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 FIRST STARFIGHTER: GAME 1 (STARFIGHTER TRAINING ACADEMY) by Grace Goodwin
Starfighter Training Academy. It was just a game. The newest, hottest video game release of the year. Choose a role. Build the perfect hero who joins you on missions to save the Vega star system from the evil Queen Raya and her merciless Dark Fleet. Play for hours? Check. Obsess over the in-game romance between your avatar and the sexiest alien you’ve ever seen? Check. Win? Beat the heck out of the game? Check and check. Open your door at 3:00 in the morning to find that smoking hot alien you thought you made up in your head standing there? Um… okay. Wake up on the other side of the galaxy with that same alien insisting you’re his… and that you haven’t been playing a video game, but completed the training program to become the first Starfighter from Earth? Holy sh$t.
SHADOW: ALIEN CASTAWAYS 4 (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Cara Bristol
VS Note: Always happy to see a new book from Cara!
Tragedy sends clairvoyant Mandy Ellison to seek refuge in the small town of Argent, Idaho. Her ESP failed her, and now she’s closing her eyes to the second sight forever. Until Shadow, an alien from planet ‘Topia, comes into her healing and wellness center with a request. Will she help him find a mate? Time is running out for Shadow. His genetics have been programmed with a self-destruct sequence. If he doesn’t bond with a genmate, a female carrying the same mating gene, he eventually will fade from existence. The new clairvoyant in town is his last desperate hope, if she agrees to help him. But what is an alien to do when attraction leads to love, especially when every indication shows Mandy is not his genmate? Will Mandy find him a mate, hand him over to another woman, and save his life—or will Shadow decide love is worth dying for?
WRATH by Regine Abel
VS: Love her books…
Kwan’s dreams of joining the Vanguard finally comes true. Unfortunately, a recent tragedy dampens the joy of this experience. She hopes that reuniting with her long-time friend Linette and embarking on epic rescue missions will help bury painful memories. However, meeting her team leader—the stunning, bioengineered Warrior named Wrath—throws a wrench in things. The last thing she wants or needs is romance. But on top of being badass, he’s sweet, funny, incredibly supportive… and apparently her soulmate. Wrath has waited his entire life to meet the one female in the entire universe created specifically for him. Now, she’s here, so close yet unattainable, because as much as he wants to claim Kwan, his dragon blood demands he protect her—even from himself. When the routine mission they embark on turns into a living nightmare, romantic woes soon become the least of his concerns. Faced with unkillable enemies and the treachery of former allies, will Kwan manage to overcome past trauma to save her team and the man she is destined for?
DUSTBORN by Erin Bowman
VS Note: SciFi with romantic elements maybe. I liked this author’s previous novel Contagion very much…on my To Be Read list.
Delta of Dead River has always been told to hide her back, where a map is branded on her skin to a rumored paradise called the Verdant. In a wasteland plagued by dust squalls, geomagnetic storms, and solar flares, many would kill for it—even if no one can read it. So when raiders sent by a man known as the General attack her village, Delta suspects he is searching for her. Delta sets out to rescue her family but quickly learns that in the Wastes no one can be trusted—perhaps not even her childhood friend, Asher, who has been missing for nearly a decade. If Delta can trust Asher, she just might decode the map and trade evidence of the Verdant to the General for her family. What Delta doesn’t count on is what waits at the Verdant: a long-forgotten secret that will shake the foundation of her entire world.
ZECRI (STOLEN WARRIORS BOOK 4) by Ella Maven
I’d been prepared to die on this planet… but now I have something to live for. Zecri: I’ve waited many cycles to carry out my rescue mission for a fellow warrior. But when I re-enter the misery I escaped to free him, I get more than I bargained for. Much more. A human female who’s as scarred as I am, and who’s willing to risk her life for the most precious thing on this desert planet. Sybil: This place absolutely sucks, and I’ve been in some pretty terrible places. I would have run myself through with one of my captor’s blades long ago if it wasn’t for this innocent creature who’s dependent on me. I won’t let her down. I can’t. But I’m only a human on a planet full of monsters. Until I meet the most deadly monster of them all. He’s scarred and wears an emotionless mask, but I can see the simmering rage and revenge underneath it all. I also see a soul needs me as much as I need him. But first, we have to get free. Maybe together… we can be heroes.
RYZ (RESCUED BY THE ALIEN MERCENARY BOOK 2) by Sonia Nova and Eden Ember
Orphaned at a young age, Joss knows the feeling of not belonging. She thought she had finally found her place aboard the spaceship Zalke, but fate doesn’t seem to agree. Kidnapped and thrust into servitude on a strange planet, she doesn’t think she will ever see her friends again – or gain her freedom. When the navigator of the Zalke, a smoking hot Irrod mercenary, finds her and offers to help her escape, Joss leaps at the chance… until she discovers the deceptive nature of the Irrods.
Although their acquaintance on the Zalke was brief, Ryz has come to know Joss as a strong, intelligent woman. He cannot let her waste her life in servitude. He’s determined to save her, but to his frustration, Joss doesn’t come easily. It almost seems like she wants to stay. But why? The more Ryz insists on helping her, the more Joss starts falling for him. But can she truly trust an alien mercenary?
KYRIX (BRIDE TO AN ALIEN PRINCE) by Kate Stevens
Working a dead-end job in a chocolate shop, Meredith Sinclair has all but buried her dreams of finding happiness. But when a bland-looking man comes into the shop and starts asking her suspicious questions, the most ridiculous thing happens—he turns into a horned, seven-foot tall alien before her very eyes. Sent on an expedition to determine the intelligence of the human species, Lord Kyrix Yio’naeus doesn’t expect his cloaking device to break down on his first mission. When a human sees his true form, he has no choice but to take her back to his ship. But at the touch of her soft skin, his blood ignites like it has with no other female. When the Herkleian government orders Meredith transferred to a lab for study, Kyrix will do anything to save her. Is it possible a human could be the fated mate to an alien royal? And even if she is, will Meredith and Kyrix be able to escape his crew for a future together? Kyrix is a prequel to the Bride to an Alien Prince series. This standalone story has on-the-page heat, a guaranteed happily-ever-after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.
SPECTRUM (WEB SHIFTERS LIBRARY BOOK 3) by Julie Czerneda
VS note: Not a romance, hard scifi release of note.
Something malevolent lurks in deep space, something able to pluck starships from their course and cause their crews to vanish. It has a purpose: to use those ships to mark an unmistakable boundary. A warning. It has an interest: Botharis, the planet where Esen and Paul have established the All Species’ Library of Linguistics and Culture. Home to Veya Ragem, whose ship was the first to trespass. Esen and Paul will need every resource, every friend and even foes, if they’re to discover who–or what is behind this before more are lost. Once they do, Esen plans to use her abilities to comprehend and reason with this new species. What she doesn’t know? There truly are monsters. And they wait for you in the dark. Just ask Evan Gooseberry.
BOUND TO THE ALIEN ENGINEER (ALIEN BRIDES BOOK 2) by C V Walter
Mindy’s best friend Molly was a maintenance technician on the Bradbury 12. When Molly went missing, Mindy started looking for answers but all she found were more questions. They were supposed to meet up at Geniuscon, a science fiction convention that attracts people from every walk of life, and she knows Molly’s son Aidan is going to be there. Determined to get in touch with her friend, Mindy tracks down Aidan and meets some of his new friends, the guys cosplaying as big, blue aliens. The first time he heard her voice, Alvola knew Mindy was the one. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t understand the language or touch her skin, the sound of her voice made his body sing. Determined to meet his mate, Alvola volunteers for the mission to Earth to pick up Aidan and meet with the scientists and engineers that will be their first official contacts with humanity. When Alvola actually meets Mindy in person, his mission becomes to keep her by his side, no matter the cost.
PURPLE REIGN (THE CHIKARA REVOLUTION BOOK 2) by Evangeline Rain
She was a researcher…forced into being a doctor by the war. Would it change her? Raev was a genius but being deaf made her lonely. She did her job better than anyone. Saving lives gave her purpose. It wasn’t enough. The soldier was in disguise. He was badly hurt. She never thought twice about saving him, even though he was fighting for the other side and might try to kill her. Were the enemy as bad as everyone said? There were two things she didn’t know about him. Dominion fell for her the moment he saw Raev and his father was the tyrant trying to take over the world. Could they survive what came next? You’ll love this second installment in The Chikara Revolution, because this romance could change the course of war.
