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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DEAL WITH THE DEVIL: A MERCENARY LIBRARIANS NOVEL by Kit Rocha
VS Note: This is on my TBR List.
Nina is an information broker with a mission—she and her team of mercenary librarians use their knowledge to save the hopeless in a crumbling America.
Knox is the bitter, battle-weary captain of the Silver Devils. His squad of supersoldiers went AWOL to avoid slaughtering innocents, and now he’s fighting to survive.
They’re on a deadly collision course, and the passion that flares between them only makes it more dangerous. They could burn down the world, destroying each other in the process…Or they could do the impossible: team up. This is the first book in a near-future science fiction series with elements of romance.
ALIEN PALADIN’S REDEMPTION (WARRIORS OF THE LATHAR BOOK 13) by Mina Carter
She knew aliens existed. She didn’t expect them to be so damn HOT! Indra has survived the worst human society can throw at her. Being rescued by aliens was the last thing she expected. Now a guest of the latharian empire, she’s looking forward to eating her bodyweight in chocolate cake and creating her very own army out of the ship’s cleaning bots. What she didn’t expect was a stuffed-shirt paladin of a second officer, or the fact she’d find his freaky level of control so fascinating and sexy. Sent on a ‘road trip’ to recover an experimental artificial intelligence unit, she’s stuck in a shuttle with her by the book, alien warrior. Determined to get under his skin, she discovers that beneath all that controlled restraint, her alien paladin is the sexiest alpha hero… Can she play the game, without losing her heart? Or will she succumb to the passion of her alien paladin?
He seeks redemption for his sins. Love and a mate are not on the cards… An atoned warrior with the scars of his shame marked in his skin, Nyek S’Vaan doesn’t expect to be anything more than a garrison officer somewhere in the outer reaches. Until a surprise assignment on the empire’s newest war cruiser brings him in contact with rare human females. They are as fascinating as they are beautiful, even if one, Indra, drives him to distraction. When she is almost killed aboard, desperate measures are called for. A top-secret mission gets the humans away from the ship but then puts them in danger from pirates. When Indra is taken, Nyek must face the shame of his past. He must face his demons and be prepared to kill to bring back the woman he loves, even if it means sacrificing himself in the process.
LEAH’S HERO (RED PLANET JUNGLE BOOK 3) by Miranda Martin
My nightmares haven’t stopped since the crash. I’m paralyzed with fear, barely able to function, and the other survivors are looking at me like I’m *that* girl. The broken one. The one who doesn’t help. The one who’s in the way. Then Urukol shows up. A seven-foot tall, muscular alien dragon-man who’s damaged just like me. He wears his scars for all the world to see. Even as imperfect as he is from past injuries, he still makes my tummy do stupid butterfly somersaults. This planet we’re stranded on is bound and determined to kill us. It forces Urukol and I alone to try and survive a monsoon, floods, a horde of monsters that want to eat us—oh and the Order that wants to use me for breeding. My survival depends on this scaled, winged, enormous warrior who makes my body burn like the double red suns of Tajss. Is he too damaged to deal with the dangers? Am I?
DEALERS’ CHOICE (THE DRIFT BOOK 10) by Susan Hayes
New game. New rules. One choice. One bad decision plunged cyborg batch-brothers Victor and Ward into a nightmare they barely survived. Now, they’re reclaiming their lives and trying to move forward, but it’s a battle they can’t win alone. Helping them let go of the past is a beautiful doctor with a soft heart and hard rules about never getting involved with her patients.
Dr. Xori Virness is everything an unmated Pheran female isn’t supposed to be – independent, determined, and light years away from her home and family. Her life was just the way she wanted it. Then, two dark and dangerous men with battle-scarred psyches flew into her orbit, laying waste to her plans and tempting her to break her own rules.
When old enemies return with a new target, the brothers will have to make a choice. Surrender to the past, or fight for their future.
EARTH’S WARRIOR (LAST BATTLE FOR EARTH BOOK 1) by Kelly St Clare
VS Note: From June.
Global warning left the world uninhabitable one hundred and fifty years ago, and humans—even those genetically enhanced like me—couldn’t survive on the surface. I long to exist outside the walls of this space station. I dream of the wind on my face and the ocean’s roar. Daydreams become cold reality when I crash land on Earth. Now, the four people I love most are lost somewhere in what used to be Australia. I have no idea if they’re alive. I have no idea if I’ll live to see tomorrow. And I have no idea how the handsome man with grey eyes on the surface even exists. But if I want to see my friends again, I’ll need his help.
EXTANT: BEYOND THE THAW (THAW CHRONICLES BOOK 5) by Heidi Catherine and Tamar Stone
Sea levels have receded, exposing fertile, untouched land. Virgin soil that everyone in a ravaged world is willing to fight for. Askala knows it needs to stake a claim if they’re going to continue healing the Earth. To do that, a team of Seekers will be sent to colonize it…and assimilate those who don’t understand. This year, the testing won’t end at the Proving. Passing is no longer just about having a kind heart and a sharp mind. To spread Askala’s word, Seekers also need to survive in this harsh new land. New tests will determine who’s strong and tough enough to be the best of the best. Sam is determined to prove her father’s vision is what the world needs. Mercy’s about to discover she’s more like her mother than she realized. Hawk believes he was destined to be a Seeker, but does that mean leaving the only girl he’s ever loved? Luca knows he’s never fitted in and isn’t about to try.
SCARRED (TRIBUTE BRIDES OF THE DREXIAN WARRIORS BOOK 10) by Tana Stone
An alien warrior sent to rescue a bride who isn’t his. The catch? He’s obsessed with her. The other catch? She has no intention of going with him. Brok has vowed to track down the pretty human who was snatched by space pirates and return her to be matched with a Drexian warrior. One who isn’t battle-scarred and damaged, like him. The snag: He’s thought about nothing but the dark-haired beauty for weeks. Now he’s stuck on a hedonistic, alien planet with her where the clothing is scant and the inhibitions are low. If he gets her out, can he really let her go? But before he can think about life after the rescue, he needs to get her and the wedding planner, Serge, away from the mysterious Spartosians. Because something about the xenophobic aliens is very wrong—and more deadly than any of them know. Maddie has been running from commitment for most of her life. She doesn’t trust easily, and she doesn’t need anyone’s help. That is, until she’s abducted by aliens. And then space pirates. When the scarred Inferno Force captain shows up to get her off Spartos, where everyone is way too touchy-feely for her liking, she’s struck by how bossy he is–and by how little clothing he’s wearing. Can she keep her mind off the half-naked alien long enough to figure out what’s going on on Spartos before it’s too late?
KYRO (CAPTURED BY ALIENS BOOK 5) by A G Wilde
New city, new job and then kidnapped by aliens—exactly the way Evren had seen her year going. Not. Add living on a base full of rebels and, well, whoever was in charge of her destiny was definitely having some fun. She’d probably have to become an intergalactic rebel too…except, was that the path she was meant to take?In the middle of figuring out her role in this new life, Evren finds herself drawing closer to a rebel that had rescued her: a tall, sexy alien named Kyro, whose presence makes her tingle in places that could get her in trouble. He pulls her in a way she can’t understand—especially considering that he’s…strange. He’s different from the others and that’s probably because he’s holding a secret—and not even his brothers in the fight know about it. It’s a secret so deep, she needs to stay away. For her safety and for his. …But how can she resist when he keeps looking at her as if she belongs to him?
RESCUED BY THE ALIEN COP: DOME OF ENLAAN (COSMIC SWAT BOOK 0) by Liz Paffel
Every skin trader in the galaxy is after me but the gold-skinned, winged beast poses the biggest threat. I’ve been abducted from Earth and forced to dance at a burlesque on an alien prison planet where the inmates indulge in debauchery in return for good behavior. Seems human captives have become a hot commodity now that Earth is a breath away from extinction. Suddenly, every black market skin trader and inmate with empty pockets is after me. My owners won’t let me out of their sight. The new bodyguard I’m assigned to keep me safe is huge, with golden skin and the biggest wings I’ve ever seen. He’s an alien beast and he’s up to something. He’s got a killer smile and dangerous eyes. And a secret. If I’m not careful, my alien bodyguard may become much more. If I survive. I’m undercover with the mission to rescue the small human from the prison planet and bring her to safety at the Dome of Enlaan. As a lead enforcer for Cosmic S.W.A.T., it’s my mission to protect human life at all costs. Protect, not desire. Or touch. Or more… I don’t believe in fated mates, but I do believe in this human female’s ability to distract me from my mission. If I don’t rescue her soon, everything I’ve sacrificed for will be lost. Including the one thing no one knows I’m up to.
THE ALIEN GLADIATOR (VOGDIAN MATES BOOK 3) by Magda Rhodes
He was the Empire’s fiercest warrior. Now he’s a slave. But not even the promise of freedom tempts him away from me.
Zelda: My advisors say that the gladiator kills in my name. After each victory in the arena, he pledges his life to me. He dares to propose marriage. Such audacity! It is unheard of, for a slave to seek the hand of a noblewoman. Yet, he has not lost a single trial by combat. He is a huge specimen… and, I admit, once my secret lover. The people want their queen to acknowledge him. Do they mock me, or do they know my secret? Or, worst of all, do they actually believe us to be a match? If the priests say it is so… no, impossible. And with the rebellion growing in the east, I cannot afford to waste time on such matters. He will live or die by his sword.
Traxan: My queen is everything to me. I was raised like all Vogdian boys to love her. My love is what drove me to survive the orphan training camp. It drove me to become an elite warrior and slay enemies in her name. It does not matter that I am a slave; my duty to protect her remains. The rebellion is stronger than anyone knows. When the time comes, I will escape and steal her away to safety.
SABELLA by Tanith Lee
VS Note: A re-release…
On the rosy sands of a distant Earth colony, Sabella lives a quiet life in her isolated home—carefully hiding her vampirism from society. Sabella may not be undead, but she is painfully allergic to sunlight, possesses supernatural strength and speed, and feeds on fresh blood. In her youth, Sabella seduced a number of men, killing them all for fear of discovery. But with age comes control, and Sabella has sworn off of drinking human blood.
