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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ALIEN SURGEON’S SEDUCTION (WARRIORS OF THE LATHAR BOOK 10) by Mina Carter
She was his the moment she stepped aboard. He’ll fight everyone, even the emperor himself, to keep her…Like most Lathar, First Healer Isan K’Vass didn’t expect to ever find his mate. The genetic plague that had ravaged their race meant they had no females, and his tainted bloodline meant he would be last in line for one of the rare human females. Or it should.
Until a human combat team boards the Veral’vias and he see’s HER. Flame haired. Curvy. Dangerous. And all his, if the secrets in his blood don’t tear them apart first…
Aliens should not be hot. At all. Not ever. Shannon Taylor had one thing on her mind when she boarded the alien vessel. Her mission. But no plan survives first contact with the enemy and her rescue mission goes sideways quicker than a cat on a hot tin roof. Finding herself the prisoner of the Lathar, and one, hot as hades healer in particular, she needs to keep her wits about her if she’s ever going to get herself the hell of this alien ship.
However, the Lathar aren’t as bad as she’d been told and it’s all she can do to remember that Isan, her sexy healer, is the enemy. Only he’s not, he kisses like a dream, and they end up on the same side on a mission into dangerous territory to root out an enemy to both their people. But treachery lurks in the shadows and when Shannon is betrayed, will her warrior reach her in time. Or is their happily-ever-after over before it could begin?
HEART OF THE AGRAAK (MATE INDEX BOOK 9) by S J Sanders
Agraadax was shaken by recent events and the breeding facility closed, but it has done little to ease the simmer of unrest rippling through Agraak society. In Aminae, one of the dome cities scattered on the few arid patches of land of the swampy planet, factions are rising against the cruelties of the upper raniks that rule their society. Kaede is a male devoted to the cause. His entire life has become focused on easing the suffering of his people. He has no time for anything else in his life. A human give into his care is the worst kind of distraction…a distraction that promises love and pleasure.
Frankie arrived on Agraadax masquerading as man. No one knows, not even the men with whom she serves in the Intergalactic fleet. For five years, her sole purpose has been bent on discovering any information that she could regarding the fate of her twin sister, Alisha. When Frankie is forced into hiding with the aid of an Agraak male in the midst of a rising revolution, she is put on a path that may change everything for both of their species. Fighting side by side with by a male who stirs her passions and makes her question everything she thought she knew; Frankie begins to wonder how she’ll ever leave Agraadax without him.
STORM WATCH by Kyndra Hatch
The dead speak from their moment in time. Love at first sight doesn’t exist. Maimed in a car accident years ago, Anna has had enough rejections to know. Then she falls into another world. Beyond space, out of time, and into the arms of a man that says he’s known her his entire life, Anna finds the love that has eluded her. But she must return to Earth for her most prized possession: a stone that her grandmother gave her. She does not know why, but the Stone calls to her, a pull that cannot be ignored.
Koryn does not want her to go. Speaking of an arduous, painful journey his own grandparents warned about, he tells her he would find his true love during this task. But his true love is with him, so his grandparents were wrong—Weren’t they?
Returning to Earth, Anna retrieves the Stone and returns to Koryn’s world. But she cannot find him. Learning that one hundred years have passed, she is devastated. Whispers speak of his death, but even the dead can’t find him.
A storm is brewing, something ancient and powerful awakening. A mysterious swamp witch foretells the dead aren’t really dead, that Anna will find the answers in the Eye of the Storm. Will Anna be reunited with Koryn? How? What must she endure to find their moment in time?
FALLING FOR KINDRED CLAUS (BRIDES OF THE KINDRED) by Evangeline Anderson
It’s a week before Christmas and Lisa James is stuck in a dead-end job, playing Santa’s little Elf at the local mall. After fleeing her home to get away from an abusive drunk of a husband, she’s trying to keep a low profile, so it’s not exactly like she has her pick of career paths. Still, she can’t help feeling like she’s hit rock bottom…that is until the mysterious Kindred playing Santa at her mall shows up.
Asher is part of the Kindred Elite Espionage Corps. Sometimes he serves as an assassin, other times a diplomat, but he’s never been Santa before. And he’s not supposed to be now. When he mistakes Lisa for his contact and she mistakes him for the Kindred who is scheduled to be Old Saint Nick, two hours of confusion and peeing, puking kids are the result. After all, who ever heard of a seven-foot-tall Santa with fangs? The kids are scared, Asher is frustrated, and Lisa loses her job…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
MISSION: HER FREEDOM (TEAM 52 BOOK 6) by Anna Hackett
VS Note: OK, not scifi romance BUT I love her books whether they’re scifi or not, and I one clicked this one, so…
Former Naval Intelligence officer Brooks Jameson might have lots of muscles and ink, but he’s a proud geek. He loves computers and his job—taking care of all things tech for his covert, black ops team of badasses—Team 52. But when he finds himself snatched off a Las Vegas street and in the hands of some very bad people who are after a powerful, dangerous artifact, he knows he’s in a fight for survival. Then his teammate Callie Kimura—gorgeous and way-out-of-his-league—strides through the door to rescue him…
Callie’s childhood and career in the Air Force taught her to never risk loving anyone, because losing them leaves you bleeding. She has everything she needs as the medic for Team 52, and when Brooks gets abducted, she’ll do anything to get her friend back. But when they end up on the run together, Callie starts to see the hunky geek in a very different light.
As Callie and Brooks battle to stop a deadly artifact being used in an evil plan, they ignite a scorching desire that shocks them both. But some scars—and the demons that made them—run deep, and Brooks knows he’ll need all his intelligence, patience, and love to convince the beautiful combat medic to let her heart be free.
CAVEMAN ALIEN’S ENEMY (CAVEMAN ALIENS BOOK 10) by Calista Skye
Mia – I’ve caught a dragon. He’s huge, silvery and so beautiful it physically hurts.
Or maybe that’s just my urge to run away from such a deadly creature. But a sudden, icy blizzard is raging outside on this dinosaur-infested planet, and I’m stuck with this, our worst enemy. I’ve bound him with steel wire, but if he snaps them I think I might be in for a world of hurt. He’s naked, and he has some very alien and extremely male features.
He can try what he wants. I have my crossbow. It’s on a hair trigger. And it’s loaded for dragon.
Kyandros – That round little female bound me. And now she’s just sitting there. The insanity! Can’t she see that I will murder her the first chance I get? I can’t tolerate this indignity. The moment I get loose, I’ll have my fun with her quite fetching body.
Then I will leave her as a red splotch on the snow. A dragon’s revenge is always death.
SEIZED AND SAVAGED (SAVAGE WARRIORS BOOK 6) by Jude Gray
Bran – There are worse ways to make a living than traveling the worlds killing men.
Especially if you’re a woman with a grudge and a gift. Like me. I am part of the Zyrnx, but apart from them, as well. They believe in rescuing slaves. I believe in killing slave masters. I am not a savior of helpless victims—I am a killer of monsters. But as Taal says, sometimes I see a monster where a man stands. And the monster I have come to kill, he believes we are fated mates. Lifemates. Born for each other. I do not believe in such things. I believe in sex, fighting, and death–not love. Or maybe just not love for–or from–me.
Gael – I’ve been waiting for this female my entire life. She’s mine. I’m hers. Simple as that.
THE THINGS WE CHOOSE by Jessica Grayson
When Marek had Anton plan a winter holiday getaway, he never anticipated peppermint. Terran alcoholic drinks don’t have an effect on V’loryns. But peppermint? There’s something about it that makes them lose all of their inhibitions.
Trouble is, it’s imperative that Marek and his V’loryn counterparts remain in control at all times. There are many things Terrans don’t know about V’loryns. Secrets that would make Terrans fear them. Turns out, some of the most terrifying ancient Terran myths are rooted in truth. And one small slip-up could ruin everything…This story is a continuation of the characters in Lost in the Deep End and is for readers who wanted a little more of their favorite couple. Don’t start here! Start with Lost in the Deep End.
BADARI WARRIORS: SECTORS NEW ALLIES BOOKS 1-3
VS Note: Not new but it’s on sale for the first time ever at $.99!!! I figure since this is my blog, I can mention my own special sale LOL. If you haven’t tried this series about genetically engineered soldiers of the far future and the human women they love, here’s your chance to grab a deal!
This Badari Warriors box set gathers the first three science fiction romance novels from this award winning series into one collection. Please note each novel has been previously published on its own and all are standalone tales. No new material has been added, aside from a brief Author’s Note about why I wrote each novel.
AYDARR: Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers. Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.