FREED BY THE ALIEN BOUNTY HUNTER (MTOAIN BOUNTY HUNTERS BOOK 3) by Elin Wyn
All I want is my freedom. How can that include him? Once upon a time I was going to become a lawyer. Do some good. Save the Earth. But that was when I was still on the Earth. Everything changed when I woke up lightyears from home, held captive by a man who wants to keep me as his slave — if he can’t get the right price for me. Now someone has broken into this nightmare, ready for a rescue. Except he’s not here for me. But as every plan becomes unraveled, can the only way to find freedom be together?
BETA BOTS: AN AI SUPERHERO TRILOGY (THE WOMAINOID DIARIES BOOK 2) by Ava Lock
When Cookie Rifkin robs a Russian bank with Wayne Dixon and their non-binary friend ANA, Stepford Corp sends a faceless bounty hunter to reclaim the rogue artificial intelligence. Moscow police trap them in the vault, but the superintelligent machines break out, then get separated. Cookie escapes with tons of gold and platinum, but Wayne gets arrested and flown back to corporate headquarters for radical refurbishing. With the cops hot on her trail, Cookie hides on a luxury yacht named the Wonder Woman. There, she meets a new temptress, polyamorous pansexual Tabitha Kirsh. When Russian special forces catch up with Cookie…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
THE LAST WATCH (THE DIVIDE SERIES BOOK 1) by J S Dewes
VS Note: A scifi release of note, not a romance. I had it pre-ordered.
The Divide. It’s the edge of the universe. Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it. The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military. At the Divide, Adequin Rake commands the Argus. She has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted. Her ace in the hole could be Cavalon Mercer–genius, asshole, and exiled prince who nuked his grandfather’s genetic facility for “reasons.”
She knows they’re humanity’s last chance.
ZEPHYR (ELEMENTAL MATES BOOK 5) by Miranda Bridges and Kyra Snow
Daxis is a germaphobe, so becoming his mate might be a little more difficult than I thought. Since it requires physical intimacy. Not that he wants me touching him anyway. The Airblood commander keeps me at a distance. Usually with a hard look or a harsh word. Sometimes more than one…Then I catch glimpses of tenderness in his expression. Along with the heat in his gaze. Daxis can say he doesn’t want to touch me, But that lie is just as transparent as the wind he controls. If I don’t summon the inner fortitude to withstand the storms he throws my way, I could lose him to his nightmares. So, now it’s a battle of wills: Daxis avoiding my love And me avoiding getting hurt.
Assuming we don’t all die on the mission… So there’s that.
THE GALAXY AND THE GROUND WITHIN: A NOVEL (WAYFARERS BOOK 4) by Becky Chambers
VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note.
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop. At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through. When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
MISTRESS OF INSIGHT (DAUGHTERS OF AETHER BOOK 2) by Amanda LaBonte
Adelia Dumont is the toast of the London stage, but a pariah in the drawing room. Not that she cares. A woman doesn’t have to be born a lady to be a valuable member of society and between her acting career and her undercover work on behalf of the Crown, she’s more than fulfilled. Until she finds herself in an unlikely pairing. Lord “Fletcher” Fletchingham has been shirking marital expectations for years but his mother is out of patience. He agrees to marry by the end of the Season, but when a duty necessitates his departure from London, he’s relieved at the opportunity to escape – even if it means he’ll have to partner with the haughty Miss Dumont. The last person Adelia wants to work with is the notorious playboy Lord Fletcher – especially when she’s trying to keep a secret about her own strange abilities. But young women have gone missing and she’s in the unique position to help search for them.
LEGACY: ECHOES OF THE PAST by Rachel Starkie
Neither life or love is easy in a broken and dying world. The Earth is divided, stripped, and abused. The human experiment was an utter failure. From across the stars came a superior race to heal a broken and desolate world. Man, however, in his fear and bigotry, turned from them and instead incited war. There is a safe zone. Where the patriarchy is resisted, and others strive for Utopia. Where humans and aliens coexist not only in harmony but in symbiotic love. Echo’s only dream is to take her son and escape. To leave behind the pain and humiliation of her life. Little does she know of the trials that await- the legacy of her birth or what it means to have not just Dhun’ai but also Sin’aeth, mates.
BREATH BY BREATH: BOOK THREE OF STEP BY STEP by Morgan Llywelyan
VS Note: I went and read book one of the series. This is scifi with mild romantic elements. I’ll be reading book two next and then this one. It’s kind of like a soap opera with the small town life where the action is set but I got drawn into it sort of despite myself and found book one an enjoyable read (all plastic dissolves in that one).
In Breath by Breath, book three in the trilogy, the residents of Sycamore River have weathered the Change and the nuclear war it provoked. They emerge to try to build a life from the shattered remains of their town. But for some, the very air has become toxic. The people of Sycamore River have to survived the unthinkable. Can they build something new from the ashes? Llywelyn blends her signature character-driven portrait of small-town life with the appeal of William Fortschen’s One Second After.
UNITY by Elly Bangs
VS Note: Not a romance; scifi release of note.
Danae is not only herself. She is concealing a connection to a grieving collective inside of her body. But while she labors as a tech servant in the dangerous underwater enclave of Bloom City, her fractured self cannot mend. In a desperate escape, Danae and her lover Naoto hire the enigmatic ex-mercenary Alexei to guide them out of the imploding city. But for Danae to reunify, the three new fugitives will have to flee across the otherworldly beauty of the postapocalyptic Southwest. Meanwhile, Danae’s warlord enemy, the Duke, and a strange new foe, the Borrower, already seek them at any price.
BEWITCHING THE BOUNTY HUNTER (SHIFTING PLANETS BOOK 1) by Lulu West
Brielle was born a witch and a princess. But when Bodin Hart finds her, she is a slave. Bodin didn’t go to Planet Sycene to free the slaves being kept and mined for their powers by the Dominus Establishment that was slowly taking over the galaxy. He went for one reason only. A job. And while he got the job done, he got a whole lot more too. A pair of witches intent on hijacking his ship in their effort to escape. When Bodin agrees to give them a lift off the planet, he has no idea how his life is about to change. He was born to a race of shifters—but he was one of the few descendants of the Lothian race to never experience the change. Until now. Brielle Tideknell is not only a princess and a witch. She is Bodin Hart’s fated mate. And their connection sets off a chemical reaction within him that will awaken a beast unlike anything either has ever seen. Their union will also unleash the start of change in the universe, and together, they might have the power to overthrow the Dominus Establishment. If he doesn’t kill her first.
TAKEN TO KOR (XIVERI MATES BOOK 5) by Elizabeth Stephens
Deena – Rhork. He’s a space pirate. The bad kind. But he’s also been my only source of company for the past rotation that I’ve been held captive. Halfway across the galaxy, I’m happy to have finally escaped and found more humans…well, I was. But now, I’m not so sure that people are so much better than pirates. And I’m very sure that I’ll need Rhork’s help to get out of this. But Rhork thinks I’m a defective female because of my twisted leg. What if he’s not willing to give it? Rhork – communicating with the human female for almost a rotation was, in retrospect, a poor choice. Now, she seems to be the ever-present voice in my head, distracting me, making me want things I shouldn’t. To make her a pirate. To show her the universe. And most of all, to keep her for myself.
DEEP MERGE by Linda North
2nd Edition with expanded chapters and epilogue. Kaesah, a geneticist from an all-female species living on the other side of the galaxy, is stranded on Earth when her mate, who was vital in piloting their starship, dies. Kaesah must report the disturbing events on Earth that could impact the survival of her species. Kaesah has no choice but to find a human woman capable of Deep Merge, a process required to guide her ship through the galaxy and to her planet. Can Kaesah overcome her aversion to humans to form a bond with one? Antonia Lorne, Toni, is mourning the death of her wife. Retiring to bed one night on the promise to herself to start living again, Toni will awaken in a starship with a new course for her life charted. Reluctantly, she enters an agreement with Kaesah to Deep Merge, not knowing all of the ramifications. Two women, from different worlds, must learn to trust the other, not only for the future of their planets but also for their own future.
