The romance genre is so huge that trying to offer a prepub overview of spring titles is a little like trying to lasso the ocean. So I opted to focus on fresh starts; this features debuting authors and new series. There’s a range here from rough Scottish warriors to perky contemporary couples, but it’s instructive to note that among the 67 entries (including series), fully a third are paranormals. Because Harlequin dominates this genre, I’ve given it a section of its own to close out the list.

DEBUT AUTHORS
Ayers, Sidney. Beauty School Demon. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Jun. 2011. ISBN 9781402251740. pap. $6.99.
When fierce demonic activity arises from beautiful half-succubus Lucy Gregory’s antique chest in a suburban beauty salon, darkly brooding demon Rafe must get things under control. Including his emotions. The next title in the series comes in November.

Bowen, Rhonda. Man Enough for Me. Dafina: Kensington. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780758259561. pap. $14.
Single young African Americans wrestle with life, love, and relationships in this series opener.

Clenney, Anita. Awaken the Highland Warrior. Sourcebooks Casablanca. May 2001. ISBN 9781402251238. pap. $6.99.
Historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently awakens an ancient Scottish warrior who’s been asleep in her backyard for 150 years. He thinks she might be a demon, but they’re both in trouble. This trilogy wraps with titles in November and Spring 2012.

Douglas, Kristina. Raziel. Pocket. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9781439191927. pap. $7.99.
Heroine Allie Watson launches fledgling author Douglas’s “The Fallen” series by stepping in front of a bus—and waking up in a strange place surrounded by fallen angels (note the black wings) who like blood. Why did Raziel save her against orders?

Dreiling, Vicky. How To Marry a Duke. Forever: Grand Central. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9780446565370. pap. $7.99.
Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne, simply wants a wife, but the matchmaker he hires intends to find him true love. In a witty op-ed piece, “Vicky’s Guide To Writing and Publishing a Novel the Accidental Way,” the author explains that she was aiming to write a Regency-era version of The Bachelor.

Duncan, J.N. Deadworld. Kensington. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780758255662. pap. $6.99.
Hardnosed FBI agent Jackie Rutledge wants to check out a serial killer, but her psychic partner warns her that the spirit world is involved. And the prime suspect is a PI who turns out to be…a vampire.

Duvall, Dianne. Darkness Dawns. Zebra: Kensington. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9781420118612. pap. $6.99.
Sarah helps a wounded stranger and finds herself in the midst of a longstanding war between vampires and immortals with a nasty taste for blood. “I’ll love you forever” really means something in the world of where this series opener is set.

Evans, Bronwen. Invitation To Ruin. Brava: Kensington. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780758259196. pap. $14.
A Regency-set historical with England as backdrop, this debut stars a good girl who sets out to seduce her bad-boy husband.

George, Lexi. Demon Hunting in Dixie. Brava: Kensington. May 2011. ISBN 9780758263094. pap. $14.
Demon hunting in Alabama, to be exact. George’s series opener aims for humor.

Grant, Teresa. Vienna Waltz. Kensington. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780758254238. pap. $15.
The setting is the Austrian capital, as the title suggests, and the time is at the close of the Napoleonic Empire, as characters collide in a whirl of lust and ambition.

Harper, Dani. Changeling Moon. Brava: Kensington. Jun. 2011. ISBN 978-0758265142. pap. $14.
Something different in the paranormal world: this series opener features shapeshifters. Lots of action (inevitable, when you’re changing shape, I would guess) and hot sex.

Hart, Regina. Fast Break. Dafina: Kensington. Jun. 2011. ISBN 9780758258816. pap. $6.99.
Here’s a series opener from a new author that blends sports and basketball.

Hogan, Tamara. Taste Me. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9781402246012. pap. $6.99.
Hogan starts off with a sexy urban fantasy romance series that assumes incubi, sirens, valkyries, vampires, and werewolves are among us. Here, incubus security guru Lukas Sebastiani has his hands full protecting rock star Scarlett Fontaine. Look for follow-ups next year.

Irons, Katherine. Seaborne. Brava: Kensington. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780758261403. pap. $14.
Here is probably the only romance you will ever encounter set in the lost city of Atlantis. Paranormal keeps pushing the envelope.

Jayne, Hannah. Under Wraps: The Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles. Kensington. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780758258922. pap. $6.99.
Lucky Sophie Lawson: she has a vampire roommate, a werewolf boss, and a desk job tracking the undead. Urban fantasy at its wackiest; series opener.

McMorris, Kristina. Letters from Home. Kensington. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780758246844. pap. $15.
It’s World War II, and three female friends find both love and heartbreak through the letters they write.

