I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for all the support, tweets, shares and feedback! So glad readers are finding this weekly report useful.

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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UNCHAINED by Ruby Lionsdrake

One geeky neuroscientist sent to research the inmates of a prison asteroid.
Two cyborg criminals determined to free the inmates.
A forbidden romance among the stars.

Dr. Skylar Russo, a woman known for her research skills rather than her people skills, wants nothing more than to forget that her fiancé left her at the altar. She’s vowed to focus on her career instead of men, even when that career sends her to the most inhospitable place imaginable. An asteroid prison in the middle of nowhere.

Worse than the location are the inmates she’s been sent to study. Former cyborg soldiers who couldn’t readjust to civilian society after the war ended. These enhanced men are physically and emotionally scarred, and no sane woman would want anything to do with them.

But when former warship captain Diego and combat sergeant Jerick kidnap her as part of their plan to free the prisoners, Skylar is wrapped up in a deadly adventure she never envisioned with two fierce cyborgs who should terrify her. But she finds herself drawn to Diego’s poetic soul and Jerick’s hot muscled ferocity. She grows sympathetic to their plight and wants to help them, but she can’t do so without risking her career—and her life.

With four government warships on the way, Skylar will have to choose between what’s best for her… and what she wants with all her heart.

Amazon

SE SMITH WORLDS OF MAGIC NEW MEXICO

VS Note: There are 15+ books re-releasing in what was the Amazon-only Kindle World of Magic NM. The books are now going to be available wide on other sites since Amazon shuttered the Kindle Worlds structure a few months ago. Here’s their website: https://magicnewmexico.com/  Full blurbs can be found on the ebook seller websites. Here’s the info I have so far:

Aidy Award, A Touch of Fate: Fated for Curves Book One – Save the Geek Girl, Save the World. Amazon

Carol Van Natta, In Graves Below – A disabled veteran and a magical dancer must learn the secret of dreamwalk, or demons will turn Denver into an all-you-can-eat buffet. No pressure! Amazon     iBooks

DB Sieders, Silver Unleashed: Dragons of Tarakona – Gentleman in the streets, dragon in the sheets! Mad scientist meets sexy dragon shifter for magic, mayhem, and red hot romance! Amazon     iBooks

Donna McDonald, Tangling With Topper: My Crazy Alien Romance Book 1 – What’s a witch to do? She has no power to fight the sexy alien and can’t fight his power over her. Amazon     iBooks

Evelyn Lederman, A Touch of Harmony: Magic’s Destiny – She is an alien terrified of animals and he is a werewolf. How will these two ever get together? Amazon     iBooks

Jason Crutchfield, Miss Fortune – A misfortune consuming Infaustus meets the world’s unluckiest man; together, they fight to turn his luck around before tragedy strikes him and the town of Magic, NM.  Amazon

Jessica Aspen, Touch of Beauty – What happens when a brand new fairy godmother, a witch, and a troll, are caught up in a twist of Beauty and the Beast…Magic! Discover Jessica Aspen’s fairy tale twists—Magic New Mexico Style.  Amazon     iBooks

Jody Wallace, Silver Bound: Dragons of Tarakona – Sexy steampunk wizard woos feisty lady shifter, but she’s no damsel–she’s the dragon.  Amazon    iBooks

Lea Kirk, Made for Her – Roses are red, her blood is too; just one sip and his mate is through. Amazon     iBooks

ML Guida, Touch of Madness: Dragons of Zalara – Can a dragon save a pirate wench torn in two?  Amazon   iBooks

Rose Smith, Flying Fawna – A werelion, a sexy female, and a maniac. Can Chaz save Fawna from doom without forever tainting Magic?  Amazon

Susan Hayes, Etched in Stone – Adina thought she bought a new statue for her collection. Fate sent her a soulmate instead.  Amazon     iBooks

Tianna Xander, Charming Charly – A forbidden lab, an unwilling subject, and a luscious beauty. Can they escape before his captors discover his last secret? Held against their will, Xeno and Charly had better escape before someone lets the cat out of the bag.  No buy link as yet.

TJ Finn, Touch of Danger – A wolf shifter and a telepathic wolf find love as they both fight to save the people they care about from an evil man bent on destroying them all.  No buy link as yet.

Trinity Blacio, Magic In His Touch: Little Angel Rescue-  Imprisoned in an enchanted cell, a young woman has only known the four walls that have held her captive until the appearance of a demon special ops soldier whose touch makes her desire to feel more.  Amazon     iBooks

DIPLOMACY (STRAND OF STARFIRE BOOK 2) by May Sage

For a thousand years, being born with magic was a death sentence. Hart and his twin have survived by hiding who they truly were until their time came.
It started as a whisper, rumors, but when they find out there truly is a mage uprising, they join the fight, tilting the balance in the mages’ favor.
The era of magicless mortals has passed in their multi-planetary kingdom. A war has started, and the mages will win it.
Hart has lived and breathed for liberating their kind, thinking of nothing else, until Dara.

When Dara’s deluded father imprisons Kai Lor Hora’s ambassador, she knows there will be reprisals. Her world stands at the brink of destruction. She has no love for mages, but trying to help this one escape might just save her family.

They’re two mortal enemies, who should never have met, and can never go back to a simpler time.

Amazon     iBooks

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: A COLLECTION OF MONUMENTAL ROMANCE CATASTROPHES (ZOMBILICIOUS ROMANCES)  by Various

The world we once knew, is no more.
An outbreak of unknown origin has spread across the globe, obliterating the food chain. From small animals to the human race, no creature is safe.
Run, do not walk.
Do not look back.
Not for your loved ones. Not for anyone.
Save yourself.
The zombie apocalypse is upon us.

Amazon

SKYFIRE (DRAGON WINE PART FIVE) by Donna Maree Hanson

On the devastated world of Margra, where man-eating dragons are tamer than the humans, a small band of heroes fight for a brighter future.

After a battle with the malevolent baron and the evil dragon creature, Gercomo, to prevent the life giving dragon wine being sequestered in the doomsday city, Eternity, for use by the rich elite, Salinda turns her attention to the looming disaster that threatens their very existence.

With the aid of the powerful cadre, an ancient source of power and knowledge, Salinda fights to save her planet, Margra, from the final moonfall—an event that will destroy the already ravaged planet.

Currently safe within the underground city of Barraheim, a heavily pregnant Salinda knows that the end is looming and that a solution must be found. Plagued with doubt, she ponders whether her child be born before moonfall or born at all.

With Nils’s, her alien mate incapacitated and others in her band recovering from injuries, Salinda struggles to decipher an ancient text that speaks of a machine that might help them.

And in the dark spaces beneath Barrahiem lurks something else, something mysterious and dangerous.

Amazon     iBooks

FORBIDDEN MATE (ABDUCTED BOOK 1) by Opal Carew

Being abducted by aliens to be mated to their king is not how Aria imagined her dream vacation would begin.

Aria’s career fills the void that foster care left behind, but recently, steamy, erotic dreams make her think she’s working too hard.

A free trip to a luxury resort is just the ticket. Until she’s ushered to a “VIP party” and abducted by an alien who insists she’s his king’s soul-mate. Love at first sight, let alone sight unseen, is a myth. Her increasing attraction to the ship’s captain, however, is far too real.

Captain Tai Gaman’s mission was simple. Kidnap Aria and deliver her to his king. What’s complicated is the blinding desire he feels for the Earth woman that is almost impossible to resist.

As the sexual hunger between them reaches unbearable height, Tai must make the most difficult decision of his life. Claim her as his own, or fulfill his duty to the king.

Amazon     iBooks

THE DRAGON (BETANIA BREED BOOK 4) by Jenny Foster

My name is Coran Burke.
I’m unique among the fighters in the Black Squad.
I’m more than human.

My new assignment takes me to Dassuria, on the trail of an alien dragon lord. To beat him, I’ll have to dig deep into my own past.

At his side is a woman with deep entanglements in his dealings. Despite my misgivings, I can’t get her out of my head. She’s unearthed feelings I’d long ago abandoned and stirred something in me like no one has ever done before.
She should be my enemy, but she appears to be the key to my survival – a puzzle I’m hesitant to solve.

Love or duty.
Passion or loyalty.
Dragon or human.
The choice is mine, but at what cost?

Amazon

HEARTLESS (DETYEN WARRIORS BOOK 3) by Kate Rudolph and Starr Huntress

After witnessing the impossible mating of his fellow soulless warrior, Kayde doesn’t expect a denya of his own. But whenever Quinn Porter walks into a room, he can’t keep himself from watching her, from following her, from wanting her. And those desires mean trouble for a man who isn’t supposed to feel anything.

Quinn just wants things to get back to normal…Sure, she was captured by pirates and abused for months, but Quinn’s doing her best to stay positive and create a good life back on Earth than. She has a small group of friends made up of fellow survivors and the determination to recover from all that was done to her. She’s not in the market for a man, but a certain coldly loyal Detyen could make her change her mind.

An accidental journey…When Kayde undertakes a mission to journey back to his Detyen home, he’s ready for the solitude. What he doesn’t expect is Quinn hiding away in one of the bunks on his ship. Forced to undertake a dangerous mission together, even knowing that the remnants of emotion he feels when she’s around might be signs of oncoming madness, Kayde and Quinn will need to rely on each other when everything goes wrong and their lives and freedom are at stake.

