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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TANE (HELL SQUAD BOOK 20) by Anna Hackett
VS Note: I have loved this series so hard…this is the last book in the series so it’s a bit bittersweet to me as a reader but I will also read it immediately LOL! I might have to go re-read the entire series…
As the battle against the invading aliens reaches its endgame, a group of bad boy bikers and mercenaries will stand and fight for humanity’s survival… Tane Rahia is good at one thing—fighting. Before the alien invasion, he fought as a mercenary in the worst jungle hellholes. Now, he’s the leader of Squad Three—aka the berserkers—and he’s fighting to protect his brothers, his friends, and the last of humanity’s survivors. It doesn’t matter if he dies, he knows he belongs in the shadows, doing the dirty work and taking dangerous risks so others don’t have to. There is no warm woman, no love, and no redemption for him, and especially no small, sweet alien woman who he struggles to ignore.
Abducted from her homeworld by the Gizzida, Selena endured captivity and torture. Then she found herself on a distant planet called Earth and rescued by tough, heroic humans. She’s recovered, made a new family for herself, and come into a power that she never knew she possessed. She’s determined to experience everything life on vibrant Earth has to offer and to protect her new home. And she discovers that one battle-hardened, intense man is the only one who ignites a passionate desire that leaves her breathless.
The humans have fought hard, but now the Gizzida have created three deadly, humanity-ending bombs. Tane’s not happy that Selena’s help is vital in the fight against the aliens, and nor is he ready to face her stubborn confidence nor the white-hot desire flaring between them. But as they enter their final make or break fight, Tane and Selena know they need to.
SEIZED BY THE ALIEN PIRATE (MATES OF THE KILGARI BOOK 6) by Celia Kyle and Athena Storm
Kintar has had a hard past. I can see it in his eyes. They speak of unbelievable loss and sadness. The life of a soldier.
But his chiseled, muscled, alien body is more than a collection of his past. He towers over me and pushes reality from my view–until there is only him. His deep voice whispering in my ear, soothes me. His eyes roaming my body, lure out my wild side. His strong arms wrapped around me, protect me from the madness of the galaxy. But it’s his heart that gives me hope. His soul that brings me peace. Kintar will fight for me. He’ll die for me. Nothing will stop him from giving his last breath for me. Nothing will stop him from forever freeing me from my enemies.
Because he is my mate he will do these things. Because he is my love. My heart. My forever.
THE KINDRED WARRIOR’S CAPTIVE BRIDE: A KINDRED TALES PLUS LENGTH NOVEL by Evangeline Anderson
Needrix is a Kindred warrior with a tragic past. After losing his pregnant mate during childbirth, he has sworn never to even look at another female again. So he tells himself to ignore the auction going on where a lovely young woman is being sold. But when Need’s disgusting crewmate, a three-headed Trollox called Drung, starts bidding on her, he knows he can’t abandon her to such a cruel fate. Need buys the hapless girl, swearing he won’t fall in love with her and planning to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Lan’ara is a graduate of the elite Twyleth Tigg Academy–a finishing school where beautiful young ladies of good breeding are trained to be the wives and concubines of the richest and most influential men in the galaxy. But on graduation night, the school was raided by a band of pirates who stole her away and auctioned her off. Now she finds herself the property of a surly Kindred warrior who has vowed never to touch or love her. He even promises to bring her back to the man who bought her contract in the first place. So her life should be back on track, right?
Wrong. Neither Lan’ara or Need knows that she has been injected with the Lust Bacterium, a compound which causes her to need his touch. As her touch cravings grow stronger, Lan’ara finds herself turning to the big Kindred more and more. And Need finds it harder and harder to resist falling for the beautiful female he has rescued. But Drung the Trollox still wants her for his own and has sworn to take her away from Need, no matter what the cost.
Will Need and Lan’ara find true love? Or will they be torn apart by evil? You’ll have to read…The Kindred Warrior’s Captive Bride to find out.Author’s Note: There is a scene in the first chapter of this book which may upset anyone who has been the victim of past sexual abuse. Please read responsibly!
ALIEN CONQUEST (ZERCONIAN WARRIORS BOOK 17) by Sadie Carter
Georgie jumped on a transporter to Zerconia, looking for a new, safer life. And if she happened to find a great hunk of spunk to worship the ground she walks on, spend his days feeding her grapes and granting her every wish. . .then, you know, she wasn’t going to say no, right? Only, someone up there had it in for her. Because rather than giving her a worshipful, grant-her-every-wish mate, she was given the growly, uncommunicative, bossy kind. Where did she go wrong? Her mate is damaged. He’s stubborn. He’s possessive. He might just be the death of her. Hopefully not literally.
PLANETARY ANTHOLOGY SERIES: VENUS (TUSCANY BAY’S ANTHOLOGY SERIES BOOK 5) by Various
Oh Venus. Doesn’t that just roll off the lips like a lovers kiss? What image does it draw to your mind? A great planetary body of deadly gases neighboring Earth, existing as its own world, mysterious and alluring? Or an image of a more fantastical nature such as the jungles described by Edgar Rice Burroughs? Or do you think perhaps, of a goddess who holds power and beauty beyond measure, whose name, throughout the ages, has been synonymous with love? Perhaps you imagine something in-between, with adventure and romance. Love, of any kind, has the power to bring the magic of Gods into the events of men. Within these covers you will find tales of wonder, some of space, some of the heart, some that follow in the footsteps of the goddess herself. Read and be enchanted! These are the stories of Venus: Tales of the planet, of the goddess, and of love.
COLLATERAL DAMAGE (GAMER GIRLS BOOK 5) by Kitty Cox and Auryn Hadley
VS Note: Not scifi romance but I know many SFR readers are gamers…and Auryn writes great SFR too. Cover a little too racy for my PG13+ blog.
Special Agent Jason Raige is a complete failure as an FBI agent, but it wasn’t like they gave him a choice. He could serve his country or sit in a military prison. He chose to serve. Now, they have him on a case that’s impossible to solve. Still, he won’t give up. Catching these bastards is the only way he knows to keep his own demons at bay. The doctors call it PTSD. He calls it living hell. Even worse, the only one he can talk to about it is his service dog. Until he meets her. All of this was supposed to be a boring side mission, and even speaking to her is crossing so many lines, but he doesn’t care. Fuck the rules. Finally, he’s found someone who makes him feel whole. He knows he should stay away, but this time, he can change the story. He can finally stop things before it’s too late. But doing so will break him. And there’s not a whole lot left to put back together.
ICED (APEXIAN WARRIOR BOOK 2) by Arcadia Shield
Rexx is an oddity. Held prisoner for months by a brutal enemy, he’s damaged, and he’s not sure he’ll ever heal. His job on the Apocalypse should have been easy. And it was until he got assigned a feisty human biologist to protect. He has to have her, but he isn’t even good enough to shine her boots. Being around Daisy is enough. She makes him feel alive. But he wants so much more…
Daisy Roebuck’s days are filled with crucial conservation work. She doesn’t have time to deal with her elusive, overly-protective partner. Rexx is a mystery. He’s more machine than alien. But he’s always protecting her. And he stirs something inside her…When Daisy discovers she’s been implanted with alien tech, she freaks out. Her team sees her as a threat, and she’s imprisoned. When all hope is lost, Rexx saves her. On the run, desperate, and isolated, they only have each other. Defenses crumble, and desire takes over. But the threats are closing in. If they can’t figure out how to remove the tech, Daisy will be lost forever, and Rexx will be destroyed.
