New Releases in SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance for JUNE 17

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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THYROS THE CELESTIAL WAR (ARKHEVARI RISING BOOK THREE) by Bella Blair

f she is the key to saving the universe… then I will destroy anyone who tries to use her. NAERIS – 
My people called me sacred. Chosen. Blessed. What they really meant was owned. For generations, the Sythari bred us, controlled us, and decided our futures before we ever took our first breath. I was supposed to accept my fate. To smile. To obey. Instead, I ran. For five years, I’ve fought beside rebels, crossed half the galaxy, and searched for one thing the Sythari claimed never existed. Earth. The birthplace of humanity. The answer to questions older than my species. I thought finding it would finally set me free. Instead, it led me to him. Thyros. A golden god forged inside the Dark Abyss itself. The Arkhevari’s executioner. A male feared by immortals and whispered about in nightmares. He looks at me like he already knows me. Like he has been waiting for me. And every time he does, something inside me responds. Something terrifying. Because the war consuming the universe is older than any empire. The darkness hunting us knows my name. And the closer I get to Thyros, the more I fear I was never searching for Earth at all. I was searching for him. THYROS – I was born in darkness. Forged inside Nox Eternum. The flaw the universe could not erase. While my brothers dreamed of lost worlds and forgotten lives, I became …(more blurb on ebook seller’s page)   AmazonKU

MATCHED TO THE DIPLOMAT (CELESTIAL MATCHMAKING BOKK FOUR) by Eden Ember

She negotiates with words. He governs with ice. When an ancient alien bond forces them together, they’ll have to save a dying city, or burn it down trying. Fleur “The Voice” Neria has spent her career charming her way through impossible situations, but she’s never met anyone immune to her diplomatic skills, until Governor Tiran. The seven-foot Xylian leader is all duty and protocol, a man who’s spent seventy years suppressing every instinct that doesn’t serve the greater political good. When a devastating attack on the neutral Sky City of Eterna throws them together, an ancient biological imperative activates between them, rewriting their neural pathways and binding them in ways neither can escape. Tiran knows the Unity Imperative is a complication he can’t afford. But as explosions tear through the station and enemy forces close in, he discovers something more dangerous than any weapon: he wants her. Not because biology demands it, but because Fleur sees past the Governor’s mask to the man underneath—the one who’s been slowly suffocating under the weight of duty. To activate the city’s dormant defense grid and stop a galactic war, they’ll need to achieve perfect synchronization. Complete unity. Total fusion. The kind that requires surrendering every carefully constructed barrier and trusting each other with their lives, their minds, and the terrifying possibility of genuine connection. But saving the city might cost them everything they’ve built—their careers, their identities, and the careful distance that’s kept them safe from ever really being known.       AmazonKU

ROBOT AU by Amanda Meuwissen

VS Note: LGBTQ+ SFR.

Rowan’s M.I.L.O. model – Mechanized Intelligent Lifestyle Organizer – or Milo as he calls it (Rowan isn’t that creative, he knows) handles everything from household chores, to remembering to pay the bills, to stress relief in the bedroom. Sometimes Rowan wishes Milo was more than just a machine, but he doesn’t fool himself into thinking that what is between them is anything more than programming. Until one night when Milo’s charging station has been struck by lightning. Rowan fears the bot has been fried, but the prototype surge protector he outfitted Milo with kept its circuits intact, and the flood of power has unexpected consequences. Now, Milo not only thinks and reasons…But can feel.      AmazonKU

CAPTURED BY THE ALIEN DAD by Erin Hale

Ortak – I was a Krijese warlord. Born to fight. To kill. To destroy. Until I laid eyes on a sickly, orphaned kit nobody wanted. Then I became a gogo. Now I needed to protect. To guide. To care for a being other than myself. I’m content with only Gannen in my life. At least I thought I was. After our tribe leader found his mate, I can’t help but wish for a female of my own. Never would I have imagined I’d end up capturing one. Elodie – All my life I’ve been running. First, it was to a new job. Next, a new city. Then, an entirely new planet. Finally, it’s headlong into a hole dug into the ground. This is it, the end of the line for me. But when a large, alien male and his young son rescue me, I realize maybe I’ve found what’s been missing in my life and I need to stop running.    AmazonKU