Amazon     iBooks

DEMON IN THE MACHINE by Lisa MacTague

At the height of Britain’s Industrial Revolution, steam power and magic join forces to create wonders the world has never seen. But those wonders have a dark side—one that will soon force a reckoning few could have anticipated.
Half-demon Briar is content with her structured life as an archivist, a far cry from the chaos of her background and upbringing. Briar’s simple and predictable existence is rocked when she discovers something sinister powers one of the grand, new inventions of her era.

Isabella Castel, the only daughter of Viscount Sherard, is far from the brainless socialite she pretends to be. Isabella is everything Briar is not: passionate, creative and impulsive, but with secrets to rival even Briar’s own. Two more unlikely partners should not exist, yet if the women cannot find a way to work together, they will lose far more than their reputations.

Can a half-demon and a debutante work past their secrets before all hell breaks loose?

Amazon

FANGS, FLAMES AND ALLURE (VAMPIRE DRAGON SHIFTER REVERSE HAREM BOOK 2) by Zara Zenia

It’s been three years since my sister left Earth behind to follow a destiny she didn’t even know existed.

Now I’m all alone, about to start college, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with my life.

What if I’m fated for the same destiny as Eva? The two vampires who follow me at school seem to think I’m something special. Does that mean there are two alien dragon shifters waiting for me on some distant planet too?

I don’t think so. That’s Eva’s destiny, not mine.

But when they tell me that our union is the only way to heal a feud that has gone on for generations, my resolve starts to soften. But can I give my heart and body to four extraordinary men? Am I just like my sister after all?

Amazon

HETT (DRAGONS OF NOVAI BOOK 1) by Ashley L Hunt

In exile after the cataclysmic destruction of their home planet, the Novai have now found a new home…but they are not alone.

Led by two warrior commanders, Balor and Hett, the Novai species have landed on a new planet. The journey has caused many of them to evolve.

Hett finally gets to spread his wings and explore the new planet, but soon discovers a subterranean tribe that will change the tragectory of his life forever.

Evelyn is the headstrong princess of her tribe. She longs to reach the surface she has grown up hearing about, but she doesn’t expect to find alpha-dragon explorers…

Evelyn’s strong-will and Hett’s sense of duty might save them from all-out war between their peoples. Can they survive the clash of civilizations? Or will they be torn apart in strife?

Hett’s dragon-evolution fascinates Evelyn in every way. Can he control his new strength to satisfy her and keep her safe?

Amazon

THE LIGHT OF REDEMPTION by Natalie Damschroder

Harmony Wilde is a unique kind of superhero. She operates as Eclipse in a small town in Ohio instead of the big city, on her own instead of on a team, and in near-complete anonymity. For the most part, she’s satisfied with using her ability, manipulating light, to bust drug dealers, and prevent drunk drivers—until Conn Parsons comes to town.

Conn has been a superhero all over the world. Dissatisfied with the little bit of good she can do in comparison, Harmony asks Conn to train her. He refuses, feeling responsible for superhero and civilian deaths in big-city incidents. He doesn’t want to risk the same thing happening here. But the attraction between them is hard to fight, and so is her determination.

Then small-town problems get bigger, and it looks like both Eclipse and Conn are being targeted by CASE, the Citizens Against Superhero Existence, who are responsible for those city disasters. When her town seems destined to become collateral damage and the stakes get personal, Harmony must tap undeveloped powers and convince Conn to work with her to stop their mutual enemy. The only problem is that when they succeed, it may give Conn the redemption he needs to move on, away from Pilton . . . and away from Harmony.

Amazon

TALES FROM THE ARENA: OPENING GAMBIT by Elizabeth Schechter

VS Note: Listed in scifi romance and erotica.

Iras is one of the Collared; she is one of the men and women who live to provide taboo pleasures to the super-soldiers known as the Swords.

To win a war, Tyrese created the Swords–men and women faster, stronger and tougher than ordinary soldiers, with the killer instincts to match. But when the war is over, the Swords’ need for certain sorts of… stimulation remains. So the Arena was created, where the Collared voluntarily serve the Swords, providing them with an outlet for their aggression that they literally cannot live without.

Amidst the futuristic torture devices of the Arena, Iras serves Gavir, an officer. He fulfills her deepest, darkest desires and a bond forms between them. But a dark secret from Iras’s past threatens all they have, and all they hope for.

Amazon     iBooks

TALES FROM THE ARENA: PLAYING FOR KEEPS by Elizabeth Schechter

VS note: Not listed in any categories at the point I picked it up for the post but I’m assuming SFR and erotica like her other title above.

Rakesh is one of the most skilled of the Collared, the men and women who serve in the Arena to fulfill the unique needs of the super-soldiers known as Swords.

The Swords were genetically altered to be strong, fast, tough, and deadly. But if they don’t exercise their aggression regularly, they become a danger to those around them. At the Arena, the Collareds accept what the Swords dish out, whether pleasure or pain.

Virin, a mid-ranking sword, takes Rakesh as his lover and hopes to rise high enough in rank that they may marry. But a storm is brewing. Former Collareds are disappearing, victims of a dark conspiracy of renegade soldiers that conspires to utterly control the nation of Tyrese and destroy all who oppose them. And they have their eyes on Rakesh.

Amazon      iBooks

DARK WARLORD by Cynthia Sax

VS Note: This short story was previously published in a box set. Meant to be read after Dark Flight.

All Chamele Warlords have a destined mate, a gerel they are fated to spend their lifespans with. Batu, being genetically enhanced, believes he’s the sole exception. He devotes himself to battle, is resigned to living a solitary life, dying with swords in both of his hands.

Then he sees her.

Genine is a warrior female intent on protecting her loved ones. To keep them safe, she must face Fighter Batu in the ring. If she loses to the barbarian, she becomes his to do with as he wishes. And he wishes her to submit to his deep voice, rough touch, passionate kisses. If she defeats Batu, she will have to kill the one male she was destined to love.

Amazon     iBooks

INFERNO (VALOS OF SONHADRA BOOK 11) by Nancey Cummings

Amber crashed onto an alien planet and survived the dangers of an unknown world. Three literally hot aliens with lava coursing through their veins decide she’s their mate. She’s endured everything Sonhadra has thrown at her but she might not survive their fiery embrace.

Pel and Mishal know that the commanding human female is their mate. They vow to claim her once they repair Flin’s fractured heartstone, the material from which can only be found in the frozen north. Barely able to keep their hands off each other, how can Amber and her Fire Valos resist temptationuntil they can find a way to safely be together?

Amazon 

RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW by Becky Chambers

VS note: Not Romance per se, but sounded good.

Hundreds of years ago, the last humans on Earth boarded the Exodus Fleet in search of a new home among the stars. After centuries spent wandering empty space, their descendants were eventually accepted by the well-established species that govern the Milky Way.

But that was long ago. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, the birthplace of many, yet a place few outsiders have ever visited. While the Exodans take great pride in their original community and traditions, their culture has been influenced by others beyond their bulkheads. As many Exodans leave for alien cities or terrestrial colonies, those who remain are left to ponder their own lives and futures: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? Why remain in space when there are habitable worlds available to live? What is the price of sustaining their carefully balanced way of life—and is it worth saving at all?

A young apprentice, a lifelong spacer with young children, a planet-raised traveler, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, and an Archivist whose mission is to ensure no one’s story is forgotten, wrestle with these profound universal questions. The answers may seem small on the galactic scale, but to these individuals, it could mean everything.

Amazon     iBooks

CONTAGION by Erin Bowman

VS Note: NOT a romance, no romance at all per the reviews, but sounded like an interesting scifi post apocalyptic-on-an-alien-planet book. Apparently the ending is kind of a cliffhanger but kind of not, setting up for book #2..anyway, I have one-clicked it.

After receiving a distress call from a drill team on a distant planet, a skeleton crew is sent into deep space to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission.

When they arrive, they find the planet littered with the remains of the project—including its members’ dead bodies. As they try to piece together what could have possibly decimated an entire project, they discover that some things are best left buried—and some monsters are only too ready to awaken.

Amazon     iBooks

THE CAPTURED SPY (THE IMMORTAL SPY BOOK 3) by K A Krantz

Ten years ago, Bix and her team of Dark Ops agents had a mission to rescue one of their own. The mission went pear-shaped; her team died, she was exiled, and the package was never retrieved. The guilt for that failure is a weight Bix can’t shake…until she receives news that the agent is still alive and in possession of technology that could destroy the Mid Worlds. All Bix has to do is break the captured spy out of a top-secret supermax facility and destroy the tech before enemy forces beat her to the punch.

Unfortunately, a prison built of potent magic to contain the Mids’ worst deviants isn’t on any map or radar. To get the necessary intel, Bix will resurrect a menacing identity and reach deep into the criminal underbelly where her legacy is far from forgotten. Old enemies lurk in the shadows, swift to strike. Even the darkness can betray her. As her allies fall, Bix will have to rely on the aid of adversaries to complete her mission. But supermax does strange things to the mind, and some things cannot be undone.

Gods will perish when madness descends upon a captured spy.

Amazon     iBooks

SAINT OR SINNER (BAD THINGS BOOK 8) by Cynthia Eden

Smart people–and monsters who know the score–fear Josephine Saint. The sexy vampire might appear to be a sensual temptation, but she’s a cold-blooded assassin. Mercy? Jo doesn’t know the meaning of the word. With each successful hunt, Jo slides one step closer to getting the promised prize that she’s coveted–her freedom. Long ago, Josephine made a deal with the devil, and now, the jerk is collecting on the final payment due him.

