Happy New Year!
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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MARK OF EON (EON WARRIORS BOOK 5) by Anna Hackett
VS Note: Always a great week with a new book from Anna! One clicked.
Oil and water. Fire and ice. Terran space marine and rugged alien warrior. Space marine Lieutenant Jamie Park has a reputation as tough as steel…just the way she likes it. A horrible childhood and her marine training have forged her into a strong woman, and she’s never seen a fight she’d back down from. Taking on the voracious insectoid Kantos is her focus, even if that means being assigned to the Eon warship, the Desteron, and working with the one arrogant alien warrior who’s seen her vulnerable and weak.
LOST FLYGHT (THE FLYGHT SERIES BOOK 4) by S J Pajonas
Vivian Kawabata feels like her wings have been clipped. With her broken ship in the repair yard, and her crew begging her to take a break, she agrees to a private villa getaway with the chance to seduce her new hot medic. But her beach vacation becomes a stressful battleground when an ex’s former consort swoops in with a destructive agenda.
With her family’s farm at stake, the only way to outmaneuver the cutthroat may be by getting back to her roots… and extraordinary plants. But even if she digs up the dirt she needs, she still has to deal with in-laws, shady shopkeepers, and a shocking discovery aboard her ship. Can Vivian get her vessel and her men aloft, or will her operation crash and burn?
SPINNING WHEELS (MECHA ORIGIN BOOK 3) by Eve Langlais
Best friends Zak and Ray have only one goal in life: Upgrade their bodies until they’re more metal than flesh. But to do that, they need to find more gears. And who better to help them find lost treasure than a seer who can predict the future and decipher the past? Funny how she didn’t predict her own kidnapping.
Nema isn’t impressed with her supposed rescue by the Siyborghs. Part male. Part metal. She doesn’t approve of the parasitic cogs in their bodies. Especially since they pose a danger. That doesn’t stop her from desiring them. Even more tantalizing, they both want her, too.
SEEDS OF CHANGE (A NEW FRONTIER BOOK 2) by Augustina Van Hoven
With the future at their fingertips, only the past can stand in their way…
When the Starship Halcyon crash lands on Planet Kao, Dexter Thompson gets a field promotion to ship’s ambassador from finish carpenter and his world turns upside down. How can a man who works with wood and levels lead a crew? But lead he must, for Dexter must confront an alien welcoming committee. When a blue-haired beauty, Laize, steps forward as their leader, he now has a new fear—falling in love with a being who is out of his world and out-of-bounds.
Laize never believed in the prophesies, but when a ship drops from sky and lands at the base of Mount Denair she can no longer deny that the future she most fears may in fact have some basis in reality. As the alien council’s emissary, she must act in their best interests, even if their interests threaten her well-being…and the ice that shrouds her heart.
Dexter and Laize must act fast to avert a modern day gold rush that threatens the survival of the ship’s crew and the planet’s alien inhabitants. If they fail, only one thing is certain…all they love and care about will fall victim to the winds of change and the ashes of the past.
SILK THREADS: THREE TALES OF PASSIONATE JAPAN by Various
Bound together by a common magical thread, each novella tells a story of romance and passion unlike any other, exploring both paranormal and BDSM themes. Set in a Japan of the mythic past, the paranormal present, and a cyberpunk future, the three novellas showcase the imaginations of three pioneers of sexuality in fiction.
Focusing on women’s erotic power and desires, each story features individual quests for love, intimacy and the discovery of far-reaching potential within the central protagonists. From the legendary creatures of traditional Japanese fables to an atomic age embodiment of existential anxiety and into a cultural paradigm shift, magical silk weaves each generational story into an exploration of romantic cravings.
THE BONDS OF LOVE by Cecelia Tan
VS Note: Reviewer states this is a short story? Amazon says 96 pages… Listed in scifi romance, involves shibari (erotic bondage)…
Jiro’s lineage once proudly served the nobility as samurai: protectors of royalty with a legacy of sword and rope. But though rich in tradition, in the modern age the family is penniless. And after cataclysmic events, Jiro has lost everything, including everyone he ever cared about and maybe even his mind. He is kept in a hospital amnesia ward, catatonic and unspeaking until a charity visit from the Crown Princess rouses him miraculously…(more on ebook seller page…)
CYBEREVOLUTION FOUR: CYBORG by Kaitlyn O’Connor
VS note: A re-release.
Reuel CO469 is tall, dark, and infinitely dangerous. His is the face that launched a million flyers. He is the first of his kind, the first cyborg to go rogue, the leader of all who’d come after him, and the only rogue nobody has ever come close to catching. From the moment Dalia first sets eyes on him, she knows she is lost. She can no more resist his dark allure than she can cease to breathe.
SHADOW ASSASSIN (GALACTIC ORDER BOOK 7) by Erin Raegan
Taken from my home. Imprisoned on an alien planet. Toyed with. Moved around like a pawn. Terrified. Angry. These are all things that sum up the last few days of my life.
Confused. Curious. Anxious. Captivated. All the things that sum up the days that follow.
I don’t know what’s going to happen from today to tomorrow. All I know for sure is that I hate him. He infuriates me. He confuses me. But I also want to know more. I’m ensnared. He has that way about him. You want to look away from him and stare all at the same time. I don’t know if he’s going to kill me or let me live. But I do know he likes to play games. And I am his brand-new shiny toy.
So when I start to play back and crave his next move, I start to worry he has a pull over me I’m not sure I know how to escape. He’s dark and violent. Dangerous. But I’ve gotten used to danger in recent months and after witnessing my entire world be torn apart and taken over, you can understand why I didn’t turn away. Why instead I found myself trapped in a game I wasn’t ready to give up. Why the big bad Shadow Assassin didn’t scare me. Why instead I found myself right where he wanted me all along. Lost in him.