MATEER: Megan Garrison, a doctor at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown, strapped to a table in an alien lab, destined to be the subject of terrifying experiments. Granted a brief reprieve, Megan and the other kidnapped humans are released in the middle of a forestlike enclosure on this unknown world and told to survive as best they can for now. Her only hope is Mateer, the genetically engineered alien warrior imprisoned with the humans…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
TIMTUR: Far from her home in the human Sectors after the mass kidnapping, teacher Lily Garrison is making a niche for herself in the valley by running a school for the Badari young. Although she yearns for Timtur, the pack’s healer, another Badari male has his eye on her and won’t take no for an answer…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)
STEAMED: A STEAMPUNK ANTHOLOGY by Various
Welcome to STEAMED! Stories of romance, fantasy, and science fiction featuring the tinkerers, dreamers, and inventors of Steampunk. A collection of eight amazing stories by eight of the most talented and adored authors of Steampunk. It’s sure to get you Steamed.
ALIEN REINDEER’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE (A WINTER STARR BOOK 12) by Zara Zenia
Janice White loved Christmas, and taking a holiday trip to Finland was a dream come true. With her team in tow, including the jerk who always challenged her every decision, she set out to find Christmas legends for her doctorate dissertation. What she found was love at first sight.
Oskar Halfardsson was a Reilendeer, an alien living below Luosto Fell in a village his kind built away from the prying eyes of humans. When the group of Americans showed up in a nearby village, Oskar set out to spread joy and cheer. Legend has it that Reilendeer were known for such jovial traditions which fed their spirits. With one look at Janice, Oskar knew without a doubt that he’d met his mate. All he had to do was convince her that some legends are real and need protected, and that he was the protector for her.
THE ALIEN REINDEER’S FLIGHT (A WINTER STARR BOOK 14) by S A Ravel and Starr Huntress
VS Note: Although the only review at press time was 2 stars and fairly scathing, I thought for completeness I should include this one as I’ve covered all the others in the set. Your mileage may vary when it comes to your review!
Haj’erel of Thule is his people’s greatest fear: a failed warrior. Forbidden to serve. Forbidden to return. Forbidden to love. Maimed and abandoned on Earth, he discovers a woman clinging to life alone in a frozen wasteland. A woman destined to be his mate. Is she his redemption or his final punishment?
All Audrey Pope wants for Christmas is one last hot chocolate with her baby sister, but instead she stumbles upon an. . .alien reindeer?
BLOOD AND VENOM: A SARAZEN SAGA ANTHOLOGY by Isabel Wroth
VS note: Author’s note: NOT INTENDED TO BE READ AS A STAND ALONE NOVEL!
Author HIGHLY recommends you read Sarazen’s Hunt prior to this novel, otherwise there will be much confusion….
Erufir has been a fugitive, a slave, and through an ironic twist of fate becomes a science experiment. As he waits alongside his blood brother for the testing to begin, he is baffled when Zyre suddenly begins talking to himself. In the darkness of the lab, the ephemeral figure of a female ghosts back and forth, tormenting the crazed scientist, Reykar. At first, Zyre seems to be the only one able to see or hear the female, but soon enough the beautiful apparition finds a way into Erufir’s dreams and convinces him that though she’s technically dead, she’s as alive and real as can be.
Her body was destroyed long before their arrival, but if they want to resurrect the female meant to be their mate, the brothers must return home to make a dangerous bargain. A life, for a life.
LIAM’S ENCOUNTER (KILFANE INCURSION 1) by Elle Jackson
Special Agent Liam Allen cherishes the peace on his farm between assignments hunting aliens for the military. But when a terrible storm brings destruction, Liam finds the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen at the end of the rainbow.Eshe speaks a language he’s never heard and hates wearing clothes. Their passion burns hot, but she’s an explorer from another world, and he’s supposed to kill her. Will she kill him first, or will fated love save them both?
MISSION NUTCRACKER (INSPECTOR DAVIDSON MYSTERIES) by Cecelia Dominic
VS note: Saw this on the Whiskey With My Book blog…
Terminus, 1871. Fiona Telfair won’t give up her gears and gadgets for the ball and chain of marriage. But her future as a tinkerer comes under attack when nutcracker automatons raid the trade hall masquerade party and kidnap her fellow inventors. With her brilliant engineer father among those taken, Fiona’s only hope of rescuing him lies with the captivating rail baron who rescued her from the fray.
Devon Meriweather can only keep his train empire on track if he marries into an influential family. And he also needs the connections to make sure his chronically ill sibling can marry well. So no matter how engaging and beautiful the firmly working-class Fiona may be, he knows she’ll only ever be a partner in solving crimes.
As they work closely hunting for clues to the strange aether-powered apparatus and magical mice, the intrepid duo can’t deny their budding feelings. But neither can afford a distracting courtship with the growing threat of the nutcrackers and their deadly chompers. Can Fiona and Devon expose the menacing mastermind behind the machines and make their passion run like clockwork?
CATFISHING ON CATNET: A NOVEL by Naomi Kritzer
VS note: Expanded from a Hugo and Locus Award winning story. YA. On my TBR list.
How much does the internet know about YOU? A thought-provoking near future YA thriller that could not be more timely as it explores issues of online privacy, artificial intelligence, and the power and perils of social networks. Because her mom is always on the move, Steph hasn’t lived anyplace longer than six months. Her only constant is an online community called CatNet—a social media site where users upload cat pictures—a place she knows she is welcome. What Steph doesn’t know is that the admin of the site, CheshireCat, is a sentient A.I. When a threat from Steph’s past catches up to her and ChesireCat’s existence is discovered by outsiders, it’s up to Steph and her friends, both online and IRL, to save her.
NARZEK (FARSEEK WARRIORS BOOK 2) by Clarissa Lake
Lieutenant Commander Narzek Pardantu’s family was counted among the missing after the Sargan bombed his world to ruin and stole the survivors to make them slaves of the Sargus Empire. With most of his own family still missing, Narzek volunteered for the next mission to search them with half of the Farseek Brigade’s small fleet of ten dreadnaughts. The other half would remain to protect the Farseek system as their homes and infrastructure were being rebuilt.
When he finds his solmatu or soulmate, he uses his rank to have her brought aboard Dreadnaught Ten instead of sending her to the passenger ship with the rest of the rescues. Then he has to explain it to Cayla Fox, who was abducted from Earth and forced into slavery in the Sargus Empire. As the heat of passion rises between them, so does the danger level of their mission. Will they survive the mission so they can return to Farseek to have the life they were planning together?
TAKEN (TAKEN SERIES BOOK 1) by Stacy Jones
A deadly alien arena isn’t the place to fall in love…For the last three years, Special Agent Aria Taylor’s nights have been filled with images of battling alien beings in a foreign land with purple skies and two suns. She thought they were just strange nightmares, but when a therapist suggests lucid dreaming, she wakes to find herself trapped in an alien arena, forced to fight in gruesome, deadly tournaments as one of their gladiators.
She needed to escape that place and make her captors pay… but if she’s going to have any chance of success, she needs help. Hazy memories push her to find two males. She doesn’t know their names, or where they’re from, but she recognizes them the moment she sees them, and her heart tells her they are hers just as much as she is theirs. Together Aria, Tirox, and Kix fight to free the beings enslaved with them and take down the Overlord, all while trying to understand the soul-deep bond they share.
A deadly alien arena isn’t the place to fall in love, but Aria isn’t sure she can help herself.
THE ART AND MAKING OF THE EXPANSE by Titan Books
VS note: Hardback only. I know there are many Expanse fans in the group! I adore “making of” books myself…
Official companion book to the hugely successful TV series, showcasing spectacular concept art and candid behind-the-scenes photography, accompanied by quotes from the showrunners.
The Expanse is a modern TV revelation. Adapted from the hugely popular novels by James S. A. Corey, this Hugo Award-winning story of conspiracy, adventure and intrigue in a galaxy tearing itself apart through civil war has captivated audiences worldwide with its high-concept vision of the future.
The Art and Making of The Expanse goes behind the scenes of the first three seasons of the show, exploring how the bestselling books were turned into one of the most highly regarded science fiction TV series of the 21st century. Packed with stunning concept art and compelling photography, the cast, crew and creators reveal the ideas, processes, inspirations and obstacles behind the making of this massively popular series.
HAUNTINGS AND HUMBUG by Melanie Karsak
It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian London, and Ebony Scrooge is hard at work tinkering weapons of mass destruction and avoiding all things Christmas. When the spirit of her deceased partner, Jacqueline Marley, warns Ebony that she will be visited by three ghosts, Ebony writes the visitation off as a dream. But on this Christmas Eve, the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future must try to pull off a miracle, restoring Ebony’s heart before it’s too late.Hauntings and Humbug is a retelling of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, set in New York Times bestselling author Melanie’s Karsak’s steampunk universe.
MUTUAL TRUST (BONDS OF THE LEVEKK BOOK 1) by Lea Linnett
Falling for her alien captor was never part of the plan…Captured by an alien enemy. Locked away behind buzzing forcefields by creatures with flashing, golden scales and claws that can cut through steel. Bree only wanted to find her mom, but now these Invaders want her to give up the location of her people, who have outrun the enemy for centuries. She can’t do that. And despite all her training, these aliens are too big to fight.