Her latest target is Malik, an angel who has gone dark. The fool fell and crashed hard to earth, and now he’s indulging in every sin he can find. And, bonus, the guy has every predator in the land closing in on him because angel wings are highly prized on the black magic market. It’s Jo’s job to find Malik and bring his sexy angel ass back upstairs except…

Malik has his own mission, and it doesn’t involve being dragged back to heaven. He’s ready to lose his wings, ready to pay any price, if it means he can right a wrong from his past. He never expected for Jo to hunt him, and he knows that he won’t be able to control himself when she’s near. Because Jo–fierce vampire, deadly assassin–she’s his charge. He’s been watching over her for centuries. Watching her, and wanting her. Now that he’s earthbound, Malik can finally make the vamp his.

Amazon     iBooks

THE SERPENT (IMMORTAL DEALERS BOOK 1) by Sarah Fine

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has put her dreams aside to look after her eccentric mother. Case in point: saving her from a mysterious stranger who’s just stormed the terrified woman’s antique store wearing a rattlesnake tattoo, leveling threats, and brandishing the weirdest deck of cards Ernie’s ever seen.

When Ernie grabs some of the cards and runs, she’s launched into a world she never knew existed—one her mother may know more about than she’s revealing. With a handful of stolen cards, Ernie has just been made an unwilling player in a game of good versus evil. But she’s not even playing with a full deck, and its original owner is more than happy to kill to get his cards back.

Suddenly Ernie’s matching wits and plays with the supernatural Immortal Dealers, who can raise empires, damn souls, and shape the world’s destiny. It’s up to Ernie to defeat the most brutal member of their order. And if her roguish new ally isn’t bluffing, he can help. The mystery is all in the cards, and to save her life—and humanity—Ernie had better learn how to deal.

Amazon

DARK SURVIVOR  AWAKENED (THE CHILDREN OF THE GODS PARANORMAL SERIES BOOK 20) by I T Lucas

This was a strange new world she had awakened to.
Her memory loss must have been catastrophic because almost nothing was familiar. The language was foreign to her, with only a few words bearing some similarity to the language she thought in. Still, a full moon cycle had passed since her awakening, and little by little she was gaining basic understanding of it–only a few words and phrases, but she was learning more each day.
A week or so ago, a little girl on the street had tugged on her mother’s sleeve and pointed at her. “Look, Mama, Wonder Woman!”
The mother smiled apologetically, saying something in the language these people spoke, then scurried away with the child looking behind her shoulder and grinning.
When it happened again with another child on the same day, it was settled.
Wonder Woman must have been the name of someone important in this strange world she had awoken to, and since both times it had been said with a smile it must have been a good one.
Wonder had a nice ring to it.
She just wished she knew what it meant.

Amazon

WINTER GODDESS (DAUGHTER OF WINTER BOOK 4) by Skye McKinnon

Just because Wyn has changed doesn’t mean that the war is over. Not at all.Angus and the Morrigan are ready for battle, but so are Wyn and her allies. It’s time to fight for the Winter Realm and the balance that keeps the magic alive.

Amazon 

DIVINE MAGIC (FALLEN REVELATIONS BOOK 2) by Miranda Martin

Aviella didn’t ask to be special. Despite the fact she keeps getting told she has a Destiny, she only wants to help.

The world has gone to hell, literally, and the forces arraying against her grow bolder. Destruction follows in her wake as the Shadow Powers send their minions to capture her and the men who have sworn to protect her.

Seeking sanctuary she and her protectors must first brave the horrors of Wormwood, home to the worst the Apocalypse has to offer. When they come face-to-face with a Horseman of the Apocalypse, will he be friend or their deadliest foe?

Amazon     iBooks

STRENGTH (CURSE OF THE GODS BOOK 4) by Jane Washington and Jaymin Eve

Willa and the Abcurse brothers are back, and more determined than ever to stick by each other. Unfortunately, Staviti has other plans, plans that threaten to change the natural order of the worlds—though nobody really understands why. His agenda may very well affect all beings on Minatsol, even those that thought themselves safe in Topia. Even Willa-invincible-Knight.
Unsure with her new place in the worlds, Willa must follow the Abcurses to their new post: Champions Peak, a secluded mountain far from civilization, where the most powerful sols have been summoned to hone their abilities through direct contact with the gods.
There is a chance that she might survive her time on the mountain, but it seems like staying alive amidst the powerful occupants of the Peak is the least of her concerns.
Her real problem is staying on the mountain at all.

Amazon

COTI’S UNCLAIMED MATE (IRON WOLVES MC BOOK 9) by Elle Boon

Will they find beauty in the ashes as the fire settles, or will they go up in flames?
Shifters and humans don’t mix, at least not in Coti’s opinion. He’s more than just a wolf though, but his pack and fellow MC brothers don’t know everything there is to know about him, and he likes to keep it that way…until one human female comes along and changes everything.
Renee, or NeNe to her friends hates her life. Well, she didn’t hate it so much when she could count on her friends, but one-by-one they began finding boyfriends, leaving her alone. Suddenly, she finds herself on the outside looking in. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, she knows she needs to make a change or she’ll end up like her mother, dead.
A connection between two of the most unlikely people seemed written in the stars, but Coti isn’t ready to accept his fate, while NeNe doesn’t want a man who’s a brawler like her father. No, these two will fight their attraction, even if it kills them.
When a new group moves into town just outside of the Iron Wolves territory giving NeNe the opportunity to make extra cash in order to escape, she latches on with both hands. Only is the saying something’s too good to be true going to bite her in the rear, or will her savior come to the rescue? For Coti he can’t seem to shake off the need to keep one tiny human safe, even if it puts him in a perilous position of claiming the female for his own.

Amazon     iBooks

MAGNOLIA MYSTIC (SENTINELS OF SAVANNAH) by Lisa Kessler

Skye Olson is a psychic like her mother, and her grandmother before her, but a bad break up with the man she thought was her soulmate has left her confidence in her abilities shaken. While she’s in crisis, a real estate tycoon from Atlanta swoops in with his eyes on her shop.

Colton Hayes spent his mortal life plundering royal ships with his pirate crew, but one holy relic changed everything. Now he and the rest of the crew protect the port of Savannah from their captain who traded his cutlass for a fountain pen.

When Colton discovers the captain wants to build a hotel in the heart of historic Savannah, he sets out to stop him, but nothing could prepare him for the sexy smile and violet eyes of the Magnolia Mystic.

Amazon     iBooks

INVADING ALPHA (SERAPHINE THOMAS BOOK 9) by Erin R Flynn

Division Chief Seraphine Thomas is finally handling the snowballing situation in New York. She survived her first Valentine’s Day as Alpha and a whole new mess of problems, but is feeling more confident in her roles now that she’s laid a better foundation. The problem is there’s no safe way to handle what she needs to, and alone she’s not enough.
But help comes in a very surprising away.
The Alpha of one of the New York City packs sent a hitter to take care of Sera when she started forcing the system to work and he was on the wrong side of that. Though months ago, Sera still has a valid claim to retaliate. Plus, it’s the only non-human office that hasn’t been fully retrained, which is rather odd given the FBI is hiring new non-human agents to have teams in regular offices.
Add to that, there are rumors of the regular NYC office being dirty, and it might take a miracle to pull this trick off without getting everyone dead. Thankfully, lipstick can be a magical thing if used right.

Amazon

REVELATIONS IN BLOOD by Patricia D Eddy

They thought they were safe. After escaping the catacombs and leaving all she’s ever known behind, Evangeline is ready to be free. To start a new life with Nic. The vampire who claimed her body and her heart.

His touch heals her. Her blood quiets his demons.

Connected for eternity by a bond forged in blood and sealed in passion, their desire for one another grows beyond their wildest dreams. Until a new threat emerges.

Betrayed, separated, and tortured, can they find their way back to one another? Or will their bond be shattered forever?

Love freed them.
Love will break them.
Can love save them?

Amazon     iBooks

HEAVEN-SENT WARRIOR by Nancy Lee Badger

Henrí Chevalier’s last memory, before stumbling naked into a museum’s moonlit garden, was Auguste Rodin and his dusty Paris studio in 1886. To escape his broken heart, Henrí volunteered to sleep inside a statue until needed. Expecting to die, he discovers he must learn to use the unexpected powers Heaven has given him. Without them he will fail his mission against otherworldly creatures, such as demons and faeries.

Kenzie Mackintosh, a dedicated art museum’s curator, spies a naked man hiding among bronze statues. A quick glance ignites desire within her, but she is too tied-up in work to act on it. Unaware of her fae heritage, their relationship heats up as he disrupts her job. While Henrí tries to process modern buildings, cars, and a broken elevator, a demon attacks and forces Henrí and Kenzie to enlist the aid of her powerful fae relatives. When the demon possesses the body of her ex-lover and threatens to kill him, then use her to take over the world, Henrí and Kenzie must learn to trust each other, even if Kenzie’s death might be the only answer to the world’s salvation.

Amazon

VEILIOS DRAGON (DRAGONS OF BREVIA: SHADOW SQUAD BOOK 5) by Zoey Harper

Veilios, second in command of an elite team of dragons, has lived long and traveled wide, never finding love. But now, a rescue mission has brought his kind, curvy, dragon mate to him. The only problem is, she doesn’t recognize him as hers.

Life keeping a group of female half-breeds safe has never been easy for Kira. When a raid on their latest hideout leads to the death of an influential wolf, Kira seeks refuge with the Shadow Squad. All she wants to do is find an out, but there’s one dragon, with warm brown eyes, and the heart of a healer, that she can’t resist.

