The Baroness’ Choices for Upcoming Releases for February 2020
Hello Everyone!
How was your January? Mine was nice; I read lots of books. I am looking forward to February, though. There are so many fabulous books coming out and Valentine’s Day. Yes, even though I am single, I enjoy the holiday, and my parents always get me a little something — hopefully, one of these books.
The Books
My choices for February include romances, cozy mysteries, cozy paranormal mysteries, Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure in history (middle school), and Paranormal Women’s Fiction.
Take time for yourself and escape reality into a book. It will help to relieve your stress. If you don’t find something here, take a look at your favorite bookstore or grab something from your to-be-read shelf.
Here are my choices for Upcoming Releases for February 2020. I may be reviewing a couple of these books. So, check back for those reviews.
Always the One by Tara Randel
Meet Me at the Altar #4
Publication Date: February 1, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
She’s the love of his life…
…but is he still hers?
FBI agent Derrick Matthews has finally found his childhood sweetheart and the love of his life—but she isn’t exactly happy about it! Years ago, Hannah Rawlings disappeared overnight when her family went on the run, and she blames Derrick. She tells him she’s moved on and he should, too, but Derrick fears Hannah’s still in danger. He vows to protect her—even if that means betraying her trust…again.
The Eye of Ra by Ben Gartner
Publication Date: February 1, 2020
Genre: Adventure in History, Middle School
Exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they’ve time traveled to ancient Egypt!
Now they must work together to find a way back home from an ancient civilization of golden desert sand and a towering new pyramid, without parents to save them. The adventures abound—cobras, scorpions, a tomb robber, and more! The two kids have to trust each other, make friends who can help, and survive the challenges thrown at them . . . or be stuck in ancient Egypt forever.
For readers graduating from the Magic Tree House series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail.
Southern Magic Wedding by Amy Boyles
Sweet Tea Witches #16
Publication Date: February 2, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
It’s Pepper and Axel’s wedding day. Finally, the bid day has arrived and the entire town is ready to celebrate. And Pepper is ready, too. She can’t wait to start her new life.
The only problem is that suddenly Axel has ex-girlfriends oozing out of the woodwork. Worse, when a spell is cast on Axel the day before the wedding, his future with Pepper becomes murky.
Pepper is shattered. From the looks of it, she and Axel will never get their happily ever after. But never say never to a Craple. Pepper’s family rises to the challenge to save Pepper’s wedding.
Can they do it or will Pepper never get the wedding of her dreams?
Dear Future Self by Lisa Becker
A Starfish Novella
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary,
People think they know Jase Connors. Former front man for Kings Quarters. Successful solo artist. Consummate playboy. What they don’t know is he’s tired from road life. Tired of road life. Just plain tired.
When a beloved high school teacher passes away, Jase returns to his Midwestern childhood home to honor the teacher’s final wishes. Sparks fly when he’s reunited with his childhood best friend, Cami, and is forced to confront choices that made him the man he is today.
Dear Future Self is a 23,000-word novella spin-off of award-winning Starfish: A Rock Star Romance. It can be read as a stand-alone and guarantees a happily ever after. (For mature readers only)
Shadow and Stone by Melissa Wright
The Frey Saga #5
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
No bargains unpaid.
After a perilous clash with the fey, the changeling who betrayed the paramount of their laws–and threatens the safety of both realms–has gone into hiding. As Frey and her Seven recover, concealed plans and furtive bargains begin to unravel, putting in danger their old guard and new.
They’re on unsteady ground.
Scattered and healing, those sworn to protect the North and its lord work to secure their footing. They are running out of time to cure the darkness poisoning the fey lands, before it overflows into the rest of the realm. But Ruby has gone missing, and this time it seems of her own accord.
They’re out of time.
If they don’t stop her, she’ll face the deadly changeling alone. But more forces are at play than it seems, and the fey lord confined on his lands by treachery and two half-human elves has made a bargain of his own.