Marlowe, Mia. Touch of a Thief. Brava: Kensington. May 2011. ISBN 9780758263520. pap. $14.
This historical debut, which is set in England, is reputedly hot, heavy, and swiftly paced.

Ramsay, Hope. Welcome to Last Chance. Forever Romance: Grand Central. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780446576093.
With her Nashville dreams up in smoke and bad guys on her trail, Jane has to go somewhere, so she hops a bus and picks the little town of Last Chance as her destination. There she encounters Clay, who’s also on the run from his dreams.

Sloane, Stefanie. The Devil in Disguise. Ballantine May 2011. ISBN 9780345517395. pap. $7.99.
Sloane, Stefanie. The Angel in My Arms. Ballantine Jun. 2011. ISBN 9780345517401. pap. $7.99.
Sloane, Stefanie. The Sinner Who Seduced Me. Ballantine. Jul. 2011. ISBN 9780345517418. pap. $7.99.
Sloane launches her romance career with this “Regency Rogues” trilogy, featuring aristocratic young men, associated with an elite group of government spies called the Young Corinthians, who become entangled with striking but unlikely young woman and…you know the rest! Tidbit: back when, Sloane was one of the first employees of a little Internet startup called…Amazon.

Zanetti, Rebecca. Fated. Brava. Kensington. Mar. 2011. ISBN 978-0758259233. pap. $14.
As a species, vampires are nearly extinct—and only one woman can save them. How’s that for reason for romance!

NEW SERIES
Adair, Cherry. Hush. Pocket Star. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9781439153826. pap. $7.99.
No word yet on plot, but the New York Times best-selling author begins her “Lodestone” series with this book.

Admirand, C.H. Tyler. Sourcebooks Casablanca. March 2011, ISBN 9781402258077. pap. $6.99.
Rancher Tyler Garahan makes ends meet as a male performer at a strip club—where he falls for red-headed bookkeeper Emily. The second book in this trilogy (called, not surprisingly, “The Secret Life of Cowboys”) comes in January 2012.

Bardsley, Michele. Never Again. Signet Eclipse. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780451232755. pap. $7.99.
Best-selling author Bardsley starts off her new paranormal romance series about witches in small-town Texas with this story of Lucinda Rackmore, who’s hiding from her ex-brother-in-law in Nevermore. She gets tough when demons threaten the folks who’ve been so kind to her.

Brennan, Allison. Love Me to Death. Ballantine. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9780345520395. pap. $7.99.
Brennan, Allison. Kiss Me, Kill Me. Ballantine. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780345511690. pap. $7.99.
New York Times best-selling author Brennan returns with a new Lucy Kincaid series, with Lucy aiming for the FBI Academy while liaising with not-by-the-book Seth. Romantic suspense; third in the series to appear in the fall.

Brown, Carolyn. Love Drunk Cowboy. Sourcebooks Casablanca. May 2011. ISBN 9781402253584. $7.99.
Austin wants to dump the watermelon farm she’s just inherited and head back to the urban high life—until she meets her undeniably appealing neighbor, cowboy Rye O’Donnell. First in a cowboy trilogy, with the other titles coming in May and September; there’s a related Christmas novel in October, too.

Dare, Lydia. It Happened One Bite. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9781402245077. pap. $7.99.
Paranormal Regency? See what happens when proper vampire Lord James Maitland and not-so-proper witch Blaire Lindsay get together in a new trilogy; more titles in July and September.

Denison, Janelle. Into the Night. St. Martin’s. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780312372779. pap. $7.99.
A member of the hush-hush Reliance Group (a bad-boy bunch, no surprise) deals with a pesky journalist while hunting for a missing woman. The Wild for Him author launches a new contemporary series.

Fennell, Judi. I Dream of Genies. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9781402241895. pap. $7.99.
Down-and-out Matt Ewing has unleashed a 2000-year-old genie, who’s none too happy to have a master after centuries of independence. Look for follow-up titles in November 2011 and April 2012.

Frank, Jacquelyn. Seduce Me in Dreams: A Three Worlds Novel. Ballantine. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780345517678. pap. $7.99.
The New York Times best-selling author of the “Nightwalkers” and the “Shadowdwellers” series launches a futuristic paranormal series about an elite group of military heroes whose leader has begun dreaming about a mystery woman named Ravenna.

Grayson, Kristine. Wickedly Charming. Sourcebooks Casablanca. May 2001. ISBN 9781402248481. pap. $6.99.
Cinderella’s Prince Charming is divorced, and Mellie is fed up with stepdaughter Snow White’s lies. Maybe they could be happy together, if just for a moment? A fractured fairy-tale series with a realistic edge; look for more in October and Spring 2012.

