I have a new release this week too! My next Intergalactic Dating Agency novella…
I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking quite a few as I prepare these posts LOL).
‘AB’ denotes audiobook and the Amazon buy link.
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BRADEN (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) SOLDIERS OF THE ARDANNAN BOOK FIVE by Veronica Scott
Braden Hartwell’s five day date on the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s Resort Planet has crashed and burned already. His date failed to show up, having gotten married on her home planet. While he’s absorbing this setback he receives a surprising offer. Elodie Farantson is on Resort Planet to be a bridesmaid for her childhood friend. Her cheating ex-boyfriend is the best man and Elodie has been telling everyone about her wonderful new boyfriend to save face. Except he doesn’t exist. Panicking she takes refuge in a noisy club before going to the first wedding party. Upon seeing Braden all alone at the club, she strikes up an acquaintance over drinks, inviting him to be her fake date to the wedding and all the activities for the week. With nothing better to do and all his friends matched up with IDA dates, Braden agrees. The situation turns out to be much more complicated than Elodie explained. The bride and groom are famous interstellar celebrities, the events are nonstop and he soon realizes he wants something real with Elodie. For her part, Elodie is falling head over heels for Braden but after her last relationship disaster she’s reluctant to take a risk. When danger from an unknown source stalks her Braden has to step up and do whatever is necessary to save her life.
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ERRIK: INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY (VAXXLIAN MAIL ORDER BRIDES BOOK 12) by Sue Mercury and Sue Lyndon
The fierce warrior has finally found his mate. Now he’ll do anything to keep her…Vaxxlian warrior Errik has always had a restless spirit. After the war, he postpones settling down on the new planet his people have claimed, choosing instead to travel the galaxy as a cage fighter. He never loses a battle and soon makes a fortune, but it’s a hollow existence. He finds himself yearning for something more. A mate. A home. A reason to finally stop running. Holly has spent years traveling North America in her RV, taking odd jobs wherever she goes. But with unrest spreading across Earth, her nomadic lifestyle is becoming increasingly dangerous. Then she discovers she needs lifesaving surgery she can’t afford. When a friend suggests she sign up for the Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides program, Holly reluctantly agrees. In exchange for becoming an alien warrior’s mate, she’ll receive the healing nanobots that can save her life. She’s not prepared for Errik. The handsome and attentive warrior is nothing like she imagined. His kisses leave her breathless, his touch makes her burn, and she soon begins to wonder if the mating union she entered into out of desperation could become something more. But when Holly is suddenly offered a way out, Errik fears his mate will choose freedom over him. And the warrior who spent years running from commitment becomes more determined than ever to keep the woman who has finally given him a reason to stay. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
RIVER DRAGON’S SONG (DRAGONS ON MARS BOOK THREE) by Honey Phillips
A hidden river. An impossible discovery. A dragon who’s been waiting in the darkness. When Frankie is separated from her team, she doesn’t expect a single wrong step to plunge her deep beneath the surface of Mars. Lost in a vast underground world, she discovers the impossible—an ancient river flowing through the darkness and evidence that she’s not alone. Korrak has been wandering the hidden waterways alone since he awakened, listening for a song that never comes. Until her. The pretty female is stubborn, determined, and far too tempting. Korrak knows he should keep his distance, but every instinct urges him closer. The longer Frankie remains trapped beneath the surface, the harder it becomes to resist the dragon who has quietly claimed her heart. Finding a way home should be her first priority. If only she could convince herself to leave him behind. AmazonKU
TRUTHFUL DECEPTIONS (ORIGINS + ABDUCTION BOOK ONE) by RK Munin
It could be worse, but Opal wasn’t sure how. Then she found out! Everything was going wrong, and Opal didn’t know how to fix it. Well, that’s not true; she knows one thing that would fix all her woes–wealth. With things too dire to ignore any longer, Opal did the one dangerous job she swore never to do; she agreed to work a night at a contract brothel. She braced herself for a full day and night of unpleasant roughness and discomfort. What she didn’t expect was for her time with a male from a species called Talin to be the most pleasurable of her life. Maybe working at a brothel wasn’t such a bad idea. Then she finds herself kidnapped. Nope, not happening. Despite the good time she experienced, she won’t be kept as a slave. AmazonKU
VIGILANTES OF DANGER (FISA AGENTS BOOK FIVE) by BL Jones
VS Note: MM Superhero SFR.
Hell isn’t a place you go to. It’s a place inside you. Hell is a pit inside your mind, a dark hole where nightmares are born and hope dies screaming. Sami Malik isn’t a hero. He was raised an OI assassin. When he was rescued by Damon North, he became the first Liquid Onyx FISA agent. Years later, Sami comes home from an extended mission and finds himself unwillingly dragged into a dangerous, messy situation with another volatile superhuman assassin. There will be dire fall outs from exposed secrets and fractured relationships in need of healing. Nothing and no one will remain untouched by what came before, and everyone will need to move forward into their uncertain futures with a bravery born from hope. AmazonKU
THE FROST WARDEN’S CAPTIVE (THE HOLIDATES OF BOREALIS IV BOOK ONE) by Eden Ember
I offered the galaxy’s coldest billionaire a deal: Three holiday dates for the contract he needs. I didn’t expect him to play for keeps. Drax is the owner of the Aurora Grand, and he is the definition of a Grinch. He’s seven feet of violet-skinned arrogance, richer than a star system, and he needs my signature. I own a tiny share of a mine he’s desperate to buy. He thinks he can intimidate me with his sharp suits and high-tech visor. He’s wrong. I’m not selling—unless he proves he has a heart. My terms? Complete three Solstice traditions with me. Cut a tree. Buy a gift. Share a meal. He agrees, thinking it’s just business. But as we check off the list, the icy CEO begins to crack. I see the possessive heat in his eyes when he shields me from the snow. I feel the tremble in his massive hands when he pins me against the wall of his penthouse. His glowing tattoos are telling me a truth he refuses to speak: I’m not just a business acquisition. I’m his mate. But Drax has spent a lifetime guarding his heart, and I have one rule: I don’t give myself to men who only know how to take. AmazonKU
VALDIER’S HIDDEN WORLD (DRAGON LORDS OF VALDIER) by S E Smith
A hidden magic comes alive…Ariel Hamm-Reykill has always shared a unique bond with animals. On the secluded sanctuary she’s created with her mate, Mandra, and their son, Jabir, she offers refuge to creatures from across the universe. When Ariel’s dragon senses a creature in need, she sets out on what should be a quick rescue mission. Returning home early, Mandra is eager to surprise Ariel with some much-needed time together-only to find their sanctuary empty. His search leads him deep into the untamed wilderness of Valdier, where he uncovers a secret hidden beneath the surface of their world. What began as a simple rescue turns into a journey that will test their bond and reveal an ancient, forgotten magic. As Ariel and Mandra delve into the heart of Valdier, they’ll discover that the planet they love holds mysteries they never imagined-and a power that could change everything. Are you ready to uncover the secrets of Valdier? Join Ariel and Mandra on this unforgettable journey of love, adventure, and discovery-and let the magic of their story sweep you away.
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MAY THE DEAD STAY DEAD (OM1N0US, NOM1N0US bOOK TWO) by Lizzie Strong
Vivian Darkwater is about to embark on the next chapter of her life: Personal Healer to the Mphronatch, Aka, her college roommate and bestie Aphrodite. As the mate to a prince of the Vroskrowz and very pregnant, Aphrodite created a brand new job for the sarcastic, fiery Vivian. Today’s her last day. In a few short hours, she’s going to be on a ship to the other end of the stars. Until patient zero for a horrifying outbreak enters her healing bay. The dead begin to walk again and they’re mutating rapidly in a way she can’t explain. And the dead are hungry. Trapped in the Council Station, Vivian must keep her wits about her in order to survive. Good thing the flirty, charming Reevar, a Vroskrowz hunter, is stuck in there with her. If only it wasn’t for that pesky fated mate thing! She’s ready to risk it on him but she’s afraid to get her heart broken when he finds his Fated Mate…because he would have said something if she was his mate, right? Reevar has known Vivian is his mate for a few months now, but after witnessing the massive political scandal of Xexis and Aphrodite, he’s sworn to himself to do better. Smoother, subtler, slower, if only Vivian wasn’t so curious about all the ways he could make her see the stars. Danger lurks out in those stars and an age old foe has returned to destroy the Vroz. But that’s what Reevar was built to be, the one who takes the hit. He’s the one who takes the final blow, the spare, the right hand to the Kannatch and the one whose never afraid to die. Until the day, that is, he’s actually got something…someone to lose. AmazonKU
AS YOU WAKE, BREAK THE SHELL by Becky Chambers
VS Note: FF SFR.
Life on the resource-poor planet of Fortune is challenging, but for its inhabitants, it’s home. For two of them, Signy and Cora, this home might no longer be enough. Signy is a brilliant but reclusive botanist who bio-prints medicine from her small plant shop, often bending the rules to help those the system leaves behind. Her life is filled with the green of her store, the warmth of her one elderly friend, and the quiet determination to help others without putting herself in danger. Cora is a rorqual pilot, one of the few with the unique ability to navigate the massive, living ships that connect the scattered settlements of their solar system. Her bond with her rorqual, Colibri, is profound—a connection that is both her greatest gift and a threat to her career. It is that threat—the “mindbleed,” a dangerous side effect of her piloting—that brings her to Signy’s shop, and her appearance puts Signy in the danger she so fears. But it’s soon apparent it’s not just about losing her license—this delicate balance between risk and trust has the potential to change everything for them. Told in an alternating timeline of their initial coming together and a not-so-distant future where they have found domestic bliss, this is a story harrowing and haunting, heartfelt and hopeful. Through a love story centered around survival, we are given a glimpse into the very best of what Becky Chambers does in her writing: explore what it means to be human, and what it means to come together.
FAKE DATING THE ALIEN BOUNTY HUNTER: GALAXY HUNTER GUILD by Tai James
How did I end up on the hot mess express? I’m Zoe Marshall, stuck on a backwater moon serving fai’kia flakes and coffee until the alien bounty hunter I’ve been secretly lusting after makes me an offer I can’t refuse. Axion Tarr needs a fake girlfriend to crash an exclusive couples retreat on a remote planet. Five days. All expenses paid. Enough credits to fix every one of my problems. The catch? There’s only one bed. And neither of us can keep our hands to ourselves. What could possibly go wrong pretending to be in love with the hot alien I’ve been in love with all along? (Spoiler: almost everything.) AmazonKU
SHIELDED IN THE SHADOWS (FORTUSIAN MATES BOOK FOUR) by Lisa Edmonds
She’s a criminal who always flies solo. He’s the intergalactic lawman who breaks the rules to steal her heart. Smuggler Keela Wren has a problem. There’s a bounty on her head big enough to attract the attention of every mercenary and privateer in the sector, and even her allies can’t be trusted anymore. When a lead on her missing sister forces her out of hiding, bounty hunters converge, plunging Keela into a desperate battle for her freedom. Intelligence agent Jarrix Tov’ok is just surviving. His latest undercover assignment aboard a pirate ship is disrupted when the captain sets aside their planned raid to go after a lucrative bounty on a female smuggler. The moment he encounters their target, Jarrix realizes the fierce human warrior is his true mate, forcing him to betray his crew and his mission to get her off the space station alive. Keela has no use for a mate, even one as well-trained and apparently devoted as Jarrix. The sooner she can be rid of this absurdly attractive male, the sooner she can get back to tracking down her sister. But Jarrix is equally determined to use their temporary alliance to prove he’s the ideal mate for a woman who’s fought too long and too hard to compromise on anything—especially command of her ship, her destiny, and her heart. AmazonKU
EMPIRE OF STARS BOOK FOUR: MM SFR by X Aratare
Humans, AI, Tha’fell and Altaeth get a lesson in working together is the only way they have a chance of holding their own against the Khul. Even the Osiris discovers it has more to learn. But after the battle, Jace and Khoth finally become bonded mates, a status that has great personal happiness for their families, but worrying consequences should something happen to one of them. And finally, Chili the pig gets a new bow, and Gehenna gets a new terrifying form in this action-packed fourth book. Amazon
STUFFED BY THE ALIEN (HOLIDAY HEARTMATES BOOK SIX) by Julie K Cohen
He needs a mate. She needs a safe place to hide. Together, they find something neither expected—home. Tammi came to the alien world of Zyan for a job—and to escape a past that nearly destroyed her. She never expected to be claimed by a scarred warrior… or to fall in love with his mute son. Torvikk sought a mate to secure his child’s future. He never expected a human woman to awaken what he thought he’d lost forever—need, desire, and a bond that goes far beyond duty. But when Tammi’s dangerous ex resurfaces and powerful forces at the embassy threaten to tear them apart, she must choose: run like she always has… or fight for the family she’s found and the love she never dared hope for. Torvikk has already made his choice. Tammi is his heartmate—and no one will take her from him. AmazonKU
VICTORIOUS (VILLAINS BOOK THREE) by V E Schwab
VS Note: Not a romance. Superheroes and villains. A release of note.