After four years of staying clean, Sabella receives an invitation to her Aunt Cassi’s funeral—along with several thousand credits to ensure she attends the reading of the will. But when Sabella arrives at the funeral, she discovers that the funds were a ruse. Before her death, Cassi—a devout Christian Revivalist—discovered the truth about Sabella and tasked her manservant, John Trim, to hunt Sabella down. Trim hires private investigator Sand Vincent to get close to Sabella and suss out the truth.
But Sand is only human—and Sabella anything but. As Sand becomes enthralled by Sabella’s charm, Sabella must combat her own instincts to keep him alive—and society’s suspicions away.
PROTECTING HIS MISTRESS: A KINDRED TALES NOVEL (BRIDES OF THE KINDRED) by Evangeline Anderson
When Karn, a member of the Kindred Elite Espionage Corps, is given the assignment to go undercover as a bodyslave at the home of a cruel Mistress, he doesn’t hesitate to take the job. After all, lives are on the line and he has to find the list of Kindred warriors who have been taken prisoner. But to his surprise, he is bought by Mistress Maribella, not for herself, but for her innocent daughter, Lilli.
Lilli has never owned a bodyslave before. She was raised in a convent, far from the hedonistic excesses of her native culture and she knows very little about the world. She does know, however, that she’s not supposed to fall in love with her tall, muscular bodyslave. But how can she help herself when Karn is so patient and gentle with her? He teaches her things about pleasure she never dreamed of in her sheltered existence at the convent. But when she finds out he’s a Kindred spy, will their love survive?
RENEGADE (THE SURVIVAL RACE BOOK 3) by K M Fawcett
When a rebel scientist and a female gladiator team-up in the Survival Race—a blood sport where the last man alive wins—they unwittingly fall for each other. But the alien masters demand a single champion, and the rivals-turned-lovers are forced to choose between winning their freedom and losing their hearts.
IMPRISONED WITH THE ALIEN (ROH’ILIAN SERIES BOOK 3) by Luna Kingsley
Resor, a dedicated warrior, lives for each mission with his Roh’ilian brothers. With them, he’s ruthless and obedient, so different from the man he becomes when he’s alone, left to the haunting memories of his past. When he lays eyes on Gemma, the tiny human chained and forced to her knees at her captive’s feet, something inside of him shifts. For her, he’ll disobey a direct order and take on anyone who would keep her from him. He’ll risk the consequences for her. Gemma has always been small but fierce. Growing up with older brothers made her strong as steel, until Thoza, her alien captor, breaks her. She survives in the darkness until a massive, silver-skinned warrior with kind eyes – Resor – fills her with hope once again. She starts to remember her strength and knows he’s the one to save her. They might be strangers, but they’re drawn to each other. Together they just might have a chance at freedom while finding happiness along the way.
ALIEN SAVAGE’S BOND (ALIEN’S FROZEN MATE BOOK 4) by Aya Morningstar
You only ever get one night with the alien savage…When Glacius kissed me, I knew the rule. One night is all I’ll ever get with him. He tells me he’ll hurt me, but it feels too good to stop. One look at him is all it takes to know he’s from the most savage and cold planet in the three systems. The orange markings on his teal skin are covered in scars. His muscles are hard—his body a weapon. But it’s those deep blue eyes that chill me to the bone. It’s said he’ll never bond or love—that his heart is even colder than his planet. So when I’m screaming his name and thinking my one night with him is just about to end, the last thing I expect to happen is to feel the bond closing in on us, chaining me to the alien savage for all eternity. I knew the rule. I only ever wanted one night with him, but now I’m his forever.
Will our bond be a prison, forcing me to spend the rest of my days with someone who can never love me? Or can I tame the alien savage?
AFTERLAND by Lauren Beukes
VS Note: Not a romance…
Most of the men are dead. Three years after the pandemic known as The Manfall, governments still hold and life continues — but a world run by women isn’t always a better place. Twelve-year-old Miles is one of the last boys alive, and his mother, Cole, will protect him at all costs. On the run after a horrific act of violence-and pursued by Cole’s own ruthless sister, Billie — all Cole wants is to raise her kid somewhere he won’t be preyed on as a reproductive resource or a sex object or a stand-in son. Someplace like home. To get there, Cole and Miles must journey across a changed America in disguise as mother and daughter. From a military base in Seattle to a luxury bunker, from an anarchist commune in Salt Lake City to a roaming cult that’s all too ready to see Miles as the answer to their prayers, the two race to stay ahead at every step . . . even as Billie and her sinister crew draw closer.
AUTOMATIC RELOAD: A NOVEL by Ferrett Steinmetz
Meet Mat, a tortured mercenary who has become the perfect shot, and Silvia, an idealistic woman genetically engineered to murder you to death. Together they run for the shadiest corporation in the world…and realize their messed-up brain chemistry cannot overpower their very real chemistry.
THE QUARRY MASTER: A GRUMPY ALIEN BOSS ROMANTIC COMEDY by Amanda Milo
BASH: I dislike people. I despise humans. A cruel mandate from one of my region’s rulers has saddled me with a slew of little alien humans: I’m to put them to work. One problem? I run a rock quarry, where humans’ thin skin is a detriment to productivity. Overseeing these humans is like trying to herd yanaks. If I don’t burn, beat, or strangle them to death by the day’s end, it will be a miracle.
ISLA: I can tell the boss likes me, because I’m not dead. Bash is abrasive and acerbic, like some sort of alien love child between Michael Caine and Miss Hannigan. And maybe Ebenezer Scrooge. Bash is a little… anti-human race.
But he’s not all bad. Sure, he’s a little growly and he sets things on fire when he gets mad, but even villains need a friend. And here? Bash is everybody’s villain. Everybody’s but mine.
THE ELIMINATORS VOLUME TWO by Jacqueline Druga
VS Note: Not a romance. Dystopian. I’ve been working my way through her back list and find she writes pretty good apocalyptic and dystopian tales, sometimes with unexpected twists. Not always a happy ending either. I have not read this series by her yet.
Across the globe. a virus shows no mercy or prejudice. It is violent and swift and the after-effects of its rage leaves the human race at the edge of extinction. The sickness turns its victims into murderous creatures. Because of this, The Eliminators are born. They are elite teams that travel the country, town to town, taking out the risen dead. A bold and ambitious project to return the world to order. But can it be safe? Following a brief pause of the Eliminator Initiative, Jeremiah Rigs leads his motley team of misfits on a mission to reinstate the program and recover Eliminators that remain in the wasteland on the western half of the country. Rigs and his team quickly learn that in the few weeks they were on break, not only did everything get ahead of them, it is becoming increasingly clear the world could possibly never be restored to order.
WOOING WYNTER: THE ZOLON WARRIORS (MAGIC NEW MEXICO BOOK 53) by Tiana Xander, Foreward by S E Smith
Wynter Larsen keeps telling herself that shapeshifters don’t exist after she’s abducted and held captive by a group of insane scientists trying to create them. She escaped, but she owes her freedom to those she left behind. Now, it’s her turn to help them. Geno Brewerigeron has kept his promise to his dying mate to raise their sons. He just needs to tie up some loose ends before he can join her in the next life. A babbling teen, a swerving car, and a woman in danger changes his lonely existence to one of excitement and gives him a new lease on life. Whatever the scientists injected her with was causing Wynter’s body to change. Can she trust the man who suddenly appears and promises to take her and the twin boys she has vowed to protect to Magic, New Mexico, and if she does, who will protect him from the creature she’s changing into.
WARRIOR’S CAPTIVE (WARRIORS OF YEDAHN BOOK 4) by Emma Alisyn
Abducted. Knocked up. A royal alien warrior ruthlessly hunts down his mate’s enemies. A new mother discovers the power of her bonding marks—and the strength to fight back. Vivian never thought a midnight run would land her on planet Yedahn, in the custody of an elite royal warrior claiming she is his genetic fated mate. Kinda hard to argue with facts when she’s about to have his baby. But forget the baby shower, the traffickers who kidnapped her want their investment back. Sucks to be them, because Vivian won’t be taken, ever again . . . except by her mate. And someone forgot to mention that the glowy marks on her arms give her access to far more than her warrior’s wealth . Tai’ri’s work on the anti-human trafficking task force has just become personal. A twist of fate gives him what he’s always wanted, a mate and child of his own, but they come packaged with relentless enemies determined to take back what is his. He claimed his mate, and he will keep his mate. Even if it means his life.
EVENTIDE by J Scott Coatsworth
What if you woke up in a strange place that was as familiar as your own home, but also completely strange and different? What if you opened your curtains to find the universe looking back at you? Welcome to Eventide.
ANNIHILATION ARIA: BOOK ONE OF THE SPACE OPERAS by Michael R Underwood
Vs Note: not a romance.
A woman who can wield a weapon like a song and her voice like a weapon. A man who can out-think any problem. A pilot who can outmaneuver the best of them. Lahra, Max, and Wheel live and work aboard the Kettle, salvaging artifacts from dangerous galactic ruins to keep scraping by. But those artifacts can unlock an ancient power which threatens the iron-fisted rule of the galaxy’s imperialist overlords, the Vsenk. To protect their dominion, the Vsenk have humbled entire civilizations. They eat ships like the Kettle and her found family for breakfast. Lahra, Max, and Wheel are each just trying to get home to the lives they lost, but they’ll have to evade space fascists, kick-start a rebellion, and save the galaxy first to do it.
NIIR: VIRILIAN MAIL ORDER MATES by Ella Blake
“Rescue fourteen abducted females and return them to their settlement. Simple.” Only, it isn’t so simple.
Communication officer and translator of over eighty languages, Niir Gosk is the picture of diplomacy and skillful negotiation aboard Prince Trak Letu’s space ship. He has contacts and spies in every quadrant, but few know the brutal mercenary’s life he once led. His past constantly haunts him as he fights to keep his deadly primal form–lurking in the soul of all Virilians–from transforming him into a monster which he fears he could consume him for good. He thinks he has it pretty much under control, until he meets Calinae, one of females they were hired to rescue.
