My TBR Pile: November 2019

So, every month I put a list together of the books that I either need to read for review or the books that I want to get around to reading (finally). I’m also trying to be more responsible with my Kindle Unlimited and Audible Romance Package subscriptions so I’m going to post my TBR Pile on the blog so you guys can keep me honest.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these posts but it’s been a long time coming. The last post that I did for this feature was back in July and though I did manage to get a good chunk of the books on my TBR pile from August read, I didn’t manage to read them all. Here’s a quick rundown on how I did on my August TBR Pile.

Previous Month Stats

Books to Read: 10
Books Read: 8
Books Unread: 2
Pages Read: 3,333 | Hours Listened: 13 hours, 24 minutes
Favorite Read: Don’t Forget about Me | Least Favorite Read: Coming Up Roses

November’s TBR PILE

Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2) by P.C. Cast
Released on August 3, 2004
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 360
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

Lina’s trendy bakery in Tulsa is proving to be less than lucrative, and she must come up with a plan. When she stumbles upon an Italian Goddess cookbook, Lina can’t help but think she’s found the answer to her problem—even if it means invoking a goddess to save her business.

Soon enough, Lina finds herself face-to-face with Demeter, who has a plan of her own. She proposes that Lina exchange souls with Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, who will breathe new life into the bakery. In return, Lina must set order to the Underworld.

Before all this, Lina’s problems mostly involved sourdough and second dates. Now that she embodies the enchanting Persephone, Lina has weightier things on her mind—like the formidable task of bringing Spring to a world of spirits. But when the handsome, brooding Hades kindles a spark in her heart, Lina wonders if this Lord of the Underworld might be the man of her dreams.

This one is my book club read of the month so I need to get this book read and a discussion prepped and a book club game planned and put together. I’ve never read any of the books in this series and I don’t read too many fantasy books so I’m looking forward to digging into this. Wish me luck that I actually like it.

Open House (Uptown #2) by Ruby Lang
Releases on November 11, 2019
Publisher: Carina Press
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 165
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Love can take root where you least expect it.

Tyson Yang never imagined that one day he’d be the de facto spokesperson for an illegal community garden. But when the once-rat-infested-but-now-thriving Harlem lot goes up for sale, Ty can’t just let all their hard work get plowed under.

Even if he is irresistibly drawn to the lovely but infuriatingly stubborn real estate associate.

Magda Ferrer’s family is already convinced this new job will be yet another flop in her small but growing list of career path failures. But her student debt isn’t going anywhere, and selling her uncle’s historic town house and the lot nearby means a chance to get some breathing room.

Ty is her charming rival, her incorrigible nemesis, the handsome roadblock to her success.

Until one hot Harlem night blurs the hard line drawn between them, and the seeds of possibility in this rocky garden blossom into love…

This book fell off my radar a few months ago but I was browsing Netgalley a couple of weeks ago and it came back on my radar so I’ll be reading this one before the release date and hopefully get my review done for it. I can’t wait to read it.

Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1) by Christina C. Jones
Releases on January 11, 2016
Publisher: Warm Hues Publishing
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 334
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited

When 26 year old Reese accepts a position as a grad assistant, she has no idea an unpleasant encounter with a student will lead to the discovery of what she calls “the trifecta”: fine, intellectual, and a little bit rude – three qualities she finds irresistible in a man. She has no intention of doing anything with that discovery – nothing long term, at least. But everybody knows what happens to best laid plans.

Jason is a grown man. 28 years old, seasoned and scarred by his real-life experience in the world, he’s at Blakewood State University to finish his degree and move on. The last thing he’s interested in is the female population on campus… but sexy, infuriating Reese might be a notable exception.

This isn’t a story of opposites attract.

More like counterparts clash.

Neither of them is afraid to do battle, and neither is willing to back down. Love and war, win or lose… somebody’s gonna end up getting schooled.

I’ve been making a note of all of the books that I’ve seen recommended on Twitter and the next few books are all recommendations from my Twitter timeline. I’ve seen good things mentioned about this book so I’m looking forward to digging into my copy of the book.

Crush, Interrupted by Zaida Polanco
Released on February 22, 2019
Publisher: Self Published
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 112
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited

When a down-on-her-luck writer gets the opportunity to house-sit at her friend’s fancy condo for a few weeks, she jumps at the chance to get away from her depressing life and enjoy a few weeks of peaceful writing and relaxing baths in her friend’s amazing tub. What she hadn’t planned on, however, is her best friend’s brother crashing at the condo as well. Her best friend’s very very hot brother who just so happens to be the one that got away.

I’m really looking forward to reading this book because it’s a best friend’s brother romance and I’m complete trash for those. It’s also another Twitter timeline recommendation so I’m all in for this one.

Never Got Over You by Whitney G.
Releases on October 24, 2019
Publisher: Self Published
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 208
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited

Nine and a half years ago, you married a man who wasn’t me. He wasn’t even half of me…

Nine and a half hours ago, you walked through the doors of my billion-dollar boardroom for a job interview.

Although every person at the table fell for your charm and applauded, I didn’t dare. I couldn’t help but notice your bare ring finger. Couldn’t help but notice that you were even sexier now than you were on the night we first met.

I honestly didn’t want to hire you, but I had no choice. (I was outvoted 16-1, but trust me, you got this job by default.)

When you signed the papers and we shook hands, I didn’t bring up the fact that you didn’t “wait for me” like you promised to years ago, or that you just moved on with your life like what we had meant nothing. Instead, I insisted that we keep things one-hundred percent professional.

So, for the record: I’ve long forgotten about you and all the times we shared. (This includes the way your body feels under mine, the way your laughter used to make me smile, and the way you used to breathlessly say my name for hours at a time.)

