Books Publishing this Week

Books Publishing the Rest of This Month: December 10 - 31

I want to note that I do not get paid to do these posts, I just love authors and the book industry. However, they do take time and energy to create. If you want to donate a few dollars to my coffee fund, which keeps this blog going, you can do so here: https://venmo.com/AshleyHasty or here: http://paypal.me/hastybooklist.

Imagine this:

As the chill of the December evening envelops you, there's an irresistible allure to cozy up with a good book. The soft glow of twinkling holiday lights casts a warm ambiance, creating a haven of comfort in your living room. The world outside may be frosty and silent, but inside, the atmosphere is filled with the promise of literary adventure.

You find your favorite reading nook, perhaps a well-worn armchair or a plush blanket on the sofa. The flickering flames of a crackling fire dance in the fireplace, casting a gentle warmth that permeates the room. The scent of pine from the holiday decorations mingles with the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of tea or cocoa, creating a sensory symphony that heightens the anticipation of the evening ahead.

As you settle into your chosen spot, you reach for the book that has been patiently waiting on your shelf. Its cover, adorned with a wintry scene or a festive touch, holds the promise of a captivating escape. The weight of the book in your hands is comforting, a tangible portal to another world. The sound of pages turning adds a soothing cadence to the symphony of the crackling fire and the occasional distant jingle of holiday bells.

You open the book, and as the first words unfold, you are transported into a different realm. It might be a snowy landscape where characters embark on magical adventures or a cozy small town where holiday miracles unfold. The author's words weave a tapestry of emotions, and you find yourself immersed in a world of imagination and wonder.

Outside, the snow may be falling softly, blanketing the world in a serene quietude. The rhythmic tap of snowflakes against the windowpane becomes a gentle background melody to your reading experience. The world beyond your book seems to fade away as you lose yourself in the narrative, the characters becoming companions in the solitude of the evening.

The glow of the holiday lights creates a soft halo around you, enhancing the enchantment of the moment. Perhaps a festive blanket wraps you in its warmth, adding an extra layer of coziness to the experience. The subtle scent of cinnamon and evergreen from nearby candles enhances the sensory cocoon, making the act of reading not just a mental escape but a full-bodied indulgence.

As you turn each page, you savor the journey, relishing the exquisite combination of a well-crafted story and the comforting embrace of your cozy surroundings. The world outside may be busy with holiday preparations and festivities, but in this quiet sanctuary, time seems to slow down, allowing you to fully savor the magic of the season.

And so, on this first evening of your December holiday, you find solace and joy in the simple yet profound act of getting lost in a good book. The outside world can wait, for now, as you navigate the realms of fiction, letting the words on the pages transport you to places unknown and stories untold.

Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading.

I Didn't Know I Needed This by Eli Rallo

From TikTok star Eli Rallo, an irreverent, laugh-out-loud funny, and searingly honest take on modern dating and romance with tips, tricks, and survival-guide style rules.

I Didn’t Know I Needed This is the dose of confidence every girl needs to live their life on their own terms. Eli Rallo is a social media superstar, a Carrie Bradshaw for the TikTok age, a true romantic at heart, and the best friend every young woman wishes she had. As someone who prides herself in feeling fully and deeply, Eli is on the ride with you, kissing the frogs, sending (and deleting) the risky DMs, climbing down frat house gutters, making the friends you’ll have for life, all while finding love and falling in love with yourself and learning that everything will be alright. In this earnest and vulnerable look at what it’s really like to date as a young woman in the modern world of dating apps, rotating rosters, and social media snafus, Eli gives her rules for each stage of the game—tried and true tricks of the trade.