One of them is different, though. Marek. He hasn’t got any claws, his scales are gnarled and strange in places, and his eyes pin her with an intensity that makes her shudder.
He wants to study her. He wants to take her apart and reveal all her secrets. Bree can tell he’s hiding something, too. There must be a reason why he looks so different. But he also says he’ll keep her “safe.” Can she trust him? Or will he be the downfall of not only her, but her people as well?
TAJI FROM BEYOND THE RINGS by R Cooper
The Interplanetary Trade Coalition has not been welcomed with open arms by the Sha Empire. Isolated at the far edge of a distant system, the Sha are distrustful of outsiders, and previous I.P.T.C. diplomatic missions have ended with members imprisoned or dead. But, if pushed enough, the I.P.T.C. will overrun the planet to take what it wants. The situation is already precarious when student linguist Taji Ameyo is conscripted to translate for the newest I.P.T.C. ambassador. Taji, used to being alone, has never learned to hide his heart or his opinions, and the controlled Sha nobility regard little, outspoken human Taji with fascination, calling him shehzha.
Mysterious, coveted figures, so devoted to their lovers that pleasing them is a test of Shavian honor, shehzha are usually kept out of public view. Taji is a nobody, hardly alluring, and yet it’s not long before his runaway mouth gets him entangled in imperial politics, and he has no one rely on but the soldiers assigned to protect him—one soldier, more than the others.
At the mercy of both a greedy trade coalition and a proud empire, Taji has to determine what it means to be shehzha, while surrounded by ambitious noble families and a sharp-eyed emperor, and hopefully learn enough about the Sha to keep him and everyone he cares about alive.
HATING YOU MATING YOU (CHAMPIONS OF ATAXIA BOOK 2) by Athena Storm
Just a human girl. Living on a lonely world. She took the midnight ship goin’ anywhere….
I’m just a Grolgath boy. Born and raised to kill and destroy. Been lookin’ for her everywhere… Cosmic shakes and a burger, too. With some Vakutan fries and an Odex stew. If she’s my mate, we can share the night ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
CREX (CAPTURED BY ALIENS BOOK 2) by A G Wilde
There are two types of hell. The one priests preach about and then this. Stuck on an alien slave ship, Piper is auctioned and thrown into a cell with … something. He’s an alien with a reputation. A warrior. A beast. A killer. He is dangerous. A creature with a cold, cold heart…one not unlike her own. You’d think falling for an alien killing machine was something so far-fetched it would never happen. Well, so was being abducted out of 7.5 billion other humans on Earth—and that had occurred so…Hey, what’s the worst that could happen?
FARIN THE DARK: THE TELLOX ACCORDS by Kelly Lucille
Twenty years after Sara, the first compatible Tellox mate was discovered on Earth, a new generation has come of age. Farin the Dark, High Commander of the Tellox warriors, has brokered a deal with both the quickly adapting government of Earth and the planets of the intergalactic Alliance for the right to test females for bonding compatibility with his warriors. The Tellox Accords, as they came to be known as, gave the Tellox hope for lives that consisted of more than just battle and endless wandering. Between the Accords and the coming of age of the first females to be born Tellox in thousands or years, there is new hope for his people. But what happens when a warrior sets his sights on a woman who is not bound by the accords? When you are Tellox? You go hunting.
Ember, Siren of the Trios, is no easy prey. Her manipulated genetics and hidden past guarantee that she is as dangerous as she is alluring.
Now a past she thought she had destroyed is catching up with her, and her present if full of danger and the allure of a pushy High Commander she is not sure she wants to escape.
TRIP (THE KIF WARRIORS BOOK 3) by Kiki Burrelli and Crista Crown
He’s a warrior, yes, but Trip has always considered himself more of a tactician. He can see what’s coming and plan for it. Until his kif’s ship is suddenly taken by space pirates, and he discovers his mate is one of the most confounding creatures he has ever met.
Luk’s people live by one rule: might is right. They see what they want, and take it. When Luk’s ship comes across an alien craft, nothing is standing in their way, except a ragtag pack of warrior aliens. One of which Luk feels indescribably drawn to. But it isn’t as easy as wanting and taking. Luk has always worked hard to be as ruthless as his brother, the captain. But Trip makes him want to be gentle.
As long as he stood with his brother, he was invincible. But now he has a mate, and when he discover’s he’s pregnant, the vicious men of his ship scent weakness, something that the captain cannot accept. To protect their child, Luk will have to rely on Trip’s brains and the strength of his kif. It undermines everything Luk has ever stood for… and if Trip can’t stay one step ahead of the pirates, they’re all doomed.
DRACONIANS QUEEN (DRACONIAN WARRIORS BOOK 6) by Juno Wells
Sold from one species to another isn’t the dream I had when I signed up for an alien husband…The promise of being electronically matched with a wealthy, handsome alien husband and going from a dying Earth to a new, healthy world seemed like an impossible dream. After securing a successful match, I left with my meager possessions and dreams of starting over.
Instead of a better life, our transport ship was raided and was abducted. Everyone else was sold off at various stops until there was no one left but me. When my turn came, I fought to escape but failed miserably. Every species in the ‘verse is bigger, stronger and more dominant than humans. I never stood a chance. Sold from one species to another, I finally managed to slip away and quickly learn that escaping was the easy part. Actually surviving, turns out to be much more challenging. Only one alien will help me and we survive by watching each other’s backs.
I attract the notice of a group of Draconian warriors. They speak my language and tell me in no uncertain terms what they want to do with me. Four drop dead gorgeous aliens wanting a mate would seem like a dream come true, except each of them is extremely dominant and I’m not sure if this is just another way of being owned. ..(more blurb ion ebook seller page…)
CHANGELING ENCOUNTER: PIT STOP (TERRAN FILES BOOK 2) by Echo Ishii
VS note: A short story.
When space captain Fiona makes a Pit Stop with two very hot passengers, it may be the best decision she’s ever made.
RED EYE: SEASON ONE EPISODE THREE: AN ARMAGEDDON ZOMBIE SURVIVAL THRILLER by Eli Constant and Claire C Riley
VS Note: This series has been under my radar till now, sounds interesting. I wonder if each book is a cliffhanger, since it seems to be modeled on a TV show format? I bought book one and will see how it goes.
When a red-eye flight from London to Los Angeles brings two strangers together, they have no idea that it’s the end of the bloody world! Rose, a British runaway, is ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Her hopes are high, her funds are low, and nothing is going to rain on her parade. Except maybe the apocalypse!
Sam is an American ballerina on her way home from a hellish vacation. She’s tired of culture, tired of traveling, and seriously tired of men. She can’t wait to get home. That is until everyone turns into flesh-eating zombies! Neither woman expects their exhausting overnight flight to devolve into bloody carnage of terror and mayhem. But when you’re over 30,000 feet in the air and there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide…
what else can you do but team up with as many survivors as possible and try to stay alive?
THE MIRROR MAZE by Dianne Hartsock
VS Note: Listed in SciFi & Gay erotica
Cory loves the carnival. Even as an adult, the lights and color, flashing rides, popcorn and cotton candy, all hold a special allure for him. Especially this year, when the men seem extraordinarily beautiful and Jules, the barker for the Mirror Maze, ran away with his heart from the moment Cory first saw him in his purple-satin and leather uniform.
For Jules, the carnival is life, the other carnies his family, friends, lovers. He can’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be. But the carnival has a secret that, if found out, could bring an end to their ideal existence. What with falling in love with a local man and a detective dogging their heels about the body found on the hill above the fairgrounds, his perfect life just might be changing, and he has no idea if it is for the better.
THE GATHERER (THE GATHERER SERIES BOOK 1) by Colleen Winter
VS Note: I was intrigued, put this on my TBR list.
Storm Freeman gave the world a miracle. She designed The Gatherer to draw electromagnetic energy from the air and disperse free and infinite electricity to rural and underprivileged communities. Her invention helped people but devalued power industries. Some revered Storm as a deity. Others saw her as an eco-terrorist.
Then the miracle became a curse. The Gatherer unleashed a plague that damaged the human electrical system, bringing pain, suffering—and eventual death—to anyone continually exposed to the technology. Stricken herself, Storm goes into exile, desperate to find a cure—and destroy her invention.
But there are people in the government and in the corporation that funded The Gatherer who refuse to publicly acknowledge the connection between the device and the spreading plague. And they will stop at nothing to find Storm and use her genius for military applications .
STARSIGHT (SKYWARD BOOK 2) by Brandon Sanderson
VS Note: Not a romance but a release of note this week.
All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she’s a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true–he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them.
Spensa is sure there’s more to the story. And she’s sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars–and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself–and she’ll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.
THE RISE OF MAGICKS: CHRONICLE OF THE ONE, BOOK 3 by Nora Roberts
After the sickness known as the Doom destroyed civilization, magick has become commonplace, and Fallon Swift has spent her young years learning its ways. Fallon cannot live in peace until she frees those who have been preyed upon by the government or the fanatical Purity Warriors, endlessly hunted or locked up in laboratories, brutalized for years on end. She is determined to save even those who have been complicit with this evil out of fear or weakness—if, indeed, they can be saved.
