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).
‘AB’ denotes audiobook and the Amazon buy link.
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DAISY’S DECISION (ICEHOME BOOK 16) by Ruby Dixon
VS Note: This is waiting on my kindle for me to read it!!! I love the Ice Planet and Icehome series.)
I fear I’ve made a mistake. I left a pampered life and a loveless relationship to live on an icy, primeval world, all for the promise of a soulmate and children. But three years have passed, and my hopes and dreams have become dashed. I haven’t resonated. Without resonance, there will be no children for me, and no loving mate. So I keep waiting, and waiting…But then I come up with a brilliant plan to get me everything I want. And my plan needs a volunteer, one that would be happy to be my mate in all ways. Luckily, I know just who to approach. Amazon KU
RELUCTANTLY KEPT (HER ALIEN MATE BOOK 2) by Annalise Alexis
Raze – I am the last of the first. A machine-human hybrid forced to serve under the regime that murdered the rest of my line. For two hundred years I have killed my way to freedom, determined to find the remnants of my people and revive them, but the Trian Syndicate will not let me go easily. Desperate to uncover all my secrets, the leader assigns me one final mission: Protect a tiny, human female. After centuries of death, this should be easy. She will fall in line and I will treat her like every other task I have mastered. But it’s not. She won’t. And I can’t. She’s not a task. She’s everything. Bea – My life was a series of calculated choices until the moment I stared down the barrel of a gun. With my sister’s life on the line, I abandoned all logic and agreed to help a group of cyborgs. But all is not what it seems, and my only hope of surviving is a lone warrior sent by the Trian Syndicate elite. Raze is violent and angry, but the depth of suffering in his eyes mirrors my own. With iron fists and a gentle touch, he turns my universe upside down, but his secrets put us both at risk. I was built to survive, but can I save myself and the cyborg who’s become my whole world? AmazonKU
IGID’S BOUNTY (EARTH’S BOUNTY BOOK 3) by Deysi O’Donal
A newly found cache of human females is being sought throughout the universe—and now it’s up to my crew to protect them. Born in a slum of a brothel to an indentured mother, I’ve endured unspeakable things, but now, I am a badass bounty huntress. I’ve buried my past and with it, any desire for mates or kits. Those things were never meant for me anyway. Tasked with locating the human women recently sold at an illegal auction, the last thing I need is for my heat suppressants to fail mid-mission. Thanks to my Niveron biology, I’m unexpectedly thrown into a heat unlike any I’ve ever experienced, and the only male who can help? Brox, the one person who can get under my skin, the one I’ve sworn not to get close to. Now I have two choices; accept Brox’s help, or let my dark past send me fleeing from the one male who might be my future. Amazon KU
ODDER STILL (NO MAN’S LANDER) by D N Bryn
Rubem of No-Man’s Land was content keeping to his wine, his pets, and his extensive collection of fishnets. But since a sentient, fuel-producing parasite bonded to his brainstem, every morally-depraved scientist and hardcore rebel for a hundred miles wants to ruthlessly dissect him. The parasite itself is no better, influencing his emotions and sassing him with his own memories as it slowly takes over his body. The only person offering Rubem help is Tavish K. Findlay, a dashing and manipulative philanthropist whose mother’s fuel company monopolizes their corrupt underwater city with an iron claw. She desperately wants to tear Rubem apart for the parasite before those who oppose her can do the same. Her son is irresistibly charismatic though, and after a lifetime of being kicked out and disavowed, Rubem is desperate to believe in the friendship Tavish offers. With revolutionary plots and political schemes tangling his every choice, Rubem must soon decide whether or not to trust Tavish in his fight against the parasite’s growing control. Odder Still is a M/M fantasy novel with a class-crossing slow burn romance, murderous intrigue, and a parasite-human friendship in an underwater steampunk city. Amazon
HELL FOLLOWED WITH US by Andrew Joseph White
Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.
RUNT by Linda Mooney
Waking up disoriented, she doesn’t know where she is, or who these men are who are talking over her…about her…about her being their creation. Apparently they ran out of parts, but she turned out okay, if not a little on the small side. Being dubbed Runt, she soon learns these men are not friendly, and she’s about to be sold to the highest bidder. From what she overhears, she fears the new owners will be crueler than her creators. Runt doesn’t speak much, not wanting to give anything away, but she soaks in everything around her, memorizing everything she witnesses. Planning her next move for freedom. She’s alive, a special creation, and she will live the life she was created to have. She just has to bide her time until the opportunity presents itself. When her escape attempt goes awry, she’s rescued by Axel and his crew of salvagers, but it’s hard for her to trust anyone. He tries to earn her trust and claims he cares for her, but how? She’s mechanical, a cybie. But Axel proves that she’s human enough where it counts—her brain and her heart. He makes her feel emotions foreign to her, like happiness. Of all the things she’s learned, learning to love is the most important. Still, something plagues her. Who was she before she was Runt? Memories and flashbacks tell of another life, and she needs to find out what happened to her. Amazon KU
ENTICED BY THE ALIEN OUTLAW (WARRIOR MATES OF ZIVON BOOK 5) by Presley Hall
It’s been months since we crashed into the Zivonians’ ship and were offered a place to stay, and in that time, I thought I had explored every part of The Oasis. But I was wrong. There’s one new place I just discovered: the brig. I wound up down there by accident, and now I can’t stop thinking about the Zivonian prisoner with the mesmerizing eyes and the intense stare. I know I shouldn’t let myself be drawn to him. He’s behind bars, after all, and the Zivonians wouldn’t do that to one of their own unless he had done something awful. The smartest thing to do would be to pretend I never stumbled into the brig in the first place and forget all about him. But for some reason, I can’t stop myself from going back to visit him, curious about this mysterious alien in spite of myself. I visit him every single day…Until the day he escapes—and takes me with him. Amazon KU AB
THE MUTOPIANS BOOK ONE: IMPOSTER SYNDROME by SJ Whitby
VS Note: Not a romance but an LGBTQ scifi release of note.
We saved the world. We found a home. But our problems aren’t close to over. The English countryside is hallucinating, we’re harbouring a literal alien, and now there’s a killer on the loose wearing my face. And as the trail of my murderous doppelgänger leads deeper into darkness, we’ll need to dig up secrets from mutant history in order to fight back. I’ve never been the best at being a hero, and as things spiral out of control, I’m about to come face to face with my worst nightmare: myself.
HESAM: FORBIDDEN MATES OF THE ARDUN ROYAL BUARD by Ami Wright
Dark desire, undone by the scent of her heat. No tail, no pride, no honor. Finally Hesam is about to prove to himself and everyone else that he deserves a place of prestige in the royal guard. But the dark, hungry part of him wants something more. Beautiful vivacious singer Rosa is too tempting to resist. He longs to taste her. Mark her. Stake his claim. But as a royal guard, he’s forbidden to take a mate. And who would want him with his stunted tail? Worst of all, when her heat sends him into a rut, he needs things from this little human he should never want. Can he hold back? What if she discovers his dark side? Amazon KU
AURORA: A NOVEL by David Koepp
VS Note: I pre-ordered this – you know me and dystopian! Not a romance.
In Aurora, Illinois, Aubrey Wheeler is just trying to get by after her semi-criminal ex-husband split, leaving behind his unruly teenage son. Then the lights go out—not just in Aurora but across the globe. A solar storm has knocked out power almost everywhere. Suddenly, all problems are local, very local, and Aubrey must assume the mantle of fierce protector of her suburban neighborhood. Across the country lives Aubrey’s estranged brother, Thom. A fantastically wealthy, neurotically over-prepared Silicon Valley CEO, he plans to ride out the crisis in a gilded desert bunker he built for maximum comfort and security. But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over, and what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of several long-overdue reckonings—which not everyone will survive.
BEFORE TAKEOFF by Adi Alsaid
VS Note: Sounds good! Put it on my TBR List.
James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover. They couldn’t be more different, but seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light–and each other. Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually… a button. Which she presses. Which may or may not unwittingly break the rules of the universe–at least as those rules apply to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.
Before they can figure up from down, strange, impossible things start happening: snowstorms form inside the B terminal; jungles sprout up in the C terminal; and earthquakes split the ground apart in between. And no matter how hard they try, it seems no one can find a way in or out of the airport. James and Michelle team up to find their families and either escape the airport, or put an end to its chaos–before it’s too late. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: A SCIFI SIZE DIFFERENCE FAIRY TALE (ALPHA WORLDS) by Chloe Parker
VS Note: A re-release.
If this gentle giant breaks me, it will be a beautiful way to break. When a giant beanstalk crawls over the window of Jess’s house and up into the clouds, she has to find out what lies above. What she doesn’t expect is a living ship, walls of liquid gold, and a giant who might be her mate. AmazonKU
THE CITY INSIDE by Samit Basu
VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note. Sounded good! On my TBR.
Joey is a Reality Controller in near-future Delhi. Her job is to supervise the multimedia multi-reality livestreams of Indi, one of South Asia’s fastest rising online celebrities—who also happens to be her college ex. Joey’s job gives her considerable culture power, but she’s too caught up in day-to-day crisis handling to see this, or to figure out what she wants from her life. Rudra is a recluse estranged from his wealthy and powerful family, now living in an impoverished immigrant neighborhood. When his father’s death pulls him back into his family’s orbit, an impulsive job offer from Joey becomes his only escape from the life he never wanted. But as Joey and Rudra become enmeshed in multiple conspiracies, their lives start to spin out of control—complicated by dysfunctional relationships, corporate loyalty, and the never-ending pressures of surveillance capitalism. When a bigger picture begins to unfold, they must each decide how to do the right thing in a world where simply maintaining the status quo feels like an accomplishment. Ultimately, resistance will not—cannot—take the same shape for these two very different people.
A DROP OF MOONSHINE by Holly Day
In a world where the government controls everything, and every citizen is given one government-approved kill, Sid Barker is doing his best to keep his head down and not get noticed. At some point, he must have failed. Being a potato farmer doesn’t generate enough income, and Sid is making moonshine on the side to keep himself fed, but one day a liquidation agent shows up at his farm, not to kill him, but to blackmail him into giving away his moonshine for free. Thorn Hull is a liquidation agent. Every time someone hands in an application to have someone terminated, he or one of the other agents has to perform the kill. It’s a well-paying job, but no money in the world can fill the void in Thorn. He regrets ever becoming an agent, but no one has ever quit the agency and lived to tell the tale. One night in a bar, Thorn runs into Sid, who’s far from the dirty little kid he’d been the last time Thorn had seen him. Sid remembers Thorn from his childhood and asks him to help him talk sense into the agent who’s blackmailing him. Things soon escalate, and Sid and Thorn find themselves on the run from the liquidation agency. How will they be able to deal with the blackmailer at the same time as they’re on the run from the government’s trained killers?
WHEN IT ENDS by Penelope Black
VS Note: Apocalyptic reverse harem.
What if the end is just their beginning? They stole my heart at fourteen and broke it before we even graduated high school. It’s been five years since I’ve seen them, and only a twist of fate reunites us when the mountain falls. It’s the first disaster in a predicted apocalypse—a string of natural disasters that could be catastrophic. It’s the beginning of the end of everything. Finis omnibus. Old feelings reignite and new feelings blossom as the four of us form an unbreakable bond. As the world starts to fall and society fractures, it’s a race against time for survival. Amazon KU
THE BROKEN CODE (CAT JOHNSON CHRONICLES BOOK 6) by Katerina DeGratte
On the lam. Nowhere to turn. Is this the end of the line? Cat Johnson lives in fear. Though she’s escaped the nightmare prison world, the former game store clerk remains stuck in feline form. And with her brother hunting her under the influence of a manipulative seer, the beleaguered heroine is rapidly running out of options. Desperate for help and uncertain what’s happening to her, Cat flees from even her giant-sized pet. But as her human memories fade and her enemies close in, she’s terrified she may at last be out of lives. Will Cat finally claw her way to peace? The Broken Code is the sixth and final book in The Cat Johnson Chronicles LGBTQ science fiction series. If you like page-turning thrills, neurodivergent characters, and talking animals, then you’ll love Katerina Degratte’s cat-tacular conclusion. AmazonKU
SCREWED by Torri Heat
VS Note: Sounds intense! I put it on my TBR.
