Romance Cooties

According to BN.com, no romance novels are being released this week. The Queen cries, “Bullshit!” To appease her demand for filler, here are some books that never made BN.com’s “coming soon” list but appear nonetheless to have been released in September.

Noah (#5 in series) by Jacquelyn Frank

As Demon King, Noah is dedicated to protecting his kind from their human and Nightwalker enemies. Yet for six months he has struggled with vivid dreams that threaten his very sanity. Every night he’s tormented by images of a woman both achingly real and tantalizingly beyond his grasp. And his bone-deep need leaves him no choice but to force her to leave the life she’s known and enter a world beyond her imagining.

Every day, Kestra risks her life in perilous missions that veer just shy of the law, but she instinctively knows that the imposingly sensual figure before her is a danger unlike any she’s ever faced. Kestra has sworn never to trust or need another man, but Noah’s lightest touch scorches her with fevered desire, branding her as his mate, blinding them both to the terrifying truth. For within the ranks of their own people lies an adversary growing in number and power. And nothing and no one will be safe again.

The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp

Lady Calandra should have suitors beating down her door. But her overprotective brother, the Duke of Rochford, has managed to scare off every suitable gentleman. Every man except the mysterious Earl of Bromwell, that is. Callie finds herself drawn to the enigmatic earl, despite her brother’s almost violent protestations.

In defiance of her brother’s wishes, Callie devises a plan to see Bromwell again, enlisting the help of matchmaker Francesca Haughston. But when shadowy secrets about the duke and the earl come to light, it may be too late for Callie to see that she’s walked straight into a trap…

Double Enchantment (#2 in series) by Kathryne Kennedy

Lady Jasmina was in a world of trouble. A simple spell had gone disastrously haywire and now there was a woman running around London who looked exactly like her—a woman with no sense of propriety whatsoever. All Society was whispering, and a baronet she’d never met was suddenly acting like he knew her… in a most intimate way. To find her double and set things right, they’d have to work together—braving the fog-shrouded streets, a mysterious group called the Brotherhood, and a passion stronger than any magic.

(Okay, BN.com didn’t even have a description for that one, which is a pretty miserable marketing effort on somebody’s part.)

To Catch a Thief by Christina Skye

Nell MacInnes can spot a forgery from a mile away. After all, she learned from the best—her father is one of the world’s most notorious thieves. His brutal beating by the very authorities who claim to keep the world safe from harm taught her one more valuable lesson—trust no one.

The last thing rugged Navy SEAL Dakota Smith needs on his mission is a tempting woman he doesn’t trust. But a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci has gone missing, and the art conservator’s skill in detecting forgery would be invaluable, if only her ties to the criminal world are as dead as she says they are.

Soon an edgy partnership and white-hot attraction are forged between Nell and Dakota as they race to Draycott Abbey to track down a ruthless criminal with terrorist ties before time runs out—and the da Vinci is lost forever.

Hostage to Pleasure (#5 in series) by Nalini Singh

Ashaya Aleine was separated from her son, forced to create a neural implant that will forever enslave her psychically gifted Psy race. After fighting a desperate battle to save her child and escape the PsyNet, she’s lead not to safety, but into the lethal danger of a sniper’s embrace.

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Dark Embrace (#3 in series) by Brenda Joyce

Aidan, the Wolf of Awe, has abandoned the Brotherhood and forsaken his vows. Feared by all and trusted by none, he hunts alone, seeking vengeance against the evil that destroyed his son. He has not saved an Innocent in sixty-six years—until he hears Brianna Rose’s scream of terror across centuries, and leaps to modern-day Manhattan to rescue her…

Brie is a gifted empath who spends her time fighting evil from the safety of her laptop—and fantasizing about the medieval Highlander she met just once. Still, her life is pretty ordinary—until she awakens one night consumed with Aidan’s pain and rage. When Aidan suddenly appears and takes her hostage, Brie cannot believe how dark and dangerous he has become. She knows she should be afraid, but instead, she will fight across time for his redemption… and his love.

