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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LOST WITH HER ALIEN MATE (WARRIORS OF THE D’TALI BOOK 6) by Ava York and Starr Huntress
Strong. Beautiful. Perfect. If only I could make her see herself as I do. Ever since the human women arrived, I found myself drawn to her. Only her. Silent, eyes filled with terror, but brave enough to face this new world anyway. Every moment of her pain has cut me, torn my heart open. And when she leaves, looking for something that might heal her? I’ll make sure that nothing stands in her way. I will protect my mate from anything. From everything. Even if our journey takes us back to the lost beginnings of my tribe.
STARLINE (WARRIORS OF THE ELECTOR BOOK 2) by Imogene Nix
One man, one woman, one psychotic alien. The race is on to save humanity. Past, present, and future.
Mellissa Davis is your average bookstore owner and aspiring romance author until one day an electronic bookpad slides through the mail slot of her small store. Now all she has to worry about is a sexy, time-traveling stealth ship captain, staying out of the way of the bad guy, and saving the universe. Not much to ask…Duvall McCord, an up-and-coming space captain, travels to the past to stop the Ru’Edan leader’s plans to destroy the Earth Empire before it can be formed. His mission? Retrieve the handbook for the Elector. He doesn’t count on saving a woman who intrigues him or having to bring her back to his time in order to keep her safe. Time is running out. They must do whatever they can to stop the plot, but will it be enough?
ZOMBIES IN THE GRASS (TIME OF ZOMBIES BOOK 4) by Jill James
Before the zombie apocalypse, Danny Lopez was the drummer for a rock band. Now, he’s the leader of a band of children living in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Captain Willa Zara is in charge of soldiers and civilians at Camp Natomas, near Sacramento. Orders from the capital have her conscripting teenagers into the war against the undead. Will demanding children fight an unwinnable war be the last order she follows? Becoming a thief in the night, Danny raids the camp for much-needed supplies for the kids in his care. His activities place the woman he once loved in a tenuous position. Will she capture him and have him executed or will she finally do more than just take orders?
SEIZE THE NIGHT (DESIRE THE STARS TRILOGY BOOK 3) by C M Herndon
A Loyal Soldier…Jorsen made a mistake. He trusted the wrong man and it almost got them all killed. Now it’s just him and Shera against the world. They have no allies on the foreign planet they’ve landed on and a slew of enemies that want nothing more than to see him bleed. To survive, he must rely on the one person who betrayed them all, but for how long? Ransom is a snake that will seize any opportunity to stab him in the back again and his people are coming for him. He can only hope that the Victerans reach them first. He must warn them about Ransom’s treachery and tell them about the new threat, a true darkness from Victere’s brutal past that will swallow them whole. A Fool’s Errand…All Shera ever wanted was for her loved ones to be safe. Now she can’t protect anyone. She’s lost in the stars, stuck on a ship that’s delivering her and Jorsen straight into the hands of the enemy they fought so hard to defeat. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
STAR MATE MATCHED (INTERSTELLAR SHIFTERS BOOK 1) by Margo Bond Collins
Nora – Fired from my job. Kicked out of my apartment. And dumped at the altar. All in the same week. So of course, that’s when an alien swoops down in his spaceship and steals me away. FML. Worse, he’s an overbearing, possessive giant of an alien, complete with rippling muscles and a sexy smile that could melt even the most hardened heart. Okay. Maybe being abducted by an alien isn’t so bad, after all. But I still need to get home and straighten out my mess of a life. Right? Lutro – I was supposed to go to Earth to pick up my matched mate. When I got to the rendezvous point, Nora was waiting—so of course I brought her aboard. There’s only one problem. Nora’s not the human woman I was supposed to meet. She’s not my mate at all. So why is it all I can do to keep from claiming her as my own? If I were smart, I’d turn around and take her back to her home planet immediately. But I won’t.
THE SEVEN FOOT CUPID: LOCKED IN TOGETHER ON AN ALIEN WORLD (PASSION ISLAND TRILOGY BOOK 1) by Edward Hoornaert
Ember Dayle prides herself on handling anything her newly colonized planet can throw at her. After an injury, she’s determined to prove herself again. She gets her chance when ordered to explore a mysterious cave on a wilderness mountain. Until that’s done, the last thing she needs is the distraction of a man.
Tyler, an explorer from her town’s fierce rival, is sent to explore the same cave. Like Ember, he’s been in an accident…but he was the only survivor. When he meets Ember, he’s drawn not only to her beauty and toughness, but by her ability to deal openly with her accident. Booker is a naïve Apprentice Cupid for a secret group hoping to make the colonists healthier, and smarter by helping people with strong genes fall in love. His first assignment: Ember and Tyler. His strategy: lock them in an abandoned cabin together. With nothing else to pass the time, maybe they’ll find love. He doesn’t realize he’s locked them in with the fiercest, most intelligent native beast ever discovered. Can love help them survive?
MACHINEHOOD by S B Divya
VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note…
Welga Ramirez, executive bodyguard and ex-special forces, is about to retire early when her client is killed in front of her. It’s 2095 and people don’t usually die from violence. Humanity is entirely dependent on pills that not only help them stay alive, but allow them to compete with artificial intelligence in an increasingly competitive gig economy. Daily doses protect against designer diseases, flow enhances focus, zips and buffs enhance physical strength and speed, and juvers speed the healing process. All that changes when Welga’s client is killed by The Machinehood, a new and mysterious terrorist group that has simultaneously attacked several major pill funders. The Machinehood operatives seem to be part human, part machine, something the world has never seen. They issue an ultimatum: stop all pill production in one week. Global panic ensues as pill production slows and many become ill. Thousands destroy their bots in fear of a strong AI takeover. But the US government believes the Machinehood is a cover for an old enemy. One that Welga is uniquely qualified to fight. Welga, determined to take down the Machinehood, is pulled back into intelligence work by the government that betrayed her. But who are the Machinehood and what do they really want?
RATE OF RETURN (THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMEWORLD SECURITY BOOK 14) by Cassandra Chandler
VS Note: This is a re-release of her Pets in Space 5 story. The anthology is no longer available.
As co-owner of the only pet parlor in the county, Kimmy is serious about taking care of animals. When she hears a pair of dogs fighting in her yard in the middle of the night, she runs out to break them up. The only problem is they aren’t dogs—they’re wolves. And one of them has tentacles. And the other one is glowing. It seems like something straight out of her favorite paranormal romance novels when the glowing wolf turns into the hottest guy she’s ever seen. So what if he’s actually from outer space?
Serac is intrigued by the courageous Earthling that ran to his aid wielding only a primitive weapon called a ‘broom.’ His zyln, the elemental spirit that lives within him, is fascinated by her—a fascination that Serac quickly shares. But she’s thrown off his mission, accidentally imprinting with the Lyrian pet he was supposed to deliver and distracting him from securing smuggling routes out of Earth. To make things worse, his ex-partner, a shapeshifting mercenary from Scorpii-2, is out to capture Kimmy for his own nefarious ends. When Serac’s attraction deepens into his only chance at forming a mate bond, he is once more forced to choose between his heart and his conscience. And this time, he may not be strong enough to walk away. Can their bond survive while they work together to complete a mission that could benefit billions of sentients throughout the galaxy?
FORGET ME NOT: A NOVEL by Alexandra Oliva
VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note.
What if your past wasn’t what you thought? As a child, Linda Russell was left to raise herself in a twenty-acre walled-off property in rural Washington. The woods were her home, and for twelve years she lived oblivious to a stark and terrible truth: Her mother had birthed her only to replace another daughter who died in a tragic accident years before. Then one day Linda witnesses something she wasn’t meant to see. Terrified and alone, she climbs the wall and abandons her home, but her escape becomes a different kind of trap when she is thrust into the modern world—a world for which she is not only entirely unprepared, but which is unprepared to accept her. And you couldn’t see a future for yourself? Years later, Linda is living in bustling Seattle, but she has never felt more alone. With social media more ubiquitous than ever before, she is hounded by the society she is now forced to inhabit. When Linda meets a fascinating new neighbor who might just be a potential friend, and who shows her the possibility of a new escape through virtual reality, she begins to allow herself to hope for more by being sucked into a world that feels safe, but isn’t real. What would it take to reclaim your life? Then an unexplained fire at her infamous childhood home jolts Linda back to reality. She must return to the property for the first time since she was a girl, unleashing a chain of events that will not only endanger her life but challenge her understanding of family, memory, and the world itself.
