New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for Wednesday SEPT 30

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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CROSS: INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY (BEAST BATTALION BOOK 1) by Elsa Jade

A strange bargain…Tyler Lang took the offer for a data-processing job in Sunset Falls, Montana—“Big Sky Country: Where the stars are close enough to touch!”—as a chance to escape a humiliating breakup. Mr. Evens’ Odds & Ends Shop sounded like a great place to hide and focus solely (meaning ALONE) on her beloved numbers. Except she’s constantly distracted by the looming presence of the shop’s weirdly hot security guard. What kind of thrift store in the middle of nowhere needs protection? Not to mention a guard literally hot enough to make her computer smoke. These numbers just aren’t adding up. A secret task…As captain of his banished beast battalion, Wyvryn Cross will take any job that keeps his fighters free from intergalactic incarceration. He’ll even work for a devious Dirter who claims to be reopening a defunct Intergalactic Dating Agency outpost on Earth. Cross doesn’t believe in a “universal mating algorithm”…until his smoldering gaze alights on the shy female who doesn’t know anything about aliens on Earth and doesn’t even realize she’s writing a love code. Unfortunately, suddenly smoldering eyes are a bad sign in a Wyvryn. A last chance…
They should just do their jobs and go their separate ways, but when a mysterious saboteur tries to shut down the Intergalactic Dating Agency before it opens, Tyler and Cross must work together to perfect her code. Even if that demands some hot kisses under the bright Montana stars.

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FLETCHER: STARGAZER ALIEN MYSTERY BRIDES #2 (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Tasha Black

Jana Watson used to be embarrassed of her larger-than-life physique, then a stint in live theatre taught her to love herself just as she is. Now she is on her way to the role of a lifetime. When a drop-dead gorgeous alien professes his love, her lifelong career plan is put to the test.
Fletcher’s big body was designed to attract the women of Earth. But the only one he actually wants seems determined to ignore the undeniable heat between them. He’s trying his best to give the fearless beauty the space she needs. But he’s traveled lightyears to find her and he’s not about to give up now. When the mysteries in town begin to escalate, the two are thrown together on a dangerous mission for the detective agency. Can Jana resist her growing bond with Fletcher and keep her eyes on the prize? Or will he finally convince her that she can have it all?

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HER CYBORG MATES (ZODIAC CYBORGS BOOK 4) by Mina Carter

Even the most feared beings in the galaxy need love…A cancer class cyborg, all Cael has ever known is war and pain. The love and support of her unit is all that kept her going even in the darkest days. But only two of them make her burn with need and desire, but she can’t let it show. They’re gemini’s, coded for seduction, and she knows they’d never look twice at a nerdy cancer like her. She’d die for them, but kiss them? Romance? She’s not brave enough to make that first move…She’s all they’ve ever wanted, and everything they think they can’t have…Infiltration units pulled from their tanks at the same time, Eoin and Archon have always done everything together. Every battle, every undercover mission for the fleet, they’ve been by each other’s side. The one thing that could come between them? Cael, their unit’s delicate, beautiful cancer class. They’ve shared before, can they persuade her that her future lies with not one of them, but both? But life as the galaxy’s most feared and hunted race is never easy. When Cael is taken by their enemies, she must make a choice. Her life or the lives of the men she loves.

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PLANETARY ANTHOLOGIES SERIES: JUPITER (TUSCANY BAY’S PLNANETARY ANTHOLOGY SERIES 8) by Various

VS Note: Not romance…

There are stories here that explore the mythology of Zeus and the personalities in myth, as well as urban fantasy and fantasy stories that explore our understanding of leadership. The science fiction worlds range from splendidly alien to profoundly human to mixes of each as authors presented their visions of what life might be like on Jupiter’s moons.

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NO ESCAPING EARTH (ELEMENTAL ALIEN MATES BOOK 4) by Riley Onyx

My father owns the mining company and he’s sending me to oversee the breaking of the ground. I’ve listened to the records of the previous expeditions, and I worry about the missing ships and crew, but we land safely. The planet would make such an idyllic tourist spot…it’s a pity we’re going to dig it up. Then an earthquake swallows our ships and I’m trapped underground with a guy who glows in the dark and has the biggest…hands I’ve ever seen. And he doesn’t want me on his planet. I try to run. I try to hide. I try to bargain with him. I’ll do anything to avoid being consumed by the creatures that live down here. I beg and he gets what he wants. Me.

Amazon

HENCH: A NOVEL by Natalie Zena Walschots

VS Notes: Not a romance. Well reviewed, a release of note…

Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?  As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured.  And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one. So, of course, then she gets laid off. With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks. Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing.  And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance. It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world. A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.

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ALIEN OUTCAST’S EXILED BRIDE (DRACONIAN WARRIORS BOOK ) by Juno Wells

Pern I’ve killed a queen. She was a vicious Draconian queen bent on death and destruction but she was my queen none the less. And I gunned her down in cold blood. No male has ever killed a queen and lived to tell the tale. Queen Cassandra granted me a pardon and took me into her favor for siding when her when the war was all but lost. I try to act normal but nightmares plague my sleep and the other warriors look at me as broken. When times of war called me to action again, I answered for I have nothing else to lose. Being forced to cover a human queen does strange things to my mind and body. I begin to covet things I know the other warriors will never permit me to have.
Jade – Being exiled from the bio-domes on Earth is a death sentence. I roam in a group of five looking for water, scavenging food where we can find it. When we’re turned away from the last human city and are on the verge of death we stumble upon a Draconian emergency station. When I ask for sanctuary the male assigned to speak me with is stunning. He puts himself between me and the enemy, saves my life and offers me sanctuary. The thing is,
I want more. He might be standoffish and cold at times but once we touch all the ice melts away leaving only searing hot passion. That’s what keeps me coming back.

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STOLEN TRIBUTE (ZEXIAN TRIBUTES BOOK 2) by Luna Wren

When I accepted to be one of Earth’s Tributes to the Zexian warriors, I didn’t expect to be kidnapped during the ceremony. This rogue Zexian claims that he is one of the good guys. Jaxir stole me away from the warrior who claimed me, risking both of our lives in the process. Now we’re on the run from an elite alien warrior who I was sworn to, and I can’t keep fighting the feelings I have for the irresistible rogue. Jaxir swears that it’s our destiny to be together, but am I willing to die for it?

Amazon

THE ARTIST (MEN OF THE NORTH BOOK 11) by Elin Peer

For more than four hundred years, women have ruled the world, but things are finally shifting. My father Magni always despised the Motherlands, and I’m no fan either, but I still go to the yearly summer gatherings that started when I was sixteen. The Northlands, Motherlands, and Old Europe each sends five future leaders. The Europeans are arrogant, the Motlanders are naïve, and neither of the groups seem to understand or accept that we Northlanders are born to lead. This year, we postponed the gathering four months, and since we’re hosting here in the Northlands, our guests were going to discover our beautiful winters. It would have been fine, if not for the un-expected snowstorm and the Europeans leaving one of their women behind. Now, we Nmen are gearing up to find Belle. I’m furious and ready to show the two delegations why they should stick to calculus and meditation and leave us real men to run the world.
I’ve watched Belle grow up over these past ten years. She is as pure and sweet as her art, and even though I can never have her, the thought of her alone and scared in the woods makes me want to kill someone. I’m going to save her life, even if it costs me my own!

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OVERMORROW: STORIES OF OUR BRIGHT FUTURE by Various

VS Note: Not romance…

“OVERMORROW: Stories of our Bright Future” is an anthology of science fiction short stories set in an optimistic future. From classic Golden Age style science fiction to wicked satire, from solarpunk to parody. Colony ships bound for distant solar systems, humans (and chickens) on Mars, Transhumanism and medical revolutions…”

Amazon

THE CONSTANT RABBIT: A NOVEL by Jason FForde

VS Note: What can I say? It’s Jason Fforde. By which I mean, a mind like no other when it comes to thinking up unique plots. Not a romance although the book evidently contains romantic elements. This one’s too weird for me…A release of note…

England, 2022. There are 1.2 million human-size rabbits living in the UK. They can walk, talk, drive cars, and they like to read Voltaire, the result of an Inexplicable Anthropomorphizing Event fifty-five years before. A family of rabbits is about to move into Much Hemlock, a cozy little village in Middle England where life revolves around summer fetes, jam making, gossipy corner stores, and the oh-so-important Best Kept Village awards. No sooner have the rabbits arrived than the villagers decide they must depart, citing their propensity to burrow and breed, and their shameless levels of veganism. But Mrs Constance Rabbit is made of sterner stuff, and her and her family decide they are to stay. Unusually, their neighbors–longtime resident Peter Knox and his daughter, Pippa–decide to stand with them . . . and soon discover that you can be a friend to rabbits or humans, but not both. With a blossoming romance, acute cultural differences, enforced rehoming to a MegaWarren in Wales, and the full power of the ruling United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party against them, Peter and Pippa are about to question everything they had ever thought about their friends, their nation, and their species.

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SUBMITTING TO THE SHADOW: KINDRED TALES 27 by Evangeline Anderson

Samantha Grey is in deep trouble—someone is stalking her and he’s getting closer every day. Desperate to escape, she goes to the one place she knows she can’t be followed—the Kindred Mother Ship. But she needs a job to stay aboard and the only one available in her field is…strange to say the least. When Sammi interviews with her new boss, she can tell that Commander Roark is an Alpha male who will be a challenge to work with. But she has no idea that he will demand her complete submission…or that she will give it willingly.
Commander Roark knows that he wants Sammi the moment he sees her. She’s an Elite—her lush curves call to his deepest desires. But a bad experience with a human woman in the past has made him wary of love. He and Sammi grow closer and closer but when she reveals an unthinkable truth, he sends her away, vowing to never love again.
Heartbroken, Sammi flees back to Earth…and straight into danger. Can Roark rescue her from a deadly fate before time runs out? You’ll have to read Submitting to the Shadow to find out.

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PROMISE FOR VORE (TALLEAN MERCENARIES BOOK 3) by Lynnea Lee

She hated him the moment they met. Burned by love, Lettie is finally ready to date again after a long, self-imposed hiatus from men. But Vore is everything Lettie abhors. The sexy alien is a self-proclaimed ladies’ man and totally not her type. Then why does her body react every time he flashes her his fangs? “Love them and leave them.” That’s what Vore has always said. Why play with feelings when the females he meets only think of mercenaries as one-night stands? Vore lives for the chase, so when the tiniest human female he had ever met tells him off and claims he’s not her type, Vore takes it as a challenge to get her in his bed. With only a few days before his ship leaves the colony for the next mission, will Vore be able to win Lettie’s heart and teach her to love again? Or will she reject him to try her luck with another male, leaving him forever tortured by an unfulfilled mating bond?

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SWEET HARMONY by Claire North

VS Note: Not a romance…

Harmony is tired. Tired of working so hard, tired of the way she looks, tired of being average.
But all that changes when she decides to splash out and upgrade her nanos. And why not? Everyone’s doing it now. With a simple in-app purchase, you can update the tech in your bloodstream to transform yourself – get enhanced brain power, the perfect body or a dazzling smile. Suddenly, everything starts going right for her. She’s finally becoming the person she always wanted to be. But as Harmony will find out, there’s a limit to how many upgrades a body can take.

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THE ROAD TO THE STARS: THE CASSIDY CHRONICLES VOLUME 2 by Adam Gaffen

Cass and Ken are back! Five years after the events in Volume One, life is good for the Cassidys. Aiyana is perfecting her teleporters while running the Heavy Lift Corporation. Kendra is overseeing her ambitious starship project in her own, inimitable way. They want nothing more than to live their lives and raise their girls. It seems, though, that the universe has other plans for them. First there’s a mysterious request to meet with a pair of leaders from the world government; they have a problem and it seems the Cassidy’s are the only ones who can solve it. But they’ve never met a challenge they could walk away from, and this one’s no different. Meanwhile, Kendra has to find a captain and a crew to make her starship come to life. Then there’s the little matter of the science officer…Juggling demands from every direction, will Cass and Ken be able to rise to the occasion again?

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THE INCONSTANT DOPPELGANGER (ELIZABETH HUNTER-PAYNE STEAMPUNK ADVENTURES 4) by Mikala Ash

In a time of rapid technological change which challenges the roots of the empire, Elizabeth witnesses the impossible. The arrival of her late husband’s doppelganger takes Elizabeth Hunter-Payne to the brink of insanity. Captain Nathanial Royston, late of the disgraced East India Company, claims he is innocent of the murder on the Great Northern Express. With the coolly professional Miss Clayton at her side, our feisty heroine investigates three nasty suspects to get to the bottom of the mystery. While doing so, Elizabeth is faced with a cruel reality and comes to a decision that threatens her future happiness.

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THE RED RIDER: A REVERSE HAREM ZOMBIE ROMANCE (END OF DAYS BOOK 3) by JB Trepagnier

The Horseman of War is on the scene and nothing about the apocalypse prepared me for Dice. I thought Aeron and his murdering horse were crazy. Try everything about Dice. I’ll bet his murder horse is even worse than Aeron’s. We’ve moved from Mexico to Dice’s base in Florida. If you’re wondering where all the military ended up after the war, they all follow the Horseman of War now. It must be his angel superpower because not only does he have planes and firepower here, he’s got people that can use them. He’s got people all over the freaking world. I don’t know the first thing about war. In fact, I slept through World War III. Dice has bombs ferreted away, but we aren’t using them to light my father’s ass up and send him back to Hell. The three Horsemen I’ve met so far have some long-term plan. So, Dice is fiddling with explosives to make them into a delivery device for Leif’s zombie killing serum without blowing the rest of humanity to kingdom come.

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THE UNEXPECTED BONDING VOW (ASSASSINS GUILD BOOK 1) (IN THE STARS ROMANCE) by Michelle Howard

Mated? No. Never. The last thing Garik Denikon would do is willingly tie himself to a woman. That would require a level of trust the ruthless assassin didn’t allow. Yet, here he was. On the run, escaping from an enemy, with his bonded mate at his side. Saedra had one chance. Only one, to grasp freedom and escape. So she took it with both hands locked tight to the dark-haired man in her father’s dungeon. She didn’t care about his deadly reputation or the rumors. Garik Denikon was worth the risk if he helped her to get away.

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JHERGH: OBOSIAN WARRIOS BOOK FOUR by Sabine Ferruci

Interplanetary pilot Sophia Delgado has survived alien lizard slavers. ✓ adapted (somewhat) to a planet of decent alien alpha males. ✓ But for a while now, she’s just been going along to get along on Planet Obos. She gravitated toward the middle Savo brother, Jhergh, because he’s a little less bossy than the other males. And, bonus, he lets her fly the occasional aircraft. And, okay, he’s just as hot, if not hotter, than the other brothers. When a routine trip north suddenly goes south, they need to pool their skills to survive. She soon learns there’s a whole new wild side to her ‘mellow’ alien and a whole new way to fly.

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TEA DREAMS: A SCOTLAND STEAMPUNK NOVELLA by Elizabeth Wren

Constable Genevieve Conlon has been a mess since her best friend and colleague was killed in a botched operation two years ago. When her boss gives her an ultimatum—go undercover on a tea-smuggling airship or face the sack—she knows it’s her last chance to hang on to her job.
Will Eisman is the second son of Scotland’s most powerful crime family, and has always played second fiddle to his brother, John. Now he’s finally been given his own mission, flying a shipment of smuggled tea from Hong Kong to Edinburgh, and with it the chance to finally prove his worth to his parents—and to himself. What he doesn’t expect is a last-minute change of crew and a new—and very attractive—first mate. Thrown together on a transcontinental voyage, the policewoman and the criminal find they have more in common than they thought. But Will has a secret that could ruin everything, and in Edinburgh Gen’s colleagues are waiting, handcuffs at the ready.

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NIGHT TRAIN by David Quantick

VS Note: Not a romance…this one seems so weird! I read the Look Inside sample and have to admit it’s so mysterious, it kind of grabbed me. Put it on my TBR List. Seems to be more scifi than anything else, genre-wise, with horror maybe?

A woman wakes up, frightened and alone. The room shaking and jumping like it’s alive. The noise is terrifying. Where is she? Stumbling through a door, she realizes she is on a train carriage. A carriage full of the dead. A personal hell unfolding in an apocalyptic future. This is NIGHT TRAIN. A terrifying ride set on a driverless locomotive, heading for a collision somewhere in the endless night. How did the woman get here? Who is she? And who are the dead? As our heroine makes her way through the train trying to find out what happened to her, she meets a former strongman, a trained killer, and a collection of strange and terrifying creatures. Each step takes her closer to finding out the secret of the Night Train.

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GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT: A NOVEL by Lily Brooks-Dalton

VS Note: Just read this last week. It’s going to be a Netflix-George Clooney movie in December. Really good scifi. Had an excellent twist. Not a romance although there’s a faint whiff of a romantic element (not with the character Clooney is playing). From 2016 but I wanted to share because I thought it was excellent. Warning: Not everyone gets a happy ending. And yes, at the old day job I did know scientists like this astronomer (in terms of his dedication to the science despite everything). Not many but some!

Augustine, a brilliant, aging astronomer, is consumed by the stars. For years he has lived in remote outposts, studying the sky for evidence of how the universe began. At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, news of a catastrophic event arrives. The scientists are forced to evacuate, but Augustine stubbornly refuses to abandon his work. Shortly after the others have gone, Augustine discovers a mysterious child, Iris, and realizes that the airwaves have gone silent. They are alone.

At the same time, Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether on its return flight from Jupiter. The astronauts are the first human beings to delve this deep into space, and Sully has made peace with the sacrifices required of her: a daughter left behind, a marriage ended. So far the journey has been a success. But when Mission Control falls inexplicably silent, Sully and her crewmates are forced to wonder if they will ever get home.

As Augustine and Sully each face an uncertain future against forbidding yet beautiful landscapes, their stories gradually intertwine in a profound and unexpected conclusion. In crystalline prose, Good Morning, Midnight poses the most important questions: What endures at the end of the world? How do we make sense of our lives? Lily Brooks-Dalton’s captivating debut is a meditation on the power of love and the bravery of the human heart.

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CAPTURED (RUINS OF PLAZA AZUL BOOK 1) by H R Savage

VS Note: Apparently from the reviews there’s a cliffhanger ending.

I was raised in a world full of more death than life, surrounded by the blood-curdling violence and nauseating stench of zombies. And twenty years after the Outbreak, it doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. After a devastating loss rocks my little group of survivors, I’m forced to venture out of my comfort zone in an attempt to find help—straight into the impenetrable walls of El Castillo. But The Knights don’t take kindly to my mission, and when their leader, Gunner, captures me, everything spirals out of control. My captor suddenly becomes my ally as we’re thrust into a war of Gunner’s own making. A war that threatens not only his people, but my own.

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HORDE KING’S CLAIM (TIRIZAR HORDE) by Gabby Dark

I am captured to pay the price—in flesh—for my ex-ruler’s treachery. I’d rather fight than be given to a vicious alien warrior for his pleasure. My disobedience gains me the attention of the most ruthless and powerful warrior in the horde—their king…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)

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KITTY VS ALIEN (FERAL ALIENS) by Loki Renard

When I catch my neighbor trying to steal my cat, I do what anybody would do. I hit him with a spade. That’s when I discover my mild mannered, cute, but boring neighbor is actually an alien. With fur. And claws. He doesn’t work in finance, either. He’s an interstellar bounty hunter. According to him, I’ve been aiding and abetting a fugitive in the form of my cat, Mr Tiddles. When I refuse to give Mr Tiddles up, I find myself dragged before a merciless alien court.
I have no chance of beating the charges, and the sentence is not what I expected. I become the bounty. I become his chain-kept. I become the alien’s kitty.

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HER ALIEN CAPTOR (ALIEN PIRATES OF CANIA) by Zara Zenia and Juno Wells

I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life behind bars when I got shoved into that squad car, but I wake up to a much worse fate. Imprisoned on an alien planet, drugged, and about to be sold to the Alpha who ponies up the most cash. But a pale, muscular alien with silver hair and golden eyes steals me from the indoctrination center, intent on making me his own. I want to be angry. I want to despise him and what his people have done to me. But I can’t deny my attraction to him or what he stirs inside me. A need stronger than any hate.

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THE GLASS QUEEN (THE FOREST OF GOOD AND EVIL BOOK 2) by Gena Showalter

Ashleigh Ansklelisa may be called the Glass Princess due to her weak heart, but Saxon, king of the Avian, knows she is more dangerous than broken glass, in this Cinderella retelling that sweeps readers into the magical land of Enchantia, filled with treacherous enemies, unexpected allies, forbidden love, and dangerous magic! Can destined lovers find their way to each other, or will evil win the day? Everything changes at the stroke of midnight as one determined princess fights for her legacy, her love, and the crown that is her destiny.

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JOY TO THE WOLVES (RED WOLF BOOK 1) by Terry Spear

As Christmas approaches, red wolf shifter Brooke Cerise unexpectedly inherits an antique shop in Portland, Oregon. But when a missing reindeer calf turns up on her property, she becomes embroiled in a kidnapping case and the primary suspect of far-too-intriguing shifter Detective Josh Wilding. Josh doesn’t intend to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, but Brooke gets under his skin from the moment they meet, and he can’t help his instinct to protect her. These red wolves are both on the hunt for love, but there’s a mystery to solve before they can enjoy their holiday happy-ever-after.

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ENSNARED (SEA DRAGONS OF AMBER BAY BOOK 2) by Zoe Ashwood

When I arrived in Alaska, I thought I signed up for a simple IT job. I didn’t think I’d have to create a massive magic spell with my funky witchy powers – for a village of sea dragons, no less. But here I am. Surrounded by my family’s mortal enemies, trying to learn spells most five-year-olds can perform, and getting flustered over guys who turn into mythical beings. The worst thing: I don’t even mind that much. Because as terrifying as this new world is,  these three men make it worthwhile. With every look, every touch, every kiss, I get more addicted. Until the moment my old life catches up with me, bringing dangers I never saw coming. Everything I’ve worked to build might shatter with one false move. Unless I figure out how to be the witch I was meant to be.

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TAMING LONDON (WARWICK DRAGONS BOOK 1) by Milly Taiden

London Warwick, dragon shifter and millionaire playboy, has been living a life of debauchery. He has no plans of changing his ways. Not even when his mother, a force of nature, decides he needs to revamp his image before he finds his mate. London has no plans on making things easy for the public relations wiz his mom hired to clean up his image. Not even if she’s his mate.
Bethany Russo has been crushing on London Warwick for way too long. But she is a professional with a PR nightmare to fix. She vows to put her hormones on lockdown. She is a professional, and she refuses to be another one of London’s conquests. Even if he is the walking definition of sexy male shifter. The sparks between the pair are way too hard to handle. Stolen kisses collided with hidden secrets. It seems that every time Bethany opens her heart to London, something goes wrong. But can a cold case murder and an international hitman really stand in the way of destined mates?

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OLD DEMON AND THE SEA WITCH: A HELL CRUISE ADVENTURE (WELCOME TO HELL BOOK 10) by Eve Langlais

You can’t teach an old demon new tricks, but it’s never too late to fall in love. A long time ago, Shax loved a sea witch, but was too dumb to admit it.  But this old demon has decided it’s time he got a second chance. A cruise through the tropics seems like the perfect place to rekindle things. The problem is, Dorothy isn’t about to let him charm his way back into her life. Not when he broke her heart once already. Good thing fate hasn’t given up on this pair. With Lucifer meddling, surely things will–Go to Hell first, because come on, this is Lucifer we’re talking about. But even he can’t stop true love.

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BEWITCHED: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (BETWIXT & BETWEEN BOOK 2) by Darynda Jones

Forty-something Defiance Dayne only recently discovered she comes from a long line of powerful witches. Added to that was the teensy, infinitesimal fact that she is what’s called a charmling. One of three on the entire planet. And there are other witches who will stop at nothing to steal her immense power, which would basically involve her unfortunate and untimely death. No one told her life after forty would mean having to learn new lifeskills—such as how to dodge supernatural assassins while casting from a moving vehicle—or that the sexiest man alive would be living in her basement. Whoever said life begins at forty was clearly a master of the underappreciated and oft maligned understatement.

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THE PIXIE’S QUEEN (A MONSTERLY YOURS ROMANCE) by S J Sanders

Born into a family of witches, Orenda has the misfortune of being the sole member of her family born without magic. The smallest bit of magic that she can claim for herself is the ability to sense out magical talismans. She is drawn to them and makes it her task to keep the most powerful of them out of the reach of her family. Yet, when she comes across an ancient talisman in an antique shop, she is swept away by its magic into the fae world, but not unchanged.
Shrunk and stranded alone in the depths of the troll kingdom, Orenda must rely on the help of a hive of male pixies. Although they say that she is their queen, and lure her with every touch, they promise to help her return home. They are nothing like she’s ever imagined a pixie to be and give her a taste of a life that she couldn’t have imagined. In a world of magic, she—a magicless witch—strangely finds her place until events provide an opportunity to return to the human world. It leaves Orenda with a choice: to go back home or remain by their side?
Among pixies, although long-lived, they only have a opening of a handful of years to find their mates before the elders determine that the hives be broken and the males stripped of their breeding and mating abilities to serve as protectors for young unmated queens. Shavish is determined that his hive, though well beyond the suitable age of mating, do not come to a similar fate. His hive brothers Orel and Gwin may have resigned themselves to being guardians and Dazi retreating to his scholarly works, but he is not willing to give up yet. Although being mated to a small wingless queen wasn’t quite what any of them imagined, they resolve to not give her up. They will court their queen and win her for their own.

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IMMORTAL ANGEL: AN ARGENEAU NOVEL by Lynsay Sands

For almost two centuries, Ildaria Garcia has been on the run, a trouble magnet with a knack for taking down bad guys. Lately, her vigilante tendencies have drawn unwelcome attention to her fellow Immortals. Forced to relocate, Ildaria is supposed to lay low in a new town. Instead, she quickly entangles herself with six and a half feet of muscular, tattooed trouble. Joshua James Simpson Guiscard, aka G.G., knows a lot about Immortals—enough to make him wary. Yet from the moment Ildaria walks into his club, he feels desire stronger than anything he’s known. Accepting the fact that they might be life mates is disconcerting. But when her past catches up to them, G.G. faces a choice—confront his demons at last, or lose a passion that’s hot as hell.

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APPLE OF MY EYE: TIGER’S EYE MYSTERIES by Alyssa Day

When Tess starts receiving mysterious gifts from a stalker, addressed to “The Apple of My Eye,” she starts to worry. Because it’s Dead End, Florida, where dead bodies have been piling up faster than competitive pecan pies at the county fair. But when the gifts turn deadly, she and Jack know they have to solve the mystery and track down the stalker before they find another dead body … and this time it might be Tess! Luckily, Tess has Jack to help her solve this case … because sometimes it takes a tiger’s eye to see the truth.

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BATTLE GROUND (DESDEN FILES BOOK 17) by Jim Butcher

VS Note: Not a romance but I know we have a lot of Harry Dresden fans here…

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders. But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way. Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

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DREAMING DEATH (KREWE OF HUNTERS BOOK 32) by Heather Graham

Ever since she was a child, Stacey Hanson has had strange dreams—and sometimes they come true. Her skills and experience led her straight to the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters. Now a serial killer is stalking Washington, DC, and people are scared. And it will be Stacey’s first case. Special Agent Keenan Wallace isn’t exactly thrilled to be teamed up with a rookie, but they’re going to have to get past their mutual friction if they want to stop a brutal killer. The victims are all vulnerable women, though the clues lead to suspects from DC’s powerful elite. Stacey can’t escape her nightly visions, but in trying to prevent them from occurring in real life, she might come face-to-face with a nightmare.

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WICKED SOULS: LIMITED EDITION REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE COLLECTION by Various

Dark delights. Wicked spells. Damned souls and spirits seeking revenge. On All Hallows’ Eve when the veil is thin, all manner of wicked souls come out to play. Denizens of night dance in a frenzy. Stolen hearts beat like the pounding of a thousand drums. The rhythm of love vies with the rhyme of magic and the melody of mischief. Do you want to join in? Get your copy today and devour these reverse harem romance stories by today’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling and hot new authors. They’ll shake your soul, rattle your heart, and satisfy your darkest desires.
In the darkness lie all things tantalizing, enthralling, and even wicked. Come see what others sold their soul to gain. This collection will take you by the hand and hold you in its grip deep into the night. Every story will leave you breathless and wanting more. But beware, once you turn the page, you’ll never want to stop. Join demons, devils, shifters, witches, wayward souls and more in these amazing reverse harem romances, where no one gets left out.
Why choose when you can have it all?

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MIDLIFE MAGIC: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (NOT TOO LATE BOOK 1) by Victoria Danaan

The day after my forty-seventh birthday, my husband announced he was trading me in – his words, not mine. The news was unwelcome at the time, but honestly? I needed a good goosing to get up and find my way to the door.
So. I was freed from the giant manual of expectations authored by my ex. That was the good news. The flip side was less happy. Due to living in a state not friendly to discarded wives, I was also relieved of the financial ‘security’ I’d spent a lifetime accruing. Starting over? I didn’t plan on it. Didn’t see it coming. But pulling a sheet over my head and waiting for the end didn’t seem like my style. Granted. I wasn’t sure what my style was because I hadn’t thought about freedom of expression since I was twenty. I’d never been a fan of optimistic adages like ‘it’s not too late’, but that was before my life was divided into two parts; everything that came before the shoes and everything after. The red shoes shot me with a lightning bolt of attitude adjustment and thrust me head first into an adventure that was unforeseeable to say the least. If you’d told me what my life was going to be like, I would have used every synonym for crazy you’ve ever heard. By day I manage the curious goods shop I ‘inherited’ in a tiny, picturesque English village with where the world of magic lives side by side with the mundane. By night I receive magical dignitaries and magical lowborn alike for the mediation of disputes. Odd or not, some of the most attractive figures imaginable are finding me and my magical authority sexy. It may be too late for super shiny hair, going without a bra, or sleeping eight hours without a potty break. But it seems that it’s not too late for navigating magical politics, expatriating, romance, and saving the world.

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DAN’S HAUNTASTIC HAUNTS INVESTIGATES: IVARSSON SCHOOL: A GHOSTLY M/M PARANORMAL ROMANCE by Alex Silver

Hauntastic Haunts is investigating the historic Ivarsson School. With Halloween right around the corner, the vlog is in peak season. Dan and Chad are eager to explore the decades-long string of strange deaths among the school’s young scholars. While they delve into the mystery, both men must come to grips with Chad’s newfound talents as a medium. Dan and Chad’s efforts to uncover the haunting’s truth meet with mixed messages from both the living and the dead. They’re left wondering if this month’s site is full of tricks, or if there’s a treat awaiting discovery. The locals blame a curse for all the misfortune at the one-room schoolhouse, and if the pattern holds, the guys are at risk of becoming the latest victims.

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THE BLOOD BRIDE: BLOOD SECRETS BOOK 1 by Imogene Nix

Hope just wants to be an ordinary nestling. She went to college and escaped, but now she’s back and there’s a secret everyone is keeping from her. Xavier is the new master of the nest, ready to welcome home the daughter of the house who he has never met. He’s unprepared for the woman who steals his breath and enchants him. Now Hope and Xavier must fight for lives and those of the innocents. After all, it is only by overcoming the rogues that they will have a chance of a timeless future together. But will it be in time?

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FORGIVING THAYNE (TRUE MATES BOOK 2) by J R Loveless

A wolf shifter eases his pain with work after being rejected by the other half of his soul, a man who despises the idea of true mates. Nicholas Cartwright buries himself in his work in an effort to forget the night he found his mate only to be callously rejected. He pushes himself to exhaustion, an incomprehensible state for most shifters, while being unable to find solace for even a single night in another man’s arms. When Nick’s reluctant mate reappears one day asking for his help, he questions whether he can set aside his pain and forgive Thayne. He must decide if he can trust Thayne to stay this time and not cut and run again.

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MRS. MORRIS AND THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST (A SALEM B&B MYSTERY BOOK 3) by Traci Wilton

Charlene’s parents are in town for Christmas, and her mother is driving her up a tree. Her bed-and-breakfast’s resident ghost, Jack, isn’t fond of her either—and he’s showing it with some haunting high jinks. But when Charlene takes her mom and dad out for dinner, the less-than-seasonal spirits take a deadly turn. David Baldwin has just won a fortune in the lottery—and it adds a lot of drama to the charity auction he’s hosting at his restaurant. When he caps off the evening by playing Santa and handing out checks to some of the attendees, the mood shifts . . . and Charlene observes mysterious tensions between David and his flashy, bleached-blonde wife, his neglected teenage son from a previous marriage, and his hostile business partner, among others. And they’re only a few on the long list of potential suspects when David runs into the road and is mowed down by a fleeing motorist. Now it looks like it’s going to be homicide for the holidays.

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY: A NOVBL by Matt Haig

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better? In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

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KILL ME SOFTLY (FOREVER IN THEIR THRALL BOOK 3) by Lidaya Foxglove

I escaped the cult, and have found happiness with my mother, but Father Joshua has not forgotten me. And why do I feel so empty inside? The clan took my memories and gave me this happiness apart from them. But something inside me still remembers the all-consuming love and need that we shared. I must return. To the love of the clan, and the dangers of our enemies. There are so many people I love and want to protect now. But when I return to the clan, I find that they have already paid a terrible price to protect me. It’s time to end this once and for all. I have grown stronger, but am I strong enough? Will I ever break the curse and become a vampire alongside my beloved men?

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BACHELOR IN THE NORTH (THE RARE AND UNKNOWN BOOK 9) by Shai August

For months, Mahjabeen and her followers have perpetrated a series of terror attacks all over the world striking fear into the very psyche the populace. The world is afraid, and is crying out for feel good comfort television and the number one rated show must reluctantly return to air with an even more reluctant Alpha in the hot seat. Philippe Pelletier and his grumpy inner bear would rather be hibernating or fishing or doing anything else but facing the glaring lens of the camera and letting other people find him a mate. He seriously contemplates running, but familial obligations keep him in the Yukon, and the cameras catch him and so does a certain doe eyed beauty. Evangeline Longfellow has a secret. She’s an anonymous gossip blogger. Since the very first season she’s been trying to get the low down on the alphas of the Rare and Unknown, but no one has been sharing any secrets. Well as they say if you can’t beat them, join them. Infiltrating the production of The Shifter Bachelor was surprisingly easy, getting away from the hunky Philippe is way too hard.

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CABIN ON SOUDER HILL by Lonnie Busch

Michelle and Cliff Stage bought their isolated vacation cabin in the mountains of North Carolina with hopes of repairing their eighteen-year marriage. But when Cliff disappears one night searching for the source of a mysterious light in the woods, Michelle’s life will change in unimaginable ways. After the sheriff’s department fails to find him, Michelle scrambles down the same dark mountainside alone, the strange, beckoning light her only guide.  What she discovers is a cabin, identical to theirs, housing a life she barely recognizes—and a husband she hardly knows. Cliff is a changed man. Now caring and considerate, no longer a manipulative womanizer, he is also missing a finger. He claims that Cassie, their teenage daughter, is dead, killed in a car accident over a year ago. Michelle knows that’s not possible—Cassie had phoned her from Atlanta only hours before. Even when shown Cassie’s grave, Michelle refuses to accept she’s gone.

Michelle wants her daughter and her life back, and the only clue to what has happened is a man named Pink. A real estate agent and the man who years earlier built Michelle and Cliff’s cabin, Pink was rumored to have killed his wife and buried her on the property, then vanished, never to be seen again. But in Michelle’s new reality, Pink and his wife still reside in town and Pink’s smile-splashed billboards are everywhere. To get back to the world where her daughter exists, Michelle must unravel the mystery of Pink while questioning her very reality—and her sanity. Haunting, atmospheric, and deeply thought-provoking, The Cabin on Souder Hill questions the very nature of our existence and the choices we make to form it.

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DEMON CURSED: THE MAGE CIRCLE TRILOGY BOOK 3 by L A McGinnis

One good demon deserves another. Alexis Hawthorne would give anything to have her old life back. Even her role as a demon soldier in Rhiannon’s legion of warriors was an improvement over where she is now. Chained up in the Mage Circle’s dungeons. Cole West came to New York with the clothes on his back and a boatload of secrets. Too bad he can’t tell anyone who—and what—he really is. But being sworn to secrecy by the Queen of the Fae means he has to keep his word. Or die. As Alexis fights to survive, Cole West hasn’t given up his search. When he finds the Mage who took her away from him, he’ll burn the entire Circle to the ground. Even if it is made out of marble.

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DEADLY EDUCATION: A NOVEL (THE SCHOLOMANCE BOOK 1) by Naomi Novik

I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life. Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans. I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world. At least, that’s what the world expects me to do. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school itself certainly does. But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either. Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.

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FAMINE (THE FOUR HORSEMEN BOOK 3) by Laura Thalassa

They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all. Ana da Silva always assumed she’d die young, she just never expected it to be at the hands of Famine, the haunting immortal who once spared her life so many years ago. But if the horseman remembers her at all, he must not care, for when she comes face to face with him for the second time in her life, she’s stabbed and left for dead.
Only, she doesn’t quite die. If there’s one thing Famine is good at, it’s cruelty. And how these blighted bastards deserve it. Try as he might, he can’t forget what they once did to him. But when Ana, a ghost from his past, corners him and promises pain for what he so recently did to her, she and her empty threats captivate him, and he decides to keep her around. In spite of themselves, Ana and Famine are drawn to each other. But at the end of the day, the two are enemies. Nothing changes that. Not one kind act, not two. And definitely not a few steamy nights. But enemies or reluctant lovers, if they don’t stop themselves soon, heaven will.

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BLOODLACED (YOUKAI BLOODLINES BOOK 1) by Courtney Maguire

Kanjin hardly view their servants as human. Even less so when they are different. Asagi is different. Both a man and a woman. In the wake of his failure to protect a boy he saw as a son from their abusive master, Asagi is sold into the house of a young nobleman, Mahiro, who is the opposite of everything Asagi has ever known—gentle, kind, and generous. Mahiro bonds with Asagi and their friendship blooms into a deep and profound love. But when Asagi is poisoned out of jealousy, Mahiro reveals himself to be youkai, a demon who feeds on blood, and he has no choice but to turn Asagi to save his life. Asagi awakes reborn, strong, and eternally youthful. But the price for Asagi’s new life is high. The blood of the innocent. Just as Asagi’s trust in Mahiro falters, the boy he failed to protect, now a man, reappears. New master, same threat. With both a literal and proverbial monster at the door, Asagi must decide what it means to be human to protect what he loves most.

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WHICH IS WHERE CLOWNS GO TO DIE (A WITCH P.I. MYSTERY BOOK 38) by Adele Abbott

Jill is busier than ever. A man who has just been released from prison asks her to clear his name. A bestselling author’s new manuscript has been stolen, and she is tasked to find it.
As if that wasn’t enough, she makes a chilling discovery about Grandma’s new business venture.

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WOLF MATE (FATED MOUNTAIN WOLF PACK BOOK 5 ) by Jessica Aspen

All Natalie has is her GPS, her best friend’s last known location, and a desperate hunger for the truth. Her dangerous search for clues leads her to a blood soaked piece of land and a trip down a rocky ravine—straight into the arms of a sexy angry cowboy. Could it be fate? Luca has been a lone wolf his entire life. Discovering Natalie trapped and injured on Fated Mountain ranch—her big brown eyes and determined attitude break into his lone wolf reserve. But Natalie’s human. And her insistence on hunting down the truth conflicts with the pack’s needs. What happens when fate draws you to the wrong mate and murder might be best covered up?

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BURNING ROSES by S L Huang

Rosa, also known as Red Riding Hood, is done with wolves and woods. Hou Yi the Archer is tired, and knows she’s past her prime. They would both rather just be retired, but that’s not what the world has ready for them. When deadly sunbirds begin to ravage the countryside, threatening everything they’ve both grown to love, the two must join forces. Now blessed and burdened with the hindsight of middle age, they begin a quest that’s a reckoning of sacrifices made and mistakes mourned, of choices and family and the quest for immortality.

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DAIMON (GUARDIANS OF HADES SERIES BOOK 6) by Felicity Heaton

Daimon is ice. His heart is frozen by it. His body caged by it. And he likes it that way. But the sexy sorceress that storms into his life and declares herself a part of his team in his battle against the daemon uprising is determined to melt the ice that has shielded him for centuries, and he’s powerless to stop the burning need she ignites in him.
Even when he’s sure it’s only a game to her.
Cassandra has a sword hanging over her, a duty she has no choice but to perform and one she’s been putting off for years. Her latest excuse? Helping a band of immortal brothers with a war that might mean the end of this world if they fail. Her delaying the inevitable has nothing to do with the gorgeous Greek god who keeps rebuffing her and everything to do with saving the world. He’s a nice distraction and nothing more. She keeps telling herself that. Even when she’s sure he’s a danger to her heart. As things heat up in the battle to save the mortal world and the Underworld, will Daimon’s icy heart be able to withstand the fiery witch who can scorch him with just a look?

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INFERNAL ENCHANTMENT (FIREBRAND BOOK 2) by Helen Harper

Being the sole police detective in London’s Supernatural Squad is no easy task. I have to navigate my way through a world teeming with supernatural creatures, from vampires to werewolves and everything else in between. My inexperience might count against me but my own shocking supernatural abilities will stand me in good stead – especially when I’m confronted yet again by the gruesome spectre of death…A vampire has been mysteriously killed in the centre of the city. Werewolf graves have been plundered for their bodies. And I think I might be developing an ill-advised crush on a certain black eyed vampire Lord.

