Karen Booth
If you love rom-coms, I hope you’ll join me, Adele Buck, and M.C. Vaughan on Wednesday, October 23 at 7:00 PM EDT on Zoom for The Afterglow Books Fall Rom-Com Romp!
I love the idea of setting goals, but I don’t always meet them, especially when they’re big ones. What can I say? I’m human. When I first signed with Harlequin, I set a goal for myself of publishing ten books with them. That first contract was for two books, so ten was a stretch. I knew I was going to have to work hard to get there, and honestly? I wasn’t sure I could do it. That was 2015, and I’m completely gobsmacked to say that my 30th book with Harlequin–SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES–is out now! (Cue the celebratory horns and confetti!)
I’m not entirely sure how this happened, other than the fact that I showed up every day and chipped away at it for nine years. That old adage about eating an elephant one bite at a time? Turns out it works! This book is incredibly close to my heart. I absolutely love the deliciousness of a slow burn romance, and I worked very hard to build a story that would leave readers turning pages. It’s what I live for as a reader–just one more page. One more chapter.
There are other tropes to love in this book–small town, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, and sandwiches as a love language (not officially a trope, but I’m working on it). For the Swifties, the female main character is a singer/songwriter who was inspired by TS. The hero is a former chef–both characters are burned out. He by success and she by failure. It made for a very fun juxtaposition as they both look for a way to slow down and find joy in life. Add in a farmers market, a bakery, a garden, two cottages on the same property, some warm summer nights, and some extra hot romantic interludes, and you have SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES. I hope you decide to check it out! It’s available for your favorite retailer, including:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | The Ripped Bodice | Target | Walmart
There are lots of fun things about being a romance author, but one of the best parts is when you get to show off a shiny new cover to the world. Today, I’m beyond excited to share the cover for my next book, SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES! Y’all…this book has my heart, as does this cover. I love everything about the whole situation! This is Book 1 in a 2-book series (plus a special online read, but more on that when it’s ready…) about best friends Willow and Bailey, who swap living situations for two months. Bailey takes Willow’s Brooklyn apartment and Willow, in turn, takes Bailey’s tiny cottage in Connecticut. The latter is the setting for SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES…it’s a small town, slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, romance with both heat and heart. It’s available for preorder now, or you can add it to Goodreads. Let me know what you think of the cover, and in the meantime, here’s the full book description:
In this deliciously tender, steamy romance, a burned-out musician swaps city life for cottage country only to find that slowing down means a racing heart, thanks to the grumpy guy next door…
When Willow Moore’s lifelong dream of music stardom goes bust, she’s burned out enough to need drastic change. As in, she’s trading her Brooklyn apartment for two months in the Connecticut countryside. Soon she’s baking bread, spending Saturdays at the farmer’s market and stopping to smell the roses, but some things in her new #cottagecore life aren’t so pleasant. Like her landlord, former chef Reid Harrell. As grouchy and reserved as Willow is chatty and outgoing, Reid is an annoyingly sexy keep-out sign. If only Willow was good at staying away.
Something about Reid, a sliver of pain poking through that flinty facade, makes her wonder if they’re more alike than she thought. Reid once chased success, too, and found it—at a price. Now all he wants is to be left alone to garden, but Willow’s not giving up so quick, especially when one of their heated arguments sparks an idea for a song. Her renewed creativity awakens them both, hurling them into a passionate vortex neither expects.
As the summer winds down, Willow is forced to confront her needs, wants and desires, not to mention Reid, the hardest puzzle of all to figure out. Maybe it’s time for the city girl to stop dwelling on dreams dashed and start following her heart—no matter where it might take her…
I barely got out of bed last week, y’all. I’m still only able to sit at my desk for about two hours before I need a break. This was a knock-down, drag-out, stuffy-head, cough-ridden festival of exhaustion. And yet, I’m excited! Because my head is finally clearing and it’s a beautiful Spring day and I have a new book out! In truth, all is good!
My brand new book is FOUR WEEKS TO FOREVER. I am so excited for this book to be out in the world. It’s Book 3 in the new Texas Cattleman’s Club: The Wedding series. This is a rival-to-lovers romance about a plucky florist and the Irish chef who infuriates her… and their unexpected collaboration for the biggest wedding in the history of Royal, TX.
If you buy the paperback, it will come as a 2-in-1 edition, paired with Joanne Rock’s MAKE BELIEVE MATCH. Joanne’s book and mine are not only back-to-back in the series, her heroine and my heroine are best friends. So I think you’ll really enjoy reading these two books together. It’s a GREAT deal. And an awesome pairing, if I do say so myself!
Buy FOUR WEEKS TO FOREVER:
Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Harlequin
I know I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s almost the end of the year. I mean, I had a few clues–summer is in the rear view mirror, Thanksgiving came and went, and Christmas gifts have been exchanged!
But I’m still surprised, ever year. What is it about the last part of the year that makes it go SO fast? (I don’t know the answer to that question, but if you do, let me know.)
Anyway, our close proximity to the end of December means that RANCHER AFTER MIDNIGHT has arrived! This book set around New Year’s Eve is all about fresh beginnings, redemption, and new love. Even though it’s Book 9 of 9 in the Texas Cattleman’s Club series, Ranchers and Rivals, you can 100% read this as a standalone. I absolutely love Heath and Ruby’s story and I think you will, too.
But don’t take my word for it, here are a few early reviews readers left on BookBub:
“This is a well-written, emotionally charged story with relatable characters and the issues they face.”
“Ms. Booth’s story is a lovely reminder that love changes us all for good.”
“If fun and sexy romance make you tingle, this is for you.”
Let me know if you decide to read RANCHER AFTER MIDNIGHT. And Happy New Year! You all are the absolute best. I mean that!