Pretty soon, things spiral out of control. Now Kira’s facing not one, but two formidable enemies. As things get worse, she finds herself leaning more on Veilios. But he, too, has secrets lurking in his past.

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WYATT (DRAGONS OF RIDDICH BOOK 5) by Mel Teshco

The dragons will search the universe for their one true mate…

Misha is a hunter through and through. Raised by the Paranormal Detection Agency to be a deadly assassin, the tables are turned when she escapes the PDA facility and makes a run for freedom…and her life. But with the operatives closing in on her, she never expects a winged dragon to rain down fire, and save her from her pursuers.

But what does the Riddich dragon want in return?

Wyatt has been with more than enough women in his two centuries to know lust when he feels it. But surely that’s the last thing he should experience on seeing a female werewolf. So why is he compelled to save her? The answer becomes all too apparent when she changes back to human…and then shifts for the first time into dragon. A pity her unique abilities mean the PDA and his sworn alien enemies, the Tantonics, want her just as badly, because Wyatt will do anything now to keep her safe and by his side.

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TROUBLE IN BLISS by Rebecca Airies

After years away, Violet Collins returned to her hometown of Alden Glen. An Aelfir with an affinity for gems, she’s ready to start rebuilding her life. When she meets hunky Theron McDonal, she thinks things might be getting on the right track.
Theron McDonal, an ex-Hunter with a metal affinity, came to Alden Glen to help stop the forces threatening the town. Strange disappearances, attacks, it adds up to danger for the townspeople. But he discovers a little piece of bliss among the chaos. Violet’s gorgeous, welcoming, and the attraction between them is hot enough to burn down the town.
When danger comes to Alden Glen, they’ll have to uncover a longheld, secret grudge or the town could be torn apart. Can they survive and claim a future together?

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THE COYOTE’S BRIDE (MASTERS OF MARIA BOOK 6) by Holley Trent

Related to one of the oldest shapeshifter legacies in Maria, Lily Baxter grew up knowing there was a chance she’d find romance among the supernatural. But certainly her idea of romance wasn’t a drunken one-night stand with a Coyote she loves to hate, a Vegas wedding, and soon after, a heartrending miscarriage. She and Lance Aitkenson obviously aren’t meant to be.

But while secretly coordinating their divorce far from the snoops back in town, her new husband gets jumped by man-hating jaguar shifters, and it’s up to her to smooth things over. There’s something stranger than usual about these Jaguars. Not only do they seem to have abilities no other shapeshifters have, but they claim a centuries-old connection to Maria’s resident goddess. They see strong-minded Lily as a kindred spirit, but Lance fears they harbor sinister motives.

Together, he and Lily might be able to unravel the secrets of the mysterious cult and prevent them from disturbing the peace back in Maria, but can they really work cooperatively when they’re so close to calling it quits? Or will they realize that they don’t need an accident as their excuse for sticking together?

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DRAGON BLOOD (COBALT DRAGONS BOOK 1) by Amelia Jade

When word reaches Kaitlyn Harver that her boss wants her in his office now, she starts to panic. How could he know? She hasn’t told a soul. All she wants is to do her job and climb the corporate chain. Leapfrogging the other senior directors by accompanying her boss on a private jet to another continent isn’t how she imagined doing it. Especially not after how things ended the last time they worked together…

When Aric finds out he must travel, there’s only one person he wants with him. Fun-loving and easy-on-the-eyes Kaitlyn. Not because of what happened before, but because he doesn’t want a dry, stuffy suit-wearer with him. His plans fall apart the instant they’re shut in the plane together and he realizes something about her has changed. She’s now more important to him than ever before. But what’s different?

Kaitlyn is determined to keep it a platonic trip to avoid workplace rumor and scandal when she returns. Resisting Aric, however, is harder than ever once they’re alone. He’s always been drop-dead handsome and buff, but now that they’re out of a corporate environment he’s showing her another side of him. The only question is, which one is the real him, and will that change her mind when it comes to revealing the secret she’s carrying?

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DESTINED FOR THE DRAGON (LOST DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Zoe Chant

Hunting dragons is in Alanna Carlyle’s blood. Just like generations of her family before her, she’s trained all her life as a dragon hunter. It’s a life dedicated to one purpose, and one purpose only, with no time for friendship – or love. It’s unthinkable that a dragon could ignite such a fierce desire within her – especially not the very dragon she’s been sent to kill.

Dragon shifter Magnus spent years as the captive of an evil dragon hunter. With no memory of his family or clan, Magnus is cut off from his hoard and his heritage – until one touch of Alanna’s hand sparks memories within him he’d thought he’d lost forever, and stirs his soul in a way he’s never known before.

When destiny throws Alanna and Magnus together, danger closes in on every side. Can they learn to trust each other and unravel the secrets and lies that hide around every corner? And do they dare to give in to the smoldering passion between them?

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BLACK SPELLS AND TWISTED SOULS (GREY WITCH BOOK ONE) BY CeCe Rose

A dead boss, a demonic kitty in her bathtub, and a smoking hot detective… If only he wasn’t trying to pin her for the murder.

Between a mysterious fae prince with no sense of modesty or boundaries showing up, having to call a vengeance spirit, and more demons than she ever expected or wanted to meet appearing in her living room, an iced latte spilled all over her new dress is suddenly the least of her worries.

When white magic won’t save her, and black magic will taint her soul, what’s a witch to do?

Amazon

A LION, A TIGER AND HER BEAR OH MY (THE MATES OF BEAR PAW RIVER BOOK 4) by Everleigh Clark

Adopted brothers, Traeger and Noah Shaw are too busy running from their haunted past to worry about things like mating. Then she comes into the picture. A bear shifter with a killer wit, amazing curves, sharp claws and an even sharper tongue. If her mating heat doesn’t kill them, they still have a psycho on their tails. You know, just to keep things interesting.

Bear shifter, Sam Cooper doesn’t need to count on anyone but herself. But these big cat shifters, AKA Dimples and Angry Pussy, aren’t taking the hint. The brooding lion and cute tiger are calling to her bear faster than she can say, “Oh My!”
And then there’s the whole human shifter war she’s trying to prevent.
It’s time to bear-up and kick a little sass!

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THE INSPECTOR CLAIMS THE VAMPIRESS (NOCTURNE FALLS UNIVERSE) by Larissa Emerald and Kristen Painter (Foreward)

A distant London relative to the Ellinghams, vampiress crossbreed Veronica Hadleigh, hates black, loves pink, and drives a sexy car. She’s come to Nocturne Falls for a fresh start and maybe even to find Mr. Right. Which she reluctantly discovers could be human Fire Inspector, Lance Grims. But humans and vampires are a tricky combination. And when he realizes Veronica’s true nature, will he stick around or run for the Georgia hills where he was raised?

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THE IMMORTAL TAKES A WIFE (NOCTURNE FALLS UNIVERSE) BY Pamela Labud and Kirsten Painter (Foreward)

Heartsick about her on again, off again boyfriend, Werewolf, Fiona O’Malley is struggling to make the hardest decision of her life—if she should break up with him once and for all. Though she knows he loves her, is sweet, funny and kind, he’s just not the sort of guy you can depend upon, especially in the romance department.

Immortal Matthew “Matty” Hyland is crazy in love with Fiona. He’d do anything to make her happy. Though he tries repeatedly to be there for her, things just keep getting in his way. Broken promises and no show’s for their dates keep happening. He knows Fiona is about at the end of her patience and is on the verge of cutting him loose forever.

Just as he’s about to pop the question, things go from seriously bad to crazy worse. Captured by a bounty hunter, the couple is pursued by an evil gangster bondsman and mysterious Druids. Fiona is giving her all to help him, all the while not knowing if their love can survive all the turmoil they’re facing in addition to the issues they’ve had in the past. Matty is desperate to make it up to her and prove he can change so they can be together forever. One thing is certain, magic, adventure and true love ensues when The Immortal Takes A Wife!

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TOUCHED BY HER ELVEN MAGIC (NOCTURNE FALLS UNIVERSE) by Kira Nyte and Kirsten Painter (Foreward)

Kalen Hawkins has only two goals — find help for his sister in Nocturne Falls and evade the evil genius hunting them. After almost a lifetime of captivity, he has little trust to spare, even for a sexy elf with a sweet heart and a galaxy of stars in her eyes.

Faunalyn “Fawn” Ayre loves the people and peculiarities of the small Georgia town where every day is Halloween. It’s the perfect place for a nature elf to put down roots and live the life she’s dreamed of — until a mysterious stranger literally crashes into her happy existence. She can’t help but be drawn to the stunningly handsome man who is part fae, part … something else, and entirely too noble.

The last thing Kalen wants to do is draw Faunalyn into danger, but her loyalty and determination are impossible to resist. And she just may hold the key to his heart…and survival.

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TWICE TURNED (THE WOLVES OF HEMLOCK HOLLOW) by Heather McCorkle

Ayra’s father is forcing her to marry to make alliances, her brother has gone off the deep end in a big way, and to top it all off, her reaper powers have been awakened, something she hoped would never happen. Who the hell wants to put down other werewolves for a living?

And now, just as she’s starting to figure out her place in the world, Vidar’s back from Iceland, looking hotter than ever and still managing to ring all her bells with just a look. All Ayra wants to do is lose herself in him, in the past, but it’s never going to happen. He’s only back and paying attention to her because she’s the reaper. And there’s a little snag in the form of a vow of celibacy he took.

