The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2024, Week 1’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Culinary Mystery, YA Fantasy Romance, MG Greek Mythology, YA Fantasy, MG Fantasy, Cozy Animal Mystery, Thriller, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Sweet Holiday Romance.
It’s the New Year! How are we doing so far in this brand-new year? I have a lot of things planned for the blog this year, and I’m hoping to get them all done. My resolution for this year will be to get ahead in my reading. What are your plans, resolutions, or goals for this year? Also, I’m sorry that this is coming out late.
I have found some interesting books for this week, and sadly, none of them we will be reading.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 1 of 2024!
A Crust to Die For by Toni LoTempio
Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery #2
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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Food critic and blogger Tiffany Austin investigates a murder at a pizza baking contest in her Southern home town in this second instalment of the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mystery.
The Bon-Appetempting Pizza Bake-Off has the small town of Branson, Georgia buzzing. Not least its organizer, Southern Style‘s food critic and blogger Tiffany Austin. But right before the finals one of the celebrity judges falls ill, and to Tiffany’s horror the magazine replaces him with none other than handsome TV star and restaurateur Bartholomew Driscoll.
Tiffany once gave his restaurant a poor review, and she’s convinced he’s only accepted the job to get revenge. She fully expects Driscoll will find a way to ruin the contest . . . but she definitely doesn’t expect to trip over his dead body backstage!
Soon, it’s clear Tiffany wasn’t the only person who had less than positive feelings towards the sharp-tongued Driscoll. She’s surrounded by suspects – but which of the motley crew of contestants, family members and scorned friends and colleagues had the guts to commit murder?
With the help of her BFF Hilary and annoyingly handsome detective Bartell, and with cat Lily and puppy Cooper as emotional support, Tiffany investigates, only to discover that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold . . .
A Crust to Die For is an appetizing culinary cozy for fans of Joanne Fluke, Lucy Burdette, Krista Davis and Jenn McKinlay. Lovers of smart, savvy female sleuths, twisty mysteries and mouth-watering food shouldn’t miss it!
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
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In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.
Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.
But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more―until an anonymous gossip columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.
Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.
Courtesy of Cupid by Nashae Jones
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: MG Greek Mythology
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In this middle grade rom-com sprinkled with a dash of magic, a girl uses her newfound ability to make people fall in love to sabotage her rival.
Erin Johnson’s thirteenth birthday unfolds like any other day, from her mom’s quirky and embarrassing choice of outfit to racing her nemesis, Trevor Jin, to the best seat in class—front row, center. But her gifts this year include something very out of the ordinary: magical powers.
Erin discovers her mysterious father is actually the love god Cupid and she’s inherited his knack for romance. It’s not the most useful ability for an overachiever with lofty academic and extracurricular goals…or is it? Erin desperately wants to be elected president of the Multicultural Leadership Club, and as usual, Trevor is her fiercest competition. He’s never backed down from a challenge before, but if Erin makes him fall in love with her, maybe he’d drop out of the race and let her win.
With her magical pedigree, wrapping Trevor around her finger is a snap, and having him around all the time is a small price to pay for victory. But without their cutthroat rivalry bringing out the worst in each other, Erin realizes Trevor may not be as bad as she thought, and suddenly her first foray into love gets a lot more complicated…
Sky’s End by Marc J. Gregson
Above the Black #1
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy
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Plummet into a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must claw his way to the top in this thrilling YA fantasy debut
Exiled to live as a Low, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous gorgantauns, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.
Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, gains a fresh recruit with Conrad. Now he must endure vigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final test that yields riches and status to whichever skyship crew kills the most gorgantauns. Forced to serve in the lowest of stations and unseen by all, Conrad overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now.
Grab your copy of Book One of the Above the Black trilogy today! This fast-paced series is reminiscent of Attack on Titan and will appeal to fans of Pierce Brown. It’s a great pick for those who love action-adventure.
The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: MG Fantasy
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Dark secrets and unnatural magic abound when a twelve-year-old girl ventures into a bog full of monsters to break a mysterious curse.
Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).
But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.
Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late.
The Dog Across the Lake by Krista Davis
Paws and Claws Mystery #9
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
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Holly and Trixie meet a strange new dog in Wagtail that leads them right into murder. . . .
Holly Miller is looking forward to finally taking a few days to relax. Enjoying an early morning on her terrace, she spots an unfamiliar reddish-gold pooch across the lake. She’s intrigued, but never expects to find the very same dog smiling at her in bed when she wakes up the next morning! Trixie and Twinkletoes appear to accept this cute stranger, but Holly doesn’t know to whom he belongs.
Oma thinks the dog looks familiar, and it turns out the wayward pooch belongs to Holly’s cousin Josh. Holly knew her cousin well as a child, but she hasn’t seen him in over a decade. He’s camping with his girlfriend across the lake. Holly returns the cute dog to Josh’s campsite twice, but the second time, Josh and his girlfriend are nowhere to be found. Instead, a guest of the Sugar Maple Inn is dead in their tent. Now it’s up to Holly and Trixie to suss out a sneaky killer.
The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: Thriller
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What if you’re the only one who believes your son is missing? A chilling, twisty psychological suspense novel, perfect for fans of Laura Dave and Gillian Flynn.
Maggie Lawson is the smart, capable dean of a boutique college, but even the most confident mother has a weakness – her child. When Maggie can’t reach her college senior son, Aiden, to tell him that his father has been shot, she starts to panic. She texts. She calls.
Is Aiden ghosting her, or have the dangerous stories Aiden’s father, her investigative journalist ex-husband, pursues finally brought trouble to her door? Maggie is sure that something is very wrong, but no one believes her. As dark events unfold, she must rely on her own investigative instincts to find Aiden. But when Maggie uncovers a devastating secret, she faces a race against time to save him.
Witching on the Job by Amanda M. Lee
Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery #13
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
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Hadley Hunter came to Moonstone Bay to find herself. That included finding her passion in life. She just didn’t think it would involve becoming mayor.
She has no qualifications, other than being a powerful witch.Half the town is rooting against her.
The other half is just sitting back to see what happens.
Only a handful of people are rooting for her, but they’re the only ones who matter.
When a body appears on the beach, one that’s been stabbed in the back and surrounded by curse runes in blood, Hadley finds her attention split. She might be the new mayor, but she’s also interested in what killed a former member of the power-hungry DDA.
The investigation involves old grudges, hidden files, a new witch in town, and the island’s biggest secret. Hadley isn’t ready for any of it, but she’s not going to have a choice.
Someone on the island is trying to keep dark information from coming to light, and it’s going to put them all in danger.So, brace yourselves, because the new mayor is about to face a very old problem. Can she solve the case and keep the island safe? That’s anybody’s guess, but the odds are stacked against her.
Dear Mister Silver by Shanna Hatfield
Christmas Letters #2
Publication Date: January 4, 2024
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
He can’t create a miracle, but he can give the gift of love
When heirloom ornament maker Sam Silver receives Erika Esposito’s heartfelt letter, he is deeply moved by her plea for a special ornament for her dying son, Joey. Despite having shut himself off from the world due to his own personal trauma, Sam feels compelled to step out of his shell to help Erika and Joey.
Erika, who has already experienced a profound loss with the unexpected death of her husband, is desperate to bring some joy into Joey’s life as he battles cancer. She reaches out to Sam, unaware that her plea will bring not only hope but also the possibility of finding love again.
Rich in Christmas spirit, Dear Mister Silver offers a tender and heartwarming holiday romance. Sam’s journey as Ornament Guy, crafting heirloom ornaments as a way to rebuild his life, takes on a whole new meaning as he pours his heart into creating a special ornament for Joey. Through his efforts, Sam not only brings joy to a little boy but also discovers the wonder of opening his heart to love.
Filled with warmth and touching moments, this story reminds readers of the magic that shimmers in acts of kindness, and how love and hope can be the greatest gifts of the holiday season.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 1 of 2024
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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