Many many great new books today!
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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THE ALIEN ASSASSIN’S CONVENIENT WIFE: AN ‘IN THE STARS’ ROMANCE NOVELLA by Ruby Dixon
One half of an intergalactic assassin team, Jadzion heads to New Mexico for his target while his brother Heriot heads to California. They’ve traveled millions of miles and through star systems to find their targets, who are gun-runners on a galactic scale. Now, though, Jadzion has a problem. He’s waited until the last minute to go planetside, and his target’s at a couples retreat.
Jadzion is solo.
The solution is obvious – Jadzion needs a wife. Just for the weekend, of course.
Using a thing called a ‘dating app’ he finds a woman named Jenna. He tells her he needs to marry her, right away. Jenna, naturally, is confused. But the longer she’s around Jadzion, the more she thinks he’s not from around here…and that he just might be the one for her.
THE ALIEN ASSASSIN’S STOLEN BRIDE: IN THE STARS ROMANCE by Michelle Mills
Hannah’s having a bad day. Her friends have ditched her, and she’s stuck going on a tour of Hearst Castle. And she ends up seated next to a muscle-bound, dangerous-looking man dressed all in black, with pearly-white skin and silver eyes.
Heriot is an assassin known for his one hundred percent kill rate…and his grim disposition. He’s all work and no fun, according to his brother and partner, Jadzion. And he’s all business as he tracks down his latest target on some filthy backwater planet called Earth. He’s got two diurnal cycles to take out his target, so there’s not a lot of time for shenanigans.
He didn’t expect to find his true mate during the middle of this hit. He didn’t expect her to be a stunning human female who could gentle his stern demands. And he didn’t expect to be reduced to a raging, rutting beast on this mission. Can he convince his innocent mate to return with him to his home planet before his time is up, or will he be forced to steal her?
EDGE OF NOWHERE by Felicia Davin
VS Note: I received an ARC of this book last month and LOVED it. Can’t wait for the sequel. (There is a satisfying HFN, no cliffhanger.)
Kit Jackson has two talents in life. He can navigate the void known as the Nowhere to teleport himself across long distances and he can keep his mouth shut. These talents have earned him a reputation as a discreet, reliable Nowhere runner—he’ll smuggle anything for the right price—and that’s how Kit likes it. Morals don’t earn money, and neither do friends. When the private research firm Quint Services makes Kit an astounding offer for a mystery delivery, he says yes.
The parcel turns out to be an unconscious man, and even for Kit, that raises questions. When something monstrous attacks them in the Nowhere and throws them into an unknown wilderness, Kit and this stranger, a man named Emil, have to rely on each other. Kit just wants to make his delivery and get paid, but he finds himself increasingly entangled in Quint Services’ dangerous research—and his own attraction to Emil.
Emil Singh left his career in the Orbit Guard to work at Quint Services Facility 17, a base hidden in an asteroid, to prepare a team to cross the Nowhere into other worlds. It’s the chance of a lifetime and he can’t wait to explore the universe. But then Emil witnesses a terrible accident in a Facility 17 lab and gets sent to Earth for questioning. Something isn’t right, but before Emil can investigate, he and the Nowhere runner hired to transport him are knocked off course. Is the monster that attacks them a creation of Quint Services? What else is the corporation hiding? He has to get back to Facility 17 to protect his team and he needs Kit’s help. Can he trust the cynical young smuggler?
SHATTERED SILENCE (DARKSTAR MERCENARIES BOOK 2) by Anna Carven
VS note: Oh yesss. One clicked this.
Enki Zakanin just wants peace and quiet. He’s completed his mission, and on the journey back to the Kordolian Fleet Station, he’d prefer to be left alone so he can manage the literal demon inside his head.
Alone.
So when a strange distress call breaks the silence, his first instinct is to ignore the signal. Why would anyone be foolish enough to broadcast an open signal in the Ninth?
My name is Layla dela Cruz. I need your help.
A human? What in Kaiin’s Hells is she doing this far into Sector Nine?
Now, somehow, he has to go and get her.
After all, he’s given her his word.
ALIEN INTENTION (ALIEN MATE BOOK 3) by Cara Bristol
VS note: This has been a fun series so far and I one clicked. I didn’t like Romando in the last book (you weren’t supposed to!) so it’ll be interesting to see how Cara redeems him.
I’m Stormy Weathers. My love life on Earth is one natural disaster after the other. I’m attracted to bad boys, rebels, commitment-phobes. In a crowd of choirboys, I’ll manage to find the jerk. All I want is a man who’ll love me and my young son, so I’m going to an icy planet to become an alien’s mail-order bride. This time will be different! The chemistry I feel with Romando is electric. It doesn’t matter what my sister or her mate or their tribe says, mutual attraction this strong can’t be wrong, so I’ll do anything to get him…
I’m Romando, an outcast in my own tribe. One rash, angry act turned me into a pariah and almost got me banished. But what everyone resents the most is that I’m one of the lucky few who’ll be getting a mate. The instant Stormy Weathers blows into Dakon with the other Earth females, my horns tingle. She is meant for me, but I resist the instinct to claim her. You see, she’s related to my nemesis responsible for my outcast state. Honor and pride dictate that I reject her as a suitable mate before she undermines my good intentions. If only I could get her out of my mind.
Amazon iBooks Kobo B&N Google Play Author’s Universal Link
TAKEN (THE CONDEMNED SERIES BOOK 2) by Alison Aimes
VS Note: I really enjoyed the first book in this series. One clicked this.
Run-away breeder Ava Davies only wanted to live life on her own terms. Now she’s captive in a labor camp deep within Dragath25’s core, a sweltering maze of caves overrun by brutal prisoners-turned-slaves. Her only chance for survival? Appeasing the leader of the most powerful subterranean gang: a man from her past with his own score to settle.
Two years ago, resistance fighter Hunter Valdus’s and his men were sentenced by the Council to live and die as slaves. Now a beautiful, desperate female from his past has landed in his grasp. A woman who just might be the key to his crew’s escape and his revenge. All he has to do is keep her alive and at a distance until he can use her for his own dark purposes.
But raw, blood-pounding lust is a potent force. Forgiveness and love even stronger. And the best-laid plans can be laid to waste, especially on Dragath25.