The Collapse. Otherwise known as the fall of civilization as we know it. You’d think it would’ve taken a lot longer for people to turn on each other. But humans will do anything and everything to sustain their quality of life. Work unsavoury jobs. Take up robbery. Assault. Forced breeding, with babies traded as a commodity. Mila has managed to stay out of reach of the black-market breeders – the Kingsnakes – by living on her own in the woods. Until a routine trip to the city for supplies changes her life of solitude in ways she never expected – and never wanted. Ray never wanted to be a Kingsnake. But caring for his two young sisters means taking extreme measures to keep them from falling victim to the same fate as his captives. Bit by bit he chips away at his soul, protecting his own, keeping food on the table, and still offering a shred of dignity to anyone he can. When Mila shows up at the Kingsnakes’ headquarters, everything changes. The risks Ray takes for his family are scary enough but will saving Mila from a fate worse than death compromise his own life, his family, and any hope of a real future together? Amazon
FORGET ME NOT by Karissa Kinword
After years of forming an intimate bond with a mysterious man every time she closes her eyes to dream, a young woman, Eliza, forces herself to find a fulfilling life outside the confines of her own mind. Along with her partner Logan, she roams the safely discovered planets and moons of a newly traversable galaxy by inter-galactic transport, centuries after the evacuation of humans from Earth to a new home, Otera. Silas, the unknown man in Eliza’s dreams has spent most of his life as a contract pirate, formally known as a Mako, mining the unexplored lands of dangerous moons to earn a living. Having dreamt about a woman he’s never met every night for as long as he can remember, Silas has never allowed himself a relationship that reaches beyond physical: confident that one day, he would find the woman in his fantasies somewhere in the universe. With Silas returning to the Otera following a final job for a man to which he owes a debt; and Eliza heading back home after visiting the Glade moon with her partner– the two come face to face…(more blurb on ebook seller page…) Amazon
HEART BEAT: DIMENSION JUMPERS BOOK 3 by Melissa Blincoe
Rowen is perfectly fine being on his own. But when a chance encounter in the human dimension causes something to emerge, he is less than pleased….I don’t want a mate. I don’t need a mate. But the female in the human dimension is so annoyingly alluring, that I find myself powerless to resist. With bitter irritation at getting hit with the mating fever, I’m not left much choice. I must take the tempting creature back to Suttern and rid myself of this damned fever…..But that doesn’t mean I have to like it! Amazon KU
THE DARK ELF’S MATE (DARK ELVES OF PROTHEKA BOOK 4) by Celeste King
I just need to survive. It doesn’t matter what these Dark Elves do. I will survive. The Dark Elves are vile. But I’m tired. And hungry. The orphans that I take care of are even hungrier than me. I’m desperate. I’ll do anything to feed them. That’s exactly what the Dark Elf Commander they call Karish is expecting. That I’ll be his filthy human toy so that I can save what’s left of my town that the Orc’s didn’t destroy. What neither of us is expecting is how our spirits will collide and fuse together. How in trying to desecrate me, he’ll open himself up to my own twisted affections. Two broken people. Playing with the fires of affection. Karish and I will rock Dark Elf society to the core. And their society, built on violence and degradation will deal with a weapon it has never encountered. Love. AmazonKU
SAVAGE ORC (BRIDES OF ATTIS BOOK ONE) by Luna Hunter
They say humans used to be free. Now savage and brutal orcs rule our scorched world. All us humans can do is serve our green-skinned masters with our hands and with our bodies. I’m one of the ‘lucky’ ones for I get to work in the fields, breaking my back to feed the ravenous orc hordes while my people go hungry. No orc has claimed me. Yet. Until I try to steal some grain to feed my sick grandma and I’m caught red-handed by my worst nightmare. Chieftain Grimdar of Arogh-Bul. Better known as Grimdar the Savage. His name is known throughout all of Attis. Everyone fears him. I think I’m dead meat, but no. The hideous imposing tower of green muscle and deep scars isn’t going to kill me for my crimes. It’s much worse. He’s going to claim me. Amazon KU
THE LOST (LIVE AND LET LIVE 2) by Stella Craig
Lola survived the last act of her painful past. Cole lost the one thing he never hoped to have. The undead still surrounds them, and there’s a new threat on the horizon. Can they survive the next treacherous chapter long enough to consummate their feelings? With the help of her long-lost crush Cole, Lola Jenkins made it through the emergence of the zombie apocalypse. This despite the horrors that awaited them, both undead and human. Now that she’s free of the shackles of her past, Lola’s ready to grab happiness with both hands. Cole faced his greatest fear and lost. But if he gives in, he dies, and that’s not an option. With Lola by his side though, he’s slowly coming out of his broody shell. Together, they’re fighting to live in this treacherous new world but the apocalypse brings more than just the slavering, ever-hungry undead, and now they’re faced with a threat they could never have imagined. Lola’s faith is tested. Cole’s honor is tarnished. Can they escape the newest tyranny or fall to the megalomaniac waiting in the wings to make them pay? Amazon KU
MINE TO KEEP (CYBERSERVED 2) by Tracy St John
He was the most hated cyborg on Earth, and love is far from his original design. But when old enemies hunt the woman he’s sworn to protect, he discovers a passion for vengeance…and her.
On Earth, he was known as the Warden, and his punishment of prisoners was legendary. Reprogrammed by the president of CyberServe as an assistant in the office…and as her chief researcher of intimate programs…PSM-426021, better known as Alek, is a flawless example of what buyers want in their repurposed cyborgs. CyberServe’s president Lillian Kwolek enjoys Alek on her terms: no love, no strings attached. It’s easy to keep him at a distance and guard her heart from hurt until an extremist group determined to right old wrongs targets her. Alek is loaded with a security program to keep Lillian safe, and it opens the cyborg to learning emotions. Alek doesn’t like these feelings, which include a confusing mix of devotion to and wariness of Lillian. She doesn’t like his developing emotions either. The new Alek, who fulfills desires and her need for safety from increasing threats, is too intoxicating a temptation for a woman who can’t trust men, whether they’re flesh or machine. They can’t resist each other, but past hurts threaten to destroy what they could have…and open the door to killers bent on annihilating cyborgs and Lillian.
THORN’S DOVE (ORC MATCHED 0.5) by Carlotta Hughes
VS Note: A re-release.
RUTH – After my old life burns to ash, I make the wild decision to buy a coastal farm intending to convert it into a Tolkien-inspired bed-and-breakfast. The ramshackle buildings, overgrowth, and daunting hard work are all things I expected. What I didn’t expect was to stumble across an enormous washed-up wall of muscle on my beach. Thorn isn’t human. He’s an orc from across the universe who speaks with a Scottish accent, wears a kilt, and is dead set on making me his mate. But I’ve got more important things to take care of, like completing the renovations on time and keeping a nosy FBI agent at bay. Thorn stays, he helps me, protects me, and shows me heartbreaking patience. Thawing my heart even as he heats my blood. I want him, badly, but I’m too broken. And the last thing I want to do is break his heart of gold. THORN – A dream sets me on a path far from my homeworld of Talam, to a broken gate that awakens at my touch. Drawn forward by fate, I travel through the gate and across the stars. I wake on a strange planet called Earth with the lovely human female from my dream draped atop me. Ruth is my cridhe, my soul-bound mate. But how …(more blurb on ebook seller’s page…) Amazon KU
PURSUED BY THE ALIEN [IRATE (ALIEN BRIDES BOOK 6) by C V Walter
Dorcas knew what she was doing when she volunteered to join the Forward Hope; getting as far away from her past as possible. What she found on board was a purpose and community far beyond anything she’d dreamed of since her escape. Off the planet and surrounded by aliens, she’s safe from the machinations of the creature who abducted her years before…Or so she thought. When a nightmare from her past threatens to come after her family, Dorcas does the only thing she knows how to do; confront the monster in his lair and pray for a rescue. Amazon KU
CEASE FIRE (A SPACE ADVENTURE BOOK 2) by Ell Leigh Clarke
VS Note: Not listed as a romance but charting well in scifi romance.
Stranded in uncharted space, Karma is finding it harder to keep information from the crew. But what she knows will affect their chances of survival. At least with the crew knowing about the device it means that she can work with them to get it back online and find a way home. That would be the plan, but for a pesky distress call. A distress call they have to answer. The problem with responding to distress signals in unknown space, with untold threats all around, is that you also run the risk of needing to send out your own distress call. Which presupposes that there are friendly folks somewhere around. And that you’re not going to attract the attention of any lurking hostiles. Not only that, but their side quest could very well result in losing crew members. And we’re not just talking about red shirts. Amazon KU
HEART OF THE SKY (SONS OF KULKULCAN BOOK 8) by R L Olvitt
VS Note: From MAY 31
Adventure, knowledge, alliance: Melania Abbot is looking for all three when she walks aboard the ramp of the Xithilene ship the J’vinka’s Claw. The arrival of the same aliens on Mars approximately six months ago brought her career to a standstill, but as part of a human honor guard selected to celebrate the deepening bond between the two species and their planets, she hopes to reclaim some excitement and purpose in her life. Lieutenant Xath has had his fill of human women. They may be fascinating and beautiful, but they only bring trouble—especially aboard a ship full of Xithilene warriors. Still feeling the sting of a recent rejection, he isn’t going to let their new crew mates get in the way of his duties. Unfortunately, with a prince at the helm, there’s been little enough adventure aboard the Claw, and when he learns of their next assignment, it doesn’t look as if that will change anytime soon. Melania and Xath may both crave excitement, but they receive more than they wished for when it becomes clear there’s a saboteur aboard the ship. Tensions rise between the Xithilene and their human allies, and no one is sure who to trust as rumors fly and systems fail. When a routine scouting mission goes horribly wrong, Xath will find himself relying on the one human soldier he’s tried his best to ignore: Melania Abbot. They will need to work together if they wish to survive—and they soon learn their discoveries will prove vital to the survival of all Council species—but only if they can live long enough to tell anyone. Amazon KU
MECHANICAL MASQUERADE: STEAMPUNK NOVELLA (SEASONS OF SOLDARK) by Lizdelton
The most prestigious Midsummer celebration in Soldark is only three days away, and this is Verity Pennington’s best–and last–chance to attend. Verity thinks she might just be able to pull off a fantastic mask in order to gain entry, if she can only tap into her unwilling artistic side. But when a thief breaks into her family’s clock shop and steals invaluable plans, it isn’t just summer revelry on Verity’s dance card. She’ll need to track down the thief–who’ll be showcasing an invention at the ball–and find a way to confront him amid the Soldark elite, without getting kicked out in the process. With her family’s reputation at stake, she’ll do anything to make it right. But things at the ball are not as they seem, and Verity must find her way through a maze of lies and mechanical masterpieces before she can find out the truth.
THE KRINAR RAKE by Chris Roxboro
VS Note: A special item because this poor author had all kinds of difficulties with the “major ebook platform” so I’m being supportive. I can’t imagine all the stress they had! A re-release.