Cold Hearted by Beverly Barton

They all loved her. That was their mistake. Two husbands, her college fiancee, an influential boss—every man who gets close to Jordan Price is made to pay in blood. And the list is growing.

Hired by the Powell Agency to investigate Senator Dan Price’s death, Rick Carson can see at once why people would believe Jordan Price incapable of cold-blooded murder. Slender, pale, and elegant, she stands by her late husband’s graveside exuding sweet vulnerability. Only Rick notices that she never sheds a tear. And the deeper he delves into the string of deaths from which Jordan has profited handsomely, the more convinced Rick becomes that he is dealing with a callous, cunning, unstoppable killer.

The closer Rick gets to the chilling truth, the more dangerous this game of cat-and-mouse becomes. The targets are changing, and suddenly, nothing and no one is safe. If Jordan is as innocent as she claims, Rick may have placed her in a killer’s cross hairs. And if she’s guilty, he’ll never live to regret it.

The Storm (#6 in series) by Jean Johnson

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. Now Rydan, the tormented sixth-born son, must find a way to trust his Destined bride, Rora, a woman who possesses her own secret power—one that could bring them together or annihilate their world forever.

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Any of these tickle your fancy?

Crossfire (2nd? in series) by JoAnn Ross

F.B.I. Special Agent Caitlin Cavanaugh’s latest assignment: to stop a violent madman on the rampage in Somersett, South Carolina. Even more challenging is working with sexy former Navy SEAL Quinn McKade, as they spend the steamy summer nights together investigating the murders. But when the killer starts leaving chilling clues, the pair knows that the murders aren’t random—and that they could be next.

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White Christmas Pie by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Step into Amish country for this bittersweet holiday romance. Here you’ll meet Will Henderson, a young man tortured by his past, and Karen Yoder, a young woman looking for answers. Add a desperate father searching for his son, and you have all the ingredients for a first-class romance that will inspire and enthrall.

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Dark Curse (17th in series) by Christine Feehan

Born into a world of ice, slave to her evil father, Lara Calladine knew only paralyzing fear as a child. Only by escaping with her mysterious gifts unbroken would she survive to claim her great Carpathian heritage as a Dragonseeker…

Now, Lara is in search of the source of her nightmares—the cold, dark corners of her childhood just on the edges of her memory. Only one man has the power and the will to help her: dangerous, arrogant Nicolas De La Cruz.

Together, Lara and Nicolas search the treacherous Carpathian landscape for the truth about their pasts—and discover a passion that neither has ever known before.

Mercury’s War by Lora Leigh

Someone has been slipping the Sanctuary’s secure information to a pharmaceutical company. Now it’s up to Ria Rodriguez to pose as a clerk and uncover the leak. Yet she has no idea of the danger she’s about to encounter—or the passion she’s about to ignite in one of the greatest Breeds ever created.

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Any of these tickle your fancy?

This is a filler post right now, but it’s intended to be a weekly feature to keep us all abreast of new offerings.

OF NOTE: It’s not our intent to snub ebooks, but there are literally hundreds of releases from a mind-boggling array of publishers, making including them all unfeasible. If there are any ebooks debuting this week that you’re itching to make your own, feel free to give them a shout out in the comments.

Thief of Hearts by Teresa Medeiros

Prim and pampered, Lucina Snow knew little of men and nothing of danger, until the fog-shrouded night she found herself abducted and at the mercy of the legendary Captain Doom. Ruthless and mocking, tender and virile, the notorious pirate awakened all Lucy’s passionate longings, then abandoned her with nothing but a kiss…

Now safely at home, the alluring waif is tormented by treacherous memories—and by the presence of Gerard Claremont, her mysterious new bodyguard. Everything about him, from his forbidding size to his impertinent manner, sparks her defiance. And even when Gerard’s smile turns seductive, no one can make her forget Doom. Yet only when Lucy’s path crosses the captain’s once more, will she learn who is on a voyage of retribution, and who is out to steal her heart…