Eli Ever. Victor Vale. Two men, first best friends, then mortal enemies, each destined to be the other’s shadow. One left standing—but the game isn’t over yet Against all the years–and the odds—a group of allies and arch rivals meet on a chess board set by an opponent they couldn’t have predicted… to see who will be victorious.
WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT: A NOVEL by Sloane Brooks
Della Farley has always known her place: scrubbing floors, keeping her head down, and dreaming of something more. But when she stumbles upon a strange book that seems to be writing itself—a story about a man named Ansel Tulzok, a wanted fugitive traveling the stars—her quiet life turns extraordinary. Light-years away, Ansel finds a mirror copy of the same book. Page by page, the story unfolds with details of a woman he’s never met—one whose words feel achingly familiar. As the two begin writing to each other through the mysterious pages, they open doors not just to each other’s worlds, but to their most vulnerable hopes and fears. But every story has its price. And as their worlds entwine and their hearts collide, Della and Ansel must decide how far they’re willing to go to change the ending fate has written for them.
ABDUCTING THE ALIEN (HALLOWEEN TEMPTATIONS) by Val Simons
VS Note: MM SFR.
Fun-loving August is just trying to get some air when he finds a guy in an alien costume alone, half-naked, and shivering in the forest. The second they lock eyes, August wants him, and before he knows it, he’s sneaking the stranger into his home. Clay knows August is his mate. That’s not a bad thing, since August seems more than willing to explore their mutual attraction. There’s just one complication. Okay, two: August doesn’t know soul bonds exist, and Clay is a kissless virgin who’s spent his whole life saving his strongest bond for the person he was destined for. Their attraction is immediate, and one very steamy night later, Clay is more sure than ever that August is his future. But Clay’s career on his home planet is only just beginning, and he can’t stay on Earth forever. Convincing August to leave his entire life behind is harder than surviving a crash landing. But Clay crossed the galaxy to find his mate, and he’s not going home without him. AmazonKU
I MARRIED A SYLLEN (PRIME MATING AGENCY) by Regine Abel
She heard Fate’s call from across the stars. The Syllens become Mirella’s obsession from the moment she discovers their existence, and she dedicates her life to studying them. Today, after centuries of being dormant, the mythical species finally awakens, and she is in the front row to meet them. Despite the tragedy that brings them together, once she lays eyes on Taelen, she knows he is who Fate always intended for her. The last thing Taelen needs is to deal with a new wave of off-worlder colonizers. But as soon as he stirs from the Long Sleep, he finds himself not only contending with the humans and their deadly schemes, but entangled with Mirella, a delicate female with sun-filled hair. Why would the Goddess pair him with one of those evil creatures? And yet, as they join forces to eradicate the menace, the bond between Taelen and Mirella is undeniable. Even the land claims her. As even more insidious attacks threaten the very survival of the Syllens, can the two of them prevail, or will the clash between their worlds tear them apart? NOTE: It is highly recommended to read I Married Kayog first as the Syllens are introduced there with important context that will let you better appreciate this book. AmazonKU
STARFIGHTER’S SALVATION (STARFIGHTER TRAINING ACADEMY: SECOND WAVE BOOK TWO) by Grace Goodwin
Gina Reyes thought Starfighter Training Academy was just a game—until winning it got her abducted by the dangerously real alien warrior she’d spent months fantasizing about. Corvan is everything Gina designed him to be: lethal, controlled, infuriatingly honorable…and determined to keep his distance. Eighteen months ago, Corvan made an impossible choice during a rescue mission. He saved twelve lives and left his best friend behind. He made the right call. He also knows he could never make it again. Not if Gina were the one he had to sacrifice. As a combat rescue pilot, Corvan’s judgment has to be absolute. But loving Gina would make him dangerously biased, because if the choice ever came down to saving her or saving everyone else, he already knows the truth. He would choose her. Every time. Now Gina has been pulled into a real interstellar war, wounded soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines, and she and Corvan must fly straight into the fire together. He refuses to become the kind of man who would let the world burn to save one woman. Too bad he’s already halfway there. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
MY UNDEAD LOVE LIFE (LIFE AFTER ZOMBIES BOOK TWO) by Lyra Winters
Three minutes changed everything. One minute, my boyfriend and I were trapped in a subway train car surrounded by the undead. The next, Keith stayed behind and pushed me into the arms of three strangers. With Keith gone, I was stranded in the city with the three men who had become my only chance at survival. To make it home, we’d have to brave a relentless blizzard, wait out an endless horde of undead, and escape the infected snow leopards stalking us through the storm. After months on the run, the last thing I expected was to fall for the three men who never gave up on me. But survival has a funny way of changing your heart. Especially when the past isn’t as dead as you thought. AmazonKU
SUBMERGE (COMPANIONS TO THE LEVIATHANS BOOK SEVEN) by Deiri Di
VS Note: A short read.
Trust can’t be stolen, but on a dangerous alien world, it might just be rescued. Abducted from Earth and stranded on an enigmatic starship, Wren survives by relying on no one. Her golden rule is simple: never trust anyone, alien or human. But when a routine sample-gathering run on a dead planet turns lethal, her self-reliance isn’t enough to keep her alive. And the person who comes to her rescue is the last one she expected. UNI-CAL 56109 knows one thing for sure: the human females on board are dangerous. They use their wiles to incapacitate his fellow Calicium units, and even though they’ve removed his mind-control chip, he’s convinced they still have sinister plans for him. He knows he should stay far away. But when Wren needs help, he doesn’t hesitate. Rescuing her means risking the one thing he has left: his freedom. The only problem? He isn’t sure he knows what to do with freedom anyway…or what to do with the human woman making him question everything he knows. AmazonKU
HOMICIDE IN HELIX SECTOR (LADY ELIZABETH COZIES IN SPACE BOOK EIGHT) by Diana Xarissa
VS Note: Not a romance.
I should have known what was coming. After everything that had happened over the past seven sectors, I should have expected exactly what happened, really. All I want to do is get to Val Segas. Long-distance space travel isn’t fun, even on a luxury spaceship, especially not when murders keep happening in nearly every sector. When Edwardo Beezle sat down next to me at breakfast and started talking about problems on the Lady Elizabeth, I should have immediately seen what was coming and done something to stop it. Instead, I agreed to try to set up a meeting between him and Colonel Jonathan Brazee, a man I considered a friend, especially during murder investigations. I will admit to a sense of impending doom as Jonathan and I took the elevator down to C Deck for the meeting. At the time, I just ignored it. And then we found Edwardo’s body. And I realized that on some level I’d been expecting exactly that. Nothing that happened after that was at all expected, though. First, Jonathan told me to stay out of the investigation. Then Becca, the Chief Medical Officer, ruled that the man’s death was an accident. Just when it seemed as if things couldn’t get any stranger, people started asking me to investigate the murder behind Jonathan’s back. And I found myself agreeing to do so. AmazonKU
WILD SILVER AND LEAD (SNAKE OPS BOOK ONE) by Lexie Axelson
VS Note: Cliffhanger.
In a world undone by a terrifying virus, a fierce female survivor and a cruel military captain fight the living, the dead, and their lethal desire in this genre-shattering dark dystopian romance. I survived ten years after the Raven virus turned the dead into monsters. Then elite soldier Slade Reece put a bullet through my chest. I was searching for my family, torn from me in a raid, when the ruthless ex–Delta Force captain found me. He should have left me to die. Instead, he dragged me to his military base, where a lethal, classified armed force guards civilization in the frozen North. Outsiders are forbidden. Execution is the penalty. Our chance encounter ignited an obsession he can’t control. His solution? Marriage—the only way to keep me alive. The deal: my body for his protection, help finding my family for my vows. I should hate him—I do—but hate turns to fire as he kills anyone who threatens me. Falling for Slade is blurring everything I know about survival. But now his enemies have discovered my existence—and they’re hunting me. I must choose: the family I’ve lost, or the devil who’s claimed me. AmazonKU
TEMPTING FATE: STARKISSED MATES BOOK TWO by Lyra Strake
He’s suffering a desperate, unnatural desire—and all he wants is her. Imani didn’t ask for a new life on a distant planet, but she’s going to make it work. Helping an inexperienced alien through his heat? Not part of her plan. Except… he’s seven feet of muscle, wears nerdy little glasses, and he begs so beautifully. There’s plenty of time to get back on track afterwards, right? Airida thought he’d be safe on the refuge of Vadias. While he struggles through his body’s physical awakening, Imani is the only bright spot in this daunting new world. As she teaches him pleasure he never dreamed possible, he melts under her praise—and craves far more than the ‘friends with benefits’ she’s offering. She plans to walk away. The past isn’t going to let him go so easily. As bounty hunters close in on their quiet sanctuary, so does a soul bond, the last thing Imani wants. But after years of being told he could never have a mate, Airida is convinced she’s his fated one—and he’ll do anything to keep her. AmazonKU
*******************BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE FANTASY/PNR BOOKS!**************************************
VS: Just a reminder, DERIUS was my first Intergalactic Dating Agency novella for 2026.
DERIUS: SOLDIERS OF THE ARDANNAN BOOK FOUR (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY by Veronica Scott
Ordered by his planet’s government to enter this year’s round of dating as arranged by the Intergalactic Dating Agency Derius Tate reported to the resort planet with low expectations. He’d never been able to get over the mystery woman he’d had a passionate one night stand with prior to his last, disastrous deployment as a Special Forces operator. Leonie Bradnum signed up for the five day date trip hoping to get over her feelings once and for all for the handsome soldier who’d seemed like her dream man and then cruelly ghosted her three years ago. The IDA’s infallible algorithm paired her up with…Derius, the very man she’d been pining for and hating equally since the morning she woke up to an empty bed and no way to contact him. Will five days and nights on the luxurious IDA Resort Planet be enough for the two of them to resolve the events of three years ago and find their way back to each other? And when danger strikes can Derius do what has to be done to save Leonie? Fate has given them a second chance.