HIRED BY THE ALIEN DAD by Holly Hanzo

Danielle Slater is out of options. Suffocating under an arranged marriage and Earth’s iron grip, she answers an ad for a nanny and lies her way into the job. She arrives on a remote frontier colony expecting strange. But she doesn’t expect Andrek. Seven feet tall, purple, and winged, the former Torzi warrior captain is nothing like the monster he appears to be. And Pip, the small, blue-furred, six-limbed infant in his care, is unlike any child Dani has ever seen. She has no idea what she’s doing, and Andrek knows it. But when an unexpected crisis forces Dani to comfort Pip alone, a psychic bond makes her the baby’s permanent caregiver. As the walls of professionalism crumble between Dani and Andrek, and stolen glances turn into something undeniable, Dani’s past refuses to stay hidden. When Earth comes to drag her back, Andrek offers her the one thing that can keep her free – himself. She escaped from a cage and fled to the stars. She never imagined she’d find a home among them instead.    AmazonKU

BLOOD BOUND (MONSTER APOCALYPSE BOOK THREE) by Alexa Piper

VS Note: MM SFR post apocalypse.

Rory’s life is a whole lot better than it used to be, even before the apocalypse. He has found a family he cares about and a person he loves more than anything. They aren’t human, and come from a different world, but that’s an added perk in Rory’s book. Things would be great if it weren’t for the magic, the monsters, and the evil magicians, but perhaps there is a way for Rory to get the simple life he wants. It might just take all the help from his family and from new friends and allies. Blood Bound continues the story of Monster Married and should be read in order.        Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

BOTANICAL MISCHIEF (THE COSMIC DRYAD SERIES BOOK ONE) by T A White

Self-confessed hermit. Plant lover. And enthusiastic introvert, Pityrodia Augustensis, Gus, for short, knows three things. People, no matter their species—human, Haldeel, or Tuann—are confusing. She has forty three siblings and every single one is as baffling as they are violent. And lastly, the dead man lying on her doorstep is going to upend her hard earned peace and quiet. When that dead man turns out to be very much alive and not dead at all, Gus finds herself drawn into a scheme with galactic implications. Pursued from one end of the space station, Titan, to the next, Gus is forced to abandon the comfort of her sanctuary in hopes of uncovering the mastermind of a plot that threatens her peaceful existence. The consequences should she fail are being named the scape goat for someone else’s crimes—and, well, death. No pressure then. Just another day on Titan. Haven to pirate clans and criminal enterprises alike.       AmazonKU

MAXXUS (TALONIAN WARRIORS) by Celeste Raye

He never planned to want her. King Maxxus has spent his life in control—of his power, his people, and himself. But the moment Josie challenges him, that control begins to crack. She pushes too far, sees too much, and ignites something he cannot ignore… or allow. She’s a distraction he can’t afford. Because if he loses control, he may lose her.     AmazonKU

DISCO AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Nathan Tavres

VS Note: LGBTQ SFR.

In 1977 – a world in which America launched its space program shortly after WWII – Mitch Ward followed Flynn, the lost love of his youth, into the US Spaceguard. Now, he’s stuck on a backwater moon base with his only friend, Gloria, watching every shuttle in the hope Flynn will be on it. After an inexplicable encounter with a strange, euphoric being, Mitch and Gloria find themselves dishonourably discharged, and stuck with no plans and no future in a USA rapidly sliding into fascism. There’s nothing for it but to move to Los Angeles to chase their dreams, and find their people in the discos of the city. But when Flynn crashes back into their lives, claiming to be the host for an emissary of a utopian civilization approaching Earth, he offers Mitch the power to protect himself and friends across the queer community, so they never have to live in the shadows or face oppression again. With the world on the brink of cataclysm, and Mitch and his friends being squeezed out of every space, it’s down to this community of disco-loving outcasts to stand up for what is beautiful and right.      Amazon     AB      Apple Books      Kobo