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FATED FOREVER (KINDRED OF ARKADIA BOOK 3) by Alanea Alder

VS Note: A re-edited re-release with “a bit more content added” per the author.

Ashby Fairfax has always looked for love in the wrong places, his last attempt left him running from an abusive boyfriend. Since coming to Arkadia life has been great, he finally has the family he has always craved. Only one thing is missing, his mate. But how can a small town, fox shifter be mated to a vampire prince?
Prince Gabriel has led his people through the ages and into the 21st century. He is on the verge of losing his soul when he catches the scent of what may be his mate. Once Ashby is confirmed as his, it seems their troubles begin.
Someone is after Ashby. Gabriel’s entire coven rallies around their new prince and for the first time in his existence Gabriel experiences bone numbing fear. Can he find the strength to send Ashby to Arkadia to ensure his safety? And will he be able to eliminate the threat before he loses his reason for living.

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SOUL KEEPER: SOUTHERN SOUL HUNTERS BOOK 1 by Tegan Maher

I have to stop cursed souls bent on world domination? Must be Tuesday. I’m Kira, fallen angel and official guardian of lost souls. How that happened is a long story, but suffice it to say, I’m not exactly a rule follower. When my mother opens the gate to The Valley of Lost Souls and frees some of the most evil beings to ever walk the planet, I’m tasked with cleaning up the family mess. As usual. The catch? No dark magic. I have to follow the rules to catch them if I want to save my own soul and keep people from dying, but first I have to figure out who “they” are. Luck’s with me, though, because Mom’s colossal screw-up caught the attention of a high-powered supernatural agency. The new task force, dubbed the Soul Hunters, is a diverse team of witches, shifters, and other magical beings motivated to help with containment. After all, the entire world is at risk. They assigned Callum Knox, a powerful mage, to help me. Despite his dark past, I’ll have to learn to trust him if I want to recapture the souls before my mother’s mistakes seal my fate.

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WHITE FOX by Sara Faring

VS Note: Mixed reviews, seems more gothic to me than anything paranormal or mystical as best I can tell (have not read it) but maybe a touch of a dark fairy tale in the “tale within a tale” format? No idea but it was a release of note…

After their world-famous actor mother disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Manon and Thaïs left their remote Mediterranean island home—sent away by their pharma-tech tycoon father. Opposites in every way, the sisters drifted apart in their grief. Yet their mother’s unfinished story still haunts them both, and they can’t put to rest the possibility that she is still alive. Lured home a decade later, Manon and Thaïs discover their mother’s legendary last work, long thought lost: White Fox, a screenplay filled with enigmatic metaphors. The clues in this dark fairytale draw them deep into the island’s surreal society, into the twisted secrets hidden by their glittering family, to reveal the truth about their mother—and themselves.

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DRAGONS OF KARASK (BLUE FLAME OF LOVE) by Alina Giuchici 

I was chosen. I am one of the selected ones. My name is Rya and I am a mate for a Dragon shifter. When I lay eyes on him, I can’t believe that the Crystal picked the handsomest mate for me! Thranadon is the man of every girl’s dreams, just not mine. My heart is with the cool D’Arcy, the dragon that is now the mate of my best friend, Dianeira!
And as if this mess is not complicated enough, the shadows attack us and I land all alone in the dangerous jungle.
Everything would be awful and horrible if not for the silver haired God I met. Ash is fun and drop dead gorgeous, I don’t know what he sees in me. When I get “rescued” I find myself unable to choose between the three men, because I am in love with each one of them.

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A CAT IN THE ATTIC MYSERY: MAGIC OF HALLOWEEN NIGHT BOOK 5 by Kathi Daley

How is one to start again after losing the one thing that speaks to your heart and fuels your passion? After a serious accident leaves Calliope Rose Collins unable to continue with the career that has owned her soul for most of her life, she returns to Foxtail Lake, Hollister House, and Great Aunt Gracie. After solving the murder of a local girl she begins writing freelance articles for the local newspaper. This turns into a full time career and a new passion and inner healing is found. In book 5 in the series, Callie is faced with a personal choice as she stumbles onto a new mystery while helping the town prepare for the best Halloween it has ever seen.

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THYME UNDER TENSION: BOOK ONE OF THE ILLUSION SQUARE ROMANCE NOVELLAS by Jen Lassalle

On the surface, Illusion Square is a charming shopping center thirty miles south of New Orleans in the small town of Treater’s Way. But mystique surrounds the specialty stores who call it home, and magic lies just below the roots of the mighty oak tree at its center. At Beyond Thyme, the store on the southwest corner, Adeline Refaire waits for the same afternoon to begin again and again. Normally, she doesn’t mind repeating a day, especially if she can help someone seize an opportunity they missed the first time. But this Tuesday has worn out its welcome, and her repeated efforts to save a life are taking a toll. No-nonsense crime blogger Christopher Reynolds is struggling to find a lead in his current cold case until a surprise in his daily activities brings a new angle but puts his life in danger. When he’s drawn to Illusion Square, and the mysteriously sexy Adeline, he wonders if she has answers to the questions he hasn’t yet thought to ask. As Adeline tries to solve the mystery of the cycling Tuesday, she’s forced to admit her developing feelings for Christopher, who doesn’t exactly remember meeting her every day. If instinct is drawing them together, is it possible that same instinct could break the cycle and help them solve a twenty-year-old crime before it destroys both of their lives?

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THE HAUNTING OF H G WELLS by  Robert Masello

It’s 1914. The Great War grips the world—and from the Western Front a strange story emerges…a story of St. George and a brigade of angels descending from heaven to fight beside the beleaguered British troops. But can there be any truth to it? H. G. Wells, the most celebrated writer of his day—author of The Time MachineThe War of the WorldsThe Invisible Man—is dispatched to find out. There, he finds an eerie wasteland inhabited by the living, the dead, and those forever stranded somewhere in between…a no-man’s-land whose unhappy souls trail him home to London, where a deadly plot, one that could turn the tide of war, is rapidly unfolding. In league with his young love, the reporter and suffragette Rebecca West, Wells must do battle with diabolical forces—secret agents and depraved occultists—to save his sanity, his country, and ultimately the world.

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BLOOD DEMAND (ROYAL COVENS BOOK 1) by Kaylin Peyerk

No vampire has ever given a damn about me or my human family, that is until I was selected to become one. Every one hundred and twenty-five years the four sinfully sexy ruling coven lords choose a new concubine from the human population. They hand pick a woman based on blood type, often looking for one with the rarest blood type in the world: AB-negative. Only .06 percent of the population carries it. To vampires it’s the holy grail, the city of gold. To human women, it’s a secret to be covetted, for the lords are known for their cruelty above all else. To bad I was born with it. . . My blood is both gold and poison. It was easy to stay hidden until my twenty-fifth birthday, but from that year forward every human on the planet is required to donate blood once per month. For me, that dreadful date is in two days. From that moment on I will be a helpless fool in their cruel game of cat and mouse. All I can do is resist their pull by fighting against them with everything I have. . .Because as soon as the coven leaders have me locked between their bloodied hands, I know they’ll never let me go.

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AN ODDITY OF SOME CONSEQUENCE by Gary Dickson

Robert Valmer moves from Rome to Beverly Hills in 2015, where against his better judgment, he falls for Alexis Roth, PhD, psychologist to the stars. But Alexis wants to know everything. Start from the beginning, she says. The beginning? Can he really tell her about how he fled France during the French Revolution in 1789 or about Italy during World War II? If he tells her even a little, will she think of him as a liar or a freak rather than a lover? He tries to deflect her probes, pleading shyness, but she knows that reticence is often the veil behind which secrecy lurks. His practice of stonewalling only further ignites her burning curiosity. As the pressure for honesty mounts, he does what he’s always done—flee. But Alexis is not a lover to be easily dismissed. She follows him to Europe, determined to track him down for an explanation. Where can she start when her quarry doesn’t want to be found? Each clue she uncovers leads her deeper into intrigue. An Oddity of Some Consequence is a glamorous tale of mystery, romance, and the fountain of youth.

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SPARK (BEAR PAW RIDGE FIREFIGHTERS BOOK 12) by Ophelia Sexton

When a series of supernatural events terrorize the hotel’s staff and guests and injure one of Sophie Markidis’s shifter friends, the painfully shy, curvy Mythtrust News intern is compelled to investigate. She faces opposition from the hotel’s owner and a ghost who seems to hold a grudge against shifters. Luckily for Sophie, her two best friends, bear shifter Matt Swanson and sabertooth shifter Chris Langlais, have always had her back. Now, they insist on tagging along to protect her. But there’s a big complication–both of them want to claim her as his mate. Choosing one would mean destroying her friendship with the other. It’s an impossible choice…but first she has to uncover the truth about the Bearpaw Springs Resort haunting, and survive long enough to tell the tale.

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AVENGING LANCE (A WARRIOR’S REDEMPTION TRILOGY BOOK 3) by M D Grimm

A child’s memory. A journey’s end. Lance doesn’t remember the time before Ulfr found him. It’s a dark pit in his mind that he avoids at all costs. And yet, despite his best efforts, pieces start to fall, and echoes from the past begin to ring. However, he has little time to comprehend their meaning, since the Captain of the Imperial Army herself has come to collect him and bring him to the capital city of the Nifdem Empire. Whisked away to the gilded streets and glittering court of the Hill of Tarran, and then to the snowy reaches of Swenen, Lance and Gust will learn the answers to questions they’ve had from the start. And be forced to acknowledge their roles in the survival of the empire and the ripple effects of their actions. But such knowledge can come at a steep price. As allies and enemies begin to step from the shadows, Lance will learn the truth of his past and the price of his redemption, and all the pain that comes with them. While Gust will have to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the one he loves.

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THE VAMPIRE OF THE PROPHECY (THE PROPHECY TRILOGY BOOK 3) by Victoria Jayne

It was all happening according to plan. Rori chose power over love, and as a result, put himself in the running to be the next emperor of all vampires. Then someone threatened to expose his witch (along with all other paranormal creatures) to humans…unless he gave up his claim to the throne, that is. That’s when everything fell apart. The Council has no idea what Rori did to keep Divina safe, and if they find out, the consequences will be deadly. It’ll take all his power, connections, and the help of his loyal guard to protect everyone and everything he holds dear. But with time running out and enemies circling, can Rori survive long enough to complete the prophecy and maybe—just maybe—get a second chance at true love while he’s at it?

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DARK MOON FALLS: LYALL by Tami Lund

She’s back. His high school sweetheart. The love of his life. The woman he let go because she needed to find herself.
Looks like she found herself back in Dark Moon Falls. She also found herself an enemy. And even though Lyall swore he was through chasing someone who didn’t want to be caught, he sure as hell was going to protect her from  danger. He’d figure out how to protect his heart later. When she leaves town again.

Amazon

TO KILL THE DEAD (HOLLOWCLIFF DETECTIVES BOOK 3) by C S Wilde

Mera never imagined she would have to face a necromancer without Bast, her fae partner, but the Captain decided to separate them on a whim – or so she thinksRunning against the clock to avoid an outbreak that could destroy the human borough, Mera is forced to work with Julian Smith, the man she used to love before the Night Prince came waltzing in her life. Not good. Not good at all. Meanwhile, Bast chases Poseidon with the help of his brothers, knowing it’s the only way to ensure Mera’s safety. He’ll do anything to save her, even if it means his doom.

Amazon

ICE AND INK: A TWIN CITIES ICE BOOK by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese

VS Note: Apparently there are selkies??? I read the blurb and thought it was a contemporary rom, but then I saw the author on social media talking about it being PNR….

Growing up on an isolated island in the middle of Lake Erie, Aaron Sheftall learned to skate as a young child when extreme weather would cut his off his small community — and its legends about a lost colony of seals — from the rest of the world. Now an elite figure skater, Aaron dreams of getting to the Olympics. Yet competition is fierce and in a sport filled with injuries and drama, careers are short. But when a fluke accident changes the stakes for the entire U.S. team, Aaron sees his chance. Zack Kelly used to be a war reporter. But a successful book about his time covering global conflicts, an unsuccessful marriage, and a dose of PTSD have sidelined him from the journalism game. When an old friend calls up him with a long-form assignment about competitive figure skating, Zack has no idea what he’s getting into. He also doesn’t care — it’s a change of scenery and a paycheck. Thrown together under circumstances neither of them are initially enthused about, Aaron and Zack ultimately embark on an unlikely — and ill-advised — romance about trust, myth, and what it really means to be comfortable in your own skin.

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SHARDS OF ICE: M/M RETELLING OF THE SNOW QUEEN (GRIM AND SINISTER DELIGHTS BOOK 9) by R Phoenix

What happens when your rescuer becomes obsessed with you? Even worse, what happens when that rescuer isn’t even human…Kai’s life has never been easy, and bleeding to death in the snow seems the perfect fated ending to his miserable existence. A beautiful stranger drags him back from death’s door with a touch that is pure magic. Kai soon discovers that such magic lingers when Avery persists in seducing him. He starts to fall for him, but with every sliver of affection he gives Avery, his appreciation for his best friend Tristan gets stripped away to loathing, destroying every chance at love they might have had. Tristan has been in love with Kai for years, but he’s too afraid to admit it for fear of what Kai’s reaction might be. When the ice prince enters their lives and binds Kai to him with fae magic, it seems like there’s nothing anyone can do about it. But Tristan has his own powers, and he’s determined to save Kai from Avery’s deadly clutches. The only problem is…Kai might not want to be rescued.

Amazon

HALLOWEEN HEARTS by Various

Witches, gargoyles, warlocks, and friends party with vampires and skeletons, and awaken the dead. Our collection of ghouls is sure to delight. Still, unfortunately, this is a limited engagement—we’ll be gone with pumpkin spice.  For now, fill your bag with fantasy, urban fantasy, and more from today’s bestselling and hot new authors. One-click today is better than trick-or-treat tomorrow.

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PURSUED (THE VAMPIRE SYNDICATE BOOK 1) by Rebecca Rivard

They call us the Dark Angels: Gabriel, Zaquiel and Rafael. We’re brothers. Princes. Billionaires. The richer-than-sin heirs to one of the world’s most powerful vampires. But we’re not vampires, we’re dhampirs. Half-human, half-vampire, with panty-melting good looks. The media love us. Vampires hate us. And Slayers, Inc. will do anything to take us down. Mila – I knew Gabriel was dangerous, the eldest son and heir to a Syndicate Primus. You think a Mafia don is scary? You should meet Gabriel’s father. But I thought I could play with fire without being burned. Now I’m on the run from the Syndicate. Hungry, alone. Not knowing who to trust. Until the night the vampires hunt me down… 
Gabriel – I let Mila run from me once. Now she’s back—right when all hell breaks loose in the Syndicate. Yeah, I’m suspicious. I know she’s keeping secrets from me. But this time, I have the upper hand. Mila’s mine now. Bound to me by a blood oath that only I can break. I’ll never let her leave.

Amazon      Apple Books

KITSUNE ENCHANTMENT by Margaret L Carter

On the verge of losing her job, Shannon leaps at the chance to sell her graphic novel series to a major publisher. If only she could trust her reclusive artist partner, Ryo, to show up for editorial meetings at the science fiction convention they’re attending. She’d love to have a closer relationship with Ryo, but how can she count on a man who keeps disappearing with the flimsiest of excuses? Ryo feels the same attraction to Shannon, but he isn’t sure how she’d react to the truth. He’s a kitsune—a fox shapeshifter—prone to transforming at awkward moments. Furthermore, a bungling amateur sorcerer is stalking him. When the wannabe wizard follows him to the convention, Ryo’s secret, liberty, and budding romance with Shannon are all threatened.

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MORE THAN YOU KNOW: THE SOLARS DUOLOGY BOOK 1 by Natalie J Damschroder

Avery Kale is a paranormal law enforcement agent in charge of rogue solars—people who use their ability to harness the sun to commit crimes. Her husband Reed is a teacher, helping young solars adapt to becoming part of the solar community. Their marriage has been a delicate equilibrium ever since their deadly allergy to each other nearly killed Reed, a balancing act neither is able to endure much longer. But Reed’s insistence on finding a better solution wars with Avery’s fear that trying could be fatal. Then Avery and Reed are enlisted for a multi-jurisdictional homicide case. Someone has been using heretofore unknown powers to kill using the sun. They need Avery’s unique ability to determine if their main suspect is a solar. Paul Adranian, a DC billionaire, is hiring a husband-wife bodyguard team for his kids, and Avery and Reed are the task force’s best option. The risk seems low: Get hired, get in, identify him, and get out. But the not-so-quick job drags on and gets complicated when Paul enlists them to clear his name, using an enticement they can’t turn down. Now not only are Avery and Reed targets of the most dangerous solar ever known and a danger to each other, being together every day has put a spotlight on problems they didn’t know they had. If they survive the killer and the allergy…is their marriage doomed anyway?

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VINTAGE VAMPIRE (SOUTHERN RELICS COZY MYSTERIES BOOK 4) by Bella Falls

Ruby Mae Jewell is over the moon with how well things are going in her life. Now that all the elements of her life seem to be falling into place, the fiery witch is ready to focus her energies on fixing her cousin Deacon’s tiny little problem of being cursed into the form of a pig. But as she gets close to a solution, a bigger problem almost cooks her bacon. Rue’s always known her vampire boyfriend’s fears have always been that his past deeds would come back to haunt him and hurt her. When someone from Luke’s past insists he return to his ancestral home, Ruby Mae insists on returning with him. While in Italy, she finds out just how much the death of his long-lost sister is affecting his whole family, she makes it her mission to solve her murder. But when her own life gets threatened as she gets closer, will Ruby be able to find out the truth before she becomes the next victim?

Amazon

BECOMING HUMAN by Holly Gray

Jack Whitaker lives a grayscale life. But a violent, yellow-eyed woman; a tea-drinking animal in human form; and a woman in brown with devastating powers of healing have Jack rethinking the boundaries of reality. Marin, the woman in brown, is supposed to be the most important leader Jack will ever meet. She’s certainly the kindest, so Jack accepts the task of protecting her for a month from a violent duo with a supernatural ability to track their prey. Jack and Marin travel the country, healing humans and animals, meeting everyday heroes and villains and everyone in-between. Jack isn’t sure if the world is ready for a woman like Marin, let alone whether she is.

Amazon

THE WOLF (WILD HUNT 2) by Stephanie Burke

Caille knows the hearts of men, and she has been ripping them from their chests for centuries. Now, as a member of the Wild Hunt, she wants nothing more than to rip apart the men who dared steal one brother’s mate and kidnap her other Hunt brother. Nothing and no one will stand in her way… even the curiously attractive new partner The Master of the Hunt has given her.
Bran the Blessed had been in a cave for what seemed like an eternity, growing back his body and learning about the new world with the aid of his companion crows. He relied on no one except his friend, Kern, who brought him out of his solitude and offered to introduce him to the new world. Problems arise when his friend’s mate has been kidnapped by murderous cultists, leaving Kern unable to function. There is no way Bran, the once-powerful King of Wales could not assist with this hunt as a new Huntsman… and then there was Caille. Instantly intrigued with each other, the two Huntsmen become pawns in a dangerous game where the elite go to satiate their darkest desires and where the cultists themselves hope to gain more power and influence. Vowing to protect this budding relationship, Bran will do anything he can to protect his new family, even if it means he became one of those who play with wolves.

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LIZA (DRAGON ISLES BOOK 1) by Shelley Munro

Elizabeth Carrington: single-mother with a daughter and an obnoxious ex who refuses to leave without a chunk of her inheritance. An aspiring writer, she glimpses the unbelievable during a research trip, and when she awakens after the resulting car crash, she isn’t in England any longer. Not that she understands this calamity, because a knock to the head has stripped her memories. She is a woman with no past and no perception of dragons or their danger to her. Dragon shifter Leonidas, Champion of the Skies, is the youngest son, and his parents have arranged a betrothal for him with Nan, The Strongminded. He rejects this betrothal his parents insist will bring peace and cement bonds between the Dragon Isles. Once Liza crashes into Leo’s life, everything changes. While his family, friends, and neighbors are baying for her death, instinct propels Leo to protect this attractive stranger. Their friendship deepens from respect to love as they attempt to discover how and why they met. What they learn will rip apart the dragon world and propel the inhabitants of the Dragon Isles into an unknown future.

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COURT OF COMMAND (AGE OF ANGELS BOOK 1) by Milana Jacks

Julia – the mortal – I’m scrounging for food in an abandoned Bel Air mansion when an angel catches me—and I try to kill him. Instead of swatting me like a mortal fly, he strikes the ground with his sword… And I’m transported, wounded and alone, to some kind of Medieval, science-fiction fantasy world. There must be some reason the archangel—all gorgeous, bloody perfection with massive wings and a deadly kilt—spared me. No mortal is supposed to remember when the angels fell. But I do, and I’m marked with a secret that could turn the tables, and send this beautiful angel straight to hell. Commander – the archangel – In my world, everything—and everyone—submits to my will. Mortals who retain memories of Before are eliminated. I should eliminate this one, too. But something about her tugs at my very soul. So I’ve decided to keep her. When I discover she’s a pawn, I discover something else about her. She may be mortal, but she’s not weak. And I’ll fight to my last shred of power to save her before her sanity—and her life—are torn from me.

Amazon

IDOLS AND ENEMIES (AMPLIFIER BOOK 4) by Meghan Ciana Doidge

I knew that opening the letter from the sorcerer Azar would have deadly consequences. So we had prepared. We’d planned. We knew we might have to defend ourselves, our freedom. And that I might finally get a chance to exact the revenge I kept telling myself I wasn’t interested in exacting. What we didn’t know was that we’d find ourselves hosting a dysfunctional family reunion — the kind where everyone tries to kill someone at least once over dinner.
Sorcerers and witches. With me in the middle. Mediating. I could wipe a small city from the face of the earth. I could vanquish a horde of demons with only two shortswords. I could infiltrate a magically fortified compound without detection, stand against black witches, and defy even those capable of manipulating minds. What I couldn’t do was mediate a family squabble that stretched back decades, replete with kidnapping, magical coercion, and rape. Or I couldn’t mediate with words, at least. Thankfully, though, draining everyone of their magic was always an option.

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PINCH OF SASS: SASSY EVER AFTER (DIRE WOLF MATES BOOK 3) by C D Gorri

Can this stoic Dire Wolf admit the sassy feline is his fated mate and stake his claim? Ariella Golden needs to persuade sexy Dire Wolf Beta, and the amazingly talented chef at Serious Moonlight, Brock Laurent, to use her Pride’s corporation, Eat Well Live Proud, for all the roadhouse’s needs in order to win the coveted quarterly prize at her company. They did offer the best organic, non-GMO, and responsibly harvested fish and meat. The only problem was the big ol’ doggy happened to be her fated mate.
Brock was perfectly content to cook good food and hang out with his Pack until she walked into his life. Now the curvy, curly-headed goddess was all he could think about. Determined to ignore the pull of his mate, Brock develops a plan to test whether or not the virginal hellcat can handle all of him. Ariella is stunned when Brock propositions her. With the encouragement of her family, she agrees to a single night in Brock’s arms to close the deal that will put her in the running for EWLP’s quarterly prize. After all, it might be the only way she can get the big dummy to realize she is his mate. Will the sassy feline prove that she can take anything he dishes out?

Amazon

THE DRAGON’S FAKE FIANCEE( DRAGONS FOR HIRE BOOK 1) by Sadie Sears

100 years ago a woman tore my heart out. I haven’t risked it since. Faking things with Gretta should be simple fun. Scaring off her evil ex is a bonus. She makes the fire deep inside of me rage with desire and I need to make things real. Will she accept me if I tell her I’m a dragon shifter? Hell, I don’t even know if she’ll believe me. Wizards have come to town and they’re up to no good. Why do they want Gretta? It doesn’t matter. I’ll keep her safe. My heart is ready to heal, and my inner dragon is sure of one thing: she’s my fated mate. New relationship? No thanks … Fake one? Sign me up! People say workaholic like it’s a bad thing. Those people don’t know my life. Love? Ha! Not in the cards. I’m still trying to get rid of my disastrous ex. Then Samuel shows up like a knight in shining armor. He’s ready to fake it all to keep the evil ex at bay. One tiny problem: Nothing feels fake with Samuel. He makes me crave the heat of his embrace and long nights in his bed. I think I’m ready to trust him with my heart. But when Samuel reveals an impossible secret it’s no longer my sister, my work, or my ex that I’m worried about. Can I really be falling for a guy that breathes fire?

Amazon

HAWK’S HEART (GUARDIANS OF THE FAR REALM BOOK 4) by JL Madore

The quint is aligned and as much as I hoped life would simplify once the five of us mated… it’s a big ‘Hells No’ on that. Don’t get me wrong, the guys are great, with me, with each other. Sexy sparks are flying in every direction and having a front-row seat is enough to ignite me into flames—even if I wasn’t a mythical firebird. Now we need to get ahead of the chaos coming at us. Open the portal. Unite the realms. Everyone lives happily-ever-after. But not everyone is as on board as they pretend. Who do we trust? Who’s working against us? As we get closer to our goal, the opposing forces level up their attempts to keep us from fulfilling our destiny. Is it the Council? The Black Knight? Someone in the upper levels of the Fae Concealment Office? Whoever it is, they must be stopped before someone I love gets killed.

Amazon

DEFENDER HELLHOUND (PROTECTION INC DEFENDERS BOOK 3) by Zoe Chant

He’s the only one who can save her.And only she can save him from himself. Ransom’s out-of-control hellhound has made his life, literally, a living hell. His beast can reveal any secret to him, but Ransom can’t make it stop. He’s barely holding onto his sanity, drowning in a deluge of the worst moments of other people’s lives. It even got him kicked out of his last refuge, the bodyguard agency Protection, Inc: Defenders. But it finally brought him something good: a vision of a woman in danger that led him to her. His one true mate has only a year to live. After an accident damaged Natalie’s heart, any excitement, from a car chase to a scorching hot kiss, could make her drop dead. But a life without joy is no life at all, so she embarks on a road trip to tick off every item on her bucket list before her time runs out. Natalie’s more than happy to drag a smoking hot bodyguard (not to mention a pair of adorable teleporting puppies) along with her. Even though acting on her desires could give her a literal heart attack.

Amazon

STAR ON THE RISE (GET YOUR ROCKS OFF BOOK 3) by Sam Hall

VS note: Apparently a paranormal rock star series…

I’ve been beaten down, coerced, tricked and torn apart by them. Now I rise.

Amazon

POSSESSION ON THE FIRST (AN OBSCURE MAGIC BOOK 10) by Viola Grace

A new job selling the most haunted property in town leads to a possession, then another, and finally it is time to put the hammer down. Hannah has always stuck out in her family. The carrier of a recessive skin tone, she knows a little magic, knows a lot about construction and is happy to have found a new career to focus on. Just like everyone else in the family. On the day that she got the listing for the most haunted house in town with murders like clockwork every twenty-five years, she accidentally triggers the house’s most recent victim. Five years earlier an XIA agent had been investigating the house and he had fallen into a coma. On her first day, something lodged inside Hannah’s brain.
With no other option, she calls a spectral consultant and the woman and her tiny cat identify the person who is hitchhiking behind her eyes. A portion of the XIA agent’s spirit has gotten stuck in Hannah’s and he is using her to power his return to consciousness. She has to get him out. Going back alone is stupid, but she doesn’t feel she has another choice. She doesn’t want to involve her family and the XIA can’t help because no crime had been committed in the last five years. She gets the agent out of her head, gets the attention of the ancient entity that craves blood, and finds herself in a fight for her life with unexpected allies, and one persistent dark elf who will not leave her side. According to her mother, she could do far worse.

Amazon

THE RELUCTANT WOLF AND HIS FATED MATE: A HOWLS ROMANCE (WHITE MOUNTAIN SHIFTERS BOOK 1) by Lisa Carlisle

Mates were trouble. That’s why Damon would never commit to one. Even if the temptation is strong…Sophie escapes to the White Mountains with her friend for a ski weekend. When she skis off trail and gets lost in the mountains, she stumbles into the path of a wolf. Only it’s bigger than any she ever thought existed, and it’s baring its fangs at her…
Damon has refused to ever mate with another, since his father went mad after losing his. When Damon meets a woman his wolf recognizes as the one, the call is more difficult to ignore. And when he catches her scent on the mountain, he can’t fight it any longer. He tracks her through the forest to ensure she’s safe. Only Sophie has stepped into another pack’s territory. If Damon crosses the boundary, he’ll break the treaty between their packs. Mates–not just trouble. They could lead a shifter to his death.

Amazon

CAN’T GET ENOUGH (DRAGON KIN) by G A Aiken

VS note: A re-release…

Renowned for his fighting prowess, Ailean the Wicked has a new conquest in mind—the gorgeous dragoness Shalin the Innocent. While he’s saving her from her enemies, he plans to prove that even in human form a bad-boy dragon can show a girl a good time that’s truly off the scale.

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XAVIER: VAMPIRES IN EUROPE (VAMPIRES IN AMERICA BOOK 14) by D B Reynolds

Tall, dark, and deadly, vampire Xavier Prospero Flores waded through blood to destroy his enemies and reach the pinnacle of vampire society–Vampire Lord. He has only one regret in his long life, and that’s the day he rejected the advances of Layla Casales. She’d been too innocent, too naïve, and far too young. But she’d also been his. Layla Casales was only nineteen when she left Spain, brokenhearted and humiliated by Xavier’s rejection. But now, ten years later, the ties of family are pulling her back, not only to Spain, but to Xavier’s fortress. Her father, the vampire lord’s military commander, is critically ill. Layla has spent years fighting on battlefields around the world, so when her father asks her to come home, she can’t say no. Though Xavier’s rule began on the ashes of his enemies, it’s not vampires trying to kill him now–it’s humans. He needs to eliminate his enemy before more of his people die. Layla arrives just in time to help, but while she came for her father, the minute she and Xavier see each other, desire burns as hotly as if they’d never been apart. Xavier isn’t going to let her go this time. But before they can rediscover the love they walked away from, they must first keep each other alive.

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CURSED: DECORAH SECURITY BOOK 21 by Rebecca York

The moment Andre Gascon read Morgan Kirkland’s bio on the Decorah Security Web site, he knew she was the right person to investigate the eerie murders plaguing his estate deep in the Louisiana bayou. His e-mails drew her to him. But when she arrived at Belle Vista, she learned he was a man with dark secrets. He lived like a captive on his own land, disappeared into the swamp at twilight, drank a strange homemade tea–and refused to trust her. And why did a voodoo priestess show up every night with her drum? Morgan knew destiny had drawn her and Andre together. But could she break through the barriers he erected around his heart–before evil forces doomed them both?

Amazon

FLASH OF FATE (POWER OF LIGHTNING BOOK 2) by Asa Marie Bradley

Twin kids are being abducted across the country–with one left behind drugged and positioned like a corpse, while the other vanishes faster than a lightning strike. No sound, no trace, no clue. Forensic artist Molly Nyland is determined to find the kidnappers and the lost kids, and while she’s come to terms with her bizarre ability to detect when someone holds back the whole truth, she does not have time to master new powers that may burn her alive. To complicate matters more, her sexy detective boyfriend still struggles with PTSD while cultivating his own strange new abilities. Then because child abductors, unpredictable supernatural talents, and PTSD aren’t enough, Molly and her boyfriend must join with Molly’s ex in order to solve the case of the missing kids. The increased strain threatens to break their relationship, and that’s before old foes resurface to hunt Molly again. The only way for her to find the missing children and combat the enemy…is by jumping straight into the rising storm.

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SACRIFICE (BLOODLINE VAMPIRES BOOK 1) by Katee Robert

All my life, I’ve wanted nothing more than to escape my father’s compound. Half human, half vampire, I have none of the perks and all of the weaknesses. Well, my father’s finally found a use for me. He’s sent me to Malachi Zion, the last vampire in his family. My role is to play resident blood bank and, should Malachi knock me up, my father gets access to a whole new bloodline to control. No one asks me what I want. But the longer I spend with Malachi, the more I realize that he’s not the monster I first thought, which makes it harder to resist the heat that flares between us. And then his two friends show up and complicate things exponentially. As long as we’re stuck in this house together, I’m a trap just waiting to be sprung. But if we break free, there’s nothing holding these vampires to me…
In gaining the one thing I want more than anything—my freedom—I might just lose everything.

Amazon      Apple Books

LUNA CHOSEN: BOOK 5 OF THE LUNA RISIN SERIES by Sara Snow

Nineteen years ago……a mother and her baby died during childbirth. But two minutes later, that baby CAME BACK TO LIFE. miracle, according to everyone involved…However, that child grew up to hate her life because it’s been nothing but a trip through hell. Yes, you guessed it. I’m that child, Ruby Saunders. The truth is, at birth my fate was sealed. I was saved by a God, chosen to be a vessel used to save a dying world. I didn’t ask for any of this. Now after meeting my father the truth about my birth and my power is finally revealed. I was saved by a GOD at birth…given divinity to spare my life. But…why? Still the end of the world is upon us as the vampire threat grows stronger…
…and I fear it won’t be a pleasant end. I’m living on borrowed time and…I fear the life that was spared so many years ago will have to be REPAID.

Amazon

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VS Note: Pets In Space 5 coming soon….up for pre-order now….releases October 6th

Amazon      Apple Books      Nook      Kobo      Google Play

 

 

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VS: From my own backlist, an old favorite of mine ESCAPE FROM ZULAIRE. I’d always wanted to write a story about a woman suddenly plunged into danger, behind enemy lines, unsure who to trust….I think Andi is the heroine of mine people have had the most trouble finding likable, which wasn’t my intent at all. She’s very strong minded though LOL. The book won the 2014 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award in its category…

Andi Markriss hasn’t exactly enjoyed being the house guest of the planetary high-lord, but her company sent her to represent them at a political wedding. When hotshot space marine Captain Tom Deverane barges in on the night of the biggest social event of the summer, Andi isn’t about to offend her high-ranking host on Deverane’s say-so—no matter how sexy he is, or how much he believes they need to leave now.

Deverane was thinking about how to spend his retirement bonus when HQ assigned him one last mission: rescue a civilian woman stranded on a planet on the verge of civil war. Someone has pulled some serious strings to get her plucked out of the hot zone. Deverane’s never met anyone so hard-headed—or so appealing. Suddenly his mission to protect this one woman has become more than just mere orders.

That mission proves more dangerous than he expected when rebel fighters attack the village and raze it to the ground. Deverane escapes with Andi–barely. On their hazardous journey through the wilderness, Andi finds herself fighting her uncomfortable attraction to the gallant and courageous captain. But Deverane’s not the type to settle down, and running for one’s life doesn’t leave much time for romance.

Then Andi is captured by the rebel fighters, but Deverane has discovered that Zulaire’s so-called civil war is part of a terrifying alien race’s attempt to subjugate the entire Sector. If he pushes on to the capitol, Andi will die. Deverane must decide whether to save the woman he loves, or sacrifice her to save Zulaire.

 AMAZON      Apple Books    Nook  Kobo   Google Play

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

September 23

September 16

September 9 

September 2 

August 26 

“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.

 

 

 

 

 

Alien Warrior Academy Authors Discuss Their Story Sparks

 

VS Note: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

The ‘academy’ trope is popular across an entire range of romance genres, usually involving Young Adult or New Adult characters put together in the bubble of a special school or academy. The characters go through the same kinds of experiences, trials and tribulations of any school – exams, bullies, sports, extracurricular activities – but the stakes are much higher, often life and death and of course the slate of classes is a lot more exciting than the ones I suffered through in high school or college. While the trope has been supernova hot in other romance genres, it hasn’t made much penetration into science fiction romance.

Author Tana Stone and a few like-minded writers have now gotten together to write and release the Alien Warrior Academy series, so I was eager to ask them some questions, including what the inspiration was for each of their stories

Veronica Scott for Amazing Stories Magazine: What was the spark behind the idea of doing linked books? What does the group feel is the special appeal of the “academy” style stories for the reader?

TS: Three of us met last year at 20Books conference in Vegas and became instant friends. Since then, we’ve been talking about doing a joint project. Linked books in a shared world seemed like a great way to each preserve our voice and writing style. We knew that “academy” was big in some other subgenres (and the fourth in the group had experience writing academy books already), so we thought it would be fun to bring it fully into SFR. Once we started brainstorming, the concept of an alien military academy training human cadets to fight against a shared enemy was fun to imagine. And the hot teacher trope was fun for all of us!

ASM.: Who did the terrific covers?

TS: They were all done by Aaron of Kasmit Covers. It was important to us to have a consistent look!

Tana Stone, Rogue (Alien Warrior Academy Book 1):

Hoverpod champion Brooke is determined to get her gruff pod instructor, Koran, to let her compete with the male cadets—and even more determined not to fall for the sexy jerk. 

Story spark: I wanted to write a hero who didn’t fit in at the Academy—one who was an outsider just as much as the human cadets, but for different reasons. He’s overcoming the stigma of his outlaw clan when he meets the heroine. The last thing he needs is to fall for a student, but he’s never met someone like her who doesn’t care about status or clan. And the forbidden aspect of the teacher-student romance is fun!

First SFR novel she read: Like a lot of SFR authors, Ruby Dixon was my gateway drug into the genre. I loved the world she created!

On her TBR List: The Alien’s Claim by Zoey Draven, Alien Paladin’s Redemption by Mina Carter

Hope Hart, Rebel (Alien Warrior Academy Book 2):

It was supposed to be one night. One night with the gorgeous, broken, enigmatic explosives expert who makes me crazy. The problem? Now I can’t stop fantasizing about the way we self-combusted all over each other. Can I protect both the academy and my heart? Or will they end up shattered beyond repair?

Story spark: I love second-chance romances, and I was intrigued by the idea of my hero and heroine having history before their story even got started. My hero, Zarryn, my is still wresting with guilt and mourning his lover who died in a battle years ago, while my heroine, Layla knows her worth and is determined to find a partner who is ‘all-in.’ The push-pull of lovers who have two different agendas always keeps me reading when I’m enjoying any romance subcategory.

First SFR novel she read: I think it was likely one of Ruby Dixon’s books. She remains the queen of SFR and really revolutionized the genre with her series.

On her TBR List: Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews, Sin & Surrender by K.F. Breene.

Miranda Bridges, Reckless (Alien Warrior Academy Book 3):

Autumn, a nerdy hacker, meets Mikeaus, a sexy alien combat instructor. Game on.

Story spark: I’ve always wanted to do a forbidden relationship between a teacher and student. I especially love when the authoritative figure eventually succumbs to his feelings for the woman. The push and pull of the relationship development, plus the risk of getting caught is enticing to me and I’ve really enjoyed putting my own spin on this trope.

First SFR novel she read: The first book that I enjoyed was the Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon. It was hot, funny, and fast-paced. Basically everything I look for when reading a romance book.

On her TBR List: Milana Jacks – Hunger, Luna Voss – Fated Mate Tamed, Ruby Dixon – The Corsair’s Captive

Kyra Snow, Ruthless (Alien Warrior Academy Book 4):

I’m an assassin who’s finally met my match. His name is Daryx—the headmaster of the Alien Warrior Academy. Now we’re fighting together to defeat our enemy, but will we both perish because my heart picks him over logic?

Story spark: I have always loved reading forbidden romances, especially student/teacher ones. Throw in a love interest from outer space and I couldn’t think of anything better to read with my wolf dog and kitties by my side! So I decided to write what I enjoyed the most in romance novels: a feisty heroine who falls in love with her teacher, and an alpha male who is at war with himself over his feelings for his student (or in this case, his cadet!). They’re both conflicted about doing their duty verses doing what their hearts desire, and so this is what inspired my novel ‘Ruthless’.

First SFR novel she ever read: The first one I read was Bay’s Mercenary by C L Scholey. I loved how the aliens were so mesmerized by the human girl, from the way her stomach growled when she was hungry to how soft her skin was compared to theirs. It’s the small things like that which I love. I also really enjoyed that she was treated as a “pet” at first. I’ve always been a sucker for pet play!

Her TBR List: His Human Prize by Diana Winters, Fated Mate Tamed by Luna Voss

For more about the Alien Warrior Academy books visit Aliens, Alphas and Academies https://www.facebook.com/groups/299161857990030/

Is There A Doctor in the House? Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

The excerpt  will be the last one from this book as next week I’ll start on my Pets In Space 5 story. Jumping ahead a few days and over a number of events to answer the question for you if Henry has allergies or is he sick. The big social event for the colonists themselves, prior to tourist season kicking off, was a wedding. Henry was a groomsman and Saffia and Micah were guests: 

There were shouts now, yelling for a doctor.

Saffia wished she wasn’t wearing her fancy footwear but at least she had her medical bag. Guests were milling around in the corridor the closer she got to the reception area and Micah took her arm protectively as he bulled his way through.

“Make way for Dr. Mandell!” His deep voice penetrated the buzz of excited conversation and people moved aside.

When she entered the room where the elaborate multi course dinner was to have been served, Saffia would have stopped in disbelief if Micah hadn’t been guiding her forward. The bottom half of the towering wedding cake sat forlornly in the center of its table, highlighted by special candelabra. The rest of the cake was on the floor and covering the groaning form of her clerk, Henry. He must have grabbed at the table to steady himself as he collapsed but now lay sprawled in a heap on the elegant carpet, face down.