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************************* THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT IF YOU DECIDE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOKS (because my own books pay my bills) AND A BIG THANK YOU IF YOU ALREADY HAVE! AND ONWARD WE GO!*********************
BOUGHT BY THE GREEN MAN: MONSTERS BRIDE MARKET by Ava York
I chose him off the auction block. He didn’t even know he’d bought me. By the time I found out the cold lord at the other end of this contract never agreed to any of it, I was already standing in his forest, soaked through and furious, while a four-hundred-year-old monster twice my size told his court to send me back. But they couldn’t. So now I live here. In the dark, in the green, with a creature of bark and branch, who says he doesn’t want me. But his forest isn’t listening to his words. It grows me a room I never asked for. It blooms white flowers in his footsteps outside my door. It gives me better food than it gives him, warms the floor where I walk, and betrays every single thing the lord won’t let himself say out loud. AmazonKU
ORC’S HARVEST (VEIL LANDS BOOK 16) by Cyn Blade and Milly Taiden
Zalie: I’ve spent my life hiding on our quiet farm, keeping my dangerous plant magic buried in the dirt. Now our boundary wards are breaking, and nightmare creatures are rising from the wheat fields, ripping away the memories of everyone I love. To save my people, I’m forced to make a deal with the territory’s fiercest warrior. Kalthor Wildstorm is seven feet of raw muscle, wicked battle-scars, and terrifying, lethal control. He takes over my land, claims my kitchen, and commands me like he owns the ground I walk on. He’s supposed to be my weapon against the monsters, but every accidental brush of his skin lights a dark, reckless fire between us. Instead of keeping my distance, I’m daring him to cross the line and take everything I have left. Kalthor: I’m a warlord built for one thing: bloody obedience to my clan. I expected a fragile human farmer when I marched onto Bouchier land. Instead, I find a stubborn witch tangled in deadly thorns, glaring up at my tusks without a shred of fear. She defies my orders, mocks my authority, and makes my blood boil in ways that have nothing to do with battle. When we’re forced into a forbidden blood ritual to survive the horde, our minds lock together—and the fierce, untamed want radiating from her destroys the last bit of my restraint. I swore to protect this valley with my life. Now, my dark, dangerous instincts are screaming for only one prize: to pin her down and make her mine. AmazonKU
OVERBEARING by Neve Raine and Milly Taiden
She thinks she’s chasing a killer. She’s about to find out he’s been across the garage from her the whole time. And he’s the only thing in this town keeping her alive. Sadie Quinn came to my town to find out why her brother never came home. She’s sharp, relentless, impossible to lie to twice — exactly the kind of stubborn that got Owen killed. So every question she asks pulls her closer to the people who did it, and every day she stays, I get more desperate to keep her breathing. Because someone already wants her gone the exact same way. What she doesn’t know is I’ve started closing the shop early just to walk her back, and making two cups of coffee at the open bay door like the second one isn’t hers. I let one Quinn slip through my hands already. I’m not burying another. My clan’s law says send her home before she digs any deeper. The bear already decided: she’s already home. AmazonKU
VAMPIRE’S STAKEHOLDER by Dominique Crave and Milly Taiden
Five centuries of discipline taught me to want nothing. One journalist just undid all of my restraint. Juno Maddern is relentless. Unflinching. The first person in five centuries to look past my money and ask what I actually am. My oath says keep the Compact’s secrets buried. My heart just handed her the shovel. But I can’t hide what I am anymore. Not when she sees past my walls. And I’m desperate to let her in. Someone in my ranks is setting her up. Every lead she follows gets a little more lethal. And I’m the only thing standing between her and a trap she doesn’t know is waiting. She thinks she’s uncovering a financial cover-up. She’s about to find out the cover-up has fangs. I’ve buried everything I’ve ever loved across five centuries. I am not burying her too. AmazonKU
CAN’T TAME THE FLAME (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 116) by Milly Taiden
Romily Devlin has hot glass, overdue bills, and absolutely no patience for rich men with control issues. So when Gerri Wilder shows up with cookies and a too-good-to-refuse job at Sharpe Global, Romily takes it. She expects a corporate art commission. She does not expect Norden Sharpe—broody, gorgeous, built like sin, and staring at her from across the room like he already knows what she looks like naked. Eight-hundred-year-old dragon shifter Norden Sharpe likes order, obedience, and having everyone do exactly what he says. Then Romily storms into his hotel, insults his marble, ignores his rules, and makes his dragon roar one very inconvenient word: mine. She’s stubborn, sexy, and completely immune to his authority. Worse, every argument leaves him wanting to pin her against the nearest wall, and every accidental touch has Romily wondering whether getting burned by a dragon might be worth the risk. Then someone starts hunting the strange magic hidden inside Romily’s glasswork, and Norden’s protective instincts go nuclear. Now Romily has a rogue dragon on her trail, one possessive Alpha breathing down her neck, and enough sexual tension between them to melt steel. Norden is ready to scorch anyone who threatens his mate. Romily is ready to prove she doesn’t need saving. And Gerri is already wondering if she should go ahead and open her own wedding venue. AmazonKU
OPERATION: OGRE: MM MONSTER ROMANCE (CREEPIN U SEASON 2) by Mars Quinn
We’re just friends. Nothing more. Jaxon – My crush on the hot ogre goalie isn’t going anywhere, but my best friend and roommate, Christopher, is certain that he can help me and Aaron get together. Chris should know; he’s famous on campus for his hook-ups and dates. I’m hesitant about his plan, but I can never say no to Christopher. And then I will be with Aaron, and that’s what I want, right? Christopher – Jaxon, my shy ogre best friend, needs my help to get Aaron, one of the most popular guys in school. I’ll help him, of course–I’d do anything for Jaxon–but I have no experience with romance besides fictional. So armed with romance books and a foolproof plan, I decide we’ll pretend to date each other to make Aaron jealous. It’s genius and will definitely work! Nothing is going to get in the way of my plan, not my annoying siblings, not my lack of dating experience, and definitely not this odd feeling I have when I see Aaron and Jaxon together. AmazonKU
TEMPTING DEATH (MORTAL MISHAPS BOOK ONE) by J L Jackola
An urban fantasy with a rom-com twist. She wasn’t supposed to see the reaper, and she definitely wasn’t supposed to die…over and over and over again. Lilly is an average mortal with a penchant for talking too much and coordination skills that are frequently challenged. She doesn’t mean to see the Reaper collecting souls, nor does she mean to step into the path of the car that heralds her first death. When Eclipse, aka the Reaper, steps back into the mortal world after eons of self-imposed seclusion, he doesn’t expect Lilly to see him because he’s invisible to mortals. But she does, and that creates a complication, especially since she dies every single time, in the clumsiest ways. And that’s a problem in a world where mortal deaths are predetermined and falling for one is forbidden. AmazonKU
THE GARGOYLE AND THE EXECUTIONER’S DAUGHTER (MOONBELL HOLLOW BOOK ONE) by Olivia T Turner
It’s a usual day at work. Head. Chop. Neck. Hang. Line-up. Fire. Strap-up. Electrocute. One after another, it’s boring work being the assistant to the town’s only executioner (aka my dorky dad). It’s just another day at the dark dank office until we get a strange customer (aka condemned soul awaiting execution). A gargoyle. They’re rare enough to be interesting. And strong enough to cause quite the inconvenience. My father’s saw breaks on its impenetrable skin. The rope snaps when we try to hang him. Needles, axes, swords—nothing works. When my father leaves to get reinforcements, I’m left alone with the strange, but alluring statue with the large muscles and giant… ahem… rock. If I rub it will he come alive or is that only a genie’s lamp? I try it and find out…Boy, does he come alive. And even though I’m supposed to be the executioner, he’s the one slaying me…With those wicked eyes, those skilled hands, and that oh so delicious tongue. Maybe my dad will let this one go? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. AmazonKU
FANGS AND FIRST AID by Maison De Loup
Cordelya – Leaving my fiancé at the altar was the easy part. Staying gone is harder. I’ve packed up my pets, buried every trace of my old life, and found myself a fresh start where no one knows me—or why I’m so determined to keep it that way. Then one accident puts Augustus in my path. He’s a devastatingly handsome paramedic with old-fashioned manners, an instinct for taking care of me, and a habit of making it very difficult to remember that getting attached is the last thing I can afford. I came here to disappear. Falling for the man determined to spoil me was never part of the plan. Augustus – I’ve spent a very long time in complete control of myself. Then I smell Cordelya’s blood. One second, I’m treating an injured woman at the scene of an accident. The next, my fangs drop. That hasn’t happened before. Now I can’t stop thinking about the curvy, secretive human who has somehow awakened instincts I don’t understand—and every one of them is telling me the same thing. Mine. Cordelya keeps her secrets close, so I keep my suspicions to myself. For now. I can be patient. I can be a gentleman. I can even pretend I’m only checking on her because I’m a dedicated paramedic. But the closer I get, the more certain I become that our meeting wasn’t an accident. And if Cordelya really is the woman fate chose for me, I have no intention of letting her disappear. AmazonKU
THE NECROMANCER’S REIGN (THE BEACON HILL SORCEROR BOOK NINE) by Sheena Jolie
VS Note: MM Urban Fantasy.
The final book in the bestselling Beacon Hill Sorcerer series has arrived….Angel Salvatore has been battling the High Council of Sorcery for far too long, and he’s decided to end the war before it gets even worse. A duel to the death, and to the victor goes the spoils. Angel has started something he cannot stop–not that he wants to. Meanwhile, Simeon has trouble brewing at home in the Bloodclan to contend with while Angel trains for the toughest fight of his life. Angel feels he’s ready to take on the Grandmaster of the Council, confident he can beat the blood mage one on one. Simeon has faith in his mate Angel, but none in the rest of humanity. Facing a corrupt politician skilled in ancient blood magic is no guarantee of a fair fight, even with powerful witnesses on both sides attending the duel to keep things honest. Simeon expects things to go awry, and when he’s proven right, Angel and his expanded family come together to save themselves and the city. Yet even as their situation grows dire and things get deadly, Angel and Simeon grow closer, their soulbond forged by love and blood, unbreakable even in the face of powerful enemies. The pair share a destiny and they refuse to be separated, even by death. AmazonKU
HER WICKER GUARDIAN (WICKER MEN BOOK ONE) by Alana Khan
I didn’t come to the bonfire to burn the last piece of a marriage I barely managed to escape. My friends and I are supposed to be working on the wicker bear we’ve spent weeks building for the town festival. Instead, after too much wine and too much truth, somebody brings up the question women have been arguing about for years: would you rather meet a man or a bear alone in the woods? I say there ought to be a third choice. The joke should end there. Instead, later that night, I throw my wedding ring into the bonfire and whisper a wish I’ve never said aloud to another living soul. The wicker bear begins to move. Willow twists. Branches rearrange. And when I press my palm to the chest of the Wicker Man standing where the bear used to be, something beats beneath my hand. He’s alive. Locke is powerful enough to frighten half the town and gentle enough to make me question everything I thought I knew about strength. Somehow, he also heard us before he ever had ears, including the things women say when we think no men are listening—and the wish I never wanted any man to know. I wanted to feel safe again. I never expected safety to look at me like I’m the only woman in the world. And I definitely never expected people in town to decide a man like him shouldn’t exist. AmazonKU
DARK SUBMISSION (REJECTED MONSTER MATES BOOK FOUR) by Taylor Spratt
The High Tower has fallen. The shifters are scattered. And Malek is coming for me. I’ve been running from my feelings for my demi-god mates since the beginning. But surviving the end of the world together has a way of breaking down walls. My heart wants to forgive them. Wants to love them. Wants to let go of the past and just be theirs. But can I really forget what they took from me? And even if I can , the man I once loved is now the monster I have to stop. No more excuses. No more hesitation. The only problem? Stopping Malek means forging alliances with a cowardly mage king hiding behind his castle walls and a human president with secrets of his own. Neither can be trusted. Both are essential. What could possibly go wrong? Three possessive alphas pulling at my heart. One demon god who destroyed everything I loved. A web of alliances that could unravel at any moment. Some wars are won with power. This one will take something far more dangerous — me. AmazonKU
EARTH’S REAPER (EARTH’S MAGIC BOOK SEVEN) by Eve Langlais
The sunderer of souls had his heart stolen. Thaddeus is half Grim Reaper with the power to take people’s souls. As a child, his ability led to him having issues at school, as his strangeness made him a target for bullies—who never stood a chance when he got mad and let loose. Needless to say, his social life sucked. His best friend growing up? The ghost in the graveyard up the street. As for girlfriends? Only ever tried dating once and let’s just say it didn’t end well. Upon his rescue from a lab where scientists forced him to use his ability, this loner tries to get through life without any trouble, but apparently Mother Earth has other plans. She’s set him on a quest to find the person behind his creation and expects him to put an end to their experiments once and for all. The problem is finding the culprit. The decades-old trail is cold, unlike his super-hot female companion. Must not give in to temptation. The last thing Thad needs is to lose control and accidentally steal her soul. It would help if she wouldn’t tease and tempt at every turn. Fiona’s convinced he won’t hurt her, but he’s afraid she’ll end up screaming like the last woman he dared to touch. Thankfully, he’s got the mission to concentrate on, which has now switched to rescue mission. The mastermind behind his birth has taken his mom hostage, and it’s up to Thad to free her, but infiltrating the secret lab, with his ghostly sidekick and Fiona, leads to revelations that are almost too much to handle. To prevail, he’s going to have to do the impossible, but if he succeeds, he might finally have a chance at happiness.