A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn
A Handcrafted Mystery #3
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Arts & Crafts
Perfect for fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, Holly Quinn’s third Handcrafted mystery aspires to wrap you in its warmth.
Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane must piece together a patchwork of clues when a “live” mannequin ends up stone-cold dead.
Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won’t keep the locals away from Heartsford’s annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft’s one-night-only sale, Samantha “Sammy” Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.
Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack–tapping on the glass and making funny faces–but nothing disrupts Wanda’s stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn’t breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.
Detective Liam Nash can’t seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy’s cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda’s untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort.
Southern Double Cross by Caroline Fardig
A Southern B&B Mystery #3
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A fundraising party goes south in a delightful cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Southern Discomfort and the Java Jive novels
Quinn Bellandini is ready to get back to running her grandfather’s B&B in Savannah, Georgia, with her sister, Delilah—but first, she has to coordinate a fundraising event at the house of local philanthropists, with the help of her boyfriend, Tucker Heyward. Everything is running smoothly until Quinn’s friend, Pepper Fox, frantically calls her with the horrifying news that the lady of the house was found dead. Pepper’s brother, who was working as a caterer, is soon charged with her murder.
Pepper knows her brother didn’t commit the crime and asks Quinn, now a veteran detective with two solved murders under her belt, to prove his innocence. Quinn can’t bear to see her friend upset and enlists Delilah and Tucker to help investigate.
The invite list quickly turns into the suspect list as tensions mount and old feuds are brought to light. Could Quinn have hired the only catering company in Georgia that throws in a murder on the side?
Death by Baguette by Jennifer Alderson
Travel Can Be Murder Mystery #2
Publication Date: February 14, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Paris—the city of love, lights … and murder? Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to France! Unfortunately it will be the last trip for one passenger…
Lana Hansen’s future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend. Regrettably she won’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her new beau, Chad. Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France. Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her.
Things go downhill when Lana’s new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour—with his wife. Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.
After Chad drops dead during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, a persistent French detective becomes convinced that he was poisoned. And the inspector’s sights are set on several members of the tour—including Lana!
While escorting her group through the cobblestone streets of Montmartre, the grand gardens of Versailles, and the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges market, Lana must figure out who really killed Chad before she has to say bonjour to prison and adieu to her freedom.
Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.
Second Chance Magic by Michelle M. Pillow
Order of Magic
Publication Date: February 18, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Women’s Fiction (PWF)
This book is not available for Pre-Order. However, you can go to the author’s site and sign up for a notification when it is live (join her newsletter).
Three years ago Lorna Addams had it all—three beautiful children, an ideal husband, and the perfectly normal life that neighbors envied. With her children launching into adulthood, it should have been the start of the next exciting chapter in her life. But then, there really is no such thing as perfect. When her husband of twenty years unexpectedly died, Lorna’s world was turned upside-down. Being a widow is hard enough, but when a stranger shows up at the funeral also claiming to be Glenn’s wife, Lorna must face a new reality. Her marriage had been a lie and the other wife is entitled to almost everything.
So far, her forties are not what she expected. After the very public embarrassment, she finds it difficult to trust her judgment when it comes to new friendships and dating. She might be willing to give love a second chance when she meets the attractive William Warrick, if only she could come to terms with what her husband did to her and leave it in the past.
How is a humiliated empty nest widow supposed to move on with her life? It’s not like she can develop a sixth sense, séance her dead husband back, and force him to tell her why and give her closure. Or can she?
Authors participating: Michelle M. Pillow, Mandy M. Roth, Robyn Peterman Zahn, Shannon Mayer, K.f. Breene, Darynda Jones, Jana DeLeon, Kristen Shedo, Denise Grover Swank, Eve Langlais, Deanna Chase, Elizabeth Hunter, and Christine Bell.
Look for #PWF on social media to see when the others will be releasing books for this.