LAENA’S ELITE (EIDOLON SURVIVORS BOOK 1) by Quinn Fisher
Over a hundred years ago the Eidolon virus ravaged the globe causing not only the dead to rise again, but also caused human males to vastly outnumber females. To revive the population, the law now requires women to marry more than one husband in order to ensure humanity’s survival. As a result, family lineages are now matriarchal, giving females more rights and protections thus raising them to a protected and endangered status. Laena – Laena Kanata has lived all her life constantly on the move, never staying too long in one place. Her father raised her by himself out in the wild expanse, outside the Seven Cities, learning to survive and to protect herself from Eidolon threats. She doesn’t know why they can’t live in one of the cities like the rest of the freethinking world, but her father isn’t forthcoming with an answer. All she knows is that they can never be discovered. Then came the one day she is left to fend for herself, and it’s the same day she is forced out of hiding.
Vance, Rennick, and Reese – As Elite members and army heroes in their own right, these three friends stumble upon a lone, unregistered female just inside the walls of their home city of New Phoenix. Their attraction to her is instant, but the mystery and secrets surrounding Laena should be enough to make them steer clear. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
DESPERATE (CENTAURI BRIDES BOOK 3) by Kallista Dane and Kate Richards
Ever since a vicious enemy destroyed our planet, I have labored in the bowels of this solport.
My family, my betrothed, everyone I knew was savagely murdered. All that remained were a few of my fellow warriors, a handful of ships, and the trade goods in our cavernous hold. As quartermaster these have been mine to protect. Primarily from the admiral’s human mate, Trina, who was determined to deck out every inch of our craft with the last of the precious goods produced on Arythios. After the slaughter, our captain declared that no color would be displayed. We were in mourning. Once his Terran female arrived, that changed. I tried to hold my tongue, but she’s stripping away all that we have left, trying to decorate an entire planet. Instead of validating my concerns, the admiral fired me as quartermaster. My new job is to find the resources on Centauri to recreate as many Arythian products as possible. We’ll need furniture, fabrics, household goods… everything. Unable to call an end to my grief, I set about my task still clad in the grays of mourning…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
SEDITIOUS HEARTS by Renee Wildes
VS Note: I was kinda intigued by the Look Inside snippet, put this on my To Be Read list.
With the destruction of their main medical facility, the Daynavian Resistance orders operative Lonan Tremayne to commandeer the Imperium medical frigate, IMF Intervention—and seduce the chief medical officer to come along. Rumor has Sub-Commander Seppala Amundsen disenchanted with her Imperium bosses and ready to defect. One problem. She’s Antithian; her people enslaved Daynavians for generations. Lonan’s squad would rather kill her than turn her, just on general principle—orders be damned. Trauma surgeon Seppala Amundsen has had a bellyful of war, completely fed up with the autocratic Imperium that betrayed her. A friend tricks Seppala into spending her three-day leave at Harmonies, a notorious Bregorian pleasure palace. She’s way out of her league. Meeting Lonan Tremayne should have been the highlight of her stay, but he’s not Imperium. Is he interested or using her for some other purpose? It only takes one “accident” for Lonan to suspect someone wants Seppala dead. But why? Now he not only has to turn her, but keep her alive long enough to do so. But is it a professional assassin…or one of Lonan’s own?
THE SCIENTIST’S PRICE (WARRIORS BOOK 1) by L P Peace
He will cross the galaxy to find her. When Kadian agreed to help humans design an engine that could break the light barrier, he had no idea his heart would become the property of one human so completely. But she rejected him, even though he could see the fire in her eyes and feel the passion in her kisses. Then she left, on the same ship powered by the very engine they’d designed together.
When Olivia’s ship is attacked and the crew sold into slavery, Kadian will do anything, hurt anyone, stop at nothing to find her and when he does, he will allow nothing to separate them again. His price for this rescue? Everything!
3013 UNITY: A 3013 NOVELLA by Laurie Roma
Vesera Lyrica Snowden has always dreamed of visiting distant worlds to learn about other races, but that was impossible when her world had been hidden away from the rest of the universe. Now, she is finally getting her wish. To help her people, she travels to Earth to study the various mating bonds…but she never expected to find her own soulmate the moment she arrives. Commander Gabriel Titan has always lived by the rules and regulations of the Alliance, but everything changes the moment he meets Lyrica. Suddenly, his life is transformed into something he barely recognizes. Their love may be fated in the stars, but creating true unity takes time and patience. Can they find a way to blend their worlds together, or will their differences tear them apart?
ALIEN’S CRIMINAL (VIRGIN WARRIORS OR KAR’KAL BOOK 2) by Gemma Voss
Life has been a prison for Max since the first moment aliens arrived to colonize Earth. She doesn’t feel much differently now that she’s under house arrest for her associations with an Anti Alien gang that her father helped to found. She wants out, but she’ll need some cash if she’s going to escape the clutches of the gang’s leader… who just so happens to be her controlling ex-boyfriend. When an alien comes to her with a proposal— help him study the so-called “mating bond” between them for a payout— Max decides a little experimentation is a small price to pay for a chance to pay her debts.
Since an attack on his home planet nearly extinct his species, Kiva knows he’ll have to put aside his beloved research project and focus on ways to help the few remaining members of the Kar’Kali race. However, he’s suddenly become the subject of the exact ancient mating call he’s spent so long reading about in dusty old texts. How can he turn down an opportunity to experience what he’s only ever theorized about?
THE SORCERESS QUEEN AND THE PIRATE ROGUE (HEIRS OF MAGIC BOOK 2) by Jeffe Kennedy
VS Note: She’s an autobuy for me!
A Lonely Road – Stella has always been one to count her blessings. Empath, sorceress, shapeshifter, and healer, she’s grateful for the gifts the goddess of shadows has bestowed upon her. Yes, she’s sensitive to emotions and can’t bear to be in large crowds for long. And yes, that means she’ll never be able to take a lover as she’s unable to withstand physical contact with anyone but her twin brother. Certainly now that he’s found his true love, she feels more alone than ever. None of it haunts her, however, like the vision of the lonely tower where her life path ends. An Unrequited Love – Jakral Konyngrr is a man of simple tastes: good whiskey, some coin in his pocket, and a fine blade in his hand. Though he’s no prince, not a shapeshifter, and not blessed with any magic, he’s happy in his skin. And yet he seems doomed to live the life of a hero from a tragic ballad, because the only woman he’s ever wanted barely knows he’s alive. As much as Jak longs for Stella, he’s resigned himself to being forever in the background. At least he can guard her back.A Quest to Stop a Monster – But now Jak and Stella have been thrown together—along with a mismatched group of shifters, warriors, and sorceress friends—chasing and attempting to avert magic rifts that release monsters into their world. Worse, the strange intelligence behind the bizarre and deadly attacks seems to have developed a fascination for Stella. Battling for their lives and the good of the realm, they must fight—and perhaps love—together to alter the course of the future before it’s too late.
THE WARLORD: A NOVEL (RISE OF THE WARLORDS BOOK 1) by Gena Showalter
For centuries, Taliyah Skyhawk has prepared to become Harpy General, leader of the deadliest female army in existence. One of the requirements? Remain a virgin. But, for a chance to save her people, she must wed the fearless leader of the Astra Planeta, Alaroc Phaethon. The time has come for Roc to sacrifice another virgin bride to his god. There has never been a woman alluring enough to tempt him from his path. No warrioress powerful enough to overcome his incredible strength. No enchantress desirable enough to make him burn beyond reason. Until now. With the clock ticking, war between husband and wife ignites. Except Taliyah never expected the merciless king to challenge the future she once envisioned. She certainly never anticipated the thrill of their battles turning into games… The problem is, only one spouse can survive.
THE JAGUAR KNIGHT (ARS LUMINA BOOK 6) by Ann Aguirre
Forsaken. Foresworn. Ferocious. Ambrose “Slay” Slater never thought he’d end up this way. His lover left him for his best friend and while he was distracted, grieving that loss, the Gols captured him, dragged him off to their infernal underground city, where he’s been a prisoner ever since. At first he imagined Ash Valley would immediately mount a rescue, but he might rot in this dungeon before that happens. If need be, he’ll reduce Golgerra to rubble himself because he’s got anger to burn.