AHRICK: THE ALLIANCE RESCUE SERIES by Annie Lucas

For eighteen months, Merrilee Sanchez has been forced to act as a spy—a pawn for a human trafficker who keeps her siblings as collateral. When her cover shatters, the Alliance makes her an offer: infiltrate Palaydium’s brutal prison planet and kill the man who owns her. It’s her only shot at freedom. But Fange City isn’t just a crime den. It’s a death trap where warriors bleed in combat pits—and Merrilee is about to become the prize. Ahrick has spent ten years in those same pits, fighting to atone for his past as an Alliance assassin. When he wins Merrilee in combat, he plans only to protect her. Instead, she becomes his reason to fight for something other than survival. As conspiracies unravel, Hewes seizes control and the Alliance’s true agenda emerges from the shadows, Merrilee and Ahrick face an impossible choice: surrender to safety or risk everything for each other.    AmazonKU

HOMEBOUND: A GMA BOOK CLUB PICK: A NOVEL by Portia Elan

VS Note: Not a romance although there may be romantic elements. From MAY 5. A scifi release of note.

1983. Becks is nineteen, blasting her Walkman, and hiding from the fact that her beloved uncle, and the only person who understood her, is dead. Luckily, he left her a half-finished video game to complete—one last collaboration to find her way out of loneliness. 2078. Dr. Portman works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics, wrestling with her responsibility to Earth’s precarious future. But increasingly, it seems an exceptional project may transcend everything she believed to be possible… 2586. After decades of life on the sea, Yesiko knows a scavenger’s work is rife with moral compromise. Yet when a long-lost piece of technology walks aboard her ship, she is set on a path toward a sacrifice even she may be unwilling to make. Linking these women across the centuries is a chain reaction of love, longing, and creativity that reveals our deep interconnectedness. Clear-eyed and hopeful, Homebound imagines how future generations will find meaning in the things we leave behind.

Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

RUPTURED (BROKEN WORLD BOOK ONE) by Siobhan Davis

VS Note: Re-release. 

This title was originally published as True Calling (True Calling Series #1). It has undergone a makeover with a new title, new cover, new description, and a fresh round of editing. The story has not changed. Welcome to Novo: Your new home in space. For a while, Planet Novo was everything they promised me it would be. Then the authorities announce “The Calling” as their answer to repopulation, and everything changes. Now I’m forced into a televised pageant — along with every other seventeen-year-old — designed to match me with a husband and turn me into a mother before I’ve even figured out who I am. I should be focusing on surviving it. Instead, my thoughts are consumed by dreams of a boy named Zane. Thanks to the government-sanctioned memory wipe, I don’t know who he is, if he’s even real or just an illusion. Cal Remus makes life bearable. I’m falling for my match — the infuriating yet drop-dead-gorgeous cadet everyone says I can’t trust. The boy whose father has secrets. The boy I want anyway. They told us Earth was finished. They told us a lot of things, but not everything about our shiny new society is as perfect as it seems. Despite the government’s growing interest in me, I’m determined to find out what’s going on. But the truth comes at a high price. And when my world implodes, the past I can’t remember will shape my future — with devastating consequences.       AmazonKU

********************BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE FANTASY/PNR BOOKS!**************************************

VS: I’ll hilite my four alien empath books from the backlist this week! Available wide, including Kobo Plus. Here’s my series page with all the links. Kidnapped by the interstellar mob, the empaths are each desperate to escape but who can they trust to help?

************************** 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!*********************

KIERAN (BLACKWELL BROTHERS REDEMPTION BOOK THREE) by N J Walters

Love her. Defy Death. Lose everything. Kieran Blackwell has always done everything right. While his brothers rebelled against their father—the Grim Reaper himself—Kieran followed the rules. Reaped souls without question. Buried every shred of emotion that might make him weak. As Death’s most loyal son, he thought he’d earned his place at his father’s side. He was wrong. Now his brothers have fallen—choosing love over immortality—and Kieran has been sent to the small town of Redemption to clean up their mess. One final assignment. One impossible task. Reap the soul of a woman destined to die. It should’ve been simple. Find her. Do the job. Walk away. Then he meets Georgia Baker. She’s warm, stubborn, and far too good for a creature like him. A small-town baker with a fierce heart and a dangerous past, she sees something in Kieran he thought he’d buried long ago. And for the first time in centuries…he feels. But Georgia isn’t just anyone. She’s his assignment. And this time, failure doesn’t mean punishment. It means exile…or worse—losing the only woman who’s ever made him want to live.       AmazonKU