TRUE LIGHT (FROM THE STARS BOOK 1) by G Bailey
My new neighbor is an arrogant jerk.
Oh, he’s also an alien who claims we share a soul, and he wants me as far away from him as possible…
Ura didn’t want to move, but her father didn’t give her a choice when he wanted an escape after the car accident that nearly killed them both. Trying to survive in a literal ghost town is never fun, but add in the neighbor from hell, well it’s becoming a nightmare.
When two strangers move into Maxx’s house, Ura finds out there is more than just the true light to be frightened of.
When light appears, so does darkness…
HUNTED: KATIERAN PRIME by KD Jones
CristOF is a renowned tracker for the Kiljorn Nation. There isn’t anything that he couldn’t find. So when he is tasked with investigating suspicious activity on the far side of Kiljor, he took the mission without question. He faced battles, dangerous creatures while hunting but nothing could prepare him for the most risky adventure yet, falling in love.
Tera Kincaid is a elementary school science teacher fascinated with other worlds. She heads up the new school system on Kiljor that will incorporate the children expected to come from the new Foster program that Katiera and Kiljor were starting. Her adventure takes a turn when she meets a sexy alien tracker who makes her heart race and her body roar with need.
Danger surrounds them and only working together can they survive being HUNTED.
CAPTIVE (A DARK CYBORG ROMANCE) by Loki Renard
I was there the moment he awakened. I saw the pain and rage in his eyes as they experimented on him. Now he is free, and he has come to claim me, to use me, and to breed me.
He has no concept of boundaries or limits. He will not be gentle. He will take me hard and savagely, over and over, and if I resist he will punish me as shamefully as he sees fit.
He is going to make me beg for mercy… and then he is going to make me beg for more.
CATHIAN (THE VORGE CREW BOOK 1) by Laurann Dohner
VS Note: An expanded, updated re-release but I one clicked because I never read it in the original anthology.
When Nara Barns and her tiny crew find themselves with a choice between jail or the sex-slave auction block, it’s an easy choice. Especially when they plan to escape their buyers as soon as possible, anyway. Even better, Nara’s buyer wants her for just six days, long enough to get him through his heat until women from his planet can come to his aid.
Six days and then freedom? Sign her up.
However, Nara’s completely unprepared for the impact Captain Cathian Vellar has on her body. To survive his heat, the Tryleskian must feed—and Nara is his favorite meal. Her body can barely withstand the rapture. Soon, her heart is just as engaged. But enduring the pinnacle of Cathian’s heat he could kill Nara, and he refuses to risk her life.
DAGOG’S DILEMMA (FIRST WAVE BOOK 12) by Mikayla Lane
Destroyer of worlds. Evil incarnate. Soulless bastard. Dagog T’Alq had not only spent his life reveling in the names he’d been called but ensuring that he epitomized each and every one with pride. He regretted nothing about his life.
Until he met her.
Now, with Dagog’s plans unraveling before his eyes and the once powerful legion of Relians in disarray, Dagog will be forced to take the greatest risk of all to protect those he’d come to love.
KAIDEN (THE NOVA FORCE BOOK 2) by Vivienne Savage
VS Note: Put this on my TBR List.
Years after the abduction that turned him into a cyborg, Kaiden remains broken in heart and body. Then the queen assigns him an investigation into more disappearances like his own, and he hopes to find the closure he needs. He should be focused on the mission. Nothing else should matter. But the spy working along with him is infuriatingly distracting.
Nisrine has trained years to become one of the navy’s best intelligence agents. In Kaiden, she finds a reliable partner with a quick wit and deadlier aim, the perfect counterbalance to her psychic prowess. Working alongside him should be easy, until suddenly it isn’t. She’s a sucker for a damaged soul, and she can’t resist his gorgeous, if rare, smiles.
But their attraction will have to be placed on hold, because the enemy will do anything to make Kaiden disappear one more time… forever.
DARR (EARTH RESISTANCE BOOK 3) by Theresa Beachman
Violet was one of the British army’s top snipers when the insectoid Chittrix invaded Earth. She almost died in the first wave.
Traumatized, she takes refuge with a small group of survivors in an underground bunker near London, struggling to find a reason to live beyond waging guerilla warfare against the hated insects. Vengeance is not enough to make up for her losses, but it’s all she has.
Darr, always a lone wolf even before the invasion, lives with a secret that threatens to destroy him both mentally and physically. For the safety of everyone around him, he leaves the survivor’s community and avoids all human contact.
Living with the threat of death hanging over his head takes its toll. But going back is not an option.
When a Chittrix ambush traps Darr in close quarters with Violet, they band together to survive. With his abilities and her accuracy, they make a formidable team as bullets and sparks fly.
But the secret between them is a constant threat and soon, it will explode.
HOT BLOODS 8: STARGAZERS by Bella Forrest
“The Stargazers might have been the stuff of mythology, but they were the only ones who could end this madness. If they were really out there, we were going to find them…”
FREE FALL (FLY ME TO THE MOON BOOK 5) by Emma Barry and Genvieve Turner
VS note: Not exactly scifi but the series sounds fun and this early Space Program era is a hot one right now so…
Houston, Texas, 1965
When an accident rocks the American Space Department, threatening the race to the moon, the agency is determined to eliminate distractions, including those in the bedroom.
Astronaut Dean Garland, on track to become the first man to walk in space, is fine with putting a temporary hold on his love life. Except the directive comes too late to prevent the biggest distraction of all: Vivian Muller… Garland. But now that he’s married, Dean is determined to follow the rules until he makes history with his spacewalk…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)
Amazon iBooks
THE KRINAR’S OBSESSION (KRINAR WORLD NOVELLA) by Melody Dawn
When Ralen, a Krinar Guardian, is tasked with guarding Jessie Lin against the Resistance, protection turns into obsession, and he continues to watch her long after the assignment ends.
Nothing will stop him from taking Jessie for his own—not the risk of being expelled from the Guardians, not Jessie’s human boyfriend, Edgar, and not even Jessie herself.
Once Jessie takes the step to deepen her relationship with Edgar by introducing him to her extremely traditional Chinese-American parents, Ralen crosses the line and claims her for his own.
