever listened. But she can't help him, she drowned two years ago. Then there’s Tim Fysh, local fisherman and long-time lover. But reviving their bond is bound to be trouble.
As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to.
Ransom’s fractured, distinctive prose highlights the beauty and brutality of his story, his extraordinarily vivid sense of place saturates the reader with the wet of the river, and the salty tang of the sea
Ninestar Press
Title: Exodus 20:3
Author: Freydis Moon
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: When Diego López is guilted by his mother into taking a low-key construction job in New Mexico, he doesn’t expect to be the only helping hand at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. But the church is abandoned, decrepit, and off the beaten path, and the only other person for miles is its handsome caretaker, Ariel Azevedo.
Together, Diego and Ariel refurbish the old church, sharing stories of their heritage, experiences, and desires. But as the long days turn into longer nights, Diego begins to see past Ariel’s human mirage and finds himself falling into lust—and maybe something else—with one of God’s first creations.
Author: Freydis Moon
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: When Diego López is guilted by his mother into taking a low-key construction job in New Mexico, he doesn’t expect to be the only helping hand at Catedral de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. But the church is abandoned, decrepit, and off the beaten path, and the only other person for miles is its handsome caretaker, Ariel Azevedo.
Together, Diego and Ariel refurbish the old church, sharing stories of their heritage, experiences, and desires. But as the long days turn into longer nights, Diego begins to see past Ariel’s human mirage and finds himself falling into lust—and maybe something else—with one of God’s first creations.
Title: Getting Off
Author: J.R. Hart
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: JJ is certain he’s got everything figured out. He’s straight, right? He’s just not into the hookup culture prevalent on his college soccer team. But he’s trying to hide that to avoid getting on his team captain’s bad side.
Kade is anything but straight. Out and proud, he’s curious about how the “other half” lives… even as his best friends remind him there’s more to the LGBTQ+ community than just the “G.” Curious, Kade texts JJ a simple question: do straight guys ever get off together?
When JJ’s reply leads to a head-spinning sexual spark, he starts questioning everything he knows about his sexuality, both in terms of who he’s attracted to, and also why hookups have never been his thing. But when JJ endures trauma that confuses him more, he starts pushing Kade away. Kade has to learn how to be a supportive friend, and more than that, a supportive partner, or risk losing JJ altogether. And JJ? He has to fight for his team to be team players, even when they suspect he’s “playing for the other team.”
Author: J.R. Hart
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: JJ is certain he’s got everything figured out. He’s straight, right? He’s just not into the hookup culture prevalent on his college soccer team. But he’s trying to hide that to avoid getting on his team captain’s bad side.
Kade is anything but straight. Out and proud, he’s curious about how the “other half” lives… even as his best friends remind him there’s more to the LGBTQ+ community than just the “G.” Curious, Kade texts JJ a simple question: do straight guys ever get off together?
When JJ’s reply leads to a head-spinning sexual spark, he starts questioning everything he knows about his sexuality, both in terms of who he’s attracted to, and also why hookups have never been his thing. But when JJ endures trauma that confuses him more, he starts pushing Kade away. Kade has to learn how to be a supportive friend, and more than that, a supportive partner, or risk losing JJ altogether. And JJ? He has to fight for his team to be team players, even when they suspect he’s “playing for the other team.”
Title: The Ballot Boy
Author: Larry Mellman
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Venice, 1368.
War hovers in the wings with the fate of the Republic at stake when the old doge dies. Fourteen-year-old Nico, a street urchin from the poorest Venetian parish, is chosen at random to tally votes in the upcoming election for a new leader. Uprooted from his old life and transplanted to the doge’s palace, Nico becomes an alienated outsider at the mercy of scheming nobles.
Andrea Contarini, sixtieth doge of Venice, wants the ducal throne less than Nico wants to be ballot boy. Both walk a golden tightrope over treachery and deceit. When he witnesses a court clerk burned at the stake for being gay, Nico despairs. His romantic attraction to men is as powerful as his fear of fiery death and an eternity in Hell.
Taking advantage of the fraught transition in the Doge’s Palace, the hostile duke of Austria pushes Trieste to rebel against Venetian domination, jeopardizing her mastery of the Adriatic Sea. The Venetian nobles split, trapping the doge between hawks rabid for war, and rich merchants desperate for peace. With his own life on the line, Andrea Contarini opts to attack decisively and end the crisis swiftly, but his gambit is sabotaged. Trusting only the boy at his side, Contarini sends Nico to Trieste to be his eyes and ears. As the Venetian commanders wrangle over tactics, Nico falls for Astolfo, the young, charismatic lord of Castle Moccò, an indispensable but unreliable ally.
Will Nico return to Venice a celebrated hero? Or will he be forever haunted, guilt-ridden, and still concealing his deepest secret?
Author: Larry Mellman
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Venice, 1368.
War hovers in the wings with the fate of the Republic at stake when the old doge dies. Fourteen-year-old Nico, a street urchin from the poorest Venetian parish, is chosen at random to tally votes in the upcoming election for a new leader. Uprooted from his old life and transplanted to the doge’s palace, Nico becomes an alienated outsider at the mercy of scheming nobles.
Andrea Contarini, sixtieth doge of Venice, wants the ducal throne less than Nico wants to be ballot boy. Both walk a golden tightrope over treachery and deceit. When he witnesses a court clerk burned at the stake for being gay, Nico despairs. His romantic attraction to men is as powerful as his fear of fiery death and an eternity in Hell.