I’m definitely not in denial, this is all one hundred percent true. You’ll never hear me say that you still have an effect on me, that you’re still the best I’ve ever had, or worse, that I never got over you…

I haven’t LOVED the last few books that I’ve read by Whitney G. but that doesn’t seem to stop me from wanting to read all of her books. I downloaded this book to my kindle unlimited because I’m a sucker for the second chance romance trope and this is one of them. I just hope that I enjoy it more than I have the last few books of hers that I’ve read. Fingers crossed.

Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue
Releases on November 8, 2019
Publisher: Self Published
Genres: Contemporary
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

Bailey Thorne doesn’t hate Jake the Rake, just despises him. She blames the rumor mill at her school…and, okay, him. His adorable son has only been in preschool, but Jake has already made an impressive dent in dating the unmarried faculty. She’s had to hear of his every exploit from the broken hearts he’s left behind. She was fine to loathe him from afar, but now his son has entered kindergarten–and she’s the teacher. It’s going to be a very long school year.

Jake Polaski was more than fine to avoid Ms. Thorne after it became clear she was not amused by his very existence. But then they get stuck in an elevator for an evening. He finds out that underneath that baleful glare she always gives him, lies a warm, funny and sexy as hell woman. He does his best to not be smitten after every exchange afterward. His son needs him rational, steadfast…and love is the most uncertain thing.

It was the elevator’s fault. Had it worked like it should, Bailey would have gone on with her life without seeing why so many of her co-workers had fallen for the grumpy single dad. (It’s his dry wit, his playful teasing and the drool-worthy cut of his jawline.) And now she’s caught in the way he doles out smiles and the dark depths of his secrets. If nothing else, she knows from rumor there’s a clock ticking on their affair before it implodes because things always do with Jake the Rake, but she can’t seem to walk away first.

I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while now because 1) I love the cover and 2) the story sounds like a total rockstar of a romance so I’m totally in. I can’t wait until my pre-order for this book hits my kindle.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long
Releases on February 26, 2019
Publisher: Avon
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

A mistress. A mountain of debt. A mysterious wreck of a building.

Delilah Swanpool, Countess of Derring, learns the hard way that her husband, “Dear Dull Derring,” is a lot more interesting—and perfidious—dead than alive. It’s a devil of an inheritance, but in the grand ruins of the one building Derring left her, are the seeds of her liberation. And she vows never again to place herself at the mercy of a man.

But battle-hardened Captain Tristan Hardy is nothing if not merciless. When the charismatic naval hero tracks a notorious smuggler to a London boarding house known as the Rogue’s Palace, seducing the beautiful, blue-blooded proprietress to get his man seems like a small sacrifice.

They both believe love is a myth. But a desire beyond reason threatens to destroy the armor around their hearts. Now a shattering decision looms: Will Tristan betray his own code of honor…or choose a love that might be the truest thing he’s ever known?

This book is on my TBR pile because Holly adored it so and I promised her that I would give this book a go so in the month of November, I’m going to read this mug. It’s already on my kindle, ready to be read, I just need to dig in and I’m excited about that.

Angel in a Devil’s Arms (The Palace of Rogues #2) by Julie Anne Long
Released on October 29, 2019
Publisher:
Genres:
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.

He has devil’s blood in his veins. At least, that’s always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford’s notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright…and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove’s bed.

Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.

But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn’t believe in it…because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove’s heart.

This is the book that follows Lady Derring Takes a Lover and if I know Holly, I know that I’m going to love LDTaL so I know that I’m going to want to dive right into the next book. I’m so glad that I won’t have to wait to make that happen since this book comes out today!!

The One for You (The Ones that Got Away #4) by Roni Loren
Releases on December 31, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

The highly-anticipated fourth book in Roni Loren’s unforgettable The Ones Who Got Away series.

She got a second chance at life.
Will she take a second chance at love?

Kincaid Breslin wasn’t supposed to survive that fateful night at Long Acre when so many died, including her boyfriend—but survive she did. She doesn’t know why she got that chance, but now she takes life by the horns and doesn’t let anybody stand in her way

Ashton Isaacs was her best friend when disaster struck all those years ago, but he chose to run as far away as he could. Now fate has brought him back to town, and Ash doesn’t know how to cope with his feelings for Kincaid and his grief over their lost friendship. For Ash has been carrying secrets, and he knows that once Kincaid learns the truth, he’ll lose any chance he might have had with the only woman he’s ever loved.

This is another one of my review books and I’m so amped to finally get around to reading it because IT’S KINCAID’S BOOK!! I’ve been hearing such good things about this one so I’m really looking forward to digging into my eARC of this one. I just know I’m going to love it.

Special Delivery (Always Satisfied #5) by Lauren Blakely
Releases on November 13, 2019
Publisher: Self Published
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 150
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is the secret potion that’ll help me resist my brother’s new business partner. You know, the super hot, super sweet, super smart guy I now have to plan all the holiday parties with.

I mean, really. Who thought THAT was a good idea?

Oh, me. Yep, brilliant, strategic me who raised her hand and said yes I’d love to hang mistletoe with that sexy former sports star. I’d love to taste test spiked hot chocolate with that charming, flirty man. I’d love to get snowed in with the one guy I shouldn’t fall for.

As long as I can make it through the holidays I’ll be on my merry way, fa la la la la. But the holidays have a surprise for me.

I have really enjoyed the last few books that I’ve read by Lauren Blakely and I’m getting into the Christmas spirit so this was a no brainer. This one looks like such a cute Christmas romance and I’m so here for it all.

What books are on your TBR pile for November? Anything good that I should keep my eye out on? Please share the books you have on deck to read next month.