Dear Fellow Book Lovers,
As I step into February, I have been greeted with the promise of fresh narratives, intriguing characters, and uncharted adventures within the pages of new releases. Join me in reading dome of the literary treasures that this month has to offer! From heart-pounding thrillers to soul-stirring romances, the world of books beckons with its irresistible allure.
In this chapter of "Best New Book Releases February 2024," I invite you to embark on a journey through the realms of imagination and discovery. Here, amongst the pages of some really captivating stories, I found solace and inspiration.
But wait, there's more! I would love it if you signed up for my newsletter, you'll gain exclusive access to my favourite book recommendations, author interviews, and bookish insights delivered straight to your inbox. Be the first to know about the hottest releases, hidden gems, and special offers that will elevate your reading experience to new heights.
As your guide in this bookish adventure, I must disclose that I am an Amazon affiliate member. What does this mean for you? Well, when you make a purchase through the links provided, I may earn a small commission. Rest assured, though, that this comes at no additional cost to you. Your support allows me to continue sharing my passion for books and sustaining this community of bibliophiles.
So, dear readers, let us share in the delights the world of literature gives us with every turn of the page, and discover stories that will captivate your heart and mind. Together, let's embark on a journey where every chapter unfolds a new adventure.
Happy reading!
Alis x
Historical Fiction
Title: Wandering Stars
Author: Tommy Orange
Publisher: Harvill Secker
Book Length: 336
About Book: Discover the story of a Native American community told through the generations, from the author of the New York Times bestseller There There Following its unforgettable characters through almost two centuries of history, from the horrors of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 to the aftermath of a shooting in the early 21st century, Wandering Stars is an indelible novel of America's war on its own people. It is also the tender, shattering story of many generations of a Native American family, searching for ways through displacement, addiction and pain, towards home and hope.
Title: The Phoenix Crown
Author: Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
Publisher: HarperCollins
Book Length: 384
About Book: San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage.
Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.
His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . .
Until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice . . .
Title: The Dukes All That
Author: Christina Britten
Publisher: Forever
Book Length: 336
About Book: Iain MacInnes, Duke of Balgair, has spent the last thirteen years believing his wife is dead-until he receives word that she is very much alive and living under an assumed name on the remote Isle of Synne. He sets off with only one goal in mind: bring his wife back to Scotland where he can divorce her and expose her for the liar she is. After a devastating deception by the man who was supposed to love her, Seraphina did what was necessary to keep herself and her sisters safe. And though she's still haunted by the events that tore her world apart all those years ago, she's made a happy life on Synne, surrounded by loyal friends and building a secret career as a popular author. Now that Iain has found her, however, all that is at risk. Despite their long separation, the attraction between Iain and Seraphina still burns strong. But with so much hurt and betrayal between them, can they possibly find their way back to each other?
Title: The Fox Wife
Author: Yangsze Choo
Publisher: Quercus
Book Length: 400
About Book: Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .Manchuria, 1908: A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumours of foxes, believed to lure people into peril by transforming into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman's identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they've remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now. Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all, she's a mother seeking vengeance. Hunting a murderer, the trail will take her from northern China to Japan, with Bao following doggedly behind. And as their paths draw ever closer together, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.
Fantasy Fiction
Title: A Tempest of Tea
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Series: Blood and Tea book 1 of 1
Publisher: MacMillan
Book Length: 352
About Book: On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it – and she can't do the job alone. Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.
Title: Call Of The Sea
Author: Emily B Rose
Publisher: Pug Press Publishing
Book Length: 420
About Book: Genderbent Little Mermaid retelling meets Brave in this debut NA Fantasy Romance about a fat human princess who dreams of a life of adventure on the ocean. Perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Legends & Lattes.
Kenna has never wanted the life ahead of her; trapped in her castle and married to someone she does not love. She dreams of a life of adventure, exploring the ocean, searching for mermaids. Except mermaids don't exist. At least, that's what she has always been told.
Unfortunately, her plans for exploration are thwarted. Every heir must wed, and with war on the horizon, her time is up. Five suitors are vying for her hand, but Kenna vowed never to marry someone only after her crown. Only, one of them doesn't seem to care about her title, refusing to even use it. Just as she begins to consider opening up to him, he disappears.
Kenna chases after him and learns his secret, before a storm wrecks her boat. Finding herself stranded on an island with him, Kenna has no choice but to trust him to nurse her back to health. With the tension growing, and sparks she doesn't trust flying between them, Kenna has to decide how to balance the desires of her heart and her duty to her people. And how far she's willing to go to learn the whole truth.
Title: Empire Of The Damned
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: Empire Of The Vampire book 2 of 2
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Book Length: 672
About Book: Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost.
After turning his back on his silversaint brothers once and for all, Gabriel and the Grail set out to learn the truth of how Daysdeath might finally be undone.
But the last silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by children of the Forever King, drawn into wars and webs centuries in the weaving, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the truth of the Grail revealed.
A truth that may be too awful for any to imagine.
Title: Infinity Alchemist
Author: Kacen Callender
Series: Infinity Alchemist
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Book Length: 400
About Book: Three young alchemists embark on a quest leading them towards unexpected love and unimaginable power - he'll be arrested if anyone ever finds out. But when he's caught by the condescending Ramsay Thorne, instead of handing him over to the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power. As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists - Ash's estranged father included. Ash's journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.