Harper, Molly. How To Flirt with a Naked Werewolf. Pocket. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9781439195864. pap. $7.99.
Up Alaska way, Southern transplant Mo goes out to her porch and finds a naked man with a bear trap on his leg. Then he turns into a wolf. Poor werewolf Cooper is worried that he might be the source of several attacks in the area, but Mo believes differently. First in a series that continues in March with How To Seduce a Naked Werewolf.

Harrison, Thea. Dragon Bound: A Novel of the Elder Races. Berkley Sensation. May 2011. ISBN 9780425241509. pap. $7.99.
Pia’s mom, a wyr, taught her to keep her head down. But things change when Pia is blackmailed into stealing from filthy-rich Dragos Cuelebre (he’s a dragon?) and he catches up with her. This series has already been endorsed by romance hotshots Christine Feehan and Nalini Singh.

Hastings, Regan. Visions of Magic. Signet. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780451232465. pap. $7.99.
In this opener for a new paranormal series from multi RITA award nominee Hastings, hereditary witch Shea Jameson puts her life in danger by performing a spell in public and must turn to Torin, a Sentinel sworn to protect witches.

Jones, Lisa Renee. The Legend of Michael. Sourcebooks Casablanca. ISBN 9781402251566. pap. $6.99.
A human soldier injected with alien DNA, Michael has been to the dark side and back—and he’s still absolutely his own boss. Until he meets scientist Cassandra Powell. Look for more in this series in May and September.

McLane, LuAnn. Playing for Keeps. Signet Eclipse. Mar. 2011. ISBN 9780451232762. pap. $6.99.
Kicking off a series set in the South and featuring minor league baseball players, this book focuses on soap opera star Noah Falcon (once a hot pitcher) who’s returned home and agrees to star in the community theater’s latest production. Alas for Olivia, who had a crush on him way back when.

MacLean, Julianne. Captured by the Highlander. St. Martin’s. Mar. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780312365318. pap. $7.99.
MacLean, Julianne. Claimed by the Highlander. St. Martin’s. Apr. 2011. 336p.ISBN 9780312365325. pap. $7.99.
The author of the “American Heiress” series and a RITA award finalist for Surrender to a Scoundrel launches a trilogy pitched as a sexy Scottish historical, which opens with a fiery warrior abducting a bride-to-be from an opposing clan. Look for Seduced by a Highlander later in the year.

March, Emily. Angel’s Rest: An Eternity Springs Novel. Ballantine. Feb. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780345518347. pap. $7.99.
March, Emily. Hummingbird Lake: An Eternity Springs Novel. Ballantine. Mar. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780345518361. pap. $7.99.
March, Emily. Heartache Falls: An Eternity Springs Novel. Ballantine. Apr. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780345518385. pap. $7.99.
The little town of Eternity Springs is literally charming: people who go there can heal. A triple-threat contemporary romance trilogy by March, who’s had great success writing as Geralyn Dawson. Tidbit: The author is also on the national board of directors of the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation.

Michaels, Leigh. The Mistress’ House. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9781402241352. pap. $7.99.
A rakish Earl sets up his mistress in a love nest—and then falls deeply in love and marries her. This is the first in a hot Regency series from the award-winning Michaels, whose 80 contemporary romances have sold 35 million copies; more in July and September.

Rickloff, Alix. Earl of Darkness. Pocket. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9781439170366. pap. $7.99.
Catching Catriona O’Connell in the act of stealing a diary from the townhouse of Aidan Douglas, earl of Kilronan, Aidan lets her off only because she can actually read its secret language. Then a demon comes for it. First in the “Heirs of Kilronan” series.

Rowe, Stephanie. Kiss at Your Own Risk. Sourcebooks Casablanca. ISBN 9781402241956. pap. $6.99.
Trinity Harpswell is about to break the Black Widow curse that means she keeps accidentally killing someone when warrior Blaine Underhill ask for help in rescuing his friend from an evil witch. First in a trilogy that will have releases in July and September as well.

Rowen, Michelle. Nightshade. Berkley Sensation. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780425239827. pap. $7.99.
Half-vampire Declan Reyes, who’s sworn to fight his living-dead brethren, really wants Jillian Conrad—at first because she’s been injected with a serum that’s lethal to vampires and then for much, much more. From the author who brought you the best-selling “Immortality Bites” series.

Shalvis, Jill. Animal Magnetism. Berkley Sensation. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780425239810. pap. $7.99.
Multi RITA nominee Shalvis launches a new series set in Sunshine, ID, with puppy- and piglet-toting Lilah Young accidentally slamming into a Jeep driven by Brady Miller, who was just passing through town.