Author’s Note: This is the remastered version of the original novella titled Krinar Covenant published in 2018. Due to unforeseen hiccups, I had to unpublish the expanded version’s title, The Krinar Covenant, released on April 9th 2022, and republish with the new title, The Krinar Rake. If you already purchased the expanded version titled The Krinar Covenant, published April 9th 2022, you do not need to buy and read this one, as they are the same book. X-Club owner Jerik realizes in the middle of a hot encounter with two humans that he’s bored beyond belief and ready for a change of pace. In the past, a change of pace meant new partners in a different location in different positions. But his restless ennui cannot be extinguished, and in a sea of lusting bodies, he’s adrift in unaccustomed loneliness. It’s in this unusual state of mind he accidentally knocks over the stunning yet aloof heiress. Her disinterest in him as a Krinar or a man stirs a primeval need to pursue until she is his, if not in soul, in body. Unfortunately, she’s firm with her boundary…(morte blurb on ebook seller page…)
THE HELION BAND by AJ Mason
VS Note: Not listed as a romance. An LGBTQ scifi release of note.
Rose’s only crime was to show kindness to her royal mistress…Now she’s a fugitive, fleeing from Queen Penthesilea, aided only by the mysterious bracelet that was a scornful gift from her merciless ruler. Rose lives in uncomfortable symbiosis with it, ignorant of its origins and potential. All she knows is that if Penthesilea catches her, she’s as good as dead. Now Queen Penthesilea knows what she gave away in error—an ancient treasure which imbues its bearer with powers and abilities beyond imagining—she must get it back. Without the Helion Band, her throne and life are on the line. When Rose’s feelings for the dashing captain Vash Munro intensify, she’s faced with a choice; leave Vash behind and keep running alone, or trust Vash with her secrets and run together. Relentlessly pursued across the galaxy by an increasingly desperate Pentesilea, will Rose find the strength to take a stand or will she fall to the queen and lose everything? AmazonKU
THE HEARTBEAT OF A MILLION DREAMS by Halo Scot
VS Note: From FEB 25 but as FF scifi romance is hard to find, when I saw this on the Queer SciFi twitter feed I decided to add it here. Good reviews.
You are the voice for those who have none. You are the heartbeat of a million dreams. Mars has a shadow, a mirror world torn from the chaos of an eons-old rivalry between gods and titans. An elite few protect this secret to preserve the peace. But when a girl comes along with the power to reunite Mars, worlds collide in cosmic war. Slade Hawk is a monster. That’s what they tell her, at least. Hunted since birth, she’s lived her life in dumpsters, subways, and in-between places. She’s a ghost to most, a forgettable blur. Some call her a wolf, a leader of the pack, the bridge between worlds, but she can barely survive each day. She is one of the evolved humans, a starchild who can shift between matter and energy at will—though her power stretches farther and reaches darker. Earth fears her people and exiles them to Mars. They want her dead, want Mars to burn, and fear can shape fate, can erase the brightest stars. Slade must overcome horrific odds to conquer Earth’s cruelty and free Mars from war. Are you a moment? Or are you infinity? Will anyone remember your name? Amazon
MARRIED TO THE ALIEN SPY: NOVA BRIDES by Thea Dane
I came to Planet Xaxos to be a physical therapist. I thought I was there to rehabilitate human and alien soldiers. Then I woke up one morning and found myself married to an alien spy.
Colbix Edar is a secret agent for the Wanderstar Fleet. His wildcard ways and checkered past leave me more curious than shocked. I keep telling myself it’s just a temporary mission, but when he holds me at night I think this has the potential to be a lasting arrangement.
I’ve been hurt before, though. Can I trust Col to protect my feelings as well as my life during this mission…and even beyond? Amazon KU
TATTERED THORNS: A WILD HUNT ADVENTURE (NIGHT QUEEN BOOK 1) by Yasmine Galenorn
I’m Lyrical, and I was born to the Leannan Sidhe. But then, the King of the Kelpies kidnapped me (yeah, I know, a lot of “K’s), and all hell broke loose. My mother begged Morgana, goddess of the Sea and the Fae, to save me. But my parents decided that I’m used goods, so I’m a princess without a kingdom. I now work for the newly revamped Wild Hunt Agency–a PI firm, and boy are my colleagues quirky. For one thing, it’s run by a wild demi-god named Yutani, who is as chaotic as his father, the Great Coyote. I find him too attractive, and a little dangerous. And now, life suddenly becomes a rollercoaster as the dragons lose their immortality and all hell breaks loose.
WICKED BEAUTY (DARK OLYMPUS BOOK 3) by Katee Robert
VS Note: Listed in Erotica
On Olympus, you either have the power to rule…or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city’s inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning. Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize…or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way. Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can’t keep her hands off—Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?
WE ALL FALL DOWN (THE RIVER CITY DUOLOGY BOOK 1) by Rose Szabo
In River City, where magic used to thrive and is now fading, the witches who once ruled the city along with their powerful King have become all but obsolete. The city’s crumbling government is now controlled primarily by the new university and teaching hospital, which has grown to take over half of the city. Moving between the decaying Old City and the ruthless New, four young queer people struggle with the daily hazards of life—work, school, dodging ruthless cops and unscrupulous scientists—not realizing that they have been selected to play in an age-old drama that revives the flow of magic through their world. When a mysterious death rocks their fragile peace, the four are brought into each other’s orbits as they uncover a deeper magical conspiracy.
WISHES AND WAVES by Various
Dive under the waves with this limited-edition collection of sea-themed paranormal and fantasy romance stories. Whether you want to go speed-dating with ocean shifters, go adventuring with mermaids, or go up against the might of Poseidon, there’s something for you in this spell-binding collection.
WOLF CLAIM (BLUE MOUNTAIN WOLF PACK BOOK 6) by Emma Dean
Noah is the levelheaded twin who has always looked out for Liam, not that many people could tell the difference between the two of them. Their coping mechanisms for the last decade of hell was to make jokes and laugh it all off. It has its upsides and downsides, which includes no one in the pack really taking them seriously. When their new witch offered to scry for his mate, he agreed, ready to settle down, but the last thing he expected was to find out that his mate was a raven shifter – notorious assassins within the paranormal world. How is he supposed to get in contact with her when no one really knows anything about them? Noah is resigned to his lonely future, and then their blood debt to a raven flock gets called in – to free his mate from the pack that has captured her. Amazon KU
WRATH GODDESS SING: A NOVEL by Maya Deane
The gods wanted blood. She fought for love. Achilles has fled her home and her vicious Myrmidon clan to live as a woman with the kallai, the transgender priestesses of Great Mother Aphrodite. When Odysseus comes to recruit the “prince” Achilles for a war against the Hittites, she prepares to die rather than fight as a man. However, her divine mother, Athena, intervenes, transforming her body into the woman’s body she always longed for, and promises her everything: glory, power, fame, victory in war, and, most importantly, a child born of her own body. Reunited with her beloved cousin, Patroklos, and his brilliant wife, the sorceress Meryapi, Achilles sets out to war with a vengeance. But the gods—a dysfunctional family of abusive immortals that have glutted on human sacrifices for centuries—have woven ancient schemes more blood-soaked and nightmarish than Achilles can imagine. At the center of it all is the cruel, immortal Helen, who sees Achilles as a worthy enemy after millennia of ennui and emptiness. In love with her newfound nemesis, Helen sets out to destroy everything and everyone Achilles cherishes, seeking a battle to the death. An innovative spin on a familiar tale, this is the Trojan War unlike anything ever told, and an Achilles whose vulnerability is revealed by the people she chooses to fight…and chooses to trust.
WOLVES AND WARRIORS by Various
Get bitten, abducted, dominated, and claimed by these SMOKING HOT alpha-hole baddies…Whether you prefer your hero dark and brooding, sweet and sensual, monstrous or beautiful, we’ve got him ready and waiting to give you exactly what you desire. This collection holds nothing back with all the tension that drives you wild and all the panty-melting steam you crave. Rouse your desire for top-notch paranormal romance with 16 all new books, and then keep reading for 5 equally enticing stories of the sci fi variety. Shifters, vampires, demons, and more are ready and waiting to bend you over that bed and pound their stories into your brain until you’re panting, moaning, and screaming for more. Amazon Kobo
THE 12 HUNKS OF HERCULEIA: MONSTROUSLY MYTHIC ROMANCE PART 1 by C Rochelle
I thought I was living the dream—until the fateful day I found my boyfriend in bed with my boss. As a professional copywriter, it was the tired cliche that hurt me the most. What’s a big city girl to do but pack my bags and go solo on that Grecian cruise I’d booked with my ex? Who needs a man when you have tropical breezes, stunning vistas, and free cocktails with frilly umbrellas? But thanks to a freak storm, I find myself washed ashore on a mysterious Greek Isle inhabited by 12 hotties determined to help me in any way they can. What in the rom-com setup is this? Somehow, I’ve ended up inside a famous Greek myth, tasked with conquering the very men I find myself unable to resist—despite their fur, fangs, tentacles, extra appendages, and extremely large…secrets of their own. Danger lurks around every crumbling ancient ruin, but the longer I stay, the more I wonder if I want to return to my old life at all. Here, I get to be the heroine of my own story, and it might just be time to rewrite history. Amazon KU
DIRTY DEEDS 2 by Various
Join NY Times bestselling authors Faith Hunter and Jennifer Estep along with USA Today bestselling authors R.J. Blain, Diana Pharaoh Francis, and Devon Monk on a brand-new romp through magical worlds where the damsels bring the distress, what can go wrong will go wrong, and nothing is as it seems. Adventure with Eli Younger, Liz Everhart, and Brute in the thrilling world of Jane Yellowrock. Face off against old gods and lost souls at a magical crossroads on Route 66. Become entangled in Ashland’s dark, deadly web with side characters from the Elemental Assassin series. Return to the irreverent world of Beck Wyatt, where disaster waits around every corner and cheesecake makes it all worthwhile. And finally, meet up with the Quinns and friends in the zany world of the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series. In this collection of all-new urban fantasy and paranormal stories, the gloves are off and simply surviving might just be the dirtiest, most difficult deed of all. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
KAPAEMAHU by
In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing. As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today.