SWEET PUCKING ORC by Ava Ross

He’s the burliest orc hockey player on ice. She’s the one person he’s not allowed to want. The Purple Punishers’ new defenseman doesn’t know I’m the coach’s daughter and the team’s video analyst. Two facts I probably should’ve mentioned before I let the most gorgeous orc hockey player I’ve ever met make me laugh for twenty minutes straight at a team dinner. In my defense, nobody ever talks to me like he does, as if I’m a regular person and not a complication. Tolrek Nosh is grumpy, enormous, and fresh off a trade that gutted him in ways he won’t admit. My job is to find the truth in the footage. And the truth is, he’s not the player everyone thinks he is. He’s better. He just can’t see it yet. My father has one rule: No dating hockey players. Ever. I know exactly how this ends. I’ve watched enough film to recognize a play developing right in front of me. Turns out I’m not as good at stopping plays as I thought.      AmazonKU

COFFEE AND KELPIES: CRESCENT COVE by Rebecca F Kenney

Marlowe Reilly comes from a long line of kelpies… wild, shape-shifting water horses with a taste for human flesh. She’s been allowed to live in the magical town of Crescent Cove provisionally, as long as she can keep her bloodthirsty nature in check, which she manages in part thanks to the magical, mood-changing drinks served up at the Toast & Tide, a local diner. Marlowe owns a riding stable where she provides a safe space for both rescued horses and traumatized humans. But her livelihood and her tenuous place in Crescent Cove are jeopardized when a member of the violent family she left behind comes looking for her. And when a grouchy, scruffily-handsome man takes over the diner, her usual coping mechanisms are disrupted. Rick Thane considers himself an excellent brewer of emotive potions, and he’s not sure why the beautiful owner of the riding stable won’t trust his work. He starts trying to win her over, not realizing that the deeper he moves into her life, the more uncertain his fate becomes. Marlowe’s human side might claim to hate him, but her kelpie side craves him in the most primal way, and giving in to that hunger even once could prove ruinous for them both.   AmazonKU

CRYSTAL CLEAR PROPHECY: FORTUNA DELPHI MIDLIFE TALE BEYOND MYSTIC’S END (THE MYSTWICH MINDLSIDER MYSTERIES BOOK SIX) by Leanne Leeds

Fortuna Delphi-Trevino’s ghost dog has been staring at a wall for three weeks. There’s something behind it. Behind a sealed door in the Great Hall, Fortuna discovers a vault that doesn’t match anything in Mystwich Hollow’s records. The coven’s founding symbol has seven points. This one has eight. And the senior coven member who should be the most alarmed by the discovery doesn’t seem surprised at all. The moment Fortuna starts asking questions, a petition to exile her vampire husband explodes across town—because nothing buries an investigation like a political crisis. Someone is pulling strings to keep her away from the vault, and the founding families are closing ranks fast. Fortuna’s telepathy can read what people are thinking, but it’s the things they’ve stopped thinking about that scare her.     AmazonKU

RAVENOUS PROPHECY by Nazri Noor and Kai Butler

VS note: MM Urban Fantasy.

What you can’t see can hurt you. Bradley Brooks spends his days with his nose buried in rare and precious books. A scholar and researcher of all things occult, but his life’s work — some would call it his obsession — is the study of the Hive, a society of locust-like creatures so deadly that they’ve ended entire civilizations. Except for one problem. No one believes the Hive even exists, least of all Griffin Gallows, a mercenary with a taste for exotic artifacts. And then a run-in with the magical authorities forces him to go on bodyguard duty. Together, Bradley and Griffin must investigate a spate of grisly ritual murders tied to a local billionaire. But their trail leads them to a hideous discovery: The Hive may well be real. And they’re coming to consume us all.      AmazonKU