I Didn't Know I Needed This follows the natural lifecycle of dating, starting with being single, flirting, and navigating the apps to going on dates, having sex, falling in love, and managing relationships, to finally dealing with heartbreak, finding closure, prioritizing your friends, and honoring your life. Discover the rules that have worked for her, and garnered her more than a half million TikTok followers:

prep for a first date like an athlete before a big game
try a person out in different settings before committing to them
plan the second date while you’re out on the first
find your perfect “eff me sweater”
flirt with your partner, no matter how long you’ve been together
give yourself a set mourning period to wallow after a breakup, and then stick to it
always (always!) communicate your needs, wants, desires, and boundaries
find little ways to love your life and treat yourself
With touching stories of her own adventures and mishaps, Eli helps you navigate dating in a way that’s frank, honest, funny, and relatable, giving the advice that you didn’t even know you needed.

Seven Minutes in Candyland by Brian Wasson

Sophomore Kalvin Shmelton has finally perfected his underground candy-selling hustle at school. He keeps his prices reasonable, his inventory fresh, and himself out of the drama. But when a heartbroken Sterling Glistern—Kal’s longtime crush—barges into the storage closet where he keeps his candy supply, a new source of income unexpectedly presents itself: relationship therapist. He only meant to help Sterling realize she’s dating a jerk—and maybe win her over—but news spreads fast that Kalvin’s not just the master of sweets…but hearts, too! And as the son of two famous therapists, he leans into this newfound reputation and the money that comes with it.

The truth, however, is that Kalvin’s parents’ “perfect” marriage is crumbling. He was supposed to woo the girl of his dreams, fix his parents’ relationship, and lend a listening ear to a school full of heartbroken teens. But a jealous boyfriend, a vengeful competitor, and Kalvin’s own growing ego threaten those plans, forcing Kal to rethink all he thought he knew about friendship, family, and love.

Housebroke by Jaci Burton

A millionaire and a woman who thinks he's a house flipper are stuck living in a house together with a menagerie of rescue dogs as roommates, in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.

After her ex took all their money and bailed, Hazel Bristow is left broke and homeless. A kind friend whose home is on the market lets Hazel and her foster dogs stay there until it sells. It’s the perfect setup, until her friend forgets to tell Hazel she’s sold the house.


Linc Kennedy is shocked to find Hazel and her pups squatting in the house he just bought, but after some negotiating—she offers to cook amazing meals for him in return for a paycheck—he agrees to let her remain while he’s renovating the place. Linc tells Hazel he’s an investor who renovates homes for fun—he just leaves out the part about being wealthy.


Hazel’s intrigued by Linc. He’s funny, sweet, ridiculously hot, and loves dogs almost as much as she does. But her track record with men? Not great. She worries her trust meter isn’t in working order.


Linc’s never met anyone like the quirky beauty who puts everyone’s needs—human and canine—before her own. He didn’t tell her about his wealth because he’s been burned by women who only wanted him for his money. But with Hazel, he’s never felt more like himself. Now he has to figure out how to tell her the truth without losing her. Because Linc realizes what he feels for her isn't puppy love—it's true love.

Game On by Seressia Glass

Samara Reynolds has built a large following as a gamer under an anonymous screenname, and uses her skills as a DEIA consultant to advocate for equal representation in video games. When she posted a video critiquing the popular game Legendsfall, she knew she’d get a reaction from her fans, but the video leads to hundreds of female gamers critiquing the game and its company, Artemis Games. The only thing more unexpected than starting an online movement is getting a job offer from the handsome CEO of Artemis.

Aron Galanis has been on a mission to get his company certified to create gaming content for people with disabilities. When he sees Artemis trending online for all the wrong reasons, he’s determined to right his wrongs and offers the originator a mea culpa, as well as a job offer to overhaul the character options in Legendsfall.

Working together turns Aron and Samara from adversaries into allies, allies into friends, and after that—something more. But once their relationship goes public, will Aron and Samara be able to weather the storm and fight for their happy ending, or is it game over?

The Stage Kiss by Amelia Jones

In this slow-burn yet highly combustible enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Abby Jimenez, two stage actors find themselves falling for each other with each onstage kiss...against their better judgment.