ARZZ (BOOK 4 IN THE MASTERED BY THE ZINN SERIES) by Alana Khan
Arzz – My government betrayed me, stealing the one thing I wanted–a chance to take an Earth female for fourteen days to court her and make her mine. I take matters into my own hands with every intention of sending her home and accepting my punishment at the end of two weeks. I never dreamed my little Earther would be so much more than I bargained for. Spirit Freedom – There’s a reason I chose this ridiculous name–it was my pledge to myself that no one would ever control me again. At least that’s what I thought before huge, purple, gorgeous Arzz from Zinn stole me from my home, took control, and piloted me on a magical tour of the galaxy. Nothing is as it seems from the first moment we meet, and the more I know him the less I want to return to Earth. But he’s in trouble with his government, and my happiness is their bargaining chip.
HAVIK: WARLORD BRIDES (WARRIORS OF SANGRIN BOOK 9) by Nancey Cummings and Starr Huntress
Betrayed and sold at auction, Thalia is a long way from home. When she’s given the opportunity to bring those who abducted her to justice, she’s all in. One problem. Her alien partner hates humans, and he really hates her.
Too bad for him that she loves to tease the monstrous cross between a devil and an orc. He’s big, dangerous, and hits all her buttons. No problem. She can keep it professional. Right? A disgraced warrior. Havik’s arrogance lost him a mate. Determined to regain his honor and complete this mission, he will not allow the human female to distract him. He can’t trust a liar and a thief. And he definitely shouldn’t be kissing one.
VICTORIA’S EMBRACE (TAKEN SERIES BOOK 4) by Stacy Jones
Victoria thought her biggest concerns were finding a place for herself on the slave planet and being secretly in love with her irresistibly sexy alien friends—playful Thegan, scowly Thorn, and enigmatic Vi’kail. But then she stumbles upon a nefarious plot that gets the four of them sold into slavery. Complicated relationships should be the least of their worries… right? Trapped and on the run in a dangerous alien city, with explosive trackers in their arms and enemies on their tails, won’t stop Thegan, Thorn, and Vi’kail from claiming Victoria as their mate. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and make her theirs. But if they survive, will they still have a chance for their happily ever after when long buried secrets come to light?
ALIEN LORD (VOGDIAN MATES BOOK 1) by Magda Rhodes
Hilde: The captain of my bounty hunter crew betrayed me. Now I’m a prisoner on an alien warship. Our captors make us play games to the death. Another prisoner, a huge Vogdian male, wants me for his mate. He says we can escape together, but I must do exactly as he orders.
Jerax: The savage aliens brought another batch of prisoners. One of them is a human female. They want me to toy with her, but she is fertile and fearless. The perfect bride. I will fight for her when the games begin. She is mine, and mine alone. This is the day I end my exile.
THE ALIEN OUTLAW (VOGDIAN MATES BOOK 2) by Magda Rhodes
It’s my first day on the job, and the FBI wants me to seduce a Vogdian. Sasha: The FBI says the Vogdian carries a deadly virus. They recruited me to seduce him, tranquilize him, and turn him in. All of America is at risk. But the bond between human female and Vogdian male is an irresistible mix of love and lust. I must put aside my feelings and do my duty… unless the FBI is lying.
Kaz: My people are dying. A true Vogdian has not been born in 100 years. I suspect the councillors on my home world, Ellia, are behind it all. My rebellion will overthrow them, but first I must find a bride on Earth. Once we mate, she will not be able to resist. She will be mine.
FREED BY THE CYBORG (CYBORG PROTECTORS BOOK 6) by Alyse Anders
A protective cyborg must trust his mate to free his heart. Ingo is the ice-cold head of security at The Prison. Feared by all, he rarely speaks as he patrols the corridors keeping both prisoners and the guards in line. When he’s told that he has a mate who’s traveled across the galaxy to be with him, he knows she will be nothing but trouble.
Darby didn’t have much time to think about her reasons for leaving Earth – not with the police hot on her trail. But waking up on a new planet and being told that the cyborg unconscious on the floor beside her is her mate – oh and he’s the chief of security of a prison, well that’s not so good for her. When the prison goes into lockdown, Ingo puts his heart on the line and his trust in Darby, so they can save the lives of their friends in danger.
ALIEN BEAST (WARLORDS OF AEGIR BOOK 2) by Luna Hunter
When I signed up for the colony ship to take me to a new world, I imagined a life filled with strange beaches and even stranger cocktails. What I did not expect was to be snatched right out of my freaking bed by creepy, insectoid aliens. I wake up in a cell, but I’m not alone. Two other girls were taken as well. And, oh yeah, how could I forget, there’s a giant, tall, scarred alien warrior with horns coming out his forehead and biceps the size of small planets in here as well! This warrior is not creepy. No, he’s terrifying. And breathtakingly hot. But mostly terrifying. Despite his menacing scars, I feel like I can trust him. If we’re going to escape, we need all the help we can get — and this warrior looks more than capable. There’s only one problem. Judging by his brooding look, the alien brute has more than escape on his mind. It’s the type of look that says you are my bride and I’m going to fill you with my big blue children.
Among other big blue things. Talk about being caught between a rock and a very hard place.
STOLEN: A SCIFI ALIEN WARLORD ROMANCE by Alison Aimes
He’s a half-Martian Warlord. Savage, dominant, and dangerous—and now he’s on the hunt. For her. Deception is a way of life for desperate thief Aurora Blake. Her sole purpose is to snatch enough jewels to escape her vicious stepfather, the powerful head of the corrupt Earther Corporation. And the fierce Warlord she frames for her crimes? He’s the last complication she needs. She never expects to cross his path. Or to burn so hot after watching from the shadows as his rough commands bring exquisite pleasure to another female. But Aurora’s expectations don’t matter when the Warlord wants her for himself. He won’t stop until he’s claimed her as his obedient mate. Can she survive whatever he has in store once he discovers she’s stolen far more than his barbarian heart?
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RISING ZERO (STANDALONE TALES BOOK 4) by Viola Grace
Dylia was bonded as a private musician for the wealthy. She spent five years paying off her brother’s debts, and the day before she was to be free of the bond, her future plans went up in smoke.
Using the bad judgment to get between a psycho and his prey, Dylia was the recipient of a blaster using kekxite energy. She was sent flying, and her dress was ruined, but the stalker wasn’t done yet. Dylia walked to stop the next blast, caught it, and sent it back through the gun. It shattered and disabled the attacker, but she had a bigger problem. The kekxite had brought on her rising.
Farway was on duty when he got the call to get to a rising. Instead of the normal body count, he found a man who was wounded but still alive and a shuttle heading for a lake. The wild power signatures were pulsing inside the ship. This being was intensely strong. The hovering above the lake was odd, but he kept back. The rising was ready to blow.
The delicate woman who stood on the open hatch and seemed to be waiting for something caught him by surprise. He watched as she timed things out, and when she felt it was time, she jumped. Cascades of power pulsed out of her, harmlessly into the air. She fell for five seconds and could have powered a city with her output.
She struck the water; he retrieved her and then flew her to the training center where she would get medical help and training. As a rising, she belonged to the empire. She belonged to him.
CLAIMED BY AN ALIEN WARRIOR by Naomi Sparks
Love is a luxury I can’t afford. My work bond is finally paid off. I’m days away from freedom. Then, a brutal alien warrior boards my ship. I’ve worked so hard to belong to myself. Now, I belong to him. I’m here to collect a debt. I don’t need a mate. But when I look into the human female’s eyes, I see strength, beauty…and desperation. She may not like it, but she needs me if she’s to survive this place. And if I’m to protect her, I can’t let myself fall in love.
CROSSED (STAR BREED BOOK 9) by Elin Wyn
He was there to find his brothers. Not his mate. Quinn is hot on the trail of a missing squadron of the Star Breed. Navigating the politics of the megacorps that run this sector doesn’t leave him time for much else. Certainly no time for smart, passionate Trini. But when Trini turns out to be the key to finding a lost brother, can he keep to his mission, and keep her safe?