HAUNTED HOTEL HOOPLA (A CHARLIE RHODES COZY MYSTERY BOOK 11) by Amanda M Lee
Charlie Rhodes is struggling. She thought finding her family would fix everything. It hasn’t, and the threat that’s cast a long shadow over her life is only getting larger. Still, when an opportunity arises to go to Savannah – one of her bucket list cities – she jumps at the chance. Savannah was made famous by ghosts, but five missing women – and the return of only one body – seems to point to a different sort of culprit. Whatever is going on, it’s weird … and it’s only getting weirder. Charlie’s mind keeps wandering to the friend she lost, who keeps haunting her dreams, but her determination never wavers. That’s why she hits the ground hot and hard … and the answers that start unspooling do so at a fantastic rate. There’s just one problem: Whatever evil is haunting Savannah, it’s more than ghosts. Actually, there might be two problems, because the ghosts in Savannah are multiplying exponentially and nobody knows if it’s tied to the missing women. Charlie has enemies coming out of the woodwork, although the big one is elusive. The answers she seeks are close, and they might just be provided by an unlikely source. It will take all of them working together, every faction in town, to beat back a terrific foe. Amazon KU
GAME OF STRENGTH AND STORM by Rachel Menard
Victory is the only option. Once a year, the Olympian Empresses grant the wishes of ten people selected by a lottery—for a price. Seventeen-year-old Gen, a former circus performer, wants the freedom of her father, who was sentenced to life in prison for murders she knows he didn’t commit. Castor plans to carry the island Arcadia into the future in place of her brother, Pollux, but only after the Empresses force a change in her island’s archaic laws that requires a male heir. To get what they want, Gen and Castor must race to complete the better half of ten nearly impossible labors. They have to catch the fastest ship in the sea, slay the immortal Hydra, defeat a gangster called the Boar, and capture the flesh-eating Mares, among other deadly tasks. Gen has her magic, her ability to speak to animals, her inhuman strength—and the help of Pollux, who’s been secretly pining for her for years. But Castor has her own gifts: the power of the storms, along with endless coin. Only one can win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all. Amazon May be KU
THE STRIPE ZONE (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 52) by Milly Taiden
Being a loner came naturally to Rev. After all, tiger shifters are rare and tend to lead secretive lives. Finding a mate in that situation was pretty much impossible. So, living a quiet life alone in the wilderness of Bayou Rouge was never much of a problem. But his tiger streak had a lousy tradition of arranged matings. No human mates allowed. Hallie had devoted her life to science. Being absorbed in her work never left much time for romance. Plus, her obsession revolved around big cats, not men. When a friend sets her up with a matchmaker, Gerri Wilder, it fires off a chain of events filled with love, romance, adventure, danger, and the closest encounter with the wild cat of her dreams. Unfortunately, her stubbornness get her into trouble that only the strongest, more fearless creature can rescue her from. Rev has a choice: save his human mate and be rejected by his streak or live the rest of his life alone. Amazon KU
ICED HEART: F/F VAMPIRE PARANORMAL ROMANCE (THE IMMORTAL REIGN BOOK 2) by Ariel Marie
A vampire and a human with a strong attraction neither of them could resist. Vampires won the war years ago, and everything on Earth had changed. Alima Morgan refused to watch her people bend to the will of vampires. She hated them for all of the destruction they had caused. She was a rebel and would fight until there was no more breath left in her body. But then her name was chosen in the draft. Apparently, she had been matched with a powerful vampire—the daughter of the king. Against her will, she was shipped off to the princess. Alima wasn’t afraid of the bloodsucker, and she sure as hell didn’t believe in destined mates. Lethia Riskel wasn’t opposed to mating with a human. As a warden of the east, she needed someone at her side to rule. Her curiosity was piqued with one look at the human. She was stubborn, fiery, and would have to be tamed. Lethia was just the vampire for the challenge of breaking her new charge. Thrust into a world of darkness and desire, Alima found herself falling for Lethia. As much as she tried to resist, she found herself craving Lethia’s touch, kiss, and even her bite. With a war on the horizon, Lethia was a strong vampire who would protect her mate from the enemy, and prove they were meant to be.
DOMINATING IN THE MIDLIFE: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (FANGED AFTER FORTY BOOK 5) by Lia Davis and L A Boruff
Newly mated vampire, Hailey Whitfield has a long to-do list that involves protecting her brother, dealing with newfound powers, and plotting to take over the entire vampire political leadership system. It’s not enough that she and Jax have done everything the council asked. Yeah, sure, there were some rocky roads and a little defiance on her end, but they managed it. Still, Soran and Gretchen aren’t happy. Something to do with a prophecy about Jax and Hailey being the new power couple that could bring an end to the council. Well, they have a right to be paranoid. Don’t mess with Hailey and her tight circle of family and friends. It won’t end well. When Hailey and the Bond Girls track down a skip who isn’t human, they have decisions to make. But this skip has information Jax and Hailey need to implement their plan for dominating the midlife. Their lives, along with those of the vampire race, are about to change forever. Amazon KU
THE SLAYER OF DARK HOLLOW by Juniper Kerry
Luna – I was born a Slayer, and I’ll die a Slayer. There will never be any other life for me. And most of the time, I’m cool with that. ..[SNIP]… I hate that I’m worming my way into his life, knowing I’m going to have to betray him. But if I don’t do this, my family will turn their backs on me. I’m torn between my head and my heart, and it’s an awful place to be. Ronan – When Luna walked through the doors of my bar on the night of a full moon, I thought it must be a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I honed in on her like a starving man. I’ve been lusting after her ever since I first laid eyes on her, all those months ago. But despite looking at me with bedroom eyes, she’s been avoiding me. And the truth is, I’ve been avoiding her too. Slayers are slayers from the day they’re born ‘til the day they die. They don’t hook up with wolves for the heck of it. I should know better than to trust her. I definitely shouldn’t be taking her as my mate. My body has other ideas. And once I touch her, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stop, even if it means risking everything. Amazon KU
SIN AND SALVATION: BLACK HEARTS MC by Cate Corvin
My life has never been mine. Sold by my own brother to cover his gambling debts, I’ve been the plaything of a wealthy demon for years. But when I risk my life to escape, the only place to flee is to the territory of the Black Hearts MC. Their price for my safety? To strip in their club and earn them money. But soon the MC leaders can’t keep their hands off me, and they decide I’m theirs… even when my owner comes looking for me. Suddenly I’m not just a stripper, I’m their mate. And they will commit any sin to save me… because they’re my salvation. Amazon KU
ALPHA’S RESCUE (SHIFTER OPS SERIES BOOK 5) by Renee Rose and Lee Savino
The curvy human saw me shift–now she can never leave. I took the lovely female with bright pink braids as my prisoner. She trespassed on our mountain. Saw my bear. With our land already under threat, I must keep her until I find out what she remembers. And she’s in danger. Her brother wants her dead, and she needs my protection. I shouldn’t keep her. I swore I’d never take a mate, but I can’t stop myself from wanting Lana. I can’t resist tying her to my bed. Claiming her. Then destroying anyone who dares threaten my mate. Amazon Kobo
JUNIPER’S TRIAL (ACADEMY OF THE ELITE BOOK 3) by Jarica James
VS Note: From May 23.
Rose Haven Academy put us up against a demon, and we won. Now my team of four hunky guys and I are part of the Elite Forces. I’m not sure if that’s good news or not. Our biggest foe, Captain Levi, seems to have warmed up to the possibilities of our powers, but that doesn’t mean she plans to make life easy for us. Within days of becoming part of the Elite forces, we are off on our first mission. We thought we were out of danger, but our biggest trial has just begun. A mysterious creature has overrun one of the training facilities of the Academy. Since our squad is the only one with experience dealing with creatures from beyond the veil, we’re prime pickin for the job. Lucky for me, my boyfriends and I have become a strong unit. Each of our powers complements the others. We arrive at the camp and immediately set out on a fact-finding mission. Having been through training and defeating my demon, this haunting seems like a cakewalk – until it isn’t. When we find the entire town surrounding the camp is in league with dark forces, our well-laid plans fall to pieces. Between fighting off deranged townies and staying safe from entities that lurk in the lake, we’re spread thin. And of course, that’s when things take a turn from bad to worse, nearly breaking me for good. Will we be able to solve the mystery of the Nøkken in time? Or will our first task as Elites lead us to a watery grave? Things that go bump in the night aren’t always harmless. Amazon KU
SHIFTERS EVER AFTER (SHIFTERS UNLEASHED) by Various
Find your Happily Ever After…in Shifters Ever After! Dive into worlds of wonder-filled paranormal romance and urban fantasy with sizzling stories of shifters and their sassy fated mates as only Shifters Unleashed can deliver. Escape reality and go along for a journey of tantalizing tales with Wolves, Lions, Dragons, Bears, oh my, and so many more. Realize your dreams and live the fantasy with Shifters Ever After. Amazon KU
HERALD”S CALL by Jaymie Wagner
VS Note: F/F/F PNR
It is said that long ago Herne, the god of the Hunt, could use his Horn to make wolves obey his commands. A legend that Amy Oakley, Alpha of the Howlers pack, learned as a child and stopped believing in long before her first change beneath the full moon. After spending three years fighting for her lovers and packmates’ right to live among the werewolves of Londinium, all she wants is a chance to breathe, go back to running her pub, and never see the manipulative Marcel Charron again. As an ancient prophecy begins to unfold, can Amy and the Howlers find the Horn of Herne and keep it out of Marcel’s hands, or will his web of schemes and plots spell doom for their pack and the rest of London’s werewolves?
THE DRAGON’S FAKE FIANCEE (SHIFTERS OF RAWR COUNTY BOOK 6) by Sophie Stern
Cosmo has been living in Rawr County for the last 10 years because he hates himself and wants to be miserable. Dragon Isle was no good for him. Everyone there was too happy and joyful. A dragon like him deserves to be unhappy. When his family tries to set him up with a childhood friend to date, he blurts out a lie: he’s engaged. It’s not true. But when they surprise him with an unexpected visit, he grabs his nearest employee, Athena, and introduces her as his fiancée. What could possibly go wrong?
Amazon Will probably show up on Apple Books and Kobo eventually
PRINCE OF RUIN (CLAIMED BY THE DEMON BOOK 1) by Bec McMaster
VS Note: From MAY 23
Sera – Sera knows the taste of the bitter ashes of love. The former angel gave her heart and soul to a demon once, and it cost her everything. Cast from Heaven and newly mortal, she’s forged herself anew on the vicious streets of New Purgatory, but she’s never forgotten him. And when Uriel offers her a chance of redemption, she takes it. Even if it means facing her most vicious heartbreak—and her greatest threat. And stealing from him. But when she walks into Azazel’s club, she can’t deny the obvious. Even though he won’t recognise her new body, one look into his piercing eyes and she knows the fierce connection they once shared hasn’t faded. Is there any mercy left in Azazel’s villainous heart? Or will his darkness consume her? Azazel – Once upon a time the angel, Sariel, betrayed him. He swore to break her. Ruin her. Destroy her. Until she vanished over a thousand years ago, and he was forced to leash his desire for vengeance…But when a sassy blonde calling herself Sera comes strutting into his club during one of the infamous reaping nights—wearing a pair of angel wings in a blatant middle finger to his kind— he can’t take his eyes off her. Her innocence consumes him. But it’s the knowing look in her eyes that makes his breath catch. Because his soul hasn’t forgotten hers. And while he swore to punish her, he takes one look at her and realizes vengeance has a new desire… He will possess her, body and soul.