SHADOW LORD: COZY MM MONSTER ROMANCE (SHADOWMEN BOOK THREE) by S Rodman
I have a crush on my shadow. Ok, he’s not actually my shadow, he’s a shadow man from the Shadow Realm. But he follows me around like he’s attached to me. Wherever I turn he’s there, watching me from a shadowy corner with those fathomless amber eyes. He’s silent, looming, brooding and terrifying. Me? I’m annoyingly cheerful, apparently. So having a being called Dark decide to stalk me is, you know. Ironic. Not that I mind, because for a literal monster, he’s kinda sweet. Considerate. Extremely attentive. All in all, moving to the city really has been wilder than I thought. I work in a coffee shop where the owner is engaged to a shadow prince and my manager is a witch, and that’s how I met my shadow. Although he isn’t actually mine. But I think I want him to be. There’s just the small matter of saving the world from a doomsday prophecy to deal with first. AmazonKU
COMMANDING SCYTHE AND SKY (GRAYSHELL RISING BOOK FOUR) by S J Barnett
When humanity is the price, all will stand united… or all will fall. The Great Commander vowed to dismantle Moros’ regime of terror, but it came at a devastating cost: his mate now captive in the mentalist’s lair. Now, alongside a splintered alliance of warriors, healers, and shadows, August embarks on a bloody quest to avenge humanity and bring her home before Moros shatters her mind entirely. Still cut off from their hierarchy, an elite squad of warriors make a desperate bid to reunite Grayshell’s forces by traversing the treacherous and illusion-riddled wasteland of The Middle—and time is not on their side. With every moment that passes, the enemy’s talons sink deeper into the Seer of the North, twisting her reality until even lies look like the truth. Still reeling in the wake of their fractured Mate Bond, Freya and Cyrus are left Earthbound, ensnared in history’s twisted threads. As the newly-ascended Paladin queen attempts to secure a tense—but crucial—alliance with the Northern assassins, the young historian must sort through the charred riddles of his ancestor’s mercurial past. But only by working together can they maneuver all of the necessary pieces onto the board and maintain hope of reclaiming their lost souls. Forced into servitude behind the enemy’s brutal walls, Blythe clings to her loyalties as she navigates hidden motives, ancient curses, and political turmoil. Humiliated and downtrodden, she fights to conceal the secrets lurking beneath her skin in hopes of escaping with Alvara. With revenge at last in her grasp, Blythe must choose between her convictions and protecting the last heiress of a fallen bloodline. Loyalties are tested. Ancient bonds are frayed. And only one thread remains. Amazon
YORK (CLAN OF MALONE BOOK ONE) by Kathi S Barton
He’s spent centuries hunting monsters. He never expected his mate to be the one woman who could drive him mad. York Malone is no ordinary vampire. As the vampire slayer, he’s spent centuries enforcing the council’s laws and destroying rogues who prey on humans. Powerful, wealthy, and more than a little set in his ways, York has no interest in changing his life for anyone. Then Rose MacIntyre walks into it. Rose is a talented mechanic with a sharp tongue, an independent streak, and no patience for the arrogant man who insists he owns the cars she’s been hired to repair. She certainly doesn’t believe his ridiculous claim that he’s a vampire—and she has enough problems already. Her violent father and brother have made her life a constant battle, and Rose learned long ago that the only person she can depend on is herself. But York knows something Rose doesn’t. She’s his mate.
Keeping her safe awakens every protective instinct he possesses, but convincing Rose that she belongs at his side may prove harder than killing any rogue vampire. She doesn’t need a savior; she refuses to be controlled, and the more York pushes, the harder she pushes back. Yet the attraction between them is impossible to deny, and when danger closes in, Rose may discover that trusting York could change her life forever. A vampire slayer has finally met his match—and she has no intention of surrendering without a fight. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
DEATH SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS (SHROUDED NATION BOOK 38) by Brenda Trim and Tia Didmon
The dead keep rising, but losing my gargoyle could ruin me. The plague spreading through our magical town is getting worse. As my friends fight to save me, my bond with Cal deepens into something fierce, fragile, and impossible to ignore. But the closer we get to the truth, the more I fear the enemy isn’t lurking in the shadows at all… but standing beside us as an ally. And then there’s the egg. Even weakened, it calls to me. Pulls at me. Changes me. If I can’t stop the dead, my town will fall. But if I hold too tightly to the power binding me to the egg and to the man I’m starting to love could kill me. Will I save the people depending on me… or lose myself, Cal, and everything I’m trying to protect? AmazonKU
TWISTED IRON MARKS (TWISTED LEGACIES BOOK TWO) by Hailey Turner
VS Note: MM Fantasy.
When the Council of Witches demands Bran Gallagher cast aside his dying coven and join a new one, he flees to the Otherworld with the man he loves to escape his sentencing. Cillian Dunne returns to the Otherworld as the long-thought-dead Winter Prince, his past still lost to him in his mind. To win back the Winter Court stolen from him, Cillian must seek allies in the Fae who judged him guilty of associating with witches long ago. Among the Fae, who are his sworn enemy, Bran will do and become anything to stay by his lover’s side, even if it means wearing Cillian’s collar and being seen as his pet. Journeying with Bran to the Autumn Court, Cillian rejoins Fae high society during the Midsummer Festival. Little do they know the pitfalls that await, including an adversarial King Lugh, who wants Bran for his personal entertainment. Cillian will do whatever it takes to keep Bran safe. Navigating a dance of long-forgotten manners and insidious words, he strikes an unbreakable bargain with Lugh that sets the clock ticking for Cillian to prove his innocence. But as a threat to the Autumn Court creeps ever closer, the stakes become impossibly high. In the end, Cillian must choose between keeping his bargain and his life…or lose forever the witch who owns his heart. AmazonKU AB
MISTRESS OF FEAR (A LEGACY OF VENGEANCE AND MAGIC BOOK ONE) by Lauretta Hignett
All I ever wanted in life was to fall in love. Which was a little ironic, all things considered. I grew up in a secretive commune of magical warrior women. We were the hidden powerbrokers of the supernatural world; spies, assassins and undercover operatives, trading in secrets and death. We didn’t help anyone except each other, and we didn’t trust anyone at all. Especially not men. Only my sisters mattered. Everyone else in the world was a target, a tool to be used, or totally irrelevant. The Flowers of the Sword didn’t fall in love. I never really fit in with my family, though. Even from a young age, I knew I wanted a different life. A soft life—one without pain, without fighting, without hiding, without deception. A life where I didn’t need to use my magic as a weapon. A life where I could trust people, and use my powers to help them heal. So I turned my back on my family, and I walked away. And I did it; I fell in love. I thought I was going to be happy forever. I was wrong. My family was right all along. Men weren’t to be trusted. Love isn’t real. Now, vengeance will be my legacy. I’m going to rip the whole world apart to find the people who did this to my sisters. The path to revenge will take me right to the doorstep of the powerful political factions that rule the biggest supernatural city in the whole continent. Witches and wizards, vampires, combat mages, shapeshifters and fae… it doesn’t matter to me. The Senate of Magical Detroit won’t know what hit it. AmazonKU
A WALTZ OF SINISTER IMPORT (SUPERNATURAL ADVENTURES OF LADY AND LORD RIVEN BOOK THREE) by Stephanie Burgis
When the notorious Lady Riven is summoned to Vienna to solve a supernatural mystery, her debonair vampiric husband insists on accompanying her. However, neither of them is prepared for the true scope of the danger lurking within the sprawling Hofburg Palace…and by the time they uncover the truth behind every glittering illusion, their relationship may change forever. The third and final (for now!) sparkling installment of The Supernatural Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven contains copious amounts of delicious cake, a protective vampire husband, unexpected new friendships, and a waltz that might just sweep the whole continent into war unless Margaret is stubborn enough to prevent it. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
THE FERRYMAN’S REST INN AND GROGSHOP (SAM QUINN BOOK NINE) by Sean Kelly
Meg, or Megaera, is one of the Furies you probably read about in Greek Mythology. She’s also been sitting on one of Sam Quinn’s stools in The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore & Bar since it opened, glaring into silence anyone who tries to strike up a conversation with her. Sam, being Sam, eventually broke through Meg’s walls and a tentative friendship grew—not a warm one, certainly. Meg doesn’t do warm. She has, though, in a crisis situation, shown up to fight alongside Sam. Until recently, that is.
Sam’s getting more and more concerned about Meg’s strange absences and then she and Clive receive a text that turns their lives upside down. Meg tells Sam and Clive it’s their turn to help her…in Greece…in the Underworld. Sam badgers her friend Stheno into coming with them. I mean, if you have to descend into Hades’ realm, a Gorgon can be pretty handy. Keep your fingers crossed. Things are about to get downright mythological around here.
MOONKISSED: AN UNHINGED MM MONSTER ROMANCE (POOK BOYS BOOK ONE) by Rhea Fox
Hector has his life under control. Mostly. He’s got a steady job, a plan to dig himself out of debt, and exactly zero room for distractions—especially not gorgeous ones with teasing smiles and too much confidence. At twenty-nine, Hector is a virgin by choice, a grumpy wolfman who keeps his head down, works hard, and refuses to rely on anyone. He’s learned the hard way that family is a liability. Unfortunately, his job comes with Mason Grant. Mason is everything Hector isn’t: charming, infuriating, tattooed, pierced, and impossible to ignore. A Pooka with biker vibes and a face that promises trouble, he used to needle Hector relentlessly—until one day, he didn’t. Now there are soft words, lingering looks, and a warmth that sinks under Hector’s skin no matter how hard he fights it. Mason knows exactly what Hector is. And more importantly, who he is. Hector is his mate—fierce, loyal, breathtaking—and Mason is done pretending otherwise. If banter pushed him away, then devotion will pull him close. He’ll be patient. He’ll be gentle. He’ll worship every sharp edge and stubborn refusal until Hector finally understands that wanting doesn’t make him weak, and that being claimed doesn’t mean being owned. The moon is rising. The bond is pulling tight. And Mason’s demon agrees on one thing: Hector belongs with them. AmazonKU
THE MEMORY TREE by Heather Davey
VS Note: Gothic, dual timelines.