The sparks are undeniable, and Vidar swears he’s the only one who can help her on her journey. But he already left her once.

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SAVING THE WEREWOLVES (THE LOST PRINCESS OF HOWLING SKY BOOK 2) By Kamryn Hart 

I’m the Lost Princess of Howling Sky. Only a few days ago, I would have said that was crazy, that I’m just Sorissa. Now I’m living crazy. Everybody wants to use me for their own gain in the Prime War.

Except for Phantom Fangs, my werewolves.

I left with vampires to save their lives. Maybe the vampires intend to kill me, but I’m not that fragile. I’ll survive, and I’ll keep my werewolves safe.

Amazon

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VS Note: We put EMBRACE THE PASSION: PETS IN SPACE 3 up for pre-order this week! releases October 9th and a portion of the first month’s royalties goes to Hero-Dogs, Inc., which provides service dogs to veterans. Another stellar line up of authors, including SE Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake and more! Here’s our website: https://www.petsinspaceantho.com/

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

July 18

July 11

July 4

June 27

June 20

My standard Notes and Caveats:

Including one from me this week – WHEE!!!

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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DARIK: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 4) by Veronica Scott

Nicolle James is far from her home in the human Sectors, kidnapped by alien scientists to be the subject of horrifying experiments.  Her only hope might be a mysterious soldier she’d glimpsed outside the laboratory fence. She’d managed to sneak a few words of conversation with him when her captors weren’t watching but now the aliens were taking her inside the lab to begin the experiments.

Darik, a warrior of the genetically engineered Badari pack, is on a solo recon mission to check out a mysterious new lab high in the mountains. His orders are strict – do not engage. But when he has a chance meeting with the woman who might be his mate, he vows not to abandon her, orders or no orders.

Can he get inside an underground lab, find Nicolle and rescue her without getting captured himself? And when he learns the lab’s deadly secrets, can he get word to his pack about the new dangers?

Because the ruthless alien scientist running the experiments wants to get her hands on him too and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Amazon    iBooks    Nook      Google     Kobo

IMPERATOR (GALACTIC GLADIATORS BOOK 11) by Anna Hackett

VS Note: Have I been waiting for this one!!! One clicked.

Space station security specialist Sam has done one thing since her abduction by alien slavers…fight to survive. But now one strong alien gladiator stands at her side and Sam knows she is no longer alone.

Thrust into a lawless desert arena, Sam Santos has done terrible things in order to stay alive. As the Champion of Zaabha, she’s been fighting to find a way out. Everything changes when the Imperator of the House of Galen sacrifices his freedom to help her. The hard-bodied, fierce man has vowed to help her escape, but getting out of Zaabha is only the first deadly task they face.

Galen was bred to be a royal bodyguard and protect his prince. With his planet now destroyed, he’s grown powerful and forged his wealthy gladiatorial House on the desert planet of Carthago. All Galen knows is honor, service, and sacrifice. Now his life depends on working with one battle-hardened woman of Earth as they fight together to survive. But Sam Santos is not what he expected. Tough, yes. A brilliant fighter, for sure. But there is a softer side to the woman as well. And Galen finds himself irrevocably drawn to all of Sam’s captivating facets.

Then they uncover a devious plot by the Thraxians that could bring down the foundations of the Kor Magna Arena and all they hold dear. Galen and Sam will stop at nothing to defeat the evil alien slavers, even if it means war. In amongst the fighting, Sam may finally show a man who lives for everyone else, that he deserves more than just honor and freedom, but love as well…if they survive the coming battle.

Amazon

LOST VALYR: PROJECT ENTERPRISE BOOK 7 by Pauline Baird Jones

VS Note: I’ve been really enjoying this series so I had this pre-ordered.

Dr. Rachel Grant knows her way around the Garradian tech on the Kikk Outpost. But the technology she encounters in an alien medical lab stumps even her brilliant mind. With a little help from her scheming parrot sidekick, she manages to push the right buttons and transport them to an uncharted planet…where they find a recently defrosted alien, who heats up Rachel.

Valyr wasn’t going to warm up to the bright-eyed scientist anytime soon…not after she pried centuries of cryosleep from his cold fingers. But waking up in the wrong century is nothing compared to the robots targeting his still-frozen team. And their situation only gets worse when he discovers the spiderweb of destruction trailing in the robots’ wake. With their backs against the wall, Valyr is blown away by Rachel’s determined passion in the face of impossible odds… but they’ll need more than a chemical reaction to survive what is headed their way.

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UNIT 78: RESCUED (CyBRG FILES BOOK 2) by Evangeline Anderson and Mina Carter

VS NOTE: I’ve had this one on pre-order and I am SO IMPATIENT.  I LOVED the first book in the series so much.

Unit 78, formerly Corporal Richard Hardgraves, is a Cyborg with a mission: to rescue the Admiral’s daughter from the dreaded Tr’Low Cult on Beacon 5. The Tr’Lows have a prophesy that a half-metal man will come from the sky and father the perfect child on a chosen bride–Rich tells himself he will play the part just long enough to grab the girl and run.

Kyrin Pierce is a Peace Keeper with IPKA–the Interstellar Peace Keeping Association. Lured to Beacon 5 by a fake call, she was captured and now she is being prepared for an unspeakable ceremony. She too plays into the Tr’Low prophecy because of her flame-red hair. As the priestesses of the cult inject her full of hormones to drive her wild with need, she has nearly given up hope of escape.

Rich might be more metal than man but he still has a heart and when he sees what the Kyrin has been through, he aches for her pain. But in order to get her out of the Tr’Low compound, he must do the unthinkable…and give the cultists what they want by taking Kyrin in their public ceremony.

Kyrin doesn’t care that the man who has come for her is a cyborg, she only knows that her body needs him desperately. And after he rescues her, her heart needs him too.
But Kyrin’s father, Admiral Pierce, doesn’t approve of his daughter loving a “metal monster.” When he separates them and sends Kyrin to a hospital to take care of her “problem” can Rich rescue her again…in time to save their baby?

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HELLDIVE (AEON’S LEGACY BOOK 4) by Alexis Glynn Latner

VS Note: This is on my TBR.

Hidden inside the Starcross Nebula is a place of interstellar shipwreck. It’s like a Bermuda Triangle half as old as time. It harbors malicious monsters and dangerous mysteries.

It’s a hell of a place to attempt a rescue mission.

Captain Zilka Devreze and her crew on the starship Guardian Angel must race against time to find shipwreck survivors in mortal danger. They’ll use Zilka’s genius grasp of the intricacies of fast starflight to get in and back out again.
Mission specialist Jack Mistry was an accident investigator in the Solar System in his previous life. Abruptly revived from stasis in the starship Aeon, he agrees to join the unprecedented mission. When he fled from Earth on Aeon, what he expected to find on the other side of the stars wasn’t an interstellar accident scene like this. Or a woman like Zilka.

Always as singularly alone as she was brilliant, Zilka discovers that this can change. But first she has to learn how to lead a very assorted crew. And Jack has to learn to follow his heart. They will all learn how death and life, hell and hope, and danger and love intersect in the Starcross Nebula.

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SPACE DEPUTY (INTERSTELLAR SHERIFF BOOK 1) by Jenny Schwartz

A millennium into the future, the Saloon Sector is where the Wild West meets the 1950s, in space, with robots. It’s where careers go to die.

Thelma Bach graduated top of her class after four years at the Galactic Justice academy. But she’s a Rock Sector citizen. The core worlders were never going to let her transcend her background. So she’s been assigned to serve her seven years as a deputy in the Saloon Sector. The message for the Federation’s out-world citizens is clear: you’ll never be our equal, so don’t even try.

The stuffy bureaucrats of the Galactic Justice service chose the wrong person to push around. Thelma will subvert her interstellar sheriff, charm artificial intelligences, fight bandits and hunt the legendary Eldorado Cache. But with the frontier region holding secrets of its own, she needs to choose her new allies wisely because a scary, business-suited enemy is hunting her.

Amazon

KAREK (WARRIORS OF ITION) by Maia Starr

VS note: Author spells the hero’s name differently on the cover and in the blurb; just FYI, it wasn’t me doing typos, I swear!

Kerek Khane knows he’s in a position of power.
He’s expecting the human to show up with weapon codes.
He abducts her to take her to his leader.
But on the long space voyage – passion.
He can’t resist her strength, courage, body.
But she has betrayed the deal.
She brought fake codes.
Now her life is in danger.
Only Kerek can save her.But saving her means giving up his position in his clan.
If he saves her he loses everything. If he doesn’t – he loses her.
How can he make a choice when there is so much on the line?

Amazon

SUN IN THE OVEN: GALAXA WARRIORS (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 16) by Milly Taiden

Henley Rourke is a woman who loves a challenge. A while back, Gerri Wilder convinced her and two friends to make an interstellar jump to another galaxy. A thrill too hard to resist, Henley found herself on a planet filled with gorgeous shifters. But she’s restless and looking for a little adventure. And then she meets Damen Iceri. Badass. Shifter. Oh, yeah, and so hot, he makes her undies disappear. She gets more than she expects when she realizes Damen isn’t the only hot shifter who wants her.

Gunner Lukas, alpha of the Summit Bear Clan is a pair with Damen. Gunner is also the alpha to Damen’s omega. Bound by tradition and ritual, these two bears are looking for their mate, the one woman to complete their triad. And that’s Henley. But he’s not sure how she will handle finding out. When this triad gets together, things go from hot to explosive.