Cali is initially suspicious of the tall, muscular aliens sent to rescue and return them to their warlord leader–and her betrothed. She has never questioned her obligation to wed this male she did not choose, but learning that she would be one of many wives, makes her consider trusting the Virilians and changing her fate. As the only one of her group able to speak the universal language, she is the target of Niir’s many questions. The more time she spends with him, the more attracted she becomes to the huge alien with the cool gray eyes whose body and mind she longs to explore. Although Calinae is spoken for by the alien warlord who hired them, it takes all Niir’s will to restrain his deepening desire as he tries to solve the mystery of these females. Nothing about them adds up, from the destroyed planet they claim to be from, to the extinct language they speak. The more Niir unravels their past, the more dangerous the future looks for them all, especially Calinae, who Niir will give everything to protect.
ALIEN WARLORD’S BRIDE (ALIEN MASTERS BOOK 4) by Alyx X
Growing up as a TerraLink slave I always knew what was waiting for me… except the savage Alien overlord wasn’t it.
I was eight years old when my parents dropped me off with a ‘see ya, have a good life!’ and left me to nearly twenty years of training and preparation for the role of an Alien bride. And then no Aliens wanted me, and my ‘mating years’ became ‘cleaning years’. Now, I’m destined to live in TerraLink headquarters forever, paying off a life debt that my parents had hoped would get me off this rock. Great. But then they have to go and find this planet full of Aliens who have never heard of humans, they only want women to carry their heirs – and it turns out I am compatible. Screw cleaning alien toilets – I am getting off this rock and shipped to a planet where it turns out they don’t have any. Toilets I mean. At least not the kind that flush. The nomadic savages of Mortyr Crossing are far from what I was prepared for, which I guess is fine seeing as I am here for one thing only, and the bulge in Kellior’s pants is as excited for that as I am. Geeze Louise these Aliens are full of surprises. Too bad someone doesn’t want me here. I guess I better learn their ways before Kellior goes savage in more ways than one.
CAGED BEAUTY (REAPER’S PET BOOK 7) by Athena Storm and Zora Black
I’m stuck in Hell. And the Devil is after me. He smells me. I can feel him, even if I run far away. And he can feel me.
We’re stuck on a ship that’s slowly crumbling. Their world is dying. They are dying as a race. So they feast. Fight. And conquer their next victim. I run. But it’s impossible to hide. He’s set his sights on me. His entire body knows every fiber of my being. I can’t believe I’m tied to a monster. A brute. A beast. They kill wantonly. They eat those they kill.
And for those they claim? It’s even worse. I’m scared. All alone, I’m lonely. Cold. He’s coming for me. When he finds me? I don’t know what he’ll do. Or what I’ll do for him? I’m afraid to find out.
CLAIMED BY CIPHER by Lolita Lopez
After spending all of her life working in the mines, Brook jumps at the chance to earn a one-way ticket to the colonies. All she has to do is provide some maps and plant some explosives to help the sky warriors rescue one of their operatives. Easy enough, right? But what should have been a simple mission spirals into a fight for her life when she discovers a stolen stash of nerve gas in the mine. Engineering specialist Cipher long ago accepted that he would never have a mate. He refuses to participate in the Grabs, and instead, he dedicates his life to his work. He’s all but given up on the idea of love and a family of his own. Until the night he meets the asset who can help them retrieve Terror. The moment he meets Brook, Cipher knows he’ll never be able to leave her behind on the mountain. The petite, brilliant beauty ensnares him with one shy smile and awakens his protective instincts when she goes missing.
Brook is the one he has been waiting for his entire life—and he’ll risk everything to claim her as his mate.
ROYAL TORMENT (STAND ALONE TALES BOOK 10) by Viola Grace
Running into a male entering rut gives her the opportunity to save her friends from punishment at the hands of the emperor. It isn’t really a hardship. Tydella is the imperial princess. The only imperial princess. Her father had one daughter by her mother and refused to have any other children. He is a man of his word. Tydella travels with ambassadorial duties and spends her birthday on a space station with her guard crew. She learns something that endangers her travelling family and decides to get into trouble to distract her parents from what her guards have been up to. She heads out of the station on her own for a few days of unrestricted solitude and runs into one of her father’s people while clearing customs. He’s tall, he’s handsome, he’s stripey, and is going into rut. She can smell it. Their eyes meet, but she turns and takes off, waiting for a large ship to stick to in order to run through a gate without registering her location. She just happens to pick his ship. Ador is fascinated by the sprightly woman with flashing eyes and magnificent attributes. He is disappointed that she slipped away from him at the station and beyond fascinated when he catches her magnetized to his ship. He offers her a choice and is stunned when she agrees to help him work off his rut. She gets a vacation, he gets a partner, what could possibly complicate things?
BRAK (KA’ATARI WARRIORS BOOK 2) by Kenzie Kelly
She expected a boring post babysitting scientists. She got an intergalactic war and a one-way trip to a distant universe. Space marine Anela was shuffled off to the U.N. station Shangris after accidentally punching a superior officer during a bar fight. They thought they were punishing her, relegating her to a career languishing under monotonous patrols and tedious paperwork. Boy, were they wrong. Three days after landing on the station, two warring alien ships dropped out of nowhere, plowing a path of destruction that included the Shangris and leaving the few survivors far from Earth with no way to get home. Never one to sit idle during a fight, Anela was more than willing to join the war effort against some slimy alien bad guys in her new universe. She thought she was done with curve balls—and then fate sent her Brak. A distraction wrapped in a blue skinned hunk and tied with a bow of fabulous skills. As a Ka’atari warrior, Brak was no stranger to risking his life for the Alliance. He’d been at war his entire adult life and was a seasoned soldier. So he never expected to get caught during a mission aboard an enemy ship, and he certainly never expected his rescue to be in the form of the small human he’d helped rescue a few months before. He knew human women had a higher chance of being a genetic match for Ka’atari, and therefore a higher chance of bearing a warrior’s child, but when he didn’t rhun with a survivor, he threw himself into the effort to find a way to Earth. Then Anela found him, broken in a million ways, and as she put him back together, he wondered if he needed a genetic mate to be happy. The Alliance and the other survivors are counting on them to find a way to Earth, fate seems to conspire against them (or is it bringing them together?), and an alien pet shows up just in time to throw a wrench into the whole plan.
HER RUTHLESS ALIEN by Aurora Caine
I thought I was using the space version of your standard hook-up app when I sent those raunchy messages to my new online buddy Kaizo. Turns out that there is a whole section of terms and conditions I missed—like the fact that I’ve acquired myself a space husband by using the app. And that I’m bound by law to be his mate.
I try to convince Kaizo that I’ve made an honest mistake, but I quickly learn that big, growly aliens do not like to be turned down. They don’t like it at all.
OWNED (APEXIAN WARRIOR ROMANCE BOOK 3) by Arcadia Shield
When a routine mission goes wrong, a broken human and a conflicted alien have to fight an evil enemy and their hearts to be free. Blaze Floridian knows one thing for certain: Eden Franco is trouble. Hot, tempting trouble. She makes him want something he never thought possible. True, soul-consuming love. There are two things standing in his way of bliss: Eden’s resistance, and his obligation to his family. If he pursues Eden, he’ll destroy his family’s trust and break a promise he always intended to keep. But after Eden fire-balled into his life, everything changed. Never trust a nice guy. Eden learned that the hard, brutal way after her heart got crushed by ‘Mr. Nice.’ Her partner on the Apocalypse, Blaze, is so charming he can’t be for real. Sure, he’s gorgeous, loyal, and always protective of her, but it’s an act. Once he gets her in bed, he’ll walk away. Just like they always do. If only she could stop thinking about him, life would be sweet. During a trip to Tiavac to deliver endangered animals to their new sanctuary, they’re ambushed by the Pecket. Barely escaping, they think they’re safe on the sanctuary planet. The Pecket have other ideas. Eden is captured, Blaze is injured, and the animals are in danger. Can anything protect Blaze and Eden’s hearts when they realize how much they’ll lose if the enemy wins?
SINTH STALKER (SINTH STRAIN BOOK 5) by Pearl Tate
Zoey – I haven’t decided whose wrath is worse … my husband’s or an active volcano’s. Who am I kidding? Nothing’s more dangerous than Einar. That’s why I’m here, hiding out in a restricted area, braving the volcano’s volatility. I know my abusive husband won’t find me holed up in my grandparent’s cabin, since no one is even supposed to travel this close to Hengill. As an overweight, abused housewife, I’ve left my husband more than once, but he’s always found me and forcibly brought me back. This time, I’m determined to get in shape and stay hidden. I’m used to being alone, so I don’t mind the solitude. But I’ve been found. That’s why when I’m stalked for days by a man who disappears and reappears—sometimes even in the trees, I know my time is up! I have to go and find somewhere new to hide out. On my way back to civilization, I’m attacked by crazy people and some strange scaled creatures! I’m disheartened to realize I won’t need to find someplace to hide. After all the careful preparation, I’m about to be killed … just not by my husband! Jaxtyn – I’m done leaking information about Sinth matters to Purlogh. If Payak knew I was discussing our case with my estranged family member, he’d feel betrayed. We’d all take the backlash if the Sinth Sovereignty found out I’m speaking about Guardians matters with a shunned Sinth. As Guardians, we travel from one planet to another, cleaning up messes and overseeing alien interactions. Other species rely on us to use our stealth to keep everyone accountable to each other. I refuse to be accused of betrayal like my predecessor. Instead, I’ll disappear on my terms. Separating from my squad, I decide to explore Earth before it’s totally ruined by the Wen virus. I’m pulled toward a large volcano, watching in awe as it belches smoke and shakes the ground regularly. It’s then I see her … a Human female who can see me when I’m in my dimension. What’s she doing out here all alone? When she heads back to town, I realize just how much and fast things have changed in the area. She’s going to have to trust me if I’m going to be able to save her from the Wen-infected because now we’re not only dealing with transitioned Humans—but also the transitioned alien Taxin!
SUPERNOVA SOUL (ROCHE LIMIT BOOK 2) by Matthew J Metzger
VS Note: This sounded really good so I went back and bought the first book (which I had missed somehow) and will work my way back up to this second book…the first book in the series was evidently LGBTQ hard scifi, no romance so….I can’t tell you if this one has a romance. But the scifi sounds good!