When her husband, Ben, takes on his first parish in the rural community of Hope-under-Barrow, Kate Greenwood feels like it could be a fresh start for the family. But from the moment they arrive, something just feels… off. It could be the locals, with their strange rituals and rites. Or it could be the yew tree which stands in a graveyard bordering their garden, whose presence brings headaches, visions and disturbing, unfamiliar memories that do not belong to Kate. As she investigates the strange things happening to her, Kate begins to delve into the history and memories of Hope-upon-Barrow, and the more she uncovers, the more she risks losing herself to something deadly and ancient. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
OWL HALLOWS’ EVE (OWL STAR WITCH MYSTERIES BOOK 24) by Leann Leeds
A Halloween festival in a town full of mediums. A medium dead in the corn maze. And a debt to the god of the dead that just came due. Astra Arden has avoided Cassandra—hard to feel welcome when the mayor blames you for her son’s death. But when the town’s ghosts go silent and Hades calls in her mother’s old favor, avoiding it stops being an option. Someone in Cassandra is keeping a soul that belongs to the Underworld, and the Arden sisters have until the festival ends to bring it home. Then a medium turns up dead under a sign in her own handwriting, the town closes ranks, and the mayor bans Astra from the grounds. Now she’s solving a murder from the couch above a gas station—in a town that won’t talk, hunting a soul in a town that talks to nothing else. And midnight is coming either way. AmazonKU
LEVI (SEVEN DEADLY SINS BOOK THREE) by N J Walters
Bounty hunter, bodyguard, and werewolf Levi Sin takes a temporary protection detail in New York for reclusive singer and songwriter, Etta Storm. She refuses all public appearances and disguises her appearance for online events. The attraction between them is explosive, but past trauma and a present threat have her keeping her distance. All Etta wants is to write songs, make music, and live a quiet life with her dogs. Captivated by her music and by the woman herself, Levi knows she’s hiding something, but even he has no idea just how explosive it is or how it will change his life forever. When the past threatens, secrets are revealed that jeopardize their relationship. Needing to protect her, Levi takes her to home to Sin Mountain to face the final battle. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
CRASH COURSE IN BECOMING A MEDIUM by Andrea Meuwissen
VS Note: MM PNR.
Phillip Gregory, or as his students affectionately call him, “Professor Gory,” is deeply dedicated to the field of thanatology—the study of death and bereavement. Yet at nearly sixty years old and well-versed in the effects of death on the living, even after a decade, he still hasn’t gotten over the loss of his husband. Determined to take his sabbatical finally and further his research into artistic depictions of specters, death gods, and other undead around the world, the last thing Phillip wants is company, least of all in the form of a handsome young grad student he never asked for. Only Corbin Fearnley might be more than he appears. A stray touch to Corbin’s hand awakens something in Phillip—a connection to the dead he never expected. Suddenly able to see the spirits in his library that he once thought a quirk of his imagination, Phillip is brought into a world beyond the study of death and into the real reason Corbin was sent to him. A malevolent spirit somehow tied to Phillip’s library is growing in power, and Corbin and the society of death he belongs to, Aborientes Umbrae, are the only ones capable of stopping it. With Phillip’s newfound abilities, and Corbin boasting powers of his own, the two embark down a path of danger, discovery, and mutual attraction. But is Phillip ready to accept new love into his life or is the malicious force growing in power around them destined to keep them apart? AmazonKU
DEATH: A TOWERFALL NOVEL by Kristin Cast
In a world built on illusion, the truth is often deadly…Juniper Chase has perfected the art of being exactly what everyone needs, especially her best friend’s older brother, Beckett Davenport. He’s the one man she’s spent years pretending she doesn’t want…and the one man she cannot have. When a magickal tarot card rips her and Beckett from their world and into the enchanted Kingdom of Swords, Juniper is mistaken for their future queen, but slipping into the role should be instinct. After all, she knows how to play a part. Except things in the Kingdom of Swords are not what they seem. Prince Luca Sterling, the man she’s meant to marry, is hiding something beneath his devastating charm. Juniper can feel it, because in this kingdom, her instincts are literal power. And the deeper she falls into the prince’s glittering, carefully crafted world, the clearer it becomes: This kingdom is built on lies, and it’s collapsing under their weight. To uncover the truth behind the throne and the ancient Tower pulsing at the heart of the kingdom, Juniper will need the help of the man who sees her more clearly than anyone ever has. And when Beckett takes to his position as her guard with a fierce yet gentle protectiveness that brings new heat between them, Juniper uncovers the truth between them, too. But exposing Luca’s lies could send the realm crashing down around them. And choosing the truth might cost Juniper her future, her heart, and any chance of making it home. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
UNMASKING THE ORC by Leslie Chase
Kor is the most aggravating monster I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, he’s also the hottest. Six foot six of glowering, muscular orc, Kor makes my heart flutter every time he gets too close. His gravelly voice does extremely inconvenient things to me, but when I listen to what he says, I remember exactly why I can’t stand him. It would be manageable if we weren’t stuck planning the Halloween Ball together. For one enchanted night of the year, monsters and humans mix freely, their identities hidden beneath magical masks. It’s an important part of Blackrose Hollow’s culture, and I’m determined to make this year’s the best one yet. So far, Kor has blocked my fog machines, vetoed my inflatable pumpkin, and developed an infuriating habit of stepping in to fix every problem before I’ve finished being properly annoyed by it. The worst part? Every argument leaves us standing a little too close. Every glare lasts a little too long. And I am absolutely, positively not wondering what those tusks would feel like against my skin. Nope. Not thinking about that. Falling into bed with Kor would be a terrible idea. And falling for him would be even worse. AmazonKU
UNMASKING THE MUMMY by Sayla Masse
Merytamun “Mary” has spent her career uncovering Egypt’s past. But after a disastrous excavation awakens something that should have remained buried, nothing feels right anymore. The stars have changed. An impossible fifth canopic jar refuses to leave her thoughts. And the mummy she uncovered seems determined to follow her home. Then her new neighbor moves in. Kind, handsome, and hopelessly out of his depth in New York City, Kayvon should be the perfect distraction from Mary’s spiraling obsession. Between rooftop stargazing, pizza dates, museums, and Halloween costumes, falling for him feels effortless. More unsettling still, every moment together feels strangely familiar… as though they’ve loved each other before. As ancient forces awaken and forgotten forces begin to stir, Mary and Kayvon discover they’re connected by a history older than memory itself. To save the world from a darkness that once nearly consumed it, they’ll have to uncover the truth buried beneath centuries of lies—even if it means confronting the lives they left behind. AmazonKU
UNMASKING THE TROLL by Sabrina Silvers
She came to Iceland looking for forgotten monsters. She found a love story instead. Professor Dana has spent her career proving myths and legends belong to everyone, not just scholars locked away in libraries. Her latest research project, The Forgotten Monsters of Iceland, is supposed to help secure her academic future—not lead her straight to a very real troll. Eirikr prefers books to people and history to the uncertainties of real life. He’s spent centuries preserving Iceland’s stories while secretly writing Viking romances under a human pen name. Falling in love is something he writes about, not something he intends to experience. Until Dana. Thanks to his twin brother’s spectacularly misguided matchmaking scheme, Dana and Eirikr are thrown together among ancient legends, hidden archives, and more than a few secrets. But when mating marks appear and the truth finally comes out, they’ll have to decide whether their growing feelings are just another story…Or the happily ever after neither of them expected. AmazonKU
ONCE UPON A LIBRARY WISH (CITY WISHES & ENCHANTED DREAMS BOOK THREE) by Jessica E Subject
VS Note: MM PNR.
I don’t think this wish was meant for me… but that didn’t stop me from making one. I need a new job. Due to budget cuts by the township, today is my last day working at the library. And I dread spending any time at the home I half own ever since my mom’s latest parasite of a boyfriend moved in. As I’m shelving a paranormal romance novel, a white business card drops out of it. I pocket it for later, expecting it to be some kind of bookmark promoting the author. At the end of the day, I reach into my pocket for the key to my bike lock when the card falls out. Instead of the author’s website or a QR code to scan, it tells me to make a wish. Why not? I would love to meet a hot dragon shifter like the one on the cover of the book the card came from. It wasn’t as if I was going to have any luck finding love in my small town. That’s when everything changes. Instead of biking home, I am standing on the edge of a field, watching a minotaur come charging toward me. He promises to introduce me to a dragon, but not until I agree to stay in their world. It seems like a dream, or perhaps a nightmare, but what if I finally found everything I’ve ever longed for? AmazonKU
VERY MERRY DEMONS by Eva Chase
This Christmas visit home is going to be different. I’m done hearing my family fret about my lack of job prospects and love life. So I’ll take that job at the cozy inn… even if it’s a teensy bit haunted. I’ll gamble that my totally human self can use a dusty spell book to summon my true love. One mispronounced word later, and instead of my Prince Charming, I’ve summoned three fanged, purple demons. Oops. Thankfully, the demons are more excited than annoyed by my accidental summoning. They’ve got a paranormal problem only a witch can fix. They offer me a deal: they’ll solve my romantic crisis, and I’ll use my newly discovered magic powers to set them right. All three demons guide my awkward attempts at dating in their own tempting ways: one sweet, one grouchy, one seductive. Flirting practice evolves into scorching kisses and taking turns posing as my fake human boyfriend for Christmas… until I’m wondering if the love spell worked after all. Are these incredible paranormal men exactly what my wounded heart needed? Or will they vanish from my life as soon as our deal is done? AmazonKU
THE BAKER’S SHADOW by Lilliana Rose
When grief calls to darkness, sometimes darkness answers. Kaia Brennan is drowning. Her husband is dead, her bakery is failing, and she’s kneading dough at 3 AM just to feel something, anything, other than the crushing weight of loneliness. Then he comes. Malak is an ancient incubus, bound to hunt during the blood moon eclipse. He should take a virgin and disappear into shadow. Instead, he’s drawn to Kaia’s grief like a moth to flame and makes a catastrophic mistake. He doesn’t just feed on her darkness. He fills her emptiness with something of his own. Something that shouldn’t be possible. Now Kaia is pregnant with a child that pulses with shadow-magic, her bread is enchanted with emotions that manipulate the town, and a corrupt businessman is determined to destroy the supernatural barrier protecting them all, even if it means unleashing an ancient evil that devours everything in its path. With the barrier cracking and monsters clawing their way into the world, Kaia and Malak must choose to run and let the town fall, or stand together and risk everything for a family that was never meant to exist. AmazonKU
THE WEAKNESS OF JUSTICE (SCALES OF JUSTICE) by Laura Greenwood
Rera wants to support the Temple of Ma’at, but is she able to? Having accepted that she wants a career as a Priestess of Ma’at, Rera knows what she has to do next. The only problem is that her personal ties lead her to make decisions for the wrong reasons. To make matters worse, she finds herself faced with having to reveal secrets that she doesn’t want to share with anyone from either side of her life. Can she find her way back to the Halls of Justice? The Weakness of Justice is book seven in the Scales of Justice series, an urban fantasy series based on Egyptian mythology and set in the same world as The Apprentice of Anubis. It includes a slow burn m/f romance, a morally grey main character, and clashing worlds. If you love Egyptian mythology, alternative versions of the modern day, temple politics, slow-burn workplace romance, and a world where the gods are real, then the Scales of Justice series is for you!
SEARCH FOR THE LOST: CHAOS AND ORDER BOOK TWO by J Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding
VS Note: MM Fantasy.