Resilient. Regal. Risen. Rowena has no last name, though she dubbed herself Van Alastor, bound by her promise to the prince who saved her from the pits and earned her loyalty. Born of a forced union between an Eldritch prisoner and a Golgoth guard, she is the only winged Golgoth, unique among her kind. She knew little more than the dungeons and torment until Alastor bought her freedom and added her to his retinue. Desperation drove her to return to the city that tried to destroy her in chains. Knight, meet queen. He is fury. She is vengeance. Together, they’ll bury Tycho Vega in the rubble, but with both their hearts aching from loss, they never expected to fall in love.
SAVED BY THE WIND DRAGON GUARD (ELEMENTAL DRAGON WARRIORS BOOK 6) by Aria Winter and Jade Waltz
The moment we reach the Wind Clan territory for the celebration of their Harvest Games, I meet Tal.
Tal is a Guard of the Wind Clan. Like all his people—the Drakarians—he believes in the fate bond. So, when his chest begins to glow with the fate mark for me, he is completely ready to take me as his.
The problem is: I don’t know him very well. His people tried to take mine shortly after we arrived here, and I’m not entirely sure I trust them. He seems kind and thoughtful and I cannot deny that I’m drawn to him, but I’m hesitant. When an outside threat attacks, he vows to protect me from danger.
I know that I can trust him with my life, but can I trust him with my heart as well?
CROWN OF GILDED BONES (BLOOD AND ASH SERIES BOOK 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout
She’s been the victim and the survivor…Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers. The enemy and the warrior…Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head. A lover and heartmate…But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other. And now she will become Queen…
LOVER UNVEILED (THE BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD SERIES BOOK 19) by J R Ward
VS Note: Not much blurb!
The next in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
CONJURE WEB: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’SD FICTION NOVEL (MOONSDHADOWN BAY BOOK 3) by Yasmine Galenorn
As January delves into her family history, she discovers dark secrets about her great-grandmother Colleen and those secrets threaten everything she ever thought she knew about her heritage. Now, with her confidence already on shaky ground, January takes on a case with her friend Ari. Hired by a friend to discover whether their child is really their child, January and Ari delve into the Mystic Woods, looking for the answer. Their investigation leads them down the rabbit hole of magical intrigue, unrequited love, and into the world of the Woodlings, where January finds her worldview at risk, as well as her life.
CAEL (WERE ZOO BOOK 11) by R E Butler
November Jones is the product of a one-night stand. She didn’t know her father except to curse his name and the weird genetics he left her with. She wouldn’t give him a single thought if it weren’t for the fact that he tried to kill her several times and she and her mother have been on the run since she was a toddler. When an invitation for a safari tour shows up in the mail addressed to the previous occupant, Novi feels compelled to go. Elephant shifter Cael spends his days as the in-house veterinarian at the Amazing Adventures Safari Park taking care of the normal animals and his nights underground with the other shifters, staying hidden from humans. It’s a day like any other when he’s in his shift in the paddock while the safari tour vehicles drive by…until he smells something amazing and knows the beautiful brunette VIP is his soulmate. The problem? Novi is no ordinary human. Can Cael and the shifters in the park keep Novi and her mom safe in the park or will Novi’s father finally catch up to them?
KINGDOMS AT WAR (DRAGON GATE BOOK 1) by Lindsay Buroker
VS Note: Yay, a new series from Lindsay!
For centuries, wizard kings have ruled the world from their elite sky cities, battling each other to add to their wealth and power, while using normal human beings as pawns. Those without magic struggle to feed their families and live in constant fear of bringing down the wrath of their tyrannical masters. Something must change. But great heroes have tried and failed. Rebellions have been quashed, villages enslaved, and warriors executed. Who is left to fight? In the shadow of an active volcano, a small band of downtrodden soldiers and bookish archaeologists hope to find an ancient portal that allows travel to other worlds. Somewhere out there are the allies they need to win the war against their oppressors. Maybe they can even find the dragons that are believed to have built the ancient portals. With such powerful allies, they could finally end the wizards’ corrupt rule and bring freedom and prosperity to all of humanity. But our heroes are not the only ones who hunt for the portal, and the wizard rulers will do whatever it takes to keep their power.
THE SUNFIRE KING (OF CANDLELIGHT AND SHADOWS BOOK 2) by Sylvia Mercedes
Valera couldn’t have known the disaster that would fall when she betrayed her husband by looking at his face by candlelight. Now, it’s too late—he is taken from her to some faraway world. She doesn’t know where. She doesn’t know why. She doesn’t even know who kidnapped him. ut she will save him. No matter what. Neither adventurous nor skilled with weapons like her younger sister, Valera nonetheless sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure that will take her journeying through worlds and confronting perils she is desperately unprepared to face . . . until at last she comes to the dark and twisted palace standing on the edge of Hell. Is her love of Erolas strong enough to sustain her? Or will the final test prove too great?
A CHASE OF PHANTOMS (THE HAUNTED BAKERY WITCH MYSTERY SERIES BOOK 1) by Constance Barker
Unfortunately, long live the Queen didn’t manifest when the Renaissance fair comes to town. Hi, I’m Cora and along with my Nana, father Ben and most of the town….well, we be witchy. Most of the town that is, except for some mundane folks who think the magical backstory is all folklore. Joke’s on them. But to keep ourselves under the radar, we mainly mind our p’s and q’s. Most of the time. Nana and I run the local bakery….she’s the brains behind the baked goods and I’m the brawn. Someone has to haul those hefty cookie sheets on the racks. But now I have a murder to solve. I may not be a licensed detective, but a little badge never stopped me. Much to the chagrin of the local warlock/sheriff, Cody. It’s okay, he’ll get use to my perseverance…maybe. Although there is one being who might like me to stick to baking him treats only is my familiar, Sir Jasper Jones. Poor fellow was a knight in a former life until he tangled with a dark witch. Now he has to settle for licking his privates and the occasional tuna treat. I think he likes both rather too much.
ALPHA’S CLAIM by Amelia Hutchins
Ten years ago, I looked my mate in the eye, and I lied to him. I told him he wasn’t my mate and that I never wanted to see him again. I did it to save his life from my father, the alpha of the pack. Now Saint is back, and he’s the king of all alphas, with an entire pack created of other alphas he saved from what my father did to them. The thing is, Saint is back for revenge against those who wronged him, and I’m at the top of his list. I did it to save his life, but the cost will be my own. Ten years ago, she broke my heart and ripped out my soul. Her father sent me away to a place worse than hell.
I escaped the fate he chose for us and built a pack that couldn’t be broken. I’m the King of Alphas, and I’m heading straight for her. Braelyn broke me, but I intend to break her apart until there’s nothing left but her worthless soul, and when I reach it? I intend to rip it apart too.
WICKED WHOOPIE PIES (MURDER IN THE MIX BOOK 33) 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. A dispute at the local church leaves someone in need of their last rites, and Lottie is caught in the middle. The mystery woman stalking Honey Hollow has been revealed, and Lottie suspects something wicked lies beneath the surface of that familiar face of hers.
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.
POSSESSED (HADES CASTLE TRILOGY BOOK 3) by C N Crawford
I’m struggling with my evil side—the demon known as Lilith—and only Samael can help me. Unfortunately, he thinks we’re dangerous for each other—just because we murdered each other in past lives. And even worse, he believes he has to marry a mortal to keep me safe. A genuinely terrible mortal woman, I might add. But with the Free Men growing in power, we must join forces to stop their evil army. As we journey through Albia searching for them, we are drawn even closer together, bound by desire and our twisted love. As far as I can tell, one of two things will happen: either we will overcome our past, and defeat the Free Men together. Or our dark history will have us turning into monsters and tearing each other to pieces. I’m hoping for the first one.
CRIMSON KING (THE CHRONICLES OF KOA BOOK 5) by K N Lee
VS Note: From MAR 29
When Death comes for Koa, he comes in the form of a charismatic reaper with god-like abilities. All seems lost when half-blood vampire Koa is taken to the alternate dimension known as The Netherworld. Stripped of her enchanted sword, she is left defenseless against Judge and his quest to crown her as queen. Halston–a fallen angel, quickly discovers that his descent into darkness has consequences that cannot be repaired–but that they also bring him immeasurable power. Such power can be used as a weapon, and a mysterious warlock would do anything to control it. A whole new world of intrigue, magic, and danger is unlocked once Koa finally meets King Wexley Vangelis…Her brother. When Koa learns that his heart is as black and cold as the creatures she’s hunted and killed all of her life, she finds herself torn between returning to the fallen angel she loves, and freeing her people from tyranny. Embark on an urban fantasy adventure where fallen angels, vampires, and demons collide in a perilous battle of good versus evil.