ZOMBIE QUEEN by Brandy Slaven and Mary Martel
The beginning…The beginning is always the best place to start when reflecting on what has been. Thinking back on it, my life had been perfect. Middle class girl in high school with a happy home life. My life had been full of nothing but promise. Life was good. Everything was great. And then my whole world went to shit. In one day. The disease came first. Then the dead. It was a fight for my life every single day from the start. But I was different from all the rest. I had heard my mother’s screams while watching my sister become one with the undead. All the while feeling like there was absolutely nothing I could do to help them. It killed me. What’s more, it changed me. I did everything I possibly could to survive on my own. And then I learned how to survive with others. By being their Queen. Their Zombie Queen. And by being the most feared woman they ever came in contact with.
CLAIMING HIS OMEGA (GALACTIC ALPHAS BOOK 3) by Juno Wells
Azaria and Daisy were both kidnapped from their Omega convent and sold at a Klinok auction. The two are separated, sold to different buyers, with Daisy landing in a good situation. Daisy’s Alpha, Ryder, helps rescue Azaria, and after Quinn Strang assists Azaria during her forced estrus at his brother’s request, they go their separate ways. She doesn’t expect to see him again, but when the gangster who originally bought her tracks her to Paladin, she has no choice but to call him for help.
Quinn recruits his brother and Ryder’s friend, Remy, to help rescue the Omega he walked away from weeks ago. He hasn’t stopped thinking about her, and once he rescues her from Aldrich Garros, he’s going to do what he should have done then—claim her despite all the reasons he didn’t the first time.
JERICHO’S CLAIM (DARMAIN COLONY LOVERS BOOK 1) by Rebecca Airies
VS Note: Author says this re-release of a 2013 title is heavily re-edoted and revised.
He’s here for her. When Jericho left the colony, Charleigh lost herself in work. Now he’s back and he wants to begin again. The desire between them burns fierce and hot, but Charleigh wants more. This time she has to be sure he won’t walk away. Jericho left Darmain to create a future with Charleigh. Now he’s back and nothing will stand between him and Charleigh. Not her stubbornness and resistance or the man stalking her. Getting Charleigh back in his arms is easy compared to regaining her trust and the love they once had. Jericho won’t accept less than everything. He’ll have her love, her trust, and her delicious body. She’s his woman and always has been.
CLAIMED BY THE ALIEN WARRIOR KEZON (THE VADA WARS BOOK 4) by Eden Ember and Zara Zenia
When Hjott warrior Kezon traveled halfway across the galaxy to Earth to pick up Terran biologist, Blaire Brock, he never expected his primal urge to hit and discover she’s his fated mate.
SEDITION (FIX-IT ADVENTURES BOOK 5) by Erik Schubach
As Tau Ceti Prime recovers from the deadly Pacification Code the Galactic Federation of Old Earth killed hundreds of thousands of people of Prime, they must build defenses that can gain some time to complete their own defensive fleet. The leaders turn to the dirtside pinger mechanic, Fixit, once again. But Vega refuses to build weapons for anyone, so Prime leadership agrees to do things her way. And a great deception begins.
LIKE A WOLF WITH A BONE by Shelly Laurenston
Quiet little Darla Lewis doesn’t know what to think when the most-feared member of the South’s rowdiest wolf pack kidnaps her. Does he want to protect her or kill her? It could be either! Everyone knows about Egbert Ray Smith and how dangerous he is. Every pack avoids him, and the U.S. military uses him as their own killing machine. And Darla is just a nice girl who likes to bake and occasionally follow the Grateful Dead around. She doesn’t have time for this sort of foolishness. And yet . . . there is something about Eggie Ray. He just doesn’t seem as bad as everyone says. In fact, the more she gets to know him, the cuddlier he seems.
Something her overprotective family is not going to be happy to hear.
IMPRISONED GODS (THE SECRET GODS PRISON BOOK 1) by G Bailey
Gods can’t escape their fate…but they can try to run. My name is Karma and I’m a goddess. But not a very good one according to, well, everyone. Between accidental mishaps on the job, the talking family goat, and a necklace full of dangerous charms…trouble was always going to find me. But I never expected to be locked away in the gods’ correction prison for accidentally killing a higher god. Which is literally the only rule gods have. Between the sexy justice god twins who want me locked away and a storm god who holds too many secrets in his dark eyes, prison isn’t all that bad. Until fate catches up with me…and there is nowhere to hide.
SHADOW CURSED (A NOBLESSE OBLIGE DUET BOOK 2) by May Sage
Ten years ago, there was a battle, a curse, and a princess. It sounds like a fairy tale. It isn’t. Still deep in her eversleep, powering the wards of the last fae sanctuary, Vlari has one adversary to fight: time. Time for the folk to gain the weapons they need to fight against the invaders. Each passing day, she’s less likely to awaken. Drusk has ceased to hope she ever will, until something changes at the very core of Tenebris.
KING OF MIDNIGHT (ROSETHORN VALLEY FAE #1) by Tasha Black
VS Note: Excited to see a new series from a favorite author! On my TBR List…
Sara Mason has been haunted by dreams of the mansion on the cliffside since her childhood. Though she feels the inherent magic of the place, she never expects an unplanned midnight visit to end with her taking part in a mysterious ball in a fairy realm on the other side of a mirror. And she certainly never guesses she’ll find her curvy body wrapped in the arms of a wickedly handsome man whose smile is both cruel and sad.
Dorian has been imprisoned as the King of Midnight for centuries. Until a lovely young woman appears suddenly at his nightly ball, leaving him torn between the need to explore the mad longing she inspires in him, and the fierce desire to protect her from the world of monsters behind the looking glass.
When the mirror is broken and the king is released into Sara’s world, she struggles to find her own magic in time to save her small Pennsylvania town from his darkness. Will Dorian be able to help Sara master her newfound power, or will he be forced to return to his role behind the mirror as the King of Midnight before he can express his love for Sara and convince her to become his queen?
ACHE (VAMPIRE BELOVED BOOK 3) by R E Butler
Two-hundred-year-old vampire Bellamin wants nothing more than to find his beloved mate, and he holds out hope that he’ll be the first vampire to ever feed from her. When he scents his mate in the club one night, he’s disappointed when he realizes she’s paid food for the members of the coven but decides he doesn’t care about her past.
Kelly Archer doesn’t consider herself impulsive, but when her sister Selma is in danger of losing her job as paid food at the vampire club and begs Kelly to take her place, she decides to do something entirely out of character. Donning her sister’s revealing clothing, Kelly ventures to the club and is almost through her shift when she meets Bellamin.
Bellamin knows she’s his beloved, but his prejudice and Kelly’s fraud threatens to tear their budding romance apart. And the moment he gets back into her good graces, an old enemy appears. Kelly’s no average human, and when the uniqueness of her family history is exposed, Bellamin must keep her safe. But can he keep her by his side forever?
THUNDER ROAD (THE WITCHES OF WHEELER PARK BOOK 2) by Christine Pope
A storm can cover her tracks…or lead the wolves straight to her door. With the help of his witch clan, Jake Wilcox is looking forward to a happy future with Addie Grant, the woman he’s falling for. There’s just one thing missing: Addie. Sometime in the night, she up and left. He can guess why — she’d sacrifice almost anything to avoid causing her newfound family any trouble. But the big question is, where did she go? Addie dutifully went along with the Wilcox clan’s plan to protect her from Randall Lenz, the government operative bent on harnessing her weather magic for not-so-noble purposes. But in the back of her mind, a voice insists that as long as she stays in Arizona, the greater the danger to Jake and the Wilcox witch clan. Heart breaking, Addie listens to her inner nomad and goes where the wind takes her — a place where no government, no witch, not even Jake can find her. But there are two factors working against her desire to remain hidden: her love for Jake…and the magic that, when danger flares like a wildfire, she has no choice but to unleash.