MAGIC MUTANT NIGHTMARE GIRL (MAGIC MUTANTS BOOK 1) by Erin Grammar
Holly Roads uses Harajuku fashion to distract herself from tragedy. Her magical girl aesthetic makes her feel beautiful—and it keeps the world at arm’s length. She’s an island of one, until advice from an amateur psychic expands her universe. A midnight detour ends with her vs. exploding mutants in the heart of San Francisco. Brush with destiny? Check. Waking up with blue blood, emotions gone haywire, and terrifying strength that starts ripping her wardrobe to shreds? Totally not cute. Hunting monsters with a hot new partner and his unlikely family of mad scientists? Way more than she bargained for.
ELECTRA REX by April C Griffith
Electra Rex, the last human in known space, is broke—worse than broke, deeply in debt and out of options. After a desperate, drunken attempt to fix her faltering life, she finds herself in a deeper hole after stealing the most stylish starship she’s ever seen, but it comes with a massive lien. She’s left with a fast ship, a nearly indestructible debt-enforcement robot named Letterman watching her every move and a lead on a lucrative job with the mysterious organization known as Bi-MARP, which is set to rebuild Earth on the two-thousand-year anniversary of its destruction. Across two galaxies, she struggles to stay one step ahead of space pirates and creditors, all while trying to catch the eye of a beautiful, vivacious bisexual clone named Treasure, who was recently rescued from a top-secret university lab run by academic squids. She succeeds in seducing Treasure—or perhaps it’s the other way around—while they run scams to find earthling relics like the original formula for Coca-Cola, a 1968 Volkswagen Beatle, a mostly complete Monopoly board game and a largely accurate, if not small and green, clone of an elephant. All the while, Electra has to hide the fact that Treasure is actually the most valuable item on the Bi-MARP list—a fertile human female. When the truth of humanity’s demise and the goals of Bi-MARP are uncovered, Electra, the galaxy’s foremost transgender hero, decides that the riches and fame aren’t worth the sacrifices, and she turns on her former employer to rescue Treasure a third time, completing her search for money, what it means to be human without the rest of humanity and, most of all, love.
THE HOME I FIND WITH YOU by Skye Kilaen
Life in rural Colorado after the second U.S. Civil War is perilous. Van and his girlfriend Hadas only recovered from the attack that killed Van’s wife because their community helped them heal. The warmth Van and Hadas share isn’t the love he lost, but it’s precious. He’s content.
Clark survived the war, but his family fractured and now his relationships are in ruins… which must be his fault, or everyone wouldn’t say so. Figuring he can’t destroy ties he doesn’t create, he relocates to start over, zero interpersonal complications welcome. When Van and Clark meet, though, it’s nothing but complicated. Clark can’t stop wanting quiet, loyal Van no matter how the electricity between them misfires, and Van craves more than hookups from the charismatic newcomer. Hadas and others start coaxing Clark out of his emotional isolation, but when violence threatens the town, Van and Hadas must leave him behind to defend it. To bring them safely home, Clark must decide whether Van’s love, Hadas’s friendship, and the belonging he’s found are enough to overcome his fear of once again letting down those he cares about.
GALACTIC HELLCATS by Marie Vibbert
VS Note: Not listed as a romance but a scifi release of note…
Ki is a petty thief. Her best friend wills her his solo-flyer—call it a space motorcycle: temperamental, fast as hell, and expensive to maintain. Any reasonable person would sell it to get off the street, but Ki isn’t reasonable. Margot is a military vet at loose ends. She blows her entire back pay on a solo-flyer, a decision she instantly regrets but can’t bring herself to undo. Margot meets Ki and thinks she’s the sympathetic friend she needs when she feels most alone. Ki thinks Margot is an easy mark for food money. They’re both right, but lunch leads to a joy ride to planet Ratana, where Margot is arrested by border control. Ki enlists Ratanese local Zuleikah, a bored rich girl who can think of no stupider, and therefore better, way to spend her time than busting someone out of jail. Together they rescue Margot, but find themselves trapped on a hostile planet on the cusp of civil war. When Zuleikah convinces them that their best bet for escape is to kidnap—er, rescue—Prince Thane from his dreary role in the crumbling monarchy, it results in a chase across the desert and into the farthest reaches of the universe. If they can learn to trust each other, and if the repo men, cops, and three different galactic governments don’t catch them, the Galactic Hellcats might just use their solo-fliers to carve a place for themselves among the stars.
THE DOCTOR’S PRIZE by Maren Smith
VS Note: From FEB 26
Yesterday I was the pilot of a badly damaged ship desperately trying to reach a friendly outpost. Today I am a specimen, naked, helpless, and on display for a huge, terrifyingly sexy alien brute. I knew the risks of leading my crew into the Colbear Quadrant, but we were losing power fast and I had no choice. Now the truth is clear. The ships that vanished in this region were not lost. They were taken. Taken by beasts like the one now examining me to ensure I am ready to be claimed and ravaged. But I can feel him losing control of his instincts. He’s not going to save me for captive breeding. He’s going to take me himself, right here and now, and he’s not going to be scientific about it.
COMMAND CONTROL (TERRAN RESET BOOK 4) by Viola Grace
Maya worked hard jobs all her life, and a devastating explosion at sea turned her from a hard worker into a crispy critter. Bedridden and blind, she accepts the order from the Volunteer Project and gets herself reset into a body that can move and skin that isn’t black. She did not think of anything aside from getting her body back under her control, so when she ends up at her assignment as a guardian communicator and tactician for three worlds, she does the job with good cheer until she got the first day off. Having locals trying to seduce her was strange, but knowing that she had been reset with the genes to be one of their queens, she just tried to ignore it. An act of kindness puts her in the path of a guardian who coincidentally also has a day off, and her day in the sun warms up considerably from there.
The next day she meets his teammate, and the next teammate the day after that. The new genes come with new morals and less control.
Amazon Note: Her other books are on Apple Books and Kobo so maybe this one will get there too
FRAGILE REMEDY by Maria Ingrande More
VS Note: Sounds really good…an LGBTQ scifi release of note…I went ahead and pre-ordered it.
Sixteen-year-old Nate is a Gem—a Genetically Engineered Medical Surrogate—created by Gathos City scientists as a cure for the elite from the fatal lung rot ravaging the population. As a child, Nate was smuggled out of the laboratory where he was held captive and into the Withers—a quarantined, lawless region. He manages to survive by becoming a Tinker, fixing broken tech in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep. When he meets Reed, a kind and fiercely protective boy that makes his heart race, and his misfit gang of scavengers, Nate finds the family he’s always longed for—even if he can’t risk telling them what he is.
But Gathos created a genetic failsafe in their Gems—a flaw in their DNA that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. When violence erupts across the Withers, Nate’s illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay—and die—with the boy he loves.
NEW THERIAN CITY (CITIZEN HILL BOOK 2) by Simon Sayz
Hell knows no fury like a scorched and scorned Syth-L. With his message now out, Bless fans the flames of a revolution, seeking to free the people from the federation’s stronghold. He’ll stop at nothing to atone for the wrongs of his past and of those still in power. Citizen yearns to become as human as possible and discovers more about her parents. Still “enemies” on paper, Bless a rebel and Citizen a Fed agent, must find some common ground to stand on without cracking in the process. Her call to duty and his need to rectify grave wrongs lends them on an unknown path full of conflict and destruction.
THE EMP TEST by J Scott Coatsworth
VS Note: A short…
Jey awakens to find himself in the care of a handsome stranger – a cheff from one of the mouuntain tribes, enemies of his own people. Afraid for his life, Jey has no choice but to let the man take care of him and his broken leg.
Avain is on his Aud’ling – his coming-of-age test that requires him to spend a couple months alone, away from his own people. When he finds the steader trapped under his aur with a broken leg, he knows he has to help. But not being allowed to speak during his test makes things… difficult. The two of them will have to come to an understanding if they’re not going to kill one another. And Avain has a secret to share with Jey, one that that will change his life forever.
FOUND BY THE ALIEN FIRE PRINCE (LOST IN THE STARS BOOK 1) by Kindsey Devin
I’ll never let a man control me again. I left the Earth to get away from my controlling ex, and I refuse to fall into another man’s arms … not even an amazingly masculine alien that awakens an uncontrollable attraction within me.