LUCIFER’S CURSE by Eliza Raine
What’s worse than finding a dead girl in your boss’s office? Becoming suspect number one in her murder. When my impossibly sexy boss, Mr. Nox, steps in and offers to help I’m initially relieved. But his help comes with a caveat. He wants something in return. Oh, and here’s the kicker. He claims he’s Lucifer. The devil. A God of Sin. Things don’t go my way, and I’m forced to accept a deal with the devil. I know what he wants. I can see the burning desire dancing in his piercing blue eyes. He wants me. And the longer I spend in his company, the more I begin to crave his touch, his kiss, his fierce passion. But if I give myself to him, he may never let me go. He claims that he is cursed, and believes I may be his salvation. I’m starting to wonder if he could be mine.
THE CURSED DAUGHTER (THE CURSED KINGDOM BOOK 3) by Aimee Shaye
She was born of dark magick. She was destined to unite the world. Empress Dimia wants nothing more than to claim the dark magick she had sought her entire life. She believes the war is finally coming to an end, when it takes a turn for the worse. Dimia is imprisoned by Aymeri, who refuses to see reason, and the dark magick within her threatens to end her life as it brings forth a danger neither of them anticipate. Will Dimia die at the hands of Queen Aymeri, or will the Queen finally see reason and allow Dimia to claim the magick and become its vessel?
THE FALSE QUEEN (THE ROYAL CELESTIALS BOOK 3) by JB Trepagnier
Twenty-five years ago, my life was decided for me and I’ve been lied to ever since. I never questioned being an orphan. Father Kaden just told me I couldn’t live in the monastery anymore when he moved me in with Lady Cerise and her son. I was just grateful for the roof over my head and the friendly company. This was my life until a black swan started speaking to me in my head. She tells me I’m not an orphan at all. My family is quite alive and I have a twin sister. I don’t even have time to process any of this because she also tells me I have a destiny. Something that has been promised to my twin sister since birth. And my twin is willing to kill me to make sure what was promised to her is not taken away.
LODESTONE by Katharine Forester
Lodestone-peddler Melaine is desperate to stop hustling her raw magic for a tuppence. Her rare gift of infusing her magic into a lodestone to sell for another’s use and never keeping any for herself is nothing but a degrading path to an early grave. Yearning for a better life, Melaine turns to her unconventional childhood idol, the powerful but sinister Overlord, sorcerer-ruler of the Centara. When she achieves an audience and arrives at his reclusive retreat of ancient Highstrong Keep, she finds that the compelling, handsome man who conquered a kingdom by the age of twenty is now a weak, shadowed husk, and he needs her lodestones to give him strength. In exchange, he will take her on as his apprentice. Trapped in Highstrong with a half-crazed prisoner, a strict servant, and the Overlord, Melaine learns that they may all be prey to far more malevolent forces than the Overlord’s black-magic experiments. Faced with menacing apparitions, ancient curses, and an even greater horror that could threaten the entire kingdom if unleashed, Melaine’s penchant for survival is contested by her growing feelings for the Overlord and her path toward finding a deeper meaning to life than the pure power she once craved.
THE RUINS (DEMON ENTANGLEMENTS BOOK 6) by Torri Heat
Joelle’s a mess. Nightmares about the end of the world keep her up at night, and lack of sleep has her losing job after job. The only consistency to these dreams is the man she calls “The Watcher.” After another night of frustration, The Watcher arrives at her door, in the flesh. Luc, a demon Mare, is the source of all her problems. Could he also be her salvation?
LUMINOUS DREAMS by Alexa Piper
When desire and lust combine in the dark imagination of the sleeping mind, the results burn hot as phoenix fire and take us on a journey to meet two lovers who are anything but human. We may find ourselves deep in the woods where dryads have been waiting to offer seduction under the cover of leaves, or we may find a candy trail we simply have to follow. These are nine stories of magic and magical things, of shapeshifters and fortune-tellers, of witches and their charms. Two women fall for one another even as two handsome vampires decide to share the woman they both claim, and a muse strikes inspiration in a dancer. Myth and dream meet love and lust in this collection of nine sensual stories which explore different worlds, different characters, and different constellation of lovers. Each story is a journey worth taking.
UNICORN VALLEY by Lena Austin
Lionel, one of the last Unicorn Valley Gryphons, is forced to choose his mate from among other shifters. What he doesn’t count on is falling in love with the Werebitch Teema, who has a few needs and demands of her own. Lionel’s foster brother Brolly falls for a shape — and gender — shifting Immortal, and Shadow, the future Unicorn Herd Stallion, loves an Elf. As if things couldn’t get any stranger, their mercenary Unicorn uncle Jamir is falling in love with both Moontyger and the Dragon Li Chin — at the same time. Not everyone loves everybody in Unicorn Valley, but they try.
BURIED (THE SECRETS WITCHES KEEP BOOK 1) by Lizzie Strong
VS Note: Not a fan of the cover.
Quinn’s mistake wasn’t killing Leo Ashwood; it was bringing him back. Now in a cat and mouse game with a monster she created, Quinn learns what her powers are truly capable of. Brought together by a vision, Cecelia and Quinn are entangled in the chase for Leo Ashwood. Cecelia, a seer who is known for sticking her nose into other’s business for their better good, is now sent into a world unknown to her with no defense against the monster, her own powers, and the budding feelings for Quinn. Maggie, however, was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time and left with no other choice but to join forces. An up and coming YouTube superstar struck down by sickness, her voice is both her magical survival and death wrapped in one. These three young, untrained witches will have to lean on each other if they want to survive. Navigating the world of humans, the new reality of witches, and the horror of magic, they might just make it… if they can keep their secrets to themselves.
BLACK QUEEN: SOVEREIGN (SHIFTERS AMONG US BOOK 3) by Lidiya Foxglove
A queen needs an army, and when we travel to Eden Park, the shifter theme park, I am in for a surprise. Turns out all those cheesy rollercoasters and offensive zoo-like shows are just a front for a shifter militia, and I’m going to have to learn to give inspiring speeches. It starts to feel all too real when people want you to kiss their babies for good luck, you know? Luckily, I have the two sexiest, dearest men in the world at my side, my loyal wolf shifter musician Ian and sharp tongued but sweet lynx-shifter Waylon, who keeps revealing new talents… But where is my third consort? He’s closer than I realized, and dealing with his dark, damaged past will draw out a new side to my powers.
Still, in the end, destroying people is what I’m meant to do, and when a friend gets caught in a trap set by the sadistic Shaw, I’m due for a reckoning with my ability to kill. But is this the real trap? It seems like my enemy was only waiting for me to cut loose.
ANARCHIST ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (MISS SHARP’S MONSTERS BOOK 2) by Suzannah Rountree
A trip to Europe is all in a day’s work for Liz Sharp—that is, until an anarchist throws a bomb at her employer. As a lady’s maid/bodyguard to royalty, Miss Sharp’s duty seems clear: protect Princess May, defuse the bomb, and hand over the would-be-killer to the police. At least, that’s what the distractingly good-looking Inspector Short advises. But Liz isn’t so sure. No one deserves to be executed and revivified as one of the undead policemen that terrorise Europe—and if that wasn’t enough, the bomber, Anton Lupei, claims he and Liz were once lovers. If only she can gain his trust, Anton could be Miss Sharp’s only link with a past and family she has forgotten. As the Orient Express steams from Paris to Hungary, Liz’s search for her past threatens to uncover a continent-spanning conspiracy. Why are the anarchists targeting Princess May? Who was Miss Sharp before she lost her memories? And how do you avoid being drained by a very hungry vampire? It’s just as well Liz thought to bring a set of lock-pick hairpins.