Will Jessie forgive the unforgivable? Can love grow from obsession?
SUBMISSION GAMES (A KRINAR WORLD NOVELLA) by Francesca Baez
Noelle Keene tries to stay away from the Krinar. Even after her best friend fell head-over-heels for one of the mysterious aliens, Noelle doesn’t trust the lethal invaders, especially since her small town upbringing has taught her to fear the worst. Besides, alpha males just aren’t her type. But when a handsome one-night-stand follows her from New York to West Virginia, there’s only one way to protect her family from the dangerous K. Noelle strikes a simple deal: one month. She’ll be all his for one month, and then he’ll leave her alone forever. But this isn’t a game, this is a hunt, and nothing will stay simple for long. With unrest brewing and Noelle caught in the middle, will her plan to save everyone cost her everything?
KRINAR SOLACE: A KRINAR WORLD NOVELLA by Heather Hiestand
When young Krinar scientist Tomek’s forest experiment goes horribly wrong, he crashes under a tree. Badly wounded in the accident, he’s found by mushroom hunter Keziah Roark, who doesn’t recognize him as an alien male. She attempts to drive him to a hospital, assuming he is a fellow hunter, but he refuses to go before losing consciousness. Following the independent code of the circuit pickers, she nurses him in her Washington State cabin in the hopes he’ll recover his memory as he heals.
After Tomek wakes, he knows nothing but hunger for the delicious female he assumes is his mate. Keziah is a virgin but is too aroused to resist the darkly sexy male. Taking him to Ellet, the Krinar’s human biology expert, for medical attention, seems the right thing for Keziah to do, but the consequences of learning Tomek isn’t human might break both their hearts.
THE KRINAR’S BANE (A KRINAR WORLD NOVELLA) by May Sage
People say Eva’s a little ditzy, when they want to be nice. Truth is, she’s a magnet for trouble and she wouldn’t know what caution looks like if she bumped into it.
But even she knows the delicious hunk she meets at the club is dangerous; he might have saved her once, but he could as easily destroy her and no one could do a thing about it. His kind is above reproach, above the laws, above humanity.
She should stay away.
She won’t.
After thousands upon thousands of years, seeing empires rise and fall, Zarken is indifferent to everything, and entirely focused on his work.
Until her.
BOLT SAGA 6 by Angel Payne
When a night of celebration goes horrifyingly awry, Reece Richards has to call upon a team of elite operatives to help him chase down the bastards who have taken his woman—and ripped out his heart.
But this ops mission is anything but one of their ordinary runs. The woman who holds Emmalina in her clutches also holds the key to a big chunk of Reece’s mysterious past—a hell he must face again in his bargain for Emma’s life. Only by latching his heart to Emma’s, and trusting in the connection of their love, will he be able to get her out of the ordeal alive—a demand that takes its toll on him in ways he hasn’t experienced.
What happens when Reece and Emma’s most frightening challenge is no longer those who are hunting them? What can a superhero do when he’s the biggest danger to the woman he loves? And what will that woman do to save them both from that hell?
CARTHAGE (AEON 14 BUILDING NEW CANAAN) by M D Cooper and J J Greene
VS note: Not romance as far as I know? but a strong heroine.
It’s taken nearly two centuries to reach the New Canaan System. Four beautiful, pristine new worlds await the colonists, but there’s trouble in paradise.
Upon arrival, Governor Richards gives Erin a special mission: to build secret shipyards in the outer system, hidden within moons and safe from prying eyes.
Yet while Erin makes good progress in space, construction efforts on the planet of Carthage falter, causing the governor to call her down to the colony world to get things back on track.
To speed things up, Erin uses the colony’s most valuable tool: their picotech. But a sinister agent attempts to steal a picotech module, and the colonists realize their past troubles have returned to haunt them.
Now she’s in a race to identify the perpetrator and keep New Canaan’s picotech out of the hands of the colonists’ enemies, who would use it to destroy them.
IMPACT: QUEER SCIFI’S FIFTH ANNUAL FLASH FICTION CONTEST by J Scott Coatsworth, Cynthia Kimball, Joshua Ian and Sally Bend
VS Note: Not romance but I thought the idea of 110 ‘ficlits’ sounded fun
IM * PACT
(noun)
1) One object colliding with another
2) An impinging of something upon something else
3) An influence or effect on something or someone
4) The force of a new idea, concept, technology or ideology
Four definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell. Here are 110 of our favorites.
A difficult choice to be made. An object hurtling recklessly through space. A new invention that will change the world. So many things can impact a life, a society, or a planet.
Impact features 300 word speculative fiction ficlets from across the queer spectrum from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.
ARABELLA THE TRAITOR OF MARS (THE ADVENTURES OF ARABELLA ASHBY) by David D Levine
The tyrant, Napoleon, has been defeated with Arabella and the crew of the Diana leading the final charge. But, victory has come at a tremendous cost. Britain’s savior, Lord Nelson, has not survived the final battle and the good people of the Diana must now return to London as both heroes and pallbearers.
At last husband and wife, Arabella and Captain Singh seem to have earned the attention of great men, ones who have new uses in mind for the Mars Company captain and his young wife. Both Company and Crown have decided that it is time to bring Mars into the folds of Empire, and they think Singh is the perfect man to do it.
Now, Arabella must decide between staying loyal to the man she loves and the country of her father or betraying all that she has known to fight alongside the Martians in a hopeless resistance against the Galaxy’s last remaining superpower.
THE FOX, THE DOG AND THE KING (THE CASSIE TAM FILES BOOK 2) by Matt Doyle
VS Note: Definition of a ‘tech shifter’ from the blurb for book 1 of the series: “Tech Shifter, someone who uses a metal exoskeleton to roleplay as an animal.” It all sounded cyber punk intriguing.
New Hopeland City may have been built to be the centerpiece of the technological age, but some remnants of the old world still linger. The tools of the trade have changed, but the corruption remains the same, even in the criminal underworld …
When PI Cassie Tam and her girlfriend Lori try to make up for their recent busy schedules with a night out at the theatre to watch the Tech Shift performer Kitsune, the last thing they expected was for Cassie to get a job offer. But some people are never off the clock, and by the end of the evening, Cassie has been drawn into a mundane but highly paid missing pet case. Unfortunately, in New Hopeland City, even something as simple as little lost dog can lead you down some dark paths.