Bask is the definition of alpha male and my opposite in every way. He comes from an alien species full of domineering males, and I’m not interested. I can’t deny that I’m hot for him, but I’m not willing to be his submissive little female. When our ship crash-es, he goes into protector mode. He thinks I’m a helpless human. I might not have the power to summon fire at my fingertips, but I’m not weak. We’re trapped together, but I’m not going to submit to him, no matter how hot it is when we kiss. If he wants me as his mate, he’ll have to accept the strong woman I’ve worked so hard to become.
EXPOSE: BEYOND THE THAW (THE THAW CHRONICLES BOOK 8) by Heidi Catherine and Tamar Sloan
They were meant to bring Askala to the world. Now the war is coming to Askala. Sam, Hawk, Luca and Mercy must return home to protect the society they were bred to champion. But how do they defend peace loving Askala from the greatest threat yet? As secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested, everyone will be forced to question who is friend and who is foe. The Commander is far more dangerous than anyone realized. The Outlanders are divided about whose side they’re really on. And Askala is unprepared for an attack. In the ocean separating the two worlds, the final battle will decide the future of not only Askala, but who will control the Newlands. Sam, Hawk, Luca and Mercy will have to accomplish the impossible—unity.
ALTERED TIDES (THE GALACTIC CAPTAINS BOOK 5) by Harry F Rey
A malfunctioning STAR drive strands Captain Ales in a new galaxy. Trapped on a dry, dusty red moon where the rains fall only once every forty years, the restless population barely survives on a teardrop ration of water. Now, the rains are years overdue, and the ruling clerics view Ales as a savior—or a devil. Just as Ales and the She-King’s brother discover a secret the clerics have been hiding for far too long, this world is invaded and torn apart from a most unlikely source.The blue moon is a world covered in water—water that flows over to the red moon as rain every forty years, thereby drying up the domain of King Sarlord. He’s finally had enough and gathers an army to sail into the sky on the waterspout, land on the red moon, and defeat the god who steals his ocean. His son, Prince Malar, will do anything to avoid staying behind, but even he gets much more than he bargained for when the world as he knows it is swept away on altered tides.
SHADOW’S CHOSEN (DARK WORLD MATES BOOK 3) by Olivia Riley
A top operative in her field, Elise was trained since youth to be one of Earth’s most elite soldiers. But nothing could prepare her for Tyrminus and the deadly aliens taking over the city. One job: find the Grayhart team of explorers that have disappeared within the undercity and bring them back alive. A seemingly impossible mission. One rule: stay away from the alien bounty hunters–especially their terrifying and hypnotic leader, Nezka–who’ve been assigned to hunt down the mysterious criminal overlord now ruling the undercity. As much as Elise would gladly abide by that rule, fate had other plans. Now Nezka is her only hope of surviving. Despite how wicked and dangerous he may seem, the ruthless hunter claims he will aid her in the fight to save the others and escape the city. Because protecting her suddenly seems his top priority. But Nezka carries dark secrets, including a separate mission that could destroy the growing bond between them. Can she trust him? Or will he be her end?
EPSILON MATE: AN OMEGAVERSE SF TALE by Katie Douglas
She was mine. Mine to take. Mine to control. Mine to command. My omega. And I would make her obey.
…Somehow. Twenty-five years ago, a radiation storm hit my home planet, Epsilon, killing most of the omegas. The only way to protect our babies was to send them away into space. But the mission was sabotaged, the newborn omegas were lost. Alphas have searched across the galaxy for them ever since the storm passed. Now, they are adults. And I will find them. I have narrowed down their destination to a distant planet called Earth. I stop for food and find a lost omega working in a fast-food kitchen. Once I catch her scent, there is no other choice. I claim my virgin omega over and over. I will keep knotting with her until she carries my child. But attempts on her life reveal a traitor on my ship. How can I protect my mate from a dark conspiracy?
WANTED BY THE HUNTER (XARC’N WARRIORS BOOK 2) by Lynnea Lee
NATALIE – A knight in shining loincloth – That’s what I’m looking for. I’ve been lusting after the Xarc’n hunters since they landed on Earth, offering to help us fight the alien bugs. These seven feet tall, musclebound warriors are horned, clawed, and fanged—the ultimate protectors. And Rajiv’k is the perfect specimen. Just one problem: I can’t fall in love. Nope! Not after the crappy relationships I’ve had. I refuse to deal with a broken heart during the bugpocalypse. No way! So I keep things transactional, his protection for my companionship. What can go wrong, right?
WHEN MORPHEUS OVERSLEPT by Michael Scott Phillips
VS Note: From FEB 15…”gay, nonbinary” per the Queer SciFi twitter feed.
Brilliant physicist Henry Sullivan attempts to colonize TRAPPIST-1e in order to prove his superluminal theories, but is instead marooned by a terrifying alien in a ruined city and haunted by the ghost of his wife.
HUNTER CLAIMED (TARRON HUNTERS BOOK 1) by Nola Robertson
VS Note: A re-release…
Ricka Daniels wants nothing more than to return to her home on Earth. Her plans to leave the desolate mining colony on Rivean change when she’s targeted by alien slavers. After a Tarron Hunter intervenes and prevents her abduction, Ricka believes she is safe. She soon discovers the handsome law enforcer with intoxicating catlike eyes has a different view of what a rescue should entail. Ideas that include trapping her aboard his spaceship and taking her to his home planet. Tarron Hunter Synge Varlik has sworn to protect the inhabitants in his quadrant, including the human female whose mere presence taunts the animalistic side of his nature. He will protect her with his life and do whatever is necessary to keep the woman alive and out of the hands of slavers, even if he has to claim her as his mate to do it.
MAID FOR HIM (INTERSTELLAR FATED MATES BOOK 1) by Athena Storm and Tara Starr
If Royal Admiral Zenir thinks I’m going to be his maid, he’s got another thing coming…He discovered me and two children stowing away on his ship. Now instead of being killed, I’m supposed to wait on this muscled up alien warrior as he provides food and shelter to me and the two kids? Yeah, okay, things could be worse, I suppose. I’m not going to let him claim me. Not without a fight! He can say I’m his fated mate all he wants. I’m not falling for his panty-dropping dimples. Forget his royal alien bedroom eyes and his big, buff arms. I may be his maid. But he’s not the boss of me. And no, I don’t want him to be. I don’t. Really! So why do I feel so happy when he and I and the children are all together? Why does it feel more like home than anything else I’ve ever felt? But mostly…Why does it feel like we’re a real family?
MAGNIFICENT DEVICES: MANOR HOUSE QUARTET by Shelley Adina
VS Note: 4 short steampunk adventures in one set. These have been released separately.
Married eight months, Lady Claire Trevelyan and Dr. Andrew Malvern are blissfully working together on a new invention, and providing a home for a collection of street sparrows. In Carrick House, they escape an onslaught of unexpected guests and sleep aboard Athena. The last thing they expect is to have their airship hijacked … with Claire’s little brother Nicholas still aboard. In Selwyn Place, Lady Emilie Selwyn invites Andrew and Claire to her very first country house party. There, they meet a guest with violent connections to an old crime in Claire’s past. She will not allow anything to chill dear Emilie’s first foray into society—even if it means that the Lady of Devices must come out of retirement once again. In Holly Cottage, Maggie Polgarth astonishes everyone by buying her own home near Vauxhall Gardens. But the south bank gangs have not forgotten her connection to the Lady. Jake Fletcher McTavish will not allow anyone to harm a hair on Maggie’s head. But how can he show her that his feelings run deeper than those of a brother? Lastly, in Gwynn Place, eight-year-old Nicholas departs for his first year at Eton—and does not arrive. As the danger mounts, can this small member of an ingenious and courageous family tip the balance between power and love, and save more than one life?
COMMANDER’S SLAVE (KALL ALIEN WARRIORS BOOK 2) by Sue Lyndon
VS Note: A “lengthened and re-edited” re-release.