Leopold Lane—after being “collected” for the Office of the Lost by Crispin Eladrin Moss’caladin—is tucked away cozily with his beloved office fae in their treehouse. Happily ever after, right? Not so fast. Before Leo can even get settled, Crispin’s mother disappears, leaving Crispin in charge and his brother Aspin in a panic. As Queen of the Fae, she has also left them a little surprise: a bit of oxymoronic magic that turns their world upside down. Crispin and Leo set off in search of the queen and a solution to their predicament. Aspin tags along, with some less-than-helpful friends. On the way they will discover important family secrets and learn new things about each other… and themselves. Nothing is simple when Chaos and Order get involved. Besides, it wouldn’t be a proper quest if it was straightforward, would it? Amazon Apple Books Kobo
THE CALL OF THE SEA: A COLLECTION OF DARK FANTASY TALES by Various
The Call of the Sea cannot be ignored…Beneath the waves lies another world, one filled with creatures of myth. Mermaids and sirens who find themselves torn between the land and the sea. As they struggle to choose, they will encounter danger, betrayal and love that cannot be. Dive into the pages and discover a world you have never seen before. Will they find love or will it all end in tragedy? AmazonKU
FIND ME WHERE IT ENDS by Cassandra Khaw
Antigone is no stranger to death. For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog. When Antigone’s own black dog arrives, she isn’t afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she’s led―the parts of herself she’s hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that’s hounded her every step. Her Death’s arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice. But a good death comes at a price. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
HEAR THE DEAD: A THRILLER by Ann Davila Cardinal
One woman. A string of unsolved murders. Only she can hear the victims. For more than forty years, Elena Altieri has been hiding from the tragedies of her New York City punk rock youth. Tragedies that left her best friend, Sin, dead, and other women in their orbit missing. Now, the past is catching up with her in more ways than one. Not only is she hearing strange noises under the hum of her tinnitus, but the photographs she took of a recently deceased musician are going viral, thrusting her back into a world she hoped would remain locked away forever. When Elena begins to hear the screams of a woman ringing in her ears, she becomes convinced that she’s somehow hearing Sin’s murder. Desperate for answers, she has no choice but to revisit her past, and what she’ll uncover will not only force her to reckon with her own fractured memories, but might prove that Sin, and other innocent women from their youth, were the victims of an unspeakable crime that only she can solve. Old punks never die, and Elena’s going to prove that. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
VS Note: Sapphic gothic horror.
When Lucy McClintock moves into a dreamy Victorian in downtown Savannah after years of suffering under the rule of her overbearing grandfather, she feels like she’s won the lottery—well, outside of the creepy landlord. She soon notices a glorious green haven in the backyard and meets her downstairs neighbor, Saskia, a weightlifter who lives in a magical apartment overflowing with plant life and beautiful artwork. Naïve and lonely Lucy is drawn to strong and secretive Saskia, and as the two women grow closer, they discover they share more than just an apartment building…A seductive, heady, sinister read: breathless romance and bone-chilling suspense collide in this sweet and deadly tale. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
THE HOUSE BUILT ON ALLIGAOTR BONES: A NOVEL by Sophia Honeycutt
VS Note: Southern Gothic with romance.
Dartrine Beaumont believes her mother’s sudden death has left her alone in the world—until she learns of long-lost wealthy relatives living in Florida. Confused but delighted by the possibility of extended family, Dart travels to her grandmother’s stately Gilded Age mansion on Amelia Island for answers, just in time to stake a claim on an unusual inheritance: an alligator farming empire. Her arrival at Greer House isn’t everything she hoped. Without warning, Dart finds herself in fierce competition with her grandmother’s arrogant heir apparent, and tensions rise as threats escalate on one of the farms. More unsettling is her hostile grandmother’s fanatical belief that the danger stems from a curse; according to legend, a larger-than-life alligator hunted down by a bloodthirsty ancestor haunts the family. Yet Dart can’t deny that the farm’s alligators hiss only at Greers, or that a shadowy figure creeps through the mansion’s halls. As Dart uncovers the truth about her violent birthright, she faces a terrible choice: accept her place in her family’s grim legacy or forge a new path by slaying a different beast entirely. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
THE LAST CRANE: A HELLSING UNIVERSE SHORT STORY by Margaret Couplet
Oscar Crane, the last of his Hunter Family, finds a fae’s head in his newly inherited attic. Blackwell has been waiting generations to escape the Crane’s attic, he just wasn’t expecting his freedom to come at the hands of one of those Cranes. This short story takes place a few years before the first book in The Hellsing Siblings Series but may be best enjoyed after finishing the series. AmazonKU AB
PORTRAIT OF A HAUNTING by Madison Taylor Nelson
To Tatum Alexander, the Sight—her ability to see spirits—has always been more of an affliction than a gift. Having inherited the power from her mother, Amarina, an infamous artist known for murdering her lover and using his blood for her final painting, Tatum has been reluctant to step into her talent or even get close to the man she loves. She’s been able to find a safe space to hide her Sight with the largest witch coven in Manhattan and her best friend, Mischa. But when Mischa is murdered, the act eerily connected to Amarina’s own crime, a traumatized Tatum must reckon with both the loss and the sudden surge of spirits vying for her attention and her life. The spirits have a message: the murderer is coming for her next and a price must be paid. To learn the truth of her past and catch the killer she’ll have to rely on her loved ones’ helping hands—some witchy friends, the man who won’t let her go, and her eternally perplexing mother—in order to embrace her Sight while keeping them all safe. The clues will lead Tatum to a dangerous secret that Amarina has spent decades trying to keep. And when the secret is out, Tatum will be forced to risk it all.
BAITING THE WEREWOLF: SPICY MM PNR (HALLOWEEN TAMPTATIONS) by Tara Sterling
When I stalked my best friend into the woods, I didn’t expect to get my reality shattered… or my world thoroughly rocked. Logan and I are just friends. Nay, best friends. Do I want more? Sure. But why would a giant Greek god who can have anyone he wants choose a tiny introvert with an attitude problem? Besides, Logan is extremely straight. Which is probably why following him into a dark forest wasn’t my brightest idea. But I need to know why he’s been lying to me. So, when my poor life choices make me bait for the monsters lurking in the darkness, I’m not even surprised. But when rescue comes in the form of a very familiar wolf, I have a lot of questions. Starting with how the giant animal that’s been randomly showing up at my doorstep for years ended up here? Turns out those visits weren’t random at all. Will the truth break the one relationship I can’t live without? Or will it finally unleash the desires I’ve spent my whole life denying? AmazonKU
BIRD KING RISING: LETTERS FROM MAYNARA BOOK TWO by Samantha Bansil
A new queen reigns. A rebellion stirs. Will she risk it all to rule? Newly crowned queen Laya Gatdula is determined to prove her worth to her subjects, her family, her rivals—and herself. When whispers of rebellion and rumored sightings of a giant raptor in the mountainous Skylands reach the capital, Laya must face the terrifying realization that her ex-lover and rival, Luntok, might still be alive and coming for the throne. Though she already wields power over wind and rain, to quell the threat from the north, Laya seeks the ultimate weapon: lightning. Torn between the counsel of two men—her beloved confidant and her ruthless uncle—Laya must trust herself to cement her legacy and hold the throne. Is it better to earn her nation’s loyalty through benevolent rule, or risk everything to become an all-powerful god? And with Luntok rapidly gathering his army, will she live long enough to make the choice? Amazon AB Kobo
THE DANCER AND THE DREAM THIEF by Rowenna Miller
Evelyn Pulaski spends her evenings selling dreams working at the Palace Ballroom. For a dime a dance, she plays into a cheap fantasy of romance before returning to the gritty reality of everyday life. When dance hall girls start disappearing, a mysterious group of elfin bootleggers is the prime suspect. Raife is also in the business of selling dreams. He is part of an operation stealing dreams from humans and peddling them in the elfinlands. Raife takes a shine to Evelyn, telling himself his interest is purely professional, but there is something…entrancing about her. When Evelyn’s best friend disappears, she is forced into an uneasy alliance with Raife. And together they’ll discover the power of dreams to change, or even remake, the world. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
DARK READING MATTER: THE LAST THURSDAY NEXT NOVEL BOOK EIGHT by Jasper Fforde
Ex-Literary Special Ops agent Thursday Next is embarking on her eighth and final fictional adventure, and she is well aware of the fact. The problem is, others are aware of it, too. Old foes and new are plotting a terrible revenge: to disrupt the narrative and make the last Thursday Next novel, Dark Reading Matter, not just unreadable but unpublishable. Thursday can’t let that happen, and needs to use all her guile and narrative trickery to unmask the antagonists. It won’t be easy. The Martians have broken out of their H. G. Wells novel and threaten both the real world and the BookWorld. Agents from a higher reality want unfettered access to the Dark Reading Matter, the realm where deleted books and unrealized literary ideas end up. A Gateway to Hell has opened up at Wantage’s Shakesmania, the nation’s second-worst Shakespeare theme park, and the cozy world of Enid Blyton has been hijacked by ultra-right-wing nationalists. With Reality Field Distortion experiments going haywire, a partially redacted donkey, a BookWorld on the brink of losing its imaginative energy to Big Tech and a murderous stamp collector with philaticide on their mind, Thursday has to navigate a tightrope of borderline unusable narrative devices to bring the series to a satisfying conclusion. It’s a tall order, but Thursday has several secret weapons: her own adaptability; her husband, Landen; a host of stalwart friends and ultimately the most loyal compatriots she can call upon—her readers. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
CRAVING THE INCUBUS (HALLOWEEN TEMPTATIONS) by Jules Simon
VS Note: LGBTQ PNR.
A nerdy gamer, an exiled incubus, and one night to break a curse. Halloween parties aren’t my thing, so I opt for a late-night jaunt into the forest to explore reports of a supernatural phenomenon. When I trip and sprain my ankle, a hulking guy donning super realistic horns appears out of nowhere. He offers to carry me to his nearby (hopefully not a murder) cabin so I can ice my injury. By the time we arrive, I’m an overstimulated mess. It’s not my fault! He’s wearing me like a backpack and, uh, things bump and rub a lot. Finally relaxing in his surprisingly swanky digs with my leg elevated, I doze off and experience the most sensual dream of my life, featuring none other than my big horned host. I wake craving him for real, but I’ve never been with a man. When he confesses a secret that leaves me questioning everything I know, he makes me an offer I can’t refuse. I have the power to break his curse, and in exchange, he’ll give me everything I desire. Am I brave enough to accept? AmazonKU
ENTITIES TO LOVERS by Mallory Marlowe
Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom. Enter Ezra Blackwell: adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker. Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost. Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from séances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
LOVE YOU TO DEATH by Jenna Levine
Lucy McKenzie’s life has always been a disaster. So it should come as no surprise when one day she’s hit by an inconveniently-timed bus—and dies. Unfortunately for the handsome grim reaper who shows up to take her to the afterlife, Lucy is not about to go quietly. Daniel is tired of his job collecting souls. While working for the Agency beats the heck out of going to Hell, he’s been doing this for literal ages. The drudgery has him yearning for more. Touched by Lucy’s plea for more time on earth, he convinces the Agency to make a deal: Lucy can have six more weeks of life if Daniel can observe her and report back on humanity. But as Lucy and Daniel navigate the chaos of life and afterlife together, they discover that a second chance at living might be their real chance at love. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
MYSTERY PLAY: A NOVEL by Elizabeth Kostova
After his beloved mother passes away suddenly, Jay Turner finds himself at a crossroads. She was always secretive, and when he returns to their Boston home to clear out her possessions, he finds an unusual item: a partially burned scrap of newspaper bearing the name “Gael Brogan.” Soon after, a deliveryman leaves behind a package containing a small antique volume bound in leather—and two bloody footprints. The sight of the volume is chilling. As a young scholar, his mother had been given the medieval book—one of a set commissioned by Vlad Țepeș, otherwise known as Dracula, just before his death in 1477. She’d always warned Jay of the dangers associated with it, and had donated it to a museum before she died . . . yet here it is, back in his possession. Jay sets out to learn more about Gael Brogan, a prominent nineteenth-century actor whose last and most famous role was based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As Jay begins to dig deeper—with the help of a mysterious woman named Rhiannon—he uncovers the frightening story of a young actress who fell under Brogan’s sway long ago. Before long, Jay and Rhiannon realize that something similarly implacable is pursuing them. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
BLITHE SPIRITS ON THE PUMPKIN PATCH (GHOSTS OF ROWAN VALE BOOK FIVE) by Sharon Booth
VS Note: FF PNR.