Strengthened by the bond she shares with her fellow warrior, Duncan, Fallon has already succeeded in rescuing countless shifters and elves and ordinary humans. Now she must help them heal—and rediscover the light and faith within themselves. For although from the time of her birth, she has been The One, she is still only one. And as she faces down an old nemesis, sets her sights on the enemy’s stronghold, and pursues her destiny—to finally restore the mystical shield that once protected them all—she will need an army behind her.
WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU: A CALDWELL CHRISTMAS (THE BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD SERIES) by J R Ward
When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?
Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she’s looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.
Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance…or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted…but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.
EDGE OF DARKNESS: A HUNTER LEGACY NOVEL (MIDNIGHT BREED LEGACY BOOK 3) by Lara Adrian
In the newest Hunter Legacy paranormal romance from New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian, Breed vampire and former assassin Knox is a solitary man, closed off to the pain of love—and loss. He deals in death and dark justice, expecting nothing in return . . . until a desperate beauty enlists his lethal assistance and tempts not only his hunger, but his wounded heart as well.
GILDED ROSE: A BEAUTY & THE BEAST RETELLING (THE CELESTIALS BOOK 1) by Emma Hamm
A monster is holding me hostage inside a chateau. The world is plagued by creatures called the Dread. And he’s their king. I’ve tried to run. I’ve tried to hide. But there’s no escaping him. He wants to turn me into one of the creatures. Unless… I find a way to break the curse. A curse that has turned him into the monster that he is. He wasn’t supposed to destroy cities. He’s one of the Celestials meant to save humanity. As I uncover the truth and break his curse, I wonder if I’ve lost myself in the process. Can I still escape him? Or has he taken my heart forever?
ELEMENTAL FAE ACADEMY BOOK 3 by Lexi C Foss and J R Thorn
How is a girl supposed to concentrate with five hot fae mentors? It’s not like I have a lot to do or anything. Royal Coronations. Finals. A Solstice Ball. And a mother hellbent on ruining the fae world. Just another ordinary day for me, Claire Summers, the halfling fae with access to all five elements. Everyone is counting on me, even my esteemed mentor, Elana. Because I’m the only one with enough power to take my mother down.
But what if it’s all a lie? What if the bad guy I’ve been chasing all along is the one standing right by my side?
I’m in for the fight of my life with five fae protectors and an ally I never saw coming. It’s up to us to save the Fae Kingdom before it’s too late. And it’ll require giving my heart to all my mates, to guard and to hold, for eternity and beyond.
OPHELIA by Tara Brown
VS Note: No idea if this has an HEA. Listed as a romance, which is what she usually writes…
For generations, the Agards have served the “kings” of New Denmark, a city controlled by the Jacobi crime family.
Ophelia Agard has spent her life dreaming of being free of it all, and now at nineteen, that dream has the chance to become a reality.
Until her fate is forcibly tied to the young prince of New Denmark, who is destined to be king. Ophelia is pushed into the den of temptation, put there by her own mother, a woman desperate to see her family advance. But Ophelia’s heart is won over by the one person she is meant to deceive.
Prince Lucas Hamlet Jacobi, a young man who favors freedom over family and has no interest in taking over the kingdom. His father’s untimely death has all eyes on him, but he finds himself in the middle of a grand conspiracy. And standing next to him is none other than the one girl he promised he would never love. Forbidden romance whirls in the air amidst war and a plot to take over the city.
But this is not a love story.
This is a tragedy.
This is a tale of ghosts. A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
SAVAGE AS HELL (THE DEMON ACADEMY BOOK 3) by G Bailey
There can only be one king of hell, and only one fallen angel to hold the title. I didn’t know that until my angel fell into hell for me. Morgan challenged the current king, with the whole of DA bought to hell to watch. The winner not only gets the title, but he also gets control of everything hell holds.
Including me. I just hope my angel doesn’t lose too much of himself to save me in the end.
I won’t let him. I can’t. With my wolf, my demon princes and my angel, I should be able to survive hell. Right? Once the fallen fall, they must never rise again.
FLOODTIDE (A NOVEL OF ALPENNIA) by Heather Rose Jones
VS note: Paperback only, so far.
The streets are a perilous place for a young laundry maid dismissed without a character for indecent acts. Roz knew the end of the path for a country girl alone in the city of Rotenek. A desperate escape in the night brings her to the doorstep of Dominique the dressmaker and the hope of a second chance beyond what she could have imagined. Roz’s apprenticeship with the needle, under the patronage of the royal thaumaturgist, wasn’t supposed to include learning magic, but Celeste, the dressmaker’s daughter, draws Roz into the mysterious world of the charm-wives. When floodwaters and fever sweep through the lower city, Celeste’s magical charms could bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor of Rotenek, but only if Roz can claim the help of some unlikely allies.
WATER WITCH: A DUSTIN WALKER ANTHOLOGY AND OTHER TALES by RJ Blain
When Dustin Walker’s witchcraft awakens, he discovers he harbors a leviathan, one that could destroy him—and his family—should he fail to learn how to control his powers.
Dustin Walker first appeared in the Witch & Wolf standalone novel, Beneath a Blood Moon, and is featured in the majority of stories in this anthology.
While some of these stories were first revealed to newsletter subscribers, there are numerous never-before-seen tales in this volume.
In addition to Dustin’s stories, you will find tales featuring characters from the Witch & Wolf World and Requiem for the Rift King world, along with a single story from the zany Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) world. Double Trouble: A Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) is also available outside of this anthology.
**Double Trouble by RJ Blain
VS Note: This book is a standalone OR it was also included in the WATER WITCH volume above, which I don’t quite understand (releasing it on the same day in two places, kind of) but here it is if you’d like to have it just by itself.
This novel is also included in Water Witch: a Dustin Walker Anthology and Other Tales by RJ Blain. Layla, a recovering drug addict, reformed kleptomaniac, and general troublemaker, believes she has a one-way ticket straight to hell to go with her general rap sheet. Instead of jail time, she’s ordered to perform ninety days of community service. Her job is simple: she must keep two unicorns out of trouble. It doesn’t take her long to learn the truth: she’s been assigned to a dose of double trouble, and wherever the unicorns go, chaos and mayhem follow in their wake. One wants to take over the world.
The other wants in her pants. Unless she pulls out all the stops, Layla won’t escape her community service time single or sane.
WOLFROMANCE (RELUCTANT NECROMANCER BOOK 3) by Kaye Draper
Until a couple months ago, Esper would have said having not one, but two hot paranormal lovers would be the most exciting thing to ever happen in her painfully dull life. But that was before some ancient…thing asked her to save his life. Then there’s the werewolf. And the goblins. And the cat that isn’t just a cat….The supernatural world is revealing itself to Esper at an annoying rate, and all the assholes seem to have expectations. To top it off, Esper’s best friend is acting sketchy. And someone keeps trying to abduct the frumpy necromancer off the street. How can she get to know her gorgeous medium and learn how to support her stupidly needy vampire, when she can’t even go one whole day without another supernatural problem falling in her lap?
HIS PROTECTIVE MATES (BROKEN OAKS PACK BOOK 1) by L N Manning
Marcus Mallory lived in hell under his uncle, a cruel and sadistic alpha that long ago stopped caring who he hurt, including his own family. When Marcus’s brother, Lucas, challenges their uncle, the alpha cheats, leaving the brothers no choice but to run for their lives.
Jace “J-Rod” Malone and Aaron Carrington are fated mates, but not your normal pairing. Both are alpha-born and know something is missing from their relationship. When they are called upon to help some friends, they find that missing something, another mate.
But when Marcus disappears, can Aaron and Jace find him before it’s too late? Will they be able to stand together when another family conflict tries to force them apart? As their lives narrow to a single moment in time, are they strong enough together to move forward; as three?
EYES IN THE DARKNESS (THE COVETED) by Ripley Proserpina and Rebecca Royce
There’s something in the darkness, and it’s watching her…Lacey Madison wants to be like every other teenager. She wants to wave to her best friend, and have him wave back. She wants to kiss a boy, and for him to stay in town. She wants to go to school, and not be accused of murder.
But bad things are always happening around her, and in this dusty little desert town, nothing is what it seems. Lacey’s entire life has been leading to something, and those eyes in the desert darkness hold all the answers.
AMETHYST by CY Jones
Amethyst is a curse worker on the run after hexing her ex. (He he that rhymes) On the bus to Silver Springs, she meets a set of hot twins but with a vengeful ex after her and a group of pissed off vampires, she’s a little distracted. In a town she swore she would never return to she runs into her old tormentor, a hot af wolf shifter, befriends an angel, and spends more time ducking and dodging her family members than she would like. Lady Luck is supposed to be on her side, but with so many problems, what’s a girl to do? Maybe a pumpkin spiced drink and 3 hotter than hell supernaturals is just what Amethyst needs, or will her hatred over her past keep her from opening her heart and have her end up hexing herself.