She’s given to a savage alien warrior…Sentenced to a lifetime of slavery on the Kall homeworld, First Daughter Betsy Carson expects the rest of her days to be a constant struggle for survival. She’s stunned when a wiseman purchases her from the auction block as a gift for his younger brother – a savage Kall warrior named Edek who loathes humans with his every breath. Her hopes to be left alone by her new master are dashed when he orders her to sleep in his bed, and she soon discovers disobedience will be met with firm consequences. The little human consumes his thoughts…Commander Edek is still grieving the loss of his wife and sons. He blames humans for the accident that stole his family, and he shouldn’t feel such an intense attraction to the little human slave his brother has thrust upon him. Though he tries to build up walls around his heart, Betsy’s sweet presence gradually calms the storm raging within, and he becomes fiercely possessive of the small female. But can a Kall commander and a human slave share a future that doesn’t end in tragedy?
REBEL’S FLIGHT (THE OBSIDIAN SERIES BOOK 1) by Kate Pearce
Sentenced to ten years hard labor on a prison planet means the end of Nia’s protected existence as the emperor’s ‘pet’. But her welcome among her own people isn’t assured, and the man assigned as her bond holder makes his disgust of her all too clear. Can Nia convince her peers that she has valuable information that might prevent the eradication of their telepathic race or will their distrust of her cause them to miss the opportunity to soar?
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VS Note: Just a reminder my STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE released last week!
VS Note: This was my novel in the 2020 Pets in Space 5 anthology, which is no longer on sale. There’s no new content. This story is the third in my “Titanic in Space” trilogy (with WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM and STAR SURVIVOR), although the books can easily be read as standalones.
Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three year old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to make the effort to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.
Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic. The two share more in common than either of them realizes and their attraction grows as the voyage continues.
But powerful enemies including a conspiracy theory-obsessed fellow passenger and sinister individuals with hostile intentions are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship? Or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from the day her last voyage came to a disastrous end?
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THE QUEEN’S WEAPONS (BLACK JEWELS BOOK 11) by Anne Bishop
They are Warlord Princes, men born to serve and protect. They are the Queen’s Weapons, men born to destroy the Queen’s enemies–no matter what face that enemy wears. Daemonar Yaslana knows how to be bossy yet supportive–traits he shares with his father, the Demon Prince, and his uncle, the High Lord of Hell. Within his generation of the family, he assumes the role of protector, supporting his sister Titian’s artistic efforts and curbing his cousin Jaenelle Saetien’s more adventurous ideas. But when a young Eyrien Queen, someone Titian thought was a friend, inflicts an emotional wound, Daemonar’s counterattack brings him under the tutelage of Witch, the Queen whose continued existence is known only to a select few. As Daemonar is confronted by troubling changes within and around the family, he sees warnings that a taint in the Blood might be reappearing. Daemonar, along with his father and uncle, must uncover the source of a familiar evil–and Daemon Sadi, the High Lord of Hell, may be forced into making a terrible choice.
FROM SHADOW AND SILENCE (ELEMENTS OF FIVE BOOK 4) by Carrie Ann Ryan
The end of the centuries-long war is almost here, and the fate of the realm rests on one girl’s shoulders. The Gray has gathered his forces—and has Lyric in his clutches. The enemy’s plan to control the kingdoms has been revealed, but traitors from both sides might alter the course of fate. Lyric must return to Easton and the others before all is lost. Battle lines must be forged, and surprising alliances cast. The prophecy has never altered, and life comes at an ultimate price. Not all who fight will survive, but in the end, it will come down to the choice of a Priestess and her soul.
SPELLMAKER (SPELLBREAKER BOOK 2) by Charlie N Holmberg
England, 1895. An unsolved series of magician murders and opus thefts isn’t a puzzle to Elsie Camden. But to reveal a master spellcaster as the culprit means incriminating herself as an unregistered spellbreaker. When Elsie refuses to join forces with the charming assassin, her secret is exposed, she’s thrown in jail, and the murderer disappears. But Elsie’s hope hasn’t vanished. Through a twist of luck, the elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey helps Elsie join the lawful, but with a caveat: they must marry to prove their cover story. Forced beneath a magical tutor while her bond with Bacchus grows, Elsie seeks to thwart the plans of England’s most devious criminal—if she can find them. With hundreds of stolen spells at their disposal, the villain has a plan—and it involves seducing Elsie to the dark side. But even now that her secret is out, Elsie must be careful how she uses the new abilities she’s discovering, or she may play right into the criminal’s hands.
THE MOONFIRE BRIDE (OF CANDLELIGHT AND SHADOWS BOOK 1) by Sylvia Mercedes
Hers is a life without magic or romance. Until the night he whispers her name. For years, Valera has worked weary hours as a seamstress just to keep food on the table. She would give her all to protect her little sister from the cruelties of the world . . . and the tantalizing lure of the fae forest. One day, she fears, the fae will spirit her sister away, and how can Valera hope to stop them? Then the fae come. Not for her sister . . . but for her. Trapped in a magnificent palace far from her own world, Valera finds herself the unwilling bride of an enigmatic fae lord. He claims he won’t harm her and vows to return her home after a year and a day if she honors one rule: she must never see his face. Determined to return to her sister at all costs, Valera struggles to unravel the mystery of her so-called husband. Why does he so desperately need a wife? And why her specifically? Torn between love, duty, and the unexpected freedom she finds in this strange new world, Valera must fight to find her place. But will a burgeoning passion for the unseen figure in the shadows be her undoing?
MIDNIGHT WHISPERS by Various
The vampires gather when the sun goes down – The wolves howl as the moon grows round – The witches whisper as the stars drown…The worlds of supernatural and familiar collide in this thrilling collection of books. Delve into the darkness and experience a world that exists just beyond the boundary of our reality. These authors bring you stories of vampires, shifters, demons, witches, faes, and angels. Immerse yourself in the pages and join in on the adventures as you get lost in chaos, excitement, betrayal, love and romance because when worlds collide, sometimes all that is left in the dark of night are whispers…Satisfy your paranormal romance and urban fantasy cravings with MIDNIGHT WHISPERS – a 23 book collection from USA Today, and NYT Bestselling authors. This is a limited edition collection you don’t want to miss. Each book is exclusive and can not be found anywhere else. Grab this ultimate bundle for 99 cents before it’s gone forever!
TREASON OF ROBYN HOOD by D Lieber
What is the price of justice? As a ward of the Lacklands, Robyn Loxley has lived a privileged life. Even now, in 1942, when another war ravages the world and people on the home front must do without, her adopted family is not affected by the rations and shortages. That’s not to say she hasn’t been affected by the war personally. As Robyn hits yet another roadblock in her quest to see her best friend Will, trapped in a Japanese-American concentration camp, she stumbles onto the people of Sherwood. With dark truths revealed about the Lacklands and what really goes on in Midshire, Robyn must answer what justice means to her and what she’s willing to do to exact it. Robyn and the merry band get an update in this dieselpunk adventure.
DREAM ENDER (BAILEY SPADE BOOK 4) by Anna Zaires and Dima Zales
Not only is Phobetor real, he’s about to destroy life on every world with sentient beings. You could say he’s becoming a bit of a problem. Unless I’m somehow the hero of an ancient prophecy—and let’s face it, I’m not—everyone I care about is in major trouble. My name is Bailey Spade, and this is how my story ends.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CONUNDRUM (MURDER IN THE MIX BOOK 32) 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. The baby is here, all is revealed regarding its paternity—and a killer is taunting Lottie to reveal them too.
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 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.
THE WICKED WILL RISE (UNIVERSITY OF MORGANA: ACADERMY OF WITCHCRAFT AND ENCHANTMENTS BOOK 8) by Emma Dean
The Angel of Death wants his Death Knight and he will do anything to get her. Azrael has taken Audrey and Mika has to find a way to save her sister without endangering everyone she’s sworn to protect. Too many people she thought she trusted are keeping secrets from her while the Angel of Death keeps sending his legions to test her strength and abilities. Too many things aren’t adding up and Mika has to figure out how to defeat the Angel of Death without starting the apocalypse she’s been desperately trying to avoid. Will she be able to save Audrey without losing everything?
DESIRE (VAMPIRE BELOVED BOOK 4) by R E Butler
Traz has seen a lot of things since his vampire turning three centuries ago, but he’s never seen anyone as enchanting as the human who works at the coat check at the club. He feels in his heart that she’s meant to be his, but he has no idea how to approach her.