The Swift is gone. Weeks after the catastrophic power failure that triggered the evacuation in the first place, the ship has powered up and taken flight, abandoning its jettisoned escape pods deep in uncharted space. Stranded with dwindling supplies and no way of calling for help, Hélène LeFebvre needs a plan. Or at least somewhere to bury the dead. Hélène isn’t a people person at the best of times, and trying to build a new comms array on a hostile alien moon is definitely not the best of times. Her only help is a nurse who won’t stop praying, a pilot whose attitude adjustment could take several centuries, three maintenance crew gambling with coffee beans to pass the time, a homicidal cook, and a medical officer convinced that the unseen monsters that stalk their pods at night are there for him personally. All too aware they’re running out of time, Hélène doesn’t have time for their flaws, or to examine her own. She can’t afford to be human if she’s going to save them. But perhaps she needs to remember she’s human in order to save herself.
A SHOT TO THE HEART: A SASS AND STEAM NOVELLA by Catherine Stein
Competitive archer Cora Maxwell will let nothing stop her quest to compete at the 1904 Olympic Games. Not even a devastating injury to her arm. With the help of a mechanical device known as the Electro-Flex, Cora has worked her way back to top form—and she’s found a long-distance friend in the machine’s inventor. She’s ready to shoot for gold and she’s thrilled to have a fan to cheer her on.
Inventor Adam Levett harbors a secret love for his athletic friend, but he values their friendship too highly to risk revealing his feelings. When they meet in person for the World’s Fair and the Olympics, he plans to cheer her to victory, but he won’t allow himself to hope for more. Until a searing kiss makes him suspect the attraction might not be as one-sided as he’d believed. As the days tick down to Cora’s competition, strange disturbances at the Fair threaten both Adam’s career and her Olympic dream—as well as their evolving relationship. But these friends are no quitters, and together they square off against rogue dragons, electrical mishaps, and vicious competitors. Because in these Games, only true loyalty can win the heart of a champion.
VARIANT: BURN OUTS #3 by Dani Hermit and Nevi Star
When a Villain tries to be a Hero and ends up in over his head, what choice does he have but to change? With Curtis now powerless and Matt not entirely certain that Mythos is subdued, both sides of the impending war are forced to lie low for a few days. The pause in aggression gives Matt’s team a chance to regroup after Thomas’s apparent defection and the sound beating they took from Dark Mirror. While they are collecting themselves, Colton takes the opportunity to help them train and improve control over their reawakened powers. Not so far away, in the hotel occupied by the Necromancer and his faction, Thomas is desperately seeking his chance to undo the evil young leader’s plans so that he can return to his friends. But what he finds behind closed doors at the Elegance might be enough to undo him instead. Trigger warnings for dub/noncon, super tragic backstories, explicit sex, angsty gay dudes, and cliffhangers. This series reads like a Netflix season, so every book is like an episode that leads up to the epic conclusion in book 7.
BLUE STREAK: DRAGONS OF TARAKONA (MAGIC NEW MEXICO BOOK 46) by D B Sieders, Foreward by S E Smith
VS Note: From mid-June
Tatiana Blue is a fast-flying water dragonshifter of impeccable breeding and high social standing with a wizard to match. She’s the perfect contender for the race that will win her a spot on the elite Blue Guard. Until, that is, another blue dragon enters the competition, a handsome bad boy from the slums of Valiant City. But these rivals will have to become allies when they land in hostile territory…on another planet.
Ranvie Blue appears to be a carefree rogue, member of a wizard-run dragon gang that dominates the human warrens. But looks can be deceiving. When the race catapults him and his alluring rival out of their dimension and to Earth, the two blue dragons must team up to save themselves and the enchanted town of Magic, New Mexico, from a magical anti-immigrant group that seeks to destroy enchanted creatures from other worlds or dimensions. Can an uptown lady dragon find common ground and passion with a dragon from the streets, or will their differences lead them and the citizens of Magic down the path of destruction?
BLUE GUARD: DRAGONS OF TARAKONA (MAGIC NEW MEXICO BOOK 47) by Jody Wallace, Foreward by S E Smith
Cornelius Blue is a dragon and tracker, not a diplomat. A deadly interruption of the Blue Guard Trials, which should have begun an era of exploration for Cornelius’s nation, threatens to crush his dreams of exploring his home world. So what’s he doing in Magic, New Mexico, attempting to convince a dubious city council that his planet, Tarakona, should be allowed an embassy? Why is he playing statesman when he should be investigating the catastrophe?
Zuri Kaleo is a spy and wizard, not a seductress. And she should be, secretly, deciphering the disaster of the trials as well. But no, her king reassigned her to Magic, New Mexico, to sweet-talk a stubborn blue dragon out of building an embassy on Earth. Because an embassy there—as well as Cornelius’s thirst for exploring Tarakona itself—might reveal the biggest secret Tarakona has ever known.
When Zuri discovers another spy was sent to disrupt the Blue Guard Trials, questions beg for answers. Surely no one was meant to die, were they? The Pirate King wouldn’t have ordered that, would he? If only Neil was her teammate instead of her enemy, they could discover the truth together. And perhaps find each other in the process.
SCAVENGER’S PRIZE (BLOOD OF THE SKELDI BOOK 1) by Sophia Sebell
Our ship has been destroyed and I find myself alone with a hostile group of Skeldi. They’re known for being barbaric and cruel. They’re also known for brutalizing women they come across in every way imaginable.
I’m hidden away in my room, trying to come up with a plan to escape, when a Skeldi named Vale bursts in. His herculean physique fills the entire doorway and blocks my escape. I watch him in awe from the shadows, his skin tight space suit hugging him in all the right ways. I try to get away but he easily subdues me and binds me. I try to break my restraints after he leaves the room. No doubt he is getting the other Skeldi to come join the fun. To my surprise, he returns alone. Vale tells me he convinced the others to leave and he is going to help me but I don’t know if I can trust him, or if I want to. If a Skeldi planned on ravaging me, he wouldn’t bother having a conversation with me beforehand, maybe he really does want to help. I debate my options as I look him over, his massive frame says he can tear me apart with ease, but his icy blue eyes tell a different story. I can see the kindness in them, maybe this hulking beast is more than meets the eye. I’m not ready to have another man in my life, but I don’t think I have a choice because the remnants of my ship are about to be destroyed and we have to make a quick exit. My entire crew and ship are gone now and I desperately need help getting to my new home. Vale is my only chance at this point. I hope I’m making the right choice by going with him. Is he going to use me and sell me at the next port, or will the alien scavenger claim me as his prize?
ALIEN WARRIOR’S HUNT (VERUTAN MATES BOOK 3 ) by C R Corbin
I had been caught, sentenced to death in the depths of the swamps of Aklos. And my only company in these cells was this strange alien warrior, who has come to seek vengeance against a monstrous foe in the depths of this world.
But I quickly learn that vengeance is not all he desires as he looks at me with his eyes of lust. Of wanting. The eyes of a warrior that was eager to control me. He escapes and frees me in the process, for a purpose that I soon discover.
To claim me as his mate, to ravage me, all in order to restore the honor of his dying race.
SHADOW THIEF (FLIRTING WITH MONSTERS BOOK 1) by Eva Chase
It was an ordinary job. Another night, another asshole collector of the supernatural. I free some poor little beasties from their cages, pocket a few trinkets to pay my bills, and burn the place down on my way out. Just call me the Robin Hood of monster emancipation.
I didn’t count on three manly monsters following me home like lost puppies. Stunningly hot lost puppies, but still. Now I’ve got a seductively cheeky incubus, a sweetly enthusiastic demon, and a grimly stoic angel camped out in my kitchen. They’re determined to repay me for my help, and they won’t get out of my apartment until they’re satisfied we’re even. To be fair, they’ve got no place else to go. A covert band of hunters captured their boss, and the trail is ice-cold. I’ll lend a hand if it means I can send them packing… and when it looks like we’re up against the same creeps who murdered the person I loved most, you’d better believe I’m all in. Track down the baddies. Steal back the boss. Don’t get killed along the way. Oh, and maybe hook up with a monstrous hottie or two. Piece of cake. I’m so going to regret this.
SPELLS FOR THE DEAD (A SOULWOOD NOVEL BOOK 5) by Faith Hunter
Nell is a rookie PsyLED agent, using the powers she can channel from deep within the earth to solve paranormal crimes. Together with her team, she’s taken on the direst magic and the most twisted foes. But she’ll need to tap into every ounce of power she has for her newest case. Nell is called to the Tennessee mansion of a country music star and finds a disturbing scene—dead bodies rapidly decaying before everyone’s eyes. The witch on her team, T. Laine, has never seen magic that can steal life forces like this. PsyLED needs to find this lethal killer fast. But when a paranormal-hating FBI agent tries to derail the investigation, and the dark magics begin to spiral out of control, they find themselves under attack from all sides.
TROUBLE THE SAINTS: A NOVEL by Alaya Dawn Johnson
VS Note: As one reviewer states: “historical novel with fantastical elements”. A release of note.
Amid the whir of city life, a young woman from Harlem is drawn into the glittering underworld of Manhattan, where she’s hired to use her knives to strike fear among its most dangerous denizens.
Ten years later, Phyllis LeBlanc has given up everything—not just her own past, and Dev, the man she loved, but even her own dreams. Still, the ghosts from her past are always by her side—and history has appeared on her doorstep to threaten the people she keeps in her heart. And so Phyllis will have to make a harrowing choice, before it’s too late—is there ever enough blood in the world to wash clean generations of injustice?
THE RISING by Kristen Ashley
Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land. This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars. The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena. The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah. And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah. Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake.
DEVIL’S BONES: A SARH BETH DELANEY MYSTERY by Carolyn Haines
VS Note: Listed in Ghost Mysteries
As Sarah Booth sees it, Easter weekend is a time to celebrate life in all its many forms. So when the newly-pregnant Tinkie invites her and Cece on a girls’ trip to Lucedale, Mississippi to celebrate that spring has officially sprung, Sarah Booth can’t resist. Plans include facials, food, and a trip to the incredible Garden of Bones—a miniature Holy Land with recreations of all parts of the Middle East—for their Sunrise Easter Services led by biblical scholar, gardener, and creator of the Gardens Daniel Reynolds.