LEGACY: A SHIFTER OF CONSEQUENCE TALE BOOK 2) by Mazzy J March
They claim there’s magic in my hands.
Too bad I can’t figure out which guy is my mate. In moving close to the Midnight Alder pack, something happened. I’m about to become an official member of the pack now, and they say I have a gift. A gift that’s been prophesied for centuries. They need to get a grip. I’m nothing special. I’m just a girl, trying to get stronger and figure out which one of these men I want. Because if you asked me to choose, I’d probably pass out trying. I just hope the other pack with their stalker ways doesn’t get to me first.
WAKING BEL (LORDS OF DISCORD BOOK 3) by Jocelynn Drake
Beltran Varik believes in science. It holds all the answers he seeks. Except for one. How in the world did he end up falling in love with two werewolves? Of course, there was no way science could account for the beauty, warmth, and mind-blowing sexiness of Wyatt and River. The two shifters are outcasts from their own kind and must seek the protection of a vampire. Bel might take them in out of a need to keep them safe, but his feelings for them grow into something so much deeper. Unfortunately, Bel might have to choose between his wolves and his family as a fight brews with the local werewolf pack and the Variks face a darker threat from the Ministry.
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE 89: A SANCTUARY OF FOES by Bella Forrest
“Somebody was pulling all the strings in this place. That somebody had put out a hit on me days ago. That somebody had the answer to every question…” Continue the mystery.
FOREST OF FIRELIGHT (THE RIVEN KINGDOMS BOOK 1) by Shari L Tapscott
After the sudden death of her brother, Princess Amalia is charged with what feels like an impossible task—she must choose the next king. Youthful thoughts of love are pushed aside as she accepts her fate, setting upon a quest throughout the kingdom to find a man worthy of her father’s throne. Little does Amalia know, someone has already set his sights on her. Rhys is a man of secrets, and his mission is simple: befriend the princess of Renove. Coax her to trust him, convince her to follow him. Betray her when it’s time. All goes according to plan until Rhys meets the princess. Amalia is a disaster. Never has he met someone so drawn to trouble. Never has he met someone so irritatingly likable. He’s not allowed to fall for her. She could never entrust him with a crown. But, unbeknownst to them, their unlikely partnership might be the key to saving their entire world from a darkness that’s slowly creeping from the wounded earth that separates one kingdom from the next.
JANE DAVEY’S LOCKET: A HELL CRUISE ADVENTURE (WELCOME TO HELL BOOK 8) by Eve Langlais
*Lucifer has created his own version of the love boat, which means no one is safe. Not even a witch. My crazy witch of a grandma placed a spell on my locket. A love spell. I don’t think so. Which means I’ll have to find my cursed necklace and nullify the magic. But first, I apparently have to go on a cruise with Grandma. She’s booked a berth on some fancy boat with others like us. You know, the special folk—as in horns, magic, and a bit of fur. No sooner do I park my broom and find my sea-legs when the locket turns up on board—thankfully, not in the possession of the annoying shapeshifter. Oz is hot, but he’s not my type. Neither is the pirate whom the locket tries to hook me up with. Or the sea monster who gets it next and tries to drown me. Busy avoiding potential suitors, I find myself hoping the locket will end up in the one place it doesn’t belong: in the grasp of the lion who makes me purr.
TEMPTED BY FAE by Various including May Sage
VS Note: From early May
Twelve worlds. Twelve women. One fate they can’t escape. From bestselling authors of fantasy and paranormal romance comes a breathtaking set of all new stories, available for a limited time only. Whether kick ass, shy, or vulnerable, the women in Tempted by Fae get more than they bargain for when mysterious and sexy immortals cross their paths. Give in. It’s only forever.
BEWITCHED: A ZODIAC SHIFTERS PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELLA: GEMINI (WILLOWS HAVEN BOOK 2) by Beth Caudill
Guardian angel Leyna Angelheardt travels the world trying to guide children to their brighter futures. However, free will rules the human spirit, and after she loses three charges, her heart needs healing before she can continue her calling. Directed toward the magically protected town of Willows Haven, she faces her greatest challenge.
Vithar Woodward runs the small town newspaper with his twin brother. But his family harbors a dark secret: a century ago, an incubus cursed them to spend their days shapeshifted into animals. Now with only a few days until the curse culminates, Vithar knows his only hope is to find true love and nullify the curse. Yet he wonders who would ever love a man who spends half his days as a barred owl.
When Leyna and Vithar meet, it becomes clear that fate has drawn them together. As sparks dart between them, Leyna must decide if she should remain a guardian angel or embrace this new existence of loving a mortal. For after all, what is more magical than true love?
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PAINLESS (STEEL DEMONS MC BOOK 4) by Crystal Ash
Love is never painless. Especially when you love dangerous men. My heart wants the most dangerous one of all–the golden man with the beautiful smile. Gunner strikes enemies as ruthlessly as his falcon, but when it comes to us, he keeps me tortured and begging for a swift end. He crushed me once, then kissed hope back into me. His indecision will be the slow, painful death of me. I’m done waiting. I’ll make him put me out of my misery, or pull the trigger myself. If dealing with him wasn’t enough pain, I’m also getting my Steel Demons tattoo from Shadow. The scarred, quiet man has been coming around to me slowly. My new cat companion is obsessed with him. If my time with the Steel Demons has taught me anything, it’s to trust the instincts of our animal guardians. They’re intelligent. Sometimes, they even talk to us. I don’t expect my first tattoo to be painless. But can I heal my artist from the pain he keeps locked inside?
FATED MATE (FATED MOUNTAIN WOLF PACK BOOK 1) by Janice Aspen
I’ve been abandoned. Left on the side of a mountain road with a Rocky Mountain storm on the way and the only person I can turn to is a stranger—but Aaron has his own secrets.
ESSENCE OF CHAOS (THE BOOKS OF CUARI BOOK 1) by Marie Andreas
Not her world. Not her body. All her problems. When monstrous hounds chase Jenna Reilly into a ditch outside LA, she finds herself thrown into a world far stranger than Los Angeles — and trapped in a body that isn’t her own. The inhuman man who rescues her has been hunting monsters, and finding Jenna is a clue to a coming apocalypse. Forces of a lost evil from the past are coming back to reclaim their land. Over the centuries, a select group of people had been in place to stop that from ever happening. One of these was the woman whose body Jenna had been slammed into. Unfortunately, the body’s previous owner had been brutally mind-sacrificed by the followers of the dark gods, leaving Jenna with no knowledge of how she was to stop the coming slaughter of the world she was now in. The uncontrolled magical powers that are growing inside her could save this world, or seal its fate in brutality and horror. A brutality that would branch back to Earth after it destroys this world.
DARK OVERLORD’S CLAN (CHILDREN OF THE GODS SERIES BOOK 40) by I T Lucas
As Jacki and Kalugal prepare to celebrate their union, Kian takes every precaution to safeguard his people. Except, Kalugal and his men are not his only potential adversaries, and compulsion is not the only power he should fear.
TRESS (AFTER DARK SERIES BOOK 5) by Megan Slayer
She breathes air and he’s from the sea. Their love shouldn’t survive… should it? Tress fell in love with Lukas the moment she saw him sparkling in the water. A dark-haired merman with the glittering blue tail captivated her. But he belongs in the water. She can’t leave the land. When a chance encounter gives her a taste of the sexy merman, she knows she needs more. She’s also got a problem—she’s pregnant. How are a merman and a floral faerie supposed to make their love work when they can’t be together? Anything is possible with a little magic and a whole lot of faith.