Until now, Cassie wasn’t aware that there even was a rabbit hole, let alone how far down it goes.
CRAVED BY AN ALIEN by Amanda Milo
I was abducted by aliens and auctioned to a positively lovely bleak place called the Underwater Pleasure Dome. An amphibious alien with hands like bug zappers helped spring me, and if you’ve followed my friends’ adventures, you know Dohrein and I teamed up because we’re both equally stellar, and awesome attracts awesome.
This is the story of what happened *after* abduction life.
The good part.
The part where we settle in and build brand new lives on this brand new planet.
I just need to have tea with my Alien-in-law and convince her to set her pet humans free.
No biggie.
*Wish me luck.*
**NOTE: Is this a Standalone? Not really. A few brave booksouls who started the series with this story jumped right in and enjoyed, so it’s *possible,* but I also created a Cast List Recap that will patch you through if you want a bit of a guide to this world.
VESTA’S CLOCKWORK COMPANIONS by Juli D Revezzo
When Vesta Bartlett, a wealthy alchemist and inventor, arrives in England to finalize an arranged marriage and help overhaul a family friend’s outdated ironworks, she never expects to find the family so secretive, nor to develop feelings for her fiancé’s younger brother, Henry.
But the growing attraction between Vesta and Henry is just the beginning of their troubles. Things really heat up when they’re drawn into a secret project for Queen Victoria’s military, one that requires Vesta’s knowledge of clockwork and Henry’s iron.
An epidemic has wiped out all the dogs in Britain, and beyond. If the military fail in their effort to restore the species, a clockwork creation may be all that stands in the way of a world without canine companionship.
Are Vesta and Henry up to the challenge?
PLANETSIDE by Michael Mammay
VS note: A scifi murder mystery, military style. No romance. I read the ‘Look Inside’ and was intrigued enough to one click.
War heroes aren’t usually called out of semi-retirement and sent to the far reaches of the galaxy for a routine investigation. So when Colonel Carl Butler answers the call from an old and powerful friend, he knows it’s something big—and he’s not being told the whole story. A high councilor’s son has gone MIA out of Cappa Base, the space station orbiting a battle-ravaged planet. The young lieutenant had been wounded and evacuated—but there’s no record of him having ever arrived at hospital command.
The colonel quickly finds Cappa Base to be a labyrinth of dead ends and sabotage: the hospital commander stonewalls him, the Special Ops leader won’t come off the planet, witnesses go missing, radar data disappears, and that’s before he encounters the alien enemy. Butler has no choice but to drop down onto a hostile planet—because someone is using the war zone as a cover. The answers are there—Butler just has to make it back alive.
BRANT (ENGIMA SERIES BOOK 11) by Ditter Kellen
VS note: From Author’s note on Amazon page: “Enigma revolves around aquatic beings that evolved beneath the Ocean thousands of years ago. Armed with hidden fangs and poisonous barbs, they pose a threat to the humans known as the land walkers. This series takes you through their struggles, their deep love for those they choose as mates and the deadly virus now sweeping through the land. On the run from the government, they will do anything to protect those they love…even if it means their life.”
Blurb: Syrina awakens after a devastating plane crash only to find herself in the clutches of the Cuban government. Worse still, Brant is injured and on the verge of death. Her Bracadyte blood is his only chance for survival, even though it means bonding with him for life…
Former Marine, Brant Henderson despises weakness in any form, yet that is exactly the position he finds himself him in. He’s injured, bleeding out, and on the verge of certain death. Until the blood of a beautiful, forbidden Bracadyte enters his veins. Her life force holds the power to heal his body, even when he’s in danger of losing his heart.
NIGHTFALL (NIGHTMARE DRAGONS BOOK 2) by Terry Bolryder
Despite his beautiful, charming facade, Dare Lancaster is a walking abomination. Doomed to live in the shadows alone, Dare has survived on his hatred of humans and a desperate wish to find out more about who he is. Now there’s only one human who can help him do that, and though he tries to stay distant, he can’t help being possessive and protective, far greater than usual. And something inside him is waking up and saying, mine.
Sasha Harrington knows the dark secret of the Lancasters, ever since she was kidnapped by one of them but not harmed. When the monster whose lonely eyes she still thinks of shows up at her library, cocky and handsome and nothing like she remembers, she isn’t sure what to say. She knows she should run from him, until he offers her something she can’t turn down: help finding the love that has so far eluded her.
As Dare and Sasha travel deeper into the shifter underground, danger lurks around every corner. And as they work together, electric sparks quickly ignite into passionate flames. Soon, Dare is forced to face the truth about Sasha. He wants her, and he can’t possibly deserve her, as long as he has a monster inside.
DIVINE GIFT (FALLEN REVELATIONS BOOK 1) by Miranda Martin
The world wasn’t ready when the war in Heaven came to Earth and the Horsemen rode free, leaving devastation in their wake.
Aviella was orphaned when the Third Trumpet of the Revelations sounded. Alone, she makes her way in the remnants of society. When she meets four mages her feet are set on a path, but her destiny truly calls when necroseer Efram saves her from a would-be robber. Soon after she gathers the demon Rafe and the angel Nathaniel.
All of them are drawn to her, connected by power and destiny. They’ll guide her, train her, and prepare her, all while protecting her from the Shadow Powers that try to destroy her. In order to escape, they’ll have to travel outside the bunkers where only fools go. Into the blasted lands, filled with undead creatures and experimental monstrosities.
When she comes up against the powerful Dragons, the Horsemen themselves, even her protectors might not be enough.
BECOMING BRIAR (RUMPLE’S CURSE: A REVERSE HAREM FAIRY TALE RETELLING BOOK 2) by Erin West and Nicolle Kelley
Thrown into the supernatural world, Rose must learn to adapt to her new identity. But learning the truth about her reality, turns out to be much more than she thought. Determined to protect herself, she begins training for the battle ahead. One of her mates could be the key to her success or failure.