Halloween is fast approaching, and in the beautiful Cotswold living history village of Rowan Vale, a day of events is planned. There’ll be pumpkin carving, apple bobbing… and a not-so traditional midnight séance. The spirit medium will be Melissa, better known as ‘Madam Mariska’ on television’s It’s Haunted! But Melissa is keeping a career-threatening secret: she’s lost her ghost-whispering abilities, and it’s her sister and general dogsbody assistant Verity who she relies on to contact the spirits. With the resident village ghosts going on strike in protest at the booking, and sibling rivalry at its highest, it’s no wonder Verity is unhappy, and her feelings aren’t helped by her unexpected attraction to the calm and beautiful Mia. Leaving her sister to the midnight séance, Verity follows an illuminated pumpkin path to the stone circle on the edge of the village and does something very out of character… and which she hasn’t a clue how to fix. Has she just changed life – and afterlife – in Rowan Vale forever? AmazonKU AB
ONCE IN A TIMELINE by Iman Hariri-Kia
Get ready with me… to break out of the algorithm – Laia Grace is the New York City lifestyle influencer… or at least, she’s determined to be. After leaving her past behind to pursue her dreams, failure is not an option. Every day, she films her aesthetic routine — the perfect light, the perfect latte, the perfect life. Until one morning, her day starts to… glitch. Her neighbors flicker. Her best friend loops. And Laia realizes she’s no longer the creator, but the content — and she’s trapped inside of her last “day in the life” video, forever playing on an endless, infinite loop. That’s when a brooding, unshaven, decidedly unfiltered man (literally) crashes into frame. Noah’s been stuck in Laia’s timeline, too, and he’s desperate to get them both out. Together, Laia and Noah fight to outsmart the algorithm that’s captured them, uncovering secrets and confronting biases along the way. As they grow closer, the line between performance and personhood blurs, and Laia realizes she might have to face the one thing she’s been avoiding all this time: herself.
Life fell apart for Mannie Wallace after her daughter’s best friend was abducted from the playground right under Mannie’s nose. Six years later, Mannie is working as an engineer turned insurance investigator and barely holding the pieces of her family together. When an eccentric developer hires her to survey an infamously haunted Gilded Age mansion, Stone Mad Castle, it could be just the thing she needs to get her career and life back on track. But once inside the abandoned castle, her dream job becomes a nightmare when the motley crew of investigators discovers a dead body in the basement and Mannie starts seeing ghosts. Probing deeper into the mansion, she begins to suspect that Stone Mad’s sinister past may be connected to the little girl she lost. Her daughter, now fourteen and obsessed with true crime, is convinced that girls have been mysteriously disappearing near the haunted house at an alarming rate for more than a century. Twist follows twist, like the hidden passageways that honeycomb the castle, as Mannie risks everything to unravel the mansion’s secrets and uncover the fate of her daughter’s missing friend. In the end, Mannie must solve the mystery of Stone Mad once and for all … or become the next chapter in its haunted story. Amazon AB
UNDER THE IRON SKY by A T Emerald
Vordell was beautiful once. Its people lived in harmony, and their civilization flourished as they learned to harness and control the power of Light. Then the darkness came. The Iron Sky unfolded dark clouds across the land, thick enough to choke out the light of the suns. The ground cracked, releasing vicious creatures and evil magic-wielding soldiers. The Dar’rak—an enemy long believed to be buried and forgotten—returned to claim the world above. Soraya Tollmere has spent most of her life on the front lines of the brutal war that followed. Now a high-ranking commander, she knows loss better than anyone. By day, she leads troops across ruined landscapes and guides covert teams through enemy territory. By night, she meets with a Dar’rak defector who has kept humanity alive with his steady stream of secrets. On a mission to investigate his latest lead—one that could turn the tide of the war—Soraya is captured by the Demon, the Dar’rak’s most feared soldier, his true identity unknown. His orders are simple: Break the human commander and uncover where the humans are keeping a weapon that could win them the war. But as he gets to know the fierce warrior, the lines between interrogator and enemy, prisoner and ally, begin to blur. Devastating truths surface and loyalties shatter, forcing Soraya to decide who to trust in a world where Light is dying—and where her greatest enemy may be her only salvation. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
THE SPELLREADER AND THE PHOENIX: MM URBAN FANTASY ROMANCE (CELEBRATIONS WITH MYTHICAL MATES BOOK TWO) by Ellie Ash
Can a happily ever after start with an accident? Max – Owning a bookshop would be perfect if only it didn’t involve customers. As a witch who’s also a rare Spellreader, Max can find the spells that other witches need, as long as they’re not so rude that he hangs up on them. This keeps his store afloat, and his life follows a predictable pattern, just the way he likes it, until Rory crashes—literally—into his life. Max has never met anyone like this cheerful shifter, and he doesn’t know quite what to do with him, but he’s also… intrigued. Rory – Rory’s spent the last ten years—he’s pretty sure it’s not more than ten years!—in his bird form. He takes life as it comes, and he’s happy flying place to place as he waits to find his mate. When his excitement at finally spotting the man leads to him crashing right into his mate’s window, he seizes the opportunity to get to know him. Together, Rory’s certain there’s nothing they can’t do… if he can convince his grumpy mate that they’re meant to be together. AmazonKU
VS Note: I one clicked. I love her books, so twisty and I’m always surprised by the ending.
Some secrets don’t die―they wait. When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family’s sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she’s there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she’s hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear. Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her. Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia’s bedroom door. As Julia digs into the house’s dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692―and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent. Amazon AB
HOTEL HEX (SALEMDIPITY INN WITCH COZY MYSTERIES BOOK ONE) by Lily Harper Hart
Being a real witch in Salem isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just ask Piper Knight, who fled the East Coast for the West Coast after graduation—grand plans of being a “normal” naturalist taking up residence in her head—only to have to return to her hometown if she wants to save her grandmother’s failing boutique hotel, the Salemdipity. As a descendent of one of the original women accused of being a witch during the trials hundreds of years ago, Piper is determined to keep her grandmother’s legacy alive. Unfortunately, the old witch might be going a little batty. Since Piper’s parents refuse to help—they’re threatening to lock up Wanda Alden and throw away the key if she causes one more public incident—that means Piper is on her own. She’s a witch, so everything should be okay. Or maybe that’s just witchful thinking. Jasper Cage grew up in Salem hating witch stories. There are other paranormals in the world after all, thank you very much. Why should witches get all the attention? As a half-vampire—he’d much prefer being a whole one but he didn’t get a say in the matter—he has attitude to spare. That’s why, when he collides with Piper over a dead body, things immediately come to a head. Jasper wants…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU AB
VS Note: A short read.
A comedic fable about sex, marriage, and the absurdities of social convention. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman!In a small coastal village, a fish-gutter lives a lonely existence, shunned by neighbors and smelling of brine. Desperate for companionship, she trades her life savings — three gold coins — to a local basket-maker with a single request: make me a husband. Woven from willow, her new partner is broad-shouldered, gentle-spoken, and utterly devoted. As he mends her leaky roof, shares her bed and restores her happiness, the woman blossoms, wearing flowers in her hair and singing as she works. But her transformation sparks deep jealousy among the villagers, whose own marriages begin to curdle with envy. Driven by malice, the townspeople hatch a wicked scheme to convince her that her wicker spouse has betrayed her. Amazon AB Apple Books Kobo
WITCHES ANONYMOUS by Alyson Root
VS Note: Sapphic PNR.
Wren Fletcher just wants to survive her court-mandated support group without wrecking her life any further. One drunken dive into a fountain, one brutal breakup and one bogus firing later, she arrives at her first compulsory meeting expecting stale biscuits and total anonymity. Instead, she finds a room full of women looking at her as though they know something she does not. They are right. Wren is a water witch—born into a hidden magical world she never knew existed, with powers she cannot control and a babysitter she definitely did not ask for. Maisie Stonecroft is composed, infuriatingly capable and next in line to lead the country’s most powerful coven. She does not do chaos. Wren is chaos, armed with razor-sharp sarcasm and no patience for rules, magical or otherwise. They should not work. But between disaster-prone lessons, dangerous coven politics and a spark threatening to become a wildfire, Wren begins to wonder whether she is ready to stop hiding—from magic, from Maisie and from life itself. AmazonKU
TRICK OR TREAT FOR THE DEAD DRAGON: MONSTER ROMANCE WITH HEART by Julia Mills
Love wasn’t supposed to happen– but in Arrhythmia, the sweetest treats are the ones you never see coming. Everyone thought Knox MacAllen died a century ago. He didn’t. Presumed dead after an oil-rig explosion, the Texas Ranger and Dragon Guardsman spent the last hundred years trapped in Hell– fighting, surviving, and forced to serve a Demon Lord. Then a Hellmouth spits him back into the land of the living. But Hell still knows exactly how to find him. Alicorn Shifter Maisie MacDonald takes one wrong turn through the Magical Wards surrounding Arrhythmia, Texas. She finds herself trapped with demons, ghouls… and one supposedly dead Bronze Dragon whose Dragon King immediately declares her their Mate. The Alicorn Princess with whom she shares her soul agrees. Maisie does not, no matter how good-looking the man is, have time for a Mate. But something marked Knox. Something is tracking him… And that is just not cool. She needs to help him… and keep her raging hormones and her Alicorn Princess at bay. Then Knox says he’s leaving. He thinks it’s the only way to protect everyone he loves. Maisie thinks he’s an idiot. Just another day in the Dragon Guard…Welcome back to Arrhythmia, Texas—where monsters fall in love, Magic goes wrong, and Fate refuses to behave. Amazon Apple Books Kobo
FALL OF THE FORSAKEN: WAR OF THE BROTHERHOOD by Michelle Miles
Some wars begin the moment he chooses her. The Brotherhood turned Anna Walker into a weapon. Escaping them should have set her free. It didn’t. Now her dream-walking is awakening again—violent, invasive, and impossible to control. The nightmares leave blood in her mouth, bruises on her skin, and the horrifying sense that someone is reaching for her from the other side. Kincade knows how to protect what’s his. He can lock down Walker Manor, station guards at every entrance, and kill anything that crosses the line. But this threat doesn’t come through the gates. It comes for Anna in the dark, through the part of her the Brotherhood already broke once. And Kincade is running out of ways to save her without turning her into a prisoner. When Sebastian Crane makes his move, Kincade must open the door to the darkness that forged him and become the very thing he swore he’d never be again. Because if the Brotherhood wants Anna back, they’ll have to come through him first. And Kincade will burn them to the ground before he lets her go.
ON BRUTAL THRONES (SHIELD OF THE GOD BOOK THREE) by Lacey Carter Andersen
The final trials have begun, and this time, there’s nowhere left to run. The strongest teams still stand between me and my sister’s freedom, and the gods are more determined than ever to see us fall. If I’m defeated now, Lyra will be lost forever. But I’m not the same woman who entered these trials. The hidden power I’ve spent my life concealing is finally awakening, and for the first time, I’m strong enough to fight back. At my side are three dangerously powerful men. A darkly brooding half god wreathed in fire. A fiercely protective berserker who becomes a monster for those he loves. And a wickedly seductive vampire whose heated touch leaves me craving far more than I can afford. What began as survival has become something far more dangerous. Every trial pushes us closer. Every heated glance and stolen touch deepens the bonds between us. And with the end finally in sight, the temptation to claim all three men as mine burns hotter than ever. Now we must face the gods, defeat the deadliest competitors left standing, and survive the brutal final trials. Because if we lose, I won’t just lose my sister. I’ll lose the future waiting for all four of us. AmazonKU
THE DISCARDS (TALES OF TAVAMARA BOOK NINE) by Megan Derr
VS note: LGBTQ Fantasy.