MIDNIGHT FAE ACADEMY BOOK 2 by Lexi C Foss
I’m in purgatory. Hell. A Midnight Fae dungeon. All because my mates betrayed me. Shade swears he’s innocent. Zeph promises that what he did was for my own best interest. Meanwhile, Kols isn’t apologetic in the slightest, his cocky arrogance claiming fate intervened at just the right moment. I hate them all. Crave them, too. And now I have to work with them to solve a millennia-old secret, one that involves my true heritage. Except our digging has awoken an ancient power and it’s threatening to destroy the Midnight Fae realm with its vengeance. If only the Academy offered courses in mediation. I could use one of those right about now. Because as it turns out, I’m the only one with the power to stop this thing from taking over. And I have to rely on my mates to help guide me. Welcome to Midnight Fae Academy, where the classes are useless and the male fae are all jackholes. Wish me luck.
GIVE UP THE GHOST (GHOST DETECTIVE BOOK 2) by Jane Hinchey
Never in my almost thirty years did I think my new normal would be talking to ghosts, yet here we are. After inheriting a PI business, I find my clients are more incorporeal than not and are relying on me to solve their untimely deaths. Unfortunately, being a magnet for ghosts has its downside. Hello? Lack of privacy, for starters. Not to mention looking like a looney tune for holding animated conversations with myself. But the biggest problem? Their killers don’t want me on the case. Now I have a new mystery to solve. Local psychic Myra Hansen woke up dead and she’s none too happy about it. Seems she didn’t see that one coming! Together with my ghostly best friend, a talking cat, and Captain Cowboy Hot Pants—or, as he likes to be called, Detective Kade Galloway—I’m in yet another race against time. Catch a killer before the killer catches me.
WOLF TRIPLETS (TRIPLETS HAREMS BOOK 3) by J L Wilder
To save our pack, we need to imprint on an omega. Can we find the right one in time? The Stone Brothers – We are the new alphas, three triplet brothers. We need to take charge, and save our pack. It’s a hard job to protect them now that we are weak, but there is one thing that will make us stronger. We need to imprint on an omega. We need the one who’s heart we broke. And she won’t take us back. We are alphas, powerless without her.
Casey Shaw – Sometimes I wish I could be human. The duty of a female wolf is to submit to her alpha. Screw that. I’ve always wanted more. Now our pack is close to ruins, And the Stone Brothers have come back thinking they can save us.
But I won’t submit to these cocky brothers, No matter how strong their magnetism is. The pull of these alphas, is one thing I have to resist.
ETHER TOUCHED (THE BREAKING STONE TRILOGY BOOK 1) by L M Coulson
Vylaena Azrel has one goal in life: lift the Curse set upon her by the goddess Ikna, dooming her to feel others’ pain as her own. Living alone in the haunted Elderwood just outside the city of Cyair, Vylaena keeps well away from civilization–until the day a mysterious solicitor arrives at her doorstep to make her an offer that will change her life.
Unwillingly entangled in matters of state, Vylaena is brought to the Cyair Palace to play bodyguard to a newly-arrived foreign ambassador. Bound to the city and annoyed at her predicament, she endures her new position with grim acceptance. But the post proves more complicated than expected; despite her efforts to remain detached, Vylaena is forced to contend with the mass disappearances plaguing the kingdom, a war looming to the south, and a dark past that refuses to stay where she left it. As dangerous forces converge around her, Vylaena has difficult choices to make–choices that will not only determine her own future, but the fate of the entire world.
WRATH OF THE LYCAN (SNAKEHEART BOOK 2) by Damien Shadows
Turns out the Lycan didn’t want to talk……they wanted me dead, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. I’m not the kind of guy who likes to be pushed around. I know what I like, I thrive with routines, and I’m a control freak. But after the werewolves decided I was a threat and the police harassed me for a violent crime I didn’t commit, I realized my happy life was spiraling out of control and no matter what I did, it was all going to hell… literally. I’ve never been on the run from anyone before, but after speaking with the strange old priest, I started running from the devil himself.
SPOOKY TUTTI FRUTTI (ONE SCOOP OR TWO) by Margaret Carter
A midsummer sailboat race is coming to Annapolis, and Celia Rossi’s 1950s-themed ice cream parlor will have a booth at the waterfront celebration. To keep her business flourishing, she needs to impress both locals and tourists on the festive day. But how? She receives unexpected help when she hires a part-time worker who pops up out of nowhere. Suzie Conroy proves to have an almost magical gift for the craft of artisanal ice cream, yet she acts clueless about some ordinary details of everyday life. And why is she so determined to churn up the perfect batch of tutti frutti?
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LIMELIGHT (ARCANE CASEBOOK BOOK 5) by Dan Willis
When a madman starts robbing banks the really old fashioned way, by blowing holes in them with magical explosives, the police want Alex to catch him before he kills and robs again. There are two problems with that, however, first as far as Alex knows there’s no such thing as a blasting rune, and second his friend Danny Pak is up for a promotion and that’s not Danny’s case. Alex splits his time between chasing the homicidal bomber and helping Danny figure out what happened to a dead writer who was basing her book on Broadway’s most famous murder. While the bomber continues to elude Alex, he becomes convinced that the writer was killed by someone who wanted the old murder to remain unsolved. Before he can pursue either case further, however, the feds show up, wanting Alex’s take on a series of bizarre magic related deaths. Now Alex must solve the fifteen year old Broadway murder, catch a blast-happy bank robber, and figure out how average people are being killed by a mysterious, untraceable magic. All the while he has scant leads, even fewer suspects, and the inescapable feeling that he’s being played.
THE COURT OF MIRACLES by Kester Grant
In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina’s life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father’s fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger–the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh–Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice–protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.
KINGDOM OF HELL (TRANFUSION BOOK 7) by Stephanie Hudson
VS Note: Mixed reviews.
A ‘date’ he said. Just one date with a Vampire King who had been hunting me down for months…what could go wrong, right? One picnic, one witch, an ex-girlfriend out for my blood, and an army of zombie vampire rogues later, and what I had was an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ style cocktail for disaster! Because this Alice was about to have the mind trip of her life when peeking through the keyhole of Lucius’ memories. All before falling down a rabbit hole to Hell, where the bunnies were more likely to stab you with a carrot before eating your soul! But hey, it’s not like I had just been dumped in the middle of a Hellish battle with nothing but my wits to survive it, Oh no, wait…That had happened. And one other thing that was sure to happen when Lucius finally found me in Hell…He was going to kill me!
SPINDLED by Shanna Swendson
VS Note: From the end of April
She’d always read fairy tales. She didn’t expect to find herself living one . . .Once upon a time, a princess was brought to a strange land for safekeeping, until the day the curse placed on her in infancy expired and she could return to her kingdom. Lucy Jordan is not that princess.
But thanks to a case of mistaken identity, she’s kidnapped by an evil enchantress’s men and taken to a magical world, where she finds herself living out a story that seems awfully familiar. Meanwhile, Lucy’s friend Dawn suspects the “aunts” who brought her up might have something to do with Lucy’s disappearance, and she feels compelled to travel through the magical gateway she finds in the garden shed to find her friend. Now Lucy’s rewriting the storybooks as she goes on the run with a handsome young squire and plots to save Dawn’s rightful kingdom from the evil enchantress, while Dawn is drawn closer and closer to her true destiny, entirely unaware of how dangerous a spindle can be for her.
SECRETS OF MILAN: BOOK TWO OF THE NIGHT FLYER TRILOGY by Edale Lane
Some secrets were meant to stay hidden. While Florentina as the Night Flyer searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.
BURN by Patrick Ness
On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm…Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to. The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe. Because the dragon knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm with a prophecy on his mind. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit—and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.
FINAL CUTS: NEW TALES OF HOLLYWOOD HORROR AND OTHER SPECTACLES
VS Note: I don’t normally do horror but this was intriguing. Put it on my TBR List.