Surrounded by the dark, Rose must venture on a dangerous journey leading her places she never could have imagined. As decisions are made, new facts emerge and her relationships are tested. The result will set the stage for the course of her life.
With growing expectations, Rose’s destiny looms closer as she discovers which side to fight for. The fate of her realm rests on her shoulders.
CLAIMED BY HER COUGAR (COUGAR CREEK MATES SHIFTER ROMANCE SERIES BOOK 1) by Felicity Heaton
Having lost his parents and mate in a brutal attack on his cougar shifter pride by a hunter organisation, Rath burns with a need to keep humans off his land and out of his life. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect his pride from them, but when a lone female wanders into his territory, it isn’t a burning need to drive her away he’s feeling and it isn’t his pride that needs protecting—it’s his heart.
Down on her luck, Ivy follows a lead to a spot where she hopes to photograph black bears, but what she discovers there is a mountain of a man who lacks manners and seems determined to drive her off his property—a man who stirs unbidden fire in her veins and a strange sense of home.
With a pride gathering on the verge of happening at Cougar Creek and the air charged with a mating heat, the last thing Rath needs is a human on his land, especially one as beautiful and alluring as Ivy, one who rouses a fierce need to fight for her, but he can’t convince himself to let her go… and that proves dangerous for them both.
ASHES (TALES OF THE CRIMSON COURT BOOK 1) by Jessica Aspen
Princess Ellasin has been living a life of drudgery in her own castle working for her step-mother, the Crimson Queen. When sexy, devil-may-care Finn Aduain breaks in and invites her to take a walk on the wild side, instead of danger—Ella sees opportunity.
Disgraced prince turned charming thief— Finn has his own secrets. But when he meets the charmingly innocent ash-girl, he’s intrigued. Seducing Ella into leaving the life she’s always known becomes his new mission.
Desperate to for power, the queen has decreed a ball for Ella’s step-sisters to find husbands and Ella decides—this is the perfect night to escape. With the assistance of Finn, the castle ghost, and her own surprisingly strong magic, Ella finally discovers freedom. But freedom comes at a price. Ella learns that her step-mother drained Ella’s father of his life and his magic—and now intends to drain her too. Ella vows to take back her throne and put an end to her step-mother, once and for all.
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BETWEEN SILK AND SAND by Marissa Doyle
Seventeen-year-old Saraid of Thekla is on her way to marry the ruler of far-off Mauburni. But she’s not sobbing into her silk-curtained litter at the thought of leaving home, because she has plans—and The Book. She’s studied this ancient treatise on the art of kingship for months to make herself the ideal queen for her adopted country. Once her new husband sees that, he’ll fall madly in love with her. It will all be perfect. She knows it.
But The Book is silent on what to do when one’s journey across a cursed desert wasteland is halted by a mysterious young warlord. Cadel has plans of his own—plans that don’t include her going to Mauburni. As she begins to unravel his secrets, Saraid will have to lay aside The Book and trust her own wisdom—and her heart—to navigate the treacherous shoals of politics and power and become the queen she yearns to be.
BRIDE OF FIRE by Jane Burrelli
A princess sent to die.
A forbidding Lord.
A desire that cannot be extinguished.
She can’t help the attraction.
It’s instantaneous and undeniable.
She must do all she can to keep her secret.
But when he and his people discover the truth,
What will become of her?
Will this forbidden love destroy them both?
DIADEM OF BLOOD AND BONES: MIDNIGHT’S CROWN Book 3 by Ripley Proserpina
Sacrifice….
Transformation…
It all comes down to the final battle…
Forced to choose between her life and the lives of the vampires she loves, Briar made the ultimate sacrifice. For her, a world without Marcus, Hudson, Sylvain, and Valen was inconceivable.
But her vampires didn’t accept her decision, and at the last moment, transformed her from woman to immortal.
Awakened to a new, utterly different life, the sun can finally shine on Briar Hale. With eternity in front of her, all she sees is love and hope.
So when the creatures of darkness threaten everything she holds dear, Briar will not surrender. She’s stronger now and she has a vampire inside her ready to go to war.
Can Briar hold onto herself while protecting those she loves? Or will she give into her new power, and become her worst nightmare?
AIMLESS WITCH (QUESTING WITCH SERIES BOOK 1) by Shannon Mayer
“My name is Pamela, and I am a witch who has no equal.”
Or so I thought.
It has been three years since the Destroyer sundered our world. The land is no longer whole, but broken into pieces, most technology gone, and the continents shattered into an unrecognizable place.
New monsters have risen from the depths, adding danger on top of danger. Through it all the humans fight to survive as they compete not only with the supernaturals for food and resources, but their own kind as well.
And me? The caravans of humans I pass, they look to me to save them.
Only I am not the witch I once was. Bound by those who fear my power and my bloodline, I’m lucky if I can light a match with my magic, never mind protect anyone but myself.
Now, the darkness in me rises, offering me all that I want. Freedom from the chains I wear, and the power to make everything right. But if I embrace the darkness I will face a cost I could never have imagined.
MAGIC PUSSY (AGE OF NIGHT BOOK 5) by May Sage
Rain’s family has summoned her and if she doesn’t turn up, they intend to use her little sister in a dangerous ritual.
Rain know she can handle the magic. The problem is extracting herself from New Orleans afterwards.
Luckily, the alpha female of the Wyvern Pride owes her a favour or ten.
When Luke is sent to Nola as one of Rain’s bodyguard, his instincts tell him that the witch is far more powerful than she appears to be.
One ritual goes wrong, showing him just how right he was.
BELOW THE SURFACE: MOUNTAIN MERMAIDS (SAPPHIRE LAKE) BY P A Vachon
Heartbroken and trying to get her life back together, Ophelia Langley comes to Aurora Falls at the urging of her best friend to seek peace from her recent troubles. She finds a distraction in the town listening to the tales of magic surrounding the lake. Fantastic stories that could never be true because life has taught her that love doesn’t win.
Trapped by a curse, Tait Olafsson spends most of his time deep beneath Sapphire Lake hoping for his mate to arrive and release him from his decades-long prison. Until she comes, he is cursed to spend his time searching for Labradorite and re-living the same day over. To be disappointed again and again when he doesn’t find his heart’s desire.