Dead to the Last Drop by Tonya Kappes
Killer Coffee #8
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Cozy Southern Mystery
Welcome to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse where the coffee is as hot as the gossip! Roxanne Bloom has always wanted to try her hand at acting and when Loretta Bebe is desperate for someone to fill a role in the local play she’s directing for the Honey Springs Theater Company, she asks Roxy to fill in. Roxy leaps at the chance for big theatrical debut in the charming play about a posh 60 s fur salon and the owner trying to run an honest business while his charming, yet caddish partner, Mr. Browning, is just trying to give a fur coat to his new mistress. When the woman playing the mistress turns up dead the play comes to a complete halt until Sheriff Spencer Shepard lets Loretta reopen after the crime scene is fully swept. In the meantime rumors are swirling like the snowflakes in Honey Springs and Roxy finds that she just can’t stop from hearing the gossip and trying to figure out who killed the amateur actress..after all the show must go on!
Murder at the Marlowe Club by Kate Parker
A Milliner Mystery #2
Publication Date: February 24, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A corpse in a corset. A dangerous gambling den. A perilous path between safety and evil.
London, 1905. Leading milliner Emily Gates’ illegal shortcut through a private park in the rain brought her straight to a scantily clothed corpse. Then her route took her straight into the hands of the indefatigable Lady Kaldaire, who recognized the body as a relative of her longtime friend, the Duchess of Wallingford. Lady Kaldaire blackmailed Emily before to find Lord Kaldaire’s killer. Why not this murderer, too?
Emily has plenty of reasons why not, but finding links between her father’s nefarious family of crooks and conmen and the debauchery of the secretive Marlowe Club involves her in the investigation led by the handsome Inspector Russell of Scotland Yard. Emily discovers more than she expects about the licentious world of the corpse through her aristocratic customers, including Georgia, heroine of the Victorian Bookshop Mysteries, now the Duchess of Blackford.
Are the scandal rags correct, or has the victim been maligned by a mastermind who’ll stop at nothing to gain everything?
This is a historical cozy mystery with no graphic violence, sex, or foul language. Just exciting action, mysterious events, and surprising endings.
Dressed Up 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton
Sophie Kimball Mystery #6
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Last one standing is the winner . . .
The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day—with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard.
The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . . .
Egg Drop Dead by Vivien Chien
A Noodle Shop Mystery #5
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
In the fifth in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop delectable mystery series, Egg Drop Dead, the Ho-Lee Noodle House takes its business to the next level―only to end up in hot water.
It was supposed to be a fancy, intimate dinner party by the pool. Instead, Lana Lee’s first-ever catering event turns into full-course madness when a domestic worker is found dead. Is the party’s host Donna Feng, the sweet-and-sour owner of the Asia Village shopping plaza where Ho-Lee is situated, somehow to blame? That’s what Lana―whose plate is already plenty full with running the restaurant, pleasing her often-disapproving mother, and fretting over her occasionally-serious boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau―must find out.
Before the police arrived at the crime scene, Donna had entrusted an odd piece of evidence to Lana: a thumb drive shaped like a terra-cotta soldier. Now it’s up to Lana to lead her own investigation, digitally and in real life, into a world of secrets involving Donna’s earlier life in China, whether the victim had a dark agenda, and if the killer is still out there. . .and plans to strike again.
Here Comes the Body by Maria DiRico
A Catering Hill Mystery #1
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
After her philandering husband’s boat went down, newly single Mia Carina went back to Astoria, the bustling Queens neighborhood of her youth. Living with her nonna and her oversized cat, Doorstop, she’s got a whole new life—including some amateur sleuthing . . .
Mia is starting work at Belle View, her father’s catering hall, a popular spot for weddings, office parties, and more—despite the planes that occasionally roar overhead on their way to LaGuardia and rattle the crystal chandelier. Soon she’s planning a bachelor party for a less-than-gentlemanly groom. But it goes awry when the gigantic cake is wheeled in and a deadly surprise is revealed . . .