LUCIFER (ANGELS OF LEGEND BOOK ONE) by T M Cromer

A rare book specialist with a fractured past and no memory of her parents, Nadia Cummings arrives in Grimwich in search of ancient texts. What she doesn’t expect is to collide with a devastatingly handsome stranger who unsettles her at every turn. Soon, she’s swept into a deadly game between celestial warriors, unsure who to trust. In a serendipitous twist of fate, Luc encounters the rarest of hybrids. A Triscelene. The only person outside his hoard of daemons able to withstand his fiery touch. The moment he realizes what Nadia is, he makes a choice to protect her until he can recover The Book of the Unfinished, along with her knowledge of its secrets. To safeguard his latest weapon, Luc must keep Nadia close. Unfortunately, her presence is seduction itself, making Luc long for what he’d forsaken centuries before. Still, her kiss tempts him to abandon every rule, and this time, his fall will be far more dangerous because loving her could ignite a war. One thing is certain: if his Archangel brothers get to her first, they won’t spare her. And Lucifer will scorch Heaven, Hell, and everything in between to keep what’s his.       AmazonKU

BLOOD MOON RISING (SHROUDED NATION BOOK 36) by Brenda Trim and Tia Didmon

The blood moon demands a choice—destroy her… or become her – I thought I was hunting a monster. I never expected to share her blood. The truth about my ancestry shatters everything I believed. I alone carry the bond that can either destroy Lunara or redeem her. And with the blood moon rising, the veil between worlds will thin just enough for her to step fully into ours. My friends are ready. Faith with her demon-slaying blades, Eve raising barriers of spellfire, Tegan wielding ancient artifacts, Nishi planning every move, and Salima calling on the dead themselves. But all their strength may not be enough. Because when the ritual begins, the choice and the cost, will fall to me. If I fail, wolf shifters everywhere lose their humanity. If I succeed, I may lose myself. The fate of two worlds hangs on what I decide when the blood moon burns the sky.      AmazonKU

KNOT MY USUAL TYPE (FERAL HEARTS OMEGAVERSE BOOK ONE) by C D Gotti

Grayson “Wreck” O’Connell never wanted to be Alpha. A hybrid Grizzly–Black Bear Shifter built for muscle and mayhem, he prefers fire lines to leadership—until an elite wildfire crew of misfit shifters needs someone strong enough to hold them together. Then the fire delivers Gia Anatoly. A curvy Jersey girl lost in the wilderness during an active blaze, Gia should be another rescue. Instead, the moment Wreck scents her, his Bear knows the truth. She’s his Omega. His mate. His future. As flames close in and the crew looks to him for command, Wreck must claim both his Alpha role and the woman fate put in his path—or risk losing everything in the fire.     AmazonKU

NICK’S NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY (SAN AMARO INVESTIGATIONS) by Kai Butler

VS Note: LGBTQ Urban Fantasy.

Nicholas King has three problems: 1: Someone just turned into red goo in the middle of San Amaro. 2: The police don’t have a murder weapon or a motive. 3: Their only suspect is Parker Ferro. Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a 48,000 word novella set after the events of the main series.     AmazonKU     AB

OH NO, THERE’S A DRAGON IN MY BOOKSHOP (GETTING COZY WITH DEMONS BOOK THREE) by Ember Holt

My work frenemy stole my promotion, so I cashed in my shares and bought a bookshop with a possessive dragon problem. Oops. Oh, and he’s an infuriatingly attractive dragon whose magic grows stronger with every book I stock. He insists the shop is his hoard and flat-out refuses to leave. Fine. Guess I’ll put him to work. Except his idea of “work” is reorganizing my shelves by vibes instead of my carefully planned system. Worse, his taste in literature is atrocious, and he forbids me from displaying modern romances, though I’ve definitely caught him reading them. Now, shady looking men are asking questions about him. But for all our bickering, I can’t ignore what we share: a fierce love of stories that has made us into something more than just reluctant roommates. He says they’re dragon hunters, and the more they pressure me, the more I believe him. When they threaten to burn down my cozy little shop unless I turn him in, I realize something impossible…I’m ready to become the knight in shining armor my dragon never expected.   AmazonKU