The bride was weeping hysterically in the arms of her new husband but as Saffia drew closer, she realized the distraught girl was primarily mourning the cake. Suppressing an exclamation of disgust, Saffia knelt next to Henry, moving him onto his back, Micah jumping in to help. She ran a quick scan. “High fever,” she said, eyeballing the next set of results scrolling across the screen with dismay.

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

Intergalactic Dating Agency Authors Share Story Inspirations

 

Note: This post first appeared on the AMAZING STORIES MAGAZINE blog…

It’s always fun to give a group of science fiction romance authors a writing prompt and see how their creative minds each spin the story in a different direction. The time has arrived for the Fall release schedule of the Intergalactic Dating Agency (IDA) tales, written by a group of well-known SFR authors and once again I’m asking the group what their inspirations were, once they entered the IDA universe.

I should note that the IDA releases began on September 1, with Fathom from Elsa Jade, and new books will be appearing through November 12. Most of the books are available for pre-order now, however. For this interview I asked them to discuss their first book in the 2020 release schedule.

Author Tasha Black took on the task of discussing the overall IDA concept.

Veronica Scott for Amazing Stories Magazine: What was the original ‘spark’ or idea that inspired the IDA books?

TB: Rock star author V. Vaughn conceived of the Intergalactic Dating Agency project and invited a small group of authors to join her. We loved the idea of each writing our own trilogy with similar themes (including sexy aliens falling wildly in love with human women on Earth). We wanted to be sure all our new releases were available on all ebook vendors so that readers everywhere could enjoy them. It has been such a joy to continue this project for a fourth season with wonderful authors joining in. It’s an inspiration to work with such a passionate crew of writers who all love sci fi romance!

ASM.: Who did the terrific covers?

TB: Our covers are all done by Croco Designs. Frauke does such lovely work, helping each of us fulfill a bit of our vision but keeping the covers consistent enough that readers can recognize an Intergalactic Dating Agency book without reading the fine print!

Tasha Black, USA Today Best Selling Author, Hannibal: stargazer Alien Mystery Brides #1 (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

Together they can solve any case. But when it comes to unlocking her heart, he doesn’t have a clue…

Story spark:  I’m a huge fan of sexy aliens but also of murder mysteries. I was daydreaming about what fun adventures aliens might have on Earth, and the idea of a hunky alien using his special gifts to help a human female version of Sherlock Holmes  solve a mystery made me jump out of my chair. It’s been so much fun writing a book with both delicious steam and diabolical clues!

First SFR novel ever read:  I know it’s not considered romance, but Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is one of the most romantic and interesting alien stories ever, and like the IDA books, it is entirely set on Earth. I love alien books where we see our own world through the eyes of someone from another planet!

Her TBR List: I’m excited to check out Jessie Donovan’s new release The Dragon’s Bidder, Line of Fyre by Cara Bristol, and of course all my fellow IDA authors’ upcoming books!

Cara Bristol, USA Today Best Selling Author, Chameleon: Alien Castaways 1 (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

When she wishes upon a star for good handyman, she gets a shapeshifting alien instead.

Story spark: Chameleon grew out of a need for a catchy title. Intergalactic Dating Agency romances usually are titled after the hero’s name. While that fits the requirement for brevity, a made-up alien name like Darak, Aton, or Caid (my first three IDA books) has no natural hook. So I decided to name the heroes of Alien Castaways after descriptive character traits aliens might have. Chameleon can change color and form. Wingman has wings. Psy is a mind reader.

In my six previous IDA books, I used the IDA literally, i.e. as an actual dating agency that brought aliens to Earth. I didn’t do that this time. The “Alien Castaways” were genetically engineered by an alien master race. They come to Earth as refugees after their planet is destroyed by the aliens who created them. The series is also a brotherhood story—six men, strangers at first, are united in their fight against a common foe and by their hopes to find their “genmates.” Readers will get to meet all six castaways in book one, Chameleon.

First SFR novel ever read: That’s hard to say. I think it might have been Celestial Seduction by Jessica Subject. I read it for “research” because it was in Decadent Publishing’s 1NightStand series, and I’d wanted to submit a book to that series/publisher, and I’d seen Jessica’s books around. I’ve since read many of her SFRs.

On her TBR List: I’m reading my fellow IDA authors’ books: Hannibal by Tasha Black, Above the Storm by Lea Kirk, Hawk by Susan Grant, Cross by Elsa Jade, and Axxal by Sue Mercury. Also on my TBR list is Pets in Space® 5!

Susan Grant, NYT and USA Today Best Selling Author, Hawk: Sky Mates (intergalactic Dating Agency

Commander of the fierce air warriors of Sky’s End, Hawk never expected to find a mate of his own…until he crosses paths with the Terran pilot assigned to work with him on Project: Sky Mates. With only a few weeks to go before he has to return home, can he convince Kelly to take a chance on love before he’s forced to leave her forever?

Story spark: In my Borderlands series, there were “battle pairs” in the Drakken Empire–couples who shared command of a battleship, as well as a bed. I wanted to explore the idea some more. In my Sky Mates series, only special, bonded pairs of soul-mate pilots can “sync” and fly their world’s eons old Dragon ships. But due to genetic drift, matches have become rare. In desperation, Skies End reaches out to Earth in hopes of finding more.

First SFR novel ever read: The Radiant Seas by Catherine Asaro. It was hard sci-fi with a great romance. Enemies to lovers/forbidden love. Great build up with the love story. The characters had amazing chemistry and true conflict threatening to tear them apart—real, deep, life-threatening issues. I also loved that the heroine was a strong, smart military woman.

On her TBR List: The 2020 season of the Intergalactic Dating Agency! Starting with September’s releases. I’ve already had some sneak peeks and they’re so good.

Lea Kirk, USA Today Best Selling Author, Above the Storm: Silverstar Mates (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

He will defy his peoples’ tradition to claim her as his mate.

Story spark: At first, I thought I’d stick to writing within my Prophecy series, but I’ve being working in that universe for years. What I really wanted was to create something new. New aliens, new planet, and a new universe into which Earth had recently been admitted.

Taking it one step further, I decided that these new aliens would have wings, because…why not? It’s always been in the back of my mind to create a world of winged aliens, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to—ahem—stretch my author wings. There are other things different about these aliens of mine, which you discover when you read this series.

But that wasn’t different enough for me. I made my hero and heroine silver foxes…which led to the series name, Silverstar Mates.

First SFR novel ever read: Oh, my gosh, I can’t remember the first SFR book I read, it’s been so long. How about the first one I read that had the biggest effect on my career? The Star King by Susan Grant grabbed me from opening chapter. I didn’t know Susan when I read it, but this book literally saved my first book (Prophecy) from the trash can.

My baby-author self had been told that it was important to read in the genre I was writing. (Great advice, by the way.) The problem was that the SFR books I was reading were all threesomes or menage. (We are so not exploring the underlying reasons I kept ordering those books to begin with.)

One day I realized that my little m/f SFR had no market, and I quit. That same day, The Star King showed up in my mailbox. An excellent m/f SFR that captivated me! As I closed the book on the last page, I realized there was a market for my type of romance!

And, as they say, the rest is history. I’m thrilled to be in the Fall 2020 IDA class with Susan, by the way!

On her TBR List:  Besides all the books my Intergalactic Dating Agency cohorts are releasing with me this year, I am looking longingly at The Warlord Season by Libby Doyle, Hazakura by VC Buckley, and Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. Can’t wait to read them, and many, many others!

Elsa Jade, author of Fathom: Intergalactic Dating Agency (Mermaids of Montana Book 3):

It’s time to reopen the Big Sky Intergalactic Dating Agency outpost! When an unsuspecting database engineer accidentally discovers she’s designing an alien matchmating app, the new IDA guardian must protect ET secrets despite his attraction to the clever Earther. Except there is a hidden enemy that could ruin this new chance at cosmic connections and lightspeed loving.

Story spark: Way back in 2016 when we started the Intergalactic Dating Agency, all the authors chose a place for our stories, and I wanted Big Sky Country. The remote corner of Montana offered plenty of room for extraterrestrial mischief. But over the next four (!) seasons, my poor Big Sky IDA was sabotaged, gutted, and maligned. Who would do such a thing?! (Spoiler alert: It was meeee!)

To write this new season, I knew I had to rebuild the Big Sky IDA—better, sexier, faster. Just like they said about the Six Million Dollar Man! Six million used to buy you a lot of man… Anyway! So now a mysterious benefactor has hired a Beast Battalion to protect Big Sky Country while relaunching the IDA outpost. I’m sure the reopening will go great, no problems at all…

We just need someone to design the matchmating app (Book 1), catering for the biggest party in the galaxy (Book 2), and make sure no hoax-busting Earthers show up to ruin everything again (Book 3).

Luckily, we have a Beast Battalion to guard the outpost. Too bad this particular crew of three is disgraced, on the run, and about to lose control of the savage spirits that rule their hearts. Unless they can find the mates to save them.

First SFR novel ever read: Frank Herbert’s Dune was the first SFR I read. Except it needed waaaaaay more kissing and loving and a real HEA—ya know, the actual romance part. I have high hopes that the movie will recognize the potential. In reality, of course, it will NOT be a true SFR, and that’s why I keep writing ‘em!

On her TBR List: Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha. This is the book I’m saving as a treat for when I finish my work. Under the Cape anthology found on Veronica Scott’s SFR roundup! I don’t understand why superhero romances aren’t more of a thing so I’m looking forward to this one. I’m always adding to my TBR mountain even if I haven’t read the books already there!

 

Sue Mercury, Axall: Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #4 (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

 

Rachel awakes from cryosleep to find Earth isn’t the way she remembers it. As she struggles to find her place in this strange new world, a hunky alien warrior appears in her bedroom one night, claiming to be her mate.

Story spark: I thought it would be fun to write a story featuring a heroine who’s out of her own time and finds the idea of aliens to be quite fantastic. At first, I played around with time travel, but then it hit me… cryosleep. My heroine, Rachel, wakes up after seventy-five years spent in a cryosleep experiment and is shocked by all the changes on Earth, including the fact that humans made first contact with a variety of alien races years ago. I also thought it would be fun if Rachel’s new boss/friend signs her up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides, so she’s even more shocked when a hot alien shows up in her bedroom claiming to be her mate.

First SFR novel ever read:  The Starlight Rite by Cherise Sinclair. It’s a super sexy read with lots of tension between the hero and heroine, and all the cool worldbuilding details made me realize how much fun sci-fi romance could be.

On her TBR List:  Hannibal by Tasha Black, Chameleon by Cara Bristol, Devolution by Max Brooks

For more about the Intergalactic Dating Agency visit: RomancingtheAlien.com and the FaceBook group 

 

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for Wednesday September 23

A REALLY big week for books – over 100 to mention today! – so buckle up and happy reading!

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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THE MONSTER’S CARESS: A SEVEN KINGDOMS TALE 8 (THE SEVEN KINGDOMS) by S E Smith

CIA agent Asahi Tanaka grew up hearing tales from his grandfather about a mysterious realm where magic and monsters are real. His quest for answers takes him back to Yachats, Oregon, his childhood home. His personal investigation of a series of disappearances leads to a break in the case, and he finds himself in a strange but eerily familiar world.
Nali, Empress of the Monsters, will do anything to protect the creatures under her care. When one of her fabled Sea Stags washes ashore grievously injured, she knows that the last of the alien organisms that came to her world has made it to her kingdom. Her search for the alien leads to an unexpected discovery—another visitor, this one from Earth! A perilous journey to find the malevolent alien takes Nali and Asahi across the Isle of the Monsters, leading them to a discovery that changes their perceptions and makes them reexamine their place in the universe. Will the magic that sparks between these two warriors from different worlds be enough to destroy the threat, or will one have to be sacrificed to save not only the Seven Kingdoms but Earth as well?

Amazon      Apple Books

JOAN AND THE JUGGERNAUT (ALIEN ABDUCTION BOOK 10) by Honey Phillips

An unstoppable alien warrior. A stubborn human. A desperate escape. Varga’s life has been as hard as the armor which covers his skin, but he has never let it stop him. He has powered his way through every obstacle – until a favor for a friend sends him straight into the path of a stubborn, beautiful female, and everything changes. After finally freeing herself from her domineering ex-husband, Joan is ready to start a new life on her own terms. Instead, she is kidnapped by aliens and sold into servitude on a mining planet at the far end of the galaxy. When a terrifyingly attractive alien appears with promises to rescue her, she isn’t foolish enough to refuse. But the massive, scarred warrior wants more than her freedom – he wants her heart. As Varga and Joan lead a ragtag group on a dangerous journey to freedom, can they also escape the ties of the past and find a new future – together?

Amazon

RECKLESS (ALIEN WARRIOR ACADEMY BOOK 3) by Miranda Bridges

My instructor hates me. If I could use my hacking expertise to fly through the academy’s courses I would, but that doesn’t work in hand-to-hand combat. And this guy? He’s determined to turn me into a soldier. Except I’m more suited to being a nerd than a killer. I’m not here to learn those skills, only enhance my knowledge of alien technology, and it doesn’t include the Lokarian anatomy. But then I’m getting tutored privately, (because that’s how much I suck) and it’s giving me an upfront view of the male’s body as he kicks my Georgia peach two ways from Sunday. And if that’s not enough, I’m being denied the opportunity to decode the enemy’s secrets. So I do what I do best: steal it. I am a hacker after all. Duh. Will I be able to uncover the threat in time to save the academy, while simultaneously resisting my instructor’s lingering touches and smoldering looks? Or will I find myself being phished, but instead of a security breach it’ll be a full-on death trap?

Amazon

RUTHLESS (ALIEN WARRIOR ACADEMY BOOK 4) by Kyra Snow

I’m an assassin who’s finally met my match. If only he wasn’t such a jerk. All I want is to be part of the elite taskforce that will defeat our enemy once and for all. The problem? Daryx is the one overseeing the training for the mission.
Some days I’m not sure if I want to stab or kiss him, especially when the silver fox tells me how much he believes in me. That does something to a girl’s ego. Now we’re fighting to bring down our enemy, but my feelings are getting in the way. Can I do my job if it means sacrificing him? Or will we both perish because my heart chooses him over logic?

Amazon

RESCUED BY HER ALIEN MATE (WARRIORS OF THE D’TALI BOOK 1) by Ava York and Starr Huntress

I thought being kidnapped by four-armed blue apes was as weird as life was going to get. Boy, was I wrong… We’ve crashed, our captors have fled, and now we’ve been rounded up by a group of tall, horned men. With scales. Who don’t understand a word we say. So why does my heart flutter when their leader touches me?  When his eyes flash silver, something deep inside me answers. But if I lose my heart, how can I keep myself and the other women safe?

Amazon

ALIEN ENFORCER’S TARGET (COSMIC SWAT BOOK 2) by Liz Paffel

Ava – That crazy television show Naked and Afraid? It’s a cakewalk compared to the sick game my alien abductors have planned for me–one that humans apparently never survive. I spent so much time hiking after my mom and sister disappeared from Earth that I became a wilderness survival expert. I know how to keep myself alive in any situation… except on this hostile planet, everything, even the water, is trying to eat me.  My captors gave me a coach to help me prepare. He’s huge, scary, and sexy as hell. Turns out he’s an undercover alien cop with a mission. One that includes his crazy idea that I’m the key to solving a crime…that involves my missing family. Khryz – My human target doesn’t know what’s coming for her, but I do.  As an elite Cosmic S.W.A.T member, I took an unbreakable oath to protect human life. Human females are precious. The one I’m undercover to protect is worth more than the riches of all the wealthy slime who come to watch the game she needs to survive. I won’t let her die. She could be the missing piece that allows me back into the prison planet I need to destroy. And if her touch means what I think it does… she could just be my fated mate. I’m ready to fight anything that gets in between us. Even one of my own. Let the games begin.

Amazon

 

LEGEND BEYOND THE STARS (DARKON WARRIORS BOOK 1) by S E Gilchrist

VS Note: I believe this is a rerelease?

A race on the edge of extinction. The women who can save them. And an enemy determined to destroy them all.
Seeking redemption from a mission gone terribly wrong, Captain Alana Knight volunteers for a dangerous operation to transport colonists to a new earth-like planet. But on board the alien traders’ spaceship, she learns of a galactic war raging for power. A power that can be transformed into a terrible weapon. When the colonists are betrayed, Alana’s mission is re-defined. Nothing will stop her from keeping those in her care safe and finding a passage home.
Commander Tarak El Rajan is humanoid, male and a warrior determined to preserve the honour of the Darkon people. A rendezvous with devious traders, leads to an unexpected payload consisting of females from an unknown planet. In particular, one who stirs long forgotten emotions in his heart. But with strict orders to transport all females to the planet Isla for research purposes, any deviation means treason. In a world of uncertainty, where the wrong decision could mean the death of an entire race, the last thing either of these two soldiers expects or needs is to fall in love.

Amazon       Apple Books

AXALL: VAXXLIAN MAIL ORDER BRIDES #44 (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Sue Mercury

After awakening from cryosleep, Rachel struggles to find her place in a strange new world. Earth isn’t the way she remembers it. Not even close. For starters, humans have made contact with real live aliens. Before she can wrap her head around all the changes, a bossy Vaxxlian warrior shows up in her bedroom claiming to be her mate. She tries to send him away, but the alien in question is as stubborn as he is tall. He also looks infuriatingly good without his clothes on… Axall has never believed in fate or love at first sight. That is, until he meets Rachel–the petite human female with soulful blue eyes and dark, wavy hair who stirs up his protective side. One glance and he’s completely smitten with the headstrong woman who incites his most primal desires. He’s determined to capture her heart and take her back to planet New Vaxx. Despite Rachel’s assertion that they aren’t compatible, Axall keeps trying to woo her, and if he doesn’t stop making those sexy growling noises, she just might lose her resolve. But no. It would never work–she has responsibilities on Earth she can’t abandon, even if she is starting to fall for the hunky green-eyed alien with the heart of gold.

Amazon      Apple Books

THE ALIEN’S CHALLENGE (DRIXONIAN WARRIORS BOOK 6) by Ella Maven

He’s all fang and no bite… until I push him too far. Tabitha: It’s not like I’m a stranger to one-night stands, but I’ve never had a drunken make-out session with a horned, blue-skinned alien only for him to leave me with the female equivalent of blue balls. The jerk. Xavy’s all talk but no bite. Is it so bad I want the bite? Well, turns out I might get more than I bargained for since I passed out in a hiding spot only to wake up miles in the air on an aircraft. And guess who’s in the pilot seat? The very last alien I want to see…Xavy: Everything about Tabitha tempts me. Her soft curves and her big smile and loud voice full of laughter. But it terrifies me how badly I want to do things to her that are dishonorable to a Drixonian warrior, so I have to reject her. When I find her as a stowaway on my important mission, I have no choice but to return her to camp. That is, until our return trip doesn’t go quite as expected. Now I’m the only thing keeping her safe, and it’s not so easy to avoid her now. Especially when I find that she likes my rough touch as much as I like giving it to her.

Amazon

SCARRED: BRAXTHARIAN WARRIORS # by Nikki Landis

Valtus: Damaged. Broken. Scarred. A Braxtharian Warrior built for one purpose: Conquering the galaxies and bringing honor to Vindar. The Braxthar Legion’s Elite Force has been my only salvation. Conscripted into service after I disgraced my family, I live with the guilt and trauma of my past. Undying loyalty. Total obedience. Swift justice. The creed of the Braxtharian Warrior. But when I find a human female taken against her will, My protective instincts rise to the surface and I’ll do whatever it takes to seek justice. Kacie is mine to protect. But my heart knows she’s more.
I can’t be the mate she needs. I don’t deserve her. 
Kacie: I’ve been taken prisoner by alien slavers. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. When I signed up for the Interstellar Space Program, All I wanted was a chance to prove Earth was ready to join the Galactic Assembly.
When I’m rescued by a sexy warrior and saved from a terrible fate, I know I have to trust the silver alien with brooding eyes and a thirst for vengeance. My heart aches for his suffering. His scars run deeper than his damaged skin. But my champion doesn’t think he deserves a chance at love. He’s wrong. If we both want to survive, we’ll have to trust one another and confront our deepest pain. I’m not giving up. I’ll fight for Valtus. He may be scarred but he’s not broken. I’ll just have to prove it.

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THE VEILED WAR: A QUIRKY STEAMPUNK FANTASY SERIES (THE VIPER AND THE URCHIN BOOK 8) by Celine Jeanjean

Rory and Longinus have their hands full. Adelma is in a bad way, and it will take a lot of work to bring her back to herself. On top of which, Longinus has to prepare for a blind date. The premium matchmaking service he joined assures him that she’s his soulmate. The pressure in selecting the right outfit is, therefore, immense. Distracted and occupied, it takes Rory and Longinus a while to realise that a number of worrying changes are slowly happening in Damsport. On top of which the Marchioness refuses to see anyone, and Lady Martha is nowhere to be found. What is happening in the Mansion? And who or what is behind the odd changes taking place in the city? Rory and Longinus are about to face some challenging times—and not just because Longinus is determined to make avocado shirts the next hot fashion item.

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PRIMORDIAL EARTH BOOK 2 by Baleigh Higgins

VS Note: Not a romance…

This is their world, and we are the prey. An outlaw in a savage world, Rogue barely survives her first encounter with the prehistoric creatures outside the walls of Prime City. After a mysterious stranger saves her life, she’s reunited with her long lost mother. Hoping for a fresh start, she joins the Exiles, a group of survivors who live off the land. But not all welcome her with open arms.  The fight for freedom has just begun…Eager to free her former people from the rule of a tyrant, she seeks assistance from members of the council. Little does she know that each have their own agenda, and not all look toward a peaceful resolution. Can she prevail, or will she fall victim to the ravages of war?

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EXPOSED by H L Day

VS Note: Dystopian, from late AUG

Sometimes salvation comes from the most unlikely hero. When Tate Gillespie is marked for death for a crime he didn’t commit, his life crumbles. In a world where ‘justice’ is meted out by a relentless military force, he’s going to need more than a mythical guardian angel. His life down to seconds, he’s saved by the mysterious X, a knife-wielding man he’s never even met before. But who is X? Is he the man who threatens and kills without a second thought? Or the strangely gentle man who only seems to act that way around Tate?
X is a shadow. A wraith. A man who flits through the city virtually unseen. He’s got no time for people when knives are far more reliable. X does have one weakness though—the man he’s been keeping safe for years who doesn’t even know it. He’d burn the whole world to keep him alive. But what he won’t do is stake his claim. Tate’s not his and he needs to remember that, no matter how close they might become. With the military in hot pursuit, they’re going to need to rely on X’s skills to keep them both alive. Tate’s feelings are growing with every hour they spend together, but X is a tough nut to crack. Can two people from very different backgrounds really find common ground? Or will one of the many perils they face throughout their long journey drive them apart? It’s all about survival. Not love. Isn’t it?

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ABOVE THE STORM: SILVERSTAR MATES (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Lea Kirk

Love can be as elusive as stardust. After thirty-five years married to a controlling husband, Robyn Martin Donahue now has her freedom, friends, and a job she adores. And there’s still room in her heart for a special someone. Where in the galaxy can she find a man who will love and respect her, not try to rule her? By law, a monarch cannot govern alone. Recently widowed Kyzel Raptorclaw, the remaining sovereign of his clan, is on the hunt for a new mate. This time he wants more than just an ally; he wants love. But breaking with his peoples’ ancient mating tradition comes at a personal price—one his new mate may not accept. Can Kyzel convince Robyn they are better together, or will their happily ever after crash and burn before it has a chance to soar?

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WHELON (DRAGONS OF PREOR BOOK 12) by Celia Kyle and Anne Hale

Local news celebrity Sasha Dane and her mother are fixated on one goal—leverage their media presence to make life supremely difficult for the invading Preor. They want the aliens gone from Earth and for their unnatural hold on human females to end. Permanently. That’s how Sasha found herself at Preor Choosing Station Tau attending a Preor Choosing. Her job? Gather as much dirt as possible. If only that had gone according to plan…Preor Healing Master Whelon never liked the human “cattle calls.” Where hordes of human females threw themselves at the attending Preor in hopes the Knowing would blossom. Nevertheless, he finds himself drawn to Choosing, pulled by an inexplicable force to attend. And that’s when it happened…The Knowing. Desire. Want. Need. Hope…Now, both Sasha and Whelon realize fate has a cruel streak. Sasha must contend with the differences between what she thought to be true—the Preor are an evil, women-stealing, vicious peoples—and reality… That the Preor cherish and love their mates and care for all human beings. Meanwhile, Whelon must realize that his fated mate has obstacles only she can fight.

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LAYERS OF FORCE (STAR KINGDOM BOOK 8) by Lindsay Buroker

VS Note: Not a romance

Even though Professor Casmir Dabrowski has been fighting for months to help the kingdom and humanity as a whole, few people in positions of power have appreciated his unorthodox methods. Now he’s a captive of the king and being taken back to his home world without his friends or the crushers he relies upon to protect him. The king believes Casmir is responsible for the prince’s death and plans to have him publicly executed. But bigger troubles are brewing for the Star Kingdom, and Casmir may once again be needed to find a creative solution to save his people—and reshape the entire future of the Twelve Systems. First, he’s got to escape and survive. No easy feat for a man stripped of his allies and marked as a rebel and a traitor.

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FIRE’S MATE (CHARYBDIS STATION BOOK 2) by C W Gray

Fire may be a deadly Crellic Element, but he much prefers napping and snacking to murdering armies. After centuries of being used as a weapon, he’s finally able to live peacefully on Charybdis Station. While he’s content to spend his days visiting his friends and raiding their homes for food, he longs for one more thing. A mate to call his own.
A trip to the nearby planet of Burnished Outpost gives him far more than he planned on.
Quigley lives in a narrow-minded clan in the deep desert of Burnished Outpost. His days are spent hunting for survival, guarding his family from the rest of the clan, and hiding a secret that could get him killed. When everything goes wrong and he finds himself on run, all he can hope for is to live long enough to get his family to safety. When the most amazing being he has ever seen swoops in to save the day, Quigley knows he’s found his mate.
The two men may be fated mates, but the differences between them are striking. Can Quigley adjust to a new life on Charybdis Station and can Fire find his place in his brand new family?

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BOUND BY THE ALIEN REBEL (ZUNATORIAN WARRIORS BOOK 4) by Gabby Dark 

My hunter is nearly eight feet tall, hard as granite, and has a deadly reputation. They call him Xaixek.
Once I see him, I know he’s not like the others. When he touches me, I know all my secrets will be laid bare to him. His telepathic gift allows him to perceive my most intimate thoughts and there’s nothing I can do about it…but run.
When I abandoned my post, I thought I could start over on another colony. After all, I’ve been alone before. I’m done with overbearing men. They are the bane of my existence. But Xaixek is not a man. Xaixek is a Zunatorian alien warrior assassin. He’s become a rebel of sorts. Unlike most of his brethren, he prefers to do his dirty work alone.
His king has sent him on a mission to hunt and capture me. And in return, he would be cleared of all of his debts and forgiven for his crimes. But this mission is personal to Xaixek. He would’ve sought revenge anyway. I’m hunted because I’m a suspect in his uncle’s murder. His uncle won me at a breeding auction and I was assigned to become his mate. I’ve escaped fate many times over, but now I am caught and bound by a relentless rebel. Xaixek promises to make me pay for what I have done. And he does—I pay his price in flesh. I never anticipated that I would crave every single touch. If Xaixek punishes me as thoroughly as he pleasures me, I’m in trouble. I will never escape this fate.

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TARON: VIRILIAN MAIL ORDER MATES by Ella Blake

Amelia Ward works security for the organization that matches human women to Virilian males. Escorting female matches to their transport ships is steady, routine work until an assignment goes terribly wrong. She awakens in deep space, having been switched with the woman she was assigned to protect. She frantically tells the only other person on the ship what happened, but Taron, the gorgeous Virilian male piloting the shuttle, doesn’t believe one word of her story.
Ex-raider and Virilian exile, Taron Bando, essentially operates a galactic taxi. He’s seen some major drama on the job, but none to rival Amelia’s raving about a kidnapping and demand to be immediately returned to Earth. He thinks her act is an elaborate play at cold feet until his vessel is fired upon by an unmarked sniper ship. He and Amelia survive in an escape pod, but become stranded on a jungle alien planet where he finds himself powerfully attracted to the beautiful, headstrong human. As they work together to survive, and find a way off the planet, these two total opposites powerfully attract in ways they never expected. Friction turns to desires neither can deny. But will they—and their passion—survive the quest to find the woman who was kidnapped and the truth about Taron’s past?

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MY BOYFRIEND IS AN ALIEN (90’S NOSTALGIA FATED MATES BOOK 1) by Athena Storm

I thought I was a modern woman. But then one day I’m attacked. My rescuer is a huge, scaled, alpha male caveman alien. He wears a holodisguise when he’s not saving the human race. And when Axul the Vakutan warrior lays eyes on me, he says I’m his fated mate. If you ask me, I can totally feel the love tonight. Truly. Madly. Deeply. I mean have you seen the type of guys that try to hit on you in the 1990s? It’s all achy-breaky mullets and Hammer pants. Please.
I may not have his muscles (oh boy, those muscles!) but I may know a thing or two that can help him. Like how to parallel park. Use the yellow pages. And call collect. He has to succeed. To save Earth. And our love. After all. He’s my wonderwall.

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CHARMED BY THE COXIAN GODS (ALIERN MASTERS BOOK 6) by  Alyx X

I’ve always been on my own. Parents gone, planet dead. I’ve saved myself my whole life to sell myself to TERRA and those darn Alien’s. Well, until I get myself into a bit of trouble and then I’m stuck hiding on this rock dancing for those Alien’s while they make a pitstop from picking up their human cargo. That’s when these two golden skin space gods came wandering into my club. One look from their golden eyes and my thighs are all tingly, turns out that happens to be their superpower. A superpower that they want to use on me. Not that I have any interest in joining their “Harem.” What kind of Alien’s are they anyway? The kind that will do anything in their power to take the human with them, even if it means defying the laws of their kind. Turns out I’m forbidden, and just looking at me could get them all killed.

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UNBROKEN TREASURE (DRIFTING TREASURES SERIES BOOK 3) by Layla Stone

Seso spent five years in a mansion from hell. Escaping from that black hell was luck, escaping from the caves underneath, would take all his will power and the kindness from a Demon he can’t see. Mei’s lived in the caves for years seeing dead bodies dropped from the trash shoots over and over again. But this time, the body is alive and determined to escape the caves. Considering he can’t see in the dark, like her, she doubts he will make it far. Not to mention the spaceship sized spiders that lurk on the walls and other creatures that live under the water. The safest thing would be to convince him to stay with her, but freedom sounds so much better.

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FAST FORWARD (TIME CAPTIVE BOOK 3) by Heather Long

“In one and the same fire, clay grows hard and wax melts.” – Francis Bacon Valda is finally free, but her secrets have revealed new puzzles. Hatch and Dirk have been taken. Worse, Oz seems to have abandoned them. Now, with Andreas at her side, she will wage a war she never wanted to fight against an organization she knows nothing about to save the men she loves. The answer everyone wants is housed within her mind. Now, if only Valda knew what the question is. No matter what, she will do whatever it takes to save them. They didn’t give up on her. She will be damned if she will lose them now.

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THE ART OF SAVING THE WORLD by Corinne Duyvis

VS Note: Not a romance but sounded interesting.

When Hazel Stanczak was born, an interdimensional rift tore open near her family’s home, which prompted immediate government attention. They soon learned that if Hazel strayed too far, the rift would become volatile and fling things from other dimensions onto their front lawn—or it could swallow up their whole town. As a result, Hazel has never left her small Pennsylvania town, and the government agents garrisoned on her lawn make sure it stays that way. On her sixteenth birthday, though, the rift spins completely out of control. Hazel comes face-to-face with a surprise: a second Hazel. Then another. And another. Three other Hazels from three different dimensions! Now, for the first time, Hazel has to step into the world to learn about her connection to the rift—and how to close it. But is Hazel—even more than one of her—really capable of saving the world?

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THE DOORS OF EDEN by Adrian Tchaikovsky

VS Note: From mid AUG, not a romance but a release of note.

They thought we were safe. They were wrong. Four years ago, two girls went looking for monsters on Bodmin Moor. Only one came back. Lee thought she’d lost Mal, but now she’s miraculously returned. But what happened that day on the moors? And where has she been all this time? Mal’s reappearance hasn’t gone unnoticed by MI5 officers either, and Lee isn’t the only one with questions. Julian Sabreur is investigating an attack on top physicist Kay Amal Khan. This leads Julian to clash with agents of an unknown power – and they may or may not be human. His only clue is grainy footage, showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor. Dr Khan’s research was theoretical; then she found cracks between our world and parallel Earths. Now these cracks are widening, revealing extraordinary creatures. And as the doors crash open, anything could come through.

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SYNNR’S SPARK (ZULIR WARRIOR MATES BOOK 3) by Kate Rudolph

Raised by a Synnr father and human mother, but 100% human, Grace has a foot in two worlds and belongs in neither. A Synnr Match would give her the wings she desperately wants, so why has a human man caught her eye? She’s caught between Zac, a human rescued from enemy Apsyns and their evil experiments, and Crowze, an aristocratic Synnr soldier built for seduction. There’s no way she can choose between them. So why not choose both?
Lost in space and time…Zac’s supposed to be in grad school, not outer space. He’s determined to carve out a life for himself, but he never imagined a three way romance between himself, an alien soldier, and a human woman with the heart of a Synnr warrior. He’ll do what it takes to keep them…Grace caught his eye through her resilience as a Synnr spy, Zac did it through his will to survive the horrors thrown at him by the Apsyns. Crowze is determined to convince them to take a chance on building something together. But can two humans and a Zulir make a Match?

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HEART OF VENGEANCE by Eileen Troemel

Death from the skies! Nogads invaded and killed everyone she loved. Londa fought but too late to save her offspring. Now all she wants is to kill Nogads. Jeffa and his squad of warriors follow the landing of the Nogads in an attempt to protect the people. Approaching the summer shelter of a homesteader, they discover one small female has killed seven of the large Nogads invaders. Jeffa feels the tug of a mate but knows she’s been through too much and he needs to be patient. Will Londa’s need fir revenge prevent her from finding love again?

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SHAPERS OF WORLDS by Various

VS Note: Not romances but a great lineup of scifi authors…

Within these pages lie eighteen stories, from eighteen worlds shaped by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its first year. There are original stories from Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, D.J. Butler, Christopher Ruocchio, Shelley Adina, and Edward Willett, plus fiction by John Scalzi, David Brin, Julie Czerneda, Joe Haldeman, Gareth L. Powell, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, Fonda Lee, Derek Kunsken, and Thoraiya Dyer. Some are international bestsellers. Among them are winners and nominees for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, Aurealis, Ditmar, British Science Fiction Association, and Dragon Awards. Some have been writing for decades, others are at the beginning of their careers. All have honed their craft to razor-sharpness.

A teenage girl finds something strange in the middle of the Canadian prairie. An exobiologist tries to liberate a giant alien enslaved on its homeworld by humans. The music of the spheres becomes literal for an Earth ship far from home. A superhero league interviews for new members. Strangers share a drink on a world where giant starships fall. Two boys, one a werewolf, one a mage, get more than they bargained for when they volunteer to fight an evil Empire. A man with amnesia accepts a most unusual offer. A young woman finds unexpected allies as she tries to win a flying-machine race in steampunk London.

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ROMAN: THE BOUNDARYLANDS OMEGAVERSE by Callie Rhodes

No woman willingly travels to the Boundarylands. It’s where they are—the Alphas. They keep to themselves in the wilderness, and beta civilization knows to keep its distance. Especially beta women…for fear they may not be a beta after all. Unfortunately, Phoebe never had a choice, not when the family business is smuggling black market goods to the alphas who live deep within the borders. She knows enough to keep her distance, but when a heated deal goes wrong, Phoebe finds herself offered up as a sacrifice—her freedom for her family’s lives. Now, she’s trapped with a creature who views her as nothing more than another possession…so why does his feral nature call to her in ways she’s powerless to control?

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ECHOES OF TIME (ECHOES OF TIME TRAVEL SERIES BOOK 1) by Rylee Swann

Alien. Assassin. Time Traveler. Shawn Paros, a flawed and dangerous time-traveling alien, is living his life out on earth as a hired assassin. Cold, calculated, and emotionless, he makes for the perfect career criminal. But nothing could prepare him for Rayna Newman, the one person who can tear down all of his defenses. Rayna breathes life into his pointless world, and now, he’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to her. Even honoring her most absurd request: to work for the United States government and stop his criminal ways. There’s only one problem. The government wants him dead.

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X MY HEART by Linda Mooney

For the past four years, the war against the invaders has raged on, with seemingly no end in sight. Cities and towns have been razed, with the majority of the population killed or forced into hiding. The military branches—what’s left of them—are joining forces against the enemy. The aliens. Lieutenant Gretchen Twoey and her squad are quickly losing hope. Supplies are limited, soldiers are becoming even more so, but the alien mechanoids are never ending. Despite the military’s best efforts, nothing is being learned of the extraterrestrials. The mechs they do manage to kill disintegrate before they can even be studied. If the tides don’t turn soon, the world will be defeated. When Sergeant Leif Stoddard and his men are reassigned to the 181st with Gretchen, things seem to finally be going in their favor. They were set to marry four years ago, but then the first Medusa struck and they were both called to arms, and it’s been an uphill battle since. Finally, they can be together…or will the war tear them apart yet again, once and for all?
The world has a choice—lie low, stay invisible, and hope the aliens leave, or stage one last battle where the winner takes all.

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SIGN HERE FOR HORNS (VANDALAR CONCUBINES BOOK 1) by V K Ludwig

I accidentally bought myself an alien concubine. Thirty-one, recently divorced, and behind on the mortgage for my farm, I scrape my last savings together and buy myself a farmhand. That big, horned alien I end up with? He’s a Vandalar saikh, a male concubine, and he wants to plow more than just my fields. Guess I should have read the fine print of the purchase contract better because the trader refuses to take him back. Now I’m stuck with weed-infested fields, red letters from the bank, and a guy who says he studied one million ways to please a female. (His words, it’s not like I’m going to count…)

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SONG OF THE DEPTHS by Bonnie L Price

To the Creshe Empire, I’m just a number. I’ve spent the past five years in isolation and under study. With my home razed by a Syldrari attack, my mind damaged, and nothing but white walls and a viewing window around me, I dedicated myself to two things: training my body, and reading any book they allowed me to have. The Empire wants me to serve, to use the inhuman power the Incident stirred within me. Technically, they asked, but it wasn’t much of a choice. It never is. Serve, or… I refused to be a mindless slave. My life was taken from me once. Never again. With the Empire moving forward with their xenophobic plans, they needed someone capable of killing Syldrari—and I was just that. A tool they could use, a tool they thought they could manipulate. Needing me was their first mistake. They gave me leverage, I named my terms. Now, after five years, my life can begin.

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BACK THAT SASS UP (ENEMIES TO MATES BOOK 2) by Celeste King

Hot girl matched with Kaleth killer. Let’s get ready to rumble. It’s hard being an attractive girl in a male dominated field. So when a government agent knocks on my door saying they need my help to save the galaxy, I immediately think I’m being punked. Then, a horned, muscled, 8-feet tall alien warrior bursts through my door and I know my life has taken a turn into the Twilight Zone. People are telling me this alien caveman is my fated mate. He’s so over the top. Probably the last living being in the galaxy to not realize wrestling is fake. And taking him out to social events makes 2020 look like a picnic. Still, I think I like the big lug. See, it’s how he looks at me. He just wants to love me. Get me barefoot and pregnant with his alien babies. Usually they send genetic matches on a thirty day vacation to get to know each other. For us, they gave us a mission instead. To work together to save the Earth from annihilation.
Geez. Talk about a high pressure date.

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LOVE NEVER DIES by Pelaam

VS Note: From late AUG

Brother and sister team Midnight and Aurora Pendragon have a successful airship business taking clients on trips to be photographed with their pet pterodactyl. The last thing they expect is to have one such trip hijacked by the dashing adventurer Voltaire Crevin and his right-hand man Trevilian Hawke. While his sister and Voltaire repeatedly lock horns, Midnight finds himself increasingly drawn to Trevilian. Finally, Voltaire explains they are trying to prevent a weapon of mass destruction from falling into the hands of a ruthless, secret organization, the S.O.R. With Midnight’s help, they take the airship down into an extinct volcano to find that not only does Atlantis still exist, but the weapon is in the hands of the few remaining Atlanteans. But if Voltaire had believed the S.O.R. were ruthless, it’s nothing compared to that of the Atlanteans who seek to return to the surface and rule the world using their ultimate weapon: The Leviathan. Midnight’s feelings for Trevilian deepen as they seek a way to stop the Atlanteans and escape from Atlantis. Danger comes in many ways and takes many forms, each more deadly than the last. Can Midnight and Trevilian survive long enough to know whether love never dies?