Taking advantage of the fraught transition in the Doge’s Palace, the hostile duke of Austria pushes Trieste to rebel against Venetian domination, jeopardizing her mastery of the Adriatic Sea. The Venetian nobles split, trapping the doge between hawks rabid for war, and rich merchants desperate for peace. With his own life on the line, Andrea Contarini opts to attack decisively and end the crisis swiftly, but his gambit is sabotaged. Trusting only the boy at his side, Contarini sends Nico to Trieste to be his eyes and ears. As the Venetian commanders wrangle over tactics, Nico falls for Astolfo, the young, charismatic lord of Castle Moccò, an indispensable but unreliable ally.
Will Nico return to Venice a celebrated hero? Or will he be forever haunted, guilt-ridden, and still concealing his deepest secret?
Title: The Magic Between
Author: Stephanie Hoyt
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: In a world where everyone has magic coursing through them, legend says magic itself craves a mate. Legend says those with opposite magics have the greatest chance of forming the unbreakable Bond it desires.
A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.
Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.
Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.
Author: Stephanie Hoyt
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: In a world where everyone has magic coursing through them, legend says magic itself craves a mate. Legend says those with opposite magics have the greatest chance of forming the unbreakable Bond it desires.
A.B. Cerise is an obsessive compulsive pop star with the ability to turn invisible. He’s an out bisexual with absolutely no belief in Bonds. He has a love-bruised heart, thinks dating in the spotlight is a hassle at best and a nightmare at worst, and has no intention of going through it all over again.
Matthew Hellman-Levoie is the NHL’s number one goalie prospect, the youngest in a hockey dynasty, and one of the rare few who can see the unseeable. He’s a straight man who wears his heart on his sleeve, has grown up searching for a Bond, and dreams of finding the love of his life.
Legend never said anything about what to do when sparks fly between two people opposite in more ways than just magic.
Orca Books Publishing
Title: The Ooze
Author: Tash McAdam
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Bran's taking the recycling down to the basement when the lights go out and the elevator stalls.
Bran's phone's dead, he can hear screaming, but he can't get out. Eventually, he manages to pry the doors open to find that something's very wrong. His own mother can't remember his name, there is this black slime dripping out of her ear and then she kills their cat. Bran runs. Outside, Vancouver is teeming with people acting strangely, and they all have the same black slime in their ears. What is going on and how can Bran stop it?
This high-interest Orca Anchor title is written specifically for teens reading below a grade 2.0 level.
Author: Tash McAdam
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Bran's taking the recycling down to the basement when the lights go out and the elevator stalls.
Bran's phone's dead, he can hear screaming, but he can't get out. Eventually, he manages to pry the doors open to find that something's very wrong. His own mother can't remember his name, there is this black slime dripping out of her ear and then she kills their cat. Bran runs. Outside, Vancouver is teeming with people acting strangely, and they all have the same black slime in their ears. What is going on and how can Bran stop it?
This high-interest Orca Anchor title is written specifically for teens reading below a grade 2.0 level.
Penguin Random House
Title: Across a Field of Starlight
Author: Blue Delliquanti
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: When they were kids, Fassen's fighter spaceship crash-landed on a planet that Lu's survey force was exploring. It was a forbidden meeting between a kid from a war-focused resistance movement and a kid whose community and planet are dedicated to peace and secrecy.
Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems. But their friendship keeps them in each other's orbit as they grow up. They stay in contact in secret as their communities are increasingly threatened by the omnipresent, ever-expanding empire.
As the empire begins a new attack against Fassen's people--and discovers Lu's in the process--the two of them have the chance to reunite at last. They finally are able to be together...but at what cost?
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an epic science fiction romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war.
Author: Blue Delliquanti
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: When they were kids, Fassen's fighter spaceship crash-landed on a planet that Lu's survey force was exploring. It was a forbidden meeting between a kid from a war-focused resistance movement and a kid whose community and planet are dedicated to peace and secrecy.
Lu and Fassen are from different worlds and separate solar systems. But their friendship keeps them in each other's orbit as they grow up. They stay in contact in secret as their communities are increasingly threatened by the omnipresent, ever-expanding empire.
As the empire begins a new attack against Fassen's people--and discovers Lu's in the process--the two of them have the chance to reunite at last. They finally are able to be together...but at what cost?
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an epic science fiction romance between two non-binary characters as they find one another through time, distance, and war.
Title: Bitter
Author: Akwaeke Emezi
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that the adults say is "just the way things are.
Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs - in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?
Author: Akwaeke Emezi
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that the adults say is "just the way things are.
Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs - in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?
Title: Dead Collections
Author: Isaac Fellman
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: When archivist Sol meets Elsie, the larger than life widow of a moderately famous television writer who's come to donate her wife's papers, there's an instant spark. But Sol has a secret: he suffers from an illness called vampirism, and hides from the sun by living in his basement office. On their way to falling in love, the two traverse grief, delve into the Internet fandom they once unknowingly shared, and navigate the realities of transphobia and the stigmas of carrying the "vampire disease."
Then, when strange things start happening at the collection, Sol must embrace even more of the unknown to save himself and his job. DEAD COLLECTIONS is a wry novel full of heart and empathy, that celebrates the journey, the difficulties and joys, in finding love and comfort within our own bodies.
