Going to Book Bonanza 2023 was a dream come true! I first found out about the event in 2021 when I decided to google “romance book conferences” to figure out if such a thing exists in the universe and I was certainly pleasantly surprised to find out there’s so many to choose from. I really liked the concept of Book Bonanza and the fact that they donate proceeds to various charities. Founded by best selling author Colleen Hoover and her sisters, Book Bonanza is an event that connects readers and authors AND gives back. How could I say no to that?! Little did I know at the time, this is a very popular event and tickets sell out like it’s a Taylor Swift concert. When I asked my husband if he would ever go to something like this with me, he first said “uhhh why?” but then once I explained it, he was on board; especially because it was in a city we had yet to actually visit.
There were so many amazing authors and so many wonderful books that I didn’t have time or the capacity to get every single one, but this is a list of a few that I am so excited to crack open and get to reading.
The Burning by Anna Todd
Book 2 of the Brightest Stars series
Life near the army base at Fort Benning, Georgia, might be small, but it’s safe. That suits Karina Fischer just fine. She knows letting anyone get close to her means she could get hurt, and she’s had enough of that in her almost twenty-one years to last a lifetime. The only man she’s ever let in, Kael Martin, betrayed her trust before they could find their way together. She can’t forgive him for what he’s done, but letting go still feels impossible.
Kael Martin’s scars run deep, but the mark Karina left on him is deeper. He can’t get her out of his mind or his heart. He’s ready to start fresh, adjust to civilian life, and build a future outside of the Army―one he hopes could include Karina, because their spark, while it burned, was unforgettable.
Now, just when it seems their world is crumbling and can’t be put back together, circumstances force them to confront what they can’t deny: the volatile, passionate, all-consuming love they can’t live without.
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.
Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.
And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.
The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay
Book 2 of the American Royalty series
Tracey Livesay returns in this seriously sexy sequel to American Royalty , following Duchess and Prince Jameson as they strive to turn their romance into a relationship, beneath the relentless glare of the spotlight. Against all odds, sexy American rapper, Danielle “Duchess” Nelson and brilliant reclusive royal Prince Jameson have fallen in love! They’ve decided to take their relationship public and find a way to make their two worlds coexist. On their terms. Unfortunately, falling in love was the easy part. Jameson and Dani’s love story has made them the most popular royals since Prince John, but that popularity comes with a price. Dani looks forward to signing the deal with a major cosmetics company that will make her skin care line, Mela-Skin, a force in the industry, and finally grant her the control over her life she’s craved since childhood. But the company wants to take advantage of their fame and involve Jameson in Mela-Skin’s marketing campaign. Dani is outraged! Her company has nothing to do with Jameson. After stepping up for the royal family, Jameson yearns to retreat back into academia. But he’s fired when his university raises concerns about his newfound notoriety. And suddenly the queen, initially against the relationship, backtracks, seeking their cooperation when the family is embroiled in yet another scandal.
This isn’t the quiet life Jameson was hoping for. Dani and Jameson truly love each other. But under the scrutiny of the international spotlight, when the doubts, compromises, and secrets begin to take their toll, will their love be enough?
The Unwanted Marriage by Catharina Maura
Book 3 of the Windsors series
Faye is the last woman Dion Windsor wants to be near, let alone marry… yet there’s no escaping the alluring pianist he’s been engaged to since they were children.
For years, he made his unwillingness known, but his attempts to keep Faye at a distance fade to dust at the sight of her with another man — mere months before their wedding.
One look at her, and he realises he’s done running. Time is up, and whether she likes it or not, she’s his.
Or she could be, if the secrets he keeps didn’t hold the power to destroy her.
Sweater Weather by Mandi Beck
Book 2 of the Fulton University Hockey series
Sweater Weather [ swet-er weth-er]
Noun: A slang term meaning hockey season used exclusively by the Fulton University hockey team and their fans.