HEXIN’ UP A STORM (HAVEN SHORES BOOK FOUR) by Milly Taiden

Wild witch. Ancient dragon. Forecast: disaster. Cassia Gale is hiding her volatile magic behind a sharp tongue and sharper boundaries. She doesn’t need anyone. Especially not the infuriatingly calm dragon elder who shows up to study the town’s magic and looks at her like she’s a problem to solve. Too bad he’s also unfairly gorgeous—all silver hair, cold eyes, and a voice so deep it makes her thunder rumble in places it shouldn’t. Aero Tau is eight hundred years old. He does not get flustered. Then a storm witch with wild curls and a wilder mouth blows into his research and short-circuits every rational thought he has. She challenges his data, interrupts his focus, and smells like rain and recklessness. When she gets angry, her eyes flash like lightning—and his dragon wants to chase the storm just to see what happens. When something ancient rises from the deep, Cassia and Aero must sync their clashing powers to save Haven Shores. But between heated arguments and touches that leave them both breathless, staying professional becomes impossible.      AmazonKU

RULE OF CLAW (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 106) by Milly Taiden

He rules the battlefield. She rules her fists. Together, they might just save a kingdom. Jade Moreno lives and breathes martial arts. Teaching at her dojo keeps her grounded, but it also reminds her she’s alone—strong enough to fight anyone, yet no one strong enough to stand with her. Until the infamous Gerri Wilder steps into her life, promising her the adventure of a lifetime and a man who can match her strength. General Raikar Veyth is the most feared panther shifter in Nova Aurora’s southern jungles. Disciplined, ruthless, and loyal to his kingdom, he’s conquered countless enemies—but the council won’t name him High Commander until he secures a mate. Love is the last thing Raikar has time for… until he lays eyes on Jade, and his panther roars: mate. But enemies circle the borders, political rivals whisper betrayal, and Jade’s fiery independence challenges Raikar’s every instinct. To protect his kingdom, he must trust her as his partner—not just in battle, but in love.   AmazonKU

DRAGON AU by A M Rose

VS Note: MM Fantasy.

If you asked Rowan Rangecroft, what the biggest issue in his life was a month ago, he’d tell you his plant hoard was looking a bit droopy, and he wished he could gather the courage to tell his dragon dad that maaaybe his master plan for his future wasn’t exactly what he wanted. If you asked Rowan Rangecroft that same question today, he’d tell you it was a silver-haired beanpole of a person who tied himself to a tree on Rowan’s family business’s property and then BIT HIM when he tried to get him to leave. Oh, and did he mention that this menace was a dragon but hadn’t realised that fact yet? Milo is an enigma. He talks too much, he feels too much, and he hides too much. Rowan likes none of it. Except for when he absolutely does.      AmazonKU

CROWNED BY THE WOLF PRINCE by Olivia T Turner

We didn’t expect to lose the King of the Stormfur Realm so suddenly. I certainly wasn’t ready to lose my alpha, my king, and my father all in the same horrible moment. Ready or not, it’s my turn to rule. But the crown can bring out the worst in men and wolves, and someone close to me snatches it from my grasp. I’m banished. Tossed into the human realm. Warned never to return. And that’s when I meet her. My mate. She’s human, but she’s more fierce than half the warriors in my wolf pack. With her by my side, I can conquer anything. Which is good, because I have a kingdom to recapture. And when I do, this incredible female will be my queen.      AmazonKU

THE DAY OF THE DRAGON (DRAGON GUARD BOOK 56) by Julia Mills

Everyone thought Gunnar was dead. A century ago, he and his elite force of Trackers vanished while hunting the Berserkers—never to be seen again. No bodies. No answers. Just a mission that ended in silence… and a legend buried with it. But legends lie. Gunnar lives. Captured. Broken. Bound by an ancient evil. For one hundred years, he’s been held by a ruthless Elven Sorceress determined to destroy the O’Clery Dragons—and he is the key to her vengeance. Until her. Aisley never expected to find her mate in the flames of a funeral pyre. A powerful Earthen Witch, she came to Scotland to bury her past… not ignite her future. But when a ritual meant to honor the dead reveals a man who is very much alive—and very much hers—she knows one thing with absolute certainty: She will find him. She will free him. And anyone who stands in her way will burn. The enemy she thought she’d already defeated is back… stronger, darker… and holding the one man Aisley cannot live without. Saving Gunnar might not save the world, but it will save her heart. And she will unleash hell to make it happen.      Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

THING OF SORROW (STITCHBORNE: THE SACRED AND THE SEWN BOOK TWO) by Cara Wylde

Now he knows why they called him Construct-XII, and wishes he’d never gone looking for answers.
The revelation of what he truly is has cost him the only woman who chose him, healed him, and gave his life purpose. Through her eyes, he saw himself as not a thing or a creature. Human. Seraphina is gone, and he doesn’t blame her. Had she not left, he would’ve chased her away himself. Without her, he cannot live. He searches for a way to end his suffering, but his creator built him from death – built him to last. Construct-XII is doomed to permanence.      AmazonKU

DRAGON’S DECISION (KNIGHTPROTECTOR: BLACK WYVERN BOOK SIX) by Rachel Ford

VS Note: FF Fantasy.