From the secret reels of a notoriously cursed cinematic masterpiece to the debauched livestreams of modern movie junkies who will do anything for clicks, Final Cuts brings together new and terrifying stories inspired by the many screens we can’t peel our eyes away from. Inspired by the rich golden age of the film and television industries as well as the new media present, this new anthology reveals what evils hide behind the scenes and between the frames of our favorite medium. With original stories from a diverse list of some of the best-known names in horror, Final Cuts will haunt you long after the credits roll.
NEW STORIES FROM: Josh Malerman, Chris Golden, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix, Laird Barron, Kelley Armstrong, John Langan, Richard Kadrey, Paul Cornell, Lisa Morton, AC Wise, Dale Bailey, Jeffrey Ford, Cassandra Khaw, Nathan Ballingrud, Gemma Files, Usman T. Malik, and Brian Hodge.
HOURS TO ARRIVE (CURATOR SERIES BOOK 2) by Stephanie Flynn
Thrust back in time to 1853, he’s on a mission to save a woman from a tyrant with a score to settle. Falling for her wasn’t part of the plan, neither was earning himself a spot on the hit list. Veterinarian Mathew McCall’s sister is missing, and he is determined to get the police to finally cooperate. But his sister’s roommate needs help with her graduate research project on dreams and insists she will help him at the station tomorrow. Grateful for the support, Mathew agrees, but she gives him an unusual mission as an assessment: He must prevent the capture of a rebellious spitfire, otherwise she will be murdered.
In 1853, Verity Arris angered the wrong person, and now she’s hiding from the vengeance-seeking tyrant on her family’s farm. A prisoner for a year so far, she daydreams of escaping and making her mark on the California Gold Rush. When a strange man arrives at her doorstep, the tyrant finds her, and everything she planned is turned upside down. After Mathew fails his first attempt to rescue the captivating woman, he must decide between staying in the present for his missing sister and returning to 1853, risking his life for the free spirit that stole his heart.
SECRET IN ONYX by Jessica Florence
EVERYTHING I knew died when the end of the world came. People dropped dead, and electricity vanished. Those who remained alive were never the same again. While on the run with my boyfriend Tor across the desolate continent, the worst humanity had left attacked. Torn from the one I love, I boldly raced for help at the last human safe zone. Only it’s not humans I found, but the Fae. Now I have one month to rescue my boyfriend and release a savior princess from an onyx tomb or lose them both forever. A seemingly impossible task when Rune, a cursed, pain in the ass Fae warrior is assigned to train me. He’s hellbent on freeing his beloved princess and I’m desperate to save Tor. But no matter how hard we snarl during training; we can’t stay away from each other. I thought the worst thing that could happen to me was the apocalypse. I was wrong.
FANG AND METAL (VAMPIRE DETECTIVE MIDNIGHT BOOK 4) by J C Andrijeski
Someone wants all the vampires dead. They may have found the perfect weapon. Weirdest crime scene ever? Check. Guy eaten by a sentient wall? Check. Every shady government agency in existence playing coverup? Check. But is it murder? Nick Tanaka, vampire homicide detective for the NYPD, stumbles into a political minefield when their new Midnight, a rookie vampire cop straight out of the police academy, shows up dead inside a high security vault. Morley, Nick’s boss, wants answers, but no one wants the NYPD on the case. As a favor to Morley, Nick agrees to help, going to his contacts in the military-industrial complex to try and find answers. Instead, he uncovers a conspiracy led by a murderous fanatic and his band of “blood-purity” crazies, who appear to want nothing less than all-out race war. Worse, his hybrid girlfriend, Wynter James, is now in their crosshairs, too.
BREADER OFF DEAD (HAUNTED LODGE COZY MYSTERIES BOOK 5) by Tegan Maher
Things are finally looking up for Toni. The lodge is almost finished, she has an amazing boyfriend, and the town she chose as her new home is turning out to be a dream come true. Now if people would just stop getting themselves murdered! When Gabe, the sheriff, finds his ex-wife dead in a hotel room, he shoots to the top of the suspect list. After all, there’s never a better suspect than an angry ex. It doesn’t help when her ghost shows up with no memory but a huge attitude. That leaves it up to Toni and Dee to solve the murder and put a restless ghost to rest before the new temporary sheriff in town throws the book at his boss. Not to fear, though. It’s not the first time they’ve had to solve a murder against the odds.
CURSE OF THE FAE KING (DARK FAERIE COURT BOOK 1) by Delia E Castel
When Neara’s dying father is abducted by faeries, she bargains with Drayce, a dark faerie cursed with the appearance of a beast. To win her father’s freedom, she must join Drayce on a dangerous quest to find three powerful magical artifacts. As Neara is drawn further into Dracye’s spell, she finds it impossible to resist the seductive creature beneath his monstrous exterior, but their burgeoning relationship stalls when they discover a plan to release an ancient evil and enslave the mortal world. Now, Neara must break Drayce’s curse to help him fight the evil, but the cost of doing so is her Father’s life. Torn between saving the human realm and saving her father, Neara must navigate a treacherous world of dark magic, mythical creatures, and retain her humanity, even if Drayce awakens something within her.
TROY: THE BOUNDARYLANDS OMEGAVERSE by Callie Rhodes
No woman willingly travels to the Boundarylands. It’s where they are—the Alphas. Faith has come to the Boundarylands looking for her sister—one she thought died years ago. She’ll do anything in order to bring her sister home…even take down the massive alpha who threatens to stand between Faith and the only family she has left.
But the massive devil isn’t afraid of Faith or her rifle. He wants something from her—something dark and primal. He craves to know if she shares her sister’s omega nature…and he knows his touch can bring her true essence to life.
Omegas may be rare, but every woman knows their fates are hellish—held captive, broken, mated, knotted, and bred. Faith is sure she would rather die than be one herself…but that certainty fades the moment she feels the heat of her alpha’s touch.
BROKEN LYNX (GREEN VALLEY SHIFTERS BOOK 5) by Zoe Chant
Home is where you take it…Wildlands firefighter and wanderer Jamie couldn’t wait to escape the tiny, nosy town of Green Valley and she has no intention of staying, now that she’s back. She doesn’t want roots, and she doesn’t make plans…until she meets a gorgeous guy waiting tables at the local diner and suddenly settling down doesn’t feel like settling.
Home is where you make it…Programmer and lynx shifter Devon is used to fixing broken things, and he’s moved to a sleepy country town to give his little sister a chance at happiness. But it’s his own happiness at stake when he unexpectedly meets a woman who sets his entire world…and his house…on fire. Faced with a flock of angry wild turkeys, a sassy twelve-year-old on the cusp of growing up, and all the unexpected secrets that Green Valley is hiding, can Devon convince Jamie that home is exactly where she left it?
A FAIRY SITUATION (WICKED HOLLOW FAIRIES COZY MYSTERY BOOK 1) by Misty Bane
Miles away from Blackwood Bay, in the deepest depths of the forest, is a bustling community named Wicked Hollow. It’s where I live and where a lot of other fairies live too. Yup, fairies.
Cute, right? Except most of what you think you know about fairies is wrong. We aren’t sweet little things that flutter around singing songs and throwing fairy dust around. Okay, okay … some fairies fit this stereotype— not me. It might be because of the whole curse thing, but I’ll explain that later. Right now, I’ve got a dead body on my hands.
Someone killed our mayor. And since I’m an agent for the Fairy World Bureau of Investigations, I kind of have to deal with it as part of the job description.
Add in my best friend who owns the local salon, my eccentric grandmother and her doubly eccentric twin sister, and my oldest friend—a vampire cursed to live out the rest of his existence as a bumblebee bat—and you can see my life has all of the promises of a typical cozy paranormal story … except it’s a little more complicated than that. I’m Jade Honeyblossom: half witch, half wicked, full fairy. Welcome to my world.