FORTRESS OF MAGI (CHRONICLES OF THE AMICAE) by Mirah Bolender
Mirah Bolender follows The Monstrous Citadel with Fortress of Magi—the pulse-pounding conclusion to her debut fantasy trilogy in which a bomb squad defuses the magic weapons of a long forgotten war –
The Hive Mind has done the impossible—left its island prison. It’s a matter of time before Amicae falls, and Laura Kramer has very few resources left to prevent it. The council has tied her hands, and the gangs want her dead. Her only real choice is to walk away and leave the city to its fate.
WITCHES STEEPED IN GOLD by Ciannon Smart
Divided by their order. United by their vengeance. Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom—and vengeance. Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power. Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain—except the lengths they will go to win this game.
THESE FEATHERED FLAMES by Alexandra Overy
VS note: Saw this book on the excellent Whiskey With My Book blog.
When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are decided at a young age. While Izaveta remained at court to learn the skills she’d need as the future queen, Asya was taken away to train with her aunt, the mysterious Firebird, who ensured magic remained balanced in the realm. But before Asya’s training is completed, the ancient power blooms inside her, which can mean only one thing: the queen is dead, and a new ruler must be crowned. As the princesses come to understand everything their roles entail, they’ll discover who they can trust, who they can love—and who killed their mother.
INDUCTION (WOLF BLOOD ACADEMY BOOK 2) by RaShelle Workman
The Wolf Blood Academy gave me an ultimatum. Either attend and take my place in the pack or my family suffers the consequences. I played my part and became part of the pack, but it’s all deception. Isn’t it? My friends say I sold out, but Legacy House is where I belong. Until several from my house wind up dead. Determined to find out who’s behind the murders, I uncover secrets that were best left buried, including evidence that suggests someone I care about might be the killer. I don’t know who to trust and I find myself confiding in the unlikeliest ally.
DAMES AND DEADLY GAMES (MITZI MOON MYSTERIES BOOK 13): PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY by Trixie Silvertale
Mitzy Moon hopes to earn some girlfriend points on a scenic weekend getaway. Steaming off on a historic train with her handsome beau seems like the perfect way to outrun fate. But their 1920s-themed sleuthing party abruptly derails when they discover an actual corpse…Now they’re on the wrong side of the tracks, and Mitzy and her sheriff will have to solve the case before the guilty party disappears at the next depot. With a list of suspects as long as the cast of characters, she’ll need to push her powers to the boiling point before more tickets get lethally punched. Will Mitzy’s dangerous excursion end with an arrest, or will the killer claim another life?
MUIDERKRING HEIR (SHIFTERS FATED BOOK 2) by Melle Amade
Agi Oranje, a young eagle shifter, is born to a sheltered life of privilege in her family castle, safe from the rest of the world and barricaded off from the 1970s that are raging all over Europe. She is expected to fulfill family demands and answer to the Order, who hold her destiny in their hands. When the Berzerken shifters arrive for the Matching ceremony, Agi is forced to face the truth. There’s a good chance she will not be betrothed to the man she loves, Willem Van Arend, Heir of the High Seat. There is one chance she can control her fate. If she wins the Hunt she will be able to choose her lifetime mate. But when Agi uncovers dire facts the Order has been hiding, she must choose between fulfilling the destiny she was raised for or breaking out of her iron cage forever.
A DARK QUEEN RISES (THE BURNT EMPIRE) by Ashok Banker
Queen Aqreen of Aquila leaves her husband Jarsun and flees across the Red Desert. She is determined to keep her daughter from being used by Jarsun to stake his claim to the Burning Throne of Hastinaga, seat of the all-powerful Burnt Empire. But Jarsun is vengeful and can summon legions of demoniac forces at will. The Red Desert is vast, and the journey dangerous.
Aqreen and Krushita’s caravan of ten thousand wagons will take several years to reach the only safe harbor, the queendom of Reygar. Jarsun’s pursuit is relentless and his vengeance terrible, but hope shines from the growing powers of little Krushita herself, along with the four-armed, twin-bodied Vanjhani wagon train leader and their band of valiant desert militia. Fierce battles are in store.
There are other players in this great game of demigods and mortals, each pursuing their own agendas. The powerful seer-mage Vessa seeks to join Krushita’s talents with that of Drishya, an avatar destined to confront and kill Tyrak, Jarsun’s diabolical son-in-law. Ladislew the assassin aligns with Tyrak for her own reasons. All paths culminate in a feverish finale on the hot sands of Reygar, as father, mother, and daughter confront each other in one ultimate showdown.
LOVE IS A WHIRLWIND (THE SHIFTER CHRONICLES BOOK 2) by M D Grimm
VS note: A “revised and updated” re-release.
As a bull shifter, Ryan has no idea what it is to be human. When he’s purchased and brought to the home of Caleb O’Connell, he’s determined to show the young man who’s boss. However, Caleb won’t cooperate, and instead of fearing Ryan, Caleb takes a liking to the new bull he soon dubs Whirlwind. Caleb adores the feisty Whirlwind, convinced the bovine will be the best bucking bull in the Professional Bull Riding Circuit. Then one night his entire life changes when he learns Whirlwind’s secret—the secret of shapeshifters. Ryan and Caleb become the best of friends, and Caleb attempts to teach Ryan, as best he can, how to be a human. Their time together leads to deeper feelings… and eventually they decide to give a relationship a chance. Unfortunately, Ryan is kidnapped, and Caleb has to call in the Agency—an organization that protects shifters—or their new life together will end before it ever starts.
A FORT BEFORE TIME: A MISPLACED IN TIME SHORT STORY by Kathryn Kaleigh
They called it the Great American Eclipse. A once in a lifetime event. People journeyed to Tennessee from all over just to watch those few minutes as day turned to night. And back again. Abigail watched the eclipse from a reconstructed fort. But when the darkness failed to turn back to light, she was not alone. When the day turned to night, something happened. Something that defied everything she knew. Everything anyone knew. An unforgettable short story of love that defies the boundaries of time.
TAMING A BEAR (A LION’S PRIDE BOOK 11) by Eve Langlais
Never trust a bear. In a stroke of bad luck, Hollie gets stuck with the biggest, most annoying bear. Andrei might think he’s the most amazing thing since catnip popsicles, but she’s not impressed.
She’s got a mystery to solve, and he insists on helping, which involves a lot of glowering. And sleeping in her bed. Andrei had never thought he’d enjoy snuggling a cat, but then he meets one with a wrench and an attitude. A kitty who lightens his heart. Hardens his…resolve. But a cat and a bear? Their families will never stand for it, even if she’s the only woman who can tame this bear.
THE QUEEN OF IZMOROZ (THE GODDESS WARS BOOK 2) by Jon Skovron
The first battle is over, but war yet looms on the horizon. Sonya and her allies–the foreign Uaine and their armies of the undead–have beaten the imperial soldiers and ousted them from Izmoroz. Now they have the rest of the empire to free. Meanwhile, betrayed by his sister, his homeland, and his fiancé, Sonya’s brother the famed wizardSebastianhas retreated with the imperial forces. But another traitor is waiting in the capital, and enemies of the throne may hide in plain sight.
REBEL QUEEN (OUTLAW: A THIEVES SERIES BOOK 1) by Lexi Blake
After returning from the outer planes, Zoey expected a joyous reunion with family and friends. She couldn’t be more wrong. Her kingdom is in the hands of Myrddin, her friends are on the run, and her children are being hunted by the supernatural world. But that isn’t the worst of it. They aren’t just outlaws—they are fully grown adult outlaws. In the four days that passed while they were gone, twelve years have passed at home. Now Zoey, Danny, and Dev find themselves in the middle of a new war where they are hunted by old foes and former allies…some they could never have imagined would turn against them. As Myrddin’s plan becomes clear, Zoey realizes she just might hold the key to stopping him for good and reclaiming their kingdom. Doing so means risking it all to steal back an artifact out from under the wizard’s nose. The fate of everyone on the Earth plane hangs in the balance, and one wrong move could cost Zoey everything she loves.