They’re ready to make their mating dreams come true along with all the dirty thoughts she’s had since meeting them.  A forever threesome? All about her? Yes, please! But there’s no time to think about forever—not when they are charged with finding the source behind a series of deaths by poison and doing their best to keep Henley from becoming the next victim.

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CAUGHT IN TIME (KENDRA DONOVAN MYSTERIES) by Julie McElwain

Still stranded in 1815, FBI agent Kendra Donovan finds herself on the trail of a vicious murderer with a shocking secret.
October 1815: There is only one place Kendra Donovan wants to travel—back to her own time period in the twenty-first century. But since that’s not happening, she agrees instead to travel with her new guardian, the Duke of Aldridge, to one of his smaller estates in Lancashire. Their journey takes them through Yorkshire, a region whose breathtaking beauty masks a simmering violence brought on by the Industrial Revolution, which pits mill owner against worker.

When Kendra and the Duke encounter a band of Luddites on a lonely, fog-shrouded road, the Duke informs the authorities in the nearby village of East Dingleford that mischief may have been done at the local mill. ..(more blurb on ebook seller site…)

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MATED ON HADES (CELESTIAL MATES) by Golden Angel

Tarrik would do anything to avoid breaking his mother’s heart, so he begrudgingly signs up for Celestial Mates and agrees to come home and settle down once the agency finds his match. There’s just one catch: he’s not ready to give up his free and easy life traveling the galaxy. And he’s doing exactly as his mother asked, so what will it hurt if he makes himself as unappealing as possible on his mate application?

Juliette is a woman on the run. Her attitude, and more importantly her hacking skills, have pissed off all the wrong people. Now the target of a contract hit, she’s decided the solution to her problems is to leave the planet as fast as she can. The Celestial Mates program is exactly what she needs. By the time her “mate” realizes she’s impossible to live with, hopefully it will be safe for her to return to earth. She wasn’t counting on a seriously hot alien who looked like the devil and could do the most sinful things with his tail.

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DRAEKON FEVER (DRAGONS IN EXILE BOOK 6) by Lili Zander and Lee Savino

Being the only virgin on the prison planet isn’t so bad.
No, actually, it totally sucks.
There are two Draekons who are interested in me. Well, I thought they were, but they keep blowing hot and cold. They won’t make a move. It’s infuriating.
Whatever. I have no use for broody aliens. None at all. No matter how gorgeous they are. No matter how much my insides tingle when they touch me…
Then it turns out that the Draekons have a very good reason for staying away.

Because they’re ill with the fever, and it will kill them unless I can find a cure.
This time, the virgin is going to save her two dragons.

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CALAN: PSION FACTOR SON (ALEDAN SERIES BOOK 6) by Christine Meyers

Ajha Lann, a dawning psion grew up under the wing of an older girl. Together they scrounged for food and avoided capture by the gangers in the ruins of Farringay. Left on her own when Mikki is captured by gangers, the voices in her head seemed to get louder but one presence is stronger than the others. It gives her hope of something better for her future.
Calan Narcaza’s mother, the former Michelle Marlow was born in the ruins Farringay outside the Starport Compound. Little had changed since his father went to Earth to find Chelle and claim her as his mate. Calan knows the dangers, but he has felt Ajha Lann reaching out to him from several years. He knew that for her to reach him over such interstellar distance could only mean that she was his psion mate.
His brother Jamerin brings Calan to Earth in his starship, though he is skeptical about leaving his baby brother on his own. Then they find a cyborg in stasis at the industrial complex that Calan bought to give refuge to the people struggling to survive in the city ruins. They wake him.
Calan and cyborg Rax Ven become allies building the Refuge together and facing off with the Overlords and gangers in a final showdown.

Amazon

ALIEN’S CAPTIVE (TERRAMATES BOOK 15) by Lisa Lace

I know what I want from an Earth woman.
Someone to cry out my name with desire.
Someone to have my babies.
What I don’t want is a wife.
The last thing I need is a distraction.

A delectable earthling makes me reconsider my plans. Perri is lovely. Curves, blue eyes, and ivory skin I want to taste. Her beauty makes planning to overthrow the corrupt government hard.
Very hard.
I terrify her. When I get close to her, she darts away. She calls me a rogue and a brute.
No one can talk to me this way…(more blurb on ebook seller site…)

Amazon

LIGHT UNFOLDING (WINGS OF ARTEMIS BOOK 8) by Rebecca Royce

Hurled across time and space, Waverly Sandler lives in unexpected exile on a planet doomed to be destroyed. A nurse and caretaker, she finds herself going through the motions waiting for an inevitable end she cannot change and missing the four parts of her soul she left behind—in the future—whenever. The last thing she expected was salvation in the eleventh hour, or a wild journey through the time warping effects of the black hole, but their reunion is only the next step in an ever spiraling journey.

With Ari, Jackson, Rohan, and Canyon willing to break every rule, they will rely on Waverly to light their path.

Amazon

HER ROHXARI GUARDIANS by Thanika Hearth and Starr Huntress

Following the last alien attack, Angel lost much more than her arm — she lost the respect of her crew. Traveling around space, it’s easy to get lost…But sometimes, instead, you find everything you didn’t know you were looking for.

Like three huge, powerful, armed Rohxari guardians tasked with beating away the very aliens that nearly took Angel’s life. Like a savage planet, a paradise; a home.

Like a prophecy, that can’t possibly be true, that the Rohxari Queen will soon be returning. Angel doesn’t believe in prophecies; she doesn’t believe in fate. But Saxxon, Wylar and Huck do.

She’d walk away, but … there are three of them, and they’re much stronger than her. And, hell, maybe it’d be fun to be princess of paradise for a day.

Amazon

STARLESS (HALF LIGHT BOOK 3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

VS Note: YA/NA

They are all trapped under a starless sky…

It turns out correcting the balance of the universe is harder than anyone could have imagined. Noah and Rachel’s mission to find Caspian’s starmate is interrupted when aliens board their ship. Noah is sent into his worst nightmare, while Rachel is forced to continue on alone. Across the galaxy, Angie is trying to survive her training mission while fighting her growing feelings for Kelby. Heading back to Andrelexa, Caspian is still completely in love with Rachel, and determined to do anything to ensure her protection.

When communications go down throughout the galaxies, being lost in space takes on a whole new meaning.

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THE SIMILAYER PROJECT: PART ONE  by Various

VS note: OK, I’m a sucker for post apocalyptic tales so I read some of the ‘Look Inside’ and one clicked.

A deadly virus born of good intentions ravages the planet, leaving humans on the bottom of the food chain as the infected mutate into creatures born of myth and nightmares.

As the military sets out to gather the healthy inside the walls of a biolab located in the central United States, the fight for survival begins for anyone willing to step beyond the safety of their own front door.

Follow five groups of survivors as they journey from California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, and Massachusetts in an epic adventure to find, not only what’s left of their government, but their independence, true love, and the strength to survive in a world bent on breaking them.

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KEY TO THE DEADFALL: INTO THE DEADFALL BOOK TWO by Susan Trombley

Evie managed to survive for months in the strange parallel dimension where she was dropped after accidentally activating a portal in her father’s shed. The Dead Fall doesn’t treat survivors kindly, as Evie discovers when she’s captured by alien creatures and taken to the settlement of Omni to be put on display in a bar.

When a gray alien appears in the bar to rescue her, she wonders at first if she hasn’t gone straight from the frying pan into the fire. Yet, the alien she nicknames Gray proves to be friendly, if a bit too determined to see her meet some destined mate she’s not interested in finding.

Gray tells her she must seek her own destiny, but she can’t help thinking she’s already found it, despite what he says. After all, her knight in shining armor has come to rescue her, and if he just so happens to have a flying saucer instead of a white horse, that’s okay with her.

Doshakeren is a hero. A legend. They sing epic songs about the warrior among his kin. When his most trusted advisor betrays him and locks him away with a strange artifact that casts him into another realm, he faces challenges beyond anything he’d ever faced before—the biggest being his fascination with the human female who makes him have forbidden thoughts that would see him outcast from his nest.

Evie must choose her own destiny, but nothing will be easy for her, least of all the Dead Fall itself, because the Nexus is watching. And waiting.

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HEROINE’S JOURNEY (HEROINE COMPLEX BOOK 3) by Sarah Kuhn

If there’s one thing Beatrice Tanaka never wanted to be, it’s normal. But somehow, her life has unfolded as a series of “should haves.” Her powers of emotional projection should have made her one of the most formidable superheroes of all time. And she should have been allowed to join her older sister Evie as a full-fledged protector of San Francisco, pulverizing the city’s plethora of demon threats.

But Evie and her superheroing partner, Aveda Jupiter, insist on seeing Bea as the impulsive, tempestuous teenager she used to be–even though she’s now a responsible adult. And that means Bea is currently living a thoroughly normal life. She works as a bookstore lackey, hangs out with best friends Sam Fujikawa and Leah Kim, and calms her workplace’s more difficult customers. Sure, she’s not technically supposed to be playing with people’s mental states. But given the mundanity of her existence, who can blame her?

When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, hinting at an evil that’s about to overtake the city, she seizes the opportunity, hoping to turn her “should haves” into the fabulous heroic life she’s always wanted. But gaining that life may mean sacrificing everything–and everyone–she holds dear.