MAGIC AND MIDNIGHT (STARRY HOLLOW WITCHES BOOK 6) by Annabel Chase
Everything’s coming up Roses in Starry Hollow. Ember is thriving both personally and professionally, along with the other descendants of the One True Witch, and life has never smelled sweeter—until the bloom is off the rose, of course. When a resident known as the Midnight Surfer is found dead on Balefire Beach, the community is shaken. The aging surfer was a fixture in Starry Hollow, albeit an ornery one, and the whole town is eager for Sheriff Nash to solve the case. With more suspects than grains of sand, the sheriff needs all the help he can get, and Ember is more than happy to offer her services. Meanwhile, Marley falls under the influence of an older friend and begins to test boundaries at home and school, much to Ember’s dismay. The broomstick mama isn’t used to challenging behavior and it seems the only way to hold on is to let go. Will the gathering dark clouds have a silver lining or will Ember succumb to the dead of night? Amazon KU
OUT THERE: INTO THE QUEER NEW YONDER by Various
Into the queer new yonder! To conclude the trio of anthologies that started with critically acclaimed All Out and Out Now, Out There features seventeen original short stories set in the future from fantastic queer YA authors. Explore new and familiar worlds where the human consciousness can be uploaded into a body on Mars…an alien helps a girl decide if she should tell her best friend how she feels…two teens get stuck in a time loop at a space station…people are forced to travel to the past or the future to escape the dying planet…only a nonbinary person can translate the binary code of a machine that predicts the future…everyone in the world vanishes except for two teen girls who are in love. Amazon Kobo
THE GIFTS THAT BIND US by Caroline O’Donoghue
It’s senior year, and Maeve and her friends are practicing and strengthening their mystical powers, while Maeve’s new relationship with Roe is exhilarating. But as Roe’s rock star dreams start to take shape, and Fiona and Lily make plans for faraway colleges, Maeve, who struggles in school, worries about life without them—will she be selling incense here in Kilbeg, Ireland, until she’s fifty? Alarm bells sound for the coven when the Children of Brigid, a right-wing religious organization, quickly gains influence throughout the city—and when its charismatic front man starts visiting Maeve in her dreams. When Maeve’s power starts to wane, the friends realize that all the local magic is being drained—or rather, stolen. With lines increasingly blurred between friend and foe, the supernatural and the psychological, Maeve and the others must band together to protect the place, and the people, they love. A thrilling sequel to All Our Hidden Gifts. Amazon Kobo
HYBRID (IMMORTAL WEST BOOK 2) by
Kerry Adrienne and L A Boruff
Claire and Blake continue the fight against the wicked Fae King in this second installment of the Immortal West Series. But will their mutual attraction jeopardize their efforts to save Claire and the other human women the Fae need for their devious plans? Amazon KU
THE PEACE KEEPER: A NOVEL (THE GOOD LANDS) by B L Blanchard
North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past. Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin harvest, another woman is slain. His mother’s best friend. This leads to a seemingly impossible connection that takes Chibenashi far from the only world he’s ever known. The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim’s cruelly estranged family—and to two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie. AmazonKU AB
WILD OAK CROWN by T A Creech
People stumbling into Jack Hawthorne’s little town of Reeve’s Creek isn’t anything new. It happens from time to time. Those who need a safe place to hide from the world. Not the same way he needs a safe place, mind, but he lives with it and keeps to himself on the edge of town. Then two come at once. One is an irritating blip on the radar of his quiet life no matter how much this stranger upset the town, and the other … well, Sheriff Mason Carrow is there to turn Jack’s world upside down. Which is unexpected, and Jack can handle that. Mason likes to hand him surprise after surprise, though, and Jack’s in too deep before he even knows what hit him. The monster in the swamp on the western edge of his territory is something else. It’d take some real special care to deal with, if Jack manages to keep the good Sheriff Carrow from getting in the middle of that mess.
SUSPENDED: THE BEGINNING (THE PAST LIFE PRISM SERIES BOOK 1) by Julie Bawden-Davis
They have loved each other…over many lifetimes. When Sophia Strand is in college studying to be a therapist, she meets handsome physics professor Phillip Farrow. One look at Phillip and Sophia is struck by how hauntingly familiar he seems. She soon comes to understand at a deep level what her intuitive Greek grandmother has always told her. There will be significant people in her lifetime she has known before. But soon after Sophia and Phillip reunite in this lifetime, he must leave her. What will happen to the soul mates, whose love has spanned centuries? Amazon
FORGING SILVER INTO STARS by Brigid Kermmerer
Magic has been banished in the land of Syhl Shallow for as long as best friends Jax and Callyn can remember. They once loved the stories of the powerful magesmiths and mythical scravers who could conjure fire or control ice, but now they’ve learned that magic only leads to danger: magic is what killed Callyn’s parents, leaving her alone to raise her younger sister. Magic never helped Jax, whose leg was crushed in an accident that his father has been punishing him for ever since. Magic won’t save either of them when the tax collector comes calling, threatening to take their homes if they can’t pay what they owe. Meanwhile, Jax and Callyn are astonished to learn magic has already returned to Syhl Shallow–in the form of a magesmith who’s now married to their queen. Now, the people of Syhl Shallow are expected to allow dangerous magic in their midst, and no one is happy about it. When a stranger rides into town offering Jax and Callyn silver in exchange for holding secret messages for an anti-magic faction, the choice is obvious–even if it means they may be aiding in a plot to destroy their new king. It’s a risk they’re both willing to take. That is, until another visitor arrives: handsome Lord Tycho, the King’s Courier, the man who’s been tasked with discovering who’s conspiring against the throne. Suddenly, Jax and Callyn find themselves embroiled in a world of shifting alliances, dangerous flirtations, and ancient magic . . . where even the deepest loyalties will be tested.
KNAVE OF SECRETS by Alex Livingston
When failed magician turned cardsharp Valen Quinol is given the chance to play in the Forbearance Game—the invitation-only tournament where players gamble with secrets—he can’t resist. Or refuse, for that matter, according to the petty gangster sponsoring his seat at the table. Valen beats the man he was sent to play, and wins the most valuable secret ever staked in the history of the tournament. Now Valen and his motley crew are being hunted by thieves, gangsters, spies and wizards, all with their own reasons for wanting what’s in that envelope. It’s a game of nations where Valen doesn’t know all the rules or who all the players are, and can’t see all the moves. But he does know if the secret falls into the wrong hands, it could plunge the whole world into war. Amazon AB Kobo
LITTLE BIRD by Tiffany Meuret
The skeletons in the closet have nothing on the one in your backyard.
Freshly divorced and grieving the death of her father, Josie Lauer has caged herself inside her home. To cope with her losses, Josie follows a strict daily routine of work, playing with her dog, and trying to remember to eat a decent meal—and ending each night by drinking copious amounts of vodka. In other words, she is not coping at all. Everything changes when Josie wakes to find a small shrub has sprouted in her backyard the morning after yet another bender. Within hours, the vine-like plant is running amok—and it’s brought company: a busybody new neighbor who insists on thrusting herself into Josie’s life, and a talking skeleton called Skelly that has perched itself in Josie’s backyard on a throne made of vines. As the strangely sentient plant continues to grow and twist its tendrils inside Josie’s suddenly complicated life, Josie begins to realize there’s a reason Skelly has chosen to appear. All Josie has to do is figure out what that reason is—and she has only a few days to do it, or else she might find herself on the wrong side of catastrophe. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
MELIORA by Talli L Morgan
Winter Fae takes a job at the Summer Palace with two goals in mind: keep his sister alive, and keep his family’s secrets safe. He intends to keep his head down and avoid drawing attention, but that plan crumbles when he crosses paths with the notoriously reckless Prince Arturo, who’s last in line for the throne and would rather see the world than rule it. Arturo claims he knows someone who can cure Winter’s sister for good, if Winter can trust him enough to travel across the country. But Winter’s family has attracted enough suspicion over the years, so he needs a damn good reason for disappearing with the prince. And what’s a better excuse than elopement? Amazon KU
GIVE UP THE GHOST (SOUTHERN GHOST HUNTER MYSTERIES BNOOK 11) by Angie Fox
VS Note: From MAY 31
Ghost hunter Verity Long is no stranger to scandal. In fact, it seems to follow her around like her pet skunk, Lucy. But Verity is as shocked as anybody when a town relic discovered in a time capsule unleashes a torrent of secrets that lead to murder. Trouble is, the only residents in Sugarland who know the truth behind the scandal also happen to be very dead themselves. With a killer on the loose and a town in crisis, Verity braves a side of Sugarland she’s never seen before. From a booby-trapped haunted mansion to a run-in with the spirit of Sugarland’s most notorious blackmailer who may hold the key to setting mob ghost Frankie free…for a price. But when a live killer gets an inside track on Verity’s investigation, will she live long enough to give up the ghost? Amazon Apple Books Kobo
NEVER THE WIND by Francesco Dmitri
Praise God, never the wind – 1996 – Luca Saracino is thirteen and has been completely blind for eight months when his parents move to a Southern Italian farmhouse they dream of turning into a hotel. With his brother dropping out of university and the family reeling from Luca’s diagnosis, they are chasing dreams of rebirth and reinvention. As Luca tells his story without sight – experiencing the world solely through hearing, smell, taste and touch – he meets the dauntless Ada Guadalupi, who takes him out to explore the rocky fields and empty beaches. But Luca and Ada find they can’t escape the grudges that have lasted between their families for generations, or the gossiping of the town. And Luca is preyed upon by the feral Wanderer, who walks the vineyards of his home. As Luca’s family starts to crack at the seams, Luca and Ada have to navigate new lands and old rivalries to uncover the truths spoken as whispers on the wind. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
ORDINARY MONSTERS: A NOVEL (THE TALENTS BOOK 1) by J M Miro
England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness—a man made of smoke. Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn’t have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When Alice Quicke, a jaded detective with her own troubled past, is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous. What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—like Komako, a witch-child and twister of dust, and Ribs, a girl who cloaks herself in invisibility—are forced to combat the forces that threaten their safety. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Komako, Marlowe, Charlie, Ribs, and the rest of the talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts. Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
SINS OF THE ORC (ORC FORGED) by Finley Fenn
He’s fallen too far to save… but his enemy is going to try. In a world of warring orcs and men, Kesst of Clan Ash-Kai is a pawn. A pretty, pliant plaything, bound to the cruelest orcs in the realm. Until the new healer storms in. He’s huge, hostile, and hideous, with a powerful scarred body and terrifying ancient magic. And it only takes one disastrous meeting before he and Kesst are bitter enemies, and Kesst vows to see the vile brute destroyed…And then a sudden, deadly attack hurls his helpless body straight at the healer’s feet. Kesst fully expects to be mocked, belittled, abandoned to his doom — but instead, his new enemy picks him up. Soothes his wounds. And carries him home…Soon Kesst is trapped in a tiny sickroom beneath Orc Mountain, caught in the thrall of the healer’s impossible magic. In the surprising gentleness of his touch. In the strength of his stubborn, seductive safety…But with his horrid handlers close on their scent, Kesst can’t possibly be falling for his forbidden foe… can he? Can a healer save him from his sins… or destroy him? Amazon KU
THE CURSED CANVASES (THE LADIES OF ALMACK’S BOOK 4) by Marissa Doyle
Young widow Annabel Chalfont, Countess of Fellbridge, has two small sons to raise, a mountain of her late husband’s debts to pay off, and a secret: she’s a shadow-shaper, able to manipulate shadow as anyone else might clay. She and six other high-born ladies with equally extraordinary abilities defend England against supernatural crime—but the world knows them only as the Lady Patronesses of Almack’s, Regency London’s most exclusive social venue. The Lady Patronesses are trying to discover who is vandalizing the pictures at this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, in the process uncovering a personal vendetta dating back nearly twenty years. Meanwhile, Annabel gains a very eligible suitor in Lord Glenrick, brother of one of her fellow Lady Patronesses and son and heir of the Duke of Carrick—but she’s not quite sure he’s the suitor she’d prefer. Amazon Kobo
THE CHARMING SPELL (HEAVEN SPRINGS PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY SERIES BOOK 2) by Constance Barker
Mandy is up to her neck when her ex from Hollywood shows up uninvited. She’s done with the guy but he can’t take no for an answer. And when he becomes a murder suspect, will she feel obligated to help in the investigation? What was a warrior angel doing in town? Is something dark and mysterious brewing just below the surface of the community? Are friends actually enemies in disguise? Can Mandy trust her own grandmother? Amazon KU
SUNFLOWER SEASON: HISTORICAL ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY FOR UKRAINE by Various
VS Note: Although this collection isn’t in the genres I feature, I am supporting the worthy efforts for Ukraine.
SUNFLOWER SEASON is a charity collection featuring stories (some never-been-published and some old favorites) by over 70 — that’s right — SEVENTY of your favorite Historical Romance authors. ALL royalties will be donated to humanitarian relief in Ukraine. This set will be released on June 7, 2022 and will only be available for a limited time. Preorder now and enjoy a summer of historical romance!