Turmoil in the North, and a wedding in the South. A new power under the sea, and a new army beyond it. The Northern queen is dead, murdered in her bed by rogue priests in the first of several attacks upon the royal families of North and South. When the assassins target Caelia, Knight Protector Antonia Brocklehurst will fight for her life and her love. A world away, the elven refugee Olwen finds herself sharing her mind with another soul, struggling to maintain rule of an underwater clan she knows little about while preventing both her own overthrow and a war with neighboring clans. Beyond the sea, Valia and Portia are confronted by castaways who represent a great and terrible power. And Cadfael will be forced to make decisions that will forever reshape Sanctuary.    AmazonKU

A PINT OF PEACHES AND POISON by Annabelle Raven

A Pinch of Poison. A Dash of Daring. A Fragile Alliance (and the lies that might set it on fire). Their marriage was arranged a century ago, but she’ll do everything she can to stop it now. Nykita spent years fighting her scheduled arranged marriage, and now that the day has finally arrived, she will take whatever measures she must to avoid binding herself to the ocean fae’s prince. Warrick is determined to build a successful marriage with the human princess, but he did not expect to find her little kingdom on the verge of collapsing on itself. Warrick and Nykita need to see past each others’ crisp edges and expose their own tender vulnerabilities if they hope to stop a rebellion and save the alliance between their people. It’s a good thing they have a fire chicken to help. How will Warrick respond to life on land, reluctant rebels, and a princess who doesn’t eat sugar? What will Nykita do when she discovers she has worse enemies than the man she married? Find out in this delightful tale of magic, tension, and no-spice romantasy! A Pint of Peaches and Poison, a wildly reimagined, reverse-gender Little Mermaid retelling, is a standalone novella, full of magic, betrayals, redemption, and delicious fruits.       AmazonKU

A HINT OF HATTERS AND HAZARDS by Scarlett Luna Strange

A hint of hatters – A pinch of red velvet – And a taste of hazards that could change the realms. Baking peacefully in the After Realm is exactly how Fiorra intends to spend her eternity—until the last man she ever wanted to see appears out of nowhere. He brings with him all the complications from their old life, and shatters not just her peace, but the peace of the entire After Realm. And this time, she can’t leave him behind. Nilsorn has no idea how he ended up in the After Realm, but he knows one thing: he has to get back to Wylionis. With no memory of his previous life, finding a way home seems impossible, especially when the key appears to be a beautiful baker who greets him with an irrational hatred and a fierce determination to avoid him at all costs. They may have only just met, but Nilsorn is going mad as he wonders what piece of the puzzle he might be missing. Fiorra’s baking and Nilsorn’s quest are in more danger than either realize, as the jabberwocky has entered the After Realm. Unless it’s destroyed, darkness will overtake everything and everyone. But to kill the monster, they first have to find it, and the jabberwocky might be closer than they think.     AmazonKU

A TOUCH OF TIARAS AND TREACHERY by Ashley Evercott

A teaspoon of borrowed identities – A cup of courtly deception – And a serving of peril hidden in plain sight – For Nin, the dream was never a tiara—only survival. But when a desperate bargain promises her brother’s safety in exchange for taking a princess’s place, she can’t refuse. Thrust into a world of luxury and suspicion, Nin must master courtly etiquette to keep the true princess hidden. One mistake could cost more than her secret, it could cost lives. Captain Cedric Duval lives by a strict code of order, discipline, and restraint. Training a street-smart pauper to impersonate a princess, however, proves far more difficult than any security drill. As he teaches Nin curtsies and royal customs, he begins to question the wisdom of his plan… and his growing feelings for the girl beneath the disguise. With a royal wedding drawing near, Nin and Cedric must survive a court where danger lurks in the shadows and every dance could reveal hidden truths. Each step closer to uncovering the plot puts their deception—and their hearts—at risk. If they fail, it won’t be a princess the assassin strikes, it will be the girl wearing her tiara. A Touch of Tiaras and Treachery, a gender-swapped retelling of The Prince and the Pauper       AmazonKU

A PAN OF PUMPKIN AND PASTRIES by A G Marshall

VS Note: From MAY 29. Cinderella retelling.