Saffron Briggs—Fulton University’s newest pitcher—hates me. I shouldn’t like that fact, but I do. Maybe too much. She claims I’m not her type, which is ridiculous. There’s a reason they call me Levi “Sexy” Sexton…I’m everyone’s type. And thanks to my dad, who just happens to be her softball coach, I’ll get my chance to thaw out the ice queen. I’m her new tutor, so she has no choice but to spend time with me. It may be Sweater Weather, but I’ll make time to show her what a god I am. On and off the ice.
Levi Sexton—captain of the FU hockey team and my new tutor—drives me crazy. The man has zero boundaries. He doesn’t care that I have a boyfriend, that I’m friends with his sisters or that I don’t like him. And I don’t. Not even a little. Not when he’s winking at me from the ice or when he’s telling me how good I look in his hockey sweater and especially not when he’s kissing me, which he absolutely should not be doing.
And definitely not when I find myself kissing him back.
I’m pretty sure Sweater Weather isn’t supposed to be this hot.
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn
Book 3 of the Cane Brothers series
Have you ever heard of a man-in-waiting?
Yeah, neither has my best friend’s soon-to-be monster-in-law. Ooo, sorry, I meant mother-in-law. Nor has she heard of the term, what the bride wants, the bride gets.
With wedding planning underway and a short timeline, my best friend, Lia, has recruited me to help her battle the snarly beast that is Mrs. Beaver. Not scared at all, I accept the challenge as her man-in-waiting–aka, man of honor–and take matters into my own hands.
The only problem is, with every second we draw closer to the wedding, I’m starting to see my best girl in a different light.
She’s always been beautiful to me, but now . . . I find myself staring a touch too long. My hand lingering for one more minute. And when she’s upset? Allowing her to sleep in my bed.
And before I know what’s happening, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I’m in love with my best friend. Not just in love, but infatuated.
No one compares to her and nothing seems to distract me from that realization.
Not the girl I try to date while I help plan Lia’s wedding.
Not her angry fiancé who thinks I’m growing too close.
And not the looming deadline of her nuptials.
Which means, there’s only one thing left for me to do. Prove to Lia I’m the one she should be with instead. But with the pressure of her engagement, the stress from her soon-to-be mother-in-law, and the breath-stealing nerves running through me, I’m finding it a lot harder to claim the girl than I would like to admit.
Say a little prayer for me . . .
Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
Book 2 of the Knockemout series
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
The Potter by Kristy Marie
A brilliant surgeon.
A master sculptor.
The media touted Dr. Potter as a savior dressed in a crisp suit.
I think he’s a vicious madman of jerk-sized proportions.
But fate is a wicked tease.
Only Dr. Potter can give me what I need.
A fresh start.
A new identity.
But he refused, leaving me to take matters into my own hands by accepting a job as his partner’s new secretary.
Dr. Potter can’t turn down my case forever.
Or at least I thought so until I found him on the floor.
Broken.
Angry.
With a venomous warning… I failed to heed.
Flight Risk by Amelia Wilde
When love takes you hostage, what’s the correct fight or flight? Jameson Hill has been a walking crime scene ever since he lost both parents as a teenager. Since then, his life has been one big run-in with the justice system — not that Jameson has ever had any faith in the law. In fact, all he’s ever wanted is to wipe the smile off the face of the thieving judge who stole his family’s inheritance. So when Jameson gets the chance to seize the most powerful bargaining chip of all, he goes all in. Law student Lily Hayes is following determinedly in her grandfather’s footsteps — anything to make sure she doesn’t end up like her flaky, “free-spirited” mother. But when she finds herself the captive of a hot, spontaneous, billionaire with a revenge wish, Lily’s good girl intentions go up in flames. All Jameson has ever wanted was retribution, but every night with this sweetly vulnerable woman is bringing him closer to redemption. And that’s something he just can’t risk, if he’s ever going to set the record straight…
Master of Sin by Sienna Snow
It was always him. The one I shouldn’t want, shouldn’t crave, the one who could destroy my carefully built life.
Hagen Lykaios was the essence of sin, indulgence, and danger – everything I knew to avoid.
All it took was one unexpected touch, and he consumed me, left me begging, needy, and hungry for more.
He said if I entered his world he would corrupt me, own me, and change all that I had ever known…and you know what? I went anyway.