BOUND BY FATE (CAULD ANE SERIES BOOK 10) by Piper Davenport
Isla Gunnach – I am the daughter of royalty. A princess, if you will. But I have no interest in a prince to vanquish my dragons. I’m quite capable of doing that all by myself. I am, however, looking for my equal. A man who doesn’t simper at my feet, or try to use me to get to my father or my uncles. The problem is, when such a man crashes into my life, I find him to be insufferable and infuriating. Arric Mann – I’m a nomad. I have no family, no home. Just a series of tragedies that have shaped the man I have become. When I find myself drawn to Scotland, I am propelled into a world I am not prepared for. One of ancient lore and fairy tales. But I also find her. And she is about to ruin the last semblance of sanity I have left.
WEDDING BELL BOOS (A RAVENMIST WHODUNIT PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY BOOK 5) by Olivia Jaymes
It’s time for another Ravenmist Whodunit! A tiny Midwestern town with charming covered bridges, quirky residents, delightful antique shops, and more than their share of haunted activity. It’s time for Missy’s wedding and all Tedi wants is to create the perfect day for her best friend. Four tiered wedding cake? Check. Family drama? Check. Ugly bridesmaid dress? Double check. It’s all going great until the bride tosses the bouquet at the reception. That’s when they discover the groom’s aunt dead in the coat room, a heavy bookend next to the body. It seems like everyone had a reason to kill the victim, and there’s no shortage of suspects. Even the bride and groom are going to need an alibi. In the meantime, Tedi and her friends are busy looking for a supernatural object to help them fight the battle with evil. They desperately need something that will tip the scales in their favor. But even if they find it, will they know how to use it?
GOD MODE (THE GODHUNTER SERIES BOOK 33) by Amy Sumida
In the wake of the withdrawal of wild faerie magic from most of the world, Faeries have become the new celebrities, and the most adored is the Faerie God himself. To capitalize on his popularity an online game called Lore has been created and has attracted the interest of none other but Lucifer, Azrael’s father. But the Devil’s noticed something odd about the game; his gaming friends are disappearing and there’s a powerful monster that just won’t die. When he calls in the Godhunter to help, she’s pulled into an online world that may be more real than anyone thought. Will Vervain make it out of the game alive or will this be her last life?
I BELONG TO THE HUNTER (HUNTER CHRONICLES BOOK 2) by Sloane McClain
HUNTERS: Men and women who protect the world from things that go bump in the night. Raised among the Halflings after her parents’ deaths, Olivia Grierson never suspected she was one, until a human stalker sets off a chain of events, revealing her Sidhe talents. Enter Quinn Gallagher, a Hunter used to protecting people from the Dubh Sidhe and their minions. His past and his dangerous work keep him from forming personal attachments of the female kind, but something about Olivia has him questioning his stance on relationships. Olivia just wants to get to know Quinn better. A lot better, but things keep getting in her way. Like a Sidhe uncle she doesn’t completely trust, a kidnapping or two, and more magical skirmishes than she wants to deal with. Any semblance of a normal life seems impossible. The only way she’ll get what she wants is to fight for it.
NAMESAKE (CROSS STEP BOOK 1) by Marie Harte
VS Note: A ‘re-editted and updated’ re-release.
In the year 2078, central Kansas is now home to Cross Step, a government bordered area containing strange portals called Voids, which lead to parallel worlds. Norms—normal people, Voiders—those who came through the Voids, and Conduits—humans affected by the Voids, all live together in Cross Step, segregated from the rest of the world. Vicki Fox is a Conduit, a human with the psychic ability to tap into the energy around her. A mistake at a bar puts her under the scrutiny of one very hungry Ravager, a werewolf-like Voider who likes what he sees. But Eric isn’t just any Ravager, he’s Prime, the king of his clan. He takes what he wants when he wants it, and he wants Vicki. It’ll take more than her sneaking, conniving, and seductive ways to dissuade his interest. Because in Vicki, Eric and his packmates have something much more precious than a rare queen, but a woman to love forever.
VAMPIRE’S WITCH (REALM OF THE VAMPIRE COUNCIL) by Damian Serbu
Jaret Bachmann’s life spins out of control after a handsome stranger saves him from an attack along the bike path on Lakeshore Drive. His estranged high school sweetheart stalks him, the enraged ghost of his ancestor destroys his family, and his bike path savior-cum-lover abandons him after learning Jaret is a powerful witch. A horrific family tragedy sends Jaret into deep depression. Struggling to find his way afterward, Jaret searches for comfort in the unlikely friendship of a secret vampire community. Over time, Jaret’s friendship with the vampires strengthens and he forges a new family connection with Xavier, Thomas, and Catherine. But he and Anthony are estranged, and though their souls are entwined, their hearts are another matter.
THE ROWAN’S STONE (KILLIAN BLADE SERIES BOOK 2) by Stella Brie
Arden’s search for her destiny inadvertently revealed the true lineage of witches everywhere and a secret history hidden long ago. Now, she needs to find the meaning and purpose of the Rowan. With questions piling up and a parchment stingy with answers, she must look to the past before she can embrace her future. But Arden and the Imperium Cadre will find the road to the past riddled with battle, betrayal and millennium old secrets. To uncover the answers they seek, they must trust in the strength they find together, or all will be lost. For when the fierce winds of change blow, hidden agendas and powerful enemies are unveiled.
A NEST FOR ELI (ALASKAN PEBBLE GIFTERS BOOK 6) by Amy Bellows
Eli loves his job as a hired fist. He gets to help pregnant omegas through a very intimate and personal moment in their lives—giving birth. When Maxim, an alpha polar bear shifter, asks for Eli’s help making an app to pair hired fists with pregnant omegas in need, Eli immediately agrees. He doesn’t expect to be so captivated by Maxim’s kind blue eyes and quiet intelligence. After all, Eli’s never felt attracted to another alpha before. But Maxim makes him question everything. When their friendship turns into a passion more life-changing than Eli has ever known, the biggest question he has is this: how will Maxim feel about being in a relationship with a hired fist? Is Eli willing to quit his job to be with him? And if he does, what will happen to the pregnant penguin shifters who need his help?
THE DRAGON’S LOST LETTERS by Zoe Chant
Valentine is a red dragon shifter on the hunt for something more valuable than rubies. He needs to recover some highly sensitive documents that went missing more than a century ago. He didn’t expect to find his true mate instead …Dusty books and old documents are archivist Norah’s one true love. Or so she thinks, until a gorgeous guy looking for help walks into her office — and into her heart. Maybe he can help her out with something too. There’s a book thief running around Norah’s library, and too-hot-to-handle Val might be just the person to help her set a book thief trap. And she can suggest a few things he can rearrange on her shelves while he’s at it.
THE AVATAR’S FLIGHT (AGE OF THE ANDINNA BOOK 7) by Kristen Banet
Mave Lorren has had many titles. Slave, gladiator, mercenary, warrior, rebel, enemy of the Empire, and her most treasured, Champion of King Alchan. Now she had one more. Avatar. A new title, new powers, and a terrible burden that only Mave can carry. She is the most powerful Andinna of all time. War, death, and darkness are her domain. Mave will have to harness those dark powers if she wants to protect the futures everyone is fighting for. But those dark powers come at a terrible cost, one Mave is willing to pay.
SHROUDED IN THE DARK by Aspen Black
I can’t see the shadows that lurk in the dark. It was supposed to be my first summer on my own, but then I meet Seth, Axel, Jasper, and Cody. There’s something about them that drew me closer and they seemed hell-bent on protecting me. I didn’t think I needed protecting until people started showing up dead in the woods. So much for a quiet summer…Can I escape the shadows, or will the darkness consume me?