Actress Eden Blake’s biggest claim to fame is a mortifying pharmaceutical commercial for male enhancement pills. That is, until the female lead on the nationwide tour of Broadway’s hit Pride & Prejudice musical abruptly quits, and Eden is called up to fill the role.

The cast of Liz and Darcy: The Musical has just settled into a three-week run in Washington, DC, and Broadway royalty Brennon Thorne is set to play Darcy. Despite Brennon’s reputation as being “a dream to work with,” Eden’s first impression of him is more like a nightmare. Now, she’ll have to kiss the pompous jerk eight shows per week.

Brennon can’t disguise his disdain for understudies like Eden. But New York is filled with reminders of his most recent failed relationship, and this American tour is a much-needed distraction from his loneliness. As Eden and Brennon take the stage playing Jane Austen’s most memorable characters, their reality begins to mirror Elizabeth and Darcy’s—explosive chemistry and all. Together, they power through press performances and curtain calls, even as rumors of Brennon’s checkered romantic past resurface and prove to Eden that he can’t be trusted.

But with each choreographed stage kiss, Eden and Brennon’s passion for the stage—and each other—ignites. Maybe, just maybe, not all rumors are to be believed—and not all showmances are doomed to fail.

Letters I'll Never Send: An Anthology edited by Jackie Bluu

Letter's I'll Never Send is a compilation of first-person narratives, including letters, personal essays, poems, diary entries, postcards, and other genre-bending literary works, written by women or those who identify as such. This anthology captures us in our most fragile state and spotlights emotional ties or human experiences that we have all encountered, such as grief, trauma, family bonding, self-reflection, love, regret, and more.

Showcasing our individual journeys and varying circumstances, Letters I'll Never Send reveals how similar our lives actually are, and how we can combine our common experiences to form intangible and resonant connections, no matter the difference in age, location, gender, race or identity.

Coming to Find You by Jane Corry

A heart-stopping psychological thriller about a woman running from the aftermath of a gruesome family tragedy--and also from the truth about her part in it. For fans of Gillian McAllister's Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell.

You can run away from your life . . . but you can't hide from murder.

Nancy's mother and stepfather have been brutally killed, and after a trial that gripped the nation, her stepbrother has been convicted of the double murders. But the end of the trial is just the beginning of a new nightmare for Nancy: the press is rabid, certain that Nancy isn't the grieving daughter she's presenting to the world. In fact, they believe that she knows more than she's telling about that night at the farmhouse.

Grief-stricken, Nancy flees to the Cornish seaside, to her grandmother's secluded inn, Tall Chimneys, to escape the media circus and scrutiny.

Finally alone, save for a few neighbors who keep to themselves, Nancy is relieved. But she soon realizes that Tall Chimneys holds many dark secrets . . . and that she is holding the biggest one of all.

What really happened that night at the farmhouse? And what will Nancy have to do to keep the truth hidden?

Happily Ever Alaska by Patience Griffin

Lolly Crocker keeps a warm bakery in her chilly Alaskan town, but can she handle the rekindling of an old flame?

Whenever things get too serious, baker Lolly Crocker knows it’s time to break it off with a guy. Without fail, her gut will tell her that the man she's dating wis not Mr. Right.

The one exception was Shaun Montana, her high school sweetheart. With Shaun, life felt complete; but her mother convinced her she was too young to be tied down, and Lolly broke up with him the night before she left for college.

While Lolly keeps every relationship light, Shaun is never less than fully committed—and still somehow his romances have all ended badly. When he comes back to Sweet Home, his attraction to Lolly is as fiery as ever, but he's determined to keep things casual for once...just when Lolly is finally ready to risk her heart on a second chance.

The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski

A wealthy family's vacation at their lush winery estate becomes a weekend to kill for in this deliciously twisted locked-room-style novel for fans of Lucy Foley, Sally Hepworth, Liane Moriarty, and The White Lotus

Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their lush winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.

With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?

When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…