TAYME (WERE ZOO BOOK 8) by R E Butler
Bear shifter Tayme has called the Amazing Adventures Safari Park home his whole life. He and his family, along with the members of his sleuth, live underneath the park in secret. The fact that shifters own and run the park is a well-guarded secret from humans, who don’t know about their existence, but it makes for some pretty lonely shifters. Tayme’s hoping to find his soulmate someday, but he doesn’t know where to look. All he can do is rely on fate and keep his fingers crossed that she’ll show up sooner rather than later.
Red fox shifter Rory is an oddity, an orphan living with the owl shifters who killed her family. When her best friend Jessica is injured during a flight and winds up in the arms of her soulmate, Rory is the only one in the entire nest who supports her. On a trip to visit her bestie, she’s carted off into the woods by a huge male, and she knows she’s found the one male on the planet meant for her.
While Tayme’s family and sleuth welcome her with open arms, the owl nest is anything but welcoming. A meet up with her adoptive parents ends in bloodshed, and Rory feels like she’s once again an orphan. Until strangers come knocking on the park’s front gate one dark night and offer her a chance to be with her own kind again. When faced with the decision, will she remain in the zoo or leave?
PROVOKE ME (THE LAST VOCARI BOOK 2) by Elena Lawson
I’ve been captured. Don’t even get me started on how pissed off I am. My rage is raging.
Azrael is the most powerful vampire I’ve ever encountered, and I hate knowing I can’t beat him. He’s brought me to this creepy cave because he thinks he can synthesize a cure for vampirism from my pure Vocari blood. I think he’s insane.
Doesn’t really matter, though. If I don’t do what Azrael wants, he says he’s going to hurt my guys. I can’t allow that. With no other option, I decide to be a good little Rose until I can find a way out of this mess.
But while I’m preoccupied with one ancient vampire, I discover there’s another out for my blood. Azrael plans to wield it. The other wants only to spill it.
It seems I’ve been caught in a game of celestial tug-of-war between the two oldest and strongest vampires on earth.What else could possibly go wrong?
THE EIDOLA PROJECT by Robert Herold
VS note: Not a romance, listed as horror BUT one of the reviewers said it was like an 1800’s ghostbusters type team – not that it was comedic but the types of adventures…anyway, off beat but here we are.
It’s 1885 and a drunk and rage-filled Nigel Pickford breaks up a phony medium’s séance. A strange twist of fate soon finds him part of a team investigating the afterlife.
The Eidola Project is an intrepid group of explorers dedicated to bringing the light of science to that which has been feared, misunderstood, and often manipulated by charlatans. They are a psychology professor, his assistant, an African-American physicist, a sideshow medium, and now a derelict, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses.
Called to the brooding Hutchinson Estate to investigate rumored hauntings, they encounter deadly supernatural forces and a young woman driven to the brink of madness. Will any of them survive?
QUEENS OF WINGS AND STORMS by Various
Searching for myths and magic? Queens of Wings and Storms in a fiery collection of fantasy and urban fantasy tales from today’s bestselling and the hottest new authors.
Fly with dragons, witches, and burn whole kingdoms to the ground as you explore one new fantastical world after the next. From urban fantasy streets to forgotten lands, our heroines and queens are poised to rule it all.
One click today, before the fire is snuffed out on this limited time offer.
KNIGHT OF THE SILVER CIRCLE (DRAGONSLAYER BOOK 2) by Duncan M Hamilton
Dragons have returned after a thousand years, but greater dangers lurk in the shadows…As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Guillot dal Villerauvais is drawn farther into the life and service he had left far behind. Solène attempts to come to terms with the great magical talent she fears is as much a curse as a blessing, while the Prince Bishop’s quest for power twists and turns, and takes on a life of its own. With dragons to slay, and an enemy whose grip on the kingdom grows ever tighter, Gill and his comrades must fight to remain true to themselves, while standing at the precipice of a kingdom in peril.
DRAGON DENIED (THE COVERT DRAGONS BOOK 7) by Viola Grace
Zzara was excited and happy on the day it all fell apart. Her father had married another dragon and the new lady of the house had no interest in his mistress living on her new property.
Her mother takes her own life, her father is trying to pretend that she doesn’t exist, but that is not something Zzara is willing to tolerate. Not anymore. The investigators bring her to her father’s house and Zzara makes sure that her father’s new wife understands what her threats brought about.
She flees to the desert, a plan to start over at Rekker City, but she takes a few days to mourn. A hidden child, she had never had a plan for a life away from her mother. She meets those who are willing to help her make those first steps and then she is off and running.
UNREQUITED HEART: HOLY CITY VAMPIRES BOOK II by L A McGinnis
Logan Dean’s happily-ever-after was only a week away. A fairy tale wedding. To the vampire king of Charleston. Unfortunately, she never even tasted the cake. Thrown into the past by a vengeful rival, Logan must navigate the unfamiliar waters of 1780, face an old nemesis and find her way back to Ian before her enemies hunt her down.
Ian Grant almost lost Logan once and vowed it will never happen again. But when she disappears on their wedding night, not leaving a single clue behind, he swears he’ll never stop searching. Is the love that binds them strong enough to withstand two hundred years and an adversary willing to do anything to keep them apart?
HER CHRISTMAS ELF (ROMANCING THE FAE BOOK 1) by Jax Garren
A drunk guy in a mall elf costume ruining Carrie’s favorite sweater is not a promising start…But at least he makes her laugh—a holiday miracle. In the two years since a miscarriage at Christmas broke up her once fairy-tale marriage, the most “wonderful” time of year has become no more than a grim reminder of all she’s lost. Though the elf-man promises to pay back the sweater-debt, she assumes that’s the last she’ll see of the charming stranger. But when she crosses paths with him again and odd things start to happen, Carrie begins to wonder if she’s somehow made a deal with an actual elf.
THIRD EYE BLIND (MYSTIC HALLOWS HAREM BOOK 4) by Nikki Landis
VS Note: Author states this is the 4th ‘episode’ in a series of 13.
The Third Eye is blind …Roman English has struck again and now I have no choice but to seek him out and end his brutal attack against the witches of Salem.
When our ability to see into the future is compromised, I trust in an unlikely duo to reach Hell and confront Roman. The depths of the Underworld reveal much more than I’m prepared for. I’m confronted with the real enemy. Shocking revelations lead me down a dark path of no return.
Will my Cosan crumble apart when our loyalty is tested? Can I save the ones I love without compromising my soul or exposing the Salem witches to corruption?
BEAUTY: A NOVELLA by Stacy Claflin
Chase Williams is desperate to find Penelope Jackson, and the only shot he has is by locating a specific mirror. Even then, his chances are slim. He can’t operate it, so she’d have to tumble through it to his exact time.
Penelope has been traveling through various years in her history in search of her parents’ killers. She’d been with the agency so long, she can hardly remember life before. She relies on her trusty mirror to take her to the times and places she needs to go.
Then one day, she stumbles out into a strange new place… and meets a man who clearly knows who she is. But she’s never seen him before—of that much, she’s sure. Unless her future self has? The possibilities are too numerous to count, and the implications could be disastrous. Is this man trustworthy or out to get her? Giving her heart over could be the only way to find out for sure. Or it could lead to her ultimate demise. And maybe the destruction of time as we know it.
THE WICKERLIGHT by Mary Watson
It’s been two months since Zara’s sister Laila was found lifeless on the village green of the small Irish town Kilshamble, not a mark on her. Vicious rumors circle that she died of an overdose or committed suicide–but an autopsy finds no evidence.
Zara believes somebody must know what happened, and she throws herself headfirst into an investigation. But retracing her sister’s footsteps takes her to David, a member of an ancient magical faction called the judges. The judges are in the midst of an ancient feud with another faction called the augurs, and Zara quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous, twisted game. And if she isn’t careful on the path she’s treading, she could end up with the same fate as Laila.
CRYSTAL WING ACADEMY: BOOK TWO: DRAGONSWORN by Marty Mayberry
I survived Orientation at Crystal Wing Academy–barely–and now it’s time to learn how to control my power. After destroying a power-sucking slake before he killed my friends, I’m feeling stronger and more confident than ever. Donovan and I are together, I’m pulling in more threads than before, and I have new abilities I’m excited to master… So I might be flunking Magical Creatures & How to Tame Them. Not everything comes easy, right? When I stumble over a dead girl–one of eight Outlings at the Academy–and she’s marked with an O and a #7, it’s clear someone’s copycatting the Outling murders that took place one-hundred years ago.
With the clock ticking down and more Outlings turning up dead, I’ll soon be next. Last time, every Outling at the Academy was murdered. But the killer is about to learn this Outling wizard won’t go down without a fight.