AUTUMN ON MARS by SMA
Tripp doesn’t know who he is, how he got here, or why this gorgeous man with dark eyes is the only familiar thing in sight. But he does know this: It’s Autumntide on Mars and love is in the air!
VALIANT ALIEN TAILOR (TRILYN ALIEN FAIRY TALES) by Zara Zenia
Prince Lortnam’s brilliance has no compare, but his lack of social skills have left him alone to watch his brothers marry human mates since the Trilyn made their pact with the people of Earth. Lortnam fears his “boring” interests make him a less than ideal candidate for a match, and with his distrust of the genetic scanners designed to assist them, he’s certain he’ll remain single despite his efforts otherwise.
When he accidentally stops a terrorist attack and gets painted a hero, Lortnam is thrust into a spotlight he never wanted, bringing forth an old enemy still intent on destroying the Trilyn kings.
Ambitious and brilliant private investigator Kelly Grant knows her new client seeks information on Lortnam that will prove he orchestrated the terrorist plot as a media stunt. Her rampant mistrust of aliens gives her drive to ensure she succeeds in the assignment. But when Kelly decides to date Lortnam in a bid to learn more information, she soon discovers things are not what they appear with the intelligent alien ruler or with her client.
With shifting alliances comes great danger. When Prince Lortnam learns of Kelly’s deceit and deceit, will it spell the end of their budding love, or will they both see through to the heart of the matter and accept their fates?
SURVIVING (EARTH’S ONLY HOPE BOOK 2) by Joynell Schultz
Humans only have months left on Earth. We have left our salvation to an alien ship filled with criminals, like me. When our ship lands on the unknown planet of Noetov, who better than criminals to fight for whatever it takes to save our species. With the man I have been (literally) dreaming about for over a year at my side, I know I can accomplish anything. But the man I love is also the inhabitants of Noetov’s life-long enemy. When he’s captured, I know I’ll do anything to save him…even if it sacrifices the salvation of Earth.
METAL PIRATE (WARRIORS OF GALATEA BOOK 3) by Lauren Esker
Claudia was just looking for some fun, a one-night stand with a hot stranger to celebrate her birthday and knock an item off her to-do list. (Item: lose virginity.) Except now she seems to have acquired a bad case of sexually transmitted teleportation, and there are alien bounty hunters after her. As soon as she figures out how to control her new what-the-actual-hell superpower, she’s going to find Mr. Hottie and give him an enormous piece of her mind … and maybe some of the rest of her. If he apologizes enough. (It was a really good night.)
Space pirate Skara has spent his life trying not to get attached, but one night with a beautiful Earth girl changes his world forever. Not the least reason being that she now has his ability to teleport, she’s in danger because of him, and he has to get back the alien teleportation symbiont that she somehow stole from him because he’ll die without it. Falling in love wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan.
MERCY’S END: A DARK SCIFI ROMANCE by Athena Storm
The world hates him. But my soul craves him. He’s a beast. A killer. With the blood of thousands on his hands. He has no mercy. No repentance for what he did. But it isn’t his cruelty that astounds me. It’s the sin he awakens inside of me. I have no control around him. His will is too strong. His hold over me too deep. I know I should run. I know I should hide. Anyone else would. But instead I’ll fight next to him. I’ll defend him to my dying breath. I may not make it out alive. But at least I’ll die by his side. And even if we do make it out alive. I’ll gladly forsake the life I knew. For another damning dose of his touch.
WICKED TELEPATHS (DEVORAN TELEPATHS ACADEMY BOOK 1) by Enid Titan
3 6’7″-tall athletic blue aliens all singularly obsessed with the ‘new girl’ from Earth…
She’s the first human to ever attend the Vortha Academy on Devor. After first contact, Earth’s climate crisis reaches its climax. With a planet in crisis, human girl Poppy Darden remains Earth’s only hope. She takes her chance on a distant ice planet, hoping to unlock secrets to save her homeworld.
Three brawny, muscular, blue-alien males notice her… They must have her. What could possibly go wrong when 3 lusty, tall, strapping alien telepaths read her mind? Poppy can’t get distracted from her mission… no matter how tempting their offer.
SPLINTEGRATE by Deborah Teramis Christian
VS Note: Not a romance but a release of note this week….
One of the many charms of planet Lyndir is the Between-World, home to the licensed entertainers of the Sa’adani Empire. There, at a palatial house of domination called Tryst, professional dominatrix Kes has become a celebrity attraction whose fame and exclusivity draws a rarified clientele.
Her most devoted client is Janus, a major crime boss on Lyndir and elsewhere. But when a high-powered imperial authority decides she wants Janus out of the way, she identifies Kes as his greatest vulnerability. The seductive domina would never betray a client’s trust, but a mortal threat to her Between-World sisters forces her cooperation with Janus’s enemy.
Altered against her will, she is turned into a brutal weapon by Splintegrate cloning technology. It will take help from some unlikely avenues and an enormous triumph of will for Kes to survive the government’s machinations. . . and pursue the independence she’s craved her entire life.
RISING: BOOK 1 AFTER THE THAW by Heidi Catherine and Tamar Sloan
Humans now live in a super greenhouse. Seas have risen. Oceans have acidified. And the fight for resources is deadly. To ensure nothing of this magnitude ever happens again, only those with enough intelligence and heart will earn the right to bear children and heal the earth. Nine teens must face the tests of the Proving to decide who will be Bound to this new order. Four of them will challenge the system in ways even they can’t imagine. Nova. The gentle soul who has everything to lose. Kian. The champion of this new world who’s determined to succeed. Dex. The one who’ll learn nothing is as it seems. Wren. The rebel who wants nothing to do with any of it. As the fight to breed becomes a fight to survive, rules are broken, and hearts are captured. This Proving won’t just decide the future of this new order, it will decide the future of humankind.
ALIEN HANDS by Storm Caywood
VS Note: OK, this is from MAY but I missed it then and just read a really good review of it this week.