QUEEN OF COIN AND WHISPERS by Helen Corcoran
When Lia, an idealistic queen, falls for Xania, her new spymaster–who took the job to avenge her murdered father–they realise all isn’t fair in love and treason. Lia won’t mourn her uncle: he’s left her a bankrupt kingdom considered easy pickings by its neighbours. She’s sworn to be a better ruler, but if she wants to push through her reforms, she needs to beat the Court at its own games. For years, Xania’s been determined to uncover her father’s murderer. She finally gets a chance when Lia gives her a choice: become her new spymaster, or take a one way trip to the executioner’s axe. It’s an easy decision. When they fall for each other, their love complicates Lia’s responsibilities and Xania’s plans for vengeance. As they’re drawn together amid royal suitors and new diplomats, they uncover treason that could not only end Lia’s reign, but ruin their weakened country. They must decide not only what to sacrifice for duty, but also for each other.
CANNON FIRE (THE LEGEND OF THE GHOST TRAIN BOOK 2) by C J Baty
1862 – Maxwell Ryder refused to honor a prearranged marriage with Penelope Walker. Instead, he fell madly in love with her younger brother, Jeremiah. When Maxwell returned to his regiment, Penelope planned the murder of her brother. Hiding his body where no one would ever find it. Maxwell died during a Civil War battle never knowing what happened to his love.
Present – Luke Ryder was the last descendant of the Ryder family. It was on his watch that the family’s great home, White Oaks Manor, was sold to a rich business man named, Jacob Walker. He hated Jacob before he ever met him, but after, Jacob asked him to join in the restoration of the old manor, their time together brought them closer and love started to bloom.
Jacob Walker and his sister Trisha, own their own business, buying and restoring classic homes. Jacob fell in love with White Oaks Manor before he ever met the man who had to sell it to him. Luke Ryder was nothing like any of the men Jacob had ever known. He was charming, funny, and very passionate about his family’s heritage.
As the two work together, the attraction between them grows stronger. Then strange things begin to happen at the manor. People being injured, cold winds, and wild screams during the night. Trisha seeing a woman’s ghost that warns her to keep her brother away from Luke Ryder. Jacob has strange dreams of his own. None of them know of the impending danger that is watching over them. Penelope Walker was made a fool of once. Condemned to haunt White Oaks Manor where her brother’s body is hidden, she kept Maxwell and Jeremiah apart in life and she sure in hell isn’t going to let them be together in death. Can Luke and Jacob save themselves, and the lovers from the past before Penelope reeks her vengeance again?
IN A DRAGON’S MIND (DRAGONS OF MOUNT TERES BOOK 1) by Riley Storm
Ellyn Pearson never expected to fall for her captor. After a botched theft leaves her in debt to a mob boss, she takes on a new assignment, only for the gargantuan hunk of a guard to grab her before she’s even picked the lock. Now he’s bringing her food and saying he’s going to bust her out. A lifetime of living among habitual backstabbers tells Ellyn to expect more of the same, but her heart has other ideas.
For Vlad Teres, the human woman might just be the salvation this dragon shifter is looking for. A black mark on his past has driven him from his hometown, but he never intended to fall in with a bunch of evil shifters. Once he hears what they intend to do to Ellyn, Vlad knows he must act, and act soon. Something deep within him feels compelled to protect this beautiful human. There’s only one hitch in his plan: his best friend, another shifter who isn’t so eager to leave this new life behind.
Vlad takes Ellyn to the one place he knows they’ll be safe, and the last place he wants to go back to: Five Peaks. There he figures they’ll be safe from his enemies. Spending so much time with the thief has unintended consequences though, and before either of them realize it, they’ve become more than just captor and prisoner. But if their fated bond is to last forever, they will have to put aside their fears and work together to stop his past from destroying everything.
CROWNING DESTINY (THE FAE CHRONICLES BOOK 7) by Amelia Hutchins
War has come to Faery, and there’s no escaping the final battle. We thought we were ready for anything. We were wrong. I couldn’t change who I was, so Destiny stepped in, forcing me to become what Faery needed to face down our enemies. Can I forgive what happened and move past the lies and betrayals? Or will I destroy a world to bring the man I love to his knees, requiring us to become the monsters the world wants us to be?
SHIFTERS UPROAR (SHIFTERS HUNT) by Selina Woods
Ragnor the lion shifter is bold, ferocious, and a natural enforcer, especially in post-apocalyptic New Orleans where chaos and violence reigns. Some call him a monster, others a necessary evil, but all can agree that beneath the indifferent façade lies a heart of solid ice. No one knows the dangerous truth: That even glaciers can thaw, and Ragnor is starting to feel things he’s never experienced before. Then he meets her…Young, petite, with golden hair and honey eyes, Skyler is like sunshine piercing through a stormy afternoon. Even as he tries to fight it, the ice running through Ragnor’s veins turns hot, pulsing, and impossible to ignore. But war is brewing in their ravaged city, and a traitor lurks in their midst. If Ragnor is to survive the impending fury, he’ll need to embrace his dark destiny. Love and duty can wait. For now, it’s time to kill. As long as he can ignore the beating of his heart.
THE LOYAL WHISPERS (THE LIFE SIPHON BOOK 3) by Kathryn Sommerlot
Ravee: a pious Rad-em merchant’s daughter sailing with her family’s goods – Mairi: the Runonian king’s advisor seeing the outside world for the first time – Alesh: an alchemist’s apprentice in Joesar with a past rapidly catching up to her – Three women find themselves caught in the threads of change as the world threatens to fall apart around them. From across the Oldal Sea, the southern kingdom of Dusset has declared war, and if anyone is going to survive it, the alliance between Runon, Chayd, Rad-em, and Joesar must be solidified. But there are forces at work that could undermine all the progress King Yudai and Tatsu have made. Peace treaty negotiations between the four realms could crumble at any time beneath the building tension. As the women’s paths converge, they must navigate the true meaning of loyalty to themselves, their countries, and their families, while at the center of it all, a shattered king, hellbent on revenge, threatens the world balance.
SERAPHIM ACADEMY 3: FALLEN KINGS by Elizabeth Briggs
We rescued my brother. We fought the secret society. We tried to stop them. We lost. Now they have an object so powerful it could destroy everything, but this little succubus is coming for them. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring the secret society down, and this time I’ve got help. My angelic princes. My fallen professor. My brother. My friends. We won’t stop until they’re defeated. Even if it means going up against the Archangels themselves. They may be ancient and powerful, but we’ve got tricks of our own too. I just need to convince my four lovers to get along first. Easier said than done, especially when none of us knows who to trust, and dark secrets emerge from the past. But I’ll have to be careful, because if we fail? It’ll be the start of a new war between angels and demons—and I’ll be caught in the middle.
CAUGHT BY THE COUGAR (PARANORMAL FELINES BOOK 4) by Aliyah Burke
He lost her once before. This time he’s playing for keeps. Harrison McBrodie misses his mate. She’s unaware of what she is to him, but this time, he will make sure she knows. Problem is, their past is complicated and when the truth is revealed she may want nothing to do with him. It’s a chance he has to take. Lissa Darque, loves her pit crew job. One night at a party and everything she knew and trusted comes crashing down around her. A man from her past makes another appearance and in the process of reawakening memories she no longer wanted, he stirs something else within her. When the smoke settles, will she allow herself to be Caught by the Cougar?
HER DRAGON LOVER (BLACK CLAW DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Roxie Ray
I gathered up my nerve and asked Stefan out only to be rejected. It’s been months, but I can’t stop thinking about him. I’m doing my best to get over it, but fate keeps throwing us together. First, he protects me from a disastrous date gone wrong, then he fixes my car, and he looks at me with such heat that I’m afraid I’ll burn up from the inside…But looks mean nothing without action, and Stefan still won’t make a move. Not until a strange man comes to town asking questions about my past. I’m no one special, but Stefan’s determined to protect me. And since keeping me close involves lots of kisses, I’m not complaining. When a family secret shakes me to my core, I’m not sure if I’ll be strong enough to move forward with Stefan … especially when he’s been keeping a fire breathing secret of his own. Can I really be the mate of a dragon?