BELOW THE BAUBLES (SEVEN WARDENS BOOK 8) by Laura Greenwood and Skye MacKinnon
Even Christmas doesn’t come without complications for kelpie shifter Macey. Her dreams of a quiet evening with her men are ruined when worrying news arrives from Germany (delivered by a garden gnome, no less). At least this time, it isn’t all work and no play, there’s plenty of time to warm up from the cold outside for the Wardens.
ACADEMY OF SPELLS AND WISHES by Various incl Skye MacKinnon
Welcome to the Academy of Spells And Wishes. Delve into eleven tales of lessons, magic, and academy life.
SEDUCING THE HUNTRESS (NIGHTMIX BOOK 3) by Mel Teshco
She wants to kill him. He wants to possess her body and give her ultimate pleasure.
Isabella suffered an unimaginable loss at the teeth and claws of a vicious nightmix. She grew up wanting nothing more than to hunt and kill every last shape shifting black panther in the kingdom. What she doesn’t expect is to go from hunter to hunted. Never expects to be captured by the nightmix monster, Reuben, and taken to his cabin, where he plays her body like a finely tuned instrument. Their erotic connection is explosive, but Reuben is the enemy. Or is he?
BISCLAVRET by K L Noone
A very long time ago, in the very old forests of Brittany, a werewolf loved a king …The Lord Bisclavret has a secret. A family enchantment. A wolf’s curse, transforming him when the moon is full. He hopes to be a good lord for his people, and he’s always been a loyal king’s man, even if the new king is inexperienced and scholarly. But one betrayal might leave him trapped in wolf-shape forever … unless his king can save him.
Andreas would rather be a University scholar than a king, and has no interest in a royal marriage — desire’s always come slowly, if at all. But he loves his kingdom, so he’ll try to protect it, even when rumors of a man-killing wolf spread across his land. He’ll pick up a sword and go out on a hunt, and hope to keep his people safe. But the wolf has the eyes of a man, and the scholar-king’s knowledge of folklore and fairy-stories might break a werewolf’s curse … with the help of love.
EARTH DRAGON’S KISS (HIGH HOUSE DRACONIS BOOK 4) by Riley Storm
Nearly five years ago, Sarah Mingott moved to the little town of Plymouth Falls. She says it was to help support her grandmother, but the truth is darker than that. Hiding her secrets was easy, until she lost her job. Now she’s forced to turn to the one place she doesn’t want to go. She hates rich people, and so when the owner takes a special interest in her, the last thing she wants is his attention. It doesn’t matter how handsome he is, or how good he looks in his suit. Or the way he makes her body feel when he looks at her with those unusual eyes.
Earth dragon Jax Drakon was awakened for one purpose: to forge an alliance between the various shifter nations, to combat the growing vampire threat. His efforts are going about as well as his attempts to gain the attention of his newest employee, a curvy five-foot-five, browned-haired bombshell hiding behind glasses. That is to say, not well. Rebuffed at every turn, he can’t figure out why she won’t give him the time of day. Unfortunately for him, he can’t seem to get her out of his mind either.
Sarah just wants a normal job without the special perks Jax is trying to offer. He’s just like the other rich men she’s met, and nothing is going to change her mind. Not even the meddling interference of her grandmother, who seems to have taken a shine to Jax against Sarah’s wishes. Only Jax can change her mind, but first he’s going to have to figure out how to keep his mate safe, as the vampires have caught her scent. And she might not like the answer.
UNCERTAIN FUTURE (TWICKENHAM TIME TRAVEL REGENCY ROMANCE BOOK 3) by Laura Beers
Hudson Barington doesn’t want to go to the Full Moon Ball at Twickenham Manor! He needs to practice his lecture for the thousandth time. After all, it’s quite an honor to be invited to guest lecture at Oxford University, and he wants to make a good impression! However, his cousin convinces him to escort her. She’s been enjoying the Regency Immersion Experience all week and wants him to join the fun. Little does he know, there’s more “fun” waiting for him when he finds himself in Georgian England in the year 1825.
Lady Marian Ashworth is a quiet rebel. Her father has forbidden her to travel in time until she turns twenty-one. However, with Aunt Nellie’s help, she secretly time travels during the monthly Full Moon Balls at Twickenham Manor. She can’t help it! The future seems to call to her. She loves everything about it, and she longs for the freedoms that are afforded her there. Sometimes, she daydreams about what it would be like to live in the future, but her life and her family are in the past.
As Hudson and Marian begin to spend time together in her era, they can’t deny the fondness growing between them. But how can they ever hope to build a future together, when they are two vastly different people? And is it truly possible to have a happily ever after when they are from different centuries?
SEASONS: ALL NEW TALES OF VALDEMAR by Mercedes Lackey and others
This thirteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself.
The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages–and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents–combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more–make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.
Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.
EIGHT WILL FALL by Sarah Harian
In a world where magic is illegal, eight criminals led by rebellious Larkin are sent on a mission to rid their realm of an ancient evil lurking beneath the surface. Descending into a world full of unspeakable horrors, Larkin and her crew must use their forbidden magic to survive.
As they fight in the shadows, Larkin finds a light in Amias, a fellow outlaw with a notorious past. Soon, Larkin and Amias realize that their destinies are intertwined. The eight of them were chosen for a reason. But as the beasts grow in number and her band is picked off one by one, Larkin is forced to confront a terrible truth: They were never meant to return.
DRAGONS: DEATH BY REAPER MC #4 by Esther E Schmidt
Since the beginning of time Dragons have existed and live in solitude among their own clans and traditions. Enya lives in the human world but is aware of the fact she’s a Dragon. She never encountered any others of her kind and doesn’t remember her past. She craves to find out more about herself until she’s suddenly faced with a presumptuous, old-fashioned biker who’d rather demand information than willingly provide.
Vaughn, Dragon shifter and President of the Dragons Charter, has been the leader of his clan for decades. His clan has been facing problems due to ancient traditions which complicate their very existence. When Vaughn becomes aware of the horrific fact of the existence of a half-blood, he’s dead set to handle this abomination accordingly; for a Dragon needs to be a pure blood.
A Dragon shifter is adamant, stubborn, and hot-tempered though evolution has a way to make you see reason within havoc. Can ancient traditions withstand modern times? Or will clan members refuse allegiance, leaving Vaughn and Enya no other option then to fight for the right of existence?
ASH (FIRE AND BLOOD BOOK 2) by Alexa B James
Deep in the cave kingdom of Nightendale, a vampire king holds me captive. The deal with King Ravage seemed simple: become his blood consort for a year and all my debts would be absolved. I had no way to know of the steep price I would pay. Daily feedings.
Constant surveillance. For one night I will be his possession… mind, body, and soul.
Returning to the life of a vampire consort should have been easy. Yet I ache for the touch of the three lovers I was ripped away from. As the night with the vampire king looms, I suspect our devil’s bargain serves a darker purpose. If I hope to escape, I must act fast and know he will hunt me to the ends of the earth. But my time in captivity has changed me. A dark power is rising within me that thirsts for vampire blood. Whatever this malicious threat is, it connects me with the king’s cruel mind. How do I escape a man who can find me in the shadows of my dreams?
DARK QUEEN’S ARMY (THE CHILDREN OF THE GODS BOOK 34) by I T Lucas
As Mey anxiously waits for her transition to begin and for Yamanu to test whether his godlike powers are gone, the clan sets out to solve two mysteries: Where is Jin, and is she there voluntarily? Where is Kalugal, and what is he up to?
BLOOD OF GODS (VAMPIRE CROWN BOOK 4) by Scarlett Dawn and Katherine Rhodes
Terror is control. With her secret parentage revealed, the newly-minted Princess of S’Kir has lost all hope of finding a new normal. Catapulted back into the horrors of war, she must face the insanity that is the reign of the Mad Queen.
Restraint is control. The Queen of Vampires is in over her royal head within the turbulent dimension of S’Kir, but her determination is steady: find the Breaker. Even when she unexpectedly lands face-to-face with another Queen of Vampires—a woman as crazy as they come. Terror is the herald of madness. But restraint is the master of victory.
SHE-ALPHA (HELL’S WOLVES MC BOOK 6) by J L Wilder
I am the first She-alpha of my pack. Ruling over wolves is in my blood. But some don’t see it that way. They think my only worth is for breeding. A rival pack is invading our territory, And I must show my strength. By submitting to my greatest weakness….
The alpha of the Wild Grizzly’s MC.
ALPHA GEEK: GRAY by Milly Taiden
Skylar Milan has had it with the fashion industry and their beauty standards. She misses her family and she really misses carbs. The things she’d do for a piece of bread would get her arrested. The last thing expected during her flight home was to have her hunger for a delicious cheese sandwich be replaced with a different type of hunger. One that has her banging the cute doctor in the airplane bathroom. But whatever. She had a good time and it’s not like she’s ever going to see him again, right? Oh how wrong she was.