Fairest of Them All by Teresa Medeiros

She was rumored to be the fairest woman in all of England. But Holly de Chastel considered her beauty a curse. She had turned away scores of suitors with various ruses, both fair and foul. Now she was to be the prize in a tournament of eager knights. Holly had no intention of wedding any of them and concocted a plan to disguise her beauty. Yet she didn’t reckon on Sir Austyn of Gavenmore. The darkly handsome Welshman was looking for a plain bride and Holly seemed to fit the bill. When he learned that he’d been tricked, it was too late. Sir Austyn was already in love—and under the dark curse of Gavenmore…

Passion and Pleasure in London by Melody Thomas

Winter Ashburn was once the toast of the ton, but now she skirts the margins of high society by stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Her latest mark is none other than Rory Jameson, the rake who dared mistake her for a lady of the evening. Winter has stolen from her fair share of scandalously handsome men in the past… so why does her heart beat faster as she approaches his door?

Rory Jameson is a rake, it’s true. And he’s caught many a thief while on secret missions for the Crown, but none has been this intriguing, this enticing. He will make Winter repay what she took so shamelessly… and melt her icy façade with the heat of his wicked touch. But her kiss sets his soul on fire—and now he will never be satisfied until he has made this alluring temptress his own.

The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens

“Christian, I need your help. There is no one else I can turn to… L.”

When Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne, reads those words, his world turns upside down. Lady Letitia Randall is a woman like no other, and the day he left her behind to fight for king and country was the most difficult of his life. He never forgot the feel of her lips against his, but never expects to see her again. Yet now she seeks his help, and Christian knows he will not resist her plea.

Letitia believes that Christian abandoned her when she needed him most, and she hates to call on his aid. But to clear her brother’s name, she has sworn to use every weapon at her command, even if it means seducing her ex-lover. Yet all the while, Christian is waging a war of his own—a campaign of pure pleasure and sweet revenge that will take them both beyond the edge of desire.

Bloodfever (2nd in series) by Karen Marie Moning

MacKayla Lane’s ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland’s shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets. In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V’lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

Wild Card by Lora Leigh

It was supposed to be simple. All Navy SEAL Nathan Malone had to do was rescue three young girls from a Colombian drug cartel, then allow himself to be captured just long enough to draw out a government spy. That was before his mission went disastrously wrong… and before his wife, Bella, was told Nathan was never coming home.

Bella has mourned her husband’s death for three long years, but she has no idea he’s still alive. Forced to assume a new identity, the man Nathan was is now dead. If he can get back to his wife, can he keep the secret of who he really is… even as desire threatens to consume them and danger threatens to tear Bella from Nathan’s arms once more?

Dark Light by Jayne Castle

Tabloid reporter Sierra McIntyre wants a scoop when she interviews Ghost Hunter Guild boss John Fontana about the disappearances of retired, homeless hunters. She doesn’t want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man, but her intuition—and her dust bunny companion—give her the green light. To uncover the conspiracy within his own organization, Fontana proposes… marriage. And though it’s purely a business arrangement, there’s nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them.

Any of these tickle your fancy?

Ever had some snooty person sneer at your choice in reading material and say, “Ew, I would never touch one of those books!”?

Ever wanted to smack said snooty person upside the head with your choice in reading material and say, “It touched you! It touched you! Now you have romance cooties!”?

If you have (or if it’s sounding like something you might seriously consider next time you sense a sneer coming on), you should fit right in here.

What you’ll get at Romance Cooties:

• Posts about reader-recommended books
• Posts about attention-getting covers of books
• Posts about characters in books
• Posts about how readers came to love books
• Posts about how readers defend their choice in books
• Posts otherwise involving books

What you won’t get at Romance Cooties:

• Griping about authors
• Griping about publishers
• Griping about booksellers
• Griping about other readers
• Griping about other blogs
• Griping about hated books
• Griping about hated genres
• Griping about how romance novels oppress women
• Griping about much of anything

Cooties are eternal optimists. If they develop a taste for gloom and doom, they know where to find it, but they never bring it back to the hive.

As to the level of sophistication around here… We’re using the word “cooties.” You do the math.

We’ll eventually be looking for Cootie Contributors to share anecdotes, reviews, and whatall. More details available as we work in the bugs.