Author: Isaac Fellman
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: When archivist Sol meets Elsie, the larger than life widow of a moderately famous television writer who's come to donate her wife's papers, there's an instant spark. But Sol has a secret: he suffers from an illness called vampirism, and hides from the sun by living in his basement office. On their way to falling in love, the two traverse grief, delve into the Internet fandom they once unknowingly shared, and navigate the realities of transphobia and the stigmas of carrying the "vampire disease."
Then, when strange things start happening at the collection, Sol must embrace even more of the unknown to save himself and his job. DEAD COLLECTIONS is a wry novel full of heart and empathy, that celebrates the journey, the difficulties and joys, in finding love and comfort within our own bodies.
Title: Delilah Green Doesn't Care
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her.
When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all.
Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to…
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her.
When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all.
Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to…
Title: I'm So (Not) Over You
Author: Kosoko Jackson
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: It's been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love. . . But no, Hudson has a favor to ask--he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees.
The dinner doesn't go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson's plus one to Georgia's wedding of the season. Hudson comes from a wealthy family where reputation is everything, and he really can't afford another mistake. If Kian goes, he'll help Hudson preserve appearances and get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in media. This could be the big career break Kian needs.
But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it's time for both men to fact-check their feelings.
Author: Kosoko Jackson
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: It's been months since aspiring journalist Kian Andrews has heard from his ex-boyfriend, Hudson Rivers, but an urgent text has them meeting at a café. Maybe Hudson wants to profusely apologize for the breakup. Or confess his undying love. . . But no, Hudson has a favor to ask--he wants Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend while his parents are in town, and Kian reluctantly agrees.
The dinner doesn't go exactly as planned, and suddenly Kian is Hudson's plus one to Georgia's wedding of the season. Hudson comes from a wealthy family where reputation is everything, and he really can't afford another mistake. If Kian goes, he'll help Hudson preserve appearances and get the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in media. This could be the big career break Kian needs.
But their fake relationship is starting to feel like it might be more than a means to an end, and it's time for both men to fact-check their feelings.
Title: No Filter and Other Lies
Author: Crystal Maldonado
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: You should know, right now, that I'm a liar.
They're usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent.
But they're still lies.
Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.
Except it's all fake.
Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence--just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari's unrequited love. But while Kat's life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and "Max" get--texting, Snapping, and even calling--the more Kat feels she has to keep up the facade.
But when one of Max's posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she's been stealing photos from, her entire world - real and fake -- comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she's created without hurting the people she loves.
But it might already be too late.
Author: Crystal Maldonado
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: You should know, right now, that I'm a liar.
They're usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent.
But they're still lies.
Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.
Except it's all fake.
Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence--just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari's unrequited love. But while Kat's life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and "Max" get--texting, Snapping, and even calling--the more Kat feels she has to keep up the facade.
But when one of Max's posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she's been stealing photos from, her entire world - real and fake -- comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she's created without hurting the people she loves.
But it might already be too late.
Title: The Verifiers
Author: Jane Pek
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Claudia Lin is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency.
A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. But when a client goes missing, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.
Author: Jane Pek
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Claudia Lin is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency.
A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. But when a client goes missing, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.
Title: The Visitors
Author: Greg Howard
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: When a twelve-year-old boy dies mysteriously at the deserted Hollow Pines Plantation, he finds himself “stuck” with no idea how long he’s been there or how to move on. Things never change much for the lost souls at Hollow Pines and time is strange when you’re dead. But when visitors from the living world arrive for the first time in a long while, the boy feels a spark of hope. These visitors are around his age, and they seem to understand more than others that the plantation is not just spooky or eerie, it’s a sad place where the unspeakable happened again and again. And if these kids could understand the truth about Hollow Pines, maybe they could help him uncover the dark secrets of his past and help him find a way to finally move on. But Hollow Pines doesn’t like visitors. And with a malevolent spirit lurking in the shadows and painful memories buried deep, and for good reason, the boy wonders if he’ll ever find his way home or be stuck at Hollow Pines forever.
Author: Greg Howard
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: When a twelve-year-old boy dies mysteriously at the deserted Hollow Pines Plantation, he finds himself “stuck” with no idea how long he’s been there or how to move on. Things never change much for the lost souls at Hollow Pines and time is strange when you’re dead. But when visitors from the living world arrive for the first time in a long while, the boy feels a spark of hope. These visitors are around his age, and they seem to understand more than others that the plantation is not just spooky or eerie, it’s a sad place where the unspeakable happened again and again. And if these kids could understand the truth about Hollow Pines, maybe they could help him uncover the dark secrets of his past and help him find a way to finally move on. But Hollow Pines doesn’t like visitors. And with a malevolent spirit lurking in the shadows and painful memories buried deep, and for good reason, the boy wonders if he’ll ever find his way home or be stuck at Hollow Pines forever.
Title: This Monk Wears Heels
Author: Kodo Nishimura
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: You won't become the real you unless you face up to the thing that you've avoided most. Open your eyes to whatever it is you don't want to see and change will come.