Dr. Gray Hart is in town for a very serious meeting with world leaders. The technology he’s discovered could change the world as we know it. Knowing he is being followed, he goes to Nick Milan, looking to hire a bodyguard. When the beautiful Skylar is assigned to him, Gray can’t believe his luck. He hasn’t stopped thinking about her since their passionate encounter and induction in the mile-high club. Now he wants to have her bare and laid out on a bed where he can really lose himself in her. Except, he can’t. She’s a shifter and he’s a weak human.
Things go horribly wrong during his meeting and an attack leaves Gray at death’s door. It’s only with a scientific wonder serum that he escapes death. And becomes something out of his deepest fantasies. He’s a shifter and he’s stronger than he ever imagined. Now he can really tear Skylar’s clothes off without missing a beat. He still has to prove to Skylar that he is the right man for her. But first, he has to save the world.
CHATTING WITH A VAMPIRE by Thayer King
VS Note: From October. A re-release which author states has been lengthened.
A stray e-mail introduces Alaya Hendricks to Alexander Hennessey, III. What she thinks will be a fling, turns out to be much more. From the first, Alex knows that Alaya is his destiny. He’s a vampire. And Alaya is his mate.
A DRAGON FOR CHRISTMAS (SHIFTERS FOR CHRISTMAS BOOK 2) by Zoe Chant
Things have been tough for Georgia. Her husband walked out and she works two jobs to make ends meet. But a surprise raffle win sees her and her son (and their dog!) traveling to a luxurious Christmas resort for the kind of holiday she never thought she’d get. All is not what it seems, however…
Elite Shifter Patrol Corps agent Garrett doesn’t take time off. Crime doesn’t take a vacation, so why should he? That is, until his boss books him in for mandatory leave at a fancy-pants Christmas resort. It’s bright, glittery and brimming with Christmas cheer – exactly the kind of place he’d usually avoid at all costs. But when Garrett meets Georgia, his misgivings fly out the window when he realizes that she’s his one true mate. Suddenly, he finds himself taking care of the family he never thought he’d have, and opening his heart to them in a way he never thought he could. When a mysterious danger threatens them all at the resort, Garrett knows he’ll do anything to protect his newfound mate and her child.
THE WOLF AND THE SPARROW by Isabelle Adler
Derek never wished to inherit his title as a result of a bloody battle. With the old count dead and the truce dependent on his marriage to the rival duke’s son, Derek has no choice but to agree to the victor’s terms in order to bring peace to his homeland. When he learns of the sinister rumors surrounding his intended groom, Derek begins to have doubts—but there can be no turning back from saying I do.
After the death of his wife, Callan of Mulberny never expected to be forced into another political marriage—especially not to someone like the new Count of Camria. Seemingly soft and meek, it’s only fitting that Derek’s family crest is a flighty sparrow, worthy of nothing but contempt.
Another war with the seafaring people of the Outer Isles looms on the horizon, and the reluctant newlyweds must team together to protect those caught in the circle of violence. Derek and Callan slowly learn to let go of their prejudices, but as they find themselves enmeshed in intrigue fueled by dark secrets and revenge, their tentative bond is all that keeps their world—and their lives—from plunging into chaos.
THE FAE PRINCE (FAE OF BALLANTINE) by Serena Meadows
Life’s one long parade of beauty and amusement for the fae royal, until his spiteful parents decide to rain all over it. Ejected from the palace with only a handful of coins, the prince suddenly finds himself a pauper. He must experience some of life’s harsher realities, say the king and queen, if he’s to become the leader the Seelie people need. Across the fields his royal subject, Darby, knows all about harsh realities…After losing her parents at thirteen the young farmer has had little time for royals or gossip. A good day means a warm hearth and full bowl. Anything else is a luxury. But things are finally improving and for the first time ever, winter’s approach isn’t quite so bleak. Until she discovers a large, rumpled heap sleeping in her barn…The thing—whatever it is—stinks worse than her animals (and sounds just as ornery) but questionable hygiene is the least of Darby’s concerns. The seasons are turning, and darkness is gathering at the edges of the Seelie Kingdom. More than ever, the people need a hero they can count on, but it seems that man is nowhere to be seen.
A MATE’S TOUCH (OZARK MOUNTAIN SHIFTERS BOOK 5) by P Jameson
His grandma preached it to him as a little boy. If only he’d listened maybe he wouldn’t have lost his mate. One fight is all it took for everything he had to be ripped away. Left viciously scarred from battle, Raden has taken to the mountains to live as a lone wolf. He’d like to forget his time in Ozarka. Forget that he used to be a man, worthy of adoration, feared, and respected. But how can he forget the woman with the strawberry blonde hair who brought him flowers that first day? How can he erase the memory of her face as he tore her alpha sister to shreds for control of the pack? And how can he ignore the forgiveness she offered just before he walked away from it all.
REST IN PIECES (BARBIE THE VAMPIRE HUNTER BOOK 1) by Lucinda Dark
I can’t say my parents never warned me about vampires. I just never believed them. Not—that is—until six months ago when vampires broke into my home and killed my family. Thanks to all the skills my parents taught me, I managed to escape but I couldn’t save them.
Two vampires down and the rest of the world to go.
My bid for revenge is going to have to wait, though, because until I turn 18, I’m being placed in the loving care of Elizabeth and Jonathan McKnight—godparents I didn’t even know existed. The clock is ticking until I can get back to my goal of eradicating the vampire race. But something is amiss at my new high school. According to my parents, vampires can’t walk in daylight. So, why then, does Torin Priest? If he’s not a vampire, then what is he? Because unlike the obnoxious asshole, Maverick McKnight, who sees me as some sort of bloodsucking leech on his wealthy family, Torin Priest is most certainly not human. To stake or not to stake, that is the question.
ONCE UPON A STAR by Casper Graham
Zeke Wu is stranded on the road after his car suddenly breaks down. Then he meets a strange old man who invites him to have a cup of tea. That’s when his vision from the past grows stronger. He sees two men, Wayne and James, and though they feel familiar to him, he doesn’t recognize them at all. At least not at first.
Sterling has been having dreams of Wayne and James for years now, but as he grows older, the dreams become more vivid, especially after an unexpected meeting with a strange old man who offers him a cup of tea. That’s when he discovers he’s Wayne’s reincarnation in this lifetime, and he has an overwhelming desire to locate James. Or who James is supposed to be presently.
When they meet, Sterling feels an instant connection to Zeke, but it takes him a while to be sure that Zeke is the one he’s searching for. Moreover, Wayne and James’s love story ended in tragedy, and it seems his and Zeke’s love story may follow the same path. Will Sterling and Zeke get their happily ever after? Or are they doomed to follow in Wayne and James’s footstep?
POTIONS ARE FOR PUSHOVERS (AN ELANOR WILDE MYSTERY BOOK 2) by Tamara Berry
Selling mystical elixirs and tantalizing tonics is a pretty good way for a fake medium to earn a living. Or at least it’s Ellie’s main source of income—until a villager turns up dead. The cause? Murder by poisoning. And though Ellie’s concoctions don’t include anything worthy of a skull and crossbones, suddenly she’s the prime suspect. Her only recourse is to find the culprit who did do away with Sarah Blackthorne. No one liked the mean old battle-axe. But did anyone hate her enough to kill her?
It’s enough of a mystery to make Ellie hang up her witch’s hat and take millionaire beau Nicholas Hartford up on his offer to keep her afloat. Except Ellie is not the kind of woman to lean on a man—least of all a man she adores but whose place in her life is uncertain. Besides, Ellie’s taken on two young witches-in-training—apprentices if you will—and both of them are convinced a werewolf is the murderer.
Just as Ellie’s wondering if there really is something otherworldly going on, animals suddenly begin to disappear—including her beloved cat, Beast. Now Ellie’s on the warpath to uncover the wicked truth about the people and the place she’s only just begun to call home.
NIGHT’S RECKONING (ELEMENTAL LEGACY NOVELS 3) by Elizabeth Hunter
For over a thousand years, the legendary sword Laylat al Hisab–the Night’s Reckoning–has been lost in the waters of the East China Sea. Forged as a peace offering between two ancient vampires, the sword has eluded treasure hunters, human and immortal alike.
But in time, even the deep gives up its secrets.
When Tenzin’s sire hears about the ninth century shipwreck found off the coast of southern China, Zhang Guo realizes he’ll need the help of an upstart pirate from Shanghai to retrieve it. And since that pirate has no desire to be in the middle of an ancient war, Cheng calls the only allies who might be able to help him avoid it.
Unfortunately, Tenzin is on one side of the globe and Ben is on the other.
Tenzin knows she’ll need Ben’s keen mind and political skills to complete the job. She also knows gaining Ben’s cooperation won’t be an easy task. She’ll have to drag him back into the darkness he’s been avoiding.
Whether Ben knows it or not, his fate is balanced on the edge of a thousand-year-old blade, and one stumble could break everything Tenzin has worked toward.