Unfortunately for Sarah Booth and the gang, someone doesn’t seem appreciate this season of new life. Easter morning has just dawned when the trio find themselves at the Mount of Olives—with a dead body at their feet. Reynolds identifies the dead man as local lawyer Perry Slay, who was well known for his sly and underhanded dealings. Perry had rubbed plenty of people the wrong way, and now it looks like someone has rubbed him out…Because being a PI apparently means never being on vacation, Sarah Booth and her friends must now find a way to resurrect the truth from a list of suspects as long as the River Jordan, reveal the devil in disguise, and—if they’re lucky—find a moment to enjoy a few chocolate bunnies before more bodies pile up like pillars of salt.
CALISTOS (GUARDIANS OF HADES BOOK 5) by Felicity Heaton
Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Air, Calistos was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai. Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence.
Tormented by the death of his twin sister, Calistos wants nothing more than to find a way to save her soul, but the pain of continuing without her, the constant feeling that he got her killed, is slowly pulling him down into the darkness and he knows it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs to the call of the abyss.
Until a battle sets him on a collision course with a kind-hearted and beautiful mortal, one who rouses softer emotions he had sworn he would never risk feeling again, threatening to peel away his mask of playfulness and shatter the barriers around his heart.
Marinda is a woman on a mission—to become a great cellist and repay her father for his faith in her. But her regimented and studious life is thrown into chaos when a handsome man is carted into the ER where she works and takes her hostage, pulling her into a dark and dangerous world… one where she discovers there’s more to her than meets the eye and her entire life has been a lie. When the enemy makes a play for Marinda and the gates, will Calistos find the strength to let someone into his heart again and look to the future, or will the pain of his past lead him to unleash hell on this world?
WILD IRISH DREAMER (MYSTIC COVE SERIES BOOK 8) by Tricia O’Malley
What would happen if dreams came true? It’s said that the world is made of dreamers. Which is a lovely thought and all, except for when those dreams come with a foretelling of the future. In order to find out what she really wants, Fiona MacAuliffe has spent her life running from who she truly is. Determined to ignore her gifts in order to make her own way in the world, Fi long ago said goodbye to her family’s pub in Grace’s Cove and set off to follow her heart. Little does she know that it is her heart that will betray her when she returns home.
OBSSESSED WOLF (CEDAR CREEK SHIFTERS BOOK 2) by Nikki Landis
A missing shifter. A sinister evil hunting the Cedar Creek packs. A wolf obsessed with retribution. Becca Harlow is missing. Theo has been tasked with locating the woman who broke his heart five years ago. As the only shifter who knows her scent and routine well enough, he’s forced to obey his alpha and try to locate Becca. There’s just one problem with this plan. Theo can’t get over the woman who still owns him body and soul. Worse, sinister forces are at play and the target isn’t only one innocent shifter. All of Cedar Creek is in danger. Will Theo be able to rescue Becca and protect the pack? Or will his obsession with vengeance lead to more bloodshed and death?
DARK CHOICES: PARADIGM SHIFT (CHILDREN OF THE GODS PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES BOOK 42) by I T Lucas
Edna and Rufsur are miserable without each other, and their two-week separation seems like an eternity. Long-distance relationships are difficult, but for immortal couples they are impossible. Unless one of them is willing to leave everything behind for the other, things are just going to get worse. Except, the cost of compromise is far greater than giving up their comfortable lives and hard-earned positions. The future of their people is on the line.
THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN: A NOVEL (PATHOS OF LANTISTYNE BOOK 2) by Isabelle Steiger
The Rightful Queen returns readers to the territories of Lantistyne. Imperator Elgar has brought war to the continent once again, and the rogues of the Dragon’s Head, once forced into his service, are scattered to the winds, wracked by tragedy and struggling to reunite.
While a cornered King Kelken grows increasingly desperate, Arianrod Margraine, the brilliant but outmanned marquise of Esthrades, devises a plan to stretch Elgar’s forces thin and turn the tide of battle in their favor. But when the sheltered queen of Issamira is driven from her throne by a long-simmering plot and the use of forbidden magic, Arianrod faces an even more pressing crisis.
Adora Avestri is more than the rightful queen of Issamira, more even than the key to defeating Elgar on the field—she has drawn the attention of beings older than Lantistyne itself, who possess hidden knowledge Arianrod has long desired. But if the queen and the marquise hope to survive long enough to learn it, Adora must find the strength to claim her birthright once and for all, and Arianrod must match wits and magic with a foe she has never before encountered: an equal.
SPLINTERS OF SCARLET by Emily Bain Murphy
For Marit Olsen, magic is all about strategy: it flows freely through her blood, but every use leaves behind a deadly, ice-like build-up within her veins called the Firn. Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household.
But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
SHIELDED by KayLynn Flanders
The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It’s losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans. As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn’s–her brother’s–magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace. Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong–the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it’s too late–for her and for her entire kingdom.
CURSE OF DRACULA (IMMORTAL SOUL BOOK 2) by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Maxine Parker expected to lose her life when the Vampire King swept through her city like a plague. She did not expect to lose her heart to him as well. Caught between her desire to protect the living and her love for Dracula, she suddenly finds herself the enemy of the hunters who had once been her allies. As the Vampire King unleashes his army of the damned and turns Boston into a sea of carnage, she must decide if she can love the monster for what he is, or if she must be the one to end his bloody crusade through history once and for all.
GRAVE SIGNS (HELLGATE GUARDIANS BOOK 4) by Ivy Asher and Raven Kennedy
I’ve spent my whole life seeing monsters, but they could never see me back…until now. Turns out, I’m not crazy like I’ve spent my whole life believing. Too bad it took being locked in a cage and tortured almost to the point of insanity to realize that. But I’m not alone. In a cage to my left, there’s a monster who’s given up hope. He stays in the shadows and moves with chains wrapped around him, but his golden eyes watch. To my right, there’s a girl with purple wings and familiar gray eyes. She says she’s my sister, and not just that, but apparently I’m half demon, half angel, and to make it out of here, I have to embrace the new wings on my back and the scythe in my hand.
Now I have to choose to either submit to my captor, or fight. I’m about to learn that sometimes you have to become a monster to beat the monster.
MIDNIGHT HEAT (ALASKA ALPHAS BOOK 7) by Tamsin Ley
In over her head – After escaping a jealous husband, Lana Gregory is done with men. Especially chauvinistic bullies like rival boat captain, Elias Sobol. But after she falls overboard during a storm, she’s stranded on a remote Alaskan island with the very man she hopes to avoid. The catch of a lifetime – The first day Elias laid eyes on Lana, his selkie soul recognized she was his mate. The feeling is not mutual, however, and the stubborn female has hated him from the start. He’s forced to watch from afar, and it’s a good thing he has, because now her very life is in his hands. Deepest secret – As the frigid Alaskan wilderness presses in and the heat between them builds, Lana wonders why she ever thought Elias was the enemy. Until he reveals his true nature, and she’s blown off course. She’s just learning to trust again… but can she trust a man who truly isn’t what he seems?
BLAZE OF GLORY: DARK LEOPARDS MC by Liberty Parker
VS Note: An ‘expanded’ re-release.
Blaze Montgomery, the president of the West Texas chapter of the Dark Leopards MC, is up against his biggest challenge he’s faced yet. Women and men are missing from his town, he’s beside himself trying to figure out who they are and what they’re up to. Why his town? Why his people? When he discovers the truth behind these questions, how far will he go to save them all? Betrayal unlike any he’s ever come up against slams unceremoniously into him. These were trusted members of the shifter community. He believed in them and supported them, but now, what will that end up costing him? Glory Montgomery is on a mission. As the mate and old lady to Blaze, she must overcome her personal feelings and support him no matter what. Her best friend has lost everything, and Glory must sit idly by and watch as her friend struggles through her latest tragedy… one that ends up being the club’s worst nightmare come to fruition. Can she keep their secrets closely guarded? Or will she end up hurting her mate and club while caring for her friend? As secrets unfold and life turns their world upside down, will these two mates make it through? Will they hold strong to one another and come out on the other side unscathed? Only time will tell.
WITCHING FOR HOPE: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (PREMONITION POINT BOOK 2) by Deanna Chase
Hope Anderson loves her life. She has a great business that’s thriving, the best friends a girl could ever have, and a coven she can count on. Oh, and she’s been single for over fifteen years and likes it that way… until the love of her life, Lucas King, walks back into town and throws everything she thought she knew about herself into chaos. If that wasn’t enough, now her mother is in town to warn her about a curse that happens to all the Anderson women when they turn forty-six, and she isn’t talking about hot flashes or mood swings. When her mother moves in and Grace’s business is suddenly on the rocks, it’s going to take all of her magic to get her life back on track. The question is, will Lucas prove he deserves to be traveling that line with her, or will she walk away the same way she did fifteen years ago?
LUNA DARKNESS (LUNA RISING SERIES BOOK 4) by Sara Snow
With a war raging between vampires, humans, and werewolves……the world has been thrown into a state of CHAOS. Humans are selfish creatures that believe the world belongs to them and only them. Despite the fact that werewolves hate vampires and want them gone as much as the humans do, they are being hunted along with the vampires. I didn’t know what was happening when I single-handedly killed two vampires when they attacked me. It released something hidden deep within me, and now I’m wanted by vampires, werewolves, and humans. I’m a freak among freaks.
Now I’m the hunted among the hunted, running for my life with my knights by my side, my two alphas, Xavier and Axel. But what the hell is happening to me?! Everything is changing. The world is coming to an end.
WOLF CHILD (YEAR OF THE WOILF BOOK 1) by Serena Akeroyd
SABINA – I’m human. They’re… not. I’m afraid. They’re not. We’re mated. We’re whole. And together? We’re going to change the Pack. Forever.Violence thrust me into this world. My past defined me. I was on the run. Constantly evading an adolescence loaded with heartbreak and fear, and then the end came. But with it? I found a new beginning. Three mates. Three Alphas. All mine. To have. To hold. Their protection gives me a future.Their love gives me wings…But the best intentions can still lead us to hell, and for the first time in my life, I have a future worth fighting for. Only, that doesn’t take away my living demons. When they come for me, which they will, I’m no longer alone. But can I survive if fate has given me an expiration date I avoided a decade ago?
GODDESS OF SEA AND WAR (KINGDOM IN THE SEA BOOK 3) by Vivienne Savage and Domino Taylor
As the day of her wedding approaches, Kai discovers Atlantis isn’t the only realm threatened by the Gloom. Darkness spreads to more than the underwater kingdom, and if she’s to abolish the evil of the dark sea gods, she’ll need to make new allies beyond the ocean.