Kodo Nishimura, international make-up artist and Buddhist monk, rose to stardom after appearing in the Queer Eye: We're In Japan! special that aired to massive viewership on Netflix. His wide smile, however, hid a painful past. The book starts with Kodo's childhood in Japan, playing dress up as Little Mermaid, and his lonely adolescence when, although born into a family of priests, all he wanted to do was wear pretty dresses and become a princess. Growing up an outsider in a society that celebrates uniformity, Kodo's time in New York at the Parsons School of Design and his work as a leading make-up artist finally brought him to embrace his own uniqueness.
The book is full of practical tips for positive thinking and insights into the philosophical approach to life Kodo has crafted as a Buddhist monk. Detailing his journey to self- love, the book provides a gentle, loving, and encouraging voice for all those who dare to be different.
Author: Kodo Nishimura
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Summary: You won't become the real you unless you face up to the thing that you've avoided most. Open your eyes to whatever it is you don't want to see and change will come.
Kodo Nishimura, international make-up artist and Buddhist monk, rose to stardom after appearing in the Queer Eye: We're In Japan! special that aired to massive viewership on Netflix. His wide smile, however, hid a painful past. The book starts with Kodo's childhood in Japan, playing dress up as Little Mermaid, and his lonely adolescence when, although born into a family of priests, all he wanted to do was wear pretty dresses and become a princess. Growing up an outsider in a society that celebrates uniformity, Kodo's time in New York at the Parsons School of Design and his work as a leading make-up artist finally brought him to embrace his own uniqueness.
The book is full of practical tips for positive thinking and insights into the philosophical approach to life Kodo has crafted as a Buddhist monk. Detailing his journey to self- love, the book provides a gentle, loving, and encouraging voice for all those who dare to be different.
Title: Tripping Arcadia
Author: Kit Mayquist
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job, any job, to help her parents, who are approaching bankruptcy after her father was injured and laid off nearly simultaneously. So when she is offered a position, against all odds, working for one of Boston’s most elite families, the illustrious and secretive Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it—no matter how bizarre the interview or how vague the job description.
By day, she is assistant to the family doctor and his charge, Jonathan, the sickly, poetic, drunken heir to the family empire, who is as difficult as his illness is mysterious. By night, Lena discovers the more sinister side of the family, as she works overtime at their lavish parties, helping to hide their self-destructive tendencies . . . and trying not to fall for Jonathan’s alluring sister, Audrey. But when she stumbles upon the knowledge that the Verdeau patriarch is the one responsible for the ruin of her own family, Lena vows to get revenge—a poison-filled quest that leads her further into this hedonistic world than she ever bargained for, forcing her to decide how much—and who—she's willing to sacrifice for payback.
Author: Kit Mayquist
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job, any job, to help her parents, who are approaching bankruptcy after her father was injured and laid off nearly simultaneously. So when she is offered a position, against all odds, working for one of Boston’s most elite families, the illustrious and secretive Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it—no matter how bizarre the interview or how vague the job description.
By day, she is assistant to the family doctor and his charge, Jonathan, the sickly, poetic, drunken heir to the family empire, who is as difficult as his illness is mysterious. By night, Lena discovers the more sinister side of the family, as she works overtime at their lavish parties, helping to hide their self-destructive tendencies . . . and trying not to fall for Jonathan’s alluring sister, Audrey. But when she stumbles upon the knowledge that the Verdeau patriarch is the one responsible for the ruin of her own family, Lena vows to get revenge—a poison-filled quest that leads her further into this hedonistic world than she ever bargained for, forcing her to decide how much—and who—she's willing to sacrifice for payback.
Scholastic
Title: Fire Becomes Her
Author: Rosiee Thor
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Flare is power.
With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground -- and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.
Ingrid doesn't have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden's father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.
Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?
Author: Rosiee Thor
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Flare is power.
With only a drop of flare, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground -- and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share.
Ingrid doesn't have a family fortune, monetary or magical, but at least she has a plan: Rise to the top on the arm of Linden Holt, heir to a hefty political legacy and the largest fortune of flare in all of Candesce. Her only obstacle is Linden's father who refuses to acknowledge her.
So when Senator Holt announces his run for president, Ingrid uses the situation to her advantage. She strikes a deal to spy on the senator’s opposition in exchange for his approval and the status she so desperately craves. But the longer Ingrid wears two masks, the more she questions where her true allegiances lie.
Will she stand with the Holts, or will she forge her own path?
Title: Magical Boy Vol. 1
Author: The Kao
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Although he was assigned female at birth, Max is your average trans man trying to get through high school as himself. But on top of classes, crushes, and coming out, Max's life is turned upside down when his mom reveals an eons old family secret: he's descended from a long line of Magical Girls tasked with defending humanity from a dark, ancient evil! With a sassy feline sidekick and loyal gang of friends by his side, can Max take on his destiny, save the world, and become the next Magical Boy? A hilarious and heartfelt riff on the magical girl genre made popular by teen manga series, Magical Boy is a one-of-a-kind fantasy series that comic readers of all ages will love.
Author: The Kao
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Although he was assigned female at birth, Max is your average trans man trying to get through high school as himself. But on top of classes, crushes, and coming out, Max's life is turned upside down when his mom reveals an eons old family secret: he's descended from a long line of Magical Girls tasked with defending humanity from a dark, ancient evil! With a sassy feline sidekick and loyal gang of friends by his side, can Max take on his destiny, save the world, and become the next Magical Boy? A hilarious and heartfelt riff on the magical girl genre made popular by teen manga series, Magical Boy is a one-of-a-kind fantasy series that comic readers of all ages will love.