Avery Banner has been working at Fang since February and loves getting to know the people around the club. Particularly the sexy Traz with the piercing jade green eyes. But he never talks to her, so she feels she’s alone in the intense desires that flow through her whenever he’s around. Her older sister, however, is furious that Avery is working for the vampires. As a staunch supporter of the anti-vampire group The First Church of Humanity, Daria wants Avery out of the club and dating a member of the Cleveland branch of the church ASAP. Avery’s got bigger problems than her fussy sister’s dating advice—an ex-boyfriend is intent on getting back into her life, no matter how many times she says no. When Traz finds Avery near death, he has no choice but to alter her life in every conceivable way. His intervention makes them both a target for the church. Will Traz be able to keep her safe from the people who want her dead?
Amazon Note: Many of her books are on Apple Books so perhaps this one will get there some day Kobo
MASK OF POISON (FALL OF UNDER BOOK 1) by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
As a hunter, Ember’s life was spent saving humanity from the flesh-starved corpses eager to devour them. Then, a fresh evil clawed its way to the surface, leaving Ember feeling she traded one apocalypse for another. Rxa gave his life to protect his kingdom. But now he’s back, undead and untethered. Craving carnage, he has gathered an army to destroy Under and any who dare stand in his way. His every intention is to leave Ember for last. For even in death, she consumes his every thought. Can Ember protect her new world after failing the last? Or will Rxa succeed in wiping out Under, a place he deems too cruel to survive?
DARK KISS (TWILIGHT COURT BOOK 12) by Amy Sumida
After unmasking a drug dealing fairy in St. Louis, Seren thought she was done with the magical drug market. But Seren and her Ambassador husband are drawn back to St. Louis when another version of Newt hits the streets, this one leaving burned corpses around the city. But a magical drug is only the beginning of Seren’s problems in St. Louis; there’s a sexy baron who insists the Goddess is calling them together and a mysterious group of soldiers who may or may not be allies. Drugs, sex, and violence—it’s just an average assignment for the Twilight Star.
WILD HUNT (SHADOWN GUILD: WOLF QUEEN BOOK 2) by Linsey Hall
My secret is out, and the Alpha knows what I am. Despite ten years of secrecy, Lachlan has realized that I’m his mate. He is not pleased that I’ve been hiding from him. And the fact that I escaped from his cell? Yeah, he hates that too. It’s hardly my worst problem, though. There’s a killer after me. Multiple killers, if our source is to be believed. As much as I want to run a hundred miles from Lachlan to avoid the mate bond, it’s too dangerous. I need his help to find the people who are after me, and there’s no way he’d let me go, anyway. As much as I hate it, we’re going to have to team up to stop a madman. The hunt forces us together, and despite our best efforts to resist each other, it becomes harder every day. It’s going to take everything I have not to fall to temptation, but I must–especially if I want to survive.
HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY by Safia Elhillo
VS Note: Magical realism
The powerful novel-in-verse from Safia Elhillo, the critically acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” list. This mesmerizing journey of family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected places is filled with lyrical beauty and stunning strength. Nima doesn’t feel understood. By her mother, who grew up far away in a different land. By her suburban town, which makes her feel too much like an outsider to fit in and not enough like an outsider to belong somewhere else. At least she has her childhood friend Haitham, with whom she can let her guard down and be herself. Until she doesn’t. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen, the name her parents didn’t give her at birth: Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And more hungry. And the life Nima has, the one she keeps wishing were someone else’s . . . she might have to fight for it with a fierceness she never knew she had.
SENSELESS (STEEL DEMONS MC BOOK 7) by Crystal Ash
Our home is on the brink of war, and my marriage hangs by a thread. While neighboring armies threaten to march on Four Corners, I’m dealing with a war zone at home. I can’t bring myself to look at Reaper or Gunner, let alone speak to them. I don’t know where my love life stands, or if I even have one anymore. Only Jandro is my rock, and only my work gives me purpose. Eager for a distraction, I jump at the chance to become a battle medic again. Little did I know it would force me to end the weeks of silence between me and my men. And it’s made me realize I might not be ready to let them go after all. Forgiveness is a long way off, however. Before I can even consider it, Horus tells me it’s time to leave. I have to find Shadow with the sky god as my only guide. And somehow, I must find a way to end the senseless violence coming for everyone I love.
AN ALPHA FOR DAHLIA: OMEGAVERSE ROMANCE by L P Dillon
How far would you go to satisfy your urges, if all Beta men couldn’t hit the right spot? Would you buy an Alpha at a slave auction? Probably not. That’s a crazy idea, right? Especially if you’re a vulnerable Beta woman. Most Beta women would be petrified with the idea of dating or mating an Alpha, but for Dahlia Mountford, that was all she’d ever fantasized about. Her mother and friends thought she was insane, and tried to convince her to settle down with her gorgeous boyfriend, Jaxon. As appealing as he was to most, Dahlia always felt like something was missing. Whether it was his pathetic growl, or failed attempts at dominance, she didn’t know exactly. All she knew for sure, was that matter no how much he tried to please her, he always fell short. Every Beta man did. A drunken, accidental bid at Algar-din’s slave auction, changes the course of Dahlia’s life forever. The question is, will it be all she ever wished for? Or will it be a deadly disaster?
CUTE BUT PRICKLY (SHIFTER BITES book 1) by Zoe Chant
VS Note: From FEB 9…
Too prickly to love? After getting her heart broken, hedgehog shifter Hester just wants to get away from romance for the Valentine’s Day weekend. Instead she ends up snowbound in a gorgeous mountain lodge with the most amazing man she’s ever met. He’s sexy. He’s sweet. He’s funny. He turns into a grison, the most adorable ferret-like animal she’s ever seen. And he’s her fated mate. Too bad Hester’s not ready to open herself to love again. But Mauro is determined to heal her broken heart. Will one romantic, snowbound weekend be enough for this prickly little hedgehog to accept the love of a man and his weasel?
FIRE AND RESCUE SHIFTERS FIRST MISSION by Zoe Chant
VS Note: From FEB 25…
Cat stuck up a tree? Sounds like a job for a dragon…Dragon shifter Dai had hoped that his first mission as a firefighter would be just a little heroic. A cat stuck up a tree was not exactly what he had in mind. But there’s more to this cranky kitty than meets the eye…and more than lives at stake. It’ll take a whole crew of powerful shifters to handle this emergency…A sweet, funny, and heartwarming shifter short story – perfect for brightening up your coffee break!
THE TOYMAKER’S CURSE (GLASS AND STEELE BOOK 11) by C J Archer
Are curses real? After a toymaker magician gives a lecture at a collector’s club soiree, an important spell is stolen and a man is found strangled. The investigation into his murder leads India and Matt to the colorful and dangerous world of the Romany gypsy where curses are used as weapons against their enemies. But nobody seems to know if curses are real or not. As Matt and India close in on the killer, old foes bring trouble into their lives. With the threat of exposure hanging over London’s magicians, disaster is never far away. Then one fateful day, catastrophe strikes the Park Street household.
THE APPRENTICE GRADUATES: THE ALCHEMIST BOOK 3 by Stacey Keystone
Dana Bedwen may have become a dark mage despite her wishes, but now she needs to learn how to use it. As she graduates from University, she also needs to settle in the rural area she is being sent to, to repay for her education.
There, in Kesteven, she’ll continue her magical apprenticeship, with her two Magical Masters following there, even as her husband, Detective Jack Taylor, starts uncovering some of the area’s dark secrets. The Society of Learning, the remnants of the Inquisition, haven’t forgotten about Dana, either, and some of her family’s secrets will be revealed, despite Dana’s preference for ignorance.
CITY OF SPELLS (INTO THE CROOKED PLACE BOOK 2) by Alexandra Christo
After the loss of Wesley and the horrifying reveal that Zekia is helping the Kingpin of her own free will, Tavia, Saxony, and Karam flee to Saxony’s home to rebuild their rebellion. Meanwhile, trapped in the Kingpin’s darkness, Wesley must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind and find a way back to his friends before it’s too late. As the Kingpin’s dark magic spreads and his army conquers Creije, these four unlikely friends have to decide just how far they’ll go—and how much they are willing to sacrifice—to win.
MAGNIFIED by Mell Eight
On her deathbed, Yani’s great-grandmother reveals she has one last story from her past to tell: that of his great-uncle Yakov, who helped her survive the Nazis. It’s a story of vampires and werewolves he can scarcely believe—and in the wake of his great-grandmother’s death, Yani discovers the story is far from over. The world of vampires and werewolves isn’t a safe place for a human, even one with Yani’s unusual family history. With danger at his door, the smart thing would be to run, but much like his great-grandmother, Yani has never been very good at running away—especially with his loved ones and the whole world at stake.