Edil Raif is a relief-effort doctor on a space station orbiting a war-torn planet. Disconnected from life on Earth, he’s looking for sex, adventure, relief from boredom–anything but love. Esihle Queran is an alien refugee on the station who never tells the whole truth. He’s given up on ever returning to his planet, and knows that love is for other, better men. But then, the two meet… Adil and Esihle’s relationship is one of intensity and lust. Can they find their way home together?
HUMANS MUST KNEEL (POSSESSIVE ALIENS) by Loki Renard
Humans must kneel. That is the law. But one girl thinks the rules don’t apply to her.
She thinks she is special. She thinks she is different. She’s right. My mission is to restore order to my captive human colony. It starts with bringing this girl to her knees.
BOUND TO MIDNIGHT: AN IMMORTAL OPS WORLD NOVEL (CRIMSON OPS BOOK 3) by Mandy M Roth
Operative: Philandros “Landros” Mires – Immortal vampire operative Philandros “Landros” Mires has spent years withholding the truth from all around him. He’s no stranger to lies and told himself over and over again that the ends justified the means. As an enemy from his past resurfaces, bringing with them a new threat, Landros knows everything he sacrificed to protect is in danger. He finds himself in a fight with evil and struggling to earn forgiveness, even if it means learning to forgive himself.
DARK SPY CONSCRIPTED (THE CHILDREN OF THE GODS BOOK 35) by I T Lucas
Jin possesses a unique paranormal ability. Just by touching someone, she can insert a mental hook into their psyche and tie a string of her consciousness to it, creating a tether. That doesn’t make her a spy, though, not unless her talent is discovered by those seeking to exploit it.
BLOOD AND BLADE (GODDESS WITH A BLADE BOOK 6) by Lauren Dane
It’s been only days since Rowan and her friends eliminated the immediate threat to magic users and Vampires, but they’re already back on the hunt. Rowan’s out for vengeance, and she’s never been more driven—or angry. But she’s up against a being stronger than any she’s ever fought. To bring it down she’ll need more than the powers the goddess Brigid gave her…This time she’ll need her friends, too.
She knows her husband will always have her back. As an ancient Vampire and Scion of North America, Clive has more clout and dominance than almost anyone. Rowan’s small but trusted inner circle insist they’ll join her in the thick of the battle, even as she argues it’s too dangerous for them. She’s also got a new dog. Familiar. Whatever. Star is a magical being put in Rowan’s path to help and protect her.
The hunt for ancient evil takes Rowan and her team to London and back to Las Vegas, bringing with them an unexpected alliance. Fortified by their rage, grief and determination, Rowan and her friends will stop at nothing when they track their enemy to the high desert in a final, deadly showdown.
ALL THE TEACHER’S BAD BOYS: BROTHER’S BEST FRIENDS PARANORMAL MC ROMANCE by N J Adel
A bad boy left me at the altar nine years ago. Today, the devil gives me a chance to have my revenge. I head to where I swore I’d never go back to make my ex’s life a living hell. But karma seems to favor bad boys in my hometown.
I should have never returned. The douche is countering my every vengeful step, and my heart is about to be broken again. This time by the hands of the Blood Demons, the members of the notorious motorcycle club and my brother’s best friends.
They claim they’re the good guys. They might be outrageously hot with bodies that make a smart teacher like me go stupid, but I won’t be fooled. They’re bad boys. FROM HELL.
As the sister of one of them, I’m off limits. That only makes living under the same roof a temptation impossible to resist. One devilicious night puts an unexpected surprise in my belly. And by unexpected, I mean inhuman. But when my horrible ex is out to get me and my baby, I can’t let him win. I have so much to lose. This time my revenge will be written in blood.
PRINCESS BALLOT (ROYALS OF ARBON ACADEMY BOOK 1) by Tate James and Jaymin Eve
You have been chosen. Those four words change Violet Spencer’s whole life, when against staggering odds, she’s selected in the “princess ballot.”
Arbon Academy is affectionately known as the school for Royals. Only the rich, powerful, or heir to a throne gain entry … except for the one scholarship student accepted every five years. It’s a worldwide lottery, and one that Violet entered without giving it any serious thought.
But the media got it wrong and Arbon Academy is much more than a simple college for future leaders. It’s a dark world of politics, intrigue, and dangerous guys who will stop at nothing to get their own way. Despite her best efforts at remaining off the radar, Violet finds herself a pawn between two of the most powerful monarchies in the world. Prince Rafe of the Switzerlands and Prince Alex of the Australasias are bitter enemies both on the soccer field and in the political arena. Monarchies rule the world now, and every waking breath is a competition for the princes.
ROSE (JEWELS CAFE BOOK 12) by Jewels Arthur
Rose has a night job at Vee, the hottest nightclub in Silver Springs. It gives her freedom, endless free drinks, and best of all… access to three oh so sexy bar owners who are not what they seem. Rose’s bosses have a dark and dangerous secret… and a big, beautiful human like rose is completely off limits. But one magical pumpkin spice latte later, Rose’s whole world is flipped upside down.
TRICKY WITCH (ACADEMY OF THE DARK ARTS BOOK 2) by Nikki Dean
Forced into the Academy of the Dark Arts against her will, all witch-in-hiding Mallory Serra wants is to keep her head down and graduate as soon as possible. Maybe she’ll get lucky and land a nice, boring desk job that doesn’t require any magic powers, since hers keep careening out of control, anyway.
But when her handsome handler, Matt, disappears with a monster into the Academy’s basement, she breaks her rules, again, and performs one more teeny, tiny spell. She’s already stuck in the Academy, so what could go wrong? Everything.
Caught between her rising attraction to both her student teacher Nico and Matt, and her rising animosity with their friends, Mallory has to decide what’s more important. Stay under the radar and get out while the getting is good, or reveal her true powers to protect them all from the demon stalking the Academy?