Romance Fiction
Title: Where’s Molly
Author: H D Carlton
Book Length: 241
About Book: Molly Devereaux has been missing for more than two weeks, and police are still searching for the girl who seemed to vanish out of thin air. The world still wants to know... Where's Molly? ”In my dreams, I never escaped the Oregon woods. Life after death isn't easy to accept, especially when I still feel like a ghost. Now, I live deep in the mountains of Montana—the paradigm of beauty. But they are also the home of horrors. Horrors that I only unleash at night. When my pigs are allowed to feast.
Title: Pretty Rings and Broken Things
Author: Kat Singleton
Series: Black to Billionaires
Book Length: 362
About Book: Pretty rings can’t always fix broken things.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop powerful men from trying. Which is why instead of getting the wedding I’d always dreamed of, I was forced to marry the heir to our rival company and join a family that we’ve hated for generations.
An arranged marriage to make our problem disappear.
Then again, I’m the one that snuck around behind my father’s back and ended up at the centre of a scandal that could ruin my family’s reputation.
Now the only person who can protect me is the cold and calculated billionaire, Archer Moore.
The marriage was only supposed to be for show, but Archer can be very convincing. He’s demanded we move in together. That we kiss. That we make it look—and feel—real. He’s a man who is obsessed with getting what he wants—and I’m starting to think what he wants is me.
But the closer we get, and the less we pretend, the more I question if the grudges between our families are too much to overcome for a marriage that was built on pretty rings and broken things.
Title: Nothing But It All
Author: Adriana Locke
Book Length: 269
About Book: After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful question: When did it all go wrong? Now that Lauren’s decided to get on with her life―alone―divorce is inevitable.
Not to the kids. They aren’t giving up so easily.
Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the family’s favourite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agree―the meddlers couldn’t have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories.
This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilities―like maybe falling in love all over again.
Title: Tempting Promises
Author: Corinne Michaels
Series: Whitlock Family Series book 3 of 4
Book Length: 364
About Book: After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful question: When did it all go wrong? Now that Lauren’s decided to get on with her life―alone―divorce is inevitable.
Not to the kids. They aren’t giving up so easily.
Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the family’s favourite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agree―the meddlers couldn’t have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories.
This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilities―like maybe falling in love all over again.
Mystery/Thriller Fiction
Title: The Teacher
Author: Frieda McFadden
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Book Length: 400
About Book: Lesson 1: trust no one
Eve has a good life. She gets up each day, gets a kiss from her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…
Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal, with one student, Addie, at its centre. And this year, Eve is dismayed to find the girl in her class.
Addie can't be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that's what everyone says.
But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet.
Title: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead
Author: Jenny Hollander
Publisher: Constable
Book Length: 336
About Book: THEY CALL ME THE LUCKY ONE. THEY DON'T KNOW I LIED.
Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert's life changed for ever. On Christmas Eve, as the snow fell, her elite graduate school was the site of a chilling attack. Several of her classmates died. Charlie survived. Years later, Charlie has the life she always wanted at her fingertips: she's editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry. But when a film adaptation of that fateful night goes into production, Charlie's dark past threatens to crash into her shiny present. Charlie was named a 'witness' in the police reports. Yet she knows she was much more than that. The truth about that night will shatter everything she's worked for. Just how far will she go to protect it?
Title: The Blueprint
Author: Rae Giana Rashad
Publisher: Harper
Book Length: 304
About Book: The Blueprint is an astounding work, an unflinching portrait of misogyny and racism in a speculative world terrifyingly close to our own. Rae Giana Rashad chronicles the generational ghosts of womanhood, and how we understand ourselves through the stories of those we come from, in a way I've never read before. A remarkable new talent, and a timeless literary voice."--Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
In the vein of Octavia E. Butler and Margaret Atwood, a harrowing novel set in an alternate United States--a world of injustice and bondage in which a young Black woman becomes the concubine of a powerful white government official and must face the dangerous consequences.
Solenne Bonet lives in Texas where choice no longer exists. An algorithm determines a Black woman's occupation, spouse, and residence. Solenne finds solace in penning the biography of Henriette, an ancestor who'd been an enslaved concubine to a wealthy planter in 1800s Louisiana. But history repeats itself when Solenne, lonely and naïve, finds herself entangled with Bastien Martin, a high-ranking government official. Solenne finds the psychological bond unbearable, so she considers alternatives. With Henriette as her guide, she must decide whether and how to leave behind all she knows.
Title: The Antique Hunters Guide To Murder
Author: C. L. Millen
Series: Antique Hunters Guide To Murder book 1 of 1
Publisher: MacMillan
Book Length: 384
About Book: What antique would you kill for?
Freya, it’s down to you to finish what I started . . .Freya Lockwood has avoided the quaint English village in which she grew up for the last 20 years. That is until news arrives that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and Freya’s estranged mentor, has died . . . and the circumstances seem suspicious. You will uncover an invitation, I implore you to attend . . .But when a letter from Arthur is delivered, sent just days before his death, and an ordinary pine chest concealing Arthur’s journals are revealed, Freya finds herself sucked back into a life she’d sworn to leave behind. But beware, trust no-one. Your life depends on it . . .Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Arthur’s staunch best friend, Freya follows both clues and her instincts to an old manor house for an ‘antiques enthusiasts weekend’. But not is all as it seems; the antiques are bad reproductions and the guests all have something to hide. Can Freya and Carole solve the mystery and unearth the killer before they strike again?