MIDNIGHT KING (SHIFTER ISLAND BOOK 3) by Leia Stone
After a vicious battle for the crown, I’m now Alpha King. My brothers are safe, as is my mother, but my fated mate Nai Crescent is…Gone. In the middle of my coronation ceremony she disappears. All signs point to a kidnapping, but the High Mage Realm is off limits for my kind. I’ll be damned before I let anyone take her from me. Unfortunately, Nai’s abduction isn’t my only problem. Between the outcast shifters, the lower class mages, and strange deaths in Dark Row, I struggle under the weight of royal responsibilities. The longer I rule, the more I discover how dirty the high mages are playing… and how desperate they are for power. And I start to wonder if Nai was abducted, or if she left of her own free will. Was fate wrong about us? Told from Courage “Rage” Midnight’s POV, this fast-paced novella gives exclusive insight into the new Alpha King’s heart and mind after Nai’s disappearance.
BROKEN SPELL (FAE-RY TALES 2) by Mychael Black
Wizard Micah Norwood was exiled from his cabal, but he didn’t leave empty-handed. Every cabal possesses a Focus Gem, a crystal used to store collective energies, used only for wide-reaching spells. He knows his cabal is readying to overthrow a Dark Fae House, but he doesn’t know why. After meeting Kirof, a Dark Fae on the run from his own House, Micah realizes he can’t let the cabal succeed. Kirof, formerly of House Vakeor, has no idea why his companion Micah was exiled, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before the wizards or the Dark Fae find them. Desperately trying to keep them one step ahead of their pursuers, Kirof finds himself caring far more for Micah than he should.
PEPPERMINT PRANCER (HEARTTHROBS AND HOLIDAYS BOOK 2) by Ellis Leigh
Being an elf in North Pole, Alaska, means one thing to me: baking to support my fellow elves who are responsible for making toys. When a fellow kitchen elf takes a tumble days before the big gift run, I’m assigned to the reindeer shifter side of town. Carb-loading is my specialty, after all. No way would I let the reindeer team fail after a solid year of work by elves and reindeer alike. I know my role—get in, bake, get out—but while delivering delightful pastries to the hungry sleigh-pullers, I run into a problem. One by the name of Prancer. Yes, he’s a reindeer shifter. Yes, he’s an OG on the sleigh team. And yes, he’s just as obsessed with me as I am with him. But each species has its rules, and everyone in North Pole knows we have to work together to pull off the Christmas run. Which means keeping the secret of our fated connection from everyone—elves, reindeer, Santa…Even Prancer himself. Christmas is coming whether we’re ready or not…and it’s going to be a battle to keep my ho ho ho on the down low low low.
MOON KISSED (CHOSEN VAMPIRE SLAYER BOOK 2) by Mila Young
There’s a war on……and we’re on the losing side. But that’s not the only problem I’ve got. Someone or something is killing off the humans in Anchorage… and the fallout is landing right on our shoulders. Or at least on those of us left.
Seth has vanished. I refuse to believe he’s gone for good. I won’t. If I have to go through heaven and hell to find him, that’s just what I’ll do. I owe him that. And I’m on it as hot and heavy as the growing attraction between me and the monsters I’ve fallen for. Which is more than complicated. And could use some of my time…But I’ve got none. Another monster, one hidden in the shadows, is making it his business to get in my way. Which means the boys and I have our hands full just surviving another day. And things are only getting worse. There’s something coming for me, and it won’t stop until I’m dead.
SWEET AND BITTER MAGIC by Adrienne Tooley
Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others. Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father. Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don’t kill each other first.
DOWN COMES THE NIGHT: A NOVEL by Allison Saft
He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness. Wren Southerland’s reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she’s been dismissed from the Queen’s Guard and separated from her best friend—the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself. The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren’s patient isn’t a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom’s sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths. With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they’ll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal’s illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall. Love makes monsters of us all
THE BONE MAKER: A NOVEL by Sarah Beth Durst
Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less. She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives. But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all. Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.”
THE SECOND BELL by Gabriela Houston
In an isolated mountain community, sometimes a child is born with two hearts. Such a child – a striga – is considered a dangerous demon, which must be abandoned on the edge of the forest to protect the community. The only choice the child’s mother can make is whether to leave her home with her infant, or stay behind and try to forget. Miriat made her choice. She and her nineteen-year-old striga daughter, Salka, now live a life of deprivation and hardship in a remote village, where to follow the impulses of the other heart is forbidden. But Salka is headstrong and young, and when threatened with losing everything, she is forced to explore the depths of her true nature, testing the bonds between mother and child.
SALVATION (FATED SOULS BOOK 4) by Elle Lincoln
Whelp, I didn’t see that coming. No pun intended—well, maybe a little pun with special sauce. Somehow I’ve landed in a weird space where I’m not quite dead but not quite alive either, standing on the edge of something incredible—if only I take the chance and dive into the unknown. My mates taught me to jump on in without hesitation. I hope the water is warm. Taking a leap of faith isn’t necessarily the issue, it’s kicking my legs hard enough to break the surface for that first breath of fresh air. Oh, and also avoiding those who would rather see me drown. Dying was easy, but it’s living that may prove difficult, especially when a certain god wants to rip the bonds of fate from my soul. Unfortunately for him, I’ve already claimed my place with my mates and I’m ready to fight like hell to keep them. No matter what.
CARROLL – LEOPARD SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE (MORGAN’S LEAP BOOK 1) by Kathi S Barton
Carroll Golden and his five brothers were the first of their kind. Born leopards, they were blessed with the magic of being the first leopard shifters. Morgan, their mother by proxy, raised them to blend in with humans and to be good men. Blessed with immortality, they all lived together on Morgan’s Leap, a sanctuary for all nature. Hanna March worked for the FDA. She had always wanted to visit Morgan’s Leap, but it was closed to the public, so when she was given the opportunity to inspect their orchard on some bogus complaint, she jumped at the chance. The place was beyond anything she ever expected, and Morgan was the perfect host. But when someone took a pot shot at Morgan from the field, a huge leopard came out of nowhere and took them both down. Hanna, hitting her head on the way to the ground, was down for the count. Carroll shifted back to human as soon as the women were out of danger, but finding out the pretty FDA agent was his mate took Carroll by surprise, and boy was she going to be mad when she woke up.
Amazon Note: Her other books are on Apple Books so maybe this one will be there some day Kobo
THE REDEMPTION OF BOAZ PRITCHARD by
VS Note: A re-release of a blog serial…
Ever wonder how Boaz and Addie met? Why they got engaged? How they fell in love? Well, this story will answer one of those questions. Which one? Good question! Wait. Does that count as the one question? Guess you’ll have to read on to find out. * This material was previously published as a blog serial. * ** These events occurred between How to Claim an Undead Soul and How to Break an Undead Heart. **
BROUGHT TO BREAK (THE DARK BROTHERS BOOK 2) by Kyra Alessy
VS Note: From FEB 25
Lana’s days are filled with backbreaking work and her nights are spent hiding from her master’s son, but, when dangerous mercenaries pass through her village, her life is changed forever. She’s thrust into an outside world she’s only ever dreamed of. These warriors are unlike any men she has ever known. Driven by desperate vengeance, they’ve been broken by the tragedies of their pasts. Viktor is gruff and hard, Sorin, quick-witted and funny, and brooding Kane wields a power that terrifies her. Each hides sadness that rivals her own and Lana is drawn to them as well as their dangerous desires. When a formidable enemy threatens them, can her bond with the three mercenaries save them all? Can she help them find the humanity they’ve lost, but more importantly, will they want her to?
THE LOST APOTHECARY: A NOVEL by Sarah Penner
VS Note: Magical realism…
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.
SEA AND FLAME by Tallie Rose
When one door opens, another closes. Seraphina grew up listening to the stories she’d heard of the Brethren, those who saved the world from the faerie magic that had almost ripped the land apart a thousand years ago. They were just a story told to children, though, or so Seraphina thought. When her own magic starts to backfire on her, she must take a closer look at her family tree and the Brethren in it. Her newfound abilities draw the attention of Casmyn, a fae that swears he’s desperately been searching for someone like her—someone whose blood can open the path to the Land of Faerie and stop the fae lord Nilas from ruining their world. And though the fate of two lands rests on her shoulders, Seraphina can’t help but be distracted by Casmyn’s infuriating and beautiful best friend Shevard.
BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT: A CHARLES & COMPANY ROMANCE BOOK 1 by Amy Matayo
Graduate student Bree Sanders is failing the one class she needs to get her degree. So when her professor gives her an ultimatum—ace her thesis or risk having to repeat her final semester—she knows she has to pull out all the stops. After scrambling for an idea, she decides to create her own Ghost Club, a club that blames ghosts for unsolved crimes, the same type of club originally founded two centuries ago by Charles Dickens. What she doesn’t expect is to find an original copy of one of Dickens’ early works, or to be transplanted into Dickens’s actual ghost club meeting, circa 1870, the instant she picks it up.
When Bree shows up in nineteenth-century England wearing cut-offs and an old t-shirt, her only option is to hide. The Cambridge of 1870 won’t look kindly on a woman dressed like her. So, when Theodore Keyes finds her tucked behind a bookcase at the Trinity College library and immediately demands to know where she came from, she knows he doesn’t belong here either. Turns out she’s right; the same book caused him to time-travel from 1947 almost three months ago and he’s been stuck in England since. Together, the two vow to work side-by-side in their search for the lost book that will take them home. But as their feelings for one another deepen, Theo and Bree are caught between a desire to return to the lives they each left behind, and the knowledge that if they find the book, they won’t be able to leave together. In the end, they each must decide which sacrifice is worth making—the one that will cost them their hearts, or the one that could cost them their very existence.
RAVAGE THE DARK (SCAVENGE THE STARS BOOK 2) by Tara Sim
For seven long years, while she was imprisoned on a debtor’s ship, Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her; counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends.
Cayo Mercado has lost everything: his money, his father, his reputation. Everything except his beloved sister. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness. In a foreign empire also being consumed by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore. Through glittering galas, dazzling trickery, and thrilling heists, Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and in the end the only people they can trust are each other.
ALL THE MURMURING BONES by A G Slatter
Long ago Miren O’Malley’s family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren’s grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren’s freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
THE WERE QUEEN (7 DEADLY VEILS BOOK 8) by Diana Marik
Queen Lizandra of Black Star Clan has ruled over her werewolves for years, defending their territory in New York from all invaders, but one thing has always been true: her love for her former alpha, the Red Wolf, Gavin McCray. When news of an impending war with a rival clan becomes apparent, she sidelines Gavin in favor of a new, dangerous alpha whose strength and fighting ability are unequaled by all others.
Gavin McCray has loved Lizandra ever since he became a member of the Black Stars. He thought she felt the same, but when his queen demoted him to beta, he had to accept that he no longer had her favor. Determined to win her back, he plans to show his prowess in the upcoming war with the deadly Red Claws and challenge the new alpha to claim what is rightfully his—no matter the risk or the cost.
DARK HAVEN UNMASKED (CHILDREN OF THE GODS PARANORMAL ROMANCE BOOK 48) by I T Lucas
As Anastasia leaves Safe Haven for a week-long romantic vacation with Leon, she hopes to explore her newly discovered passionate side, their budding relationship, and perhaps also solve the mystery of the voices in her head. What she actually discovers exceeds her wildest expectations. In the meantime, Eleanor and Peter hope to solve another mystery. Who is Emmett Haderech, and what is he up to?
THE MARK OF THE ROSE (THE BLACK WOLF SERIES) by Marsha Canham
This is the story of two women, born seven centuries apart, but connected by a series of mysterious and magical events. Ellen Bowe discovers she is the sole heir to an estate in Northern England, complete with manor house, castle, and ghostly visitations. Enndolynn Ware is being held captive by the Sheriff of Nottingham. She escapes with the help of four bold knights led by Rennwick de Beauvoir, a black-haired, green-eyed champion who has been charged to find the witch and take her to Burgundy. The lives of the two women are bound together by the archaic writings in the rose folio, by a document written by Stephen Langton, and by a birthmark they both share: the mark of the rose.
LOVE’S FIRST BITE by Valerie Wilde
Saffron – What do you do when a half naked man lands on your doorstep? Well in this instance, try to stop him from biting you I guess. I live alone in the woods for a reason, so when Peter shows up, bloody and naked, he’s already more trouble than I need. Little did I know, this was just the beginning, and that some trouble can actually be a lot of fun. Peter – I’ve always said I’d do anything for the pack. Anything for my family. But marrying a stranger when I know my mate is out there somewhere? Sorry, I’d rather die. And now that I’ve found Saffron, I have something worth dying for.
MIDLIFE OMEGA (MIDLIFE SHIFTERS BOOK 3) by J L Wilder
They’ve been missing their omega for 40 years…but now the hunt is on to find her. I used to be invisible. A divorced and childless 40-year-old, who hid in the shadows. Now I’m the most wanted woman in the shifter world. I’ve been deceived, kidnapped, and imprinted on more times than I can count. I attract sexy werewolves wherever I go. They think they can claim me. They think they can make me their mate. But what none of them realize, is that I’m infertile. And when danger comes, will my harem protect me if they know the truth?
MARKED (THE COLDEST FAE BOOK 3) by Katerina Martinez
In the frigid woods at the edge of a storm, I’m going to find myself or die trying. I’m a fugitive of the fae city of Windhelm, framed for a murder I didn’t commit. I only made it out of their dungeons by luck, and now I’m on the run—but so is the Prince. Nobody knows where he is, but my instincts pull me toward the Veridian; a roaring tempest of dark magic that roams the land of the winter fae. Our trip through the forest is cut short, though, by a group of fae that seize our carriage and bring us to their village as their prisoners. The mark on my hand, the mark of the white wolf, is the only thing that keeps them from killing us outright, but if I can’t prove my mark is real, I’m only prolonging the inevitable. I don’t have time for these people. I need to find Cillian before he does something stupid, but I don’t have a lot of options.
SOOTHING NIGHTMARES (I.S.S. BOOK 1) by M Sinclair
I didn’t fear my nightmares. I loved them… and they loved me. I had never been afraid of the dark. Abandoned on the front step of ISS, I’d spent my entire life thriving in the realm of darkness that most humans avoided. I was a woman living among monsters. Arabella was abandoned at the front steps of INSTITUTUM SEQUUNTUR SOMNIA (ISS) one stormy night, only to be found and brought in by the monsters that lived there. An institute of nightmares that housed the most dangerous creatures that walked the plane of humanity. A place that trained and harnessed those abilities for their own use, while defending against the humans that were constantly attacking them.
But what happens when a young human woman grows up among the nightmares? Feeling no fear but instead taking comfort in her team that she surrounded herself by? By all regards, Arabella shouldn’t have fit in at the institute. Nothing like the warrior-like creatures around her, the 5’1’’ young woman with pink hair and a vision impairment was absolutely fundamental to her team. Not just for her strategic brilliance but her soothing lack of fear that seemed to tame the nightmares around her. Arabella is bound and determined to keep her monstrous men safe while they are on their missions. What happens when their most recent mission attracts the wrong type of attention? What happens when ISS comes under attack and everything that she values is destroyed?
LOVED BY A KRAKEN (DEMON ENTANGLEMENTS 2) by Alexa Piper
Fian needs to find a suitable plus one for his brother’s wedding, and since his demon brother is marrying a human, Fian decides to bring a human to the wedding as well. If he gets lucky, he might even find one who isn’t dull or dumb. Kiara gave up her life in the city to move to a small town where she sells jams, except she isn’t sure why she did that. Coding was her love, and jams were not. Then, just after she broke up with her ex because he cheated on her, a handsome stranger walks into Kiara’s store and from there straight into her dreams.
While Fian discovers humans come in more flavors than he had thought, jealous witches close in on Fian and Kiara. Will the coder and the demon be able to find love despite the wicked magic? And are tentacles still amazing outside of dreams?
BITTEN FOR LOVE (THE ACCIDENTAL FAIRY TALE 2) by Crymsyn Hart
Jasmine thought falling into a magic book and landing in Oz with the Scarecrow, Micha, and Leon the Cowardly Lion was odd. However, getting sent to Dracula’s castle where she finds herself and her two men falling prey to the undead count even stranger. There they discover an unlikely ally who will help them save Micha from Dracula’s clutches. Even as they venture deeper into the count’s castle, her feelings for both Leon and Micha deepen. Magic is growing within her thanks to the strange book which tells their story. Even with saving Micha’s very soul, the one most important thing they have to remember is keeping the book away from the evil Dorothy at all cost.