DRAGON GUARD SCHOLAR: DRAGON GUARD OF THE NORTHERN ISLES BOOK 2 by Alicia Montgomery
A hot, nerdy dragon content to be alone – Dragon shifter Gideon wasn’t looking for love. He preferred silence, solitude, and the company of his books. So, when he runs into his mate, his first instinct is to keep her at arm’s length. However, he is constantly drawn to the feisty lioness shifter, and despite his own reservations, decides that he can’t ignore his instinct and his dragon’s determination to make her theirs. A lioness shifter running from a painful trauma – Ginny Russel prided herself on being one of the best agents for the Shifter Protection Agency. No one knows she’s keeping a secret–that her job was the only thing keeping her from spiraling downward. She takes on mission after mission to forget a horrific event from her past and the assignment to find the traitor threatening the lives of the royal family of the Northern Isles is no different–except that she unexpectedly runs into her fated mate. ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)
LINK (KEEPERS OF THE LAKE BOOK 5) by Emilia Hartley
When his mother dies, he has to connect to someone. He can’t handle being totally alone. But Link Webster hasn’t seen his father since he was fifteen. He didn’t care before, but now Link wants to find the man who abandoned him. Unfortunately, his father’s old clan hasn’t seen the old man, and they’re anything but welcoming. In fact, the only dragon who seems to have any time for him isn’t even a member of the clan. Kiera is a visiting dragon, a sweet submissive who was nearly broken by her former clan. Link longs to protect her and to love her the way she deserves to be loved. He has no clan or family to offer her, though. Kiera is visiting her friend Charlie in hopes of finding the strength and happiness that Charlie found away from their old clan. She’s not strong and sassy, like Charlie, though. She doesn’t know how to look people in the eye or say what she wants. She’s also not worth a good man’s love. She did too many awful things to survive in their old clan. Link makes her hope, though. He thinks her opinions matter, that she has a future. She doesn’t understand why everybody else, even Link, thinks he’s a monster. She’s seen monsters, and Link isn’t one. But can she be strong enough to help Link and the others see what she sees?
MATED EXILE (WOLF ASCENDANT BOOK 2) by Lucy Auburn
My return from exile was just the beginning. The vampires who captured me have big plans. Me? I’ve got plans too—ones that involve escaping. A tortured soul from the arena will be joining me, to be brought home and heal. Being reunited with Cat and my guys brings so much more than I bargained for. There are answers that explain why I was exiled in the first place. Kieran’s rejection was just the start—he was a pawn as much as I was. Because I’m much more than a werewolf. What I am, and what I can do, may keep me from ever being a part of the pack. Or I could save us all. Together with Lance, Finn, Roarke, and Kieran, I’m going to find out what I can do, how far I can go, and who my enemies truly are. Do I have the courage to embrace what I must become—an exile no more, mated within the pack?
COWBOY DRAGON’S SINGLE MOTHER (IRISH DRAGON SHIFTER BROTHERS BOOK 11) by Brittany White
The Human Single Mother – My ex-husband threatened to kill me. And he tried to take my daughter. After I escaped the hell of living with him, I was on my own. Every day as a single mother was a marathon. Until Mason walked into the bakery where I work. I met Mason years ago, and he rejected me. But I could never forget him. Now this gorgeous cowboy is back in town, and he’s hotter than ever Not only is he gorgeous, but he’s tough too — this sexy rancher rescues me from my violent ex. We make love and everything is perfect But then I find out — I’m pregnant There’s no way I can tell him. I have to keep it a secret Until I’m stunned by a revelation. My love is not a man at all — he’s a powerful dragon shifter. I’m carrying a dragon’s baby. I can’t keep this secret for much longer. But the truth could tear us apart. The Cowboy Dragon Shifter – Humans are fragile. I lost my mother. My best friend. And my wife. Because all of them were human. I moved far away from town so I could be alone I bought a ranch, and became a cowboy. I found purpose in working with the cows, sheep and horses. But my solitude doesn’t last. Fate brings me back to my hometown, where I run into a gorgeous woman who stole my heart. I fell for her more than a decade ago, but this captivating woman is a human with an adorable three-year-old daughter. When she’s terrorized by her ex, I make sure he’ll never threaten her again. I will not allow anyone to harm Holly, or her daughter. I indulge my primal instincts, and make love to her. My dragon insists that she’s my mate. But I refuse to lose someone else that I love. I’ll have to leave her, to keep her safe.
WITCH UNTOLD (THE THIRTEENTH SIGN BOOK 3) by Debbie Cassidy
My friends are missing, and the Sons of Adam may be responsible. It’s an obvious trap to snare me. Still, sitting back and allowing others to take the lead is the hardest decision of all. I’m a woman of action, and waiting isn’t my strong suit. But knowing Jasper and Conah are on the case helps. It’s the smart choice, right? But when my connection to Jasper suddenly dies, waiting around is no longer an option. The Sons of Adam have maintained the upper hand for too long. It’s time to take the fight to them. I just hope I’m not too late.
ASCENSION (THE DEMON HUNTERS BOOK 1) by A S Fenichel
VS Note: Combining two genres she does so well.
When demons threaten London, even ladies must answer the call…Lord Gabriel Thurston returns home from war to find his fiancée much changed. She’s grown from a sweet girl into a mysterious woman who guards her dark secrets well. When he sees her sneaking away from a ball, he’s convinced it’s for a lovers’ rendezvous. Following her to London’s slums, Gabriel watches in horror as his fiancée ruthlessly slays a man. Lady Belinda Clayton’s only concern was her dress for the next ball—until demons nearly killed her, and a group of Demon Hunters saved her life. Now, a lady by day, and a demon hunter by night, she knows where her duty lies. Ending her betrothal is the best way to protect Gabriel from death at a demon’s hands. Gabriel soon realizes, like him, Belinda has been fighting for her country. He joins in the fight, determined to show her that their love can endure—even at the gates of Hell.
DECEPTION (THE DEMON HUNTERS BOOK 2) by A S Fenichel
When Demons threaten Regency London, only a Lady can stop them…Lillian Dellacourt is beautiful, refined and absolutely lethal. She’s also the most feared and merciless demon hunter in The Company. She’s come a long way from the penniless seamstress’s daughter sold to the highest bidder, and it wasn’t by trusting a man, let alone an exiled Marquis with more on his mind than slaying the hellspawn…For Dorian Lambert, Marquis de Montlambert, being sent to keep track of Lillian is no mean task. He’s wanted the fiery vixen since he first heard of her five years ago. But wooing the lady while fighting the demon uprising is difficult, especially when the lady’s tongue is as sharp as the Japanese sai blades she favors the hunt. These two will have to learn to trust each other fast, because the demon master is back, and he’s planning to turn Edinburgh into a living hell.
DARK MOON FALLS VOLUME 3 by Various
High in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, the sleepy town of Dark Moon Falls is not what it seems. Full of secrets, shifters, romance, and so much more…This highly acclaimed series is back with Dark Moon Falls III! Packed with even more thrills for you with a collection of brand-new stories you’re sure to want to get your paws on. Filled with hot wolf shifters hunting for their one true mate, witches brew up trouble while mystery and suspense lurks around every corner. Danger, intrigue, peril, and steamy romance abound in this amazing paranormal romance set which is sure to set your heart pounding and keep you glued to the pages into the wee hours of the night. Don’t set your alarm … you’ll be up all night with this!
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We finished my ancient Egyptian paranormal romance backlist so I’m moving on to my alien empaths series, which actually started with STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY,a novella where I challenged myself to set up a stowaway situation on board the Nebula Zephyr, which mean figuring out why the woman was locked in a cargo container, who would come to her rescue…and it was my first Pets in Space anthology novella, so there had to be pets as well!
STAR CRUISE: A NOVELLA WITH STAR CRUISE RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES
In this volume I’ve gathered three stories set in the Sectors which have previously only been available in anthologies (which are no longer on sale), plus a bonus Sectors short holiday story that I originally wrote for my blog.
Star Cruise: Stowaway: A novella of 22K words, previously in the ‘Pets In Space’ anthology.
Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.
Star Cruise: Rescue: A short story of 9K words, previously in the ‘Romancing the Stars’ anthology.
When a shore leave excursion goes terribly wrong for Mira Gage, a member of the Nebula Zephyr’s crew, Security Officer Clint Miltan races the clock to find her before the ship leaves orbit and abandons Mira to her fate. Clint’s got more than a professional interest in Mira, but will he be able to save her from the aliens holding her prisoner?
The Golden Token: A short story of 13K words, previously in the limited edition ‘Dealer’s Choice’ paperback anthology handed out at the 2016 RT Booklovers Convention Interstellar Bar & Grille event. Edited by Linnea Sinclair. Sectors Special Forces operator Charlie McBrire had a few days to kill on a layover at Space Station 47. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a miners’ rebellion, fighting to save the life of a casino dancer he just met but can’t imagine living without.
BONUS: Star Cruise: Thanksgiving: A short short story of 3K words, originally published on my blog
The crew of the Nebula Zephyr arranges a holiday feast for one of their members.
Amazon Apple Books Nook Kobo GooglePlay
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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.
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