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HER ALIEN HUSBAND (PALLASAN CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by Juniper Kerry

Freddie loves her bar. Although not too many aliens were happy about a human owning a business on the Pallasan trading post, she’s starting to win them over. But now, a criminal mastermind has taken control of her sector. He’s got everyone in his pocket… except for Freddie. He wants her off his turf, and he’s found a way to make it happen: a new law that requires that all businesses in his sector be owned by an ‘established’ alien species. Freddie is about to lose her bar, and she doesn’t know what to do. Vander doesn’t drink much. In fact, he hates the feeling of losing control. But he’s been hanging around Freddie’s bar lately, trying to get close to her. Something inside him whispers that she’s important. So when he sees an opportunity to get closer, he jumps at the chance. Of course, marrying the woman he desires doesn’t necessarily mean he gets to keep her.

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ASSASSIN’S OMEGA by Ana B Starr

Valentina and Leo are rare. Not only are they twins, but human Omegas as well. When a galactic crime lord collecting a debt discovers them, the siblings find themselves enslaved and forced to work under the watchful eye of their alien master. Their abilities as Omegas are exploited for profit until they find an unlikely rescuer in a strange Alpha, who claims Valentina is his mate. Cyprias is an assassin tasked with a kill on the space station Ondu. With undisputed skill and a high body count, he expected this assignment to be an easy one. But he finds this hunk of metal in space harbors more than just a job. Hidden away in a seedy club is his Omega, and he will stop at nothing to protect her.

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TREASURED BY THE DRAGON (STONEFIRE BRITISH DRAGONS BOOK 13) by Jessie Donovan

If someone had told Dawn Chadwick that she’d be attending a play put on by children on a dragon-shifter’s land a year ago, she would’ve said they were mad. However, her daughter Daisy has slowly worn Dawn down about her prejudices and she ends up volunteering to help with the play. She’s to assist a recluse dragonman with the special effects. What she didn’t count on was her daughter’s meddling.
Blake Whitby prefers working in a lab to being around people. He’s a rare white dragon with a black spot, and the attention from a young age has made him hide from others. However, he’s always had a weakness for children and agrees to help them with their play. What he didn’t count on was meeting a beautiful human with a sense of humor and a heart-warming smile. His dragon wants her, but Blake holds back. At least until two kids make holding back impossible.
 While Dawn agrees to the mate-claim frenzy with Blake, there’s no guarantee their pairing will work. And when Dawn’s family threatens her happiness, Blake has to stand by his mate and fight for the family he never knew he wanted.

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FROST FAE (DARK FAE KINGS BOOK 2) by Meg Xuemei X

The three Fae kings insist I’m their fated mate, and they’re terrible at sharing. I know I should turn my back on them before they ruin me. They’re too ruthless, feral, possessive, and well, too hot for me to feel safe. A girl would have a better chance of swimming with sharks than walking among the predatory Fae, let alone tangling with them between the sheets. But did I adhere to my own advice? And now my unbridled lust complicates everything, leading me straight into the Dawn Queen’s trap. To claim the kings for herself, she thrusts me into the Wild Hunt—a deadly game no one has ever escaped.

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DUSK AVENGER (FLIRTING WITH MONSTERS BOOK 3) by Eva Chase

The Company of Light had already made my shit list before they kidnapped one of my monstrous lovers. Now? I’m ready to send the whole lot of them up in flames. Especially when it turns out they may have damaged my demon sweetheart beyond repair. Trouble is, those flames aren’t playing nice. After its taste of freedom, my inner fire seems intent on having a full-on scorch party, and that includes burning me up while I’m burning down the baddies. If I’m going to get a handle on the dangerous power within me, I need to understand where it—and I—came from. But finding the answers I’m searching for could be worse than staying in the dark. My enemies are multiplying by the minute, and the worst of them… might be standing right beside me.

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THE COTTAGE OF CURIOUSITIES by Celia Anderson

VS Note: Magical realism…

Tucked away amongst the winding, cobbled streets of Pengelly in Cornwall, the old stone cottage on Memory Lane is full of secrets. Brimming with trinkets and treasures, there are thousands of stories hidden within its walls. Fifty-four-year-old Grace Clarke arrives in Pengelly determined to uncover the secrets of her past. Standing outside the little cottage, she feels sure that the answers she craves lie inside. The truth about her mysterious long-lost mother and the even more mysterious gifts she was born with.

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ENCHANTED HUNT (MIDNIGHT HUNTERS BOOK 8) by L L Raand

Sylvan forms an alliance with the neighboring Snowcrest wolf pack after an attack on Snowcrest by creatures from beyond the veil, and sends a cadre of warriors to aid in training the Snowcrest soldiers to defend against the next attack. Trent, one of Sylvan’s lieutenants, understands her duty, but can’t deny the primal call of another Were, even if Zora is the Alpha of the Snowcrest Pack and any relationship between them risks inter-Pack war. When Sylvan receives an unexpected summons—couched in the form of an invitation to parlay—from Cecelia, Queen of Faerie, she decides to cross into Faerie despite Drake’s misgivings and against the advice of her war council. The Timberwolf stronghold has never been breached, but this time the enemy is shielded by dark magic and no one is safe.

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THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM: A NOVEL (THE LOST QUEEN BOOK 2)  by Signe Pike

VS note: Arthurian fantasy…

AD 573. Imprisoned in her chamber, Languoreth awaits news in torment. Her husband and son have ridden off to wage war against her brother, Lailoken. She doesn’t yet know that her young daughter, Angharad, who was training with Lailoken to become a Wisdom Keeper, has been lost in the chaos. As one of the bloodiest battles of early medieval Scottish history scatters its survivors to the wind, Lailoken and his men must flee to exile in the mountains of the Lowlands, while nine-year-old Angharad must summon all Lailoken has taught her and follow her own destiny through the mysterious, mystical land of the Picts.

In the aftermath of the battle, old political alliances unravel, opening the way for the ambitious adherents of the new religion: Christianity. Lailoken is half-mad with battle sickness, and Languoreth must hide her allegiance to the Old Way to survive her marriage to the next Christian king of Strathclyde. Worst yet, the new King of the Angles is bent on expanding his kingdom at any cost. Now the exiled Lailoken, with the help of a young warrior named Artur, may be the only man who can bring the Christians and the pagans together to defeat the encroaching Angles. But to do so, he must claim the role that will forever transform him. He must become the man known to history as “Myrddin.”
Bitter rivalries are ignited, lost loves are found, new loves are born, and old enemies come face-to-face with their reckoning in this compellingly fresh look at one of the most enduring legends of all time.

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RESTORING THE BROKEN (ROGUE DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Emilia Hartley

Nobody with any sense goes looking for true love in a bar, but then nobody has ever accused Erik Beck of having any sense, either. Maybe that’s why Erik spends his evenings tossing back enough alcohol to numb the monstrous dragon he inherited from his twin—the twin he starved of life when he was still in his mother’s womb. Maybe that’s why Erik spends his nights pleasuring women who will be gone in the morning. Maybe that’s why, despite both his dragons’ instincts, he doesn’t pay any attention to the bartender with kind eyes who keeps his glass filled.
Bree Halstead just knows she and Erik are meant for each other. Someday soon, he’ll tire of taking a different woman home every night and he’ll see her—really see her—and realize how perfect they are together. Her coworkers say not to get involved with the patrons, but Erik is different. Bree is sure of it. Or at least, she’s sure of it until one night when Erik seems sick, and she follows him into a bathroom to help him out. What she finds is an Erik who is totally different from who she has imagined him to be. And after he bites her, her opinion of him isn’t the only thing that changes. As a new world opens before Bree, her daydreams fall away, but the reality that remains is beyond anything she could have imagined. Bree is more convinced than ever that Erik is her destiny. Now all she has to do is get Erik to see that.

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CROWN OF DARKNESS (DARK COURT RISING BOOK 2) by Bec McMaster

Thiago and Iskvien survived a dangerous curse, but will they survive the coming war? True love will face the ultimate challenge when a dark goddess rises, secrets threaten to tear them apart, and a queen will stop at nothing to gain revenge.

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PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.
There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

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SPOOKY BUSINESS (THE SPECTRAL FILES BOOK 3) by S E Harmon

Being insatiably curious is a good way to end up dead. Rain Christiansen, cold case detective and reluctant medium, is very aware of that fact. But when infamous serial killer Thomas Kane wants to meet, there’s no way Rain can say no. He also can’t refuse Kane’s offer—find his missing wife, Delilah, and he’ll reveal the location of his victim’s bodies.
Rain has never turned down a good quid pro quo, and he doesn’t intend to start. The hunt for Kane’s wife leads to yet another cold case, three copycat murders, and an investigation where nothing is as it seems. Soon, Rain is dealing with a ghost unlike any he’s ever dealt with before…a ghost capable of doing things he shouldn’t be able to do. How can Rain control something he doesn’t even understand? And what will he do when the unknown threatens the safety of the most important person in his life? Rain is starting to realize that he can only battle the supernatural with the supernatural, and that is spooky business indeed.

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WOLF’S CALL (WOLVES NEXT DOOR BOOK 2) by Auryn Hadley

My five boyfriends – yes, five – are being much too patient with me. That’s pissing a few people off. It seems that when living with a pack of wolves, there are certain expectations for the alpha’s mate – and I suck at this. A few months ago, I had no idea shifters even existed! I just wanted a safe home, and this is it, although it’s not at all what I imagined. When an ex-girlfriend decides to make my life a living hell, pack rules say that if I want to keep my place, I need to win my own fights. That’s not easy when she’s young, fit, beautiful, and a wolf. I’m not. But with the help of a few friends, a little medical advice, and a whole lot of pent up sexual frustration, one thing is going very, very well. Five boyfriends really are better than one. I just have to balance them with my child and these new pack responsibilities. Because, this was my second chance. I’d intended to learn how to be strong, but I was thinking more about having my own opinions and less about dominance challenges! I should be focusing on the bully picking on my daughter at school. The pack’s children are being singled out by some kid, and that is a problem – but this woman will not leave me alone! So if I want to be strong, I need to stop letting others push me around. It’s time for the claws to come out.

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PRINCESS LOST (FIRE AND ICE HYBRIDS BOOK 1) by Serenity Rayne

Dreams are a funny thing: sometimes, they’re just for fun. Sometimes they give us a hint into our future, and sometimes those dreams show you who you are fated to be with. My blonde mate haunts my dreams every night for twenty years. It’s not until I show my best friend, Ladon, my dream, that I find out who my mate is.
Our destiny will soon be decided. Will I be able to hold it together for forty-eight hours or will her presence send me over the brink? I have to make it to the mating ceremony without burning the kingdom to the ground.

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PLAYING WITH HELLFIRE (SIN DEMONS BOOK 1) by Mila Young and Harper A Brooks

When my warlock foster father trades me to demons for his outstanding debts, I find myself in Hell on Earth. I’m thrust into a supernatural underground crime ring I can’t get out of, eternally bound in a contract I never made. Three hot-as-hell demons stand in between me and my freedom. A tattooed, brutish Hellhound shifter. An incubus with the power to bend wills on command. And the heir to Lucifer’s throne—the original sin demon, Pride, himself. I have to find a way out of the deal before they devour me, body and soul. But I’m no angel. There’s something inside me, something that craves the chaotic darkness these demons possess. Escaping may mean giving in to Hell’s more sinful temptations. But playing with fire only hurts if you get burned.

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THE MOONLIT WORLD (WORLD SHAPERS BOOK 3) by Edward Willett

Fresh from their adventures in a world inspired by Jules Verne, Shawna Keys and Karl Yatsar find themselves in a world that mirrors much darker tales. Beneath a full moon that hangs motionless in the sky, they’re forced to flee terrifying creatures that can only be vampires…only to run straight into a pack of werewolves. As the lycanthropes and undead battle, Karl is spirited away to the castle of the vampire queen. Meanwhile, Shawna finds short-lived refuge in a fortified village, where she learns that something has gone horribly wrong with the world in which she finds herself. Once, werewolves, vampires, and humans lived there harmoniously. Now every group is set against every other, and entire villages are being mysteriously emptied of people. Somehow, Karl and Shawna must reunite, discover the mysteries of the Shaping of this strange world, and escape it for the next, without being sucked dry, devoured, or—worst of all—turned into creatures of the night themselves. Beneath the frozen, gibbous moon, allies, enemies, surprises, adventures, and unsettling revelations await.

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THE HELLION: MALUS DOMESTICA #3 by S A Hunt

Robin Martine has destroyed witches all across the country, but since her confrontation with the demon Andras, Robin has had to deal with her toughest adversary yet: herself. While coming to grips with new abilities, she and her boyfriend Kenway make their way to the deserts of rural Texas, where new opportunities await. Something lurks in this isolated town of Keystone Hills: a dangerous gang ruled by a husband who wields an iron fist over his wife and daughter. Robin vows to protect these Latina women from harm, but may be underestimating how powerful Santiago Valenzuela is… and how his shapeshifting powers may pose a threat to everyone Robin holds dear.

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DEMON KISSED (DARKEST FLAMES BOOK 1) by Katie May and Ann Denton

I fucked up. Honestly, how was I supposed to know that a love spell was actually a summoning spell…and that it would actually work? Now, I have five demons at my beck and call, their sole purpose to fulfill my heart’s deepest desire – which is to make William Washington fall head-over-heels in love with me. Their solution? Insert themselves in every aspect of my life in order to make William jealous. As my fake boyfriend? Check. As my sexy new teachers? Check. As the psychotic, sexy stalker who follows me around? Check. Their goal is to make William fall in love with me. And my goal is to not fall in love with them in the process.

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GHOST WALK (HAUNTED SOULS BOOK 9) by Pandora Pine

Ghost Detective Jude Byrne is enjoying a night out with friends and family on one of Salem’s famed ghost walks. It’s all fun and games until the last stop of the tour when he comes face to grave with Salem’s resident vampire, Kingston Gamble. The vampire tomb has several safeguards, including a grave cage, meant to keep him resting in peace. Psychic Copeland Forbes senses a presence he’s never felt before in the old boneyard. Rattled by the experience, he rushes his family home, only to dream about the bloodsucker. Convinced the century-old creature of the night is waking up, Cope is anxious and on high alert. When Kingston somehow escapes his fortified grave, it’s up to Jude and Cope to find the vampire. Along the way, they meet up with an old friend, Luca Pennington, who knows a thing or two about being Salem’s resident vampire. Can Jude and Cope stop the vampire and the evil plan surrounding him, or will they become the newest attractions on Salem’s ghost walk?

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ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE (RAZING HELL BOOK 4) by Cate Corvin

He stole those who meant everything to me. I will hunt him down. I will lead him into the light. Into everlasting fire and torment. With Satan’s escape the Circles are in chaos, ravaged by the Dragon’s emergence. The Sword of Light was shattered. Lucifer and Vyra are gone. But this isn’t the end. Not all of the demons in Dis are happy over the loss of their king. Assassins lurk in the shadows, and they’re determined to ensure the Seventh Circle loses both of its princesses. With the help of a long-lost archangel who takes Tascius under his wing and Azazel’s dark arts, we’ll fend off the traitors and search to the end of the world to find our missing family. And when we do…all Hell will break loose.

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REMINGTON (NEW HOPE SHIFTERS BOOK 3) by Elisa Leigh

Violet Spencer is a hot mess. At least that’s how she feels after making a spur of the moment decision that has consequences she isn’t prepared for. Trying to get out of her head, she takes a hike out in the forest. Everything goes from bad to worse in the course of a few hours and what started out as a good day turns bad. With daylight dimming, she doesn’t know how she’ll make it out alive.
There was nothing left for Remington Walker in his old pack. No mate for him to grow old with, no future he is willing to accept. Remington follows his brothers and cousins out of town, in hopes of finding their mates. He was content, for the most part, settling down with his small pack in Berkely Springs. When Jameson, then Jackson meets their mates, he’s happy for them, but he still doesn’t think he’ll find his. Until one day that all changes. He scents his mate’s blood, too much blood, in the forest near his home. His bear takes over, racing to get to her in time What happens when he makes a choice neither of them can take back in hopes to save the woman he’s fated to love? Will she accept him and his bear or will she leave with the broken pieces of his heart?

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ROMANCING THE HOLIDAYS: A FIRST COAST ROMANCE WRITERS HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY by Various

VS Note: Includes a mix of story types incl PNR

A dozen ways to fall in love at the holidays…Come celebrate the holidays with these dozen unique romances, ranging from sweet to steamy and all ending with a happily-ever-after. This anthology of short stories, written by multi-award-winning authors, including New York Times best-selling author, Alyssa Day, will transport you from Labor Day and Halloween antics to Christmas and Valentine romantics. Its stories will whisk you away into contemporary, historical, and paranormal worlds where love prevails. So, savor the authors featured in this enchanting book and bet your heart on some romantic cheer while you enjoy these twelve ways to fall in love.

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BURNING ASH (FORGOTTEN BROTHERHOOD BOOK 3) by N J Walters

No one is more surprised than Asher, one of the oldest vampires on Earth, that he’s attracted to vamp hunter Jo Radcliffe. She’s smart, a talented slayer, and she’s gorgeous. Something about her pulls at him, like no one ever has before. For a man, whose name strikes fear in everyone—this is something new and intriguing. And quite possibly deadly, if she discovers his secret.
Jo has two things in common with the handsome Asher—they are both slayers and someone is messing with them in a very-much-trying-to-kill-them way. She’s not so happy about joining forces with a dude she doesn’t know. But he’s sexy as hell and really good at his job as one of the Forgotten Brotherhood, whose business it is to execute misbehaving paranormals. She knows she’s bait in a larger plot to harm Asher and the Brotherhood. And there is nothing he won’t do, no line he won’t cross, to keep her safe—which may be the weakness that destroys them both.

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WITCHING FOR JOY: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (PREMONITION POINTE BOOK 3) by Deanna Chase

Joy Lansing is at a crossroads. Her kids have all flown the nest and just when she thought she was going to spend her golden years with her husband of thirty years, she finds herself single again and looking to rebuilt a life she no longer recognizes. Lucky for Joy she has her two besties and her coven by her side. Because she’s going to need them when she lands a television role and finds herself hexed by a jealous co-star. Finding yourself a minor TV star at the age of forty-eight is more than a little overwhelming. But when it comes with bad press and a hot celebrity determined to date her, Joy is in way in over her head. She’s going to need all her magic to navigate this one before her new career is over before it starts.

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OOLONG FAREWELL: A TEA AND TAROT COZY MYSTERY by Kirsten Weiss

When all the neighbors want you dead…Abigail Beanblossom is finally getting into the groove of her new Tea and Tarot room. But in Abigail’s mind, when things are going right, that’s exactly when they’re about to go wrong. She never could have guessed, however, the mother who abandoned her as a child would suddenly return, looking for tea and sympathy. Now, all Abigail wants is to escape. So, when her grandfather’s friend, Archer, asks Abigail and her partner Hyperion to investigate the murder of his neighbor, the two amateur sleuths leap at the opportunity. Abigail suspects Archer’s fears of arrest are a tempest in a teapot. The victim’s been renting out his mansion for noisy events and bringing the entire neighborhood to a boil. And the old money and nouveau-riche suspects are as plentiful as they are quirky. But when Archer becomes suspect #1, Abigail and Hyperion must steep themselves in the fraught world of upper-crust homeowners associations and Instagram stars. Because this cockeyed killer is just getting started.

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ANCIENT HEARTS: A TIME TRAVEL FANTASY ROMANCE (KINGDOM OF SAND AND STARS BOOK 1) by Candace Osmond

Young archaeologist, Andie Godfrey must conquer her addiction and accept the opportunity to uncover the Egyptian cave where her father and boyfriend were last seen two years ago. But, the pain of the past is hard to forget when you’re thrown at its feet. Using her father’s secret research, Andie pieces together a clandestine conspiracy, centuries old, that will shatter the world’s idea of ancient Egypt. But before she can solve her father’s cryptic puzzle, Andie’s betrayed by the leader of the expedition, and finds herself left for dead at the bottom of a pit where she accidentally activates a portal carved in stone. Unsure whether she’s dead or thrown back in the midst of time, Andie discovers an advanced civilization unlike anything she’s ever known and is soon faced with a ruler among Gods; a man from her own past who once ruled her heart.

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GONE IN THE PINK OF AN EYE (A WITCH’S COVE MYSTERY BOOK 6) by Vella Day

Hi, I’m Glinda Goodall, part time waitress and part time sleuth. Oh yeah, I’m a witch with a talking pink iguana who thinks he’s a detective. A few weeks ago, my seventeen-year old cousin moved in with me (long story). Her passion? Taking photos. She’s a witch too, but she refuses to acknowledge it–until she starts to hear voices in her head. When the dead man turns out to be her photo teacher, I have to help her find out who killed him. This obsession to learn his identity forces Rihanna to embrace her witch side, which leads to seances, ghost sightings, and a whole host of paranormal explorations–and I end up wearing something other than pink. Not a pretty sight. Please stop by The Pink Iguana Sleuth agency if you need anything. Either Jaxson or I will be there–and Iggy, of course.

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NEVER CRY WOLF: HOWLS ROMANCE (SENTINEL BROTHERHOOD SERIES BOOK 3) by Marianne Morea

A Hard Choice – Luke Laval must face the truth. Someone he trusted purposely enabled the massacre of his kind, and the upheaval of his shifter world. The knowledge hardened him, compelling him to retaliate, even if it means losing everything he loves. Forced to choose, he and what remains of the Sentinel Brotherhood, strike an unlikely alliance in the final siege to preserve and protect what remains of their shadowed domain. No matter the cost. Stand and Fight, or Run – Gabrielle Sancier never imagined herself at the center of any battle, let alone a paranormal war. A twist of fate brought her the man of her dreams, but also the truth about herself and her abilities. Abilities needed to help win this war. Except, there’s no fairytale ending when the man she loves goes missing, and she realizes she’s carrying his baby. Both stand center stage of this conflict. Will they survive? Or will their world and their love be lost before either has a chance?

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DRACULA’S CHILD by J S Barnes

It has been some years since Jonathan and Mina Harker survived their ordeal in Transylvania and, vanquishing Count Dracula, returned to England to try and live ordinary lives. But shadows linger long in this world of blood feud and superstition – and, the older their son Quincey gets, the deeper the shadows that lengthen at the heart of the Harkers’ marriage. Jonathan has turned back to drink; Mina finds herself isolated inside the confines of her own family; Quincey himself struggles to live up to a family of such high renown. And when a gathering of old friends leads to unexpected tragedy, the very particular wounds in the heart of the Harkers’ marriage are about to be exposed…There is darkness both within the marriage and without – for new evil is arising on the Continent. A naturalist is bringing a new species of bat back to London; two English gentlemen, on their separate tours of the Continent, find a strange quixotic love for each other, and stumble into a calamity far worse than either has imagined; and the vestiges of something forgotten long ago is finally beginning to stir.

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MIND GAMES (THE WITCHES OF WHEELER PARK BOOK 4) by Christine Pope

Jeremy Wilcox hasn’t had a ping on his orphan witch–hunting computer system for two, tomb-quiet months. Until he learns of a woman with a gift for disguises — and an uncanny ability to beat the house. Sloane Kennedy lives by one cardinal rule: Never stop moving. It’s the only way she knows to survive. It’s not exactly cheating — after all, tuning into and out of people’s heads is a survival mechanism. So is the spider sense that tells her the cute guy at Twin Arrows casino is watching her. When said cute guy rescues her from an unknown assailant, it turns out he knows way more about her than he should. Like that she’s adopted…and a few things she didn’t. She’s a witch, and somewhere, she has family. As Sloane learns more about her heritage, her relationship with Jeremy grows from shy kisses into a longing for something more. Roots, a home, love. But reconnecting with her birth family is no dream. It’s a nightmare that could rip her from Jeremy’s arms…and sweep her up in a mad plan to control all witches. Everywhere.

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THE LEFT HANDED BOOKSELLERS OF LONDON by Garth Nix

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops. Susan’s search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms. Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.

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BLOOD HUNT (VAMPIRE HUNTRESS CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by Jessica Wayne

Detective Rainey Astor walks a dangerous line between the human and supernatural worlds. As a vampire hunter, she’s a formidable opponent, having killed hundreds of their kind. Yet, when her latest foray into the supernatural world goes terribly wrong, she finds herself rescued by the very creature she’s vowed to kill.
Elijah Hawthorne is unlike any vampire Rainey has ever met. His sexy as hell exterior hides a tortured soul seeking redemption. Rainey knows she should avoid him at all costs, but fate has other plans. Together, they’re forced down a twisted path of ancient revenge and tainted love. With Elijah guarding her back, Rainey must protect her heart, because giving in could mean a death sentence for them both. But if they don’t discover the hidden identity of their enemy before the clock runs out, she’s as good as dead anyway.

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AZURE DRAGONS (SUPERNATURAL SHIFTER ACADEMY BOOK 2) by G Bailey

Wolf, Siren, Dragon, Witch and Vampire shifters in one academy? Make that two academies and then there is a big problem. Our magical boarding school is in danger and its students are being hunted. With the humans blaming the supernaturals and the supernaturals blaming the humans, no one knows who is doing this. But everyone knows they are no longer safe. With a trip to Boston suddenly coming up, my five “friends” becoming more than I ever imagined they would be to me. Supernatural Shifter Academy is no longer a safe place. For my heart…and my life. Someone wants us dead and the secrets we have found out buried with us. But I won’t let that happen.

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TIED AND LACED (THE FAMILY NOVAK BOOK 6) by Susi Hawke

A Team A.L.P.H.A. and Alphabits spin-off series – Long-time widower Don Francis Novak watched gratefully as each of his sons were blessed with a true mate. He’d never been so fortunate as to scent a fated mate. No, his had been an arranged marriage. And he’d never regretted it. How could he? The union had brought him a best friend and six wonderful boys.
The last thing he expected to find at a party for his newest grandchild was a mate. A fated mate. A literal sex kitten, who smells like sin and tastes like heaven… and just adores satin and lace. Don Novak has always been a man to know what he wants and takes it. But does he dare grab this second chance at love? His gut says yes, and his bear agrees. Dante Hernandez has always been the type to love ‘em and leave ‘em. Get out before they left him. Deep down, he’s always believed in The One. His true mate. The one person, other than his twin, he could count on. And he wouldn’t settle for anything less. But there wasn’t any problem with having fun until then, right? After so much time wasted by unknowingly dancing around each other, working the same jobs but not meeting, they don’t waste another second to dance with each other. They are two grown men who have lived long enough to know that when the fates give you a gift, you grab it with both hands and never let go. Their two worlds—STAHP and the Chicago mob—collide when the don gets word of an underground omega trafficking ring. Not only does it hit all the wrong buttons for Dante, an old nemesis of the don’s seems to be involved. Lives are at stake, and these two lovers are going to take them down—old school style.

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THE CONTORTIONIST (HARROW FAIRE BOOK 1) by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Cora Glass’s humdrum existence as a bank teller flips upside down when a long-abandoned circus mysteriously returns to life. But the entry fee to this big top show is far more than Cora bargained for. A deal struck. A soul…stuck.
As Harrow Faire shines a spotlight on Cora, she discovers there are far more secrets in that three-ring nightmare than she could possibly imagine. Trapped in the world of the fiendish and alluring man known as the Puppeteer, Cora finds herself caught in a war between him and the reclusive Mr. Harrow. Both parties will stop at nothing—even murder—to get what they want. And what they want…is her.

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DEMON PRINTS (INFERNAL INHERITANCE BOOK 1) by Nazri Noor

Quilliam J. Abernathy is the Chosen of Asmodeus, destined to become demonkind’s greatest weapon against heaven and humanity. A prideful, powerful sorcerer, Quill’s magic surges with every grimoire, tome, or scroll he adds to his arcane collection. But a botched mission incurs Asmodeus’s wrath, and Quill is stripped of his sorcery, protections, even his beloved books. Oh, and a duo of deadly angels wants him dead, too. Quill must decide. Either obey Asmodeus, reclaim his magic, and embody the apocalypse… or rebel against hell. Spoiler alert: We’re doomed either way.

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DRAGON SOLDIER (SUPERNATURAL CONSULTANT BOOK 5) by Mell Eight

The aftermath of the last battle has left Nickel weak in bed and grounded for the next decade. Despite being in trouble, Nickel wants to return to the battle against the enemy as soon as he can, but thoughts of Platinum, the dragon helping to nurse him back to health, keep distracting him. Platinum can’t believe how much his life has changed. He went from being a lonely fugitive on the run to part of a family in only hours. The last few days have been his happiest, especially now that he’s met Nickel. He knows it’s only temporary, though. The enemy that kept him captive for most of his life isn’t finished with him yet, but even Platinum and Nickel’s combined powers might not be enough to save them all.

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THE CHRISTMAS EVE PROMISE: A TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE (BOOK 4): THE CHRISTMAS EVE SERIES by Elyse Douglas

Eve and baby Colleen are traveling to Ohio for the Christmas holidays to spend time with Eve’s parents. After a few days in Ohio, they all plan to fly to Florida in Eve’s father’s private airplane. Patrick will meet them there after he completes exams for his forensic psychology degree. Nothing goes as planned. The day Patrick is to leave for Florida, he receives a shocking telephone call from one of Eve’s cousins. Sobbing, she tells him a terrible tragedy has occurred. It stuns him and shakes him to his heart’s core. His life shattered, Patrick knows he has but one chance: he must use the time travel lantern to return to the past in order to prevent the current tragedy. But once again, the time travel lantern has a mind of its own, and Patrick is hurled back to a time where he must confront a strange, unfamiliar world and learn why the lantern transported him there. When Patrick comes face-to-face with a mysterious, beautiful woman who looks and acts like Eve, and whose name is Eve, Patrick is haunted. He recalls the promise he and Eve had made to each other on Christmas Eve the previous year—no matter what happens; no matter if they’re separated; no matter what time or place they find themselves in; no matter what obstacles they must face, they will always find each other, help each other, and love each other for all time.

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VAMPIRE BOUND BOOK 3 by R A Steffan

Evil Fae are trying to take over the world. Okay, right—that’s actually old news. Unfortunately, it’s even worse than that now. Because now, they intend to use my son—and other human children with magical parents—to do their dirty work for them. The Fae realm is dying, its magic growing ever more unbalanced. And I guess by comparison, Earth looks like a nice, juicy alternative. They even have a foothold here, ever since the human world became spoils in the last war between the Fae and the demons—a war the demons lost. All I wanted was to get my son back. But now, the stakes are bigger than just the two of us. If my friends and I can’t stop the Fae, humanity will become nothing more than a race of helpless slaves, bound to a powerful race by fear and magic. I’m not alone in this fight. But every friend, every ally, every fragile new emotional connection is another weapon the Fae can use against me. If the price of finding Jace is losing everything else I care about, will I be able to live with myself afterward?

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THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK TOWER: A STEAMPUNK RAPUNZEL RETELLING by Lou Wilham

For Persinette—a lavender-haired, 24-year-old seer dreaming of adventure and freedom—the steam-powered kingdom of Daiwynn is home. As an Enchanted asset for MOTHER, she aids in Collecting Enchanted and sending them to MOTHER’s labor camps. But when her handler, Gothel, informs Persi that she will be going out into the field for a Collection, she decides it’s time to take a stand. Now she must fight her fears and find a way to hide her attempts to aid the Enchanted or risk being sent to the camps herself. Manu Kelii, Captain of the airship The Defiant Duchess, is 26-years-old and hasn’t seen enough excitement—thank you very much. His charismatic smile and flamboyant sense of style earned him a place amongst the Uprising, but his fickle and irresponsible nature has seen to it that their leader doesn’t trust him. Desperate to prove himself, Manu will stop at nothing to aid their mission to overthrow MOTHER and the queen of Daiwynn. So, when the Uprising Leader deposits a small unit of agents on his ship, and tasks him with working side by side with MOTHER asset Persinette to hinder the Collection effort, he finds himself in over his head. The stakes are high for this unlikely duo. They have only two options; stop MOTHER or thousands more will die—including themselves.

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A VAMPIRE’S SPELL (THE ORDER OF THE BLACK OAK – VAMPIRES BOOK 1) by Marie-Claude Bourque

Son of an ancient vampire and a legendary French witch, guilt-ridden Mont-Royal Immortal Valerian St-Amand must team with a powerful New England witch to protect his city from a crazed scientist seeking immortality. But as his well-guarded heart softens for Maisie Thibodeau, their quest to eradicate true evil from the streets of Montreal destroys any hope of everlasting love.

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DAUGHTERS OF THE WILD: A NOVEL by Natalka Burian

In rural West Virginia, Joanie and her foster siblings live on a farm tending a mysterious plant called the vine. The older girls are responsible for cultivating the vine, performing sacred rituals to make it grow. After Joanie’s arranged marriage goes horribly wrong, leaving her widowed and with a baby, she plots her escape with the help of her foster brother, Cello. But before they can get away, her baby goes missing and Joanie, desperate to find him, turns to the vine, understanding it to be far more powerful than her siblings realize. She begins performing generations-old rituals to summon the vine’s power and goes on a perilous journey into the wild, pushing the boundaries of her strength and sanity to bring her son home.

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HEART OF THE HIGH KING (D’VAIRE BOOK 19) by Jessamyn Kingley

High King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis prefers the comforts of home, rarely leaving his estate. While forthright by nature, his sexuality is a secret Aleksander guards—even his best friend is unaware. With the possibility of his mate showing up at his large estate in Arizona next to impossible, Aleksander focuses on family and building more wealth to allow them to flourish.
Duke Rafferty Kestledraconis is new to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters and is learning what he can about this fresh start. His life revolves around pleasing his royal father and brothers, and he rarely explores past their plot of land. Unable to refute an order given by his king, he travels with his eldest sibling to the remote D’Vaire sanctuary, where to his bewilderment, he discovers that his mate is the only High King in the dragon realm.
Aleksander and Rafferty are ill-prepared for the reality of being mates and unready to take the final step of being fully joined, but together, they slowly build something worth protecting. Circumstances soon spin out of control, testing their fortitude and straining their wills. In the end, they must cling to hope if they want to be together—it will take everything that rests in the hearts of the High Kings to honor the call of Fate.

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HIS SALVATION (THE ADA CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by J R Loveless

VS Note: A re-release…

Gabriel works to keep everyone at arm’s length, his past driving him to avoid emotional entanglements. Until he is sent on a mission to save twin brothers with abilities hauntingly familiar to his own and one of them stirs feelings inside of him he’d long since buried. He tries to distance himself at every turn only his boss orders him to train Alex on how to control his ability, putting him in close quarters with the younger man. Alex and his twin brother are held prisoner by a faction hell bent on using them for their powers until a mysterious group of strangers breaks in and rescues them. He can’t seem to ignore the intense attraction he has toward their brooding and gorgeous leader, but Gabriel freezes him out at every turn. Alex is given the chance to find a crack in Gabriel’s walls when they end up on the run together, alone.  Dangers surround them from every direction and the clock is ticking. When Gabriel’s ghosts become all too real, he must decide between reliving his past or saving Alex. Failure is not an option in the world they live in and Alex refuses to give up on Gabriel, intent on showing him their pasts don’t define them.

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MEDIEVAL DRAGON SHIFTERS by C S Sax and Amanda Kelley

VS Note: She also writes as Cynthia Sax. These are “expanded re-releases” per the author.

It is a time of legend, a time of gallant knights, fearless ladies and mythical beings, a time when dragons rule the land. Primitive, possessive, deadly, these dragons have a secret—they’re also the human-appearing rulers of their kingdoms.  Dragon-shifting warriors court their fated mates in three tales of adventure, magic and passion.
The Spare (The Black Dragon) – Taja dreams every night of a great scarred dragon. She is stunned when, one morning, her dragon-shifting lord arrives at her father’s castle, intent on claiming her forever.
Dragon Games (The Golden Dragon) – Sabine wants to wed a serious, constant lord. She is in love with a teasing, laughing dragon warrior.
Dragon Fire (The Red Dragon) – Trinia must compete against an ancient prophecy to claim her dragon warrior’s heart.

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KINGDOM OF ICE AND BONE (THE FROZEN SUN SAGA BOOK 2) by Jill Criswell

Lira and Reyker have lost everything. Including each other. Lira of Stone watched her home burn and her clan fall beneath the sword of the warlord known as the Dragon. She believes the man she loves, a warrior who defected from the Dragon’s army, is dead. Alongside her exiled brother and his band of refugees, she will fight the forces that conquered her island. But the greatest danger may come from Lira herself—with the blood of banished gods running through her veins, she’s become a weapon, and no one is safe from the power of her wrath. Reyker Lagorsson thought he was done being a Dragonman. That was before he saw Lira leap from a cliff and vanish into the sea. Determined to honor her memory by protecting her people, Reyker must feign loyalty to the warlord, undermine him at every turn, and seek alliances with renegade soldiers—without succumbing to the battle-madness that threatens to possess him once more. When the Fallen Ones offer Lira a chance to defeat the Dragon, her quest leads her to a place she never expected—Iseneld, the warlord’s homeland. Her journey into the heart of the Frozen Sun will put her on a collision course with Reyker, costing both of them more than they ever imagined, and leaving her with a terrible choice: to save their countries, she must forsake everything she loves.

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CUPID’S AX by K A Masters

A traumatic event in his childhood keeps Tuxtax from being able to shift into his were-griffin form. Ashamed of his looks and terrified of rejection, he spends his life in seclusion, with his sister Eleuthereia and centaur friend Rixa as his only connections to the outside world. Even though Tuxtax yearns to be with the elfin soulmate he had met before the accident, the vanth’s insecurity and self-doubt keep him from reaching out. But now Rixa needs his help. Tuxtax joins his friend on a desperate rescue mission to save the centaur’s pregnant soulmate, hoping that the quest will give him a chance to overcome his insecurities and prove himself. Their rescue mission leads him back into the land of the elves, where Tuxtax must confront his past and the fears that are holding him back. The further Tuxtax travels, the louder he hears his soulmate’s call. Can Tuxtax find the courage he needs to return to his soulmate and reclaim the man of his dreams?

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CHASED IN TIME: TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE (SPELLED PORTALS AND CURSED MORTALS BOOK 2) by Rae Stapleton

She’s an old soul trapped at the dawn of the Jazz Age, in a race against time to stop her own murder. He’s a modern-day castle architect madly in love with her. They are destined for one another but are they destined for love or death? 
On the cusp of Samhain, Sophia Marcil’s life is once again upended when a fortune teller reminds her of her fate. To avoid death, she must leave Ireland and return to the woman’s shop with her mysterious book of spells. But before she can hop a plane, Sophia’s charismatic soulmate gets down on one knee. When he pops the question with a ring that unknowingly holds a piece of the mysterious sapphire. It sparks the five-hundred-year-old curse, transporting her from present day to the home of her ancestors.
It’s 1920 and life for Zafira Breathour is a whirl of jazz, dancing, and parties–that is outside of the frightening visions of her death, at the hands of her father. Drinking too much of the giggle juice one night, she exposes a secret affair, and as punishment for her unhealthy obsession with the occult, she’s sent to her father’s jewelry store to work where she encounters a very bewitching jewel meant for her mother.  As magic intervenes, Sophia comes face-to-face with the man who will kill her. Desperate to return to the future and reunite with her love, she must blend into her aunt’s life while she searches for the sparkle that will save her. But complications come knocking, and Sophia grapples with the idea of returning home, and losing her grandmother for the second time. Can Sophia stop the man who killed her family and return to her beloved fiancé in the 21st history? Or will she die as history suggests and just how many times has she tried before?

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GHOST OF HILLCOMB HALL (DARKLY ENCHANTED ROMANCE BOOK 2) by Joshua Ian

England, 1910. Landscape designer Jonas Laurence arrives at the cheerless and fog enswathed Hillcomb Hall, home to the Earl of Stanley and his family, to renovate their crumbling gardens. With a great storm crashing all around, his time is at the mercy of the house’s odd and mysterious occupants. Captivated by the hauntingly attractive portrait of Lord Stanley’s ancestor, which constantly seems to watch and taunt him, Jonas’s dreams become weird and distressing. And his waking moments are consumed by the strange stories and weird atmosphere of the manor estate. Ghostly visits in the night leave Jonas no choice but to accept his attraction to the otherworldly spirit from the painting. But is this affaire de coeur real? Or is it all just a trick of the mind, a sinister game being played by the inhabitants of Hillcomb Hall?

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TALON’S PREY (PARANORMAL WARS JUAREZ BOOK 2) by Shea Balik

VS Note: A re-release…

Gibson Martin has always loved two things, to cook and to sing. One of them he excels at, the other, well, his motto is if you don’t like it, leave. When he meets Alpha Talon Ramirez, who happens to be his mate, he’s overjoyed the man doesn’t grumble about his voice, which others compare to an animal dying. Talon Ramirez thinks his mate’s off-key singing is adorable. He especially likes the way Gibson loses himself to the music while shaking his ass and singing his heart out and cooking the best food Talon has ever tasted. Now he just needs to find a way to keep his mate safe as the rebels plan an attack against Juarez that will devastate the city. Will they be able to overcome the danger in store for them? Will Gibson’s singing get any better? Or will Talon’s men need to buy earplugs?

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REBEL ACADEMY CRUSH (WICKEDLY CHARMED BOOK 2) by Rosemary A Johns

Nothing is more seductive than the forbidden……and temptation could crush this cursed academy. As both a witch and ghost in an academy for bad boy supernaturals, you would think that I’m at home amongst the monsters. But in this home, I’m a prisoner. Pleasure and fate bind me to three devastatingly hot Immortals, but our unbridled lust feeds a dangerous power inside me. Will I destroy us all if I lose control? The perilous trials of the Rebel Cup are only the beginning. The ruthless fae and elf princes are deadlier than even the academy’s tests, and their love could shatter me. When I’m sent on my first assassin mission, will my immortal lovers and I survive?