Thompson, Vicki Lewis. A Werewolf in Manhattan: Wild About You. Jan. 2011. Berkley: NAL. ISBN 9780451232472. pap. $7.99.
In this opener for a new paranormal series from Thompson (Notorious), a pack of werewolves is concerned about Emma Gavin’s werewolf fiction, which seems a little too close to the truth. The pack leader’s son is sent to do surveillance but instead falls in love.

Wisdom, Linda. Demons are a Girl’s Best Friend. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9781402254390. $7.99.
Funny, racy, and paranormal: this new series from the best-selling Wisdom stars tougher-than-tough witch Maggie Malone, who must join forces with fire demon Declan when rogue Mayan priests, threaten to bring down the world.

AND HERE’S HARLEQUIN
Debut Authors
Alvarez, Amanda E. Hunting Human. Carina. (Digital-First) Mar. 2011. ISBN NA. $NA.
This time it’s a werewolf doing the hunting. With whom does he fall in love?

 Andrews, Renee. Her Valentine Family. Love Inspired. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780373815319. pap. $5.50.
Jessica returns to her hometown with five-year-old Nathan—and encounters old flame and devoted dad Chad, whose eyes are so much like Nathan’s.

Boyce, Kelly. The Outlaw Bride. Carina (Digital-First). Apr. 2011. ISBN NA. $NA.
First placer winner of the 2005 Toronto RWA Golden Opportunity Contest, this debut features sheriff Connor Langston, who has personal reasons for battling the Slade Gang. He’s also asked to hire a housekeeper, whose name is…Katherine Slade.

Flade, Becky. Secretly Serviced. Spice Briefs. May 2011. ISBN 9781426872297. $NA.
The President’s sheltered daughter decides to break loose and seduce the agent who stands guard outside her door. I predict complications.

Goff, Mandy. The Blackmailed Bride. Love Inspired Historicals. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780373828586. pap. $5.50.
In this Regency-era debut, Olivia has lost her faith in God after her mother’s suicide and must agree to marry the detestable Baron Finley, who’s ferreted out her secret. Meanwhile, her brother’s best friend, Nick,  has returned from abroad, where he served as a spy. He and Olivia’s brother scheme to have Nick court Olivia, who ends up impressed with Nick’s unshakeable grace despite the horrors he’s seen. Sounds classic.

Harders, Audra. Rocky Mountain Hero. Love Inspired. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9780373876488. pap. $5.50. lrg. prnt.
Rancher Gabe Davidson agrees to help single mom Melanie—stuck in a broken-down truck—if she’ll help plan the town barbecue. Tasty results for all.

Lane, Soraya. Soldier on Her Doorstep. Mills & Boon Romance. Jun. 2011. ISBN 978026388884. $NA.
A soldier promises a dying comrade that he will look after the man’s wife and child. We can see what’s coming. Nicely relevant work.

London, Laurie. Bonded by Blood. HQN. Feb. 2011. ISBN 9780373775446. pap. $7.99.
Movie location scout Mackenzie Foster-Shaw knows vampires crave her because of her rare blood type, and here she is in the Pacific Northwest (where else, Twilight fans?) as two vampire clans battle to the death. First of the “Sweetwater” series. Nice to pair with spring work from two Harlequin newcomers: Colleen Gleason’s “Regency Vampire” trilogy and Janet Elizabeth Jones’s Incubus, featuring a vampire who’s submitted to a risky experiment and is rescued in a snowy wood by a lass he’s starting to long for.

Maguire, Meg. Caught on Camera. Harlequin Blaze. Apr. 2011. ISBN 9780373796120. pap. $4.99.
On her blog, Maguire describes this as “sexy little story about a television survival show host and his long-suffering production assistant.” Picture perfect?

Marcus, Wendy S. When One Night Isn’t Enough. Mills & Boon Medical Romance. Jun. 2011. ISBN NA. $NA.
Love in the ER—and from an author with a degree in nursing. Marcus has had a bunch of second-place wins in various romance contests, so this sounds promising.

Preston, Patricia. Almost an Outlaw. Carina (Digital-First). Jan. 2011. ISBN 978-1-426-89107-6. $2.99.
Bounty hunter Austin Cade just can’t forget the woman he once rescued—the widowed Darcy Branson, cousin to Jesse James.

Radcliffe, Tina. The Rancher’s Reunion. Love Inspired. Jan. 2011. ISBN 9780373876471. pap. $5.50.
Will Sullivan has a strong but secret reason not to marry. Then childhood love Annie Harris returns to town.