WHEN STARS ALIGN: A ZODIAC ANTHOLOGY by Various
What’s your sign? “When Stars Align” is a collection of stories from some of the freshest authors around. Take a chance and spin the wheel to find your match, no matter your sign, from some of the hottest, astrologically, mind-blowing stories straight from the zodiac.
THE MISSING WOLF (THE FAMILIAR EMPIRE BOOK 1) by G Bailey
I’m Anastasia Noble, and shortly after moving to college, my life changed forever.
I became a familiar, bonded to a wolf for life and arrested simply for existing.
I woke up in the famous Familiar Empire community where I have to learn to bond with my wolf, or I can never leave.
Never again see those whom I love.
Bonding is my only option, if you could even call it an option, but add in familiars going missing every week, plus being stuck in a cabin with three mysterious, attractive, male familiars and their maddening animals…this is not going to be easy.
APOCALYPSE THE BETRAYAL (THE POWER OF TWELVE BOOK FOUR) by Miranda Martin
I’m racing towards a destiny I don’t know if I’m meant to survive. The Shadow has won. My protectors, my loves, and I are losing. In a last ditch effort, we flee towards a confrontation with the enigmatic prophet, He Who Has Risen. Hopefully we’ll find an ally and not another minion of the evil Shadow. Hopefully the last piece of the puzzle is there, the one I’ve been seeking. Hopefully adding the twelfth won’t tear apart the carefully built relationships I have with each of the eleven. But sometimes hope is lost and betrayal comes from the last place you would expect.
STELLA OF AKROTIRI: AN ANCIENT GREEK TALE OF IMMORTALS by Linda Rae Sande
The first adopted daughter of Stella and Darius, Diana has been raised as if she were one of the fabled Amazon princesses. Her mornings are spent training with Darius at the agōgē, her skills as a warrior matched only by a few of the Deminon army recruits. Her afternoons are spent with Stella as she learns the art of diplomacy and the importance of service to others.
Never does Diana wonder why her parents are so devoted to one another, or why they seem to speak of the past as if they lived in it. The curious stares aimed in her direction by the agōgē’s doctor, Antony—even when she’s not in the circle of battle—has Diana on edge. Learning she has a much older adopted brother—one who seems to youthen as he ages—has her questioning her origins.
So the arrival of Augustus of Assyria seems fortuitous. Her father’s oldest friend is welcomed with open arms even as he is followed by a threat to the future of Deminon. With his intimate knowledge of her parents, perhaps he’ll have the answers Diana seeks. Or will the Roman senator’s revelation about her only complicate matters? For his attentions are far more intense than those of Antony—and far more arousing.
WOLVERINE WAFER (MATES AND MACARONS BOOK 6) by Ellis Leigh
I haven’t spent much time thinking about dating or mating or any of that sort of stuff. I’m more of a good girl, waiting for the fates to bring me my perfect match and working hard to help my family in any way possible. That’s how I ended up in Kinship Cove in the first place—my aunt needed help at her diner, so here I am. Staying in an old bed-and-breakfast, trying to avoid being yelled at by my loving—if not constantly frazzled—auntie, and avoiding winking shifters like the plague. Men? Not on my radar.
At least not until a beast of a man comes strolling through the door. Literally. He’s not what I expected—gray hair, deep, dark eyes, and a temper known throughout the town…including by local law enforcement. The fates definitely want us together, but when his past comes fighting its way into our present, the fates may not be enough. Love behind bars is a thing, right?
DRAGAN (THE SACRED OATH SERIES BOOK 2) by Plum Pascal and H P Mallory
VS Note: From early December
I thought I was a pure-bred angel, but I soon find out I’m so much more…When huge, black, rubbery wings shoot out of my back, I learn I’m part Succubus, part demon.
Even with this epiphany, I’m still no closer to understanding who I am, where I came from, or why I’m missing my memories.
Worst of all, the one person I trusted above all others, Dragan, the King of Shadow, turned on me. You’d think the fact that we both possess shadow magic would bring us closer, but it doesn’t.
Learning I’m a crossbreed, Dragan shuns me. Where once we shared passionate embraces, now he’s coldly suspicious and distant. And the King of Nature, Cambion, treats me even worse, rebuking me with expressions of disgust and rude comments.
Strangely, Baron, the King of Death, is the only one who accepts what I am. He says it’s because we are one and the same—the shadow magic that animates him, also animates me.
Good thing I have an ally in Baron because I’m stranded in an unfriendly world I know little about. Everywhere I turn, enemies are after me, eager to return me to the King of Angels, Variant, who wants me dead. With the way things are going, I wonder if Dragan and Cambion still believe I’m the answer to defeating Variant or maybe they’re more inclined to deliver me to my fate at Variant’s hands.
IF YOU’VE GOT IT, HAUNT IT (THE PEYTON CLARK SERIES BOOK 4) by H P Mallory
Having two men in your life, vying for your attention, is hard enough, but what if one of those men is dead? Peyton Clark moved to New Orleans with two thoughts in mind–to escape a bad marriage and to fix up the huge mansion her great aunt left her. While her bad marriage becomes a thing of the past, her ownership of the house on Prytania Street is threatened. By whom? None other than a relative of Drake’s, the ghost who happens to be haunting Peyton’s house. Luke Montague is the embodiment of Drake in everything but disposition and he’s proving to be a big thorn in Peyton’s side.
To make matters worse, Peyton’s health and her very sanity is suffering by some unseen force. Visions of ghosts dance in her head, warping her understanding of what’s real and what isn’t. Furthermore, these visions prove to be a warning of a larger threat that’s impacting the city–antiques are going missing, stolen by the ghosts of children. When Peyton gets involved, she’ll face more than she bargained for–including witches, possessed dolls, a strange dog, ghostly pirates and her teenage niece.