Title: Murder of Crows (Lethal Lit #1)
Author: K. Ancrum
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Lethal Lit follows Tig Torres, a Cuban American teen detective, in her hometown of Hollow Falls. In season one of the hit podcast, Tig used her smarts and fearlessness to track down the infamous "Lit Killer," a serial killer who staged his murders after death scenes from famous books. But there's no rest for courageous, mystery-solving teens in a place like Hollow Falls, and though the Lit Killer is now behind bars, his protégé, Tig's classmate and crush Oly, has disappeared!
And that's not the only game afoot. Tig has caught the attention of the town's local armchair detective group, the Murder of Crows. They're obsessed with Hollow Falls' dark past and fixated on a dangerous search for the missing body of the town's founder. There are rumors about what's buried with the body that could be life-changing for whoever finds it, and with a mission like that underway, it's not long before a member of the Murder of Crows turns up dead.
Tig, along with her friends Max and Wyn, steps in to help, but the stakes are getting higher and the hunt more deadly. Someone's willing to kill to keep the town's secrets buried, and if Tig's not careful, she'll be the Murder of Crows' next victim.
Author: K. Ancrum
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Lethal Lit follows Tig Torres, a Cuban American teen detective, in her hometown of Hollow Falls. In season one of the hit podcast, Tig used her smarts and fearlessness to track down the infamous "Lit Killer," a serial killer who staged his murders after death scenes from famous books. But there's no rest for courageous, mystery-solving teens in a place like Hollow Falls, and though the Lit Killer is now behind bars, his protégé, Tig's classmate and crush Oly, has disappeared!
And that's not the only game afoot. Tig has caught the attention of the town's local armchair detective group, the Murder of Crows. They're obsessed with Hollow Falls' dark past and fixated on a dangerous search for the missing body of the town's founder. There are rumors about what's buried with the body that could be life-changing for whoever finds it, and with a mission like that underway, it's not long before a member of the Murder of Crows turns up dead.
Tig, along with her friends Max and Wyn, steps in to help, but the stakes are getting higher and the hunt more deadly. Someone's willing to kill to keep the town's secrets buried, and if Tig's not careful, she'll be the Murder of Crows' next victim.
Simon & Schuster
Title: Big Wig
Author: Jonathan Hillman
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: When a child dresses in drag to compete in a neighborhood costume competition, they become B. B. Bedazzle! A key part of B.B. Bedazzle’s ensemble is a wig called Wig. Together they are an unstoppable drag queen team! But Wig feels inadequate compared to the other, bigger wigs. When Wig flies off B. B.’s head, he goes from kid to kid instilling confidence and inspiring dreams in those who wear him:
Wig remembers what wigs can do. Wig brushes the world, bolder, brighter hues. Wig hears whispered wishes… and turns them into something true. The bigger their dreams, the bigger Wig seems.
This wonderful read aloud celebrates the universal childhood experience of dressing up and the confidence that comes with putting on a costume. And it goes further than that, acknowledging that sometimes dressing differently from how we were born is how we become our truest and best selves.
Author: Jonathan Hillman
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: When a child dresses in drag to compete in a neighborhood costume competition, they become B. B. Bedazzle! A key part of B.B. Bedazzle’s ensemble is a wig called Wig. Together they are an unstoppable drag queen team! But Wig feels inadequate compared to the other, bigger wigs. When Wig flies off B. B.’s head, he goes from kid to kid instilling confidence and inspiring dreams in those who wear him:
Wig remembers what wigs can do. Wig brushes the world, bolder, brighter hues. Wig hears whispered wishes… and turns them into something true. The bigger their dreams, the bigger Wig seems.
This wonderful read aloud celebrates the universal childhood experience of dressing up and the confidence that comes with putting on a costume. And it goes further than that, acknowledging that sometimes dressing differently from how we were born is how we become our truest and best selves.
Title: The Boy with a Bird in His Chest
Author: Emme Lund
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Though Owen Tanner has never met anyone else who has a chatty bird in their chest, medical forums would call him a Terror. From the moment Gail emerged between Owen’s ribs, his mother knew that she had to hide him away from the world. After a decade spent in hiding, Owen takes a brazen trip outdoors in the middle of a forest fire, and his life is upended forever.
Suddenly, Owen is forced to flee the home that had once felt so confining and hide in plain sight with his uncle and cousin in Washington. There, he feels the joy of finding a family among friends; of sharing the bird in his chest and being embraced fully; of falling in love and feeling the devastating heartbreak of rejection before finding a spark of happiness in the most unexpected place; of living his truth regardless of how hard the thieves of joy may try to tear him down. But the threat of the Army of Acronyms is a constant, looming presence, making Owen wonder if he’ll ever find a way out of the cycle of fear.
A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about the things that make us unique and lovable, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved, let alone accepted, for who we truly are, and learning to live fully and openly regardless.
Author: Emme Lund
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Though Owen Tanner has never met anyone else who has a chatty bird in their chest, medical forums would call him a Terror. From the moment Gail emerged between Owen’s ribs, his mother knew that she had to hide him away from the world. After a decade spent in hiding, Owen takes a brazen trip outdoors in the middle of a forest fire, and his life is upended forever.