WHERE THE DEVIL DON’T GO by Onley James
VS Note: A re-release of a previously serialized story.
Sam is known by many names: Samiel, Samyaza…Lucifer. But Sam isn’t the devil. He’s simply a demon, attempting to earn peace by slaughtering the demonic offspring he created. It’s in slaying one of those offspring that Sam finds Christopher, who’s been enslaved for so long he’s forgotten how to be human. He doesn’t look human, not anymore, not after the barbaric things he’s endured at the hands of his captor. But even then, Christopher never suspected his master was anything but a normal mortal man. When Sam’s mission puts him in Christopher’s path, Christopher isn’t horrified by the literal demon before him—not even when Sam tells him he has to die. Instead, intrigued by Sam, Christopher offers his body in exchange for his life. An offer Sam finds himself accepting. Their joining is an abomination. Humans and monsters aren’t meant to mate. But together, they work. Sam feeds on others’ pain, and Christopher needs to hurt to get off. They’re a perfect match made in hell…until Sam is left with only one name between him and the death he’s craved for millennia. Now, he has a decision to make. Stay and start a war…Or finish what he started and leave Christopher alone in a world that’s forgotten him. Amazon KU
FOR A FEW WITCHES MORE (A HANNAH HICKOK WITCHY MYSTERY BOOK 10) by Lily Harper Hart
Casper Creek is a town in flux. Contractors are on the scene making plans for the new restaurant, owner Hannah Hickok is plotting ridiculous couple’s costumes for the Halloween party, and there’s a new demon in town. Instead of coming after Hannah directly, the demon does an end-run around the witch and starts possessing the area children … and sending them into a frenzy. Through a fluke, Hannah manages to put an end to the first attack. Unfortunately, a wave of them are set to follow.
Hannah’s boyfriend Cooper Wyatt believes she can handle almost anything, but a threat against children puts her in a tough position … especially since the demon seems to be demanding something that’s impossible for Hannah to give him. He wants to be there for her, but this fight is one he’s not certain they can win. Demons are nothing new for Hannah, but this one has a particular agenda, and nobody will survive if it comes to fruition. Because she has no other options, Hannah is forced to join forces with an enemy who can provide an exponential power boost. Will it be a mistake? Hannah is determined to protect those she loves. This time, the foe might be too strong for her to defeat. Amazon KU
FORGOTTEN VOWS: MM FAE ROMANCE (FOLK BOOK TWO) by Lily Mayne
My mortal skin is gone. I’m one of them. One of the Folk. And all I feel is anger. I’m going to kill the Carlin and her sons for everything they did to me. It’s all I care about. But first, I have to navigate this new world. My new skin. My new brother. And, when I fall into her clutches, my fae mother—the Brid. The Seelie Queen. I don’t like what I’m becoming, but I can’t stop it. Something’s wrong with me. Something’s missing. There’s a hollow ache in my chest and I can’t fill it, no matter what I do. It’s like I’ve forgotten something vital from my time on unseelie land. Why do I feel so incomplete? Why do I have an oath etched onto my skin, one I don’t remember making? Why is there a tiny black feather nestled in my throat that I can’t bring myself to take off? Why do I feel so much longing every time I see a beautiful black-haired, black-eyed unseelie fae, even though I don’t remember him at all? My life has become yet another game of cat and mouse, but this time it’s not just the Carlin and her sons trying to get me. New threats lurk, and I have to force myself into this new fae skin to be able to fight them. Amazon KU
UNTIL THEFT DO US PART: A FOLKLORE FALLS ROMANCE RETELLING by Emily Fluke
Loxley isn’t lonely–who dares suggest that? Plus, she’s too busy helping townspeople who struggle to stay afloat in Folklore Falls and find the dagger from the town’s historical legend. She doesn’t have time for relationships. Though her reckless thefts don’t make her an ideal girlfriend, she captures the eye of a new name in town. But it’s the wrong kind of attention. Officer Gideon Notting trusts nothing but rules and loyalty to the law–everything Loxley is not. When an investigation thrusts them together, Loxley has no choice but to lie, trick, and… fall in love? Amazon KU
OLD BONES AND ICE CREAM CONES: DESTINY FALLS MYSTERY AND MAGIC SERIES BOOK 6 by Elizabeth Pantley
VS Note: From MAY 15
Old Bones and Ice Cream Cones follows the series format of combining two stories that blend into one. A murder mystery and the island mystery. The Island Mystery: Hayden’s boyfriend Han is missing. But she swears she saw him zoom by in his car. She’d thought it was a surprise, and that he was home early from his secret service case. She was wrong. The surprise is that his signal isn’t pinging, and no one knows where he is. There appears to be black magic behind his disappearance. Can they learn who’s responsible and bring Han safely home? The Murder Mystery: A pile of old bones is found in an ancient fishing boat. They could be tied to the disappearance of two young women years ago, back when many of the Destiny Falls people where in high school. Many of the citizens had bad history with the missing students. Do the bones belong to them, and what happened? Were the they murdered? And could the murderer be living among them? AmazonKU
DRAGON’S MATE (IRRESISTIBLE DRAGONS BOOK 1) by Nora Phoenix
VS Note: From MAY 31
One dragon. One wolf. And they’re both alphas. Surely Fate must’ve messed up. After spending the last two hundred years locked up in the family castle with his three younger brothers, Erwan is climbing the walls. Literally. He’s a dragon who isn’t allowed to fly, forbidden to use his magic, all to stay hidden from the rest of the world. How will he ever find his mate like this? But when he finds an injured omega in the woods around the castle and brings him home, the spell that kept them hidden is broken. Erwan’s father is furious—not that that’s anything new. The man has basically been angry all Erwan’s life, though why, he doesn’t know. When wolf pack alpha Rhene comes a-knocking to demand the omega back, Erwan is shocked by what Fate whispers in his ear. Then again, the same is true for Rhene. Neither one of them imagined their mate quite like this. Two alphas? A dragon and a wolf? How on earth could that possibly work? But they have bigger problems. It turns out Erwan’s father is hiding more than a surly attitude. Much more. Like an old connection with the wolves and a betrayal that runs so deep, it could tear Erwan and Rhene apart. Amazon KU
THE BLOOD OF PROMISE (THE WOLVES OF PROMISE FALLS BOOK 3) by T S Joyce
Marsden Wyland is a walking bag of secrets. He’s walking the line between opening up to his new Pack, and keeping them from finding out what he’s really done. And on top of that, he’s seeing a ghost girl that can only mean one thing—he’s dying. The ghost is beautiful, and is there for him in hard moments, and showing up in memories, and nothing is making sense. He wants to know everything about her, but any time he tries to talk to her, she disappears. He is supposed to be helping his new Alpha take his place at the head of the Pack, but instead, Marsden is becoming a huge liability. Carly Callaghan has been hired to find out what has happened to the mountains around Leadville, Colorado. Something has left huge scorch marks, and the local police department needs someone with her…talents. One touch of a scorch mark, and she is thrown down a path she never would’ve guessed. Werewolves exist. Werewolves exist! And one of them has all of her attention. A green-eyed, muscle-bound wolf-man has somehow tethered her powers to him, and now she has an important decision to make—finish her job and expose him to the police department, or protect a werewolf with a volatile past. Amazon KU
TOGETHER WE BURN by Isabel Ibanez
VS Note: From MAY 31.
An ancient city plagued by dragons – Eighteen-year-old Zarela Zalvidar is a talented flamenco dancer and daughter of the most famous Dragonador in Hispalia. People come for miles to see him fight in their arena, which will one day be hers. But disaster strikes during one celebratory show, and in the carnage, Zarela’s life changes in an instant. A flamenco dancer who must become a dragon hunter to save her family legacy – With the Dragon Guild trying to wrest control of her inheritance from her, Zarela has no choice but to train to become a Dragonador. But when the most talented dragon hunter left in the land — the infuriatingly handsome Arturo Díaz de Montserrat — withholds his help, Zarela cannot take no for an answer. Without him, her world will burn. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
BY YOUR SIDE: THE FIRST 100 YEARS OF YURI ANIME AND MANGA by Erica Friedman
VS Note: Nonfiction but I like to include books of interest in this report. It’s part of the joy of curating! From MAY 31.