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CASSADAGA NIGHTS by Jana Denardo

Santino Bellomi and his coworker, Cam, are sent to Cassadaga, Florida by the Aspida Pneuma, a group of psychics and mages. Their job is to rescue a nixie from a polluted lake and to check out the town, which is known for its psychics. New recruits to the Aspida are always welcome and where better than a spiritualist camp to hunt for them? What Santino wants most, however, is to finish the assignment quickly. He isn’t a fan of heat and humidity, and he’d looking forward to a well-earned vacation once the mission is over.
Ryan Doyle grew up in Cassadaga, where being psychic runs in the family. Ryan has never roamed far from home, though it’s hard being a geeky gay, wannabe urban fantasy author living in a small town. His job as one of the town psychics is fairly routine until he meets someone new. Ryan has never encountered anyone with a psychic shield so strong until Santino sits down for a reading. Intrigued, he asks Santino out even though Santino is as secretive as he is fun.
Santino hopes to win Ryan over both for himself and for the Aspida. And he’s hoping his skills in the kitchen will swing the balance in his favor. Ryan has almost given up on finding love, living in rural Florida. Can a seductive tourist be the answer to his dreams? Things never run smoothly for those in the Aspida. What should have been a simple rescue mission is plagued by mosquitoes, enraged ghosts, and someone or something draining residents of their life force. Ryan’s first foray into adventure may be his last.

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TALOS (BLOODLINES OF FATE BOOK 1) by A G Carothers

The Age of Man has passed, and a new age is upon the Earth. An age of magic and technology ruled by the supernatural beings that once hid amongst humanity has begun. Bayne is thrust into a world he thinks he knows but quickly discovers his whole life has been built on lies. Talos, perfectly happy ruling his corner of the world, is faced with an unexpected and unwelcome change that comes with the mate chosen by Fate. Together they must discover how to live and, in the end, love one another. Fate has more in store for them than learning to love someone they should hate. Will they be open to all the possibilities Fate lays out for them? Bloodlines of Fate is a new urban fantasy series set in a world destroyed by humans and resurrected by supernatural beings. Fate has many plans for the vampires, unicorns, therianthropes, elves, and humans of this new world. While their mates may be fated, love isn’t that easy.

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FAMILY AND REFLECTION (THE SLEEPLESS CITY BOOK 3) by Anne Barwell

VS note: A re-release…

When a rebel werewolf and a vampire thief fall in love, only one thing is certain—trouble. For as long as Lucas Coate can remember, werewolves have been taught to mistrust vampires. Lucas is an exception—he has close friends who are vampires. The werewolf pack in Boggslake—and their leader, Jacob Coate—have made it clear that Lucas’s association with vampires is barely tolerated, and another transgression will be his last. When Lucas finds out about the plague of werewolf deaths in the area, he wants to help even though his own life may already be in danger.
Declan has been away from Boggslake for ten years, but he isn’t surprised to learn that the internal politics of the Supernatural Council haven’t changed for the better. When a series of burglaries hit close to home soon after he arrives, Declan—a vampire and professional thief—is their prime suspect, although for once, he isn’t responsible. With the council keeping secrets, no one is safe. Time is running out, and for Lucas and Declan, everything is about to change.

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SOME KIND OF MONSTER (FRIENDS WITH THE MONSTERS BOOK 2) by Albany Walker

Naughty girls need love too. A beautiful monster, that’s what I am. My packaging is just a little nicer than the creatures you hear about dwelling in your closet. With three baddies for my mates, things are definitely getting interesting. I think I’ve even convinced them not to kill each other. But I have a new purpose, someone is hurting our kind. Stealing Charmed magic in arcane rituals that leave my friends drained and dead, and I won’t allow it. It’s time for them to find out why even the Monsters fear me. I am the bad guy

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ETERNAL CURSE (THE CURSED SERIES BOOK 1) by Kara Leigh Miller

After pulling the plug on her mother’s life support, seventeen-year-old Chloe Madison moves to live with relatives she hardly knows. Her new hometown in the Adirondack Mountains is barely more than a pinpoint on the map, but it’s shrouded in deadly secrets and strange family legends. Chloe is determined to keep her head down, finish high school, and get the heck out of there. Until she meets the enigmatic Trent Halstead. Something intriguing hides beneath his quiet self-assurance and hero hair. Maybe there’s something—or someone—worth sticking around for after all. But when a rash of unsolved murders leaves two of Chloe’s classmates dead, she begins to suffer from disturbing hallucinations that build to the horrifying image of Trent as a murderous vampire. With nowhere else to go, she’s stuck in a town she hates, surrounded by people she can’t trust, and she’s pretty sure she’s going to be lunch. If all that isn’t bad enough, Trent is hiding a lethal secret, besides the whole immortal bloodsucker thing. He’s the not-so-proud owner of an ancient, family curse—no Halstead will ever know true love—and he’s desperate to find a way to break the curse. Could Chloe be the key to his happiness or just another secret Trent wished he never unlocked?

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TELL ME LIES (CAMDEN POINT MYSTERY) by Gail Chianese

Private investigator Lexie Smith has a mostly perfect—okay, satisfying life. A successful, if not super lucrative business with her best friend. A wonderful, loving companion named Bear—sure, he’s a little furry and he drools, but nobody’s perfect. A house on the beach and a wisecracking supernatural “intern” named Vinnie, who knows everything there is to know about crime and her nonexistent love life. Things are good, even if the cases are somewhat tame, until a dangerous assignment forces her to turn to the last man she can trust: Rafe Barandas, local police detective and the man who broke her heart years before. After a decade in New York, Rafe has returned to his small hometown, burned out on big-city politics and crime. He’s looking forward to the quiet life, until he’s thrown together with Lexie (and, unknown to him, her phantom familiar) to solve what starts out as a simple B&E but quickly escalates. Leaving Lexie the first time was a huge mistake. Now that he’s got another chance, he’s determined not to blow it, so long as the job doesn’t get in the way. As Lexie and Rafe get closer to solving one case, old hurts come back to haunt them and a new threat emerges. Can they put past lies and mistrust behind them long enough to thwart a cunning foe who seems to know every step they take and will stop at nothing, even murder? Or will one of them pay the ultimate price before they take their second shot at love?

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A NEW WORLD ORDER (VOLUME 4) CODENAME: THE RIFT SERIAL by Cassandra Featherstone and Gail Jericho

Retaliation will be the name of the game, and no one will be safe. How will I juggle the most possessive, over-protective bastard in The Rift with all of my current mates and lovers? What revenge will the Coyote Den take for my betrayal? Oh, yeah… I forgot. I’m also in HEAT. Here kitty, kitty, kitty.

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BATTY BLEND (A PARAMOUR BAY COZY PARANORMAL MYSTERY BOOK 13) by Kennedy Layne

Summertime is drawing to an end and taking with it the humidity, hay fever, and annoying mosquitos that couldn’t seem to quench their thirst this past season. Unfortunately, the insects aren’t the only thing biting in the quaint, coastal town of Paramour Bay, Connecticut! Raven Marigold is getting ready to host a blow-out end of summer sale to clear out her inventory at the teashop when word starts circulating that some of the furry critters escaped the local pet shop…including a rescued, hairy-legged vampire bat who is looking for his forever home. Raven and her familiar set out to discover if the missing bat is in anyway related to the mysterious visiting vampire they have yet to identify, but they soon learn that there is more to the mystery than meets the eye!

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GOD OF MONSTERS (JUNIPER UNRAVELING BOOK 4) by Keri Lake

I’ve heard stories about the Alphas. Violent soldiers, bred to kill both humans and mutations, whose sole purpose was to balance our survival against the infected. Until they turned on their masters. Held as subjects of the Calico research facility, they were forced to endure the gruesome experiments that transformed them into callous savages with hearts as impenetrable as their defenses. More terrifying than the monsters that decimated our world with disease and famine. In the aftermath of Calico’s collapse, many of the Alphas fled, only to be hunted by our own Legion army. And in their absence, the balance has shifted. I thought they no longer existed. Until I met him, the god of monsters. Now I don’t believe in the stories anymore. To fall in love with the unyielding heart of an Alpha is said to be impossible. But to fall in love with a god would be a tragedy.

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LOVERS: WOLVES OF ROYAL PAYNES by Kiki Burrell

Affectionately referred to as, the twins, Jagger and Huntley aren’t related, but that’s the only thing the two alphas don’t have in common. Eerily identical, if it weren’t for the scar Jagger earned saving Huntley’s life as children, no one would be able to tell them apart. Together, there isn’t a challenge they won’t face. Breaking into a hellish laboratory where enemy scientists are conducting gruesome experiments is no different. Their mission is clear, save who they can and burn the rest, but when they come upon a locked door behind a barricade that looks months old, they know that whatever is inside, isn’t like anything they’ve faced yet.
Ripped from his mother’s arms and thrown into a cell as a child, Sitka hasn’t seen a living person in years. He sees their footsteps under the door when they slide in his food, but no one has dared face the crazed nephilim who can hop shadows—not after what he did to the last two who entered his cell. Still, his life is far from peaceful. Sitka can’t stop seeing dead people. They scream at him without rest, their voices angry and loud enough to make living a normal life impossible—even if he hadn’t spent most of it locked away. When the room to his door randomly bursts open, Sitka assumes the two men are there to finally kill him.
Huntley and Jagger knew something unusual was behind that door, but they didn’t expect their mate. He swings at them like a wrecking ball, making them realize what they had was just one half of the equation. Sitka completes them, but Sitka’s own angelic power is his worst enemy.
When strange things start to happen around the hotel, no one wants to blame the flighty nephilim who can jump shadows and talk to ghosts, but the list of suspects is short. And Sitka wasn’t the only victim rescued from the labs. As the reclusive wolf pack learns how to live with growing numbers, they can’t forget the danger looming over all their heads. A powerful force wants them all dead.

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MIRROR MAGIC (FAMILIAR KITTEN MYSTERIES BOOK 6) by Sara Bourgeois

Not everything in Coventry is as it appears to be. When you look in the mirror, what is looking back at you? Kinsley is taking her first crack at a cold case. She wants nothing more than to help Dorian figure out what happened to his father, but she’s got issues of her own. Big time issues. Not only is there a dark entity stalking her reflection, but things with Thorn aren’t all sunshine and roses either. Can she solve the murder and prepare for her upcoming nuptials? Are the people in her life who they appear to be? Or is she about to fall into a killer’s deadly snare?

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A SILVER TONGUE (SPECTRA BOOK 8) by Amy Sumida

The magic of Danu has become unstable. As a realm built on magic, instability could have disastrous consequences so all of Danu is anxious to find the source of the trouble. When Amara and Everan investigate the problem, they find a far more serious matter, one that weakens Amara at the worst possible time. In the midst of her endeavors to help Danu, a Triari relic—the Silver Tongue—is stolen and Amara is called back to Earth to help defend the Triari Embassy. But that battle is not as it seems either and Amara finds herself pulled away from Danu, Earth, and the men she loves just when they need her the most and right when she’s at her weakest. Can she overcome her vulnerability and make it back to her men in time to save Danu or will a silver tongue be Spectra’s downfall?

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MORRIGAN’S BLOOD (CROW’S CURSE BOOK 1) by Laura Bickle

Garnet has the blood of the legendary Morrigan – and legions of vampires and witches will go to war to possess that power. As a trauma surgeon, Garnet Conners has seen more than her fair share of blood. But when one of her patients walks off the operating table and disappears into the night, she finds herself caught in a war between legions of vampires and witches in her city. Garnet has dreamed of bloody battlefields for years – and a mysterious lover who controls a kingdom. In her waking life, Garnet is shocked to meet that man in a club. Merrel knows her from another life, a life in which she was the legendary Morrigan, goddess of death and war. Garnet rejects the notion of magical incarnations altogether. But she falls in with Sorin, a handsome warlock who’s determined to protect the former bootlegger city of Riverpointe from a secret society of vampires. Haunted by crows and faced with undeniable proof of magic, Garnet scrambles to protect her career and loved ones from magical violence.
Abducted by vampires who seek to turn her into a vampire against her will, can Garnet seize the power of the legendary Morrigan to forge her own path in her embattled city? Or will she be forced to serve as a fearsome weapon in a deadly nocturnal war?

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BAG OF TRICKS by Carmen Webster Buxton

Aveline is a trained magician, but Princess Inessa, the Heiress of Mazuria, hired her to pose as a lady-in-waiting, to protect her from court intrigues and literally sniff out lies. When a wicked duke tries to force Inessa into marriage, Aveline uses a spell to hide the princess. But even magic has limits, and when Aveline stumbles over Zarek, a man whose life has been cursed by more than one tragedy, she demands his help in getting the princess back to the capital. Zarek is on his own errand, and he’s suspicious of Aveline—magicians are feared—but he does help. As he and Aveline travel Mazuria in company with the princess and his wolf-dog Burden, they come to rely on each other and to respect each other’s skills. After Zarek leaves the two women in what he thinks is a safe refuge, he learns they’re in more danger than ever. So of course he and Burden go back to save them. Now if only Aveline can bring herself to believe that Zarek wants to save her even more than he wants to save the princess—and admit to herself that what she feels for him goes way beyond gratitude.

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KING’S MATE: AN ALPHA SHIFTER ROMANCE by Piper Stone

A king takes what is his, and she is mine. Her scent drew me to her, but something deeper and more powerful told me she was mine. Something that would not be denied. Something that demanded I claim her then and there. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)

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THREE CHARMS FOR MURDER (THE CASE FILES OF HENRI DAVENPORT BOOK 5) by Honor Raconteur

It takes more than three charms to commit murder. When an old childhood friend comes to Henri asking for help in solving his parents’ murders, Henri agrees immediately. He knows this case is not going to be easy. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood’s bodies had been found magically posed to mimic a statue, and the investigator in charge ruled it a murder-suicide. Which is simply not feasible according to the Atwood children. Aware this is a high society case and all attention will be on them, the team makes their way out to the Atwoods’ vacation home. Upon arrival, Jamie and Henri are horrified to find most of the trace evidence destroyed by incompetence, the bodies unpreserved, and the case file a single page of notes. To top it all off, the local police force wants nothing more than to see them fail. Add in a string of suspicious burglaries, compromised wards, arson, and a suspect who will do anything to keep the truth under wraps, and Jamie and Henri are ready to commit murder themselves.

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DEATH’S DOOR (SUPERNATURAL SECURITY FORCE BOOK 3) by  Heather Hildenbrand

Gem’s life has gone from bad to worse faster than her secret demon baby can say “baby daddy.” What started as a crappy job and a possible killer to bring to justice has become a full-blown conspiracy from hell. Literally. Demons are being summoned into New Orleans and Gem is sure there’s a Nephilim behind it. Now, all she has to do is prove it. Oh yeah, and not get herself killed in the process. Too bad for Gem, everyone has secrets, including her. And when the powers-that-be find out what she’s capable of, they’ll stop at nothing to silence her once and for all.

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HOT PIECE OF ASH (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 28) by Milly Taiden

When Valentina Lombardi jokingly asks Gerri Wilder to hook her up with a sexy man or two, she doesn’t expect for Gerri to make it happen. Boy, does she deliver. In the warm beaches of Costa Bonita, Valentina is romanced by two gorgeous men. She can’t possibly date them both at the same time, can she? It’s wrong. It’s dirty. It’s what’s gonna happen. Ash Jonz and Smoke Price need a mate to complete their triad and renew their island’s magic or their clan could be wiped out. When curvy, shy Valentina shows up, they know she’s the one. They want to keep her, mate her, and cement their marks on her. But how will she react to knowing they’re planning on sharing her. At the same time.
Fire Mountain’s in trouble. The volcano’s spewing steam that scares the islanders, and if Ash and Smoke don’t finalize their triad, the whole island could blow. That’s the least of their worries when one of their own decides they don’t want Valentina getting in their way. Alpha and beta need to find their mate before she’s sacrificed for a pirate’s treasure.

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THE SOLDATI GENERAL (SOLDATI HEARTS BOOK 3) by Charlie Cochet

A powerful, yet awkward, Soldati healer. A retired Orso general. A plot to kill the king. A secret that could destroy them all. The Summer Solstice Festival has arrived in the Soldati realm, and guests from all over flood the kingdom to join the festivities. But the excitement is shadowed by rumors of an Orso plot to kill the king. Now Ezra and the Soldati council must protect Khalon’s secret—and stop a conspiracy that could destroy the Soldati and the human world they protect. As Ezra and General Segreti explore their growing affection, a dangerous game begins, but are they the pawns or the players? Can their hearts survive the final checkmate?

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WANDERING QUEEN (LOST FAE BOOK 1) by May Dawson

One minute, I’m just an innocent, brave, beautiful young woman chasing down an evil vampire. The next, three sexy Fae jerks abduct me from my life of slaying vamps and saving puppies. Okay, okay. I’m not particularly innocent. The beautiful part is really dependent on the lighting. And some people say ‘brave’, some people say ‘stupid’. Whatcha gonna do? Everybody’s got haters, even the toughest Hunter in Washington, D.C. I’ve got amnesia, and my memories all begin five years ago. So I don’t remember these cocky Fae princes, with the smoldering eyes and painfully good looks. But they definitely remember me. They say I’m the true heir to the throne. But these sexy jerks are hiding some kind of secret from me. There’s trouble back in Faerieland (They hate it when I say that). Someone stole my tiara right off my head, erased my memories and shoved me through the portal to your world. And it’s time for me to find out why, with these powerful Fae males by my side—no matter how unhappy we are to be stuck together.

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TROPICAL TAILS (SHIFTING SANDS RESORT COLLECTION BOOK 4) by Zoe Chant

Reunite with some of your favorite characters on a tropical escape to a luxury resort for shifters only. Meet new shifters (and one confused human) who find love and family on the mysterious island of Shifting Sands. In Her Hellhound Bodyguard, cat shifter—and cat burglar!—Christy has to navigate the Mexico City airport, find a missing shifter elder, and avoid getting killed. Hiring her mate for protection wasn’t part of her vacation itinerary…In Fake Fur, a group of clueless human furries are accidentally booked at Shifting Sands, to the amusement of the real shifters. But wolf shifter Calvin isn’t laughing when he realizes that the beautiful woman in faux fur fox ears is his mate….(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)

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A CROWN OF THORNS AND LIES (THE SHADOW WALKERS SAGA BOOK 4) by Sloane Murphy

The Shadow Realm was not what I expected. With it came so many unexpected joys, but also, the worst kind of pain.
Back in our Realm once more, new enemies make themselves known, and betrayal is around every corner. It stings the worst when it’s from the ones you thought you could trust with your life. We’ve sacrificed too much and waited too long to let anything stand in our way now. The journey isn’t over yet, but out of the shadows, light is born.

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VS Note: From my backlist: Still getting great feedback from readers about IVOKK! Have you read the latest in the Badari Warriors series (can be read as a standalone)? A fiery human chef kidnapped by alien scientists and the sexy genetically engineered soldier of the far future assigned to keep her safe, if only she’ll let him…

Proud enforcer of the Badari South Seas pack, Ivokk undertakes a secret mission back to their former home, in search of a cure for a mysterious illness affecting his soldiers, now in exile in the north. He’s ready to make any sacrifice to find the answer and help his pack brothers stay strong. He’s even willing to accept responsibility for the human woman assigned to the mission, although she’s a headstrong civilian, difficult and rumored to dislike his kind.

Sandara DiFerria was once a three star chef in the Sectors, but that was before the alien enemy kidnapped the entire adult population of her colony to use for experimentation. Rescued from the labs by the Badari, she does her part to support the rebellion now by running the vast commissary operation in Sanctuary Valley. All she asks is to be left alone until she can get back to the Sectors and pick up her old life again. Her one previous romantic brush with a Badari soldier turned out badly, ending in public humiliation. Add to that post-traumatic stress from her life before moving to the colony and she’s the last person to pick for a top secret mission. Or so she believes.

The Alpha running the pack disagrees and sends her to do the job under Ivokk’s watchful eye. Thrown together by the nature of the task they must undertake, the undeniable attraction they both feel grows. Will the dark secrets of Sandara’s hidden past create an insurmountable barrier between them? Can Ivokk and the tempestuous human chef find the answer to the Badari illness in time? Or will the elements and the enemy bring disaster?

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      Google Play

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

September 16

September 9 

September 2 

August 26 

August 19 

“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.

Are You Sick? Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

It seemed to me people were about equal on whether they wanted more of the scene with the baby grizval cubs or me to move on to more of the medical issues, so since that’s really the theme of the novel, I’m moving forward in time.

The excerpt (Giving you the whole thing aince we essentially have no limit now): 

Henry was supposed to arrive an hour before her, to open the clinic, set things up for the day and accomplish other administrative tasks. He also dealt with the early arriving patients.  It was part of the arrangement that allowed him to skip working the weekends. Saffia frowned as she walked up to the clinic’s portal and found it locked, no lights on inside. Checking her wrist chrono to make sure she had the time right, she gave the three waiting patients an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry we’re keeping you out here in the cold,” she said as she keyed open the door and allowed them to walk past her. “If you’ll make yourselves comfortable in the waiting room, we’ll be right with you.” Wondering where her nurse was, she headed toward the office wing and nearly tripped over a stack of toys piled messily beside the reception desk.

“Whoa, doc, be careful,” Henry said as he rushed through the door and came to her side.

“What is all this? And why are you late?” Saffia hated to have her morning routine disrupted because it was part of how she maintained her calm center and professional balance. She needed things to be as expected and she had to have her few minutes of meditation in her office. She wouldn’t permit herself to take the time today, not with patients waiting outside while she and her staff were late. She focused more closely on Henry who seemed a bit pale. “Are you sick?”

VS: Uh oh, not a good sign….we’ll have one more excerpt from COLONY before I switch to my Pets In Space 5 story, STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE. There’s so much story left to tell in COLONY but we must move on.  (The book is for sale after all LOL.) Next week I’ll jump ahead over lots of things and show you the answer on Henry. Allergies, or????? 

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

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for Wednesday SEPT 16

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).

More of a normal week this time, in terms of quantity, but still 70+ books…

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CHAMELEON: ALIEN CASTAWAYS (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Cara Bristol

VS Note: All the IDA releases look so good!

When you wish upon a falling star, er, UFO…Young widow Kevanne Girardi catches sight of a meteorite streaking across the sky and wishes for a good handyman to help make her rundown lavender farm a big success. Instead, she gets a shapeshifting alien who apparently has never seen a leaky faucet before. But his loving and noble spirit make him just the man to fix her wounded heart. He hasn’t promised her forever, but a girl can hope, can’t she? Maybe she’ll make another wish…
When his ship tumbles out of the sky and lands on Earth, Chameleon never expects to fall for a human woman. Unfortunately, he can’t stay. He made a mistake that led to the devastation of an entire planet, and now the survivors are depending on him to get them to safety. He must repair his ship and leave before the Xeno Consortium finds him and Earth becomes endangered, too. But oh, he wishes he could stay with Kevanne forever…Can a twist of fate make their wishes come true?

Amazon      Apple Books

TESTING TRUTH (CYBORG SPACE EXPLORATION BOOK 6) by Cynthia Sax

VS Note: I never get enough of Cynthia’s sizzling cyborgs!

Truth lives each moment as though it were his last. The cyborg warrior rushes into danger, teases beings he shouldn’t provoke, accepts every call of adventure he encounters. When a prissy little human princess floats into the Rebel structure Truth is occupying, seeking a mercenary to assist her and her unusual entourage, he volunteers to be her warrior. She claims their assignment is dangerous, warns him he might not survive the task. That is exactly the type of fun he has been seeking. Princess Nanette of the planet Royaume must rescue her estranged brother from an enemy prison ship. That is her duty, and she has been trained to always place the needs of her planet and her subjects before her own. Nancy doesn’t have the freedom to indulge her passions for a certain dark-haired, gray-skinned cyborg. Not permanently and not publicly. But she is unable to resist the warrior. Truth, with his laughing eyes, smiling lips, and rough hands, tempts her as no one else ever has. He could be her one fleeting act of rebellion before she’s matched with the powerful ruler her planet requires. If they survive their current mission. Their love is doomed. Their lifespans are at risk. This cyborg and his princess will need the help of every ally they have if they wish to see another sunrise.

Amazon      Apple Books

HANNIBAL: STARGAZER ALIEN MYSTERY BRIDES #1 (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Tasha Black

Violet Locke has always been great with puzzles. Her intellect and eye for detail let her solve just about any problem. But when it comes to people, she often finds herself without a clue. When a hunky alien moves in downstairs and immediately falls for her, will she finally learn to listen to her heart instead of her head?
Hannibal and his brothers are doing their best to assimilate to their new lives on Earth. Desperate to find mates among human women, they know their adventure will be cut short if they fail. Earth customs can be super confusing, but one thing Hannibal knows for sure is that curvy, brilliant Violet Locke is destined to be his mate. All he wants is to use his superhuman strength and powers to sweep her off her feet. When Vi’s latest project turns into a race against time to find a neighbor’s missing dog, the two will have to work together to track it down. Though they might be close to finding the kidnapped pooch, Hannibal is afraid Vi will fail to discover that what has truly been missing from her life is love.

Amazon      Apple Books

WHEN SHE BELONGS (A RISDAVERSE TALE BOOK 4) by Ruby Dixon

He’s the biggest jerk in the galaxy. I can live with being stuck on the far end of space. I can live with having to spend weeks on an abandoned station in an asteroid belt. Sure, I don’t belong, but I’ve got my book and my eight-legged attack cat with me. I should be fine. I’m not fine. My alien host, Jerrok, is a jerk. He’s surly and unpleasant. He hasn’t bathed in years. He’s part cyborg – and all those parts seem to be falling to pieces. He’s the one in charge of this remote station, which means we’re forced to interact. It’s an absolutely miserable situation for both of us……until I realize that all his anger and bluster is covering the fact that he’s thoughtful and understanding. He’s protective, too, keeping me safe when the bad guys approach. When I get hurt, he’s the one tenderly caring for my wounds. Jerrok is also intensely, utterly lonely, just like me. As time passes, I start to wonder…maybe where I belong isn’t a place…but a person.

Amazon

LACEY’S WARRIORS (BONDMATES BOOK 6) by Ann Mayburn

Kidnapped from Earth by alien slavers, Lacey had to fight her way to freedom in an inter-galactic gladiator match against the Hive, a fearsome race of psychopaths bent on destroying everything in their path. After defeating the Hive in battle, all she wants to do is return to Earth and her young daughter. But the Universe has other plans.
When Kadothian Warrior Gwarnon was young, he was told by his sadistic, manipulative mother that his Matriarch had died. His blood brother, Chel, had always insisted that she was alive, but Gwarnon had long ago given up hope. When he finds out through a twist of fate that his Matriarch is indeed alive, he is elated. At least at first. Lacey wants nothing to do with them, but Gwarnon and Chel are determined to show her that staying in the Bel’Tan Galaxy and being loved by them is her destiny. Lacey will have to find a way to bring her worlds together, while protecting both her men and her family from an unseen enemy that is determined to destroy everything she holds dear.

Amazon      Apple Books

FATE’S APOLOGY by A M Geiger

VS Note: From late AUG

Rika yearns for freedom. Reylen yearns for purpose. When they are thrust together in a violent kidnapping, their desires collide in a maelstrom of hatred and reason, trust and disgust. A daring escape leads to a culturally-forbidden agreement to help one another, which is put at risk when mercenaries strike and Reylen is taken.
Rika forges ahead, with a price on her head, alone and vulnerable in an unfamiliar world. Her fortitude is tested when captured. She discovers that Reylen is a key figure in a genocidal plot by the Mar’quem of Dizharu, a mysterious ujin who can re-write reality within one’s dreams. As disaster looms over two civilizations, with friend and foe alike standing in her way, Rika must choose her allegiances wisely. Hope, honor, and prejudices collide in a climactic struggle for life, love, and liberty, for all Sentients of the Korl Sector.

Amazon

ROGUE: ALIEN WARRIOR ACADEMY BOOK 1 by Tana Stone

What happens when the one guy you can’t fall for is the only one you can’t resist? As one of the new human cadets at an alien military academy, I knew I’d have to prove myself. Especially since I’m one of only a few females sent by Earth. I just didn’t know that the one alien I want to impress would be the one who seems determined to hate me.
I was sent here because I’m a champion pod racer, so why won’t the big, gruff pod instructor let me show him what I can do? If he thinks ignoring me or assigning me after-hours work polishing his pods will discourage me, then he’s never met a girl from Texas. If I’m being honest, the alien’s huge muscles and gold tattoos have me thinking about riding more than pods when I’m around him, but no way can anything happen with one of my teachers. Right? Especially since I get the idea that the bad boy instructor is hiding something. Does his secret have something to do with the strange things happening at the academy? If there really is a traitor behind it all, could it be him?

Amazon

REBEL: ALIEN WARRIOR ACADEMY by Hope Hart

It was supposed to be one night. One night with the gorgeous, broken, enigmatic explosives expert who makes me crazy. The problem? Now I can’t stop fantasizing about the way we self-combusted all over each other. But the guilt in his eyes when he looked at me after and remembered I’m not his dead lover? Let’s just say I’m not interested in getting involved with someone who’s clearly still suffering.  With a traitor in our midst, I shouldn’t be consumed with memories of our night together. And I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about just how well he lit my fuse. Especially when that traitor’s attacks are getting deadlier and hitting closer to home each time.  Can I protect both the academy and my heart? Or will they end up shattered beyond repair?

Amazon

VS NOTE: books 3 and 4 in the ALIEN WARRIOR ACADEMY series will be out on the 18th and the 20th so I’ll report them next week. They are up for pre-order now though…

TERIL’S FIRE (THE MATE INDEX BOOK 12) by S J Sanders

A Calysii prince wants Crystal Inola Rivers dead and it’s all her ex-boyfriend’s fault. Ex-boyfriend because the louse ran off, leaving her to deal with the fallout. She told him that stealing from the royal Calysii ship docked was suicidal. Now they are looking for what he’s stolen, and she’s being held responsible. It was only by luck that she managed to avoid the attempt on her life, now she only hopes that disappearing into the universe as a Mate Index Mate will keep her hide in one piece. If that means her urban ass being dumped as a mail order bride on a backward planet as a mate to a pair of enormous Teril farmers…well, she’ll fake it until she can make it. How hard can it be? They certainly have what it takes to make the ground move beneath a girl’s feet. Things are getting hotter for sure, and not just because a nearby mountain has started smoking.
Grish Ugaar has done something guaranteed to make his brother angry. He ordered a mate for them from the Mate Index, a soft female to bring them joy and comfort. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)

Amazon

SPY DOG (THE INHERITED STARS SERIES) by Laurie A Green

VS note: A re-release…

When his transport is destroyed before his eyes, agent Rigel Blackline and his bio-engineered StarDog partner wind up marooned on a planet buzzing with enemy patrols. Worse, they carry time-sensitive intel that must be delivered to their contacts on a distant space station—data that could defeat their ruthless enemies. Rigel’s only hope is to reach another Network ship before they’re captured, but things get complicated when they cross paths with Sona, a savvy warrior-class Rathskian female. She claims to be a friendly, but he suspects the vixen is a dangerous counter-spy sent to intercept him and his StarDog. His intuitive sidekick’s immediate bond with Sona is even more baffling.
Rigel decides “capturing” Sona as an enemy asset and delivering her to his superiors may be his best option, but Sona has secrets that threaten more than just Rigel’s self-control. Her knowledge of Network dealings are on a level even he isn’t privy to. Is she truly an ally, or is he playing directly into the hands of a dangerous double-agent…in more ways than one?

Amazon

FATED MATE: TAKEN: A DARK MAFIA SCIFI ROMANCE (VOSTRA CRIME LORDS BOOK 3) by Luna Voss

I never thought I would be knotted, marked, or disciplined by my mate. When you’re the only female assassin in the Voorian Mafia, you develop a bit of an independent streak. But now I’m partnered with Rojan, who is suddenly a lot more growly and authoritative than I remember. And our mission depends on me pretending to be his obedient wife. The only problem? He’s decided to claim me as his Fated Mate. And my heat cycle seems to be starting early.

Amazon

AWAKENING (THE EURYNOME CODE BOOK 5) by K Gorman

VS Note: Not a romance…

Karin Makos’ powers are in flux. Ever since she thwarted the Shift Event on Nova, a second power has awakened inside her—and it’s not about to be ignored. But she has other worries. A hot new lead on The Eurynome Project has them en route to Earth, guns blazing. When they get there, they find more than they ever could have dreamed.

Amazon

HER HUMAN BODYGUARD (LEVEKK INVADERS BOOK 4) by Lea Linnett

Devis Sidana is no good at being a levekk. She’s messy, lazy, wild. No male has ever wanted her for more than a night. Hiring a delicate, weak human to tend to her home was supposed to help her get her life in order. But Scott turns her life upside down, and he is far from delicate. He’s huge and scarred and terrifying. His glittering gaze lights a fire in her cold blood unlike any she’s ever felt. He makes her feel seen in a way her own kind never did. And he has pledged himself to her, on a planet where their coupling could threaten his life. Trapped beneath the dome of New Chicago, Devis can feel the threat of discovery pressing in around them. Scott says he’ll keep her safe, but Devis has a greater fear. How will she protect her bodyguard, should the worst happen?

Amazon

TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS by Christopher Paolini

VS Note: Not a romance…

During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first she’s delighted, but elation turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move. As war erupts among the stars, Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t at all what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human. While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand upon the brink of annihilation. Now, Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope.

Amazon      Apple Books

THE TRIALS OF KOLI (THE RAMPART TRILOGY BOOK 2) by M R Carey

VS Note: Not a romance

The earth wants to swallow us whole…Koli never planned to set foot outside his small village. He knew that beyond its walls lay a fearsome landscape filled with choker trees, vicious beasts and Shunned men. But when he was exiled, he had no choice but to journey out into this strange world where every moment is a fight for survival. And it’s not just Koli’s life that is threatened. Whole villages just like his are dying out. But Koli heard a story, once. A story about lost London, and the mysterious tech of the Old Times that may still be there. If he can find it, there may still be a way for him to change his own fate – by saving the lives of those who are left.

Amazon      Apple Books

SMARTS IN SPACE: CURVY GIRL ALIEN ROMANCE (SNARKY IN SPACE BOOK 2) by Juniper Jaxx

Brooke Six months ago, I was abducted by slave traders and destined for a breeding program. I thought I was doomed, that I’d never be able to pay off my mom’s medical bills—until a big scary red alien rescued me. A big scary alien who dropped me off at Critter Daycare, kissed me senseless, and disappeared. Now he’s back and I shouldn’t want him, but I do. But being with Xakhis won’t just get me fired and ruin his future—it’ll paint a target on my back from the planet’s two warring tribes. One night could be the end of us both, but I can’t deny my need for his big, scaly alien body. Xakhis – Ever since I saved the beautiful, curvy human from my brother’s clutches, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, and her sweet, sassy mouth. But she’s off-limits. It’s hard enough for a half-breed like me to be accepted into Zo’tox society, and taking a human as my mate will mean throwing away any hope of acceptance. I promise myself one amazing night. Except I know that one night will never be enough, no matter how forbidden she is. She’s my mate, and I won’t stop until she’s mine.

Amazon

ARIA’S DESIRE (TAKEN SERIES BOOK 5) by Stacy Jones

An invitation to a hidden alien Queendom. Forced proximity with two males she can’t resist. Assassination attempts. Secrets exposed. And an alliance that could change the world. Aria Taylor’s hands are full leading a slave uprising, taking over an alien planet, and loving her two incredible mates. So, why, no matter how hard she tries or how ardently she avoids them, can’t she crush this yearning for Rellik, a beautiful devil with a mischievous smile, and Sin, an untamed dragon shifter who watches her with predatory eyes? When an emissary from one of the hidden Queendoms shows up at the complex with the promise of an alliance, it’s too good an opportunity to pass. But when Tirox and Kix suggest Rellik and Sin pose as her mates while they scope out the castle in secret, Aria’s tactic of avoiding the dangerously tempting males is about to be thrown out the window. Amid palace intrigue, assassination attempts, inescapable sexual tension, and shocking revelations from her mates, buried feelings are about to come to light. Can Aria grab the chance for a happily ever after? Or will everything come crumbling down around her? Either way, this is about to be one hell of a trip.

Amazon

 THE X-FILES: THE OFFICIAL ARCHIVES: CRYPTIDS, BIOLOGICAL ANOMALIES AND PARAPSYCHIC PHENOMENA by Paul Terry

VS Note: Not a romance. Based in the TV series, which I know many SFR readers also enjoyed so I thought I’d go ahead and list it here.

When an X-Files fan opens up The X-Files: The Official Archives, they are gaining access—for the ï¬?rst time—to Agents Mulder and Scully’s notes, records, and visual evidence from actual X-File reports. Designed to mimic a collection of FBI case ï¬?les and packed with such items as autopsy reports, mug shots, lab results, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, pages ripped from antique books on the occult, and security camera printouts, this fully authorized book is the only one of its kind. Detailing the agents’ investigations into 50 cases of cryptids, biological anomalies, and parapsychic phenomena—from the Flukeman to The Great Mutato to Pusher—The X-Files: The Official Archives showcases some of the show’s greatest villains (some dastardly, some just misunderstood), and instructs future agents on how to successfully investigate the paranormal.

Amazon      Apple Books

THE SHORELESS SEA (LIMINAL SKY: ARIADNE CYCLE BOOK 3) by J Scott Coatsworth

VS Note: I’ve really been enjoying this series…

The fight for the future isn’t over yet. It could lead to a new beginning, or it might spell the end for the last vestiges of humankind. The generation ship Forever has left Earth behind, but a piece of the old civilization lives on in the Inthworld—a virtual realm that retains memories of Earth’s technological wonders and vices. Lilith leads the uprising, and if she sets its inhabitants free, they could destroy Forever. But during the ship’s long voyage, humanity has evolved. Liminals with the ability to connect with the world mind and the Inthworld provide a glimmer of hope as they face not only Lilith’s minions, but the mistrust of their own kind as homotypicals fear what they can’t understand. The invasion must be stopped, the Inthworld healed, sothe people of Forever can let go of their past and embrace their future.

Amazon 

BREATHS OF DESIRE: SEYTON MATES BOOK 1) by Octavia Kore

Life in space didn’t prepare Samantha for all the things she would find after her mysterious crash landing on planet X9: forests filled with massive red trees, plants that drip a liquid eerily similar to blood, and let’s not forget the demonic aliens who snatch her up the very first time she leaves the wreckage of her pod. The intrepid scientist is kidnapped by one alien and gifted to another the moment she enters the village. She never expected to become a captive bride, and she certainly never expected to find herself falling for two males who can’t seem to stand each other. Hunters don’t get happily ever afters. Zuran is no stranger to loss, but when Samantha is ripped away from him and given to Olan, he feels the last threads of his sanity begin to fray. The breeding heat is taking over, pulling him into the inky darkness of madness he will never come back from. The spark of hope Samantha ignites in him is the only thing keeping him sane, but will he have the strength to pull himself out of the shadow of his past?  As a breeder, Olan has been preparing for his mating since the moment he stepped out of the agmari bloom, but the fiery human female his chieftess presents to him is not the bride he envisioned. She’s stubborn, mouthy, refuses to do as she is asked, and even has the gall to escape his hut while he sleeps. Samantha may have been bound to him by the All Mother, but Olan soon realizes his bride is going to make him earn the right to call her his.

Amazon

MACHINATIONS (LAST RESISTANCE BOOK 1) by Hayley Stone

VS Note: This is a re-release of a 2016 book. I remember interviewing this author when it first came out. I enjoyed the book very much at the time.

Waking up as a clone with a broken memory? Not great when you’re leading the resistance. Rhona has battled the malevolent A.I. intent on wiping out humanity since the first Machinations began—until she’s killed during a rescue mission gone wrong. Now, Rhona awakens to find herself transported to a new body, complete with her DNA and her personality.  She’s a clone… of herself. Except for her missing memories. Some of which could potentially turn the tide of the war. Trapped in the shadow of the life she knew and rejected by the man who once loved her, the reincarnated Rhona must fight to secure her place among old friends and newfound enemies—and quickly. For the machines are inching closer to exterminating humanity for good. And only Rhona, whoever she is now, can save them.

Amazon

ALIEN RAIDER’S PRIZE (ATAXIAN RAIDERS BOOK 1) by Athena Storm

Most races have laws. The Reapers have only one. The strong shall reap. And the weak shall weep. Well…
It’s time I teach those Reapers a few more. Neither me nor my sisters have ever known a man’s touch. And yet here we are, twelve Sisters of Ataxia, being given as tribute brides to those…Reapers. To be desecrated by one of those monsters is nothing short of terrifying. And yet…something stirs inside of me. Call it curiosity…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)

Amazon

CLAIMED BY THE SAVAGE ALIEN ORXLON: SUPERNOVA ESCAPES by Eden Ember and Starr Huntress

VS Note: Wow, the reviews are really all over the place on this one (relating to aspects of the plot and the heroine) so your mileage may vary. I have not read it.