Suddenly, Owen is forced to flee the home that had once felt so confining and hide in plain sight with his uncle and cousin in Washington. There, he feels the joy of finding a family among friends; of sharing the bird in his chest and being embraced fully; of falling in love and feeling the devastating heartbreak of rejection before finding a spark of happiness in the most unexpected place; of living his truth regardless of how hard the thieves of joy may try to tear him down. But the threat of the Army of Acronyms is a constant, looming presence, making Owen wonder if he’ll ever find a way out of the cycle of fear.
A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about the things that make us unique and lovable, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved, let alone accepted, for who we truly are, and learning to live fully and openly regardless.
Skipstone Publishing
Title: The MoonStone Girls
Author: Brooke Skipstone
Publication Date: February 14, 2022
Summary: In 1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.
Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”
Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.
When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.
While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.
At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, "Come to Alaska. We'd be great friends."
Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.
Author: Brooke Skipstone
Publication Date: February 14, 2022
Summary: In 1968, a seventeen-year-old queer girl traveled to Alaska disguised as a boy.
Tracy should have been a boy. Even her older brother Spencer says so, though he wouldn’t finish the thought with, “And I should have been a girl.”
Though both feel awkward in their own skin, they have to face who they are—queers in the late 60s.
When both are caught with gay partners, their lives and futures are endangered by their homophobic father as their mother struggles to defend them.
While the Vietnam War threatens to take Spencer away, Tracy and her father wage a war of their own, each trying to save the sweet, talented pianist.
At seventeen, Tracy dresses as a boy and leaves her parents in turmoil, with only the slimmest hope of finding peace within herself. She journeys to a girl with a guitar, calling to her from a photo, "Come to Alaska. We'd be great friends."
Maybe even The MoonStone Girls.
Supposed Crimes
Title: Queen and Bandit
Author: Geonn Cannon
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Gracie Simon is a reporter with a secret. Forced to lie about her gender to get hired, she lives in fear of what will happen when the truth comes out.
Evelyn Wade is a rising star with a secret of her own. With three hit films on her resume already, she's ready to risk it all to reveal the truth in the hopes it will help other actresses.
When Gracie is assigned to do a story about Evelyn's new movie, both secrets come to light during the course of their conversation. Evelyn is ready to spill the beans about what she knows but doesn't want to be anywhere near Los Angeles when the bombshell drops. To avoid the fallout, Gracie suggests they take a road trip under the guise of doing a complete, in-depth profile of the up-and-coming starlet. Evelyn agrees, and they hit the road the same day Gracie's exclusive hits the presses.
Trapped together in a car, with bridges burning behind them and 2,000 miles to their destination, Gracie and Evelyn quickly discover that when the secrets are thrown out, the only thing left is the truth.
Author: Geonn Cannon
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Gracie Simon is a reporter with a secret. Forced to lie about her gender to get hired, she lives in fear of what will happen when the truth comes out.
Evelyn Wade is a rising star with a secret of her own. With three hit films on her resume already, she's ready to risk it all to reveal the truth in the hopes it will help other actresses.
When Gracie is assigned to do a story about Evelyn's new movie, both secrets come to light during the course of their conversation. Evelyn is ready to spill the beans about what she knows but doesn't want to be anywhere near Los Angeles when the bombshell drops. To avoid the fallout, Gracie suggests they take a road trip under the guise of doing a complete, in-depth profile of the up-and-coming starlet. Evelyn agrees, and they hit the road the same day Gracie's exclusive hits the presses.
Trapped together in a car, with bridges burning behind them and 2,000 miles to their destination, Gracie and Evelyn quickly discover that when the secrets are thrown out, the only thing left is the truth.
Text Publishing
Title: Fish Out of Water
Author: Kate Hendrick
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Finn the Swimmer. Finn the Winner. Finn who works hard and pushes through and never gives up.
Or just Finn. And whatever Finn could be.
Life is pretty simple for fifteen-year-old Finn: just keep following the black line in the pool. But in a moment it all changes: distracted by a familiar face in the crowd, he falters on the blocks and loses not just the race, but the single-minded focus that has driven him this far.
Did he really see what he thinks he saw? It doesn’t seem possible—not after what happened—but now Finn can’t stop wondering, and everything is starting to unravel. For the first time, he’s got no idea what he’s supposed to do or who he’s supposed to listen to. His bossy older sister, Connie, who wants to know the truth? The whip-smart and unforgiving Aaliyah? Or the unflappable Loki, who gets Finn like no one else ever has?
It turns out that in life there’s no such thing as a simple choice. And sometimes there’s no choice at all.
Author: Kate Hendrick
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Summary: Finn the Swimmer. Finn the Winner. Finn who works hard and pushes through and never gives up.
Or just Finn. And whatever Finn could be.
Life is pretty simple for fifteen-year-old Finn: just keep following the black line in the pool. But in a moment it all changes: distracted by a familiar face in the crowd, he falters on the blocks and loses not just the race, but the single-minded focus that has driven him this far.
Did he really see what he thinks he saw? It doesn’t seem possible—not after what happened—but now Finn can’t stop wondering, and everything is starting to unravel. For the first time, he’s got no idea what he’s supposed to do or who he’s supposed to listen to. His bossy older sister, Connie, who wants to know the truth? The whip-smart and unforgiving Aaliyah? Or the unflappable Loki, who gets Finn like no one else ever has?
It turns out that in life there’s no such thing as a simple choice. And sometimes there’s no choice at all.
TokyoPop
Title: I'm Looking for Serious Love!