The Untold Story of Lesbian Love in Japanese Anime and Comics – “By Your Side is the complete Yuri resource I only ever dreamed could exist. Decades in the making, this glorious collection surveys, analyzes, and contextualizes Yuri with unparalleled detail and enthusiasm. Friedman graces readers with illuminating insights as they follow her through a century of the genre’s evolution and revolution. By sharing her extraordinary knowledge, she provides inquirers, scholars, and aficionados alike with a deeper appreciation and understanding of lesbian anime and manga while galvanizing them towards the next era of Yuri.” -Nicki Bauman, Yurimother Amazon Kobo
THE CAVE OF RUIN ARSA (THE CROSS OF CIARAN BOOK 3) by Andrea Matthews
iarán Donnelly is ready to leave his past behind and concentrate on his new life, but his past may not be finished with him. His dreams have returned with a vengeance, and this time they’re telling him Ruadhán, the long-dead priest who entombed him fifteen hundred years before, is threatening to kidnap his unborn twins. Of course, his dream interpretation leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to those he loves. As if the dreams are not bad enough, his anxiety over them is causing stress on his new marriage, which is the last thing Caitlin needs in her current condition. The twins are on the way, and everyone advises him the dreams stem from his own insecurities over becoming a father. After all, Ruadhán was the chief priest, a member of the high council, loyal to his goddess unto death. What are the chances he suffered the same fate as Ciarán and survived fifteen centuries? The theory sounds reasonable, and he’s happy to accept it, until Aodhán comes across an empty tomb in the Hills of ár Sinsear that looks as though it may have been occupied at some point. Could Ruadhán have survived after all? And if so, where is he now? To complicate the issue, Aodhán stumbles across another piece of information that could alter the possible meaning of his brother’s dreams. But will Ciarán manage to put the pieces together before it’s too late, or will he lose his family to an ancient adversary? Amazon KU
PRINCE AND ASSASSIN (PERILOUS COURTS BOOK 1) by Tavia Lark
Whisper doesn’t remember his real name. All he knows is the elite assassin guild that raised him—and controls him with the threat of blood magic. Plagued by nightmares, he doesn’t get to refuse assignments, even when his new job doesn’t make sense: Infiltrate Prince Julien’s court, protect him until the signal arrives, then kill him. Julien hides his own schemes behind a sordid reputation. He trusts nobody besides his brothers, and he certainly doesn’t trust the aloof, beautiful new stranger at court. But he doesn’t have to trust the stranger to be drawn to him, especially when he saves Julien’s life. Then Julien saves Whisper too, and Whisper’s reserve shatters. Beneath Julien’s playboy facade is a warmth Whisper can’t resist. Whisper’s never been comforted before. He’s never been cared for like this. As his nightmares darken, Julien’s touch is his only solace—but falling in love could ruin them both. Because Whisper’s mission hasn’t changed, and the price for failure is worse than death. AmazonKU
HOUSE OF LIES AND SORROW: FAE OF REWYTH BOOK ONE by Emily Blackwood
Jade Farrow will die tomorrow. Her fate was decided years ago, when her useless father made a deal with the greedy fae king to save his own life. Now, she is being sent to marry one of the five ruthless fae princes. The only problem is that she is not the first human to marry a fae prince. And like every human wife before her, Jade is going to be killed before she can find a way out. Malachi Weyland is the heir to the fae throne. It’s the reason his brothers have despised him all these years, and it’s the reason his father is adamant on finding him a human wife. Malachi has one job, and that is to unite the fae and human lands. But Malachi has a secret, and it’s one that gives him his rightful name amongst both the human and fae lands: The Prince of Shadows. Jade and Malachi are faced with life-or-death challenges as Jade is thrown into Malachi’s magical world. Will she die just like every wife before her? Or will Malachi, the same fae who is feared across all of Rewyth, be the one to save her life? Amazon KU
SWEET BERRIES – CAMBRIC CREEK SWEET & STEAMY MONSTER ROMANCE BOOK 2 by C S Nascosta
Grace has a job she loves, a community she adores, and plenty of friends . . . but her lack of bedroom action has left this event planner too horny to think. When one ill-advised night at the bar leads to her giving an exhibitionistic show to an unknown presence outside her bedroom window, she thinks she’s hit a new low. When her voyeur turns out to be a nebbishly charming mothman, Grace needs to decide if she can trust her body — and her heart — with this garnet-eyed stranger before he flys out of her life for good. Amazon KU
SACRIFICE OF THE BRAVE KING (THE POSEIDON TRIALS BOOK 3) by Eliza Raine
The Poseidon Trials have never been more deadly, and it’s not just my life at stake. Poseidon, my sister, and the whole realm of Aquarius are just as likely to die as I am if we don’t stop Atlas. But the revelations coming my way are so much worse than anything the insane Titan can throw at me. Between discovering the rest of the Oracle’s prophecy, what happened between Poseidon and Atlas’ wife, learning to use my magic, and trying to save my sister’s life, only one thing is certain. If I fall in love with the fierce sea god, it will kill me as surely as the stone will. Amazon KU
THE DARK HALF: BOOK ONE by Shane Morton
After his parents’ untimely death, Roam finds himself embroiled in a world of magic and demons. His whole life has been one big lie – but the biggest lie of all may cost him his life. Can he balance the world between Chaos and Order, or will he be the one who destroys it? Destiny is calling for him to take his place – but all he wants is a chance to fall in love with a man he shouldn’t desire. War between the forces of Order and Chaos is at a tipping point, and the demon king knows that Roam is the one he’s been waiting for. Roam’s grandmother Guinn also knows the truth of Roam’s lineage and the terrible destiny that lays before him. Truth has a way of coming out and Roam must decide who he is. Will he choose destruction or will love keep him tethered to the forces of good? AmazonKU
WILD GHOST CHASE (GHOST DETECTIVE BOOK 7) by Jane Hinchey
VS Note: From MAY 31
The cut-throat attorney’s death puts a crimp in my plans, for here I am, all dressed up and ready for the Scarecrow Ball, when she turns up, un-living, riding shotgun in my SUV. Usually an optimist, I’m finding my beloved cup o’ joe less than half full as I set about finding her killer while deflecting questions from my family about my impending wedding to Detective Kade Galloway. Smokin’ hot, lustworthy, mine. Right? I can’t believe it either! But here we are, knee-deep in vampires, zombies, and scarecrows, hunting a murderer, bathing raccoons, stumbling from one crisis to another, asking myself, red wine or white at the reception? Amazon KU
SASQUATCH MOON (VAMPIRE FOR HIRE BOOK 26) by J R Rain
When Samantha Moon is hired on by a film crew to help hunt for the most elusive creature of them all, she’s pretty sure they have the wrong person. Turns out this is a super well-funded expedition, and the eccentric backer is sparing no expense, including hiring, among dozens of other specialists, a private investigator—someone trained to find the missing. And there is nothing more missing than Bigfoot. The logic almost makes sense to Sam. But the money is right and the vampire private eye finds herself intrigued. After all, even among her fellow supernaturals, the creature known as Sasquatch is thought to be myth only. When the team arrives at the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Sam is drawn to the bear guard, a tough as nails man named Wally Seymour hired to keep the expedition safe; after all, Wally seems particularly adept in the forest…But it’s when Sam heads out into the woods on her own reconnaissance mission that things get interesting. Turns out, the vampire detective is particularly adept at finding elusive creatures who don’t want to be found. And when Samantha sees a disturbing image in the team leader’s mind—an image of death and mayhem—she understands there’s more at play here than a simple expedition to find the world’s most popular cryptid. The hunt is on—but who is hunting whom? Amazon KU
TAURUS UNTAMED (FATED BY STARLIGHT BOOK 3) by January Bell
I’m a world away from anything familiar—but it’s like I’ve known him my whole life. I never realized my father’s stories about alternate dimensions were a warning. But when I wake up in the gentle arms of a horned giant, his theories become all too real. My sisters are gone, I’ve traveled through some kind of rip in the universe… and the man holding me says I’m his fated mate. I need to find my sisters, but the people here have been under attack. They need my nursing skills, and I can’t find it in myself to abandon them… or the gruff, brutish man who’s set on taking care of me. So I get to work, staying as busy as I can. My so-called fated mate makes it easy, and despite his stern exterior, I sense a heart of gold. I’m undeniably attracted to him, but I’m not ready for forever. Then the unthinkable happens. I’m kidnapped, taken by the same people responsible for the attacks on the village: vampires. I can only hope he’ll fight for what he thinks is his… me. Amazon KU
WITCH WOLF (ELVENSWOOD TALES BOOK 6) by Alexa Piper
Will is a witch wolf, a werewolf who can do magic, but his life so far has been anything but magical. He was sold by his own pack and for four years, Will suffered as a slave to his captors — who used him any way they wanted. Now, after a leap of courage has brought him to Colin’s doorstep, Will’s past should be just that, his past. Colin can see the new apprentice he’s supposed to teach magic has been hurt. Colin wants to comfort the young werewolf who takes to magic much more easily than he takes to human contact. Their attraction seems mutual, but how can Colin be certain Will even knows what he wants? As slow affection grows between Colin and Will, Will’s magic does as well, and he allows himself a sliver of happiness. Except the dark past Will thought he escaped from is not quite done with him, and now, it’s not just Will’s life on the line, but also Colin’s, the witch Will’s heart is beating for. Amazon Kobo
ACROSS THE STARLESS SKY (THE CURSED PARLEY BOOK 2) by C M Hano
Deadly Deals – When archeologist Gabrielle Bocknite seeks out help from the notorious Crow Sisters, she finds herself in a deadly situation. With letters from the past motivating her journey, she must do what is necessary to get back to them. What price will she have to pay, and will it leave a black mark on her soul? Cursebreaker – Maxwell Godfrey will stop at nothing to save his friends and get his Lass back. When another curse stands in the way of their freedom, Max is forced to make a fatal decision. One path will bind him to the seas, and another will seal his final destiny. Silent Avenger – Two brothers are lost at sea, befriending a pirate in the deep. Death hangs an ax over one. Another seeks vengeance, in the wake of the evening silence. Amazon KU
THE SHADOW PRINCESS (CHRONICLES OF THE STONE VBEIL BOOK 6) by Sawyer Bennett
My name is Thalia Clairmont and I am heir to the throne of Vyronas. A title that was unknown to me after the love of my life, Bastien Dunne, had me stripped of my memories and sent me through the veil into another dimension. He maintains it was for my protection after my parents were killed and our kingdom was overthrown, but I see it as a betrayal. Overwhelmed by my feelings of both love and anger for Bastien, I quickly understand that things aren’t what they once were. Vyronas is at war and an evil sorceress has claimed my throne by casting her blood magic to subjugate my people. With my memories returned, I realize Bastien isn’t the man I once loved and has instead become a distant, hardened warrior whose heart is as cold as ice. My magic alone cannot defeat the blood sorcery, so I delve into the deepest shadows to find a way to regain control of my kingdom. Can I defeat evil without succumbing to the darkness? And will Bastien and I be able to reclaim the love we once shared? I am the Shadow Princess and it’s time for me to reclaim my throne.
CLANDESTINE (SANGUINE BLOOD SEEKERS 2) by J Hali Steele
Joshua’s spending more and more time at club Sub Rosa. It’s time he emerges from the shadows to take a more active role. Pursuit of the aloof nightclub owner obsessed with voyeurism carries him over the edge. The stranger’s scent awakens a desire Joshua has not felt in centuries. He vows to have the man. If it means bleeding dry everyone close to either of them, so be it. Mason Kildare, owner of Sub Rosa, doesn’t play in his own backyard. Instead he frequents other night spots in search of fulfillment. A reserved disposition coupled with gray hair keeps most of the young men he finds attractive at arm’s length, but not Joshua. Joshua storms Mason’s defenses, breaking them down one by one. By the time he discovers Joshua’s bloody secret, Mason has lost more than his body — he’s given away his soul.
HER REVENGE (THE SHATTERED ISLE SERIES BOOK 2) by Jade Presley
VS Note: From MAY 31.
Cari’s father—king of the Shattered Isle—escaped her clutches in the All Plane, but she’ll stop at nothing to stop his reign of terror. With the help of her four new husbands—the kings of the All Plane—they set off to stop her father once and for all. But he’s not retreating to the safety of her beloved isle. He isn’t hiding behind his place walls. He’s taking his revenge out on the innocent elemental realms, and the people start to question the All Plane’s ability to protect them. When he threatens someone she loves, Cari realizes just how much she underestimated her father. And in order to save them, she’ll have to become something she never wanted—the ruthless princess her father raised her to be. Amazon KU
BEAR’S MIDLIFE SURROGATE (SHIFTER NATION: FATED OVER FORTY) by Meg Ripley
At 41, I never imagined I’d be signing a baby contract. Or that the father would be my one true mate. My ex gambled away my kids’ college funds Along with my dreams of starting a business. After putting everyone else first for the last 23 years, Nothing will stop me from making my dream a reality. So when a bear posts he’s looking for a surrogate, As crazy as it sounds after having three grown kids, I know this could be the ticket to getting my food truck off the ground. I loved being pregnant and know what to expect, But when I meet Evan at a coffee shop, My bear’s buzzing, and it has nothing to do with my latte. The man I’m sitting across from is my mate. And he wants us to start a family. Together. Raising another cub was never part of my business plan. Until we end up making it the old-fashioned way. Amazon KU
IN THE MIDST OF MAGIC by Christian Cura
VS Note: FF Fantasy. From MAY 25.