SON AND THRONE (KAITLYN AND THE HIGHLANDER BOOK 11) by Diana Knightley
VS note: Time travel
Everyone they love is in the past. The throne is in the future, it demands to be reckoned with. And Kaitlyn and Magnus must protect the son, no matter the cost. Even if it means losing it all.
BEASTS AND BAUBLES (TRIXIE TOWERS BOOK 4) by Scarlett Dawn
Trixie Towers and the five rulers are off on an underwater adventure into the unknown.
A FINE MESS (BRIMSTONE BOOK 7) by Angel Martinez
Beware the demon prince who’s sick and tired of running. Federico Duomo is dead, to begin with. But this is only the first bit of Shax’s problems resolved. Powerful crime lords and an obscenely wealthy oligarch are still determined to destroy him and his crew, and Fluffy’s original owner may be coming after the Brimstone now, too. It would be splendid to be able to take on one thing at a time. Adding to the external conflicts, life on board the Brimstone has only grown increasingly stranger. Shax has no idea what to do with the seven partly human children that Heckle rescued from slavers. Heckle himself has grown short-tempered, even with Mac. Someone from Julian’s past catches up to them on Barbary. It’s enough to put a demon off his cinnamon buns. Shax isn’t panicking, though. In fact he’s had it up to his handsome royal nose with the people he loves having to live in constant fear. The fox has turned at bay and the Brimstone’s enemies are in for a shock. The demon prince of thieves is coming for them.
DRAGON DILEMMA (SUPERNATURAL CONSULTANT BOOK 3) by Mell Eight
Dane hasn’t spoken with his mother in years and he’s never met his father. But somehow his mother finds out about Mercury and the kits anyway, and it’s difficult to throw one’s mother out when she happens to be a powerful, dangerous witch. She isn’t the only uninvited guest, and the others are even less likely to take no for an answer—and much more likely to leave everyone dead if they don’t get what they want.
HEART AND SOUL (PARANORMAL ROCK STAR ROMANCE) by Karen Michelle Nutt
VS Note: I’ve really been enjoying the snippets she’s shared recently. The book is on my TBR List.
80s rock star, Haley Rose and her boyfriend went missing without a trace on October 31, 1988 and were eventually presumed dead. Three decades later, thirty-year-old, Rowan Beckett, recalls things only Haley Rose would know, and she can belt out songs in the same unique fashion. However, Rowan couldn’t be the missing rock star since Haley would now be in her fifties. Could Haley Rose have come back reincarnated as Rowan Beckett? Or is Rowan as delusional as her family suspects?
DIVORCE, DIVINATION…AND DESTONY?: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (MIDLIFE MAYHEM BOOK 2) by Melinda Chase
VS Note: From early July
I thought my life was over at forty. Turns out, it had only just begun . . .There’s nothing like experiencing delayed ‘magical-puberty’ at midlife, but that’s where I am. One world-altering secret revealed and my safety bubble snapped into thin air. Discovering I’m the next descendant in a long line of witches was eventful enough, but it’s nothing compared to finding out that I’m also the only half-fae-hybrid in existence. At least it got my mind off my divorce.
Now, with my newfound abilities, the impossible seems possible and the world around me has come to life in ways I never imagined. But with every new blessing, there comes a curse. The Fae don’t like me. The Hunter’s Council is searching for me. And my sometimes-enemy, sometimes-crush, Hunter, has disappeared. I’m not sure I’m ready for what’s coming, but I’ll be damned if I let the next chapter in my life, be a short one.
TIGER AND THE UNICORN (FUC ACADEMY) by Susan Hayes
Forget the wrong side of the tracks. These two shifters are from opposite sides of the food chain. Sergei is a tiger-shifter who lives by a set of rules as clear as the stripes on his fur. Steaks should always be served rare, catnaps are the best naps, and prey should never try to be predators. Tabitha was a horse-shifter with a love for lists and a yen for a little adventure. Then she ate the wrong vegan doughnut and woke up with a new hairdo, a horn, and some serious anger management issues. If this is what adventure is like, she’s ready to go back to being boring. He’s been hired to train shifters in the art of survival. She’s just trying to get a handle on her new reality. When destiny throws a librarian and a TV star together, tempers will flare, passion will burn, and someone’s going to get horny. Tiger and the Unicorn is part of Eve Langlais’ Furry United Coalition F.U.C. EveL World.
THE FAITHLESS HAWK (THE MERCIFUL CROW SERIES BOOK 2) by Margaret Owen
As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana’s merciless bid for the throne. With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows—and add numbers to her monstrous army—Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever. A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows—secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.
DEBT OF BLOOD: A VAMPIRE HUNTER PARANORMAL STEAMPUNK ROMANCE (HARKER LEGACY BOOK 2) by Erin Hayes
BABY HARKER NEXT – That’s the warning that was left for me from a grisly murder scene. A promise of what would happen if I fail to stop more abominations from terrorizing London. I thought I knew horror. I thought I knew what to expect from the vampires my family has hunted for generations. But now, it’s no longer about my own safety. My unborn child is marked as the next victim. Harlot. Spinster. Vampire Hunter. I’ve been called many things. But I’ve never been called “Mummy” – and that’s what scares me the most. And when Jared, the sailor I put on a boat bound for New York and the father of my baby, walks through my door – everything else in my fragile world falls apart.
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE 91: A GATE OF LIGHT by Bella Forrest
When the world turns upside down…The rest of the real Shadians have been transported to the fake Shade and replaced by clones. Sofia, Derek, and the others are thankful to be reunited with their loved ones, but it comes at a price: they’re now trapped in the wrong dimension without a single shimmering portal in sight. In order to stop Hrista from destroying everything they hold dear, Thayen must lead his crew on their most dangerous mission yet—but the journey home proves longer and more unpredictable than they ever imagined.
Now finished with Anunit’s challenges and closer than ever to achieving their shared dream, Tristan and Unending make their way back to The Shade, completely unaware of the big switch that’s happened in their absence. They soon realize something’s not right, but with Death out hunting for the World Crusher and Hrista’s powerful magic cutting them off from the rest of the world, Tristan and a mortal Unending are on their own.
EYES OF CRIMSON (TRANSFUSION SAGA BOOK 8) by Stephanie Hudson
The plan was simple, step into Hell, Find some infected roots, try my hand at fixing them, And then it was well done Amelia, you saved the day! But I didn’t bargain on a few factors set against me, The most obvious being that this…well this was Hell. And in this realm of Hell there were rules, there was a hierarchy and as for me, I was at the bottom of it. A dangerous place to be, especially when the man at the top was known as a tyrant king. A heartless, cold and ruthless ruler. Oh, and one more thing…he just so happened to be my boyfriend. And he was…furious with me.
PHANTOM OF THE LIBRARY (PARANORMAL hOUSE FLIPPERS BOOK 3) by Lidaya Foxglove
VS Note: Was unable to locate a blurb when post was prepared.
CROSSINGS: A NOVEL by Alex Landragin
VS Note: This story sounds so different!
On the brink of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a German-Jewish bookbinder stumbles across a manuscript called Crossings. It has three narratives, each as unlikely as the next. And the narratives can be read one of two ways: either straight through or according to an alternate chapter sequence. The first story in Crossings is a never-before-seen ghost story by the poet Charles Baudelaire, penned for an illiterate girl. Next is a noir romance about an exiled man, modeled on Walter Benjamin, whose recurring nightmares are cured when he falls in love with a storyteller who draws him into a dangerous intrigue of rare manuscripts, police corruption, and literary societies. Finally, there are the fantastical memoirs of a woman-turned-monarch whose singular life has spanned seven generations. With each new chapter, the stunning connections between these seemingly disparate people grow clearer and more extraordinary. Crossings is an unforgettable adventure full of love, longing and empathy.
FLYAWAY by Kathleen Jennings
In a small Western Queensland town, a reserved young woman receives a note from one of her vanished brothers—a note that makes her question memories of their disappearance and her father’s departure. A beguiling story that proves that gothic delights and uncanny family horror can live—and even thrive—under a burning sun, Flyaway introduces readers to Bettina Scott, whose search for the truth throws her into tales of eerie dogs, vanished schools, cursed monsters, and enchanted bottles. Flyaway enchants you with the sly, beautiful darkness of Karen Russell and a world utterly its own.
SHADOWLANDS SECTOR TWO BY Mila Young
It’s only a matter of time before I destroy them all…A raging, bloodthirsty wolf isn’t the only deadly thing inside me. So, I have to do what I’ve always done best. Run. Leaving my alphas and the first taste of love I’ve ever known is the only answer now. And even when Fate steps in and puts us all back together, including a sexy new alpha with troubles of his own, I can’t stay. Even though it’s killing me to go. The pain of being away from them will literally kill me, but no matter what happens to me, I can’t let them pay for my weakness. I can’t save myself, but I can save them. I can save them from seeing what I will become… But my dominant alphas are better hunters than I am prey, and they’re determined to keep me…whatever the cost.
WITCHES AND WEDDING CAKE (A MAGICAL BAKERY MYSTERY BOOK 9) by Bailey Cates
Katie will be marrying firefighter Declan McCarthy in less than a week, and she’s still finding time to run the Honeybee Bakery, where she infuses sweets and treats with special spells and cheerful charms. But her hope of getting hitched without a hitch is short-lived. When Declan’s family shows up early to enjoy a few extra days in Savannah, his youngest sister finds an unsavory surprise: her ex-husband, dead in a hotel room hours after they argued. The ex was scam artist with a lot of enemies, but the argument puts Declan’s sister under suspicion. Between dress fittings and dough-kneading, Katie—along with her witchy friends in the spellbook club—will really have to work some magic to figure out who killed the con man…or there may not be a wedding.
MIST AND MAGIC by Lindsay Buroker
As a freelance assassin, Val Thorvald leads a dangerous life. She’s learned not to stay in the same place for long and not to get too attached to anything. For example, she would never consider adopting a pet. But when she’s searching for a missing friend, she finds an abandoned silver tiger cub. The magical feline is clearly from another realm, but Val has no idea which one or how to send it back. All she knows is that it’s the only witness to her friend’s kidnapping. Val can kick the butts of ogres, trolls, and wizards, but she has no experience taking care of pets—certainly not magical tigers. And as she quickly learns, the cub has teeth like a chainsaw. Soon, everything from her apartment to her seat belts to the hair on her head is in danger. But if Val can’t forge a bond with the cub, figure out what it knows, and find her missing friend, more than her belongings—and her hair—may be at risk.