I thought I’d won a dream vacation to some kind of tropical paradise, until I discovered the freaking travel agency is actually a “mail order bride agency.” I show up with my swim suit and sunscreen in hand and instead I’m presented with a savage alien barking orders at me to follow him onto his giant spaceship. Yet despite his rudeness, my heart skips a beat. I swore I’d never forge a relationship with an alien. I’m not like those flighty starlets in Hollywood who only go for the physical. I can’t possibly have actual feelings for this barbaric alien. All I want is to go home, but he wants to claim me as his mate and I don’t know if I can say no to his desirous gaze, his rousing touch, and his muscled body.

Amazon

EXIST BEYOND THE THAW (THE THAW CHRONICLES BOOK 6) by Heidi Catherine and Tamar Sloan

The Seekers have been chosen. The Newlands awaitFour young lives now have to choose where they belong. To choose what and who they will fight for. Because no matter where they turn, the legacy of the past is inescapable. The Newlands already has settlers. The Outlands has a new leader. And danger has arrived in Askala. Hawk, Sam, Mercy and Luca must work together or be swept away by a world even more divided than themselves. As the fight for survival becomes a fight for the future, as hearts yearn and secrets are protected, loyalties will be tested.   Can they build a world like nobody has seen before? One where people can unite for the good of Earth? Or has the war they never wanted already begun? 

Amazon

STOLEN (UNTAMED WARRIORS OF VANTHAE BOOK 3) by Ivy Cross

I can handle being abandoned by aliens on a strange new world. But a giant alien warlord who thinks he’s my owner? That’s one straw too many…I was snatched from my bed in the middle of the night and plunked onto a spaceship with a bunch of other women. Okay, I could roll with that. Life back on Earth wasn’t all that special, and I needed a fresh start anyway. And the cops couldn’t find me in space…Then the alien bug guys launched us down to some random world. The ride down was tense, sure, but we managed. Plus, that alien spaceship smelled like moldy feet. I’d take my freedom on an unknown planet over that place any day of the week. Two for two so far. Not bad. But then he shows up. Giant, sexy, and as full of himself as a Christmas turkey. He literally thinks he’s the greatest thing on the face of the planet. And we’re supposed to be his pets… That’s just something I can’t deal with, but I’m stuck with him now. And my new alien warlord’s supreme arrogance is about to get us both killed by something even worse than him.

Amazon

KISS MY SASS (ENEMIES TO MATES BOOK 1) by Celeste King

I always knew that aliens were watching us. But I never realized it wasn’t like The X-Files out there.
More like…The Bachelor? To be fair, the moment I met my Kaleth warrior, I knew I was his. Just like he knew he was mine. It was like a tingling sensation that wouldn’t quit. See, he came to Earth on vacation. I mean, even hard-charging Kaleth warriors have to take some time off from defending the galaxy. And he came over to visit some diners, drive-ins, and dives. He made a list from watching the Food Network (I’m not even joking!) But all is not well in paradise. He’s got a list of enemies a mile long and they want to stop our love at all costs. So we’re on the run from them while trying to give our love a chance to grow. Along the way, we’re heading to a luau and taking surfing lessons. But I know we’ll get through this no problemo. How? You know how they say guac is extra? Well, big bad Kaleth warrior….So am I.

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REACH OF THE COLOSSUS: A STEAMPUNK SPACE OPERA ADVENTURE (A HOLLY DRAKE JOB BOOK 6) by Nicole Grotepas

VS Note: Not a romance.

Holly Drake and her crew can hardly guess what the new shadow forces will do. Trying to stay a step ahead of them hardly seems like the answer. But what choice do they have? Bargaining for information from the corrupt underworld, facing down new foes, and pulling side-heists to fund their larger goals is chaotic at best. But, well, it’s the least they can do.

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THE QUEEN (DRAGONS OR RIDDICH BOOK 7) by Mel Teshco

The dragons have searched the universe to find their one true mate…Twelve months has been and gone. The Riddich dragons are finally reunited and have brought with them their Earth mates. All too soon they form a plan with their unlikely, newfound friends. They’ll land on the icy planet of Tantonic, their mission: to kill the evil Tantonic Queen and her soldiers, and release any surviving prisoners. But can the heat loving Riddich Dragons survive the cold and outwit the vicious Tantonic Queen who all but wiped out their mighty race? Or will they perish, or worse, be drained of their powers before they’ve even had a chance to avenge their fallen people?

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DRAGON REFORMED (RECLAIMED DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Terry Bolryder

Vex, a notorious rogue fairy, is finally ready to confront the dragon that’s been obsessing over her for months. For some reason, she can’t stop thinking about him either. So even though she knows he’s going to get ideas about love right from the start, she’s willing to play with fire if it means she’ll be able to get her hands on the irresistible man that makes her feel things she’s never felt before.
Vex may think she’s in control of the situation, but Landon isn’t going to go down without a fight. Even if it means going to the woman who is feared by all and pleasuring her senseless. But when he realizes she’s in danger, and not just from the myriad enemies she’s made over the years, Landon sets out to show Vex that she deserves a life better than the one she’s been living for so long. Even though Landon’s sweet treats and sweet kisses make Vex feel something deeper than ever before, she knows her past left her too broken to ever be in love. But Landon might understand both of their fates better than she thinks, and when danger finally catches up to the notorious fairy, it might just be Landon, and his long-held secret, that saves the day.

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YOUR BROOM OR MINE? MAGIC AND MAYHEM BOOK 8 by Robyn Peterman

Only I wood get stuck in a tree with the Warlock I love camped out next to it mea-culpa-ing for being a turdwaffle for the last decade. What should I do about it? Umm… stay in the tree and enjoy the show. Location: Assjacket, West Virginia (Who in their right mind named this town?) Mission: Get out of the tree and dropkick the Warlock who forgot to mention he was in love with me until I was stuck in a tree. Obstacles: Just about everything… crazy foul mouthed witches, accident-prone shifters and a musical production of Jaws. The Problem: A vicious Slug shifter who will do anything to ruin my future. The Solution: With a little luck, a whole bunch of salt, a pinch of magic and the help of my certifiable new buddies, I might just survive long enough to put down some new roots. And if the journey in the woods gets too crazy? Not a problem. I’ll just branch out and take the psycho-path.

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NEO (WERE ZOO BOOK 10) by R E Butler

Gorilla shifter Neo feels like he’s been waiting for his soulmate forever, even though he’s only twenty-six. He keeps himself busy during the day as a mechanic at Amazing Adventures Safari Park, where he and his fellow shifters live in secrecy from humans. But the lonely nights are getting to him, and he wonders when he’ll meet the other half of his heart.
Danielle Fitzgerald knows her stepfather, Dexter, and his son, Khyle, are keeping something from her and her mother, but she can’t figure out what it is. There’s something off about both of them – and the group of men that work for their construction company. Against her dad’s wishes, she takes a VIP ticket for the safari tour and finds herself entranced with one of the gorillas. Neo knows the moment the vehicle with his soulmate stops in front of the gorilla paddock, and his beast can’t wait to meet her. He knows it will take a while before he can share the truth of his shift with her, but what he doesn’t count on is her stepfamily’s secret. When the truth comes out, will Dani be able to stay with Neo at the park, or will her family steal her away before he can stop them?

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CHANCE OF A LIFETIME (PROVIDENCE FALLS BOOK 1) by Jude Devereaux and Tara Sheets

In one century she loved him madly, and in another she wants nothing to do with him…In 1844 Ireland, Liam O’Connor, a rogue and a thief, fell madly in love with a squire’s daughter and unwittingly altered the future. Shy and naive Cora McLeod thought Liam was the answer to her prayers. But the angels disagreed and they’ve been waiting for the right moment in time to step in. Now Liam finds himself reunited with his beloved Cora in Providence Falls, North Carolina. The angels have given Liam a task. He must make sure Cora falls in love with another man—the one she was supposed to marry before Liam interfered. But this Cora is very different from the innocent girl who fell for Liam in the past. She’s a cop and has a confidence and independence he wasn’t expecting. She doesn’t remember Liam or their past lives, nor is she impressed with his attempts to guide her in any way. Liam wants Cora for himself, but with his soul hanging in the balance, he must choose between a stolen moment in time or an eternity of damnation.

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LORD OF RAIN (THE DRAGON DEMIGODS BOOK 5) by Chartlene Hartnady

BoltI am the son of a god. Not just any god, but the mighty Zeus. I take after my father in many ways. I am powerful and astute. I can be ruthless when I need to be. You have to be driven and relentless when you run an empire. When thousands of people rely on you for their livelihoods. I’m still all of those things, but since meeting her, I’m broken. A shadow of the man I used to be. I’m angry. Impossible to be around, but I can’t seem to get over it…I can’t get over her. I’m in love with a ghost. Someone I don’t even know. This woman got her claws into me. Wove a magic spell so tightly around me that I am unable to break free. I wish I could hate her. I can’t. Not when my body and soul yearn for her. I know it isn’t real, and yet I can’t help the way I feel. There is no outlet for all of these emotions because the object of my hate, my affection, my love – real or imagined – is dead. Gone! I heard that doppelgangers exist. I never really believed it until Ashley Shaw walked through my door.
Ashley It’s wrong to lie. My parents taught me better than that. I realize this, but I’m desperate. I need this job. How hard can it be to work as a Personal Assistant? I can run errands and take calls. I can send an email and type up a document…slowly…using two fingers. Still, I can do it. So what if I fibbed a little on my resume? It won’t take me long to get the hang of things, that is if I actually make it through the interview. I’m sure I’ll manage. People generally like me. I’m nice. Polite. I try. When I see him. The man I would sell my soul for…be a PA for. I almost run away. The terms ‘dark, brooding, dangerous, and sexy’ are accurate, and yet they have nothing on him. He’s more…he’s also angry, arrogant, tortured…and beautiful. Up until today, I didn’t realize a man could be beautiful. Particularly one so masculine. Yet, here he is. I’m so nervous I completely hash the interview. It’s for the best because harboring sexual fantasies about your boss is not a good idea. I’m shocked when I get the job. I remember thinking that there had to be a catch…and I was right. There is!

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LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

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GEARS OF THUNDER (THE VALHALLA MECHANISM BOOK 2) by Kendra Moreno

Ottilie Kingsford thought she knew her world. She lived a double life, dodging disappointing bachelors during the day, spying for the Queen at night. She craved adventure and excitement, but there was none of that in the streets of London. Until a single mission changes her entire perception of reality. Now, with Ragnarok raging across earth, Tillie is knee deep in mythological creatures and the Gods who imprisoned them. FIghting dark elves and the deepest secrets of Asgard coming to light, Tillie, Thor, and Loki must search for a cauldron that could slow the end of days. Mischief, Espionage, and Thunder collide in an epic power, but will that be enough to save the realms from utter destruction?

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THIRTEEN COVENS ACADEMY: COVEN CURSED by Audrey Brice

The Order is trying to change things, but I’m afraid it’s futile. Just when I thought  Eric, Josh, and Gary could get along, James shows up. He’s rude and arrogant, and coven approved, which makes me hate him even more. So why can’t I stop having visions of us together, carnally, during an Asmodai Rite? My horrific love life aside, the rest of my life is even more complicated. One of my friends has magick she can’t control and I have a new, dead friend who doesn’t respect boundaries. Even worse, our former housekeeper has been cursed along with my coven. Haileyville, New York is gearing up for an all out witch-war. But wait, there’s more! My friend Renn’s ex-boyfriend seems to be the center of it all, and now, instead of fighting curses, I may have to cast one. The Academy is in chaos and my best friend, Lisa, has disappeared. Maybe if I’d known how terrifying living in a town full of witches actually was, I would have packed up and high-tailed it back to California the second I turned eighteen. It’s too late now. I’m in the thick of it – potentially a dead-woman walking. I’ve chosen my side. Now I have to sit back and see which sides my friends and lovers choose. FML.

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HEART OF EVIL (KREWE OF HUNTERS BOOK 2) by Heather Graham

VS Note: A re-release…

Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends…and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery’s most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War. Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare—often inexplicable—intuition. Among the Krewe of Hunters is an old flame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own. The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried—even in death.

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BLOOD HAVEN: YEAR TWO: A MAYHEM OF MAGIC WORLD STORY by Nicole Zoltack

Can love spring from hate? The answer, I know, is yes. So when my werewolf love proposes, I can’t decline. But the hatred is growing. Vampires and werewolves won’t stop fighting and killing each other. Everything comes to a head after we’re finally wed. A challenge is made. A challenge lost. And death may be coming for us all.

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WOLF TRACKS: TALES OF THE WERE (GRIZZLY COVE BOOK 17) by Bianca D’Arc

Werewolf and former Navy SEAL, Jim is a highly-skilled tracker, and newly hired by SeaLife Enterprises to find a man who was involved in sinister blood magic. The miscreant has fled the scene of the crime and it will take all Jim’s skill to locate him.
Helen is a healer, part of a highly magical family. When the clairvoyant in the clan sends her to Jim, armed with fireworks and a directive to save Jim’s life, Helen does what she has to do to get the job done. She’s too attracted to Jim to let the man die. Not on her watch. Outfoxed, but not undone, Helen and Jim set off together to corner their prey near the town of Big Wolf, Texas, where a showdown is on the agenda. Thrown together by fate, Helen and Jim can no longer deny the sparks that flare between them, but is a relationship between them possible? How can they make their very different backgrounds blend? And, can they bring down the evil operation just outside of town, and find a missing boy before it’s all just too late?

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BEARING IT ALL (WYLDE BROTHERS BOOK 3) by Jenika Snow

VS Note: A re-release

Bram Wylde was more bear than human, but he embraced it. With the need to fight regularly to let off steam, he allowed his alpha bear to run free when others kept their inner animals under control.
When he saw Kenzie Harlow, a timid deer shifter with wide, innocent eyes, every possessive instinct in his body rose up. He vowed she’d be his by the end of the night.
Kenzie had only known captivity at the hands of Rook, a panther shifter who’d been so obsessed with her he kept her as his property for years.
But when she finally made her escape, she didn’t know where to go. She had no one, nothing. But then she ran into Bram, a bear shifter who was more animalistic than maybe even Rook.
And then Bram declared her his mate, and she knew what that meant. Forever. When Kenzie found herself at Bram’s isolated cabin, she knew keeping her distance would be nearly impossible. The chemistry between them was too strong, too powerful to control. But if Rook couldn’t have her, then no one would, and Bram would show the panther just how feral he really was when it came to protecting his mate.

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THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE (THE AGE OF MADNESS BOOK 2) by Joe Abercrombie

Peace is just another kind of battlefield . . .Savine dan Glokta, once Adua’s most powerful investor, finds her judgement, fortune and reputation in tatters. But she still has all her ambitions, and no scruple will be permitted to stand in her way. For heroes like Leo dan Brock and Stour Nightfall, only happy with swords drawn, peace is an ordeal to end as soon as possible. But grievances must be nursed, power seized, and allies gathered first, while Rikke must master the power of the Long Eye . . . before it kills her. Unrest worms into every layer of society. The Breakers still lurk in the shadows, plotting to free the common man from his shackles, while noblemen bicker for their own advantage. Orso struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only for his enemies, and his debts, to multiply. The old ways are swept aside, and the old leaders with them, but those who would seize the reins of power will find no alliance, no friendship, and no peace lasts forever.

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NIGHT SHINE by Tessa Gratton

In the vast palace of the empress lives an orphan girl called Nothing. She slips within the shadows of the Court, unseen except by the Great Demon of the palace and her true friend, Prince Kirin, heir to the throne. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince’s bodyguard suspect that Kirin may have been taken by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful woman who has plagued the land for decades. The sorceress has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing has uncovered many secrets in her sixteen years in the palace, including a few about the prince.
As the empress’s army searches fruitlessly, Nothing and the bodyguard set out on a rescue mission, through demon-filled rain forests and past crossroads guarded by spirits. Their journey takes them to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the sorceress wields her power. There, Nothing will discover that all magic is a bargain, and she may be more powerful than she ever imagined. But the price the Sorceress demands for Kirin may very well cost Nothing her heart.

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THE SCAPEGRACERS by Hannah Abigail Clarke

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends.
Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated?

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HEELS, HEXES AND HEIRLOOMS?: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (MIDLIFE MAYHEM BOOK 5) by Melinda Chase

This far into my magical forty makeover, I thought I’d seen it all. That I knew it all. Boy, was I wrong. After I’d found my Elven grandfather, Laslow, and brought him back to the human world, I was convinced that my life was on the upswing. Things with Hunter were good. Gram’s and mom were happy. And it seemed all the fires in my life had been put out. I could’ve left well enough alone . . . but I still had lingering questions about the hate between the fae and the witches. They say knowing your history can give you the tools to shape your future. But when you creep into the past, you’re bound to find things you don’t like. Especially with a past like mine. I’d never belong anywhere as long as the two parts of me were enemies, so I decided it was time to completely shake things up and defeat the evil King Inueya of the fae world and reunite our lands. Go big or go home, right? So now, here I am, spandex and all, in a completely foreign world while I attempt to find the true ruler of the land of the fae. If only I could go back and tell my thirty-nine year-old self what sort of craziness she was about to dive into.

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EACH OF US A DESERT by Mark Oshiro

Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village’s stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. One night, Xo’s wish is granted—in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town’s murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match… if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.

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HIGH CROWN CHRONICLES by Jodi Gallegos

When a crown is at stake, blood will be shed…The High Crown Chronicles is cinematic storytelling at its best. With stunning imagery, dynamic characters, and a slow-burn romance, Jodi Gallegos has built a fantastical world. Coupled with a strong female heroine who’s both relatable and fierce, this seamlessly layered plot pours the foundation for an epic fantasy series that readers will devour before asking for more.  Malory is bound by blood to ensure the High Crown is returned to her kingdom—be it the blood that runs through her veins or the blood spilled at her feet. The eldest heir of the kingdom of Devlishire, Malory is destined to be the first reigning queen in a hundred years, though she’d prefer to spend her days sparring in the courtyard or reading tales of the long-forgotten gods rather than studying languages and royal lineage. But an upset in the balance of power between the Unified Kingdoms is about to disrupt peace in the land and promote unquenchable greed amongst its rulers.  A jealous younger brother—and a salacious rumor—leaves Malory as a pawn in her father’s plot to overthrow the new ruling king. She’s forced to participate or risk the life of her best friend Esmond, a knight in the King’s Guard. Betrayed by her family, sent away from her home, and denied her birthright, Malory will navigate the courts of her new kingdom to protect it against any who threaten it—even her. Her journey will reawaken the warrior inside herself, and the gods who have lain dormant for a hundred years.

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IRON HEART (CRIER’S WAR BOOK 2) by  Nina Varela

For too long, Automae have lorded over the kingdom of Rabu, oppressing its human citizens. But the human revolution has risen, and at its heart is Ayla. Once a handmaiden, now a fugitive, Ayla narrowly escaped the palace of Lady Crier, the girl she would’ve killed if she hadn’t fallen in love first. Now Ayla has pledged her allegiance to Queen Junn, who can help accomplish the human rebellion’s ultimate goal: destroy the Iron Heart. Without its power, the Automae will be weakened to the point of extinction. Ayla wants to succeed, but can’t shake the strong feelings she’s developed for Crier. And unbeknownst to her, Crier has also fled the palace, taking up among traveling rebels, determined to find and protect Ayla. Even as their paths collide, nothing can prepare them for the dark secret underlying the Iron Heart.

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REFINING EARTH (ELEMENTI BOOK 2) by Elizabeth Knight

Synergy has now been discovered. The Elementi legend is real and so are the demons they are up against. Now with the protection and guidance of the Five Elementi Warriors, Lailah has a lot to learn. Lailah must work twice as hard to prepare for a battle she never knew existed and what it truly means to be Synergy. Add in the fact that her new powers make her into a PMSing nightmare, demons are the least of their worries. The middle of the school year is fast approaching and the holidays give Lailah a chance to see a new side of the boys. Midterms, “family” dinners, and travel plans are just the beginning of her new life. When winter break approaches, no one could have predicted the chaos that would erupt when Brayden invites her home for Christmas. When Micah shares that he is coming along, it turns out getting to know both of them better has its own set of surprises. Little did they know that the demons didn’t get the memo about having a relaxing winter break. How will Lailah and the boys strengthen their bond in order to handle the evil that is coming their way?

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STAY WITH ME NOW: A TIME TRAVEL, ROCKSTAR ROMANCE by Kaci Rose

n the year 2009, Ivy stepped through the time door not knowing what to expect. To her mind blowing surprise, she found herself in the era of poodle skirts and soda shops. The year is 1957 and David Miller is beginning his rise to stardom that will live on long after his untimely death. Unless history is somehow thrown off course…The instant their eyes meet, electricity crackles between them. But his history is written, and she plays no part in it. Or does she? Can Ivy help keep his legacy intact and save him from having his life cut tragically short? Was history rewritten the moment she cracked open the door to the past?

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SPOOKY SPICE CAKE MYSTERY (MURDER IN THE MIX BOOK 26) by Addison Moore

My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owner’s impending doom. It’s October in Honey Hollow. Halloween is at hand and there’s a horror around every corner. And then there’s that curse—and that body… What do a haunted house, a headless horseman, and a chainsaw have in common? They all culminate in the very worst way on the most haunted night of the year. Nell has warned me emphatically to steer clear of this homicide investigation, but never has there been such a case, such a fright, such a nightmare to come to our cozy little town. No, this killer has to be stopped in their tracks—that is, if their tracks are human at all.
Lottie Lemon has a brand new bakery to tend to, a budding romance with perhaps one too many suitors, and she has the supernatural ability to see the dead—which are always harbingers for ominous things to come. Throw in the occasional ghost of the human variety, a string of murders, and her insatiable thirst for justice, and you’ll have more chaos than you know what to do with. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

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THE SORCEROR’S GUARDIAN (CHRONICLES OF TOURNAI BOOK 4) by Antonia Aquilante

Savarin honed his Talent through years of study, and to achieve his goal of becoming the most powerful and accomplished sorcerer in Tournai, he made magic his life. Among the wealthy and noble circles he moves in, no one would suspect the handsome, refined, arrogant sorcerer’s humble beginnings—which is how Savarin prefers it. He wants to be seen only as the man he’s made himself. When Tournai’s princes task Savarin with studying and strengthening the spells that protect the principality from magical attack, he is more than happy to do so. The spells are complex, centuries old, and exactly the type of puzzle Savarin is eager to solve. But to his annoyance, the princes insist Loriot accompany him on his journey.
Second son of a minor noble family, Loriot worked his way up the ranks of the royal guard to captain with single-minded determination and takes pride in his service to the crown. He must obey the prince’s orders to protect Savarin, despite believing his skills would be best used elsewhere and his wariness of magic. UnTalented himself, Loriot has learned not only the benefits of magic but also its potential for harm—and how to counter it. He still believes it’s best to avoid most magic entirely, which is difficult when he’s tasked with playing guard to a powerful sorcerer.
Loriot and Savarin clash repeatedly during their journey, but the simmering tension between them doesn’t only stem from their work, and passion develops into feelings neither expected. But Savarin must still secure Tournai’s magical barrier, and his only solution will endanger both him and the royal family.

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HERO BEAR’S MATEDATE: SHIFTERS MATEDATE AGENCY by Serena Meadows

I’ve had a tough childhood. So has Heather. She’s been trying to protect her father’s research that got him killed.
All she’s after is something normal. Something that I’m not. But the dating agency matched us anyway. And for good reason. I’m obsessed with her. I need to claim her. Even though she would run in the opposite direction once she finds out the truth about my identity. But that doesn’t bother me. Not when I know that Heather is my mate. It’s up to me to protect her and keep her safe. To not let history repeat itself. Her past might catch up to her… but I’m her future. And no one else touches her as long as I’m breathing.

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THE HUNTING MATES (DUSK AND DAWN 3) by Alexa Piper

In New Amsterdam, supernaturals and humans live side by side. That doesn’t mean there are no borders or boundaries within supernatural society. Orrin works to save the living as an NA police detective, and Gordon labors to do right by the dead as a medical examiner. Fear and insecurity foiled their first attempt at a potential relationship. Now, they find themselves pulled to one another once more by a string of gruesome murders. Prejudice and social conventions don’t make life easy for them, and their own insecurities don’t help. Will they dare to allow love between them while they work side by side to stop a violent murderer?

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FREAKS AND FAMILY LEGACIES (THE TOUCHED SERIES BOOK 3) by Lashell Collins

Detective Isaac Taylor has a new lease on life. He’s found love with the woman of his dreams and he’s learning how to control the strange psychic power within him. Well, maybe control is the wrong word, but at least he’s not running from it any longer. Sidney Fairchild is slowly putting the pieces of her shattered life back together. But what’s a girl do when she’s not certain who she is anymore? She’s found a love that she’s determined to hold on to, but figuring out her purpose is proving to be a bigger struggle. When a new case suddenly puts one of Isaac’s siblings in jeopardy, and long-buried family secrets come to light, Isaac and Sidney must work together to get to the truth. But will their efforts be enough, or will their broken family legacies destroy them all?

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VAMPIRES DON’T DATE THE BOSS (VAMPIRE MYTHICALS BOOK 3) by Candice Gilmer

Edward Thompson knew that he needed to stop. That lusting after his boss, one Eve Harrison would likely get him killed. Literally. He would not put it past her to stab him through the heart and end his vampiric life. At this point, though, would he mind? Not particularly. Vampirism wasn’t what he expected. And his new boss, Eve, was not like his sire. She was smoking hot, a lethal fighter, and had already killed one of them. What would she do if she found out he wanted her? Probably kill him.

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A PACK IS MORE THAN FAMILY by Edward Kendrick

Rory Sullivan and his younger sister Molly are on the run, hiding from their parents’ killer. When they’re almost captured, shifter Deke Haggard intervenes to save them and then shelters them at his home, erroneously believing Rory is unaware he and his sister are also shifters. Deke offers to find out who killed their parents and why, calling on his ex Conall Taggart for assistance.
Conall is a shifter diplomat with extensive contacts within their world. What he discovers about why the Sullivans emigrated from Ireland may give a clue to who wanted them and their children dead. Then new information is uncovered that changes everything. Will Conall and Deke be able to set a trap to catch the killer with Rory and Molly’s help? And can they survive Molly’s matchmaking in the process as she tries to make them see they still care for each other? Only time will tell.

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HER DRAGON LORD (DRAGONS OF MOUNT VALEN BOOK 2) by Riley Storm

Katie Sturn can remember her name, but nothing more. It’s not much to go on when she awakens to find herself standing over a dead body, gun in hand. A gorgeous stranger with eyes of arctic ice accuses her of being the killer. But that’s not what she is. Or is it? Despite the lack of proof, she knows deep down she couldn’t have done it. Now if only she can convince the hulking, handsome brute to let her live long enough for her to remember…
Dragon shifter Warren Valen is in a tough spot. As leader of his clan, it’s his responsibility to enact justice for the fallen. Normally he wouldn’t hesitate, but this time his dragon is screaming at him that it would be a mistake. He can’t kill her, even though she was found standing over the dead body. He’ll go to any lengths to save her, because there’s only one thing more important to him than his clan. His mate.
Convinced that something sinister is going on and that Katie’s been framed, Warren sets out to try and prove her innocence. He knows he can’t fail, or else he’ll be forced to kill her. Without her memories, there’s precious little for the two of them to go on, and things only get grimmer. Still, sometimes all it takes to remember is a little spark, and they have that in spades. What they discover in their quest to figure out who Katie is will test them individually, and together. Because when her memories return, everything she’s done will be revealed.

Amazon

ALL’S WERE THAT ENDS WERE (SOULMATE SHIFTERS IN MYSTERY ALASKA BOOK 6) by Krystal Shannon

The woman who’s soul glows for Tor…he can’t have. The attraction, the spark. It means nothing because she’s already got a ring on her finger. When tensions rise and the situation in Mystery, Alaska spirals out of control, Tor won’t be able to look the other way. He’ll do anything to keep his mate safe…even if it he can never claim her as his own. Dawn was looking for a fresh start in Mystery, instead she finds herself in the middle of bloody turf war. She’s dealing with a past she’d rather not talk about, but the sexy redheaded tarzan-esque man who saved her from almost certain death by dumpster might just be able to pull down all those carefully constructed walls around her heart. If she can live long enough to give him a chance, that is.

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THE HYBRID WARS by Tamika Brown

Hybrids. A new species created from a bloodborne virus passed from vampires sweeping through the wolf shifter population of Portland and surrounding areas. Infected wolf shifters evolve into a creature that is still wolf with all the attributes of a vampire, including their occasional thirst for blood. A member of this new breed is a killer draining unsuspecting women of their life blood and dumping their prey on the Portland Pack lands.
Keonna Johnson is over trying to hold onto a relationship that is doing nothing for her. Over being the one giving and not getting anything in return. Deciding to end it and disembark from a cruise vacation, she finds herself lost in the forest on pack lands after her rental car breaks down. Unaware of the secret world and danger she has landed in and with no way to call for help, she comes face-to-snout with snarling wolves. Next thing she knows she’s waking up in a clinic with a broken wrist and an unknown illness. After completing a battery of tests for every disease known to man, the results reveal family secrets and something no one thought possible.
Darren Williams, the next Alpha of the Portland Pack has no desire to find the mate he gave up looking for a long time ago. His attention is directed towards more pressing matters going on in his pack at the moment…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)

Amazon

THE SHIELD MAIDENS’ LOVERS: THE NORSE PARANORMAL ROMANCE SAGAS: LAGERTHA AND RAGNAR by Lisa Benson

The Kingdom of Ostland has fallen prey to a usurp as an army of Berserkers storm the walls of the castle’s fortress. Many have been slain and its people are helpless as their savage leader, King Froh, seizes the throne. Barbaric and merciless, Froh rules the Kingdom alongside his beautiful but deadly wife – Jormungangr – a legendary shapeshifting sea serpent. As the people live in fear, only one person stands against his tyranny. Lagertha – beautiful, strong Bond-Maiden to the defeated King, vows to end his rule and take her revenge. Unable to kill her for fear of angering the Gods, Froh casts her into servitude in the hope of quashing her power.
Rumoured to be the Child of Thor and haunted by a prophesy with visions of her one true love, she embarks on a quest alongside her fellow Bond-Maidens. Each reveal magickal powers and as the prophesy unfolds Lagertha finds herself plunged into the forbidden North Quarter, a hidden magickal realm deep within the Kingdom. Home to Shapeshifters, Witches and Elves, a powerful Seior guides her to fulfil her prophesy as she enters the Nine Worlds.
Travelling through time into mythical worlds fraught with danger, Lagertha must now face her biggest challenge – to defeat Jormungandr and return the giant serpent to the depths of the Midgard Sea. Armed with Ragnar’s love and the skill of the sword, she must battle Fenrir the giant wolf, Dwarves and the Grimm if she is to save the people of Ostland and prevent the coming of Ragnarok in this dark Viking romance.

Amazon

SOUTHERN OMENS (SWEET TEA WITCH MYSTERIES BOOK 17) by Amy Boyles

Pepper in her first trimester…and what a trimester it is! All of Magnolia Cove is buzzing when soothsayers arrive to offer blessings to Pepper’s and Axel’s unborn child. But when one of the soothsayers foresees death, the celebration quickly turns sour. Don’t worry because there is a solution. But when the solution turns deadly and someone winds up murdered, it looks like any and all of Pepper’s relatives could be guilty–even Axel! Can Pepper figure out who committed the murder before the killer strikes again? Or will she become the next victim?

Amazon

CAUGHT BARE (STANDALONE TALES BOOK 16) by Viola Grace

She didn’t want this life or these men. True love’s kiss has ties that bind, and unraveling them is not an easy task…but she is going to try. Sallen has been running from her heritage all her life. When her mother suddenly passes, she can’t bring herself to part from the city where they made so many memories. She takes on a job as a courier and settles into a nice routine. Abruptly taken from her apartment, she meets her father’s side of the family, and she doesn’t like what she sees. She’s stripped of her defensive glamour, and her heritage is laid out for all to see. Descended from Rapunzel and the golden goose, her hair brings luck and wealth to any family she joins but only if she gives it willingly. Her family have other plans. They are going to auction her off to the highest bidder. Desperate for help, she sends a message via the only means at her disposal, and she waits. The master of the guild and his partners arrive and rescue her, but they offer her the same fate with a few alterations. She will choose, true love’s kiss will bind her, and she will agree to honour the kiss. Yeah, that isn’t going to happen.

Amazon

WILDFIRE HELLHOUND (FIRE AND RESCUE SHIFTERS BOOK 5) by Zoe Chant

He knows he’s always been a wolf. He’s wrong. His past is gone, dead and buriedIt isn’t. And nothing, nothing, is more important than pack. Until he meets her.

Amazon

THE REJECTION OF AMARLI WOLFE (THE CENTRUM TRILOGY BOOK 1) by Lucy Scott Bryan

Rejected. Cast out. On the run. Amarli Wolfe hides in the human world. Barely surviving, after shutting down her wolf and cutting all ties with the supernatural world. One touch changes everything. Not just for her. Dorian, the Alpha of the Daniels Pack will kill to protect his son. Grady and Kerston, his loyal and dangerous betas. The pack made it painfully obvious that Amarli is not welcome. One drop of blood heralds change. Many will answer. More are coming. Fated or not, they will gather. Her Shield is her first. To protect her and her body. Amarli will become what was written in the stars. Will her fated mates? Tears will fall, lives will be at risk and hearts will be broken.

Amazon

DRAGON’S FAKE BRIDE MATCHMAKE (DRAGON’S MATCHMATE AGENCY BOOK 6) by Maia Starr

The Billionaire Alpha Dragon – I’m keeping a secret from her.  I love Amelia. She’s my mate. She’s also the woman that I want to have a child with. A dating agency matched us, and Amelia is supposed to be my fake bride. But she knows that I love her for real. What she doesn’t know… is that I lose my inheritance and my Alpha status if she doesn’t give me a baby. But will she think that that’s the reason I asked her to be mine in the first place? The Fake Bride – I kept my abusive wolf-shifter ex a secret from him. I’d agreed to be Glenn’s fake bride, but fake somehow turned into real. Now I want a life with him. But my ex wouldn’t leave me alone. And there’s a chance that Glenn will find out about him. Will he protect me? Or will my abusive ex tear us apart?

Amazon

GRACE’S ROYAL TAMING: AN ALPHA WOLF RESCUE ROMANCE (NORTHERN REALM WOLVES BOOK 1) by Lisa Daniels

Shifters are always looking for mates.That’s what I thought before meeting him. He looks fragile, but he’s a rare wolf shifter. By the nine chasms, I didn’t even know they existed before that day. That day when I first experienced the feel of his arms around me. My heart racing and my thoughts muddled by the hidden thoughts of romance. Being rescued by a wolf shifter –I never thought I’d want it. Now I want to start a romance that will make him mine. I had no interest in dragon shifters or bear shifters. But wolf shifters, they are the right kind of alpha to be instructor, protector, and lover.

Amazon

DELINQUENTS TURNED FUGITIVES ([PINNACLE BOOK 2) by Ann Denton

Stealing a cure to save my brother turns into a nightmare when I unintentionally unleash monsters. Now, every man, woman, and child must lock their doors and turn out the lights, cowering from dusk ‘til dawn. And it’s all my fault.
I just wanted to save my brother. But now, I don’t know if I can even save myself.

Amazon

PERFECT CADENCE (FOREVER WICKED MULTI AUTHOR BOOK 17) by Megan Slayer

Sam Rowlands wants a partner in his life. Someone who loves him through thick and thin. He knows what he wants — his roommate. Can he convince Gael to give him a chance? Gael isn’t an average guy — he’s a mer-shifter. He’s got the ability to walk on land and swim in the sea with ease. He escaped life in the water and found solace with Sam. But Sam doesn’t know the truth. Will he get his man and the life he wants, or will he scare Sam away before they find the love they deserve?

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FORBIDDEN HEART: A TALAENIAN FAE NOVEL by Kira Nyte

A blood-filled night he can’t remember changed Shaye’s life from that of a roguish young Fae lord with a love for human delights to that of a man magically bound to answer the depraved whims of a scorned Seelie princess. Only Shaye’s devotion to his family and the downtrodden Talaenian people has kept him going. Until her. Single mother Moira has learned that love is an illusion, and ruthless practicality and determination is what it will take to ensure a good life for her young son. She should know better than to be swept into a romance with a mysterious man with rainbow-colored eyes that make her melt. He insists she’s his soul mate. And then there’s the magic …Shaye is determined to prove to Moira that her place is by his side, and he’s eager to be a father to her little boy. Aside from the deep love he feels for his brave, beautiful human, he knows his anam cara holds the key to breaking his curse and ending two centuries of sexual servitude. Unfortunately, so does his evil mistress—and she will kill to keep her prize.

Amazon

PHANTOM ORCHID: HIDDEN DRAGON OMEGAVERSE by Mercedes Jade

My name is Orchid. The deadliest flower of the Wu dragon clan. Sold into indentured servitude as an omega child, I fought my way out from under the silky sheets of pleasure houses and onto the bruising tatami mats of the dojo to become an assassin. I make men fall to their knees. My hand squeezes their black hearts, enacting the ancient rule of our dragon ancestors. I am judgement and justice, but not blind. It is why I refuse to extinguish the valiant souls of the alphas from Clan Desden, overturning my entry into the assassin’s guild as I break my vows. The price is a single night of pleasure. It costs us all more than we bargained. My exile is marked by not only death but rebirth. Can I trust the alphas I shielded or must I erase every single mistake I have made to keep safe the life we created?

Amazon

BOLD BEAR (WEREBEAR CREEK BOOK 5) by Layla Silver

He’s old enough to be my father. Hell, he’s friends with my father. He’ll never see me for the woman that I am. All he knows me as is a child, a girl who’ll never grow up. But I’m sick and tired of being treated as though I’m a minor.
I’m not. I’ve grown up, and I want more.I want more of his mature kisses, of his masterful touch. I want more of his possessiveness, of the danger in his eyes…Soon enough, he’ll go exploring the world again without me. But what if I took a chance and told him how I feel? What if I told him that I want him to hold me? What if I let him know exactly what I want him to do? What if I asked?

Amazon

MOON CHILD (YEAR OF THE WOLF BOOK 2) by Serena Akeroyd

Eli – A goddess told me my child would change the pack. Until it happened, I didn’t believe it. Not until I saw it with my own eyes.My woman is a nurturer. She’s a bringer of change. A broker of the future. She deals with emotions, sees auras, and glories in the urges of her three alpha mates. To me, she’s the saint. But that doesn’t make me or my brothers sinners. We were fated to be together, fated to be different. There’s nothing sinful in what we have, even if, in the eyes of her family, we’re a disgrace.  She’s Roma. Born and bred. Harkens from a rich culture, as ancient as my own, but with her heritage comes gifts I could never have foreseen. Not just for her, but her siblings as well.  Two are dead, the other has yet to be found. But uncovering family secrets is always dangerous without throwing mystical powers into the fray.  And these mystical powers? Will change everything. A revolution is underway. We’re not prepared for it. We can’t be. Are you?

Amazon

THE DRAGON OF YNYS by Minerva Cerridwen

Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet makes his way to the dragon’s cave and negotiates the item’s return. It’s annoying, but at least the dragon is polite. But when the dragon hoards a person, that’s a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery—a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker’s wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet. The Dragon of Ynys is an inclusive fairy tale for all ages.

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BRIARWITCH ACADEMY 1: A WHISPER BEFORE DAWN by KC Kingmaker

I don’t look for trouble. It finds me: murderous teachers, sexy supernaturals, devious plots. My name is Dawn Rose. I was the food-scavenger for my group of outcasts in the Fringe—what used to be LA County before the Abnorms and supernaturals turned it into a hellscape. But I never expected to witness a brutal murder-by-magic. Now I’ve been whisked off to Briarwitch Academy, the place where magic goes to grow. The faculty think I have an ancient untapped power. Yeah, right. Like I’m going to fit in with drunken gnomes and goth pixies. And then there are the smoldering shifter dudes. One of them basically stalks me. The other hates me. I want them both. I’m just trying to survive the bullies and my classes and the magical weirdos who don’t think I belong here. But when evil threatens the academy, I have to stop it from reaching back home. And that whole murder thing? I know who did it. And he knows I know. And life’s about to get way more complicated.

Amazon

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VS Note: Special Item – Thought I’d mention it again:  BOOK FUNNEL SCIFI ROMANCE FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY (NEWSLETTER BUILDER)

List of Participating Authors & Books:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VS Note: Not in the genres I cover here but Anna Hackett (one of my autobuy authors) has started a military/billionaire romance series: THE INVESTIGATOR: A BOSS BROTHER ROMANCE (NORCROSS)

Museum curator Haven McKinney has sworn off men. All of them. Totally. She’s recently escaped a bad ex and started a new life for herself in San Francisco. She loves her job at the Hutton Museum, likes her new boss, and has made best friends with his feisty sister. Haven’s also desperately trying not to notice their brother: hotshot investigator Rhys Norcross. And she’s really trying not to notice his muscular body, sexy tattoos, and charming smile. Nope, Rhys is off limits.  Investigator Rhys Norcross is good at finding his targets. After leaving an elite military team, he thrives on his job at his brother’s security firm, Norcross Security. He’s had his eye on smart, sexy Haven for a while, but the pretty curator with her eyes full of secrets is proving far harder to chase down than he anticipated. Luckily, Rhys never, ever gives up. When thieves target the museum and steal a multi-million-dollar painting in a daring theft, Haven finds herself right in the middle of a deadly situation. With the painting gone and Haven in danger, Rhys vows to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, and Haven finds herself risking the one thing she was trying so hard to protect—her heart.