Meet Kara Hartman, a young photojournalist who is hiding her magic from the world. Traumatized by the death of her brothers he wants nothing more to do with magic. But just when she thought she could neglect her gift, it becomes apparent that the universe has other plans for her. When an old foe breaks out of prison, hellbent on exacting vengeance, Kara has no choice but to embrace the only power that can stop her. Amazon
DARK BEAST by Sara Fields
I can protect her from the world, but nothing will protect her from me. For centuries I’ve walked this land, watching over humanity even after they turned their backs on me long ago. But though many a lass has blushed for me over the years, I’ve never claimed one for more than a night screaming my name in bed. A beast like me wasn’t meant to find a mate. Until Layna. When I first set eyes on this beautiful creature she was fighting for her life against more men than I could count, and at that very moment I vowed to protect her… and to make her mine. That is a promise I plan to keep, even if it means stripping her bare, marking her bottom with my belt, and forcing her to one heart-stopping climax after another until she surrenders completely. I’m not just going to keep her safe. I’m going to keep her forever. Amazon KU
RAVISHING THE FORCE (THE FORCE SERIES BOOK 2) by Jade Royal
Having the ability to see the dead was both a gift and a curse for Drax Triton. He was tormented by spirits to a point where he was succumbing to weakness because of his power. Not only did his older brothers dote on him because he was the youngest; his inability to control his power made them even more wary to watch his every move. But it was his unstable power that led him to meet the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Not only was Ivy Ash alluring and positively seductive; she was a demon that held a mystery about herself that Drax wanted to uncover. Ivy and Drax were from two separate worlds that deemed they could never be together, but their connection was undeniable, especially in the way their eyes twinkled at the pleasure of torturing enemies. Despite the rules that said a demon and a panther could never coexist, Drax would stop at nothing to capture the female that ravished his soul the moment he locked eyes with her. But to be together meant that the rules of their worlds would forever be altered in ways that neither Ivy nor Drax could prepare for. In the end, the prospect of a true mate bond was too good to resist despite the chaos that was promised to come. Amazon KU
BRONX’S BITE (PRYDE SHIFTER SERIES BOOK 3) by Giovanna Reaves
VS Note: From May 31
Fate has a wicked sense of humor when enemies become lovers. After the death of his parents, Bronx Harrison had to take on the responsibility of his family’s company, not to mention taking the throne as the king of his sect. Bronx thought he’d actually found his mate in his childhood best friend, Jordan Sutton. Although they loved each other, there wasn’t any passion. With the threat of the Blackburn Hunters trying to kill his kind, Bronx put love out of his mind. When he was asked to extract information from a captured hunter, Bronx didn’t expect that the man would turn out to be his mate. Captured and in the hands of the enemy, Kallen Blackburn was on death’s door and was ready to accept his fate. But just like everything else in his life, things changed. He was trained and conditioned to be the best paranormal hunter, but one mission had him going from hunter to hunted Since he was a child, Kallen’s world had been filled with torture and death. Love was something he had never experienced. His only purpose was to be used and discarded. When he failed on a mission and was punished severely, Kallen realized he needed to escape from the family business as a Blackburn Hunter. Kallen thought he was incapable of emotions, let alone loving anyone. When Kallen encounters Bronx, he questions the meaning of life and love. This is not a standalone series please read books 1 & 2 first. Amazon KU
BAILEY: MORGAN’S LEAP BOOK 3 by Kathi S Barton
Bailey 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. Zippy and her sister, Venita, were born witches. Veni, Leslie’s mate, was the grand witch, but Zippy was no slouch when it came to magic. Zippy and their parents came to Morgan’s Leap because they had discovered that Veni was alive, not dead as they’d been led to believe, and they wanted her back in their lives. Although Zippy was thankful to have her sister back in her life, discovering she had a mate was both a shock and a blessing. Bailey was surprised but not at all unhappy when Zippy appeared in his life. Everything around him was changing so fast. And when Zippy didn’t hesitate to take in the three abandoned infants from the hospital, his heart couldn’t have been fuller. Amazon Kobo
FATHER (BLOOD BROTHERHOOD) by Loki Renard
Sin, and be punished. I’ve broken every commandment, but I do not fear Hell, because Hell is here on earth. I protect the weak. I punish the wicked. And I slay demons. I do my work alone…until fate steps in. Now I’m legal guardian to the daughter of the one who got away. But she’s no child. She’s headstrong and spoiled…and mesmerizing. Addictive. Angelic. Pure temptation. Claiming her is against every tenet, commandment, and moral law above and below. But when I am with her, nothing else matters. I am a demon hunter — but she is the one I will possess. AmazonKU
COSMIC JINX (THE WITCHES OF HOLLOW COVE BOOK 10) by Kim Richardson
Lucifer took my magic. Okay, so technically, Derrick the incubus douche took it, but he was Lucifer’s guy and following orders. Still, I can’t be a witch or a Merlin without magic. Can my life get any worse? Of course, it can. As I try to adjust and accept life without a drop of magic in my veins, Marcus disappears. Well, not exactly, more like he ghosts me. He’s not returning my calls or my texts. Just when I think I finally have my love life on track, it gets derailed, and my heart is slowly torn apart. Even if Marcus is gone, I’m not about to give up on my magic. I have plans. Crazy-ass, possible death plans, but I’ll do just about anything to get my magic mojo back. Yes, it’ll be dangerous. Insane. Only a crazy person would be willing to try it. Good thing I’m just crazy enough. Amazon KU
CLAIMED BY SHIFTERS (HATE TO LOVE FAE BOOK 2) by J L Wilder
As a hybrid, I thought there was no place for me. Until three shifter brothers found me and claimed me as their own. A tattoo-covered bear who delighted in my torment; A dragon that consumed me with his heat; And a wolf who knew the part of me I kept hidden. When they finally learned to trust me, is when I led them into the belly of the beast. Now the fae want every drop of their blood; and these babies inside me, may never know their fathers. There is only one way out of this. I need to make an alliance with my enemy; The monster in the cell adjacent to mine. Monsters are toxic, but this one draws me to him like a moth to a flame. And there’s something about how forbidden he is that makes me want him more. I just hope my mates can forgive me for putting us in danger,
because maybe the only monster we are all running from is me. Amazon KU
THE INFIDELITY CLAUSE by Lisa Oliver
Caspian, fourth son and yet still a Crown Prince of Gunkermal knew he was a party to a marriage contract. Arranged marriages were common in his family, and he expected the contract would cement various trade or security agreements with another country. He just didn’t realize the other party to his contract was a full-grown man, who stepped off his ship and into Caspian’s life as if he owned it. How much is this marriage worth to our king again? Nikolas, Crown Prince and only heir of Westland, arrived in Gunkermal to fulfill his part of a marriage contract that was six months in the making. He was under no illusions about his prospective spouse. By all accounts, his intended was a womanizer, a lay about, and was likely someone who fussed if Nikolas should use a wrong fork at dinner. That’s why Nikolas insisted their marriage contract have an infidelity clause. He figured his spouse would invoke what was known as the “piss-off” clause before Christmas and he’d be free. It’s far better to marry someone whose weaknesses we’re already aware of. One man went into his marriage contract blindly. The other thought he knew everything there was to know about his intended spouse. When circumstances suggested that neither man knew what was actually going on, was there a possibility the marriage could work after all? And what did a pirate captain have to do with anything at all. Amazon
FIRE (FIRE AND ICE BOOK 1) by Shae Evans
VS Note: From May 30.
He’ll make her pay the ultimate price, in his quest for revenge….A dutiful daughter…Promised to a king she’s never met; Princess Anais was resigned to her fate. From the outside looking in, Anais lives a pampered existence but in truth, the palace walls serve as her prison. She believes marriage to this unknown king can’t be worse than the life she already has. But she never imagined the king had plans of his own. A vengeful king…Zane has waited for the right moment to strike down the man responsible for slaughtering his family and destroying his kingdom. Now a powerful leader in his own right, Zane’s goal of revenge is within his grasp via a betrothal to his enemy’s daughter. But when he spies Princess Anais, he’s determined to have her not as his wife, but his mistress. When these two fiery royals collide, they’ll learn that there’s more to each other than meets the eye. But can they come together as one before dark forces threaten to tear them apart? Amazon KU
JESSE AND THE MAGI VAULT: ZODIAC MAGIC ACADEMY (EXEMPLAR HALL BOOK 2) by JL Madore and Ruby Night
Being drafted into an elite, all-male academy of magik, monsters, and mercenary men was never the plan—but honestly, we had no choice in the matter. Maybe it was written in the stars or maybe it’s merely the design of corrupt men out to trap us and kill our traitor of a father. Either way, the Gemini twins are in the house. Trapped by the wards of the school. Chipped and trackable if we escape. Pretending to be a dude in a sea of testosterone. Ohhh, the testosterone. Maverick, River, Jack, Drake, Kade, Chad… Whether lovers, friends, or enemies, with my powers unlocked, they call to something wild in me. Maybe this Magi world isn’t so bad after all. Amazon KU
KNOT HIS TYPE (MYSTIC SPRINGS BOOK 2) by Belle Kent
I was supposed to be his mate. Then he rejected me. So why won’t he let me go? When Jack Beaumont rejected me, I vowed to do my best to get on with my life. Suppression spells, potions — anything to keep the heats at bay whenever he’s near. Unfortunately, anytime there’s trouble, he’s there. Brooding. Protective. Alpha. And unwilling to give me the one thing I truly want: him. Our bond was a ruse, but I’ll do anything to protect her. Claire Landon should never have presented for me. I was her savior in her darkest hour, triggering a life of longing and need that I can never make good on. Now, someone is abducting witches in Mystic Springs. And the only way to keep Claire safe is by watching her every move. But can I possibly do that without finally taking her and making her mine, despite knowing that if I do, she’ll wind up hating me forever? Amazon KU
STOLEN BY THE ORC KING (ORC OBSSESSION) by Jasper Thorne
He’s huge, intimidating, and could snap me in half like a twig. So why can’t I take my eyes off of him?
Lost and alone in the wilderness after a hunting expedition gone wrong, things can’t be much worse…until I’m captured by a clan of savage, primal orc warriors. The chieftain is huge, all-powerful, and determined to claim not only my curvy body — but my heart as well. He’ll never stop, he says.
Whatever it takes, he says. Challenge accepted. Amazon KU
REAPER HOSPITAL: CODE STUBBORN DOCTOR (THEIR REAPER BOOK 3) by Lacey Carter Andersen
There are worse things than death…With my possessive god, my hot shifter, and my stubborn vampire, I felt a kind of safety and peace I never imagined in this life. We began to feel like a family. But all of that is gone now. They hate my kind. If they learn the truth about what I am, they’ll kill me. And if I can’t stop the other reapers from killing a shifter alpha, my wolf is dead. What’s more, my fallen god has angered his own kind and they intend to unleash chaos into our world, and into his life. In other words, the three men I’ve grown to care about need me right now. I could be the one person that can stand between them and life or death. But to save them, my secret will need to be revealed and this secret will destroy anything between us. So unless I come up with another plan, I’ll lose my men, one way or another. I guess this reaper needs to start thinking. Amazon KU
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VS: The next book in my Badari Warriors backlist is GABE. He’s one of my favorite human heroes -strong, self confident (a bit cocky but with the skills to back it up), ex-Special Forces turned mercenary…and an eternal bachelor, or so he thinks. I also unveiled a Badari secret in this book which I’d carefully danced around in the earlier three books. No spoiler from me but which woman will Gabe fall in love with, if not a human? Hmmmm….I also was insanely pleased with this cover, because I thought the stock photo captured the essence of Gabe perfectly. He holds his own among the Badari Warriors pretty well.
GABE (A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL): Sectors New Allies Series Book 5
Gabe Carter, hotshot pilot and ex-Special Forces soldier, is far from his home in the human Sectors, kidnapped by alien scientists to be the subject of horrifying experiments. Shot down by the enemy over desolate territory far from his Badari allies and gravely injured, Gabe’s only hope is a mysterious woman on the run herself.
Keshara has to decide whether to abandon the human to die of his injuries on a windswept mountain top or give up her own quest for freedom and take him to a place he can be helped. The undeniable spark between them complicates matters.
His attraction to her is off the charts but when she betrays him to the Khagrish enemy, Gabe doesn’t know what to believe. Trapped inside an alien lab bursting with mysteries and lies, his only hope may be to trust her…again.
Because the renegade alien scientist running her own private experiments wants to use him to accomplish her goals and perpetuate the evil, no matter what she has to do to ensure his compliance. Keshara’s life hangs in the balance and Gabe has to make a choice.
Amazon Apple Books Nook Kobo Google Play
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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:
“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months. And I may mention ‘special items’.
I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…
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.
Is that Nikole Knight book paranormal? I’ve seen a few others in the series and I thought the Foxxy bit referred to something different!
Gill
Oh good catch! Deleted it…I can definitely see where I read part of the blurb wrong LOL. Thanks!
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