GHOST WOOD SONG by Erica Waters
Shady Grove inherited her father’s ability to call ghosts from the grave with his fiddle, but she also knows the fiddle’s tunes bring nothing but trouble and darkness. But when her brother is accused of murder, she can’t let the dead keep their secrets. In order to clear his name, she’s going to have to make those ghosts sing.
THE BLACK RIDER (END OF DAYS BOOK 2) by J B Trepagnier
It’s the apocalypse, and apparently, I can’t trust anyone. Aeron had every opportunity to explain the horses that were haunting my drawings. I asked him several times about his crazy zombie killing horse. He omitted to tell me he was the Horseman of Death until Leif let it slip he was the Horseman of Pestilence when he introduced himself to me. I don’t know who I’m madder at—Aeron for lying to me or me for just ignoring all the clues and telling myself there was no way it was possible and trusting him. I’m trapped in a militarized city in Mexico with two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They say they are my friends, but are they really? Does Aeron actually care about me, or was that some big ruse to get me here so Leif could take my blood? Aeron is apologetic, but Leif seems to want to talk. Maybe he’ll actually tell me the truth about how my blood caused the apocalypse.
CHOSEN SHADOW (DEMON BAYOU SERIES BOOK 4) by S Lawrence
These angels don’t have halos, and the demons aren’t after your soul. She’s been sent to spy on them, to watch from afar and report on the demons that walk among humans. She finds herself somewhere even more dangerous, with the angels. Angels who give her to someone who intends to enslave her. Angels. Demons. Protectors and killers. Who can Misaka trust when everything is a lie? Zeph is a demon with the soul of an angel. Eternally trying to right his wrongs he is drawn to her without even seeing her face. He is the dealer of justice but he has judged the innocent and now he is paying for it. They will both have to choose sides and look deep within themselves before the end. But, what they learn about themselves, will surprise them most of all.
HUNT THE DARK (NIGHT TRAVELER BOOK 2) by Becca Andre
For shaman Tegan Morgenstern, dreams are a bridge to the spirit world and something she has always guarded against. But now that she has faced the monsters from her past, she is free to explore a side of herself she has long denied—until she comes to the attention of Tezcatlipoca, a talented shapeshifter named for an Aztec god. It seems she has piqued his interest, but figuring out his true intentions will have to wait.
In the waking world, Tegan must watch her friend Xol gradually lose control of his own shamanistic magic, opening him to possession by an ancestral spirit. Xol is losing large chunks of time, unable to remember where he’s been or what he’s been doing. But when local law enforcement discovers the blood of a murder victim in Xol’s vehicle, things go from bad to worse. Out of options, Tegan has no choice but to accept the help of Tezcatlipoca. The arrogant immortal seems confident that he can exorcise Xol, but the question remains: what will the self-declared god demand in return?
DEVILISH GAME (SHADOW GUILD: THE REBEL BOOK 4) by Linsey Hall
Life as I know it is irrevocably changed. I’m now the leader of the Shadow Guild, a ragtag bunch of supernaturals who don’t quite fit in anywhere but together. It should be perfect, but of course the magical world is never so easy.
For one, the man that I’m falling for—the Devil of Darkvale—is doomed by a curse that will drag him to hell. There’s only one solution—use magic to break the ancient, fated bond that binds us, and then don’t fall for each other.
That becomes difficult when a series of kidnappings forces us to work together. Love might equal death for the Devil and I, but with so many lives at stake, we must work together to save them…all without succumbing to the pull of fate.
OPIUM SMUGGLER: SWORD AND STEAMPUNK (THE VIPER AND THE URCHIN BOOK 7) by Celine Jeanjean
Adelma has one dream: to set herself up as a smuggler. But as the daughter of a fisherman, that’s easier said than done. As she slowly starts to network in the smuggling world, she comes across a man who loudly mocks her looks. What’s a self-respecting wannabe smuggler to do? Punch his lights out, of course. Preferably in front of an audience—adding humiliation to injury. But the man turns out to be far more powerful than she realised, successfully ensuring no one in the smuggling world will give her work. With no options left, Adelma turns to one of the most dangerous people in Damsport. No one knows where The Widow comes from, whether she’s truly a widow, or how she came to operate Damsport’s largest criminal network. The one thing everyone knows? You don’t mess with the Widow, and if you work for her, you better make damn sure you’re successful. The consequences of failure don’t bear thinking about. Except that Adelma’s first smuggling job is going to be a route that no seasoned smuggler has ever survived. That’s enough of a challenge, but it’ll be even harder with someone after her, determined to make sure she fails. Adelma’s too stubborn to quit, but will she be able to pull off the impossible, or will she get herself killed in the process?
IRON TEARS: AN IRON SOULS NOVELLA by Becca Andre
After her mother’s tragic death, Kali finds herself alone in the world—until a newspaper article accuses her mother of witchcraft. Now Kali can’t even drown her sorrows at the tavern without attracting the attention of local bullies, as well as an enigmatic stranger who comes to her aid. Perseus has no trouble stopping the bar fight—much to Kali’s annoyance at being denied a good brawl. But when he insists that she is only half human, like him, she decides it is best that they part ways. But avoiding her new acquaintance isn’t as easy as she hoped. Not when she is confronted by the cloaked man Perseus is hunting. When the man recognizes her mother’s filigree-covered tear catcher, Kali sees in him a possible link to the past and answers to her own mysterious ancestry. If Perseus doesn’t kill him first.
THE HARP AND THE SEA by Lou Sylvre and Anne Barwell
In 1605, Robbie Elliot—a Reiver and musician from the Scottish borders—nearly went to the gallows. The Witch of the Hermitage saved him with a ruse, but weeks later, she cursed him to an ethereal existence in the sea. He has seven chances to come alive, come ashore, and find true love. For over a century, Robbie’s been lost to that magic; six times love has failed. When he washes ashore on the Isle of Skye in 1745, he’s arrived at his last chance at love, his last chance at life.
Highland warrior Ian MacDonald came to Skye for loyalty and rebellion. He’s lost once at love, and stands as an outsider in his own clan. When Ian’s uncle and laird sends him to lonely Skye to hide and protect treasure meant for Bonnie Prince Charlie’s coffers, he resigns himself to a solitary life—his only companion the eternal sea. Lonely doldrums transform into romance and mystery when the tide brings beautiful Robbie Elliot and his broken harp ashore. A curse dogs them, enemies hunt them, and war looms over their lives. Robbie and Ian will fight with love, will, and the sword. But without the help of magic and ancient gods, will it be enough to win them a future together?
DEATH OF A WICKED WITCH (HAYLEY POWELL MYSTERY BOOK 13) by Lee Hollis
Bar Harbor, Maine, is quieter in the off-season, but the population has just increased a bit with the arrival of Ted and Trudy Lancaster. Ted’s taking over for a retiring minister, and Trudy runs a food truck called Wicked ’Wiches. When she stops in at the Island Times office to place an ad, Hayley happily devours the sample sub Trudy offers—and the two become fast friends.
When Trudy tragically dies in her truck while catering a Halloween party, suspicion falls on a cranky, competitive caterer who’d made veiled threats to Trudy. But the case becomes more complicated when Hayley’s husband admits he’d seen someone dressed as a witch hurrying away from the food truck—not very helpful when countless women at the party wore the same costume. Now Hayley finds herself sandwiched between witches and witnesses as she considers a smorgasbord of suspects. If she finds the killer, she’ll be a local hero.
SEDONA SCANDAL (SEDONA PACK BOOK 3) by Lisa Kessler
Chandler Williams keeps his personal life very separated from his public life as a news anchor, but the new story he’s chasing seems to lead him on a collision course with not only exposing himself as a jaguar shifter, but potentially his entire Pack. He should drop it, but after meeting with the woman with haunting gray eyes he can’t turn back.
Wendy Cain still has nightmares of the night she was bitten by a werewolf and changed forever, and she’s determined to find a cure even if it means becoming a lab rat for the government. When she brings her story to her favorite investigative news anchor, one touch turns her world upside down. Her wolf recognizes her mate. But loving him could be the end for both of them.
ALL BOTTLED UP by Christine d’Abo
*This is a re-issue of All Bottled Up, 2008* Call center worker Viola White makes a living selling dream vacations. Too bad her own life is a litany of unfilled fantasies. Prime example the boss she pines for barely knows she exists. Now that she s won a trip to a Mexican beach resort, though, she vows to shake things up. Instead she winds up alone, empty handed and with a sore toe from the beautiful bottle she s tripped over. A bottle that s purple, gold and stuffed with over six feet of blue-eyed, black-haired hunk. If anyone could teach her how to seduce her boss, it s this sexy genie. Jerod can t believe his bad luck. Three thousand years of granting frivolous wishes, and now he s stuck playing matchmaker. A series of sensual lessons later, he finds there s something different about this shy Viola. Something that tempts him to try to break free of his curse and make a life for himself with her. All he has to do is convince Viola that the man of her dreams is a dud. And the right man for the job of loving her is a genie.
BOOK OF THE WING (VESIK 15) by Eric Asher
Investigating clues hidden in an ancient mosaic beneath Falias, Foster and Zola are taken east to blood-soaked lands the old necromancer hoped never to return to. What awaits the battle weary warriors in Antietam can only be described as a field of death. The Utukku who guard those sacred grounds are not alone. Yet even with the support of the Irish Brigade, the Fae armory may be no match for the enemies rising against them. If their forces fall, the last hope of obtaining the tetradrachm will be crushed. But when an enemy-turned-ally arrives to help, Bloody Lane will earn its title once more.