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DARK CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRIES by Daryl DeVore

What’s a naughty fairy tale like Red Riding Hood without Red, the huntsman, grandma and especially, the big bad wolf?

Esmerelda ‘Red’ Hood is summoned to her mother’s executive suite only to learn her sweet granny is headed for a romantic cruise with a gigolo. Horrified, Red races off to save her grandma before it’s too late.

On board, Red meets Andrew Woodsman and Willem Olf. One a cutie with the biggest puppy eyes and the other a dark, sophisticated predator. Her grandmother’s warning rings in Red’s ear “Never trust a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Even with the warning, Red has trouble choosing which man could be the big bad wolf and which could be her happily ever after.

Amazon

SHADES OF FAE by Various

Not every fairytale has a happily ever after.

We only know three things about the Fae: They don’t lie, they cheat. What they aren’t given, they take. And if they can’t rule…they conquer. Now the fate of humanity lies in a battle between good and evil where lines are not easily drawn.

Time travel to 19th century France, brave the gritty streets of New York City, or enter the realm of the Fae itself in this darkly enchanting collection from today’s hottest USA Today, award-winning, and international bestselling paranormal and fantasy authors.

Shades of Fae is your ticket to a mystical realm where Sinister Sidhe and Dark Elves manipulate mortals, vengeful fae warriors battle nefarious vampire lords, and an apocalypse rife with werewolves, dragons, nymphs, banshees, shifters, and supernatural hunters brings unparalleled danger.

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A BEAR’S MERCY (SHIFTER COUNTRY BEARS BOOK 3) by Dakota West

Charlotte “Charlie” Mullins doesn’t mind putting herself in danger. She’s actually volunteered to hunt down Kade Lessing, a feral alpha bear who might be attacking and killing wolf shifters in Cascadia. Charlie’s not scared of the big bad bear, though maybe she should be…

Kade Lessing isn’t really feral, though sometimes he wishes he were. God knows he’d be less tormented, and it would make things a little easier on him and his mate Daniel. When Kade hears a woman scream in the forest, he runs to the aid of a total stranger.

With one glance at the curvy, tomboyish girl left bleeding on the ground, he knows instantly that he’d do anything to save her – including fighting off the wolves who attacked her. When Kade carries her back to the cabin, Daniel feels exactly the same way.

They’ve saved her life, but can Charlie tell them the truth – that she was on a mission to take down Kade? Can their triad bond survive a battle between wolves, bears, and humans, or is their fated love doomed to fall apart?

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DRAGON’S BLOOD: STORY OF THE BRETHREN BOOK 2 by LaVerne Thompson

After losing her mother at a very young age, Arianna’s world changed when her father came to get her. He took her across the Atlantic Ocean, away from everything she’d ever known and loved. But once again she’s forced to cross the Atlantic, this time leaving everything she’d grown to love behind. Running from the thing that had killed her remaining parent, running for her life. And fleeing from the being she’d dreamt of for half her life. Nothing could save her, she didn’t believe in myths and fairytales. Didn’t believe in the man with the eyes that flashed gold. She could trust no one. Not even the voice whispering inside her head she recognized as her own.

Talon had come to Earth searching for his truemate. Knowing she was near but still so very far away. Only able to reach her when they both closed their eyes, but waking up to find it had all been nothing but a dream. Until one day he heard her cry of pain and felt the crippling pang of fear that invaded her mind. She needed him, but he couldn’t find her. Not until she released her block against him. He just hoped it would not be too late. Because an ancient enemy roamed Earth once more and hunted his truemate. It was a race as to which one of them would find her first. Talon would not lose.

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COURT OF FLAME (THE PHOENIX WARS BOOK 3) by Miranda Martin and Nadia Hunter

The former mad King Emberich is back and out for vengeance. He wants to destroy Sven, my love and sovereign, for daring to stand up to the crazed, bloodthirsty tyrant.

I have to stop my father, nothing else matters.

I’ve got allies, sure, but if I call on them there’ll be open warfare between the Dragons and the Phoenixes. No one wants that, least of all me.

I know what Sven would say. I should let him go rather than risk everything. But that’s not going to happen.

He’s mine, I’m his, and I’m going to solve this. My heart wars with my duty but I refuse to let either one go.

Amazon

WENDIGO HUNTING (WENDIGO REDEMPTION BOOK 2) by Wendie Nordgren

Prejudices can run deep, and grudges can last for decades. Unfortunately for Rozene, such is the case between the Wendigoag, the Four Bears tribe, and the werewolves.

Fearing what she has become and fighting against her own nature, Rozene desperately tries to follow her heart. Rejected by the man she loves, she is determined to put her pain behind her, but her romantic entanglements have become knots. Her heart is torn amongst Hunting Wolf, with his Wendigo magic calling to her blood, Colby, the cowboy turned werewolf, who has claimed her as his mate, and Chief Sam Stillwater, the bear shifter, who her own heart has claimed. Each of them calls to her soul, demanding her loyalty and love, but whose call should she answer when she loves them equally?

However, Rozene’s romantic angst will have to wait. An ancient dark magic is unleashed upon the inhabitants of Silver Springs. Chenoo, evil ice spirits, are freezing to death people and livestock. To survive, the Four Bears tribe, the Wendigoag, and the werewolves will have to overcome their own prejudices and fight together or die together.

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THE CONCUBINE AND HER VAMPIRES by Julie Morgan

VS Note: From May

Born a blood demon, Olivia Martin’s sole purpose is to become a blood slave to a vampire. She is nothing more than a blood bag.

With a vampire as her master, she would want for nothing, her every need and whim catered to, but becoming a prisoner was not the life Olivia would have chosen for herself.

At least, until she met Jared and his four brothers-at-arms. Giving yourself to one person was easy. Having fun with two, exciting. But a harem of lovers? It was more than Olivia ever considered possible.

Need, lust, and blood drive Olivia to find a strength inside herself to not only accept her five sexy-as-sin vampires, but to also protect herself from an evil hell bent on claiming her for its own.

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BALEFIRE (WHYBORNE & GRIFFIN BOOK 10) by Jordan L Hawk

Whyborne’s Endicott relatives have returned to collect on the promise he made to help them take back their ancestral manor from an evil cult. In exchange, they’ll give him the key to deciphering the Wisborg Codex, which Whyborne needs to learn how to stop the masters.

To that end, Whyborne, his husband Griffin, and their friends Iskander and Christine travel to a small island off the coast of Cornwall. But when they arrive at Balefire Manor, Whyborne must not only face the evil within the ancient mansion, but the painful truth about his own destiny.

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ARIEL’S ANTICS: SEA SHENANIGANS BOOK 2 by Robyn Peterman

What in the clam shell does a Mermaid have to do to find true love?

I’m bored. And if I’m being honest, I’m jealous. I want my sister to have her happily ever after. I do. But I want my own adventures and my own true love. For two hundred years I’ve suffered through one immortal asshat after another while stuck on Mystical Isle. And while running a tourist trap for humans might be entertaining, I’m never going to find my true love in this sea of monotony.

Of course, there is a Selkie… the sexiest most idiotic man-seal I’ve ever had the misfortune of swimming across—definitely an asshat. Unfortunately, the dork still invades my dreams on a regular basis.

I finally have a shot at an adventure. I must save our island home. However, the mission is to seek out the very Selkie who stole my heart… the same asshat whose Johnson I’d tried to truncate.

Holy hell and seashells. Only I would agree to a tsunami waiting to happen.

Ask any tuna you happen to see… Who’s the craziest Mermaid? That would be me.

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CAUTIOUS CAT (CAT SHIFTERS BOOK 3) by Severine Wolfe

Talikha Tella had seen Aleksei Koukleva in a lecture hall at Oxford University and known the was his. She had plans. Big plans. Every single cousin of hers who had ever told her she’d never find a mate would suck it because she had, and he was beautiful.

Aleksei Koukleva had never seen a more beautiful woman that the student who had grabbed and kept his attention at a lecture he’d done as a favor to a friend. He was the mate he had always imagined. He could not wait to get her back to Russia and his Tiger Streak.

Being kidnapped, beaten and halfway starved to death changes a person and Tali doubts everything she ever thought she knew about her mate. They have to fight to keep themselves together. The hardest battle must be fought within themselves.

Amazon

THE FACELESS WOMAN: A SWAN PRINCESS RETELLING  (OTHERWORLD BOOK 4) by Emma Hamm

VS note: Sounds good! Put it on my TBR.

Once upon a time…

A town will only suffer the presence of a witch for as long as she is useful. Aisling watches the flames lick her thighs and prays for a quick death. But when an Unseelie prince appears through the smoke, she does what any self respecting witch would do.

She curses him.

Bran should never have traveled to the human realm, and is shocked when a witch binds them together. His life is hers and he refuses to die. He saves her from the fires, casts a hex on the townsfolk for good measure, then whisks her away to safety. His only stipulation? She has to remove the binding curse.

Unfortunately for them both, she can’t. Witch and Unseelie must travel across the Otherworld to break the ties that bind them. Secrets and lies stand between them, but both will stop at nothing to save themselves.

Amazon

EMBERS (A DARK IN YOU NOVEL) by Suzanne Wright

With the birth of their son, Asher, Harper and Knox are both more powerful and more vulnerable than they’ve ever been before. Asher’s charm has seduced even the devil himself, but Harper knows that the real villain is still out there, and as desperate as ever to see the Primes fall. They’re laying low, and there’s no way to tell which one of their circle is really a deadly foe . . .