THE ADORABLE SNOWMAN by Stephanie Burke
Serendipity Collins is minding her own business, driving along in West Virginia in the worst blizzard in years, when a strange creature appears out of nowhere and she runs him down. Ta is on a mission to get away from the humans who captured him. He only wants to get back to the gate point to find a way home when he meets her — the mate of his dreams. Now he only has to convince her they are perfect for each other… if they can survive the hunters who are after him and battle Serendipity’s own private fears. Ta is nothing but determined, Ren is nothing but stubborn, but before the storm comes to an end, maybe they will discover a way to make this fairy tale a reality and melt the ice that encases her heart.
KNIGHT AND DAY by Jacki James
VS Note: From JAN 14
Theodore Knight has a curious nature. Ever since he was a child, he’s loved books that are full of danger and adventure. In real life, he’s a simple bookstore owner. But in his imagination, he’s a hero who goes on great quests to save the princess, or in his case, the prince, from evil dragons. Until one day, real life starts to look a lot like his imaginary world. . . and the fate of an entire kingdom rests on his shoulders. The world is more magical than he ever thought, and he will have to learn to accept the impossible as possible, if he and Samuel are to succeed. Samuel Day had never journeyed to the human realm, and he sure didn’t mean to get stuck there. That said, he’s found it all incredibly fascinating. Especially Theodore, the adorable human who holds a piece of the puzzle necessary to stop an evil immortal and save the magic realm known as Evorea. His loyalty is to his king, but it doesn’t take long for Theodore to become equally important. They come from different realms and are as different as night and day, but together they have everything they need to save Evorea from ruin. They just have to find their way back there.
THE WARRIOR KING (INFERNO RISING BOOK 3) by Abigail Owen
Meira Amon is the most reserved of the phoenixes, finding computers easier to deal with than people and their messy emotions. But she wants revenge against the Rotting King Pytheios for the murder of her parents just as much as her sisters. Offering herself as a queen for their ally, dragon shifter King Gorgon of the Black Clan, only makes sense. Just one problem… Samael Veles worked his lowborn ass off to become the fiercest warrior of the Black Clan. He has pledged his life to protect his king at all costs. Yet somehow, in the middle of war, he took one look at a woman in a reflection and gave up his heart. When that woman turns out to be the phoenix promised to mate his king and help bring peace to their kind, he has no choice but to accept it. Until her fire unexpectedly destroys the king after they’ve wed. Now Samael must choose between his loyalty to his clan and protecting the queen who might be his mate from his people’s wrath, one of which will unlock a destiny no one could have ever imagined.
UNBOUND (THE CURSED TRILOGY BOOK 1) by Betty Legend
Living as an independent artist in New York, I was soon faced with the new knowledge of my powers, a curse, and how bonding with five sexy-as-sin supernaturals would break that curse. One by one they found me–Fae, Warlock, Demon, Wolf shifter, Vampire. I’m their mate. Their equal. Their perfect match. The one to unbind them from their curse. Heart, body, and soul, I’m meant to be theirs. Theirs to share. Theirs to love. From the beginning, they warn me of my fate. The stronger our magic bonds; the greater the chance evil will find us. These incredible beings will give their lives to protect me, no matter the sacrifice, but I’m not willing to lose any of them. They’ve stolen my heart and I’ll do whatever it takes to break the curse and stop the one who’s coming for us.
ROMAN’S VOW (RILEY’S PRIDE BOOK 4) by Sandra R Neeley
Roman is a Silverback Gorilla shifter. Born into a troop that required its members to battle for position, he struggled as a child to simply survive. As soon as he was old enough, he joined the military — an easy way out and a guarantee of three square meals a day. After serving his country, he wandered until accidentally finding himself surrounded by people who genuinely welcomed him, appreciated him for who he was at heart. Always one to steer clear of Alpha run families, he’s feeling differently about this one. This Alpha is caring, supportive. He falls into the rhythm of daily life, happy, satisfied with his life, until he stumbles across his mate on a road trip. But she’s human, doesn’t feel the same pull he does and he’s forced to leave her behind to return home, and try to win her over long distance. But now he’s learned that she’s been arrested and charged with a crime she didn’t commit. And he’s been given custody of her daughter. With a broken heart, and a new daughter, this new father has to find a way to free his mate, bring her home to her daughter, and make her fall in love with him all at the same time. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
DRAGON GUARD WARRIOR: DRAGON GUARD OF THE NORTHERN ISLES BOOK 1 by Alicia Montgomery
VS Note: From FEB 28
A single mom getting her life back together – When divorce and scandal leaves her life in ruins, Poppy Baxter has no choice but to take the first job she could get, even if it is as a nanny to a dragon prince in a faraway land. But this position meant a fresh start for her and her cheetah shifter son, so she must impress her royal employers and act like a professional at all times. However, the very sexy captain of the guard isn’t making it easy to act professionally, especially when just one smoldering look from him sends her libido into the stratosphere. A reluctant leader trying to balance romance and duty – Dragon guard captain Rorik has devoted his life to protecting his king, and has no time for anything else. But when he meets the new nanny to the crown prince, his dragon instantly recognizes her as his fated mate, and now his entire world is turned upside down. His job demands his complete devotion and attention, but he can’t ignore the deep-seated need to make Poppy his and form the bond that will fuse their souls together.
Can he find a way to balance the demands of his position while trying to woo his mate or will he ultimately have to choose between duty and love?
FAE’S QUEEN (THE CONSORT DUET BOOK 2) by Lily Archer
Emma – A sliver of light in the back of my mind. A hint of day, of warmth, of something familiar. A king with a bright crown of pure sunlight. But these are all just dreams, ones that needlessly haunt me. I know they are lies. Eraldon is my true king. He is my life, my dark heart. My wings and my fangs—they are his. Whatever memories I have of light, those are falsehoods , ones forced on me by my enemy. By my greatest hate—King Solano. A monster wrapped in sunshine, a liar who killed my friends and my mother. Together, Eraldon and I will end his evil and take his realm.
Solano – A soft touch of a warm hand. A hint of laughter, of wit, of a clever tongue. A changeling who was made for me. Who is my mate. But I didn’t protect her. She is gone, stolen by the wretch who seeks to take all of Arin, to rule over it and turn it into a wasteland of bloodthirsty seekers. Eraldon took my mate and poisoned her. He will pay with his cursed life.I will not allow Emma to suffer at his hands. I will return to the night realm and once again claim my changeling. But this time, not as a consort. This time, as the rightful queen of day.
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VS: Continuing on through my ancient Egyptian paranormal romance backlist, I wrote a direct sequel for Nima, my dancer, entitled RETURN OF THE DANCER OF THE NILE. Nima and Kamin are one of my favorite couples and I’d had a scene in my head forever, where Nima is screaming at Pharaoh that Kamin is not, cannot be dead. The plot goes from there. I always challenge myself to tell a fresh story each time, so Renenutet the Snake Goddess appears, but briefly, and I had the best time bringing another member of the pantheon into the mix. I also added in a member of the Medjai, Pharaoh’s police and the goddess Ma’at’s enforcers of justice.
RETURN OF DANCER OF THE NILE
Nima, formerly a tavern dancer in the land of the Nile, has settled into the leisurely life of her dreams as the pampered, beloved wife to a high ranking general who’s also a member of Pharaoh’s court. She’s sworn never to dance for anyone else but Kamin, the man she loves. All is fine until one day news arrives that her husband has been killed in a chariot accident while on a trip to a remote city on Pharaoh’s behalf.
But as a reward for their previous service to Egypt against a dangerous enemy, the gods had promised Nima and Kamin they’d die at the same moment…so if she still lives, so must he.
Why is the ruler of the city lying to Pharaoh about Kamin’s death? What is the woman covering up? And where is Kamin?
Time for Nima the elegant lady to vanish from Thebes and Nima the skilled dancer to make her way in disguise to the far distant province and fight for Kamin’s life. She’ll have to deal with angry gods, black magic, an enemy prince and a deadly ghost along the way.
Nima is the only one who can rescue her beloved from the dark fate planned for him by Egypt’s enemies…
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months. And I may mention ‘special items’.
I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…
Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!
I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post but after that I’m not responsible.
Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.
Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wow, what a week! Thanks for including Rate of Return <3