IAN MCKELLAN: A BIOGRAPHY by Garry O’Connor
VS Note: A nonfiction biography of the actor. I’m always intrigued to read about the lives of actors I enjoy and who they are versus the characters they play.
In 2001, Ian McKellen put on the robe and pointed hat of a wizard named Gandalf and won a place in the hearts of Tolkien fans worldwide. Though his role in the film adaptation of Lord of the Rings introduced him to a new audience, McKellen had a thriving career a lifetime before his visit to Middle Earth. He made his West End acting debut in 1964 in James Saunders’s A Scent of Flowers, but it was in 1980 that he took Broadway by storm when he played Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Tony-Award-winning play Amadeus.
He has starred in over four hundred plays and films and he is that rare character: a celebrity whose distinguished political and social service has transcended his international fame to reach beyond the stage and screen. The breadth of his career—professional, personal and political—has been truly staggering: Macbeth (opposite Judi Dench), Iago, King Lear, Chekhov’s Sorin in The Seagull and Becket’s tramp Estragon (opposite Patrick Stewart) in Waiting for Godot. Add to all this his tireless political activism in the cause of gay equality and you have a veritable phenomenon. Garry O’Connor’s Ian McKellen: A Biography probes the heart of the actor, recreating his greatest stage roles and exploring his personal life. Ian McKellen will show readers what makes a great actor tick. His life story has been a constantly developing drama and this biography is the next chapter.
WOLF REBEL (SWAT BOOK 10) by Paige Tyler
She let him get away – SWAT werewolf Rachel Bennett is hounded by nightmares after a vicious attack left her with PTSD. Not knowing who or what she can trust anymore, she’s relieved to be assigned to a high-profile protective detail. Diving into work might be the distraction she needs, until she notices the mysterious hunk who seems to follow her wherever she goes—and recognizes him.
Now he needs her help…After he’s badly injured, former Navy SEAL Knox Lawson seeks out Rachel when he realizes he’s turning into a werewolf. He’d once been part of the group hunting her kind, but he knew he had to quit when he found Rachel in his crosshairs. Now he desperately needs her help. Rachel isn’t sure she trusts Knox, but having him around keeps the nightmares—and the monster creating them—away. Knox might not know much about being a werewolf, but there’s no doubt he’ll do everything in his power to win her trust and keep her safe.
BEYOND THE GATE (A KATHY RYAN NOVEL BOOK 3) by Mary SanGiovanni
VS Note: Not a romance but sounded intriguing.
Knowing that other dimensions exist is one thing. Venturing into them is quite another. In the course of its experiments, Paragon Corp—a government-sourced theoretical physics research institute—has discovered a supposedly empty alternate world. There is strange, alien flora but seemingly no sentient beings…just a huge, abandoned city that a team of scientists is sent to explore.
Then the scientists disappear. Kathy Ryan is hired to make her first foray into an alternate dimension in order to locate the team, bring them back, and close the gate for good. Instead, she discovers that this supposedly dead city may be nothing of the kind. Her rescue mission has become a terrifying race to prevent the potential destruction of the boundary between two worlds—before mayhem reigns over both.
MISADVENTURES WITH A TIME TRAVELER by Angel Payne
Workaholic Allie Fine isn’t thrilled about a surprise birthday trip to the French countryside, where there’s nothing to do but drink wine and tour old castles. But boredom takes a hike when a sexy period actor shows up to be her special between-the-sheets gift.
Maximillian De Leon, the towering god with eyes of gold and pecs of steel, is the most incredible lover she’s ever had. But Allie wakes with confusion when her French lover tells her he’s actually Prince Maximillian, and he hasn’t seen the light of day since 1789.
Crazy or not, Max De Leon is the hottest man Allie’s ever met—and the perfect piece on her arm to impress the corporate brass and take her career to the next level. So what if he keeps claiming he has to marry her to break a centuries-old curse in order to stay alive. He’ll get over that soon enough…right?
THE GODDESS GETS HER GUY by Ashlyn Chase
After leaving his job as a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Aaron Samuels needs a new purpose in his life. Wanting to help his patients even if he can’t operate, he heads to the Puerto Rican rainforest to find a cure for heart disease. He never imagined he’d meet a beautiful, mysterious woman, especially not one talking to a frog in the middle of the jungle…
Gaia—a.k.a. Mother Nature—has had it with paranormals breaking her number one rule: Never reveal your supernatural powers to humans, not even your mate. Fed up, she transports to the rainforest, happy to converse with amphibians who don’t talk back. But Dr. Samuels is a much better conversationalist, and Gaia can’t wait to help him mend all those broken hearts he told her about.
When her attempts to help only complicate things between them, Gaia begins to wonder what would happen if she opened her heart and was honest with Aaron…and herself. Maybe her number one rule has been wrong all along.
MY THANKSGIVING FAUX PAS: IN BETWEEN (PECULIAR MYSTERIES BOOK 10) by Renee George
For this secret shifter town in the Ozarks, holidays have never been normal…Human psychic Sunny Haddock has everything she’s ever wanted: a stable home, a loving husband, two kids, and great friends. Granted, everyone she knows (and has birthed) is on the furry side, but so what?
Weird is wonderful, especially in this wacky little place she calls home.
But when a young man shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her long lost brother, his presence provokes a psychic walk down memory lane, challenging Sunny’s ideas about herself and her future. Throw in exploding turkeys, time-traveling visions, and good old fashioned family drama… and you have a Thanksgiving that’s gonna be downright Peculiar.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY MATING STONE (DARK WARRIOR ALLIANCE NOVELLA BOOK 20.5) by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka
he tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung, and Mack is ready to celebrate the holidays with her sexy vampire, Kyran. But when she discovers her mating stone has gone missing she is ready to sever some heads.
Christmas cheer quickly turns to chaos when the other females at Zeum can’t locate their stones, either. Subsequently, terrible events occur one after another, and Mack is convinced it’s because of the missing jewels. She fears her worst nightmare has come true…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)
BELOVED WOLF (WOLF SHIFTERS BOOK 1) by Severine Wolfe
Adrik Zharov went to America to learn more about the amazing Tella Enclosures that were changing wildlife preservation and instead, found his mate. She was beautiful, she was smart. She was his. Then he was told he couldn’t have her. It went against every single thing that was held precious in Shifter Society. He was his own wolf. Nobody told him what to do. He does what he wants.
Alys Freeman has lived her entire life knowing that meeting her mate didn’t matter in the least as she was to be sold to whomever could give her father the most power, the power that he craved more than anything. Meeting Adrik ruins her resolve to be a good girl and do what Daddy says. For the first time in her life she seriously considers taking something for her own.
Both Adrik and Alys set the entire Shifter society on its ear when they run off together. However, winter doesn’t last forever. Not even in Siberia.
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VS: I actually wrote a STAR CRUISE: THANKSGIVING short story one year, which is in this anthology as an extra: STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY WITH STAR CRUISE RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES.
VS: Just in case you missed my new release last week:
DAEGAN: A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL (SECTORS NEW ALLIES SERIES BOOK 10) by Veronica Scott
Ex-Special Forces soldier and mercenary Flo Michetti is bored with her assignment as a pilot for the genetically engineered Badari pack in their fight against the evil Khagrish scientists. She jumps at the chance to take a dangerous undercover mission. She infiltrates a group of human prisoners on their way to a secret lab in the southern ocean, where the Badari believe many more of their own kind have been created and are being experimented on. Once Flo has located the lab, found the Alpha among the Badari there and sent a report back, the plan will be to attack and rescue all the prisoners.
Arriving at the island Flo learns the true nature of the horrific experiment for which the humans have been brought to this remote location. Time will be perilously short to escape before it’s too late for all of them. She has to locate the Alpha of this captive southern pack, who conceals his identity to escape death at the hands of the Khagrish, and get him to join with her and her allies.
Daegan feels an instant attraction to Flo when the Badari and the humans are forced together by the Khagrish scientists, but there are mysteries and questions surrounding her. Before he reveals himself as the incognito Alpha she’s seeking, he wants answers to allay his doubts. He also wants Flo in his bed…but can he risk his heart to claim her as his mate?
Complicating the situation is a dangerous rival for Daegan’s position as Alpha, an oncoming hurricane and Flo’s resistance to abandoning her life as a soldier of fortune…as the Khagrish scientists prepare to initiate the experiment, the clock is ticking for humans and Badari alike.
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months. And I may mention ‘special items’.
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 by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…
I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post but after that I’m not responsible.
What an epic week! Thanks for compiling these 😀 I found a few I can’t wait to read.
Pingback: New Releases in Science Fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for NOV 27 - Amazing Stories
I hope you have a chance to look over Laura Jo Phillips new book Riley’s Paradox. It is the 9th book in her Hearts of ICARUS. For new readers she has written more than 25 books in the Ten Thousand Worlds. Most of them are reverse harem.
Sure, I always like to hear about new-to-me authors – thanks!
Reblogged this on Laurie A. Green.