But what happens when Ophelia’s past comes face to face with her possible future?
GIRL, IMMORTAL (GIRL, IMMORTAL BOOK 3) by Graceley Knox and D D Miers
Sasha Keleterina is one of the few vampires who have survived the deadly sickness spreading through vampires like wildfire. And now that she’s back at full strength, she’s determined to end this war, once and for all. Just as soon as Arsen convinces her that they’re meant to be together for all of eternity.
Nikolai has other plans, including keeping Sasha all to himself, even if it means the end of his rule over the Baetal. As Sasha and Arsen follow him across the country, cleaning up his disasters one after the other, tensions rise between Jackson and the vampires they’re trying to save, making distributing the cure, that much harder.
When Nikolai threatens the life of one of Sasha’s allies, it’s up to her to make things right.
Even if that means sacrificing herself.
LEYAK (THE UNSEEN BOOK 2) by L A Boruff
Several months after the heartbreaking events in the ruins of the Isla Del Sol, all Riley wants is to resolve her complicated past and move on with life. Pregnant, married, and safe, she never expects to be kidnapped while on vacation with her husbands.
Her kidnappers open her eyes to a dangerous threat to her baby’s entire existence. Her children’s safety is her top priority, and Riley will stop at nothing to achieve it. Is she strong enough to save her family?
GHOST’S DILEMMA (WITCH’S APPRENTICE BOOK 2) by Morwen Navarre
Ghost is content to spend all his free time with Gerry. But scandal and hate surrounding Ghost’s appointment as the first male witch, along with a deadly epidemic, force Ghost to make choices that will separate him from his love.
Spurred on by a message from his mentor, Ghost embarks on a journey through mystical underground tunnels and lost civilizations to the frozen lands of his origin, seeking a way to neutralize the threat back home. While he struggles to find a balance between his duties as a witch and his calling as a seer, all Ghost really wants is to return to the haven he has found in Gerry’s arms.
SHADOW’S BANE (DORINA BASARAB) by Karen Chance
Dorina Basarab is a dhampir–half-human, half-vampire. As one of the Vampire Senate’s newest members, Dory already has a lot on her plate. But then a relative of one of Dory’s fey friends goes missing. They fear he’s been sold to a slaver who arranges fights–sometimes to the death–between different types of fey.
As Dory investigates, she and her friends learn the slavers are into something much bigger than a fight club. With the Vampire Senate gearing up for war with Faerie, it’ll take everything she has to defeat the slavers–and deal with the entirely too attractive master vampire Louis-Cesare.
PALE AS DEATH (KREWE OF HUNTERS) by Heather Graham
The crime scene is horrific: the corpse of a young actress, drained of blood and cut in two. LAPD Detective Sophie Manning’s new case is high-profile and difficult—there’s no evidence to work with. And it’s a disturbing echo of the infamous Black Dahlia killing. Sophie is burning the candle at both ends, desperate to catch the murderer before he strikes again, when she starts to experience inexplicable visits…from ghosts.
Bruce McFadden has a particular talent that can help Sophie—he can speak with the dead. As a consultant for the FBI’s paranormal team, the Krewe of Hunters, he’s been tasked with Sophie’s case and they’re forced to partner up. But Sophie doesn’t want his help, and she doesn’t want to share his peculiar skill. And she certainly isn’t ready for love, despite Bruce’s attentions.
As the killer taunts the police, Sophie and Bruce will discover that the threat is closer to home than they’d ever realized. Working side by side is the only way they’ll stop this deadly sequel.
A WOLF APART (THE LEGEND OF ALL WOLVES) by Martha Vale
Thea Villalobos has long since given up trying to be what others expect of her. So in Elijah Sorensson she can see through the man of the world to a man who is passionate to the point of heartbreak. But something inside him is dying…
Elijah Sorensson has all kinds of outward success: bespoke suits, designer New York City apartment, women clamoring for his attention. Except Elijah despises the human life he’s forced to endure. He’s Alpha of his generation of the Great North Pack, and the wolf inside him will no longer be restrained.
SELKIE’S SEDUCTION by Anne Kane
When Nikki’s sister sends a modern day Druid to warn her about impending danger, the attraction is instant and mutual, but the Selkie is having none of his silly talk about destined mates. Her animal form is a free-spirited otter, and she fears the call of the wild might be too strong to allow her to settle down and raise a family. Her greatest fear is that the call of the ocean will lure her away from her family, and her children will suffer as she did when her own mother deserted her.
But when the danger becomes all too real, Nikki’s link with the sexy Druid is her only comfort, and she realizes some risks just might be worth taking.
CLAIMED BY NIGHT (THE QUEEN’S CONSORTS BOOK 1) by Elena Lawson
Now the wait is over. The Queen of the Night Court has been assassinated, and the ship has arrived to ferry Liana back to her birthplace and claim her throne.
But not everyone at Court wants Liana to rule.
To make matters worse, she worries her ancestors haven’t graced her with magic, and an ungraced Queen could never keep her crown. Overwhelmed and filled with self-doubt, Liana finds solace and protection in the arms of four Fae warriors.
Charming, devoted, and maddeningly eager to please–it’s clear the males crave more than just royal favor. They want her… and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Can Liana’s warriors help her claim her rightful place as Queen, or will she fall to the denizens of Night?
THE DRAGON’S WOMAN (KEEPERS OF XEREILL BOOK 3) by Alix Nichols
In those rare moments when he can think clearly, he loathes himself for the murders he abetted. Except, the victims survived, and they forgave him. But Geru’s foggy mind cannot fathom that.
Nor can it see his best friend Lady Marye Atiz for who she really is—his dragon’s true mate.
She’s the one who awakened his dormant power. The one he flies to at night, consumed by the need to hold her, to claim her. The one who loves him with all her heart.
But when Geru is captured and turned into a weapon of war, Marye must risk everything to pierce the dragon’s madness.
Will Geru find the clarity to fight for them and for all he holds dear before it’s too late? And will the ardor of their bond be their salvation or their undoing?