Since some of her family’s associates are on the shady side, the NYPD wastes no time in casting suspicion on Mia’s father. Now, Mia’s going to have to use all her street smarts to keep him out of Rikers Island . . .
Italian recipes included!
Murder in the Irish Cottage by Carlene O’Connor
Irish Village Mystery #5
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
In a remote—and superstitious—village in County Cork, Ireland, Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan must solve a murder where the prime suspects are fairies . . .
Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi’s Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer.
But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Jane frantically calls for his help, Siobhán is at his side as the two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Jane and her mother have recently moved. Unfortunately, tragedy awaits them. They find Jane, who is blind, outside the cottage, in a state. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the mode of death to their trained eyes: the woman has been poisoned and smothered. Someone wanted to make sure she was dead. But who?
Devout believers in Irish folklore, the villagers insist the cottage is cursed—built on a fairy path. It turns out Ellen Delaney was not the first to die mysteriously in this cottage. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhán and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too human—but just as evil . . .
Murder Makes Scents by Christin Brecher
Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery #2
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Stella Wright loves creating candles at her Nantucket store—and she also has a burning passion for justice. Now, after visiting a perfume conference, she must solve a vial crime . . .
Stella and her globe-trotting mom, Millie, have come home from a perfume industry conference in Paris, where their trip was marred by witnessing the stabbing death of a young man. It’s a relief for Stella to be back on her picturesque island, with the comforting company of her cat, Tinker. But lingering danger may have followed them back across the ocean.
After someone breaks into her candle store, the Wick & Flame, Stella starts feeling spooked. And just as things threaten to ignite, Millie suffers a blow to the head. Stella receives an anonymous note claiming that her mother smuggled a secret formula out of France—and threatening her life if it isn’t returned. Now Stella’s picked up the scent of a cold-hearted criminal and an intriguing puzzle, and things are about to get wicked . . .
On the Lamb by Tina Kashian
Kebab Kitchen Mystery #4
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
Lucy Berberian is busy preparing her family’s Mediterranean restaurant for Easter on the Jersey Shore—but a batch of sweets is to die for . . .
Bikers are thundering into the seaside town of Ocean Crest for the annual Bikers on the Beach gathering that raises funds for injured veterans. It’s a big boost for the Kebab Kitchen, as well as for local businesses like Melanie Haven’s candy shop. But Melanie is about to find herself in a sticky situation.
When Melanie and Lucy attend a beach bonfire, a local landlord is found dead after apparently choking on a piece of salt water taffy. Melanie, who was known to have a contentious relationship with the victim, is quickly skewered as the prime suspect. But Lucy is determined to prove her friend’s innocence before the real killer coasts free . . .
Recipes included!
Stayin’ Alive by Julie Mulhern
The Country Club Murders #10
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Springtime. Love is in the air. So is murder.
When Ellison Russell, reluctant finder of bodies, chairs a gala in conjunction with the museum’s Chinese funerary exhibit, she expects disaster. So, she’s not remotely surprised when a body turns up.
Ellison is willing to leave the investigation to the police till an attempt is made on her life.
Now she’s juggling evading a killer, her aunt’s overly-amorous beau, her dog’s new love interest, and Mother’s displeasure.
With bodies piling up, if Ellison’s not careful, staying alive might be impossible.
Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail by Jodi Rath
The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series #3
Publication Date: February 28, 2020
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Welcome to Leaven—oh wait—Santo Domingo, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!
Family bombshells, sibling rivalries, blackmail, and a trip that could be deadly…and the new year has only just begun! After a disastrous Thanksgiving, Jolie Tucker is beside herself and feeling the walls closing in around her. She feels like she needs to escape Leavensport before she loses her mind. She unexpectedly gets her wish when her best friend and co-owner of Cast Iron Creations, Ava Martinez, gets a terrifying email revealing that her papa, Thiago, is in danger in Santo Domingo. The girls are off on a dangerous adventure in new territory. Will they be able to save the day before danger finds them?
Well, that’s it for the Upcoming Releases for February 2020
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
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