COWBOY BEAR’S FAKE MARRIAGE (BILLIONAIRE BEAR RANCHER BROTHERS BOOK 2) by Maia Starr
I own a franchise of the ranch chain, Ursa Ranches. Just like my other six cowboy bear shifter brothers do. I was happy with my billions, focused on growing my business when I learned of the clause. The clause that said I had to find my mate. God damnit. It seemed like the end of a future I’d planned for myself. But then, it struck me that a fake bride would solve this nightmare. Finding Erin on a Marriage Service Website was sheer luck. Broke, betrayed, still holding onto her innocence. She was perfect for the role. And she agreed to abide by my rules. No falling in love.
No children. A fake marriage that lasts three months. I’d pay her for the act and that would be it. Except that it wasn’t. I had to keep convincing myself that she was temporary. That her gorgeous lips didn’t belong to me. Erin is hiding a secret that would break one big rule. It would make our temporary arrangement quite permanent.
It would make us family. But am I ready to go from playing fake husband to playing the role of a dad?
SSS: YEAR FIVE (THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY BOOK 5) by Avery Song
When being different leads to the best years of your life. On graduation day, Silver Spell Solange’s world turned upside down. The answers to the many questions regarding the prestigious Supernatural Spy Academy were finally answered, but those revelations may prove too much for her to handle. After four years of preparation to become spies, Silver and her team find themselves at a crossroads. Rather than beginning their careers, Team 999 is facing four more years of training, all while wrestling with the truth about the loved ones they believed were lost forever.
Despite these shocks, the dream of becoming a spy has only grown; after all, she and her team have gone through madness to get their diplomas and medals of honor. However, with Yuriel’s desire to obtain Angel’s Glory, Dimitri’s devotion to self-discovery, Wolfgang’s journey toward a new level of magic, and Ryuu’s challenging recovery from betrayal, Silver knows this year will be rough if they don’t spend time on self-improvement.
S.S.S. Sky Division is the start of something new, and with unknown paths come unexpected encounters, thrilling missions, and sizzling romantic developments. Friendships will grow, but some relationships may fall as Uzziah enters the mix and threatens to rip the status quo to shreds.
It’s time to claim what was always written in the stars as Year Five starts off with a startling bang.
DRAGON POWER (DRAECUS CLAN BOOK 4) by Alexis Pierce
Serenity has a problem.She and the guys have barely escaped death, but now they have something else to deal with.
Amelie has called them to a summit in New York. It’s time for Serenity to be a leader, but she is far less than prepared. With Rebels and Hunters closing in, will Serenity rise to the occasion, or will she lose herself?
BROKEN MAGIC (IRON SERPENT CHRONICLES BOOK 4) by Sadie Jacks
Another plan, another failure. She’s getting pissed and about to burn down the world. When a member of her new family is the target for an assassination attempt, Kiema and her loved ones go to Earth to put an end to the hit. But murder attempts are the least of her worries when they’re imprisoned on Earth, detained by the Wardens, and almost killed by a jealous goddess. Sick and tired of being chased and threatened, Kiema takes the battle to the gods who have used her as a chess piece. The confrontation ends with a throw down and a promise: step one toe out of line, and Kiema will usher in the war she’s tried to stay out of. If they won’t listen to her words, maybe they’ll listen to her actions.
FAKE DATE MATE (THE SINGLE SHIFT BOOK 1) by Harmony Raines
It was meant to be a fake date. Instead, he found his real mate. Bear shifter Rory reluctantly agrees to be the fake date for a friend of a friend. It’s one night. One night when he can forget how lonely he is. One night where he can dance with a woman and have fun. Or at least pretend to have fun, since fun is not his thing. Not when his heart yearns for the woman of his dreams. His mate. Then he meets Danni and immediately realizes she is the real thing. Can Rory persuade Danni to give love one more chance? Danni is off men…for life. She is not going to get burned again. However, when her fake date arrives, she has to admit there is nothing fake about the way he makes her feel. Focus. Rory is only dating her as a favor. She is not going to fool herself into thinking it’s anything more. Can Rory convince Danni to take a chance on love?
THE RELUCTANT KEEPER (EMPATH FOUND BOOK 3) by Colette Rhodes
Old plan: Go to school, learn about my magic, fall in love with my guys, and maybe be normal for once in my life.
New plan: Do all of those things. After I take care of the greedy, corrupt fae who are messing up the natural order of things. The gods have entrusted me to restore the balance between light and dark, whether I want to or not. If the fae want to keep their magic, they have to show that they deserve it. But do they? It’s time for me to decide whether my people are worth fighting for.
THE RECLAMATION (SHADOWED WINGS BOOK 3) by Ivy Asher
The last place I ever wanted to be was in the middle of someone else’s war. Too bad fate doesn’t give a fuck. When I first woke up in the land of the Gryphons, I had one goal…getting back home. I was so focused on figuring out how to leave that I got myself exiled from the Hidden, captured by the Avowed, and managed to claim not one, but three mates. Although I had no idea about that last one until it was too late. Oh right, and then I almost died. I thought having my throat slit from ear to ear was going to be the worst of my problems. But my asshole mates make coming back from the brink of death look like a glide through the sky compared to dealing with them. I’m ready to accept my fate and right the wrongs of the past. I just wish I had some idea how to keep the pricks I’m bound to from fighting long enough so we can find the help we need. I’m supposed to awaken all that I am in order to finally free the Gryphons, but will I find the key to unlock all the answers in time? War is breathing down our backs, and if we can’t figure out how to come together…we’re all going to die.
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SLOW BURN: THE FIRES THAT BIND US by Various
VS Note: Not an SFR/F/PNR genre anthology but a benefit for Australia after the terrible 2019 fires…
Australia is burning, and the heroes between these pages are going to save it. Amazing authors have banded together to bring you smoking hot firefighter romances to support bush fire relief. From rural Australian settings to the world of mages and shifters, these stories will have you heating up — for more than one reason.
Proceeds from this anthology go towards the NSW Rural Fire Services to help rebuild after the devastation of our summer bushfire season here in Australia.
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VS: From my backlist…many years ago I was fascinated by a novel entitled THE FAR PAVILIONS, by M. M. Kaye. Set in colonial India, one of the plot points was an officer required to escort the royal woman he loves to her arranged marriage. There was so much emotion in that situation! I always wanted to write something like that into one of my scifi romance novels and finally did in MISSION TO MAHJUNDAR. (only I made it turn out the way I wanted it to!)
The blurb: An attempted assassination left Princess Shalira blind as a child and, now that she’s of marriageable age, her prospects are not good because of her disability. She’s resigned herself to an arranged marriage rather than face life under the thumb of her cold stepmother. But then she meets Mike Varone, a Sectors Special Forces officer sent to Mahjundar by the intergalactic government to retrieve a ship lost in her planet’s mountains. After Mike saves Shalira from another assassination attempt, she arranges for him to escort her across the planet to her future husband. She’s already falling hard for the deadly offworlder and knows she should deny herself the temptation he represents, but taking Mike along to protect her is the only way she’ll live long enough to escape her ruthless stepmother.
Mike, for his part, resists his growing attraction to the princess; he has a mission on this planet and rescuing the vulnerable but brave princess isn’t it. No matter how much he wishes it could be.
But what should have been an easy trek through Mahjundar’s peaceful lands swiftly turns into an ambush with danger around every turn. Shalira’s marriage begins to seem less like an arranged union and more like yet another planned assassination. The more they work together to survive, the harder it becomes to stop themselves from falling in love. Caught in a race against time, can they escape the hostile forces hunting them and make it off the planet?
Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes KOBO Google Play
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
“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.
Another great week. Thanks so much for compiling these! 💖
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