When the final horseman makes their move, Harper and Knox will have to use all the considerable power at their disposal – and that may even include Asher’s mysterious abilities. One thing’s for sure – this is a baby who’s more than a match for any demon coming after him.

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FIRE BORN (QUEEN OF THE SEVEN STARS BOOK 1) by Kallista Dane

I learned my fate on my eighteenth birthday, the day my father died and I became the virgin Queen.

The day my life changed forever.

The Lord of Darkness has risen. He means to conquer my kingdom and take me as his bride. But to succeed, he needs the power of the five Sacred Sources.

I must find the Fire Born. The one who shifts into a fearsome dragon. He’s come to me in dreams in his human form, stirring shameful, dark desires inside me. The prophecy says he will take me as his mate – and join with me to battle the Dark Lord, who has awakened from the spell cast on him a thousand years ago.

Then I must seek out the others. Five in all, each with his own special skill.

The Warrior. The Wizard. The Mystic. And last, the Rogue.

I must secure their protection, their allegiance, using whatever means necessary, whether it be to offer them riches or a title… or my body. A place in my bed as well as on the throne.

The Oracle says only by uniting with these five powerful men will I accomplish my mission. Avenge my father’s death – and save the World of the Seven Stars from an enemy as old as the Universe.

But she never warned me about the dangers of falling in love.

Amazon

CLAIMING THE DRAGON KING: THE ELITE GUARDS NOVEL by Amelia Hutchins

The Horde took everything from him.
He’s honor bound to avenge his people and take back his palace by any means necessary.
Blane has kept his people hidden from the Horde since the day they came in and wiped out the dragon race, but they didn’t kill them all. Now he’s back, and making a move against the Horde. He’s going to take back what’s rightfully his in a step to wage war against those who took everything from him. The one thing he didn’t expect was to find her instead of the Horde King’s offspring.
Ciara has lived in the shadows and survived torture at the hands of her own father. She’s trained hard to find her place among the Elite Guard. Until she is captured by him…changing her destiny along with it in one fateful night.
Now, she will taste unbridled passion at the hands of her captor, and she isn’t sure she’ll survive the heat of the Dragon King.

Amazon

RIVER (LOST CREEK SHIFTERS BOOK 7) by Samantha Leal 

Stacey: It all started with her friend giving birth. Then strange things start happening in Lost Creek…and if she is to believe what she is being told…she has an integral role to play…and a secret destiny only she can fulfill…It just so happens that the dark and sexy River will be the catalyst…

River: He is a natural protector. And when he returns to Lost Creek and more secrets begin to be revealed, he knows exactly where…and with whom his skills are needed…

Can this unlikely pair navigate the rising dangers as well as their own passions to save Lost Creek from this unseen threat? But first of course…can they save themselves?

Amazon

I’M NOT LION TO YOU (SOULATE SHIFTERS IN MYSTERY ALASKA BOOK 2) by Krystal Shannon

Kann is a lion shifter from another world. Literally. Even though he’s learned how to walk, talk, dress and sound just like everyone else in Mystery, Alaska, he still can’t find his mate. Until she walks right into the local grocery store. Her blue eyes and killer legs make his lion stand up and roar. Well, that and her soul is glowing just for him. That only happens…
with soulmates. Which means the magick of his world did cross over to Earth with the survivors.

Penny is on the run, being chased at a breakneck pace over the Alaskan countryside. She can’t trust anyone and knows it’s only a matter of time until she’s caught. When she meets Kann, the sexy backwoods, plaid-shirted man from Mystery, she’s instantly attracted. However, she can’t afford a distraction and she doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt when they come for her.

Except, Kann has never met an objection he couldn’t overcome. With patience and determination, he wins Penny over inch by inch. But will Penny’s past steal everything from both of them?

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JAZZIE & SUGAR BELLE by Lilith St Crow

Jozzie Shale, missing a particularly intimate piece of his person, lands in LA with a hangover and plenty of determination. He needs help, fast–and fortunately, he’s got the address of a witch who owes his buddy Petey a favor.

She’s a solution: Sugar Belle, of the Virginia Belles, is only mildly amused when a drunken shapeshifter shows up in her tattoo chair. Add a warlock with a necromantic book, coyote shifters, the end of the world, plus a few hundred pounds of cheese, and even a witch of Sugar’s caliber might be in for a bad night.

Amazon

HOCUS POCUS & THE ALL NEW SEQUEL by A W Jantha

VS Note: No idea if there’s romance but wow, did my family ever love the original movie.

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on Earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don’t quite go as planned, it’s a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches’ latest death-defying scheme.

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OF FIRE AND STORM (PIPER LANCASTER SERIES #2) by D G Swank

Just when Piper begins to accept her new role as demon slayer, a fresh threat rises.

People are disappearing, and Piper is sure a sinister, otherworldly force is at play.

Add to that ghosts who show up out of thin air, warning her of a danger she won’t be able to outrun, and a freaking bevy of supernatural creatures hiding in the background, and Piper suddenly has her hands full. Especially when the new creatures aren’t demons, or ghosts and she has no idea how to deal with them.

Or whether or not they be good little monsters, or bad.

There is one man who has the knowledge she needs to survive but she can’t even count on him. Why? The bastard left town.

One thing is certain: a big bad demon’s come to town and Piper has to stop him—but she needs help to do it.

If only she could figure out whom to trust.

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AWAKEN THE DARKNESS (IMMORTAL GUARDIANS BOOK 8) by Dianne Duvall

He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.

When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them.

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*******************

VS Note: Just a reminder there are three previous books in the Badari Warriors series available! 

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

July 4

June 27

June 20

June 13

June 6

May 30

My standard Notes and Caveats:

Thrilled to announce the next book in my Badari Warriors series, DARIK! The cover is another gem from the talented Fiona Jayde.. UPDATED:  buy links (Kobo is still coming).

The blurb:

Nicolle James is far from her home in the human Sectors, kidnapped by alien scientists to be the subject of horrifying experiments.  Her only hope might be a mysterious soldier she’d glimpsed outside the laboratory fence. She’d managed to sneak a few words of conversation with him when her captors weren’t watching but now the aliens were taking her inside the lab to begin the experiments.

Darik, a warrior of the genetically engineered Badari pack, is on a solo recon mission to check out a mysterious new lab high in the mountains. His orders are strict – do not engage. But when he has a chance meeting with the woman who might be his mate, he vows not to abandon her, orders or no orders.

Can he get inside an underground lab, find Nicolle and rescue her without getting captured himself? And when he learns the lab’s deadly secrets, can he get word to his pack about the new dangers?

Because the ruthless alien scientist running the experiments wants to get her hands on him too and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

The excerpt:

Darik measured the size of the huge paw print in the snow, comparing the breadth to his own generously sized hand. “Big predator, nothing we’ve ever seen before. Nothing comparable in the lowlands.” He took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, automatically sorting the scents and savoring many new to him. Small furred creatures, towering trees, elusive woodland flowers and moss – he enjoyed all the novelties. It was still a rare luxury for him not to smell the hated disinfectants and chemicals of the Khagrish lab where his kind were created.

His metallic companion MARL12 shifted beside him, disturbing the air as the small alien device floated on an antigrav cushion. “Best to avoid an encounter with any predators.”

Grinning, Darik rose to his feet and eyed the miniature ovoid, now positioned a few feet further away, orange and pink lights flicking across its shiny surface in rapid patterns. The one tiny patch of green on the machine which he’d noticed was consistently present blinked in the lower rear quadrant of the Alien Intelligence unit’s silver skin.

Darik dusted snow from his palms. “Nervous? I’ll protect you, don’t worry.” He kicked loose snow over the tracks contemptuously. “Big as this animal may be, he’s not going to challenge a full grown Badari male like me. My talons are twice the size of his.”

“We can’t afford to be diverted from our primary mission—”

“Give it a break, MARL12. We’re in this animal’s territory and, unless he challenges me, I’m not looking for trouble. Live and let live.”

Darik had been dropped off at a higher elevation in the mountains so he wouldn’t be spotted by the enemy based in the foothills. He’d descended thousands of feet since his arrival, taking a circuitous route to his assigned target. Neither he nor his Alpha wanted any hint of a Badari presence in the area to become known. He relished the chance to hike through the old growth forest, alone except for his annoying AI companion.

“The sun will set in thirty two minutes and twelve seconds,” MARL12 announced in a crisp tone with no resemblance to the timbre of either human or Badari voices but was uniquely his own, as if a sizable bird had been given vocal chords

Darik glanced at the small alien AI dispatched to assist him on this reconnaissance and decided to poke its emotional responses with a little barb. “I can see in the dark perfectly well. It’s a Badari attribute. Can’t you?”

A brief silence descended as the AI floated along on its antigrav cushion, bobbing over bushes and other obstacles. MARL12 might be a miniaturized version of its parent unit but the superior attitude was full scale. “I have complete visual acuity under all circumstances. My concern was for you to have a safe base camp established before dark.”

Pausing, Darik leaned in close.

The AI retreated a foot and hovered.

“I can take care of myself, thanks. I don’t need a minder.” Standing at his full seven foot height, Darik sampled the air again. “There’s no predator in this area capable of taking on a Badari and hoping to win.” He flashed his talons and fangs for the sheer joy of it. Leaping to the flat top of a nearby boulder, he surveyed the vistas ahead and expanded his chest with pleasure. This was the way for a man to live—free, with unlimited nature to explore. Of course, I do have a job to do. Aydarr didn’t send me here to have fun.

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