STORM HAREM (DRAGON GUARDIANS BOOK 5) by Scarlett Grove
Real estate broker Krista Wilder has dedicated her life to her career. After a bad break up, she realizes it’s no longer enough. When three mysterious, sexy men hire her to find them a multi-million dollar mansion, she knows the job is just what she needs to take her mind off her loneliness. Too bad she can’t stop imagining doing the naughtiest things with all three of them.
When the dragons of the House of Storms awaken, clever Yuki, diplomatic Akash, and warrior Ragnar are tasked with buying the crew a new home. After their first meeting with curvy Krista, they are each convinced she is the one.
After the Storms profess their feelings, Krista agrees to date all three. Getting to know them as they wine and dine her, Krista starts to fall for all three.
Before she can admit her growing affection, she is rudely awakened to the truth of her dragon mates and the vampire threat that lurks in the shadows.
Even if Krista can accept her new reality, will it be possible to choose just one mate?
SHIMMERING CHAOS (ENCHANTED CHAOS SERIES BOOK 2) by Jessica Sorensen
Skylin’s life is quickly turning into a chaotic mess the longer she stays with the Everettsons. Not only is something as simple as going to school dangerous, but her dreams of darkness are becoming more frequent and intense.
Fortunately, she has Foster and his brothers to help her, along with the link between them. That is until an incident at school alters the link.
Things start to get really complicated then, and only get worse when the wall around Skylin begins to dissolve, revealing the secrets hidden behind it.
PANTHER’S PASSION (VETERAN SHIFTERS Book 3) by Zoe Chant
Stella Davidson is caught in a trap. She wants a stable life and a good future for her teenaged daughter—but her old home near Glacier National Park isn’t safe. Her ex-boyfriend is stalking her. Once upon a time, she would’ve just quit her job, pulled up stakes, and left, but she has too many responsibilities now. Which way to turn?
Panther shifter Nate Sanders has dedicated his life to protecting people. First in the Marines, and now running his security company—he wants to keep the world safe. All along, he’s been sure that he had everything he needed, sure that families were for other people and casual dating was enough. But slowly, he’s realizing that his life feels empty.
When Nate is called in to protect Stella, his world turns upside-down. Suddenly, he understands why a man would do anything to hold on to his family. But how will these two people bring their different worlds and passions together? And what will happen when the stalker takes things too far?
ROYAL MAGIC (THE ELVES OF LESSA BOOK 2 ) by K M Shea
Gwendafyn is slowly suffocating.
As the second princess of the elves of Lessa she is the acting regent of her people and is expected to behave with the serene grace and poise of a model elf. But that is not who she is. Instead, her very character is constantly criticized as being too passionate, too fiery, and overall “too much”.
The former Crown Prince of the human country of Calnor, Benjimir’s disinheritance has permanently altered his future and place in court. It gets worse. He is forced to watch as the woman he has secretly loved his whole life narrows down her marriage prospects…(MUCH more blurb on ebook seller page)…
HUNGRY FOR HER WOLVES by Tara West
Amara was content to live as a lone wolf, the only one of her kind—or so she’d thought. Her world was flipped on its head when a strange man with a familiar scent showed up at her work, demanding a private meeting.
Desperate to find the mate Luc had scented from four hundred miles away, he was shocked to find her living as a lone wolf. Amaroki women were to be cherished and protected. What had happened to her family? More importantly, how was he going to convince her to return to the reservation with him? And how would his possessive brothers react when they found him with Amara?
Amara couldn’t deny her attraction to the wolf-shifter named Luc, but she wasn’t about to give up her career to mate with him and his three brothers, no matter how hot and bothered he made her. When his brothers arrived—tall, tanned, and virile—she could no longer deny her savage hunger for these shifters.
But how could she satisfy her desire and still maintain her independence with four overbearing wolves around? And how would she bond and adapt to their lifestyle when she couldn’t shake her dark memories? More importantly, how would her mates react when they learned of her past? Would they reject her, or would they risk their lives to seek vengeance on those who’ve dishonored her?
KISS THE SKY (HER ELEMENTAL DRAGONS BOOK 2) by Elizabeth Briggs
I’m done hiding. I’ve stopped running. And I’ve finally accepted my destiny—to take four dragon shifters as my mates so I can become the next Black Dragon, the wielder of all the elements.
I’ve already bonded with Jasin, my smoldering soldier, and soon I’ll be getting intimate with Auric, my lofty prince, Slade, my grounded blacksmith, and Reven, my frosty assassin. Only then can we become powerful enough to stop the current Dragons, the overlords of our world.
But as we continue our journey, secrets are uncovered about my mates that make me question everything, even as things heat up between us. Yet the greatest secret of all lies in my own past—and it might destroy us completely.
ENTICED BY THE GARGOYLE (STONE SENTRIES BOSTON BOOK 2) by Lisa Carlisle
Larissa, a Boston police officer, encountered the red-winged monsters during their rampage. The chaotic aftermath prevents rest any time soon. And a question remains unanswered—how was she able to combat demons using nothing but her hands?
Her new lover, Roman, a gargoyle shifter, believes it’s because she’s she’s a witch. Ridiculous, right? She’s a cop, like her dad. But, normal cops don’t shoot bolts of energy at demons…
When she glimpses another supernatural threat, Larissa struggles with the vision. Is it her imagination tormenting her? Or worse—another premonition?
DEVIL ON A HOT TIN ROOF (MADDER THAN HELL BOOK 2) by Renee George
Ex-ghost, Charlotte Madder, and her sisters can’t catch a break when it comes to their demon-sized problems. Charlotte’s made a deal with an egomaniacal demon lord named Kobal, the self-proclaimed Entertainment Director for Hell, and he is always on the lookout for talented souls. When Kobal calls on Charlotte to do his bidding, she can’t say no. Literally.
Charlotte, in her new flesh and blood body, tracks Kobal’s target, Aloysius the Magnificent, a magician, to Branson, Missouri. On her mission, she meets sexy-hunka-hunka Jared Jackson—a man with deep, soul-binding ties to Aloysius, and their attraction is immediate. But she soon discovers that in order to do Kobal’s bidding, it might mean sending this new man in her life straight to Hell. Charlotte is torn between two masters—her demon boss and her heart.
