Holiday romance, cozy mysteries, royal drama, reimagined gods, and fake dating hijinks! This week has it ALL!
If you're looking to cozy up with a great book as the year winds down, the December 2nd release lineup is overflowing with options. Whether you're in the mood for swoony holiday second-chances, steamy shifter tension, reimagined mythology, or sharp and twisty historical fiction, this week’s new releases deliver the perfect end-of-year reading pile.
Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Austen-Inspired / Women’s Fiction
When history-loving Olivia Bennett loses her teaching job, she temporarily moves to a small English village to care for her grandmother. Working at Hartbury Hall once used as Pemberley in a Pride & Prejudice adaptation should be a dream… except the brusque head gardener, Liam Browne, is nothing like a romantic hero. As buried tragedies and lingering secrets surface, Liv discovers appearances aren’t everything and love often blooms where you least expect it.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- A modern Austen-esque romance without feeling like a retread
- Grumpy/sunshine with a deeply emotional core
- English estate charm + family secrets
- Perfect for fans of Mary Ann Shaffer and Tessa Bailey’s softer books
The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Shifters / Steamy
Contractor Tess Covington comes to Denver expecting a renovation job not a medical revelation. She isn’t sick… she’s a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her wolf threatening to go into heat and an alpha named Hunter desperate to save his failing lodge, the two agree to avoid each other. Naturally, that lasts about five minutes.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Classic Ferguson tension with paranormal heat
- Alpha/omega dynamics without toxic tropes
- Forced proximity at a snowy mountain lodge
- Perfect for fans of A Deal With the Elf King and The Dead Romantics
Fallen Gods by Rachel Van Dyken
Genre: Mythology Retelling / Romance Fantasy / Norse
Museum curator Liv Olson travels to Norway for her dream job and to uncover what happened to her missing brother. But the isolated town of Vonn hides gods, curses, monsters, and one infuriatingly gorgeous man who might be destined to kill her… or save her.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Norse mythology meets dark academia
- Slow-burn enemies-to-lovers with lethal tension
- A moody, atmospheric setting full of secrets
- For fans of A Fate Inked in Blood and Lore
Canticle by Janet Edwards
Genre: Historical Fiction / Feminist / Medieval
Set in 13th-century Bruges, Canticle follows Aleys, a strong-willed teen forced into an unwanted marriage. When she escapes to a Beguine community women living independently outside church control she discovers faith, rebellion, and found family as political and spiritual forces close in.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Subversive, feminist medieval fiction
- A vivid look at Beguine life, mysticism & community
- A heroine torn between desire, devotion & autonomy
- Perfect for fans of Matrix and The Name of the Rose
Dawn of the Fire Bird by Sarah Mughal Rana
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Military Fantasy / Magic
Khamilla, daughter of a fallen emperor, infiltrates an enemy jinn-filled academy to avenge her clan. As she rises through brutal contests and mystical training, she uncovers truths that shatter everything she believed—forcing her to choose between vengeance or the future.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- High-stakes battles, magic, and martial arts
- A morally complex heroine forged in fire
- Academy politics + imperial intrigue
- For fans of The Poppy War and She Who Became the Sun
Persephone’s Curse by [Author]
Genre: Speculative Fantasy / Gothic / Sisterhood
The Farthing sisters grew up believing they’re descended from Persephone and the ghost living in their attic doesn't hurt the theory. But when one sister falls for the ghost and another banishes him, they must confront gods, curses, and the haunting truth of their lineage.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Moody mythology with a modern twist
- Sisters, secrets, ghosts, and feminine power
- Gorgeous, lyrical speculative writing
- Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor & Melissa Albert
The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea
Genre: Romantic Comedy / Fake Dating / Workplace
Andi leads a double life: PA to the Prime Minister’s wife by day, secret romance novelist by night. When her book goes viral and rumors swirl about her and the PM, she ropes in the last man she ever expected, the bodyguard she once had a one-night-stand disaster with, for a fake dating plan.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Fake dating + forced proximity + unresolved tension
- Spice, humor, and political chaos
- Second-chance romance done right
- Perfect for fans of Set on You and Red, White & Royal Blue
Protect by Paisley Hope
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Second Chance / Emotional
Rowan “King” Kingsley limps into a pub and right back into the life of Violette the one he loved, left, and never forgot. She’s a nurse, a single mom, and determined to avoid men like him. But some second chances don’t knock… they crash.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Big emotions + small-town healing
- Burn-unit proximity + past heartbreak
- Single mom heroine with grit
- For fans of Catherine Cowles & Devney Perry
Duke (Lucky River Ranch #4) by Jessica Peterson
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance
A standalone cowboy romance loaded with heat, healing, and heart. Duke brings more ranch drama, found family, and Bloom Books steam.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Broody cowboy + fierce heroine
- Small-town vibes with high heat
- Standalone with satisfying emotional arc
- For fans of Elsie Silver
Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal
Genre: Steamy Romantic Comedy
Stella’s attempt to lose her virginity at a sex club goes sideways and then the man she walked away from shows up at work as her boss’s brother. With tension everywhere and her job on the line, they strike a no-feelings deal… that falls apart immediately.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Sex-positive, hilarious, heartfelt
- Workplace chaos + opposites attract
- Excellent bisexual rep
- For fans of Talia Hibbert & Christina Lauren
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
Genre: Royal Romance / Women’s Fiction
On New Year’s Day, Lexi learns her father and brother have died and she is now next in line for the British throne. Torn between her medical career and duty, she has one year to choose her future… and maybe reclaim an old love.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- “Accidental princess” trope
- Grief, growth & royal politics
- A love triangle between duty, desire & identity
- Perfect for fans of The Royal We
The Grimm Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara
Genre: Cozy Fantasy Mystery
Nora works for the grim reapers literally cataloging causes of death. But when she finds her twin brother’s name in the system, she steals the file and runs. Every time she saves him, a new death appears. Someone wants him gone.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Cozy mystery with supernatural flair
- Sibling devotion + gallows humor
- A parrot sidekick (!?)