FORGED IN THE DRAGON’S FIRE by Fay Walsh
When Kylie came back to Twin Horns, her home-town, she’d never imagine what fate would hold for her. From an ordinary girl “next-door”, she will now find herself to be the one half of an inevitable, yet deadly bond.
Lorne is a fierce man of duty, an untamed, handsome rogue and yet, a man of many secrets… He’d never expected for a woman to be his reason to change his ways. When the two of them meet, they hit it off right away. Until there is a crack on heaven’s door…
Will Lorne and Kylie be able to survive, carrying Lorne’s secret? And how are they going to prevent the deadly game of fire from turning everything to ashes?
THE BROTHERS DJINN by Cate Rowan
Long ago in the bygone Middle East, a storm forces three mercenary brothers — charming scoundrels Darius, Jasper, and Valerian — to seek shelter in the castle of the sorceress Ina. Ina’s eyes promise heaven in her bed, but the brothers soon discover she knows their deepest secrets and will use them to get what she wants most: revenge against her ancient nemesis, her goddess sister. Ina will offer each brother all he desires in this life or the next, but will the price for her magic be one simple night or an eternity of thralldom in service of her wicked plans?
ENCHANTING THE DRAGON (DRAGON FORGED BOOK 2) by Rinelle Grey
Warrian has slept for three hundred years. The whole world has changed. He might be a dragon shifter prince, but he has no idea if his clan is even still alive, although he knows his enemy is. And the only person he can rely on in this brand new world is the maddening, secretive, all round enchanting human woman, Rita. Warrian knows she’s hiding something from him, but his body doesn’t seem to care.
Rita’s determination to find out facts about dragons for her newspaper article is matched only by her attraction to the gorgeous dragon prince. But while that attraction has to be caused by dragon shifter magic, the news story is what will ensure her future. He’ll be gone the moment the ritual is complete, she’s sure of it. So why can’t she convince herself the story is more important?
DRAGON ASSASSIN FAKE BRIDE (F.I.R.E. SPECIAL OPS DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Maia Starr
John is part of the Dragon Special Ops Group. That’s all I knew when I agreed to be his fake wife. I was blinded by his chiseled abs, his hypnotic smile. And I was desperate to get away from my stalking ex. John thinks that I’m his fated mate. He wants to claim me, and I want to let him. Except that I’ve discovered his secrets. I can see the darkness behind his charming persona. He never told me that he’s the Alpha of F.I.R.E. Heck, he didn’t even tell me that I was forbidden to bear children. It’s too late now. I’ve already broken a rule. Will John save his unborn child… or is death the only consequence for our family?
CAPTIVE ALLURE (DEMONS OF POREMI BOOK 2) by Imogen Sera
Petra has only ever been worried about her sister, and being kidnapped by a smoke monster and separated from her for the better part of a month certainly hasn’t helped matters. After her harrowing escape, she ends up sick and exhausted and stumbling into the most handsome man-well, if it weren’t for the horns and fangs and creepy eyes-that she’s ever seen.
In retrospect, locking his mate underground was probably a bad idea, but Ronan wasn’t really himself at the time. He knows better now, he really does, but there’s just no good way to tell her that he was the one who imprisoned her.
A DUEL IN TIME (THIEF IN TIME BOOK 5) by Cidney Swanson
Klee has always played second fiddle to her twin sister Kahlo, but all of that changes when Klee decides to secretly travel back in time to save Alexander Hamilton’s son Philip from dying in a duel. Unfortunately Klee didn’t read the user’s manual, and soon she’s risking the lives of everyone she cares about in the 21st century for the sake of Alex and Eliza’s rakishly handsome (and frustratingly stubborn) son Philip.
A SCRUPLE OF SAFFRON: TALES OF A TRAVELER SERIES by N J Layouni
Martha and Vadim are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby. But their little bundle of joy has sailed past his ‘due by’ date and shows no sign of wanting to make an appearance. Late pregnancy isn’t any fun, and Martha’s just about reached the end of her tether. Lack of sleep gives her plenty of time to worry about the many risks associated with medieval childbirth. On top of that, Vadim’s over protectiveness has hit a new all-time high. His constant fretting and clucking is beginning to drive her slightly nuts. How long will she be able to keep hold of her temper? Impending fatherhood is nothing like Vadim imagined it would be.
When Martha bluntly refuses to go into her confinement, instead of attending to his duties as Earl of Edgeway, he’s forced to shadow his wife around the castle while she goes about the business of ‘keeping active’. The problem is, here in Erde Martha is as vulnerable as any other pregnant woman. All of her other-worldly wisdom will not save her from what lies ahead…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
THE DICHOTOMY OF ANGELS by N R Walker
Nathaniel and Chasan are no ordinary angels.
Destiny chose them to be twin flames, fated mates. But Nathaniel has avoided Chasan for nearly a thousand years.
When sent to Earth on a mission to live and work together, Nathaniel comes face-to-face with his destiny. Short-tempered, petulant, and grumpy, he hates the idea of being fated to anyone and has chosen an existence of isolation rather than spending time with the calm, kind, and serene Chasan.
But now he has no choice.
One is fire, the other is air; a true dichotomy of angels. Together they will be ignited, or they will be extinguished. This assignment will seal their fate either way.
NISSE DESIRE: THE LEPRECHAUN KING’S DIAMOND by Marcelle Sixx
JEROME, the poor Irish boy who grew up in the Lycan King’s home and served as his valet, would become king himself. King of the Leprechauns. With a successful chain of restaurants underneath his belt and an amazing social media presence, one would think that his life was complete. Not exactly. Luck had always been on his side whether he was in rags or after he gained riches. But there’s one thing he just can’t have. Diamond.