Renzi, Rae. Rivertime. Carina. (Digital-First). Feb. 2011. ISBN 9781426891212. $5.99.
If river-rafting doesn’t get Casey killed, it might lead to love.

Spindler, Lisa Paitz. The Spiral Path. Carina. (Digital-First). Mar. 2011 ISBN 9781426891410. $3.99.
Spaceship Capt. Lara Soto, who leads the free Chimerans, still pines for that hot young officer she left behind. Will their paths cross somewhere in the universe? But of course.

Tate, Natasha. An Inconvenient Obsession. Mills & Boon Modern Romance. Jun. 2011. ISBN NA. $NA.
The son of Carrington Island’s caretaker has done well–so well that he now wants to buy the island. But he still has feelings for former owner Cate Carrington.

New Continuity Series

• “Brides of Penhally Bay.” Titles no. 2–7 of this just-launched 16-book Harlequin Medical Romance series, publishing between January and June and featuring Cornish doctor Nick Tremayne’s fraught relationship with a midwife in his practice.
• “The Fortunes of Texas: Lost and Found.” Family scion William Fortune, Sr. vanishes on his wedding day, even as an infant is found at the back door of the church. One book each month from January through June 2011: Allison Leigh’s Fortune’s Proposal, Judy Duarte’s Healing Dr. Fortune, Susan Crosby’s Mendoza’s Return, Marie Ferrarella’s Fortune’s Just Desserts, Christyne Butler’s Fortune’s Secret Baby, and Victoria Pade’s Fortune Found.
•  “The Takeover.” Five USA Today best-selling authors are participating in a series that features a corporate raider set on taking over the local company in his Southern California hometown—until he encounters his high school sweetheart. One book each month from January through June 2011: Day Leclaire’s Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress, Emily Mckay’s Seduced: The Unexpected Virgin, Sandra Hyatt’s Revealed: His Secret Child, Yvonne Lindsay’s Bought: His Temporary Fiancée, Michelle Celmer’s Exposed: Her Undercover Millionaire, and Catherine Mann’s Acquired: The Ceo’s Smalltown Bride.
• “Texas Ranger Justice.” Six Texas Rangers find love while hunting for their captain’s murderer; one book each month from January through June 2011: Terri Reed’s Daughter of Texas, Lenora Worth’s Body of Evidence, Valerie Hansen’s Face of Danger, Margaret Daley’s Trail of Lies, Lynette Eason’s Threat of Exposure, and Shirlee McCoy’s Out of Time.

 New Miniseries

• Harlequin Historical: Deborah Hale’s new Regency trilogy, “Gentlemen of Fortune,” whose protagonists have returned from the Far East in search of wives, opens in February with Married: The Virgin Widow. Michelle Willingham’s “The MacKinloch Clan,” set in medieval Scotland, opens with Claimed by the Highland Warrior. Ann Lethbridge’s new Regency miniseries, “Rakes in Disgrace,” begins in May with The Gamekeeper’s Lady. Mary Nichols’s “The Piccadilly Gentlemen’s Club,” set in Georgian times and starring aristocratic thief-takers (an early type of detective), runs from February to May.
• Medical Romance: Alison Roberts’s “Heart of a Rebel” series launches with The Honorable Maverick and The Unsung Hero in April 2011. Abigail Gordon’s just-launched “Bluebell Cove Stories” continues with Summer Seaside Wedding, set in an English seaside village practice.
• Mills & Boon: Susan Meier’s “Babies in the Boardroom” opens in April and will include Baby Project, Second-Chance Baby, and Baby on the Ranch. Marion Lennox’s “Banksia Bay” will feature pets, with Abby and the Bachelor Cop (May) and Misty and the Single Dad (June) opening the series. Penny Jordan’s “The Parenti Dynasty,” about a contemporary couple, will open in January with The Reluctant Surrender and continue in February with Giselle’s Choice. Lynne Graham’s “Secretly Pregnant, Conveniently Wed,” about three sisters who find love, includes Jemima’s Secret (March), Flora’s Defiance (April), and Jess’s Promise (May).
• Superromance: Kara Lennox’s “Project Justice,” a romantic suspense series about an organization dedicated to freeing the wrongfully accused, includes Taken to the Edge (February), Nothing but the Truth (March), and A Score To Settle (April). Kimberly Van Meter’s “Mama Jo’s Boys,” a push-the-envelope series about foster brothers adopted by Mama Jo, includes The Past Between Us (March), A Chance in the Night (April), and Secrets in a Small Town (May).

Tags: romance

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