- For fans of Grave Reservations
My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Genre: Historical Fiction / Heist / Feminist
A fake duchess and a magician’s assistant infiltrate the Gilded Age elite to swindle five robber barons. Glamour, danger, and female friendship power this glittering long-con.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Oceans 8 meets Edith Wharton
- Schemes, gowns, and dangerous men
- Sharp commentary & delicious drama
- For fans of The Confidence Game & The Heiress
The Italian Secret by Tara Moss
Genre: Historical Mystery / Post-War Fiction
A dusty file in Billie Walker’s PI office sends her from Sydney to Naples, digging into her father’s past and uncovering dangerous enemies who never forgot his name.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Lush post-war Italy setting
- Secrets, tunnels, and old enemies
- A glamorous, sharp heroine
- For fans of Kate Quinn & Rhys Bowen
Love Me, Stalk Me by Laura Bishop
Genre: Dark Romantic Comedy / Tech Thriller Romance
Izzy vents her fantasies into an AI boyfriend app… unaware her coworker Cal hacked her phone and is receiving every message. When danger closes in, Cal is ready to “protect” her no matter what she thinks about it.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Parasocial chaos + obsession
- Dark humor with surprisingly soft moments
- The line between creepy and romantic blurred on purpose
- For fans of You and The AI Who Loved Me
When the Fireflies Dance by Aisha Hassan
Genre: Literary Fiction / Based on a True Story
Six-year-old Lalloo witnesses his brother’s murder in Lahore. Working in deadly brickyards, he must find the courage to break free and save his family from bonded labor.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Brave, heartbreaking, and luminous
- Social justice + hope
- A perfect book club pick
- For fans of Khaled Hosseini
Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty
Genre: Thriller / Conspiracy / Political
A disgraced agent and a Jesuit professor team up to uncover the truth about JFK’s assassination unaware that the cabal behind it is still alive and watching.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Lightning-fast plotting
- Dig-your-nails-in tension
- Alternate-history conspiracy done right
- For fans of The Da Vinci Code
Huguette by Cara Black
Genre: Historical Fiction / WWII Aftermath
Traumatized, orphaned, and pregnant, Huguette flees to a convent in 1945 France but finds danger waiting. As she fights to rebuild her life, she weaves through black markets, film studios, and the ghosts of her past.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Gritty post-Liberation France
- Complex heroine surviving impossible odds
- Secrets, reinvention & resilience
- For fans of Kristin Hannah
The Happiness Collector by Crystal King
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy / Myth-Inspired
Historian Aida lands a dream job in Italy, until every place she researches mysteriously disappears or suffers tragedy. Caught between gods at war, she must uncover why she was chosen to collect happiness… and what the gods intend to do with it.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Lush Italian settings + mythological mystery
- Slow-burn romance with a brooding colleague
- Dark academia meets magical realism
- Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab
Yours for the Season by Emily Stone
Genre: Holiday Romance / Fake Dating / Second Chance
Melanie’s terrible year ends with her ex asking her to fake date him for Christmas in Scotland. She agrees—on one condition: at the end of the week, she gets to dump him in front of his whole family. Easy… until old feelings make things complicated.
📌 Why you’ll love it:
- Scottish Highlands + holiday magic
- Fake dating with emotional depth
- Revenge plan turned heart-melter
- For fans of Always, in December
Final Thoughts
Whether you're closing out the year with festive feels, mythological monsters, or modern-day fairy tales, the December 2nd drop is stacked. There are royal scandals, reformed con women, dangerous secrets, and more than one very messy fake relationship.
Let us know in the comments:
👉 What’s your most anticipated book this week?
👉 Are you leaning cozy, chaotic, or full-on fantasy?