The bright and bubbly sister to the Dutchess of Lycan breeds, Diamond was always a hard worker and a constant beam of positivity. Being able to work closely with Jerome and hold the title as his best friend, somehow she misses the special privileges, the longing gazes, and the mouthwatering redhead before her. It’s only because her sights are set on a worthless loser who uses her in an attempt to disguise it as real love. Underneath her will to force a relationship are her thigh-trembling fantasies about the lean, handsome and wealthy man known as Jerome.
Jerome hopes for a window of opportunity to show Diamond that she is worth more than he’s ever accomplished, but he’d need more than the luck of the Irish to undo Diamond’s blinders and lock from her constantly broken heart. He must show her that she belongs to him and only him.
SIN AND SPIRIT (DEMIGODS OF SAN FRANCISCO BOOK 4) by K F Breene
Kieran has stepped up to take his place as the ruler of magical San Francisco. As his girlfriend I’m in the spotlight, and the Hades Demigods have taken notice. They want me on their team, and they don’t plan on asking nicely. Kieran and I are both under fire. They will kill him to get to me, and they’ll take me by force if necessary. It is essential I learn more of my magic. With no other options, I do what scares me the most – I summon the last Spirit Walker to help train me. Except, he’s a loose cannon with looser morals, and learning spirit is treacherous. I might evade the Demigods only to be lost in spirit forever.
THE TIMELESS CURSE OF LORD DABNEY by Emilia Hartley
When Ellie Fitzgerald looks at herself in a mirror in Hargrove House, the estate her grandmother has left her, she’s looking at a version of herself from England’s Regency period. That version of herself invades her dreams, too, laughing confidently with friends instead of retiring shyly into libraries, and cavorting with a gorgeous but common young man named Matthew. The dream is so real, Ellie can still feel Matthew’s hands on her when she wakes.
She can’t shake the dream, especially when she finds a Matthew who looks exactly like the man in her dreams working at the local museum. She feels an instant connection, one he apparently shares, and together they discover a history of Ellies and Matthews loving each other all through their family’s histories.
They also find a more sinister figure recurring through the ages—Lord Dabney, a good-enough-looking man (though he’s no Matthew), who hounds the two lovers into early graves time and time again. When a Lord James Dabney shows up at Hargrove House, determined to date Ellie, it feels like history could be repeating itself. Ellie refuses to let herself become the victim of an old curse, though. This time, she and Matthew mean to write the ending to their own story—if they can.
SACRIFICE (HER SOUL KEEPERS BOOK 1) by Sadie Moss
My people are dying. Our god has abandoned us, leaving us starving and weak. In a desperate attempt to save those I love, I offer up the ultimate sacrifice to our capricious deity. Myself. He accepts my offering, and I forfeit my life. But when I arrive in the afterworld, a rival god who despises mine binds my soul to three beautiful, terrifying men—powerful beings he calls his messengers. Callum, Echo, and Paris. I’m little more than an annoyance to them, a lost soul their master has foisted upon them.
Still, the bond between us draws me toward them constantly, like a lodestone finding true north, and the more time I spend with these enigmatic men, the more confused my feelings become. I hate them. I want them. I fear them. I need them. But no matter what happens, I won’t let myself love them.
MAGIC IN LIGHT (SUPERNATURAL COMMUNITY BOOK 1) by Krista Street
People on the brink of death come to me for life. I touch them, and my magic burns away their sickness. My gift is exhausting and painful, even dangerous. Which means I never intentionally touch anyone, and no one touches me. So dating? Definitely not happening.
All of that changes when a cyber stalker threatens to burn me at the stake. I reluctantly hire a bodyguard, a six-foot-three mountain of temptation named Logan Smith, literally at my fingertips at all times. Every fiber of my twenty-one-year-old virgin body vibrates for him, but when I accidentally touch him, my gift doesn’t activate. Nothing happens except a zing of desire. This is bad.
My mother told me about potential mates, but I’m Logan’s employer. And come on, just look at him. Those broad shoulders and that firm backside…he’s got to have a girlfriend back home. But when the stalker crosses a line, Logan reveals a side of himself he kept hidden. He’s not who he claimed to be. And his secret not only shatters my entire world but threatens everything I once believed.
LOKI ASCENDING (VIKING WARRIOR BOOK 3) by Asa Maria Bradley
Although Scott Brisbane is human, he’s developed an inner warrior—a berserker that wants to claim Irja Vainio as his own.
Irja is an immortal Viking healer, but she hasn’t used her true powers for centuries. The last time she did, someone close to her ended up dead. So instead she relies on medicine and science to protect her tribe while denying her feelings for Scott.
But the Viking warriors are falling mysteriously ill, and without magic, Irja’s knowledge of healing isn’t enough. When the trickster god Loki offers her a cure, it comes with a steep price that could cost Irja everything. She needs Scott’s help, the man whose loyalty to the Vikings is unmatched, whose love for Irja cannot be broken—and whose inner fury has yet to be unleashed.
THE LAVENDER LADY by Faith Martin
VS Note: From early December. A re-release. Author states it has been revised.
Newly-widowed Effie James is asked by her old friend Duncan, a psychology professor, to help him with his latest book. Her task is to join the C-Fits, a paranormal investigation team, on their ghost-watching vigils and report back to Duncan.
Corwin Fielding, the attractive and erudite leader of the paranormal researchers has no objections to an ‘impartial’ observer on his team, and the others in the group are a friendly and welcoming bunch. The C-Fits are called in by Isabel Atkins. She is worried that her recently deceased mother might be haunting her old family home. Effie quickly finds herself thrown in at the deep end. THE SCENT OF LAVENDER MYSTERIOUSLY COMES AND GOES IN THE OLD LADY’S BEDROOM.
But Effie comes to suspect that the old lady might not have died of natural causes after all. And that her killer might not take very kindly to the idea of a group of strangers poking their noses in.