Amazon

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

September 9

September 2

August 26

August 19

August 12

“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.

Orphaned Cubs Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

The excerpt: I’ve jumped ahead a few days. Micah, the Chief Ranger, has rescued an injured hunter, had to track down the mama grizval (a big furry predator with fangs and huge claws) the hunter had shot and invited Saffia to come by the ranger station and see the orphaned cubs he rescued…Saffia stops on the way to pick up dinner for herself and Micah…

“We’ll have to schedule a real dinner for some time in the near future.” Juggling dishes, Micah led the way inside, “Want to see the cubs first or eat first?”

Bouncing on her toes, Saffia didn’t hesitate to state her preference, “Oh the cubs definitely.”

Micah laughed and set the dishes in a stack on a counter in the station’s lunchroom, “Follow me then.”

Now they proceeded to the back of the building and the noise of the cubs grew louder the closer Saffia got.  “Are they all right?” she asked. “I’m not a vet but I could do an informal exam. Does the colony have a vet? I never even thought about the issue before.”

“Yes, the humans’ pets and working animals are cared for by a team of two vets actually but they don’t treat the native species, except in rare cases.”

VS: And the rest of this scene. Micah is still talking:

“I’ve checked the cubs pretty thoroughly and didn’t see any indications of trouble. My team includes one of our specialists so the cubs will be in good hands tomorrow but thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.” Micah put his hand on the portal controls. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

Nodding, she peered eagerly through the heavy glass. As the ranger opened the door, the sound hit her unabated and she clapped her hands over her ears. “Poor little things must really want their mother,” she said, raising her voice to be heard.

“I fed them quite recently so the trio ought to be settling in for a nap soon,” Micah said, going to the enclosure at the left. “In a way it’s fortunate there are three cubs—they comfort each other.”

Saffia followed, going close to the cage, drawn by the urge to cuddle and soothe the sad fur babies. “Oh my gosh, so adorable.”

There were three small wriggly lumps of brown fur in the pen, each with bright, inquisitive eyes and sweet faces. As the babies continued to howl, she saw flashes of the already sharp teeth growing in but despite the nature of the apex predators at adulthood, Saffia pitied them, orphaned and bereft, in a strange place.

VS: I can go on with her visit with the cubs or I can jump ahead to more medical-related events…any preferences? Let me know in the comments…in a couple of weeks I’ll be switching to my new novel STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, which is in the Pets In Space 5 anthology, releasing October 6.

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…

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5 Post Apocalyptic #SciFi Novels to Distract You From Current Events

VS Note: Portions of this post first appeared in the Roswell Daily Record…

Combine a long hot summer and the current events in the world, between politics and the pandemic, and I guess it’s not a mystery why I’ve been in the mood to read a lot of post-apocalyptic (PA) science fiction novels recently. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites with you this month.

These are definitely not romances, although some of the books may contain romantic elements, and quite a few of them are heavy on the horror element — I tend to skim the worst parts frankly, but I’ll keep reading if the rest of the story grabs me. As a longtime fan of “The Walking Dead” TV series and movies like “World War Z,” I’m pretty much prepared for the gore factor in some of these books. I’ve read a lot in this genre.

I started reading apocalyptic fiction with the classic Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, detailing what happens in one small Florida community after the U.S.A. and Russia go to war and the bombs drop. The book has held up pretty well since he wrote it in 1959, although its age shows now, since the advent of cellphones and the internet and many other things Frank didn’t have and which his characters have never heard of. I still reread this one at least once a year. When I first read it as a 12-year-old, reading my dad’s battered paperback edition, the whole concept of what life might be like after a huge event of this nature was fascinating.

Usually, in these novels, the events are kicked off by a war, or a virus, which may result in zombies or other no-longer-human creatures to prey on the main character survivors, or an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from space or a hostile nation, or any number of other events, some scarily plausible. There are some genre tropes a PA author will probably tick off along the way, including the breakdown of civilization, the looting and scavenging, the “preppers” — good and bad — who were ready for this and take it all in stride, the gangs and criminals and bad guys, sometimes a grand conspiracy theory-come-true behind the disaster, which must be fought along with just trying to survive the day — there are lots of variations.

Mike Kraus is a prolific author and publisher who co-writes with various other individuals and I enjoyed his six-book Flashpoint series, written with Tara Ellis. Beginning with a gamma ray event, which decimates the world’s population, this series takes a disparate group of people and chronicles their various journeys and efforts to survive. I was drawn in by the characters and the fact that one part of the story dealt with how a small mountain town survived the initial event and then became something of a magnet drawing in the other characters. I felt the series provided me something different than the standard “after the apocalypse” fare.

Jacqueline Druga is a very prolific writer who tends to write standalone books, although she has several long-running series — and even created two seasons of a limited TV show based on one of her series, although the reviews relating to the production values and quality of the acting weren’t all that encouraging. Once I discovered her, I went through many titles on her extensive backlist of novels, although I didn’t try any of the series yet. Her science is a bit questionable — especially in the early books — as far as the specific causes for the various apocalypses she visits on her characters, but one thing I especially enjoyed about her novels was that the main character is usually a woman who hasn’t been too concerned about disasters, “bug out bags,” “prepping” or anything else beyond her family’s daily life — pretty much an average citizen suddenly thrust into this new world who has to survive. Druga has written a huge variety of disasters — one of my particular favorites was Red Line, which starts with a group of morning commuters on the subway, totally unprepared for the end of the world. I also liked The Last Woman, although it starts off in a very grim fashion.

Just a warning: In her books, whole families may perish. If a heroine starts off with a husband and three children, odds are, she’ll be widowed and down to one or none offspring fairly rapidly. Not always, but fairly often. There’s a lot of loss for the main characters to endure before the story focuses in on how they go on to survive the grim new world.

DRYP: The Final Pandemic by R. A. Scheuring was extremely well written, I thought, although the plague the author sets loose on the world kills pretty much everyone. No zombies here, but a 99% mortality rate for anyone who catches the bug. One of the primary settings for the plot’s action was close to where I live, so that was fun as the characters moved around on the freeways I drive. This is a standalone, so far, but I have hopes there’ll be a sequel because the few survivors do appear to be moving toward a meeting at the end of the novel.

Sam Sisavath’s Fall of Man series started off with a bang, as many people suddenly become “rabid crazies,” ravening beasts — not zombies — who only seek to kill. I liked the extremely capable ex-soldier hero and in the second book. I was impressed by his equally indomitable wife. Book three won’t be out for a while but I’ll be reading it. The Break was the first book and held my interest from start to finish, including the motley group of survivors the hero collects and defends, despite his best intentions to be a loner.

Right now, I’m on book 10 of a 12-book zombie series by Adrienne Lecter, The Green Fields and I am pretty enthralled. I’ve been reading until late in the night, finishing about one book a day. Lots of genuine gore and horror along the way, but I’m hooked on Bree and Nate, the two main characters, and their relationship. The primary focus of the novels is not the romance, and these two — a scientist and a deadly soldier — bicker almost constantly but I can’t get enough of them. I stick around for the adventure and the moments where they stop bickering and let their emotions show. It’s been fascinating to watch them evolve and how they support each other, each in their own way. I’m also interested in the various approaches the other survivors are working on in an attempt to create some kind of civilization despite the zombie presence.

This is a series where I’ve relied heavily on reader reviews in Amazon to tell me if I want to keep reading and to warn me about particularly gruesome events coming in the next installment. Lecter doesn’t shy away from describing disturbing scenes in quite graphic and lengthy detail. I personally like spoilers rather than being surprised, but I won’t give you any here. If you decide to try the books, don’t get too attached to anyone not named Bree or Nathan is my sincere advice. Incubation: Green Fields Book #1 is the first book in the series, which the author has completed. Several of the books end in cliffhangers but the next novel is always right there with one click immediately if you’re a voracious reader like me.

I have a few sci-fi romances and the latest Mary Balogh Regency romance waiting on the Kindle for when I’ve finished all this apocalyptic, dystopian reading and need a change of pace to lighter fare. I’m sure I’ll be more than ready by then.

VS Update: Since I wrote this post for the Roswell Daily Record, I finished reading all twelve Green Fields books AND two books of related short stories and I even signed up for the Author’s Patreon to get my hands on the novella prequel. I’ve never signed up for a Patreon before but I was driven to have every morsel of Green Fields fiction there was. So I guess you can see how much the series really grabbed me.  The prequel was tremendously helpful in explaining how and why Nate and Bree came together in the first place and establishing the foundation of their relationship through the entire series. The novella was really more of a scifi romance in style (and sex scenes) and clarified some things about the couple for me. Having the short story collections was great too because she wrote from Nate’s POV (the series is all Bree’s POV). I’m glad I found this series after it was complete, not sure I could have handled the cliff hangers otherwise. (The first book was published in 2015 as far as I can tell.)

The last book takes a hard left turn into a development I certainly never saw coming, as to how certain things are resolved. Looking back, the author did lay clues throughout the books leading up to this revelation but still…it was unexpected and left me sort of blinking. Okayyyyy…

I have to say again, these are very gory stories (as well done zombie novels tend to be) and by the end of the series I’m frankly not sure how entirely human Nate and Bree are any longer. Literally. I still cared about them and their eventual fate though. Hence the binge buying of all the short stories etc!  Gruesome things occur along the way, although the author is quite effective at setting the scene for these plot developments. I do skip over the specific upsetting details when I read and I kind of cheerfully ‘forget’ some of the things…so for me the series worked because I was highly invested in Nate and Bree. I was satisfied at the conclusion, given the world they’re living in.

So there’s my trigger warning, without giving spoilers, in case you decide to try the series. It’s a very rough ride for them in the new, zombiefied world and for the reader who gets to see it all happen….

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for Wednesday SEPT 9

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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DRAGON’S DESTINY (RED PLANET DRAGONS OF TAJSS BOOK 20) by Miranda Martin

I’ve been searching for my mate. For my destiny. For the female who is somewhere on Tajss…Khabri – The Zmaj race was dying when humans crashed landed on our planet. Since the moment their coming was revealed to the Order, I’ve known that one of the females is my mate. My treasure. All I want is her and the beautiful, perfect babies we will have together. When at long last I find her, there can be no mistaking our connection. My dragon roars with possessive need and the claim is made. Except she has other ideas. She doesn’t believe in destiny and says she isn’t interested in making babies with me. The Invaders are threatening all of Tajss, thrusting her peoples into war. I must survive these battles if I am to have a chance at winning the one that matters. The war for Anna’s heart.
Anna – My village has been overrun by four-armed invaders and we’ve all been forced to flee towards the city.
We’re struggling to survive pursuit over the grueling desert sands of Tajss when a crazy, overly muscled, overly sexy, and overly direct alien dragon-man shows up and tells me I’m his fated mate and we’re going to make beautiful babies. I don’t think so. Except he is sexy. And kind. And protective. And he might be the only hope I have of living. Can I put my past beliefs behind me, navigate a war and deal with losing my heart all at the same time?

Amazon

CHOSEN BY THE RAKIAN COMMANDER (RAKIAN WARRIOR MATES BOOK 1) by Elin Wyn and Starr Huntress

Suppressing the rebellion on Crucible should have been just another mission for Commander Nic Vistuv and the men of his unit. But lies and misinformation plague their mission from the beginning. The only way out of their predicament may lie in the form of a bribe, but this bribe is different. It’s wrapped in the body of a young healer, battle-scarred and broken by a deep betrayal.  And her touch is enough to bring him to very edge of control. As secrets unravel and enemies draw nearer, Adena may be the key to understanding the truth of Crucible.

Amazon

CAPTURED WITH THE ALIEN (ROH’IIAN WARRIORS SERIES BOOK 4) by Luna Kingsley

Thrutik escaped captivity once. After an impulsive decision at Direglen Outpost, he finds himself in the hands of his enemy once more. He still carries guilt for the loss of so many of his own when his homeland was invaded all those years ago. He couldn’t save the female he loved before but he’s been given a second chance. The fiery redhead captured with him ignites his protective instincts and stirs something long dormant. He’s going to get out of this new prison, but he’s not leaving without her.
Charlie’s life was finally headed in the right direction. After surviving a rough childhood, everything is falling into place. That’s why she can’t believe her bad luck when she was abducted by aliens in her own home. A fighter all her life, she’ll never give in and submit to these monsters. She’s stronger than that. Then, the handsome silver-skinned captive in the cell next to her hatches a plan to escape. After years of relying only on herself, will she finally open up and trust this stranger to save her? Escape won’t be easy. No one knows where they’ve been taken and the Yinean have perfected the ability to avoid detection. Thrutik may be able to keep Charlie safe, but they’re both in danger of losing their hearts.

Amazon

SHADOWS IN DEATH: AN EVE DALLAS NOVEL by J D Robb

While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin. A man who claims to be his half brother. A man who kills for a living—and who burns with hatred for him.
Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse—resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune—would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful. Law enforcement agencies worldwide have pursued this cold-hearted killer for years, to no avail. And his lazy smirk when he looked Roarke’s way indicates that he will target anyone who matters to Roarke…and is confident he’ll get away with it.
Eve is desperate to protect Roarke. Roarke is desperate to protect Eve. And together, they’re determined to find Cobbe before he finds them—even if it takes them across the Atlantic, far outside Eve’s usual jurisdiction.

Amazon      Apple Books

RAHOTEP’S LAST BREATH (THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS BOOK 6) by A W Exley

Cara finally unearths a clue about the mage who created Nefertiti’s Heart, but there’s one prospect more terrifying than whatever lurks in the obsidian chest… her daughter leaving home. On her eighteenth birthday, Rachel announces her intention to embark on an adventure. She wants to break free of her family’s protective care, see the world, and escape the whispers in her head that have grown more insistent. The two women journey to Egypt on the trail of an ancient mystery, but Rachel chafes under maternal bonds. As Cara is drawn back through time to walk in the footsteps of Nefertiti, mother and daughter need to forge a new relationship. Only if they stand united to confront the voice from the shadows can they stop the man intent on destroying everything they love.

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JORG (MAIL ORDER BRIDES OF CRAKAIR BOOK 3) by Ava Ross

Can a scarred alien warrior & a human woman find love together on a planet far from Earth? When animal shelter assistant Lily is selected as a mail-order bride in the Extraterrestrial Matchmaking Program, she dreams of starting a new life with her computer-matched alien groom. But on the way to Crakair, she’s kidnapped and caged on one of the planet’s moons. Her future appears hopeless.
A mercenary, Jorg’s a seven-foot-tall, scaled green alien with scars on his face that make others flinch. Abandoned as a youngling and forced to raise himself, he’s learned not to expect much from others. He finds satisfaction in rescuing kids who have been stolen and returning them to their homes. But when he watches Lily’s introduction video, his matebond ignites. Maybe fate will give him a chance at love after all. Then Lily is stolen by other aliens. With his blood rage igniting, Jorg’s determined to rescue her. But once he does, will she choose to stay with a wounded alien warrior or return to her safe life on Earth?

Amazon

FORTUNE’S EVE (HELLION HOUSE SERIES BOOK 1) by Emma Jane Holloway

The mages of the Conclave have questions—dangerous ones that put airship pilot Gideon Fletcher and his sister, Miranda, in the midst of an inquisition for illegal magic. The Fletchers live in an elegant world of gentlemen’s clubs and Society balls, but their claim to fame is making daring rescues in the perilous Outlands. It’s all fun and monsters until they save a man wanted by the Conclave, and the mages turn their suspicions toward Gideon’s family. Their scrutiny brings a new kind of peril. Little does Gideon know his sisters have much to hide. Trouble has arrived for the Fletchers, and it clearly means to stay. For those who like steampunk adventure with a touch of magic—not to mention conspiracy, monsters, airships, and an adorable baby dragon.

Amazon

HER SECRET CHAMPION (LUNARIAN WARRIORS BOOK 5) by Roxie Ray

Things have gone from bad to far, far worse since I was abducted from Earth and then thrown in the dungeon. Apparently attempting to assassinate the queen is a no-no around here, even if she is a total psycho. I need to find a way out. I’m done being a prisoner and a pawn. But to escape I need help, and a terrifying alien warrior is my only hope. Apex is everything I should fear. Dangerous. Alluring. A warrior forbidden from having a mate of his own. The only way out of the dungeon is to put my freedom in his hands and pretend to be his slave. I shouldn’t trust him, but I can’t keep my hands off him. He can’t claim me and be the warrior he was raised to be. The queen wants me tortured and killed. It might be love, lust, or crazy space dust addling my brain, but I want to be his. How can I make it happen when all the odds are stacked against us?

Amazon

THE SOMEBODY PEOPLE: A NOVEL (THE RESONANT DUOLOGY BOOK 2) by Bob Proehl

VS Note: Not a romance. Super heroes. Reviews indicate it’s best to have read book one first, THE NOBODY PEOPLE.

Fahima Deeb changed everything seven years ago when she triggered the Pulse, imbuing millions of people with otherworldly gifts like flight, telekinesis, or superhuman strength. She thought that would herald the end of the hostilities between those with abilities and those without, but it instead highlighted a new problem: There is someone behind the scenes, able to influence and manipulate these newly empowered people into committing horrible acts against their will. Worse still, that shadowy figure is wearing the face of Fahima’s oldest friend, Patrick Davenport. Fahima is horror-struck when she realizes that Patrick has built an army entirely under his control to wipe out all who oppose him.
With nowhere to turn and few she can trust, Fahima must rely on uncertain allies: Carrie Norris, whose illusion of a normal life vanishes at Fahima’s reappearance. Clay Weaver, a retired soldier fighting to keep his husband and son safe—and to keep Patrick from taking over his mind. And, finally, Emmeline Hirsch, adrift and untethered from her ability to travel through time. Together, they might be able to topple Patrick’s shadowy regime . . . though it may spell destruction for the entire world.

Amazon      Apple Books

TIME LOST (OUT OF TIME BOOK 2) by C B Lewis

VS note: A re-release…

A dead intruder. A missing scientist. A terrified child. No one wants a dramatic case first thing on a Monday morning, but that’s exactly what Detective Inspector Jacob Ofori got. It should be open and shut, but scientist Tom Sanders is nowhere to be found, a dead man seems to have appeared from thin air, and the Temporal Research Institute—Sanders’s company—is strangely uncooperative about assisting with the case. Jacob’s only source is TRI engineer, Kit Rafferty. He clearly wants to help, but there’s only so much the man can and will tell him. As more and more impossible questions mount up, Jacob finds himself facing a reality that could change his world.

Amazon

ALIEN WARLORD’S OBSSESSION (OREAN WARRIORS BOOK 2) by Aline Ash and Athena Aston

‘m not going to surrender to a hunky alien male…I can’t go back to Earth and that’s a relief. Sure, being kidnapped by aliens is far from ideal, but now I’m a galaxy away from my violent stalker of an ex and I couldn’t be happier. The other women with me don’t feel the same. And they all seem ready to find alien protectors to keep them safe. Me? I’ll never submit to a guy again, no matter how alluring I find X’oran.  I’ve learned my lesson: love is nothing but a trap, and I refuse to place myself in danger.
I must protect my stubborn fated mate… I can’t let my mate make me look weak, but fighting the bond is pointless. I’m determined to keep her safe, even if it means protecting her from herself. When an enemy attacks and leaves us stranded in the wilderness, we’ll need to work together if we are going to survive. I have no time for love, but watching J’enny awakens things in me I’ve never felt before. How can I convince her that we belong together?

Amazon

UNNATURAL (THE WRONG ALPHA BOOK 1) by Alessandra Hazard

VS Note: From mid AUG

A planet at war. Two alphas forced into a political marriage. Attraction that defies all reason and logic… Or does it? 
The Kingdom of Pelugia and the Republic of Kadar have been at war for decades. Peace isn’t popular, but the planet can’t survive without it. Forced to marry an enemy prince for the sake of peace, Senator Royce Cleghorn doesn’t like his husband, his alpha scent, or his damned pretty blue eyes. More than anything, Royce hates what Haydn makes him become: a primitive alpha cliché who’ll do anything to mark his territory, even if that territory is his alpha husband. Royce likes omegas; he isn’t into alphas, no matter how pretty their eyes are. It’s just a weird territorial instinct. It has to be.
Prince Haydn has always tried to be the perfect alpha his father wants him to be. He’s the heir to the throne. He’s a war general. He isn’t supposed to bare his throat to an enemy alpha—and it isn’t supposed to feel so good. Everyone knows a marriage between two alphas is a recipe for disaster. He isn’t supposed to crave his husband—their marriage is just a political arrangement, nothing more. But when disaster strikes and loyalties are tested, which bond will be the strongest: their marriage, or their allegiances?

Amazon

ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY (THE MEMOPRY WAR BOOK 1) by Karen Osborne

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note. Sounded good to me, put it on my TBR List.

Terminally ill salvage pilot Ash Jackson lost everything in the war with the alien Vai, but she’ll be damned if she loses her future. Her plan: to buy, beg, or lie her way out of corporate indenture and find a cure. When her crew salvages a genocidal weapon from a ravaged starship above a dead colony, Ash uncovers a conspiracy of corporate intrigue and betrayal that threatens to turn her into a living weapon.

Amazon      Apple Books

CAPTAIN MOXLEY AND THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE by Dan Hanks

VS Note: Sounded good to me, not a romance…loved the plot elements. Indiana Jones-ish but with a woman as the lead. On my TBR List.

In post-war 1952, the good guys are supposed to have won. But not everything is as it seems when ex-Spitfire pilot Captain Samantha Moxley is dragged into a fight against the shadowy US government agency she used to work for. Now, with former Nazis and otherworldly monsters on her trail, Captain Moxley is forced into protecting her archaeologist sister in a race to retrieve two ancient keys that will unlock the secrets of a long-lost empire – to ensure a civilisation-destroying weapon doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. But what will she have to sacrifice to save the world?

Amazon      Apple Books

SHADES: A STEAMPUNK FANTASY ADVENTURE (AETHER CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by Abi Barden

Money, a mansion, and a mysterious death? Far from the inheritance she ever expected. Amethyst Forester is a scientist, not a lady. Benjamin Maker is a lord, trapped in a loveless marriage. The only thing they have in common is Professor Richards—a genius Aetheric scientist. When Richards is found dead, Amethyst and Benjamin are put in an impossible situation. They jointly inherit his house, its contents, and the mystery of his murder. Could the Professor have been killed for one of his experiments? And if so, what if someone’s still looking for it?

Amazon

BREAKING BONDS: AN ALIEN ROMANCE ADVENTURE by E J Darling

VS Note: I one clicked this one because I was reading the sample and found the situation the author set up was quite compelling in various ways and then I was still thinking about it later and decided to move it up on the TBR List.

She was near the culmination of her servitude when he ruined everything. Maevelin Roan was born a slave, but that never hindered her desire for liberation–it only amplified it. She spent years trying to earn enough credits to purchase her freedom, but one look at Teakin–one kind gesture–had her throwing it all away. Sole survivor of his species, the once proud captain, Teakin Kade finds himself in a cage as he waits for his life to be auctioned away… but his future enslavement is forever altered when he sees an enchanting human in need of assistance. Teak intervenes without hesitation, saving her from an enraged alien hell bent on slaughtering her, only to have her save his life in return. An instant magnetic attraction pulls the two together, even as their circumstances threaten to tear them apart. Maeve is overwhelmed by emotions as she struggles to understand why she gave up her freedom for a stranger, while Teak tries desperately to win her affections. He vows to earn enough credits to buy her freedom… but he wants to own her body.

Amazon

MISTRESS RULES by Cynthia D’Abo

VS note: A re-release…listed in Erotica

When Faris steps into his friend and mentor’s inner sanctum, he doesn’t expect to find Stella-a leather-clad Dominatrix. He can only watch as Ulric, the most powerful man in the sector, drops to his knees and throws himself at Stella’s mercy. Faris must decide whether to walk out the door, leaving his friend behind, or to put himself into the hands of a woman who demands nothing less than his absolute surrender. Ulric knows Faris holds himself responsible for the devastating attack on the colony outpost. If Faris doesn’t learn how to forgive himself, the young man will be on the road to emotional disaster. His only hope is to convince Stella to bring Faris into their lives as another submissive. Ulric must now put his feelings for Stella on the line while holding tight to the man he desperately wants beneath him.

Amazon

THE BODY COLLECTOR (BAD BOYS OF SPACE BOOK 3) by Landra Graf

When bodies start falling, the collector comes calling…Alexander ‘Big Al’ Smith signed on as a government body collector to get away from his parents and determine his own future. Illegal black marketing of body organs was supposed to be his path to early retirement…until he got caught. Loyda Miles, government investigator, seeks the truth—against the wishes of her boss—and she’ll blackmail Al over his illegal ventures to help her capture the culprits behind the disappearances of thousands from the Saturn ring jails. When Loyda finds herself wanted for her boss’s death, the tables turn and Al’s the one in a position of power. In exchange for protection and his help in getting the people responsible, she’s willing to help clear his name. Exploring the attraction between them during seductive nights and danger-filled days is an added incentive. In a deadly race against time, Al and Loyda must outrun government forces and discover the mastermind behind this conspiracy…if they don’t want to ‘disappear’ like all the others.

Amazon

MY ANGELIC ALIEN: A HALLOWEEN SCIFI ROMANCE by Juniper Kelly

On the terraformed Planet H002, there’s a city called New Boston. In that city, there’s a small neighborhood of Puritans who live by traditions established thousands of years ago. Every day, they journey to the center of the city to pass out literature to help their fellow humans see the light. Everyone seems happy… except for Mercy Garrison.
Maybe it’s because she’s so painfully shy, or maybe it’s because her parents left the colony when she was an infant, but there’s something in her that just can’t sit still. And when Goodman Theophilus offers for her hand in marriage, something inside her breaks. On the night of Halloween, she finds herself leaving her little neighborhood, and heading toward the New Boston spire, aiming to do something crazy. Something impossible. Something no one she knows has ever done before. Mercy plans to lose her virginity. And she aims to do it with an alien.
Terek hates these terraformed outposts. But when his ship needs repairs, he finds himself temporarily stranded in a strange place called New Boston. The chilly weather appeals to him more than he expected, and the crisp dried leaves are pleasant to step on… but the best part is the sexy human who is watching him from across a dark room. Angelusks are famous for their abilities in the bedroom. He can’t wait to show her why.

Amazon

THE ALIEN PRINCE’S BIRTHDAY GIFT (DARK PRINCE OF ZUBAIR BOOK 1) by Enid Titan

The hedonistic alien prince unwraps his birthday present. She’s beautiful…A full-figured Earthling female with hips, ample bosoms and sweet round features. She’s perfect for bearing children. And tonight, the prince will have her…
Whether she likes it or not, Reed Crenshaw belongs to him.

Amazon

DEVASTATION CLASS by Glen Zipper and Elaine Mongeon

VS Note: Not a romance but wow, does it sound good…on my TBR List.

The distant future. Earth’s Alliance forces have emerged victorious from a brutal nine-year war with the mysterious Kastazi—a vicious, highly advanced alien race. In the dawn of a new peace, the Alliance Devastation Class starship California embarks on a mission of science and learning with a skeleton crew of seasoned officers, civilian students, and inexperienced military cadets in tow. For JD Marshall and Viv Nixon, gifted cadets and best friends, the mission holds special meaning: It offers an opportunity to prove themselves and begin to escape the long shadows of their legendary war hero parents. Suddenly ambushed by a second wave of invading Kastazi forces, JD and Viv make the impossible decision to spearhead a mutiny to save the California and everyone on it. In command and quickly out of options, they are forced to activate the ship’s prototype Blink Reactor—an experimental technology they expect to send them to the safe, distant reaches of space. When their escape transports them to a reality they don’t recognize and reveals unimaginably terrifying secrets, they must fight their way home to save not just everyone they love but also humanity itself. Standing in their way are an insurmountable enemy, saboteurs from within, a mystery eons in the making, and the fabric of time and space itself.

Amazon      Apple Books

THE ARROGANT GENIUS (THE LOST PLANET SERIES BOOK 8) by K Webster and Nicole Blanchard

It should have been simple…Work together, find the cure. Save our people. Except nothing with these aliens is simple. Especially not an alien like him: Dr. Avrell Dracarion. Rude. Arrogant. Ripped. He treats me like a child, but he certainly doesn’t look at me like one. Beneath those filed down fangs and carefully manicured claws, there’s a beast lurking, waiting to claim me as his mate. I won’t be claimed by anyone, least of all a jerk like him.

Amazon

FUELING THE FIRE (ELEMENTAL ALIEN MATES BOOK 3) by Riley Onyx

I work security. I like big weapons and I’m not afraid of a fight. That was until I was assigned to a rescue op. Now I need rescuing. After aliens attacked my camp, I gave chase. Now I’m lost and alone, wandering the desert. But then I find an alien, big, brutal, and made of fire and chained to the ground and looking like he’s ready to die. I’m tempted to leave him—I know his kind and I don’t trust them—but to survive, I need help. I need to find a way to fuel his hunger to live. From the way he looks at me, maybe he’s not totally dead inside.

Amazon

CYBORG MERMAN by Amanda Milo

VS Note: A re-release…

When my husband dies, leaving me a widow on the frontier planet Traxia, his best friend–a merman-turned-cyborg–decides to offer me his protection. All I have to do is marry him. There are good reasons to accept his offer. If I didn’t think with my heart, I’d be wise to say yes. But this cyborg is shrewd and calculating and so clinical. Plus, my husband’s body is barely cold. I just can’t do it. When I essentially tell him to get bent, he demonstrates why the local cowboys are afraid of him. I didn’t know he possesses the ability to alter areas of my brain–and with no hesitation, he begins exploiting a way to circumvent my flat-out No to his marriage proposal.

Amazon

THE PHLEBOTOMIST by Chris Panatier

VS Note: Not a romance but certainly an interesting plot…

To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw–The Harvest–has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phlebotomy training to resurrect an obsolete collection technique, but instead uncovers an awful truth. Patriot will do anything to protect its secret. On the run and with nowhere else to turn, Willa seeks an alliance with Lock, a notorious blood-hacker who cheats the Harvest to support the children orphaned by it. But they soon find themselves in the grasp of a new type of evil.

Amazon      Apple Books

MALAIKA’S SECRET (BYZANTIUM BOOK 3) by Vijaya Schartz

Special Agent Tyler Conrad works security undercover on the Byzantium Space Station and adheres to a strict moral code. When strange beings with wings are murdered, and a dangerous lion wanders the station’s indoor streets, Tyler’s investigation leads him to a mysterious woman, who could make him break all his rules and get them both killed. Forbidden to love, the beautiful Malaika, guardian of the glowing crystal in the temple of the Formless One, is an illegal mind-reader who hides perilous secrets. She has seen the great evil coming to Byzantium but must hide her extraordinary abilities or perish with her people. When Admiral Mort Lowell, a hybrid Tenebran nicknamed the Vampire, makes a surprise visit to Byzantium, Tyler knows something wicked is afoot.

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ALIEN’S FERAL SEED  by Aya Morningstar

Abducted. Taken to a hellish alien world. And it only gets worse. Horrifying creatures called the Vereni are out for my blood, But my abductor is an alien warrior who claims he’s my protector. He says there’s only one thing that will truly keep me safe. His seed. To protect me, he fights through the Vereni with a ferocity and possessiveness that no human man has ever shown me. When they try to claim me, he’s shouting at them that I am his. That I belong to him and only him. He even calls me his Muru…whatever that means. I’m terrified, but I start to feel I can trust my alien captor, because no matter what comes our way, he keeps me safe. His protection comes at a cost. He claims the Vereni will never stop coming for me so long as I have the thing they crave above all else: Virgin blood. And guess who’s a virgin? He’s ferocious and possessive, but he won’t take my virginity unless I’m willing. Will I let him claim me just to survive, or is his alien seed the one thing I truly crave?

Amazon

CONTAMINANT SIX (FREE-WRENCH BOOK 6) by Joseph Lallo

VS Note: Not a romance, but steampunk.

The fug that poisoned the world has struck the Wind Breaker crew. After years of daring escapes and dangerous capers, it was only a matter of time before Captain Mack’s crew felt the sting of the toxin that blankets their continent. They must split up, seek the aid of old rivals, and brave secret facilities to find the substance that may be the key to recovery. Join Nita and her friends on what may well be their final adventure.

Amazon      Apple Books

FATHOM: INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY (MERMAIDS OF MONTANA BOOK 3) by Elsa Jade

If Tritona’s war is over, who feeds the forgotten sharks of war? Designed and trained to be a war-torn planet’s merciless killing machine, Sting was sent to the deeps when the battles ended. But the end of the fighting doesn’t always mean peace. Then one of the Wavercrest women from Earth goes missing, and he’s tasked with finding her. But how can this one small mission soothe the monster he was made to be? She thought the seas were deep and dark and dangerous, but then she looked inside…Lana Wavercrest has been running for what feels like forever. She thought she’d finally found her home on a faraway ocean world…only to discover that her heritage—the same unnerving powers that ruined her life on Earth—is considered a curse on Tritona too. Is there nowhere in the universe she can be herself? But when Tritona’s enemy returns, they will have one last chance to decide the fate of worlds—and their lonely, drifting hearts.

Amazon      Apple Books

TODAY IS TOMORROW’S PAST: THE AKURN LEGACY by Keri Kruspe

Based loosely on the Ancient Alien theory that Earth had been visited by extraterrestrials thousands of years ago, Today is Tomorrow’s Past is a romantic sci-fi adventure based in contemporary times. Filled with intriguing suspense, sensual longing, and heart-pounding twists and turns. The aliens we thought were long gone are coming back.  Divorcée Julienne King led a life of stressful chaos that didn’t leave time for anything personal. Immersed in organizing a huge merger for a small bank in Vegas, she uncovers insidious subplots that threatened not only the bank, but appear to have immense ramifications worldwide. With double-crosses at every turn, her next choice for an ally could be her last. Having just survived a tragic bombing, the last thing Ben Duncan wanted to do was take on a new assignment. However, once he meets the intriguing Julienne, he recognizes there is more to her than anyone knows. But getting involved with the delectable woman is the last thing he’s free to do. His ancestors, the aliens from the planet Akurn, are headed back to kill billions of humans and subjugate Earth. He along with his brothers are targeted to be the first to die. It’s a race against time. In less than five months, the Akurns will be close enough to invade Earth. Can a banker and a hybrid alien-human overcome their prejudices and not only work together, but learn their love is the key to mankind’s salvation?

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SHIFTING THE TIDES (TIME ENFORCEMENT PATROL BOOK 3) by KayCee Galivan

TEP (Time Enforcement Patrol) assassin Nisha Paquet is on another mission. She travels back to 1930’s Shanghai on a mission to kill a Japanese mastermind and alter the course of World War II. There, she meets Yulia Menshikov who is a taxi dance struggling to survive the political intrigues of the dangerous city. Will Nisha’s mission be a success? When Yulia meets Cal, an American tea buyer, can she trust him?

Amazon

NOKX (SRAIBUR CREW BOOK 3) by Layla Nash and Juno Wells

Ellie Jane doesn’t deserve hard labor and exile on an uninhabited planet, no matter what the judge decided. Her only chance to escape is stowing away on the Sraibur — a pirate ship filled with sexy, intimidating Xaravian warriors. Although getting exiled with the brooding, dominant Nokx would suit EJ just fine, if she didn’t have the kind of secrets that follow a girl across the universe.
After tragedy, Nokx would rather put his head down and follow orders on the Sraibur than shoulder responsibility again. Until he finds feisty, unpredictable EJ sneaking out of the cargo bay. The curvy female throws his protective instincts into overdrive, even as he questions her motives. Will her love last longer than the flight to safety? EJ doesn’t know who to trust. Just when she thinks Nokx will stand by her against the universe, old enemies and older secrets get between them. She stole her way onto the Sraibur and into his hearts, but will her past steal their future before it even begins?

Amazon

PRIME DECEPTIONS: A NOVEL (CHILLING EFFECT BOOK 2) by Valerie Valdes

VS Note: OK, not a romance but psychic cats…..

The lovably flawed crew of La Sirena Negra and their psychic cats return in this fast-paced and outrageously fun science-fiction novel, in which they confront past failures and face new threats in the far reaches of space from the author of the critically acclaimed Chilling Effect. Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra find themselves once again on the fringe of populated space—and at the center of a raging covert war. When Eva’s sister asks for help locating a missing scientist, promises of a big paycheck and a noble cause convince Eva to take the job despite lingering trust issues. With reluctant assistance from her estranged mother, Eva and her crew follow the missing scientist’s trail across the universe, from the costume-filled halls of a never-ending convention to a dangerous bot-fighting arena. They ultimately find themselves at the last place Eva wants to see again—Garilia—where she experienced her most shameful and haunting failure.  To complete her mission and get paid, Eva must navigate a paradise embroiled in a rebellion, where massive forests and pristine beaches hide psychic creatures and pervasive surveillance technology. Can she find her quarry while avoiding the oppressive local regime, or will she be doomed to repeat past mistakes when her dark deeds come to light?

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RAATH (ALIEN GLADIATORS OF SIKODA BOOK 2) by  Madison Savage

When she’s abducted from Earth and sent to a hellish prison where she’s forced to sing the gladiator fights, Jessica knows almost immediately which gladiator she’ll be singing for.
If she has to have a protector and a prison mate, it’s going to be the big Corsikavan with the haunting silver eyes and the scarred face. Since Tarik’s escape, Raath is the best of the Sikoda Prison gladiators, and the wardens want to give him a female who will help him survive the brutality of the gladiator’s life. He has four years left on his sentence–and four years is a long time when one’s spirit starts to die. He needs Jess as much as she needs him. But with a fondness for human females and enthralled by Jessica’s voice, Warden Kavath dives headlong into his madness and becomes obsessed with the little human songstress. And if Raath is defeated–killed–fairly in a battle, Kavath thinks he can have her. Will the secret network of people be able to free Raath and Jessica in time, or will Kavath succeed in getting rid of the gladiator and taking the human for himself?

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HER ALIEN PRINCE (VOXERAN FATED MATES BOOK 1) by  Presley Hall

What was supposed to be a peaceful mission to find alien life goes horribly wrong when our ship crashes on an unknown planet. As I emerge from the wreckage with the few other survivors, three things become clear.
1. This wasn’t a peaceful mission at all. The women on board were meant to be sold for alien tech. 2. There’s no way we’re getting off this planet. 3. Our odds of survival are laughably low. When I’m accidentally separated from the other women, my chances of survival drop to zero. That is, until I fall—literally—into the lap of a gorgeous alien warrior with metallic blue skin and cat-like eyes. I don’t know who this man is, and I can’t even ask him since we don’t speak the same language. I don’t know why my body craves his touch, or why something undeniable draws me toward him. But I do know this: he’s the best shot I have at finding a way back home. The only problem is, the more time I spend with him, the less certain I am that I want to leave.

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THE NEMESIS (THE DIABOLIC BOOK 3) by S J Kincaid

VS Note: Not listed as a romance. Apparently readers have been waiting quite a while for this third book…a release of note.

Three years ago, Tyrus Domitrian shocked the galaxy by killing the woman he swore to love forever. The woman for whom he upended the Empire. The woman with whom he wanted to build a new and brighter future. Now, the once-idealistic heir apparent has become the cruel Emperor Tyrus, wielding his authority with an iron fist, capable of destroying planets with a single word, controlling all technology with a simple thought. He has bent the Grandiloquy to their knees, and none has the power to stand against him. But there is a muttering among the Excess. They say that Nemesis is not truly gone. They whisper of her shadow spotted in distant star systems. They say that Nemesis lives. That she will rise, and rally the people to topple the man who was once her truest love—and is now her fiercest enemy.

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SAVAGE (REAPER’S PROPERTY BOOK 2) by Athena Storm and Cara Stone

He’s a Reaper. Monster. Savage. Brute. Nightmare. But he’s also one other thing…My mate. If the Reapers chase your ship, it’s better you die. Because if you fall into their hands, your life is hell. They’ll chain you. Lash you. They’ll separate you from your friends and family. You’ll be frightened and alone. In all this darkness comes my story.
How he captured my ship. Killed everyone before he found me. And when he did, he called me his jalshagar
He said I was his fated mate. It was my destiny to stand with him as he conquered and killed. To be at his feet as he claimed victory. To stand at his side as others fell to their knees. I’ve watched him kill in my name. His hands have been bloodied so that I may be safe. I’ve become his pet. His plaything. His confidante. And now…his partner. Because this evil nightmare of a man has become the love of my life. And I don’t know much, but I know this.
He may kill with his sword. But only I can wipe it clean.

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CONSPIRACY OF FEAR (ELIZABETH HUNTER PAYNE STEAMPUNK ADVENTURES 3) by Mikayla Ash

There’s a bloody serial killer on the loose in foggy London, and music hall singer, The Songbird of Surrey, fears her best friend has fallen victim to the fiend. When her own fiancé, who she sent out to find her friend, goes missing as well, she seeks the professional help of the EHP Investigation Bureau to solve the mystery. Intrepid crime fighter Elizabeth Hunter-Payne ventures into the dangerous streets of London’s East End and explores the seamy side of adult entertainment to confront the Collector, the terror of Whitechapel. His elusive puppet master, Vladimir the Mesmerist, is pulling the strings of conspiracy, and threatens the very foundations of the empire. Elizabeth meets the ultimate automaton, Hercules, but what service can a metal man of cogs and gears perform? Guns, knives, and half-bricks come into play as Elizabeth fights for survival, and her sanity, in another thrilling steampunk adventure.
Author’s Note: Cliffhanger ending. Elizabeth’s story continues in Elizabeth Hunter-Payne Steampunk Adventures 4!