A MOST EXCELLENT MIDLIFE CRISIS: PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL: GOOD TO THE LAST DEATH BOOK 3 by Robyn Peterman
Midlife’s a bumpy journey. The ride is a freaking rollercoaster. The crisis is real. With my life back to normal—normal being a very relative word—one would think I’d catch a break. One would be very wrong. With an Angel gunning for me and a Demon in my bed, life couldn’t be more complicated. Not to mention, I’m going to have to make a rather large life choice. Do I want to live forever? Does anyone? Forever is a very long time. Whatever. I’ll think about it tomorrow… or next week… or next month. As long as I have my girlfriends, my dogs, a super-sized case of merlot and my deceased squatters, I’m good to go. My midlife crisis. My rules. If it doesn’t kill me dead first, I plan to have a most excellent midlife crisis.
HOW NOT TO DATE A VAMP (HOW NOT TO BOOK 4) by Stephanie Burke
What do you get when your greatest strength lies in not dying easy? If you are lucky and no one confuses you with a pop culture vampire, and if you diet and exercise to keep your weight down, you just might get the girl. But first you have to avoid the hunters on your trail, the cost of replacing your clothing, and get over your phobia about wood.
Only if he overcomes these obstacles will Virgil spend the better part of his afterlife with Barb. If he can survive dating.
BLOOD INTERWOVEN: THE LAURENT LEGACY BOOK 4 (MAGIC NEW MEXICO BOOK 52) by Evelyn Lederman, Foreward by S E Smith
Blood drove him to her, while magic caused him to transform her. For centuries, Francois Laurent existed ignorant of the knowledge about the legacy created in his name. Magic that would transform vampire soul mates into day walkers. However, once he finds his own mate, she rejects him and the promise of eternity together in the light.
Jennifer Flynn wakes after a brutal attack to discover she’s a vampire. Her one concern focuses on protecting her daughter from what she’s become and another vampire who wishes to claim her child. To make matters worse, a boy places his future happiness in her lap. Rather than accept their fates, Francois and Jennifer fight what others believe is inevitable. In Magic, New Mexico style, spells are cast that further complicate matters.
A TASTE OF SPICE AND SPENDOR: CIRCLE OF SOULS BOOK 1 by Lacuna Reid
When life hands you lemons, why not swap them with limes and make margaritas with your four sexy Mediterranean soul mates? I’m Mira Krom and all I ever wanted was a to be a chef and live in a cute little cottage, but quite frankly, my life’s a mess – and I only make matters worse by walking out on my asshole boss……but that’s when everything changes – that’s when I meet Gino. Normally, I wouldn’t take a random job offer from a stranger in a bar, even one with such compelling green eyes, but what choice do I have? There’s an eviction notice on my door, and Gino makes me an offer I can’t refuse. Now I’m the new chef at a gorgeous luxury resort, and the center of attention among the four incredibly hot, wealthy, Mediterranean men who own the place: Gino, Theo, Elias and Helio. But things really are too good to be true; they’re treating me like I’m some kind of special guest, rather than a lowly employee… and why am I so voraciously drawn to all four of them? Weirder still, how is it possible that they are connected to the steamy dreams I’ve always had… the dreams of Ancient Greece? Something is happening here, something not entirely of this world……and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to figure out what it is.
RECKONING (MOUNTAIN MAGIC BOOIK 3) by Dakota Brown
After rescuing me from the Andersons, my men are dreaming of a bloody revenge. Me? All I want is to be left alone long enough to work through finals and enjoy my free time with the boys who love me so much. But we can’t find peace until the Andersons are gone. I have the knowledge I need to fight back, but the enemy still has an ace in the hole. He’s a demon named Ash, extremely powerful and one of the first people I met when I moved into town. Not like I knew he was a demon then, but I didn’t recognize the rest of my pack for what they were, either. Worse, outsiders are starting to take interest in the conflict between us and the Andersons. I can’t trust them to help us, but the possibility of what they’d do with our secrets sends shivers down my spine. I don’t want to have to be rescued again. Together we have a chance at victory. Apart…we’re doomed.
BORN TO BE WITCHY (NOT YOUR BASIC WITCH BOOK 4) by A J Macey and Jarica James
Aris Calisto was not your basic witch in the world of Akasha; with pink hair, sass, and an unusual upbringing that gave her a unique perspective on things, she wouldn’t accept being held back forever. After many twists, turns, and uphill battles, Aris and her men finally have their happy ever after. Going on the run, facing off with the council, and changing the world for the better… anything after that should be easy. Witchful thinking, right? But with a batty bachelorette party, a wickedly fun wedding, and a lot of spelltastic sparks between them, they find themselves facing a whole new cauldron full of surprises. With her capricious coven behind her, can Aris use her i’magic’nation to learn how to navigate the world of married life? Or will she have to use every trick in the spellbook?
A CROWN OF SMOKE AND ASH (THE SHADOW WALKERS SAGA BOOK 2) by Sloane Murphy
VS Note: From the end of June
After having my life turned upside down, I discovered past me had left more than one thing that needed fixing. Past me was awesome. Saved by an angel, protected by him and the three other men I love, I learn there’s more to the mystery of my past lives than I ever could have realized. With danger around every corner, wrongs from a long-forgotten past, and more betrayal than I ever thought possible. I try to realign a world gone awry. Can we survive all that is to come?
SAVED BY THE LION (SHIFTERS HUNT) by Selina Woods
As ruler of post-apocalyptic Detroit, Griffin the lion-shifter governs over thousands of subjects. Children stare up at him in awe. Women flush over his good looks. Men leap to obey his command. But for all those who kneel in his shadow, Griffin refuses to trust a single soul. Life has taught him that no heart is free of corruption, especially his own. Cherished by her parents and friends, young Iliana has been cloaked in love from her earliest days. But as she blooms into womanhood, the beasts of their city begin to circle, threatening the safety of those she cares for most. When it becomes clear that Iliana’s only hope for survival is under the king’s protection, she’s forced to leave everything she knows and trust in his goodwill. But with evil forces at work Griffin must learn to open his heart and follow his instincts, or risk making a fatal mistake.
ALL KIDDING ASIDE: MAGICAL MATES BOOK 1 by Macy Blake
Building houses for a pack of orphans might lead one griffin to find his heart’s home. Victor Eastaughffe knows three things for a fact: -He does not have a mate. -He does not like children. -His duty is to his griffin clan. When Victor meets Orsen Riggs, a scruffy bear shifter, and little Gus, an orphaned red panda cub, his orderly, structured world becomes messy and chaotic. All the things he once held true suddenly don’t make sense. Asked to help the Smith pack navigate the difficult world of shifter politics, Victor realizes he might not know himself as well as he thought. Magic is in the air, and it’s making him long for things he never wanted before. But duty comes before all else, even at a price Victor no longer wants to pay.
OMENS by Suzanne Wright
She’s the one thing he can’t control . . .Since Keenan’s traumatic childhood he’s made sure he’s always in control. Of himself, and of the world around him. But Khloe drives him crazy. She’s an imp, so getting under people’s skin is basically her job description, but Khloe makes him – and his body – respond in ways he’s never known. Keenan is the mistake Khloe knows she shouldn’t make. As an incubus, he’s got an inside track into everything that makes her tick, and even though she’s immune to his supernatural sex appeal, that doesn’t stop her body – and her demon – craving him. After a bet escalates the simmering tension between them it’s finally game on . . . and then the game turns deadly serious. When a danger appears that could threaten the whole lair, Keenan’s desperate to protect Khloe any way he can – but will she accept his claim, and can he accept the power she has over him?
SHAWN: SPRING (SHIFTER SEASONS BOOK 5) by Harmony Raines
He’s found his mate, at last. Can she stop him losing his daughter? Cougar shifter, Shawn, has been a father to Jane since she was a baby. He didn’t know her past, he was only interested in giving her the best future possible—and keeping her safe. Now her future is in jeopardy as secrets are revealed and unknown enemies unmasked. But he’s not alone when it comes to keeping Jane safe. His mate is by his side every step of the way. Joanna, gorgeous, strong, and funny, she is the perfect woman for him. The perfect mate and, if given the chance, Shawn knows she will be the perfect mother. She’s also a very capable police detective. Surely, the bad guys don’t stand a chance. But they soon find out there is more than just Jane at risk. As the stakes are raised, will they ever find their happy ever after together?
Joanna is a wolf shifter who had given up all hope of ever finding her mate. Instead, she poured her energy into bringing bad people to justice. Including the man who was responsible for killing her father. But just as she is starting to move on, Shawn enters her life. Smart, sexy, and a loving father, he is the mate of her dreams. However, she is soon drawn back into the corrupt world that ended in her father’s murder. Only this time she intends for everyone to come out of it alive. When two mates join forces, nothing can stop them. Of course, it helps to have a dragon shifter fighting alongside them. Even one as cantankerous as Fiona.
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VS Note: Going to mention this fairly new release of mine again…I’ve been so happy about the reviews and it’s been recommended on BookBub by readers!
The blurb: Newly graduated from a prestigious interstellar medical school, Dr. Saffia Mandell has been assigned to the Haven Two colony on the galaxy’s outer rim as the only doctor for some 2000 human residents. She’s counting the days until her five years there is up, trying to adjust to rural living after life in the crowded Inner Sectors and fighting her attraction to Chief Ranger Micah Navonn. She’s dreading the upcoming tourist season when the rich and pampered will descend on the planet for the scenic wonders and novel sports opportunities and no doubt inundate her little clinic but the colony depends on the seasonal income to survive.
As the senior official for his people, the Calinurra, the indigenous inhabitants of Haven Two, Micah enforces the treaty, regulates the tourist permits, patrols the forests and resists his fascination with Dr. Mandell. He never expected to be involved with a human woman and doesn’t want to believe in the concept of a fated mate. He wants to keep his life simple and isn’t ready for any long term commitment. Besides Saffia keeps proclaiming she’ll be leaving when her appointment is up in four and a half years so why should he risk his heart?
Then a ship arrives unexpectedly carrying a very ill little girl and soon the deadly virus is spreading through Haven Two. The colony authorities are desperate to cover up the problem to preserve the all-important tourist season and Saffia and Micah have to work together to battle the outbreak, the local administration and their undeniable feelings for each other.
Can the colony survive? And will Micah and Saffia be able to move past their fears about entanglements to act on the mutual attraction?
An 87K word novel of the far future…
Amazon Apple Books Kobo Nook 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.
Wow, Tanith Lee. Read loads in the past, but not seen this one before. Off to one click.
Gill
I didn’t remember reading that one either so I was definitely intrigued and felt I should include it! Sounded pretty good…