PREGNANT WITH THEIR BABES (MERMEN OF AEGEAUS BOOK 1) by Kelex
VS Note: MPREG
When it becomes apparent that Prince Llyr of Aegeaus cannot stop the political wedding between himself and a tyrant-to-be, he races for the one place he thinks his father won’t easily find him—the surface. After ingesting a spell to give him human legs for seven days, he quickly has to figure out a way to make those seven transform into an eternity.
After nearly drowning in his new human form, he’s saved by a handsome captain and the darkly dangerous commander of a passing ship. The two close friends have sailed the high seas for over twenty years and had many adventures together. The escapade they enjoy most is sharing a third in their bed.
Unable to deny his curiosity—Llyr has to find out how it feels to have sex without a tail—he sets off to seduce the gorgeous pair. But when it becomes apparent his mere presence pushes the lovers apart, he can’t risk destroying the love they have for one another just to appease his own needs. Yet he can’t walk away from the men he’s mystically drawn to, either. Once Llyr’s father finally discovers his whereabouts and exposes the deadly consequences of his dalliances—will he choose to face the danger or run back home under the sea?
THREE’S A CROWD by Tierra Cox
Lia Babineaux hails from a long line of famed Babineaux witches known for their immense power and ability to wield various types of magick. Having lost both her mother and aunt at a young age, she is raised under a heavy thumb by her grandmother, Cecilia, who doesn’t want to lose Lia to the same fate that cost Lia’s mother her life.
However, like the witches that came before her, Lia has a curiosity about magick that is insatiable and which, in her opinion, her grandmother is taking too long to help her develop. That curiosity leads her to the Babineaux family grimoire, a spell book her abilities are nowhere near advanced enough to handle. Her amateur skills result in the rise of a demon, Seokjin, who bonds to her as her familiar; essentially the other half to her whole.
Seokjin and Lia become close as the years pass, facing every threat head on as a team and then, eventually, as lovers. Along the way, their team grows to include more witches, a gargoyle, a Fae, and even a vampire. With a legacy of power behind her, Lia unravels the path to a mystery that could help her uncover the truth behind her mother and aunt’s deaths, and despite a secret Seokjin is forced to hide from the woman he loves.
FATED BONDS (ANGEL’S FATE BOOK 1) by Tessa Cole
Saving him was her first mistake…Be a good angel, Amiah. Be patient, Amiah. Someone’s out there who’ll awaken and complete your soul bond. It’ll be beautiful. It’ll be… The worst possible thing that could happen. Because a soul bond is no fairy tale, it’s a prison. Torture, should I wind up bonded to a complete stranger. Or worse, driven insane over a lost soul mate. It’s a ticking time bomb and I’ll do anything to get rid of it.
But before I can figure out how or if that’s even possible, Titus, the last dragon shifter, falls out of the sky and my healing magic accidentally leashes us together. If we’re separated, we both die. Now we — along with Cassius, my best friend and a top JP agent, and Sebastian, a fae sorcerer who just won’t stop hitting on me even though I know he doesn’t really mean it — are being hunted by men who want to possess Titus’s unique dragon power. And if they can’t have him, they won’t hesitate to kill him… and take me down with him.
MERRY ELFIN CHRISTMAS by Various
A collection of nice, and possibly a bit more than a little naughty, holiday inspired rom-com tales from nine Reverse Harem authors.
THE WOLVEN MARK (HIDDEN LEGENDS: UNIVERSITY OF SORCERY BOOK 1) by Megan Linski
Emma – I never believed magic was real– until I used it to kill a werewolf. Not long after, a letter arrived from a supernatural school for fae, claiming I was a sorceress. I’m forced into a world where dragons breathe fire, griffins fly, alicorns battle and wolves hunt monsters. At this academy, sorceresses are bound to alpha shifter mates, and pagan rituals are used to connect with the gods. I know my mate is somewhere within the school… along with those who want my blood. A cult of dark magic is following my every move, and I have to master my powers before they come for me…
Ethan – I never meant to kill my own father. What happened led to the loss of my leg, and my reputation as heir to the throne. I found a way to pay for my sins by playing the role of Prince Ethan during the day, and a vigilante hunting cultists by night. Keeping my secret identity hidden has been far more difficult than I imagined. But now my kingdom is at stake. A new leader will be chosen through the King’s Contest, a fatal competition where contestants battle for power and, more often than not, die in the process. Without a mate, I cannot compete for the crown. I formed an unbreakable bond with Emma upon first sight. But I have to keep my love a secret. Emma can’t know she’s my true mate; otherwise, she’ll be in more danger than ever before. But the King’s Contest is rapidly approaching, and if I don’t choose a mate soon, the fate of my country will fall into the wrong hands.
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE 84: A MEMORY OF TIME by Bella Forrest
The Unending’s time has come…
A PRINCESS OF WIND AND WAVE: A RETELLING OF THE LITTLE MERMAID (BEYOND THE FOUR KINGDOMS BOOK 6) by Melanie Cellier
Isla may be a mermaid princess, but she’s never felt at home in her undersea kingdom. Instead she dreams of the day her people can return to the surface—and the boy whose life she once saved. But while Isla foresees danger for her people beneath the ocean, she has no concept of the dark forces working to keep her people submerged.
When an impetuous vow sets her on the course of the truth, Isla discovers that shadowy foes beset the kingdoms of both land and sea. And when she finally finds herself onshore, Isla realizes the fight will require not only her sword but her mind and heart as well—at least if she ever hopes to overcome her enemies and win the love of the prince of her dreams.
SERAPHIM ACADEMY 1: WICKED WINGS by Elizabeth Briggs
They think I’m half angel and half human. They think I have no magic. They think because I grew up in the human world I’m clueless about what to expect at Seraphim Academy. They’re wrong. I’m not half human, I’m half demon — and this little succubus has come to play. My brother vanished from Seraphim Academy without a trace, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find him, including infiltrating the school myself.