Author: Shoko Rakuta
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Born and raised in the countryside, Kyouhei immediately clashes with his next door neighbor, an outgoing playboy called Takara, when he moves to Tokyo. As someone who's always been teased for being a country bumpkin, he doesn't exactly have much in common with an extoverted city boy.
But when Takara makes a move on him one day, Kyouhei can't get it out of his mind. Even though he can barely stand Takara, he can't help finding himself strangely drawn to him. But Kyouhei's not looking for a one night stand; he's looking for serious love!
Author: Shoko Rakuta
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: Born and raised in the countryside, Kyouhei immediately clashes with his next door neighbor, an outgoing playboy called Takara, when he moves to Tokyo. As someone who's always been teased for being a country bumpkin, he doesn't exactly have much in common with an extoverted city boy.
But when Takara makes a move on him one day, Kyouhei can't get it out of his mind. Even though he can barely stand Takara, he can't help finding himself strangely drawn to him. But Kyouhei's not looking for a one night stand; he's looking for serious love!
Title: Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide Vol. 2
Author: Mone Sorai
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Super serious Asahi Suzumura and laidback, easygoing Mitsuki Sayama might seem like an odd couple, but they made a deal; they'll vacation around the world and when they get back to Japan, they'll get married.
As they travel from country to country, the different people, cultures and cuisine they encounter begin to bring them closer together. After all they're not just learning about the world, but about themselves too.
Author: Mone Sorai
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: Super serious Asahi Suzumura and laidback, easygoing Mitsuki Sayama might seem like an odd couple, but they made a deal; they'll vacation around the world and when they get back to Japan, they'll get married.
As they travel from country to country, the different people, cultures and cuisine they encounter begin to bring them closer together. After all they're not just learning about the world, but about themselves too.
Ylva
Title: Her Royal Happiness
Author: Lola Keeley
Publication Date: February 2, 2022
Summary: Keeping a secret isn’t easy when you’re in the most visible family in the world. It’s even harder when you’re a lesbian who has just fallen madly in love. An opposites attract, charming royal romance with a dash of fake dating.
When tabloid darling Princess Alice, the first out member of the British royal family, meets an opinionated single mother, the encounter goes viral. It seems the anti-monarchist education specialist Sara has a view on all things and doesn’t mind sharing.
So when Alice later has to ask Sara to help diagnose her young nephew’s learning difficulties, it’s seriously awkward. At least until they discover how beautifully they click together.
With the press sniffing around them, and Alice desperately wanting to protect her nephew’s privacy, they agree to claim they’re dating.
But as their fake dates start to feel like much more, Sara and Alice must navigate having a real relationship in the public eye. Is that even possible, though, while keeping Sara’s daughter safe and happy, and facing the Queen’s disapproval?
Can they overcome their doubts for love? A love they can no longer hide?
Author: Lola Keeley
Publication Date: February 2, 2022
Summary: Keeping a secret isn’t easy when you’re in the most visible family in the world. It’s even harder when you’re a lesbian who has just fallen madly in love. An opposites attract, charming royal romance with a dash of fake dating.
When tabloid darling Princess Alice, the first out member of the British royal family, meets an opinionated single mother, the encounter goes viral. It seems the anti-monarchist education specialist Sara has a view on all things and doesn’t mind sharing.
So when Alice later has to ask Sara to help diagnose her young nephew’s learning difficulties, it’s seriously awkward. At least until they discover how beautifully they click together.
With the press sniffing around them, and Alice desperately wanting to protect her nephew’s privacy, they agree to claim they’re dating.
But as their fake dates start to feel like much more, Sara and Alice must navigate having a real relationship in the public eye. Is that even possible, though, while keeping Sara’s daughter safe and happy, and facing the Queen’s disapproval?
Can they overcome their doubts for love? A love they can no longer hide?
Independently Published
Title: Bluebird at My Window
Author: H. Noah
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When faced with trauma, how would you react?
Would you survive, succumb, or lose yourself to your own meaning of justice?
Ann was only seventeen when she died. She tried to be a dutiful daughter, to pray, to repent. But it wasn’t enough. Her mother, Diane, didn’t mean to kill her but when she found Ann consorting with devils, she had no choice. She believed the angels—that in the end, the water would save them both.
But every choice holds weight.
One death, and Arthur is thrown back into the work he wanted to leave. One death, and Richard must face the reality of his choices. One death, and Maddie and Marie are confronted with the hardest parts of love.
If only good intentions were enough to keep them from the carnage of their own decisions . . .
A dark contemporary fiction drenched in blood, this debut novel from H. Noah has an intricate true crime feeling with psychological depth.
Author: H. Noah
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: When faced with trauma, how would you react?
Would you survive, succumb, or lose yourself to your own meaning of justice?
Ann was only seventeen when she died. She tried to be a dutiful daughter, to pray, to repent. But it wasn’t enough. Her mother, Diane, didn’t mean to kill her but when she found Ann consorting with devils, she had no choice. She believed the angels—that in the end, the water would save them both.
But every choice holds weight.
One death, and Arthur is thrown back into the work he wanted to leave. One death, and Richard must face the reality of his choices. One death, and Maddie and Marie are confronted with the hardest parts of love.
If only good intentions were enough to keep them from the carnage of their own decisions . . .
A dark contemporary fiction drenched in blood, this debut novel from H. Noah has an intricate true crime feeling with psychological depth.
Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
Author: Travis Baldree
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Summary: High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
Title: Let Me In
Author: R.M. Virtues
Publication Date: February 2022
Summary: Dionysos accompanies his best friend Athena to Thassos in an attempt to mend tensions with the local leadership. Athena isn't sure Dionysos's strategies —or rather, antics— are appropriate for the situation, but she might come to find that her best friend's talents for pleasing people have more uses than she initially believed. For her too.
Author: R.M. Virtues
Publication Date: February 2022
Summary: Dionysos accompanies his best friend Athena to Thassos in an attempt to mend tensions with the local leadership. Athena isn't sure Dionysos's strategies —or rather, antics— are appropriate for the situation, but she might come to find that her best friend's talents for pleasing people have more uses than she initially believed. For her too.
Title: Of Wulf and Wynd, Part 1: The Vows of Marriage
Author: Lexa Luthor
Publication Date: February 4, 2022
Summary: Princess Tharon and Princess Roswynd were best of friends as kids; now they are enemies and forced to marry each other.
The Kingdom of White Sommer and the Kingdom of Wyndfeld had been united and strong. Princess Tharon of White Sommer grew up with her best friend Princess Roswynd of Wyndfeld, both having vowed to always be together. But it all came crashing down when Tharon’s mother was murdered by Roswynd’s family. The two kingdoms plunged into a dark, bloody war of revenge and hatred. After ten long years at war, the kingdoms agree to a ceasefire, but under the condition of a forced marriage between the two princesses.
Tharon becomes the Prince and Lord Commander of the White Sommer Army and a knight known as the Black Wulf. She has dedicated her life to conquering Wyndfeld and avenging her mother’s murder. Even better, she finally gets to claim Roswynd as her Omega. Now nothing can stop her from having it all.
Roswynd grew up broken and enraged over Tharon’s betrayal of their friendship pact. Now forced to marry Tharon, she is at a loss with her new wife, finding no remnants of her best friend under Tharon’s cold exterior. She gives her wedding vows to Tharon, but she knows their vows are based on lies. She will protect her kingdom from Tharon.
As Tharon and Roswynd play the game, they both discover they must choose between honoring their wedding vows or their vows to their kingdom.
Author: Lexa Luthor
Publication Date: February 4, 2022
Summary: Princess Tharon and Princess Roswynd were best of friends as kids; now they are enemies and forced to marry each other.
The Kingdom of White Sommer and the Kingdom of Wyndfeld had been united and strong. Princess Tharon of White Sommer grew up with her best friend Princess Roswynd of Wyndfeld, both having vowed to always be together. But it all came crashing down when Tharon’s mother was murdered by Roswynd’s family. The two kingdoms plunged into a dark, bloody war of revenge and hatred. After ten long years at war, the kingdoms agree to a ceasefire, but under the condition of a forced marriage between the two princesses.
Tharon becomes the Prince and Lord Commander of the White Sommer Army and a knight known as the Black Wulf. She has dedicated her life to conquering Wyndfeld and avenging her mother’s murder. Even better, she finally gets to claim Roswynd as her Omega. Now nothing can stop her from having it all.
Roswynd grew up broken and enraged over Tharon’s betrayal of their friendship pact. Now forced to marry Tharon, she is at a loss with her new wife, finding no remnants of her best friend under Tharon’s cold exterior. She gives her wedding vows to Tharon, but she knows their vows are based on lies. She will protect her kingdom from Tharon.
As Tharon and Roswynd play the game, they both discover they must choose between honoring their wedding vows or their vows to their kingdom.
Title: Silver-Lined Secrets
Author: Aleksander Petit
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: The Rowan Institute for Gifted Youth often feels more like a prison to Bailey Lowe than a spy academy. His lukewarm opinion worsens after meeting Oliver, a new student whose ties to the outside world are weaponized against him by the school. To complicate things more, Bailey forms an ill-advised friendship with Lucien, a tenderhearted barista who has taken a suspicious shine to him. This school and the people in it have taken Bailey’s ability to trust, and earning it back is a challenge he may not be brave enough for.
But Bailey’s caution isn’t misplaced. An unknown entity is targeting students—Bailey included— and the Rowan Institute staff refuse to explain how or why anyone managed to bypass the so-called “fortress.”
Bailey can only hope to be the ace spy the Institute wishes him to be. Otherwise, he risks failing his friends while the illusion of safety crumbles around them.
If he’s lucky, they won’t run out of tea first.
Author: Aleksander Petit
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Summary: The Rowan Institute for Gifted Youth often feels more like a prison to Bailey Lowe than a spy academy. His lukewarm opinion worsens after meeting Oliver, a new student whose ties to the outside world are weaponized against him by the school. To complicate things more, Bailey forms an ill-advised friendship with Lucien, a tenderhearted barista who has taken a suspicious shine to him. This school and the people in it have taken Bailey’s ability to trust, and earning it back is a challenge he may not be brave enough for.
But Bailey’s caution isn’t misplaced. An unknown entity is targeting students—Bailey included— and the Rowan Institute staff refuse to explain how or why anyone managed to bypass the so-called “fortress.”
Bailey can only hope to be the ace spy the Institute wishes him to be. Otherwise, he risks failing his friends while the illusion of safety crumbles around them.
If he’s lucky, they won’t run out of tea first.
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