Farrokh sacrificed everything to build a life of his choosing, instead of being a dutiful son and living the life his parents wanted. Then he lost everything to a scheming, backstabbing wife who left him broken and alone. Now he spends his days a mere tutor of wealthy, entitled brats—and the beautiful, fascinating Crown Prince Bakhtiar, wishing for things he will never have. Kurosh does not usually take loud jobs. The money isn’t worth the risk or attention. But when he’s approached to assassinate Crown Prince Bakhtiar, he’s at least intrigued enough to investigate the matter further—and finds not only a man who doesn’t deserve to die, but a man worth dying for.
THE SPELLBOUND COTTAGE (THE SPELLBOUND SERIES BOOK ONE) by Genevieve K Thomas
Freshly single and heartbroken, Beatrix Bilberry moves to a tumbledown cottage in the magical village of Little Sparrow. But her new home comes with unexpected company: gnome infestations, troublesome pixies, a melodramatic ghost haunting the attic, and Barnaby, an adorably sleepy hearth dragon. Her annoyingly handsome neighbour Angus takes delight in teasing her about the impossible renovation work. Tall, tattooed, and effortlessly charming, Angus has a way with people and animals that makes him far too easy to fall for… to everyone, it seems, except Beatrix, as his careless comments grate on her nerves. Besides, Beatrix has no time for romance. Winter is approaching fast, and she’s racing to restore the cottage before the first snowfall. She’s promised her family a magical festive season – and she’s determined not to let them down. Beatrix works around the clock, but with a complete lack of plastering skills and magical creatures constantly undoing her hard work, she soon realizes there’s only one way to fix Spellbound Cottage. She’ll have to swallow her irritation and accept Angus’s help…But when the meddling cottage keeps locking them in rooms together, Beatrix realizes she’s facing something far more dangerous than rebuilding a home: opening her heart to love again. AmazonKU AB
BLOODBOUND (SCROLLS OF THE ESHANI BOOK ONE) by J A Good
Six strangers. One soul-bound Ring. No way out. Isara Virelle has spent her entire life avoiding people. Unfortunately, becoming Eshani means binding your soul to five of them. When the Binding Ceremony assigns her to Ring Six—the most elite fighting unit in Veryuun—Isa is forced into the last place she wants to be: surrounded by strangers who can hear her thoughts, feel her emotions, and know her secrets. Worst of all, their commander is Niko Veyshar. Feared across the continent as Rathvenorn’s deadliest weapon, Niko is everything Isa has been taught to hate. Cold. Dangerous. Untouchable. And now they’re bound together. As political tensions rise between nations and whispers of forgotten gods begin to spread, cracks appear within Ring Six. Ancient powers stir beneath the surface, forbidden magic awakens in Isa’s blood, and the bond tying her to her team may be unraveling before it has a chance to hold. To survive, Isa must learn who she can trust. Because in Veryuun, loyalty is sacred. And betrayal can cost far more than your life. AmazonKU
KING OF BLOOD AND SIN (CURSED CROWN SERIES BOOK ONE) by Jessica Hall
Alessia enters the bloodbank to save her sister. She leaves as the Vampire King’s prisoner. Magic is a death sentence in Purgatory, so Alessia has spent her life concealing the power in her veins. But when Sable is taken and sold, hiding no longer matters. Alessia needs money, and in a world where blood is currency, she has only one thing left to trade. Then King Kylian tastes her. Her blood exposes the secret she has protected for years. It should earn her an execution. Instead, it awakens something inside the cursed Vampire King. A need. An obsession. A cure. Kylian promises to help find Sable in exchange for Alessia’s obedience. Trapped in his kingdom, she becomes bound to a king who is as addictive as he is dangerous. But Alessia’s heart already carries another secret. Arlo is the boy she was forbidden to love, the one person who knew her before blood and magic changed everything. When she finds him beaten and imprisoned among Kylian’s captives, Alessia realizes the price of the Vampire King’s jealousy. Kylian does not share. With war spreading between the cursed kingdoms and the sea swallowing what remains of the world, Alessia must choose between the love she once trusted and the dark king who refuses to release her. Every path may lead her closer to Sable. Every choice may cost someone she loves. AmazonKU
MY BOYFRIEND FORGOT TO MENTION HE’S A WOLF SHIFTER by Roxie Ray
Apparently, there’s a fine-print problem with boyfriends. One is a neurodivergent roommate who agrees to fake dating and accidentally catches very real feelings. One is a charming cooking instructor whose biggest secret is considerably bigger, hairier, and more complicated than expected. And one is an emergency contact who goes to therapy, communicates his feelings, and occasionally turns into a wolf. They aren’t alphas looking for mates. They aren’t brooding supernatural kings waiting to claim anyone. They’re just men falling messily, sweetly, and sometimes hilariously in love. Three complete wolf-shifter rom-coms. Three different couples. Three happily-ever-afters. AmazonKU
HER VAMPIRE, HIS RUIN by Bea Paige
Edie Valenti is done with men. At 44, perimenopausal and newly divorced, she has no interest in risking her heart again. Until she meets Dorian Crow. He’s charming, dangerous, and exactly the kind of man she swore she’d avoid. He’s also a three-hundred-year-old vampire carrying a curse he doesn’t know exists: if he ever falls in love, he’ll die. Dorian has spent centuries keeping his relationships shallow, but Edie is different. He can’t compel her, can’t feed on her, and can’t stay away from her. What starts as a no-strings affair soon turns into an obsession neither of them can resist. For Edie, falling for Dorian could end in heartbreak. But for Dorian, falling in love will be the death of him. Can a love doomed from the start break an ancient curse, or will it destroy them both? AmazonKU
RED MARKED (THE DRAGON TRIBUTES BOOK 13) by Charlene Hartnday
The dragons on Mistveil Island are not your run-of-the-mill kind. They’re something else entirely…
Star – I died five years ago. At least, that’s what my family thinks. Instead, a group of us were left in the heart of the feral jungle to rot. I wasn’t supposed to survive, or to keep the other females alive.
I did both. I just stopped living somewhere along the way. Then he came along and turned my world upside down. Flint – We were told that there were no females in the mountains. That what I saw that day was the light playing tricks on me. It wasn’t. Now I’m wrapped up in something I can’t get out of. I need to help Star get her life back. More importantly, I need to keep my hands off her while doing it.
Both feel impossible. AmazonKU
OWED IN BLOOD (DRAGONBLOOD DYNASTY BOOK 16) by BE Brouillard
Every man I take to my bed forgets me by morning. I remove the memory myself. Clean, permanent, and I have never once failed. Then my Court sends me into a room with a dragon. He is the last of his line and the oldest enemy my kind has. He has personally guaranteed the good behavior of a prisoner the rest of us would rather see buried, and nobody has been foolish enough to doubt his word in centuries. My Court wants someone there to watch him keep it. Someone who will report the moment he doesn’t. He picks me. I have wanted him dead since before I knew his face. He doesn’t seem to care. He watches me, and he notices the things a man notices about a woman. Then I do the one thing I should never have done and let him too close. I already know how the night ends. I reach into his mind to take myself out of it, the way I have with every man before him. Nothing happens. For the first time in my long life…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page) AmazonKU
CINNAMON BAKER BEAR (FALLING FOR THE BEAR CREEK BOOK ONE) by Harmony Raines
She came to Bear Creek to take the vacation her ex ruined. She didn’t expect to find a bear shifter who already knows she’s the one. Mara Benton was supposed to spend ten romantic fall days in Bear Creek with the man she thought she’d build a family with. Instead, she arrives alone, newly single, and determined not to let a broken relationship steal the vacation too. Then she walks into a bakery filled with cinnamon, coffee, and one very distracting baker. Gabe Roper knows the instant Mara enters Bear Creek that he’s found his mate. His bear is delighted. Gabe is trying very hard to behave like a normal man. Because Mara has only just ended a long relationship, she knows nothing about shifters, and the last thing Gabe wants is to turn fate into another man telling her what her future should look like. So he gives her time. Time for fall-color walks and lantern-lit evenings. Time for cinnamon bears, family chaos, and ordinary days behind the bakery counter. Time for Mara to discover that Bear Creek might offer more than a beautiful place to escape to, and for Gabe to show her that knowing she’s his mate isn’t the same as expecting her to choose him. But Mara’s old life isn’t quite finished with her yet. And before Gabe can tell her the truth, the man she left behind comes to Bear Creek wanting her back. AmazonKU
HAUNT ME, MAYBE (AMBER GROVE SERIES) by E M Rinaldi
Aven Ashwood just wants one thing: a quiet place to hide. After barely escaping the warlock who slaughtered her family, she’s pretending to be human while hiding in the small town of Amber Grove; keeping her illusion magic buried and her familiar—a giant, snarky toad named Fenn—on stealth duty. Everything’s going according to plan…until the attic room she rents turns out to have a tenant. A very loud, very grumpy ghost. Wes Hale has been haunting the Harvest Hill Inn since the 1950s, when a séance meant to debunk magic left him permanently dead and permanently annoyed. He doesn’t trust witches—especially not the stubborn, lavender-haired kind who can see him, touch him, and refuses to move out. She wants peace. He wants her gone. Too bad they can’t stay away from each other. As autumn settles over the town and shadows from Aven’s past creep closer, her fragile illusions begin to unravel—and Wes’s ghostly magic reacts to hers in ways neither of them can explain. Working together might be the only way to survive the warlock hunting her…But every spark between them makes it harder to remember that one of them isn’t alive. AmazonKU
RIGGS: THE BEARS (KING LAKE SHIFTERS BOOK FIVE) by R E Butler
A steamy instalove paranormal romance featuring a protective bear shifter, a sweet library assistant, and a small-town happily ever after that begins with one perfect day. Bear shifter Riggs knows he’s found his truemate the moment he catches Shyla’s scent in Mill Creek’s park. One conversation turns into dinner, and when their perfect date leads to an unforgettable night together, Riggs knows he’s finally found the woman he can build a life with. Shyla never expected leading the library’s summer reading program would change her life, and then she met Riggs. Falling for the big bear shifter was easy. Trusting that a love this fast could be real isn’t. Can Riggs convince Shyla that love doesn’t have to happen slowly to be real? Because in King Lake… forever doesn’t follow a timeline. AmazonKU
SHIFTED DESIRE (MONSTERS OF MOONVALE BOOK THREE) by Emily Antoinette
A steamy masked encounter leads to forbidden desires in this high-heat paranormal romance. Samantha Pierce has always been the mess of her family, but when she loses her job and has to move back home in her late 30s, she’s hit a new low. What’s a commitment-phobic half-succubus to do when she’s feeling down? Have an anonymous hookup with a stranger, of course! Except it turns out the masked man she spent her night with is none other than her dad’s best friend, Nathan—the handsome older werewolf she had a youthful crush on. After forty years of suppressing his transformations and corporate drudgery, Nathan is desperate for a fresh start. But accidentally hooking up with his best friend’s daughter is not the kind of change he’s looking for. Neither is hiring her as his assistant, but he can’t say no to his friend’s request to give Samantha an interview. Nathan’s resolve to turn her away and forget about their unfortunate encounter crumbles when Samantha makes an unconventional proposal: Hire her to help not only as his assistant, but to sate the intense mating urges that come from ignoring his curse. Everything about their secret arrangement is forbidden. Bound to end in disaster. But as they explore their taboo connection, ruined friendships aren’t the only stakes. When lines of their contract blur, will indulging in their desires be worth risking their hearts? AmazonKU
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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 go by the ebook release.
NOTE: I’m doing my best to avoid listing anything generated from use of AI but it’s sometimes tricky to detect from the resources I have available. As far as covers go, I list the Amazon cover whether it’s AI or not.
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!