Even if it means going up against my brother’s best friends, who know something about his disappearance and aren’t talking. They may be angel royalty, but if they think they can intimidate me into leaving the school, they’re wrong. There’s also the problem of the delicious professor who knows my secret. He’s hiding something too, and I’m going to find out what it is. But I’ll have to be careful, because if anyone finds out I’m part demon? I won’t just get kicked out of Seraphim Academy — I’ll be dead.
THE EXILED (DOMINION OF ASH BOOK 2) by Frost Kay
She got caught. Again. After a disastrous second escape attempt, Hazel finds herself blood indebted to her savior – Noah – but he’s no saint. Desperate to repay her debt, she begrudgingly offers her skills as payment if she’s allowed to visit home one last time. Despite her best friend’s warnings, Hazel’s wish is granted and it’s nothing like she imagined. The Tainted were right. Ignorance means death and blood ties are worthless.
Be careful what you wish for.
VIPEROUS (THE MARKED MAGE CHRONICLES BOOK 3) by Victoria Evers
When I’m through with Heaven, even the Devil will admire my work. They did their best to destroy everything I hold dear, but Heaven made one fatal flaw — they didn’t kill me when they had the chance. You don’t attack the ones I love and get away with it. I never asked for this. I never wanted to become what I am. But the path to Hell isn’t paved with good intentions. It’s paved by the retribution of the worst kind of monsters. The ones we create. And Heaven is about to face the deadliest of their makings.
EMPRESS OF XTAE (TALES OF INTHYA BOOK 4) by Effie Calvin
Crown Princess Ioanna of Xytae has kept her truthsayer blessing a secret for twenty years. In any other nation, her powerful magic would be cause for celebration. But Xytae’s patron is the war goddess Reygmadra, and the future empress is expected to be a brutal warrior. Reserved and peaceful by nature, Ioanna knows the court sees her as a disappointment. She does her best to assuage their worries every day, working quietly beside her mother to keep the empire running while her father is away at war. But when news of the emperor’s untimely death reaches the capital, Ioanna finds herself ousted by her younger sister Netheia, who has the war magic Ioanna lacks.
Princess Vitaliya of Vesolda has come to Xytae to avoid her father’s upcoming wedding, which she sees as an affront to her mother’s memory. Vitaliya has absolutely no interest in politics or power struggles and intends to spend her time attending parties and embarrassing her family. But when she saves Ioanna’s life during Netheia’s coup, the two are forced to flee the capital together…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
PROTECTIVE DADDY (TIMBERWOOD COVE BOOK 7) by Liam Kingsley
He can’t see past his own scars …After he was left for dead in a wildfire, Ian can’t help his monstrous appearance. No one could love him with his beastly features, not even his own family. Add in the fact that he’s an omega raising a daughter on his own and he’s destined to remain single for good. But when Steve looks at him, there’s a different kind of heat in his eyes, one Ian wants to reach for, if he can guarantee he won’t get burned again.
He’s not strong enough for a mate of his own ...Detective Steve Daniels may be an alpha, but he’s not nearly as strong as the other members of his pack. He’ll never be alpha enough to claim a mate of his own. But Ian’s scent drives him crazy, and spending time holed up with the man and his daughter makes Steve wonder if he might be just the mate Ian needs to heal and grow. The wolves can’t make it work as long as Ian stubbornly refuses to perceive his own worth. Steve sees the man, not the scars, and he’ll do anything to prove that his mate is worthy of love. He’ll have to find inner strength of his own to claim his omega and protect their growing family, and this time Steve will be worthy enough to love everything he holds dear.
WILDFIRE PEGASUS (FIRE & RESCUE SHIFTERS: WILDFIRE CREW BOOK 4) by Zoe Chant
Diana never even knew his name. One impulsive, out-of-character night with a smoking hot firefighter, and now she’s a struggling single mom. She may have had to give up her dreams, but she’s determined to give her precious baby Beth everything…including a chance to know her biological father.
When a twist of fate lets Diana track the firefighter down at last, she’s braced for him to run screaming—not sweep her into his arms and hold her like he’ll never let go. Yet she can’t escape a nagging feeling that it’s all too good to be true. Is it just her anxiety disorder…or something more?
MIDNIGHT BITE (GOLDEN VAMPIRES OF TUSCANY BOOK 4) by Sharon Hamilton
He’s her husband by convenience…But their love is real. They’re of two different species in a union they’re not allowed to consummate…But somehow, they’ll find their way to a Happily Ever After…Is being together worth giving up immortality? Or their very souls?
Under the skies of California Wine Country comes this vampiric tale of a three-hundred-year-old love story like Romeo and Juliet, as two star-crossed lovers break all the rules, while the Dark and Golden Vampire wars loom. Under the burden of a centuries-old prophecy in the newly discovered Book of Spawn, either a miracle or a tragedy will be born.
For Lionel must sacrifice himself to protect her to the bitter end and Phoebe will have her Romeo, no matter the cost.
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VS Note: This week I’m spot lighting my first ever published scifi romance WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM (“Titanic in space…”), released in 2012:
Jayne at Dear Author said, in part:
“…I was 4 chapters into this story when it dawned on me that I was lost in it and totally concentrating on this created world….The details of the doomed Titanic’s fate are cleverly re imagined in a space voyage…the tension builds, then recedes just a little, then increases, then is countered just a bit, then smacks the reader around some more before smacking the characters even worse. And then when I think this must be it, they’re safe, right? they aren’t. Safe that is….”
The Story:
Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.
All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory. Aided by Mara, Nick must find a way off the doomed ship for himself and several other innocent people before deadly enemy forces reach them or the ship’s malfunctioning engines finish ticking down to self destruction.
But can Nick conquer the demons from his past that tell him he’ll fail these innocent people just as he failed to save his Special Forces team? Will he outpace his own doubts to win this vital race against time?
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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.