Charlotte and Jared’s attraction intensifies as they fight a common enemy while trying to keep Charlotte out of jail. Treacherous lesser demons, a wily old magician, and a double-dealing soul stealing demon lord are about to learn Hell hath no fury like a Madder than Hell sister!
BULLIED BY THE ALPHA (THE ALPHA SHIFTER COLLECTION BOOK 9) by Sam Crescent
Abused and expelled from her pack for being fat, Cassie has to find a new alpha, one that is willing to take her with her flaws. She has heard of Abel, an alpha with a bad temper, who was expelled from his original pack and created his own in some mysterious way. She can only hope he will accept her.
Every person Abel takes into his pack has some flaw that has been rejected by others, but he doesn’t see flaws, just beauty. When he first sees Cassie, he knows he wants her. He senses the darkness and the strength inside her, and he has no choice but to use every single means possible to make her crack, so that she can use the strength that now terrifies her. Only by pushing her is he able to get under her skin and unleash the power that Cassie holds.
But Abel’s needs come flooding him. He’s the alpha, meant to be strong. No woman has ever been able to handle him. Has he found that woman in Cassie? Can she handle his brand of control? His need to protect?
DON’T STOP BEWITCHING (BEWITCHINGLY EVER AFTER BOOK 1) by Mandy M Roth
Cat-shifter Curt Warrick doesn’t want to take a road trip with five other guys but when his best friend leaves him no choice, he finds himself in a van, stuffed full of men, headed to Louisiana. It should come as no surprise when everything that could go wrong on the trip does. That’s okay though, Curt is used to the weird and wacky, after all, he was born and raised in a town that is the epitome of it all. There is a bright side. The trip will give him a chance to expand his enterprise.
There is nothing Missi (Mississippi) Peugeot hates more than rich men who think they can throw money around to get what they want. Okay, that’s a lie. She hates change. That’s why she’s happy to stay in her tiny hometown of Hedgewitch Cove, Louisiana. Protected by magic, the town has kept its quaint, cozy feel–that is until a flashy, yet fetching, stranger shows up in a van that screams “flower power,” announcing he’s looking to buy property and begin developing the town. Missi’s grandmother always warned her that her words had consequences. When she speaks out of anger, the magic in her rises to the challenge, putting a curse on Curt. Not that the man needed any help in the cursed department, seeing as how he already has a spell of chaos cast over him. By who, they don’t know.
Now Missi just has to keep Mr. Flashy alive long enough to get him back up north where he belongs before her words come back to haunt him. There is only one slight hiccup with her plan: every second she tries to keep mishap from befalling Curt leaves her one step closer to wanting him to stay.
THE BLACKSTONE SHE-BEAR: BLACKSTONE MOUNTAIN BOOK 7 by Alicia Montgomery
Amelia Walker is finally coming home to Blackstone. Few people know the real reason why she left – her heart and her bear had been broken when her mate, polar bear shifter Mason Grimes, suddenly left her after their whirlwind romance. When she finds out that Mason is back in town too, she does her best to avoid him.
Leaving Amelia was the worst mistake of Mason’s life. But, Blackstone is his salvation, the only way he can right the wrongs of the past and provide for his daughter, Cassie, after his ex-wife abandons her. He doesn’t have time for love, but when he finds out that he’s the reason Amelia is broken, he vows to make it right.
Amelia doesn’t want to risk getting her heart broken all over again and she knows that Mason has other priorities. But, she can’t resist the pull of the mating call, but she knows she must stay away, for everyone’s sake.
Will the pain of the past keep them apart or is the pull of fated mates stronger? Find out by reading this heart-wrenching paranormal romance.
BELOVED BY THE BEAR (MYSTIC BEAR BOOK 3) by Isadora Montrose
BBW mermaid longs for chance-met bear shifter. Anton Benoit discovers that the magical town of Mystic Bay on the beautiful island of West Haven calls to his inner bear. After one glance at curvy mermaid Serena Merryman, this burly veteran knows his mate hunt is over.
But what are the odds that a rainbow-haired mermaid is a bear’s destined mate? Can he find bliss with an athletic female who can swim rings around his bear? Anton has his work cut out to persuade Serena and her family that they are made for each other…(much more blurb on e book seller’s page)…
DRAGONS OF THE TEMPLE (WINTER COURT CHRONICLES BOOK 4) by Stephany Wallace
For Avra, Son of Zunyth, being the Dragon Lord and protector of the realms comes at a price, one he has willingly paid.
But when friends turn to enemies, Avra will be forced to do whatever necessary in order to protect Kalithdor—the Fae realm. Even go against his own race.
Yet his vow to the Goddess may be the one thing keeping him from his true destiny, and from a love that could one day save them all.
SEA WITCH by Sarah Henning
VS note: I feel like I have to list this one for the gorgeous cover alone, plus it being a twist on the little mermaid story…but I have no idea if there’s an HEA or even an HFN ending. If someone here reads it, let us know, ok?! The reviews seemed positive but unclear re the romance aspect.
Ever since her best friend Anna died, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. Hiding her talents, mourning her loss, drowning in her guilt.
Then a girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears on the shore, and the two girls catch the eyes of two charming princes. Suddenly Evie feels like she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But magic isn’t kind, and her new friend harbors secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad—or on two legs—without Evie’s help. And when Evie reaches deep into the power of her magic to save her friend’s humanity—and her prince’s heart—she discovers, too late, what she’s bargained away.
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VS Note: Have you read my Alien Empaths scifi romance series? The books take place in the Sectors and are loosely connected to the STAR CRUISE series.
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
My standard Notes and Caveats:
The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.
I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…
Great list of books this week. I have a lot of buying to do! Thanks for including Alien Intention.
My pleasure to include your book! I can’t wait to read it and see how you’re going to persuade me to change my mind on Romando (because I totally know you WILL make me a fan of his this time around.) Best wishes!
Yes, just spent some money here! Loved Alien Intention by Cara Bristol. Romando was redeemed beautifully! Read it in one go.
Gill
Good to know, thanks. I had total confidence in Cara B to redeem that bad boy! Can’t wait to read this 🙂
Reblogged this on EG Manetti and commented:
Check out the latest crop of summer SFR reading fun, including Cara Bristol’s latest Alien Mate.
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