What does one do at 2:00 in the morning when you can’t go back to sleep? I’m sure for most, the answer is not to create individual reading folders on Goodreads, but this my friends, is exactly what I found myself doing recently. I fell down this rabbit hole of wanting to see what 2020 releases I had to look forward to. The results? Let’s just say while 2019 was a pretty awesome year for romance releases, I think 2020 is going to come even harder! I am so excited and wanted to share a few titles to put on your radar!
Releasing on January 28th from Gallery books is the final installment in the Central Park Pact series by Lauren Layne, Marriage on Madison Avenue. This gives you plenty of time to read the previous two books in the series if you haven’t already. The gist of this series is in book one, we meet all three of our heroines who learn they have all been carrying on relationships with the same gentleman who has recently passed away. Marriage on Madison Avenue follows Audrey and is a friends to lovers/fake engagement romance with her childhood friend Clarke, that I just know to my core is going to be a solid conclusion to an amazing series.
Releasing February 4th from Harlequin is Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee. This COVER! I swoon every time I look at it, with the hero standing there all confidently gazing into the eyes of the heroine. Temporary Wife Temptation is a fake engagement romance between Garrett and Natalie. Garrett is close to taking over his family’s L.A. based fashion empire and both he and Natalie are in positions where they need a fake spouse; in Garrett’s case, it’s so his Mom doesn’t pick a bride for him.
Another amazing February 4th release I’m excited about is Mia Sosa’s The Worst Best Man from Avon which is the romance between Carolina and Max. Carolina is this very big deal wedding coordinator in Washington D.C. who was once upon a time a bride who found herself left at the altar. Her ex-fiancé? Max’s brother. Cool, right? Not. Apparently, Max had something to do with his brother leaving her there. When both Carolina and Max find themselves needing to take a professional opportunity that neither of them can pass up, they go for it. Oh, you know there is a catch! These two have to work together. Sounds like it’s going to be an enemies to lovers, romantic comedy between star crossed lovers that I am very excited for!
A list of releases wouldn’t be a list of releases without whatever the queen-duo, Christina Lauren has releasing that year! On March 24th from Gallery Books, the Queens will be blessing our reading lives with The Honey-Don’t List. I was sold at: big famous home renovation couple who secretly can’t stand each other! This isn’t their romance however! (How dare we think CLo would stop there!) The romance is between their assistants, Carey and James who have to tag along with the couple during their upcoming book tour to ensure their crazy marriage doesn’t explode for the world to find out. I am counting down the days for this release.
Do we deserve another Helen Hoang romance? Regardless of if we do or not, she is giving us one! The Heart Principle releases May 4th from Berkley. This is the romance between Quan and Anna, and let me preface all of this with saying: this romance sounds like it is going to take us on a ride that I can’t contain my excitement for! Quan has found himself smitten with Anna’s sister, Camilla, who is recently engaged. Anna will have to work through her OCD and anxieties in an attempt to seduce Quan and get his mind off her sister. Sounds like along with Camilla’s engagement is also a big real estate development deal. This sounds like drama that Helen Hoang is going to have us totally sucked into as she unravels the story and ties everything together perfectly!
Coming May 12th from Forever is The Trouble With Hating You by Sajni Patel. This is the romance between Liya and Jay. Liya is a biochemical engineer who arrives at her parents’ home for dinner one night and walks straight into the trap of meeting the guy they want her to marry. What does one very smart girl who isn’t up for this scenario do? She flees, out the backdoor! The following week Liya is at work, and guess who strolls in as the newly hired lawyer, hired to help her company? You guessed it! The guy she left at her parents’ dinner table. I love a good workplace romance, and with the rocky start Liya and Jay had, I’m excited for the good time I just know this book is going to bring!
Releasing May 26th from Avon is the first book in a new series by the Queen, Alyssa Cole. How To Catch A Queen is book one in her new Runaway Royals series and follows Shanti and Sanyu who are a married couple due to a recent arranged marriage. Unfortunately, it sounds as though Sanyu’s kingdom isn’t very accepting of Shanti, and by day the two live completely separate lives. At night though, Sanyu bows down to his Queen’s needs of passion and politics. Something crazy happens in the kingdom which causes Shanti to flee, leaving Sanyu to have to figure out if he’s able to both rule his kingdom and catch his queen. I’m so ready!
Lastly, coming out June 9th, I am super excited for The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon from Forever. This one kicks off with a disastrous tweet going live which lets Samiah and three other women know they have all three been catfished by the same guy. These three ladies become close friends and decide to spend the next six months with no dating but instead, investing in themselves. Samiah uses this time to get an app off the ground that she’s been working on. What happens when a girl decides she is going to focus on herself and her business? Someone who seems too good to be true enters the picture. In Samiah’s case; this is Daniel! The Boyfriend Project is going to be an amazing way for us to kick off our summer reading! I can’t wait for its release.
There are many, many more romances releasing in 2020 that I could have added to this list. Trust me, as I continue scouring the internet for what else is coming, I will definitely be back with more! Let us know what you are excited for. I wanted to keep this list strictly contemporary. I didn’t even get into subgenres, but I see you Beverly Jenkins and Sarah Maclean with new historical titles coming out! Romance authors are going to be treating us so well in the new year.