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PRINCE OF WOLVES: AUTUMN COURT 3 (ROSETHORN VALLEY FAE ROMANCE) by Tasha Black

Varik has traveled entire kingdoms trying to lift a curse from himself and his wolf cub, Ronan. Now the crown has offered him one chance to make all his problems disappear: Capture the runaway changeling princess and bring her back to Faerie, and the curse will be lifted. But the big bounty hunter finds himself helpless with lust from the moment he lays eyes on the princess, and getting to know her only makes the infatuation worse.
Ashe was raised as a fae princess, but she is determined to redefine herself in the small town in the mortal realm where she was born. She strikes a bargain with the handsome fae bounty hunter who is chasing her, allowing her forty-eight hours to try life as a human, as long as he can stay by her side. If she can stop drooling over him long enough to concentrate, she is sure she can make the mortal life work.
As Varik helps Ashe get to know the realm of her birth, it becomes clear to him that she is his fated mate. But with monsters from Faerie closing in to steal his prize, Varik and Ronan are running out of time. Now Varik needs to convince Ashe to come back to Faerie with them, before falling in love with her makes him lose him everything he’s ever fought for.

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DON’T HEX AND DRIVE (STAY A SPELL BOOK 2) by Juliette Cross

Notoriously bad at peopling, Isadora Savoie spends most of her time in the greenhouse or at the local animal shelter, using her Conduit powers of growth and healing. Content to remain in the background of the Savoie sister shenanigans, she’s reluctantly roped into the mystery of missing neighborhood girls. Now, she’s partnered with a flashy, flirty vampire to find them before it’s too late.
Devraj Kumar has seen and done it all. Three hundred years roaming the earth as a Stygorn—a legendary vampire warrior who operates in the shadows—has its perks. But ennui has set in. That is, until he has a run-in—literally—with an intriguing witch while on a new assignment in New Orleans. Fascinated by her resistance to his charms, Devraj can’t help but push her buttons in an effort to get to know the shy witch. Fortunately for him, she’s been recruited by the Lord of Vampires to assist Devraj on the case. Between a Bollywood marathon, supernatural dating app, secret package, and sexy driving instruction, Isadora is in over her head. And Devraj? After just one taste, he’s playing for keeps.

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JAILBREAK: A LIMITED EDITION PARANORMAL PRISON ESCAPE COLLECTION by Various

Join these paranormal prisoners as they break free from their confinement! Vampires, shifters, witches, monsters and more fill the cells of the paranormal prisons in this collection. Some are innocent, others guilty as sin. However they landed in lockup, these incarcerated supernatural bad boys and girls want only one thing: freedom. And they’ll do anything to get it.

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THE DEAD HEAT OF SUMMER: A KREWE OF HUNTERS NOVELLA by Heather Graham

Casey Nicholson has always been a little bit sensitive, and she puts it to use in her shop in Jackson Square, where she reads tarot cards and tea leaves. She’s not a medium, but she can read people well. When the ghost of Lena Marceau comes to her in the cemetery, shedding tears and begging for help, Casey’s at first terrified and then determined. Lena knows she was the victim of a malicious murder. Assumes her husband was, as well, and now fears that her daughter and sister are also in danger. And all over what she believes is someone’s quest to control Marceau Industries, the company left to Lena’s late husband.
Casey isn’t sure how she can help Lena. She isn’t an investigator or with any arm of law enforcement. But when she receives a visit from a tall, dark and very handsome stranger—ironically an FBI agent—she realizes that she’s being drawn into a deadly game where she must discover the truth or possibly die trying. Special Agent Ryder McKinley of the Krewe of Hunters has his own strange connection to the case. Hoping to solve the mystery of his cousin’s death, he arrives at Casey’s shop during his hunt for answers and finds something wholly unexpected. He fears that Casey’s involvement puts her in danger, yet she’s already knee-deep in deadly waters. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do but follow the leads and hope they don’t also fall prey to the vicious and very human evil hunting his family.

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BONDED (CIRCLE OF THE STARS BOOK 2) by Sadie Jacks

From being abused and tormented in the cult that raised her to discovering she’s got more power than she ever thought. Hollyn’s life has done a full one-eighty. Now she’s got three fated dragon mates, she’s taken up the mantle of Champion for the gods, and she’s about to get a crash course in using magic. But when some of the old cult comes knocking, Hollyn and her mates must forge deeper bonds to save each other. Because even with the backing of the gods, Hollyn and the Ladon triplets are forced into a war deeper than anyone could have imagined. They either fight as a unit or die alone. Will Hollyn be able to learn enough magic to save herself and her mates? Or will their bonds be shredded by an enemy they never could have prepared for?

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THE PILLARS: A PSYCHIC PARANORMAL ROMANCE (BUILDING THE CIRCLE BOOK 5) by Maggie M Lily

Miranda has aimed to please others her entire life. Growing up in a misogynistic home, she was expected to graduate college with an MRS. degree. When school was done and she remained unattached, she was manipulated into a relationship and then a marriage similar to her childhood home. Her dreams of a happier, independent life were sacrificed in exchange for her family’s approval. Her path in life was aimed toward misery… Right up until she met her sister, Matilda.
Like all the Trellis kids, Matthew strives to be a good person. He spends his days teaching underprivileged children and his nights teaching English as a second language to new immigrants. But, when he reconnects with Miranda years after knowing her in college, he’s ready, willing, and able to put his nice-guy tendencies aside to see her free of a loveless marriage.

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BETWEEN THE BEAR’S SHEETS (WTLDE BROTHERS BOOK 2) by Jenika Snow

VS Note: A “re-edited and revised” re-release…

Talia Landon, a red fox shifter, knew she was in trouble when she saw Ford Wylde for the first time. The alpha bear shifter was the type of male she should stay away from.
He had this darkness he wore like a second skin. It should’ve had Talia keeping her distance, but instead, she was drawn to him even more. But what was supposed to be a one-night stand turned into a mating with a Wylde bear. 
 Ford had enough baggage from his past to drown him, but the moment he saw Talia, he felt something in him awaken for the first time in his life.
She was his mate.
But when someone from Ford’s past tried to insert themselves back into his life, Ford had to make it known Talia was his, and nothing and no one was going to get in the way of him claiming his female.

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HER WEDDING KNIGHT (THE AVALON CAFE BOOK 4) by Hermione Moon and Serenity Woods

At last, it’s kitchen witch Gwen Young’s wedding day to the gorgeous Arthur. They’re having a double wedding with their best friends at Wessex Castle, a beautiful stately home. Everything goes swimmingly, until they discover that the castle is built on top of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial, and its owner bears an ancient grudge against them both.

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THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER (THE DROWNING EMPIRE BOOK 1) by Andrea Stewart

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

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MASTER OF POISONS by Andrea Hairston

The world is changing. Poison desert eats good farmland. Once-sweet water turns foul. The wind blows sand and sadness across the Empire. To get caught in a storm is death. To live and do nothing is death. There is magic in the world, but good conjure is hard to find. Djola, righthand man and spymaster of the lord of the Arkhysian Empire, is desperately trying to save his adopted homeland, even in exile. Awa, a young woman training to be a powerful griot, tests the limits of her knowledge and comes into her own in a world of sorcery, floating cities, kindly beasts, and uncertain men.

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FINDING THE FORGOTTEN (ROGUE DRAGONS BOOK 2) by Emilia Hartley

She’s escaping a manipulative boyfriend. He’s huge, big-hearted, and intent on protecting her. They’d be great together if only his protection didn’t feel like a new trap. Nobody has ever needed Dillon. Not his mom, who dumped him with a dragon-shifter clan when his beast manifested. Not his adoptive parents, who never wanted kids. Not his clan leader, who sent Dillon with other misfits to retrieve his son. Not even the women he protected as a club bouncer. In fact, the only woman who looks at Dillon without any fear in her eyes is Isabella, the pregnant friend of a friend who is crashing at the guys’ cabin until she can get on her feet. Dillon would do anything for Isabella—absolutely anything. Even give her the time and space she needs to heal after her last relationship.
As timid as her pet rabbit, Isabella worries about moving in with a group of dragon shifters…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)

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BOOK OF THE REAPER (VESIK 18) by Eric R Asher

With the transfer of the Devil’s Knot, it falls to Ashley to awaken the Titan known as Gaia. If any among them are to survive the ritual, painstaking preparations must be made … including care for Damian’s monstrous form.
Terrence and Vicky race to the Abyss for one mad gambit to save Damian, only to realize there is far more to Gaia than any of them could have imagined. Reeling from the revelation, the team scrambles to recover with time running out. Unrelenting, the Eldritch close in on Rivercene as the extent of Nudd’s twisted madness is exposed. When the battle fades, nothing in their world will ever be the same.

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IVAN THE BOLD (DOKIRI BRIDES BOOK 3) by Denali Day

Her widowed heart freshly healed, Lavinia wants nothing more than to bind herself to Ivan, the man who adores her fatherless sons almost as much as he loves her. Then duty calls her to risk their future and return to a life she’d fled — to a man who wants her as much as she fears him. Tasked with escorting Lavinia back to the land of her birth, Ivan pledges his heart along with his protection. He’ll have his mark upon her within days. But no sooner do they arrive than her previous life threatens to tear her away forever.  Haunted by the mistakes of her past, Lavinia would do anything to redeem herself and save her people. Consumed by desire, Ivan must decide if passion is worth more than the survival of his race. Duty or love? They can’t have both.

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CRACKED: AN ANTHOLOGY OF EGGSELLENT CHIOCKEN STORIES by Various

Chickens Land on Mars…But what happens when authors have too much free time on their hands? A challenge.
Craft a story featuring our favorite feathered raptors: the CHICKEN. B’gawk! Twenty authors deliver in some unexpected ways and live to crow about it. From chickens in space to cozy murder mystery farm yards to schools of magickal thought…Includes guardian angels, chicken shifters, aliens, and feathered matchmakers, Maybe even a non-fiction adventure or two… and more! These amazing chickens come from the minds of twenty cooped-up authors on the edge of cracking.

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SHADOW OF THE SWAN by Nicola M Cameron

A determined academic, trapped by her ancestor’s pact. A gentleman vampire, sworn to protect her. And a deadly Fae king, bent on claiming her as his bride. In the golden years of the Victorian Era, Louisa Wallingford investigates myths and legends around the globe with her historian uncle, until her life is torn apart by an ancient promise to a sadistic Fae royal. Faced with becoming his unwilling bride, Louisa’s only escape is an arranged marriage … to a handsome but distant vampire.
Sir Henry Carstairs gave up his humanity to save the queen he loved. When he failed, he vowed to protect her daughter and the country she ruled. Now, his vow requires him to enter an arranged marriage in order to protect a beautiful, headstrong scholar. But as their feigned love becomes real, a conflict between the British Empire and the Land of Faerie may force him to give up Louisa forever.

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THE LOST CONNECTION: THE COLLECTIVE ORDER (THE RAVEN SISTERS BOOK 4) by Jen Talty

Gabe Underwood will do whatever it takes to protect his family and the woman he’s destined to love, even if that means spending a year with the Elite Brotherhood planning their demise. Since the death of his adoptive mother, Gabe has known exactly who he is, and what he must do, but it comes at a price. In order to save his brothers and the Raven sisters to ensure the Collective Order will reunite and restore balance to the paranormal world, Gabe must play a deadly game of cat and mouse. He must betray those he loves in order to prevent the Elite Brotherhood from destroying the future. If he fails, not only will he never be able to hold his one true love in his arms, but the powers psychic realm will forever land in the wrong hands, killing, him, his brothers, and the Raven sisters.
Willow Raven has loved Gave for as long as she can remember, but he’s broken her heart for the last time. She will stop at nothing to make him see the error of his ways and prove to him that the Elite Brotherhood only wants to channel their powers and use them for evil. However, she’s ill-prepared for the battle that Gabe has pulled her into or how she’ll have to fight to save not just the man she loves, but the future of a new order so powerful it will change the face of the universe.

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THE ENCHANTER’S NEW KIDS: A SEB AND AILIN STORY (THE ELLWOOD CHRONICLES BOOK 5) by Michele Notaro

What happens when an enchanter and a witch adopt a few kids? I’ll tell you what: chaos… chaos and absolute mayhem. I finally got my way, I finally convinced my viramore—my soulmate—to adopt with me, but I have to admit that it isn’t exactly going as planned.  Join Seb and Ailin from The Ellwood Chronicles on a new kind of adventure when they bring three sweet kids—more like little monsters—into their family. The Enchanter’s New Kids is a follow-up of their relationship, and a sweet, fun, and heartfelt story about their kids.

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BLOOD CURSED: THE MAGE TRILOGY BOOK 2 by L A McGinnis

No good witch goes unpunished. Eden Cross has spent her entire life in the Mage Circle, working on the side of good.  Or so she thought. When the truth is revealed—she’s been used as a tool to hunt down and kill innocent paranormals—she flees, only to discover she has nowhere to go. If anyone had reason to hate the Mage Circle, it’s Kieran Grey. Captured and tortured by the mages, Kieran vowed to destroy everyone in the entire organization. That was, until he met Eden. Now they have to work together to stop the Circle before it enslaves everyone they love.

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HELPLESS (STEEL DEMONS MC BOOK 5) by Crystal Ash

If humans fall, so shall gods. We’re on the run. Forced to abandon our home to escape an enemy who always seems one step ahead. The Steel Demons lost a brother, and Reaper is determined not to lose anyone else. Tensions are high while the club wanders the desert in search of a new home. A prospect makes lofty demands. A husband’s jealousy hits a boiling point. But pleasant surprises are also among us. Shadow is emerging from his shell, and the man shining through the scarred exterior is one I’m helpless to resist. My friendly crush has roared into a passionate flame. One that my men have noticed too. When an unexpected rescue mission goes awry, my worst fear is not being able to save him. I can’t lose Shadow before we’ve had a chance to begin. I won’t let him slip away without knowing what love feels like. I’ve always been resourceful, never helpless. But to save him, I’ll have to pray to every god that listens.

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A FLOOD OF POSIES by Tiffany Meuret

It’s 2025. Sisters, Doris and Thea, exist worlds apart, despite living within a few miles of one another. Doris with her regular home and regular husband and regular job, and Thea slinking along the edges of society, solitary and invisible. When a storm of biblical proportions strikes, the wayward sisters are begrudgingly forced together as the rain waters rise, each attempting to survive both the flood and each other.
One year later, Thea—now calling herself Sestra—floats throughout a ravaged, flood soaked world. Her former life drowned beneath metric tons of water, she and her only companion, Robert, battle starvation, heatstroke, and the monstrous creatures called Posies that appeared alongside the flood. When they run across what they assume to be an abandoned tugboat, their journey takes a new turn, and the truth about the flood and the monsters seems more intricately linked to Thea’s past then she may realize.

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BRUTUS (THE IMMORTAL MATCHMAKERS INC BOOK 6) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Brutus is not your average immortal warrior. He leads the gods’ army, he’s tough as nails, and his mind is so powerful, he no longer speaks to communicate with his men. Some call him telepathic; he just calls it being a badass. But despite the many bloody battles and hard-won victories, this is one mission he’s not so sure about. There is a plague sweeping the immortal world. Gods, vampires, incubi—no one is safe, except for those with mates, and sadly, there just aren’t enough women to go around. To keep the gods’ army intact, ready to protect the human world, Brutus must convince a group of ancient female warriors, located deep in the Amazon jungle, to return home with him, and…well…go on dates with his men. But when the toughest, meanest, man-hating, sexiest woman of the group catches his eye, all he can think about is conquering her heart.

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WAYWARD WITCH (BROOKLYN BRUJAS BOOK THREE) by Zoraida Cordova

ose Mortiz has always been a fixer, but lately she’s been feeling lost. She has brand new powers that she doesn’t understand, and her family is still trying to figure out how to function in the wake of her amnesiac father’s return home. Then, on the night of her Deathday party, Rose discovers her father’s memory loss has been a lie. As she rushes to his side, the two are ambushed and pulled through a portal to the land of Adas, a fairy realm hidden in the Caribbean Sea. There Rose is forced to work with a group of others to save Adas. Soon, she begins to discover the scope of her powers, the troubling truth about her father’s past, and the sacrifices he made to save her sisters. But if Rose wants to return home so that she can repair her broken family, she must figure out how to heal Adas first.

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BLACKSTONE RANGER HERO: BLACKSTONE RANGERS BOOK 3 by Alicia Montgomery 

A night he can’t remember. Three months ago, bear shifter Daniel Rogers woke up in a motel room with no memory of what happened the night before. Since then, his bear’s been unmanageable and unruly, while a mysterious woman keeps invading his dreams. When an unwitting heroic act pushes him into the national spotlight, his mystery woman appears and his bear recognizes who she is: his fated mate. But the news she brings turns his life upside down and he knows that he must win her over and forge the bond to link them together.
A man she can’t forget. When Sarah Mendez crept out of that motel room three months ago, she didn’t think she’d ever lay eyes on the man in bed next to her when she woke up. However, the consequences of a drunken night of indulgence catches up with her, potentially putting the brakes on her life’s work. But, when she sees his face splashed all over the news, she takes this chance to go to him and deliver some life-altering news. But Daniel is not what she expects, and when circumstances force her to stay with him, she must ignore the attraction and desire brewing between them. Blackstone is not her home, and this dashing, handsome man is not for her, no matter how much she wants him. When Daniel finds himself in the center of a large conspiracy and his and Sarah’s life are threatened, he knows he must do everything to keep her safe. But, will evil forces win out or can he save his town and his mate?

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GREYTHORNE (BLOOD LEAF TRILOGY BOOK 2) by Crystal Smith

Princess Aurelia’s life is upended when the kingdom she thought she saved falls to ruin, a loved one is tragically killed in a shipwreck, and her home country turns against her. With no place left to call her own, Aurelia returns to Greythorne Manor—her best friend’s family mansion—only to find that Greythorne has sinister secrets of its own. With enemies closing in on all sides, Aurelia is caught in a mad fight to protect the only people she has left—her family. In her darkest moments, when all seems grim, will Aurelia find a spark of hope from a love she thought long lost?

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MATE OF THE FAE KING by Delia E Castel

As the newly crowned Queen of the Fae, the pressure is on Neara to take control of her new kingdom from the clutches of Queen Melusina. The task is daunting, and she relies more than ever on the help of King Drayce. But when an unexpected enemy curses Drayce to an eternal sleep, Neara is plunged into a deadly quest to awaken her mate. Enemies surround her at every turn, and it’s hard to distinguish friend from foe. Now she must join forces with a group of the very beings she once set out to destroy.

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IN THE RIGHT TIME (BOOK 1) by Mistie Cogdill

Will they get a second chance at love? Or will she be stuck in 1996, twenty years older than him?Kathleen Clark reluctantly returns home to attend her twentieth high school reunion. She’s been avoiding Breauxville, Texas and Dawson Lemelle ever since she left them both. But when her meddling cousin pushes her back to town and back to Dawson, she’s surprised to find he’s ready to forgive her. Just when it looks like she might have a second chance with him, she wakes up twenty years in the past. As Kathleen works to figure out how she traveled back to 1996, she’s reunited with family she’s desperately missed. She starts to see her own past in a whole new perspective and discovers that her teenage-self is a complete and total brat. With the help of an old friend, a young Dawson, and a Voodoo Priestess, Kathleen works to find a way back to the right time and the right Dawson.

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THE BOOKER by Grace Hudson

VS Note: From late July…

One underworld entanglement. One haunted music venue. One chance to make it out alive. When Barry Matthews left his band to become the booker for Melbourne’s hottest music venue, he never expected to find a link to the past buried deep within the rubble from the renovations. And now the new spate of threatening phone calls are becoming as troubling as the disappearing visitors and the malevolent activity in the basement. Trapped within the hotel with the alluring Simon, or Felicia, depending on his choice of outfit, they must join together to survive the threats from outside, as well as the dangers growing within the walls of the hotel. But the longer the renovations go on, the stronger the dark forces become. Barry and Simon must uncover the secrets behind the hotel’s sinister history before it’s too late, or risk becoming the hotel’s latest victims.

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FINDING HIS MATE: A FATED MATES STORY by Mila Crawford and Aria Cole

During his self-imposed exile from the Bare Mountain Pack, Brett has been running the woods for five years alone. Solitary and living off of the land he loves, his only objective is avoiding people. And then one bad hunt changes everything. Shayla has spent a quiet life in the woods. She keeps to herself and only takes what she needs to survive–all she asks is respect from all of the living things around her–man and beast. Fierce determination has always been her superpower, but when her fate collides with Brett’s, she’s confronted with every primal urge she’s been afraid to acknowledge. Now, surrendering to the thing she fears most might be the key to her very survival.

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CORNBREAD AND CROSSROADS (A SOUTHERN CHARMS COZY MYSTERY BOOK 6) by Bella Falls

Magic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow…After everyone returns from Charleston, Honeysuckle Hollow has been growing by leaps and bounds with new residents seeking magical sanctuary. All the residents of the Southern supernatural small town try their best to be welcoming. Unfortunately, one of the most important people in Charli Goodwin’s life is teetering on the brink. Just when things are looking their bleakest, Charli notices that small changes in everyone’s normal lives are adding up to bigger problems and has to hurry to find out who’s behind the chaos. With Honeysuckle Hollow and everyone she loves at risk, will Charli be able to save the town from this new threat?

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VALKYRIE’S JOURNEY: BOOK ONE IN THE AMYNTAS SOCIETY by Elizabeth Jax

Born into a secret society, Hyacinth ‘Sin’ Ioannou has been trained by her family to answer the gods call when she turns eighteen. Her lifelong dream of protecting our dimension and proving her worth as a fighter are about to come true. Sometimes the gods give more than you are bargaining for.

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THE SOLDATI PRINCE (SOLDATI HEARTS BOOK 1) by Charlie Cochet

One moment, Riley Murrough is living a normal life working in a coffee shop, and the next, he’s running for his life from demons, learns he bears the mark of a shape-shifter king from a magical realm, and—worst of all—he’s destined to become the mated prince to the arrogant tiger-shifter he would rather strangle.
Khalon, the shifter king, is equally distraught at the idea of being bound to a human prince, and along with his Soldati warriors, he sets out to return Riley to his own world, where he belongs. On their journey, they might discover why the goddess brought them together—if they can escape the demons and make it to her alive.

Amazon

THE FOXLING SOLDATI (THE SOLDATI BOOK 2) by Charlie Cochet

Foxling Toka has served the Soldati king for centuries, and now he attends to the kingdom’s cherished Soldati prince. It’s a position of honor, and as Toka helps the once-human prince adapt to their magical realm, he finds joy in their friendship. He also grows bolder in his encounters with Rayner, Soldati warrior and the king’s second. But the laws are clear: servants and Soldati are not permitted to mate. It doesn’t matter that Toka lost his heart to the dashing cad long ago.
Rayner never imagined he would fall in love with a servant, but the clever and beautiful foxling has ensnared him, and he resents the regulations keeping them apart. When an arrogant and spiteful king visits from a neighboring realm, Rayner is in danger of losing everything. But Soldati warriors don’t surrender, and he intends to fight all the harder to keep Toka where he belongs—in Rayner’s arms.

Amazon

THE SCARLET COURT’S MOST WANTED (WITCHES OF THE DAMNED BOOK 1) by S McPherson

VS Note: From mid AUG

Through an unexpected turn of heartbreak and heroics, Akira Renée becomes the most wanted woman in the Six Realms with powers she shouldn’t have. Now, it’s up to her to find the Three Relics and break an ancient curse that has plagued her kind for centuries. However, there are those who wish to keep them cursed and who crave the hidden power Akira wields. On the run from dangerous mages, wild shifters, wicked princes and a Fae whose smile makes her knees tremble, Akira realises she won’t get far on her own. But, when she’s hated for who she is and hunted for what she will become, who can she trust in a world built on secrets and lies, and where everyone has their own agenda?

Amazon

TRACEFINDER: CHOICES by Kaje Harper

VS Note: From late July…

An ex-cop and a psychic on the mend find their safe haven threatened by vandalism, arson, and the shadow of their dangerous past. After overusing his Talent till he almost died, Brian wants nothing more than a quiet job on the farm, with Nick to come home to. He’s trying to start a new life, despite bad dreams he can’t shake, vandalism close to home, and his sister’s problematic baby on the way. Nick gave up the police force and moved to North Carolina to be with Brian, and he doesn’t regret it. But he’s at loose ends, with no real work, the lurking specter of Brian’s brother Damon hanging around, and a worry in the pit of his stomach that Damon’s old enemies might still be after Brian. Nick’s keeping his eyes open and his gun loaded.

Amazon      Apple Books

PRETENDING (THE FADING SERIES BOOK 3) by Cindy Cipriano

What’s a girl to do when everyone around her isn’t who she believes them to be? Leath’s dreams are on the cusp of becoming reality when Judaculla magic creeps into her world, revealing itself in new and disconcerting ways. When Leath is offered a hand of friendship from an old enemy, she begins to question everything around her. Relationships are tested, including Leath’s relationship with James, who is struggling with his own demons. As time runs out for James in both worlds, Leath wonders if she ever really knew him at all.

Amazon      Apple Books

ON THE WINGS OF WAR (SOULBOUND BOOK 5) by Hailey Turner

The coveted Morrígan’s staff is up for sale on the black market to the highest bidder, and SOA Special Agent Patrick Collins will do whatever it takes to ensure the Dominion Sect doesn’t get their hands on it. Returning the weapon to its rightful owner is another step on the long road toward clearing Patrick’s soul debt, but he won’t walk it alone. Jonothon de Vere won’t let him. Obeying the gods means Patrick must travel to London. For Jono, it means facing a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His return to England isn’t welcome, and neither is their pack, but Jono and Patrick will face the antagonism together. Politics aside, their priority must be the mission, but the bone-chilling secret they uncover in the London god pack will have far-reaching repercussions no one can ignore. A race against time takes Patrick and Jono from the streets of London to the bright lights of Paris, where hospitality is thin on the ground, the air is filled with whispered prayers for the missing, and the Morrígan’s staff will end up in the one place it should never have gone—a graveyard. For beneath Paris lie the long-forgotten dead, and when they rise to walk again, the living can only hope to die.

Amazon

TWO SHOTS DOWN (BATTLE OF THE BULLS BOOK 1) by T S Joyce

Two Shots Down is blazing his way up the ranks as one of the top bull shifters in the Pro Bull Shifter Riding Circuit. He has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, and everything to prove. With a dark reputation as a cowboy killer, he has wrecked every interview he’s done in his career. He’s the bull shifter everyone loves to hate, and he’s just fine with that, except there is one he cares about. One woman whose life he ruined. One woman he damaged. One woman who probably doesn’t even know he exists. When that one woman stands up for him and the other top three bull shifters of the circuit, and offers to manage them, he knows he’s in for a bad time. She drags ghosts with her, and they’re haunting him. All he needs to do is get from event to event, and buck those riders off before that eight second mark. But during the most important time of his career, Cheyenne is tearing down his walls. And for the life of him, he can’t figure out if that’s a good thing, or a very, very bad thing.
Cheyenne left the PBSR years ago when tragedy altered her life forever…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…)

Amazon

REAPER UNDONE (DEADSIDE REAPERS BOOK 5) by Debbie Cassidy

Sunshine, rainbows and unicorns? Yeah something’s gotta give. Kick her while she’s down seems to be the motto when it comes to my life. But this time I’m clawing back. Hard. After the uncertainty and the heartache, I deserve a reprieve, and I’m damn well going to get it. My own personal Happy Ever After. But what they don’t tell you in the fairy tales is that happily ever after comes with a price. In my case, it’ll likely be one that kicks me in the teeth. Sometimes I bloody hate it when I’m right!

Amazon\

OAKLEY – MARSHALL’S SHADOW BOOK 3 by Kathi S Barton

Lachlan Russell had been rushed into emergency surgery. Her boss’s daughter took exception to Lach, telling her no, and went ballistic, throwing anything and everything she could at Lach until Lach finally collapsed from her injuries. Lach was also pregnant at the time, tricked into being a surrogate to carry her sister’s child. Harris Marshall, Shep’s wife, was called in on the case. Lach’s boss and daughter were now both in jail, but Lach’s family was another matter—they were worse. Harris would make sure this woman pulled through if she had to kill Lach’s family to see to it. Calling in reinforcements, her brother-in-law, Oakley, was the first to arrive at the hospital. Oakley was thrilled to have found his mate. As far as he was concerned, Lach was perfect. But her sister and brother-in-law were both insane. Would he and his family be enough to protect her from their madness?

Amazon

RAVAGE (ROYAL FAE ACADEMY BOOK 1) by Lacey Carter Andersen

I am bound to the dark… and the dark is bound to me. No one can know what I am. But this secret I carry, it isn’t an easy one to hide. It burns within me. It changes me each and every day, making the line between me and the ghosts I love smaller and smaller. Yet no secret can remain hidden forever. The day my brother dies changes everything. I’m commanded to attend the Royal Fae Academy, a place that wouldn’t welcome someone like me. But as much as I fear what will happen next, I have to find my brother’s killer. No matter the cost. Danger haunts my every step. Someone here wants me dead. And my brother’s three best friends are determined to protect me from my enemies. Only, they have no idea what I am. Or what I’m capable of doing. And even though I care for them, and I feel they care for me, I have to keep them away. Because the dark is where I belong. But these men? They belong in the light.
Even if they don’t know it yet.

Amazon

FAE SCHOOLED BOOK 1 by Emily Carrington

Three couples. Three deadly secrets. Who will survive? Secret Identity: Half-Fae Brett and his human lover Adam thought they were prepared for the next step in their lives, until Brett’s gifts endanger everything. Will Adam’s need for independence and Brett’s overprotective streak drive the two apart, or can their love survive?
Secret Hunger: When Fionn seduced Kwaku into his bed, he didn’t realize there was a shadow hanging over his would-be lover’s head. Will Fionn be able to stop the dark forces from draining the man he loves before it’s too late?
Secret Keeping: A disabled Fae, Patrick finds a new zest for life when he leaves for college. With secrets swirling around them and the Fae Purge on the horizon, will Patrick and his lover escape with their lives and their love?

Amazon      Apple Books

HIS BURNING HEART: PARANORMAL DRAGON SHIFTER ROMANCE (REAL MEN OF WILDRIDGE BOOK 6) by Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix

When opposites attract, worlds collide…She wants him to chant ‘ohm’. He just wants her to scream his name…As a card-carrying tight-ass, Dyrk Fortis is a dragon shifter who likes things just so in his life. Not that he has much of one, considering he’s married to his job as a specialist at Wildridge Security. So, why can’t he stop thinking about the firm’s curvy, free-spirited receptionist, Tessa Sinclair, and her strangely enchanting—and frustrating—bohemian ways? For Tessa, life is one big magic carpet ride full of wonder and adventure. Her passion for spirituality and all things metaphysical lead her to help others, including poor Dyrk. If he’d just loosen up a bit, maybe he’d have more luck solving his latest case. Blocked chakras are no joke, and she’s certain that one yoga session would do the trick.
Despite his misgivings, Dyrk discovers Tessa’s techniques actually seem to work when he blows open a case in a way none of them expected. The only trouble is that the case in question might just get the entire Wildridge team blown up! Can the star-crossed lovers survive long enough to find their own happily ever after?

Amazon

DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: A TRIBUTE TO ALVIN SCHWARTZ’S SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK by Various

VS Note: OK, yes, this is a Middle Grade anthology but my kids loved a lot of these authors when they were in the MG reading range and many of us readers are parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents/honorary relatives who might like to gift a book to the age appropriate, spooky horror-story-loving children in their lives…Halloween is coming…

Featuring stories from R.L. Stine and Madeleine Roux, this middle grade horror anthology, curated by New York Times bestselling author and master of macabre Jonathan Maberry, is a chilling tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone. So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare—if you dare—to be utterly spooked!

Amazon      Apple Books

HOW NOT TO DATE A CENTAUR (HOW NOT TO 7) by Stephanie Burke

Good girl Kiara Stone only wanted to have a little fun for once in her life, and parachuting over Cambodia seemed like a thrill. But crash landing through a mountain and landing in the land of the centaurs was almost too much.
Now she is their goddess and under the protection of two very regal male warrior partners, Zeethan and Xaylu, and struggling to learn a new culture as foreign to her as her ways are to them. Hopefully she can learn fast enough not to start a war, destroy their whole belief system, and learn to date a pair of centaurs, because it looks like there is no returning home.

Amazon      Apple Books

THE SEA WITCH (WICKED VILLAINS BOOK 5) by Katee Robert

Once upon a time, I met a man who stole my heart. In my desperation to reunite with him, I have nowhere to turn but the Sea Witch. Ursa is as beautiful as she is dangerous, and the one person my father warned me never to let close. But she’s all crimson lips and pretty lies, and I’m convinced despite my fear. It’s a simple enough plan, if not for the faint of heart. An auction to sell the one thing I possess of any value—myself. The money will free Alaric and then we can finally be together. Except nothing is simple at all. Ursa is playing at games I can only begin to comprehend. And Alaric? The man I thought I loved might be just as much a villain as the woman I can’t help but be drawn to. When playing in the darkest depths of love and lust, it will be everything I can do not to drown.

Amazon      Apple Books

WOLF DADDY MATEDATE: SHIFTERS MATEDATE AGENCY by Serena Meadows

My son, Josh, was all I had when I lost a bet to my best friend. I never would’ve ended up at a dating agency otherwise. Melanie is the last woman I should’ve been matched with. She was completely wrong on paper.
Or so I thought. Her beautiful eyes would make me forget about my past. About the pain that my ex-wife caused me.
But it was as if fate didn’t want us to be together. Melanie was my son’s teacher. Forbidden, tempting, unbelievably gorgeous. She was the only one who could free me. But I needed to protect her from the beast that I was. I knew that Melanie was the woman who could make me whole. Against all odds. For the rest of eternity.

Amazon

ALPHA’S RUNAWAY BRIDE (RUNAWAY SHIFTER BRIDES BOOK 4) by Sky Winters

They’re running away from their pack’s arranged marriages—together. Lexi – He’s crass. He’s crude. He’s pretty vile, really. And he’s the alpha I’m set to marry. And now that playboy Jason Rainbringer is back in town, The sexy bear that used to tease me. I’m being tempted to run. He wants to take me away. He wants to show me another world. But can I run away from my obligations to my pack and family? Jason – I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t want an arranged marriage. I didn’t want the responsibilities of pack life. I had it good in the city, And the human women were crazy about me. But now that I’m back I just want to protect Lexi. I can’t let her marry that controlling prick. And taking care of her, feels like my destiny.

Amazon

FATED FOR HER WOLVES (HUNGRY FOR HER WOLVES BOOK 6) by Tara West

For five long years, Tatiana Thunderfoot has longed for her fated mates, wishing she could complete the bond but feeling unworthy of their love; her cruel words had unintentionally sent their mother into a hunter’s crosshairs. Pressured by her family, she agrees to complete the bond with the four Romanian wolf-shifter brothers, but after making them wait so long, she fears that bond may no longer exist, and she’s unsure how to win their love again. Constantine, Dimitri, Andrei, and Dejan Lupescu have longed for Tatiana to return to them. No matter how many times they assured her their wicked mother’s death wasn’t her fault, she still hesitated. At their wits’ end, they can’t help the resentment that festers like a demon’s burn. When three powerful, angry demons try to take over their Romanian town, they realize they have much bigger problems, especially when the creatures set their sights on Tatiana. They need to save their fated mate before they lose her forever.

Amazon

THAT FORBIDDEN LIFE: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (BLACKWELL DJINN BOOK 4) by Nikki Kardanov

Living in a mansion with a family of immortal djinn…what could possibly go wrong? As a house manager at Blackwell House, there are only a few rules Oddie has to follow: 1) Do her job. 2) Always keep the Blackwells’ secrets. 3) Do not fall in love with a Blackwell. Too bad Oddie has already broken rule #3. Mad Blackwell is the oldest Blackwell brother and the most insufferably gorgeous, stubborn man Oddie has ever met. He’s also loyal to a fault, extremely protective, and oh right, clever with his hands. Mad and Oddie had one misstep in a dark closet and agreed to forget it ever happened. Except now their secret is threatening to come out and if anyone figures out the truth, it might be more than just their reputations on the line. Now Oddie has to decide: should she be the dutiful daughter she was told to be or fight for the love she thought she’d never have?

Amazon

WICKED BLOOD LINES (CLAIMED BY THE WARRIORS BOOK 1) by Jessa Halliwell

One bad-ass witch, three gorgeous warriors, and a demented hag trying to kill us all. Broken. Damaged. Scarred.
Thats how Ambrose, Harley and Damien found me when The Dark Witch abandoned my lifeless body. Though the scars she inflicted marred my skin, the true damage she caused was hidden just beneath the surface. The old Stella Winters is dead, and she’s never coming back. They think that I’m like them. That there’s warrior magic in my blood.
But I know the truth, something sinister is lurking inside of me, waiting for it’s chance to escape. These warriors have no idea what kind of monster they’ve allowed into their home. Despite how badly I want to be good for the three gorgeous men who saved my life, I’m the villain in this story.

Amazon

FLAWLESS RIVER (GRIZZLY BEAR LAKE BOOK 2) by Ruby Shae

Anastasia “Stacey” Rourke is done trying to be perfect. She’s tall and curvy, with big hair and an even bigger laugh, and after a lifetime of trying to fit in with her family and their friends, she’s finally done. Sacrificing every ounce of happiness for something that’s impossible to achieve is a stupid way to live, and she’s done putting everyone before herself. In an effort to change her life, and finally start loving her imperfections, she applies for a job at Bear Lake. Suddenly, everything in her life is perfectly imperfect…except for the fact that Mr. Perfect, Lael Rivers, wants to be her friend.
Grizzly bear shifter, Lael Rivers, is tired of being alone. He’s been told he’s the perfect man more times than he can count, but hearing the lake girls swoon over him got old a long time ago. He knows he’s good looking, but he wants someone to look deeper and love him for what’s on the inside. Sadly, meeting someone like that at the lake is nearly impossible, and since he spends most of his time working, he wonders if he’ll ever meet anyone worth sharing his life with. Until he meets Stacey. Now all he has to do is convince the sexy, stubborn woman to give him a chance.

Amazon

A LITTLE GREEN MAGIC (THE LITTLE COVEN SERIES BOOK 1) by Isobel Wroth

“You’ve shown about as much aptitude for magic as a human. It’s time to venture out and find your place in this world.”
Three years ago, those had been the damning words that banished Ivy Greene from the only home she’d ever known. She would have been completely alone if not for her friends and their determination to stay together. Unable to contribute magically to the coven, Ivy takes a job at a local garden store. She likes it there, she’s done well, and the view is unBEARably gorgeous. Ivy is beautiful and everything that keeps Uriah up at night, but it’s against the law for humans and shifters to mate. Uriah Tremarc has kept his distance for two years, terrified his love for her will get her killed. In a random twist of fate, he discovers she’s a witch, and now all bets are off. Ivy discovers she’s not as powerless as she’s been told, but the discovery comes with a warning. Someone is coming for her. Ivy only has A Little Green Magic, but she’s found her place in the world, and with Uriah by her side, she’s not about to let her mother’s murderer wreck her happy ever after.

Amazon

SOUNDLESS CORA (THE NAMELESS BIRD SERIES BOOK 1) by Morgan Stewart

Apparently, I am no one special. Just a nameless woman who washed ashore with no memories. If I’m not important, then why would someone curse me soundless? No sound has ever escaped my lips since that day I was found. I need answers. I know that the truth is being kept from me by those who torture me for the one thing I don’t know, my name. What I hadn’t expected was four dominating men, who all think they know what’s best for me, forcing their way into my life by magically sealing me to them. Who knew that seeking the truth of who I am could be so complicated.

Amazon

LUNAR BLUE (THE LUNAR BLUE SAGA BOOK 1) by Laurinda D Williams

VS Note: From mid-AUG

Elizabeth’s dreams are riddled with the torment of her past: running endlessly from a raging fire chasing behind her – the same forest fire that took her father’s life when she was sixteen. Ten years later, immersed in an exhausting nursing career, she convinces herself to face her pain by attempting a soul-searching trip of forgiveness through that same wilderness. With her pet rat on her shoulder, she embarks on a hunt for closure that challenges her physically, mentally, and emotionally. Upon meeting a mysterious wounded man deep in the wilderness, Elizabeth struggles to save his life but quickly learns of threatening forces around them. As they journey and grow together, she discovers that he is no ordinary man; he’s a beautiful being with an unusual secret – and despite it, she is falling in love with him.

Amazon

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VS NOTE: In case you missed this backlist title of mine, released earlier this year. I always wanted to write an epidemic novel and after the events of 2020 so far, my Muse insisted I write this one. I enjoyed this colony and the characters so much I’m seriously mulling over writing another book set there:

COLONY UNDER SIEGE: INTERSTELLAR PLAGUE

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:

September 2

August 26

August 19

August 12

August 5

“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.