2021 has been… a year. One that felt both very long and over in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, we have had a plethora of romance novels come out to occupy our time, make sense of the world, and have a little fun. I read a lot of books. A LOT of books. Some I finish, some I don’t, some I buy and they sit happily unread on my bookshelves and eReader. I spend a ton of time looking at books that are coming out—I just received my first email about a JUNE 2022 book—and noticed some trends throughout the year… Trends that I think we’ll continue to see explored, subverted, and challenged into next year as well. WITCHES 2021 was the year of the witch! September and October 2021 saw a bunch of witchy, cozy, paranormal romance novels come out, and I am here for it all. Women (and men, too) discover their powers and how to control them, but also what can happen when they let loose a little, too. PAYBACK’S A WITCH by Lana Harper, who was a guest on the Fresh Fiction Podcast earlier this year. BLACK MOON RISING AND BLACK SIREN’S SONG by Mila…

Here we are at the end of 2020 and I, for one, am ready to ring in 2021! That being said, 2020 was a F A B U L O U S year for books. I’m a few books away from my reading goal of 130 books and I am so excited to say that I read some amazing books by some of my favorite authors as well as a bunch of great debuts that make me so excited for what they have next. Part of my job as Editorial Manager for Fresh Fiction means I get to find out about—and read—books months before they are out in the world. There are so many intriguing and innovative titles for us to enjoy… here are a few that I am particularly excited about! — JANUARY 2021   SCANDAL IN THE VIP SUITE by Nadine Gonzalez When a decadent suite at an exclusive Miami hotel is double-booked, a movie star and author decide to share the suite for the next few days until another room opens. While they spend time together, they discover there’s more to the other person than they initially thought. Then, they decide to work on a passion project…

Hi everyone! I thought this week, I could talk about what I’ve been reading lately and why I think I am reading these things. Just like everyone else, I am struggling a lot with the social distancing and isolation as a result of the Corona Virus Pandemic. I moved out three years ago to my own place and I currently live alone with my two dogs (a big reason I picked the place I did – it allows up to two pets). Normally, that’s not so bad and I like having my own space, but it’s been difficult this past month. Also, my younger dog, Lady, has been having trouble too because she’s very social and misses my family too. We’ve had some recurrence of accidents and she is easily scared more than usual by things. If anyone else is dealing with this with their pets, one thing that has been helping immensely is having special body massage time and extra cuddles! I have always taken comfort in reading. When I was in junior high and struggling to make friends, I reread Anne of Green Gables and Tamora Pierce over and over, finding comfort in the found families and the…

I don’t have to convince anyone that these are strange times. On the one hand, book review websites like Fresh Fiction can function as normal–I already work from home! I can access review copies digitally! The internet never sleeps!–but on the other, I’m barraged with news notifications, mortified at the misinformation being shared as fact, and I’m just all around distracted and worried.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve found comfort in books. Everywhere I went, I had at least one book, often more, with me. Now I can carry many books around, be it a small paperback, on my eReader, or on my phone. I find when I’m anxious or worked up over something – and let’s face it, there’s a lot to be worried about right – I turn to books for solace and peace of mind. My favorite way to do this is through re-reading. Sometimes full books, sometimes just a scene or two, but going back to the books and authors that make me happy has been a surefire way to calm me down, cheer me up, and let my mind escape. Here are some of my favorite re-reads and why: Born in Fire…

A Blessings Novel January 2010 On Sale: January 1, 2010 Featuring: Bernadine Brown 400 pages ISBN: 0061547816 EAN: 9780061547812 Paperback $13.99 Add to Wish List Multicultural Inspirational, Fiction Buy at Amazon.com Everyone deserves a second chance, right? A Second Helping by Beverly Jenkins With the millions she received after divorcing her faithless tycoon husband, Bernadine Brown saved the historic town of Henry Adams, Kansas, from financial ruin and found loving homes for five needy children. Now there are other “projects” crying out for rescue. If ever a town institution needed rescuing, it’s the beloved Dog and Cow diner. Once it was Henry Adams’s social center—or gossip central!—now it’s in danger of becoming duct-tape central. But there are other distractions pulling Bernadine from the task at hand: a plethora of romantic entanglements, including her own with a disturbingly attractive Malachi July; a bitter young boy newly arrived in town with his widowed father; and a fugitive on the run with a six-hundred-pound pet pig that’s wanted for murder (the pig, that is). And when Bernadine’s philandering, trouble-making ex-husband rolls into town looking for a second chance, life in Henry Adams gets very interesting indeed. A novel about community with something for…