A dab of pumpkin. A dusting of cinders. And a drizzle of midnight baking that could change everything. Celine Blackthorne is the secret ingredient behind the kingdom’s most fashionable bakery. While her stepmother and stepsisters bask in the dining room spotlight, Celine bakes and cleans in the basement kitchen. When a Royal Patisserie Competition threatens to expose her family’s lack of coin and lack of talent, Celine must take matters into her own flour-dusted hands and save the family business. With the help of the cobbler’s apprentice next door, Celine risks her anonymity to save the people who take her for granted. But when the contest requires her to leave the bakery for the ballroom, Celine’s secret participation may not stay secret for long. As heat rises in the royal kitchen, Celine must decide if she’s baking for her family’s approval or for a love that’s as sweet as it is unexpected.      AmazonKU

THE CENTAUR: MM CENTAUR X SORCEROR PNR (THE SANCTUARY BOOK FOUR) by Stella Rainbow

Two fated mates discovered their bond, but Zephyr struggled to open up, and Keoni worried he wasn’t seen as an adult. Would these two figure out a way to be together, or would their romance crash and burn? Keoni – Telling Zephyr we were mates in the middle of an argument probably wasn’t the nicest thing to do. But at least it pushed him to finally accept the help he was being offered.
With the Sanctuary on the mend, Zephyr and I could finally focus on our relationship. But after years of being friends, it wasn’t easy to change gears, especially for Zephyr. Zephyr – Somehow, Keoni had turned from someone in need of rescue to a self-assured man in the blink of an eye, and when he told me his real age, I started seeing him in a new light. Keoni made me feel lighter, freer, and safer than I ever had. Falling for him was as easy as it was complicated, but I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I finally had everything I’d wanted since I was a kid, and it was time I learned to accept I deserved it all.   AmazonKU

ALL THAT GLITTERS (HIS DEMONIC PROMISE BOOK ONE) by Erin O’Kane

In the desert kingdom of Rune, Kiara survives as one of the “sullied”—the lowest caste, marked by the gods as unworthy. When she’s captured and accused of forbidden magic, the king offers her an impossible choice: infuse crystals with magical power or face execution. Desperate to protect Ella, the traumatized child she’s sworn to save, Kiara makes a deal with a demon. Kit will provide the magic she needs, but the price is her soul—and a bond that ties her to him forever. Suddenly elevated from outcast to nobility, Kiara finds herself navigating palace intrigue while caught between two worlds. Prince Amir offers her everything she’s dreamed of—love, acceptance, and a chance to change the kingdom. But Kit’s possessive claim grows stronger, and the magic that saved her life may destroy everything she’s built. When the demon comes to collect what he’s owed, Kiara must choose between the life she’s found and the bargain that made it possible. Some prices can never be repaid, and some bonds can never be broken.      AmazonKU

VACATION WITH THE VELOCIRAPTOR by May Fuhrst

When monsters and mummies meet, it’s all hands on di–DECK! SHE’S A VERY CLEVER GIRL…Rickie O’Clawnell just wants to go on her cruise down the Nile, but when you’re the number 1 transportation specialist for magical items, sometimes vacation means taking an unexpected side job on the down-low. Unfortunately, said job comes hand-in-hand with her nemesis in the form of a handsome, hapless historian. HE’S IN DE-NILE…Evan Cairnohan is doing his best to uncover the mysteries of Ancient Egypt, but the Bumblingham Scholars keep rejecting his applications to study the lost scroll of the Turin Erotic Papyrus. When he learns that the scroll is being transferred from the museum to be permanently added into a private collection, he knows it’s now or never. Can Evan convince the voluptuous velociraptress protection agent to assist him in his archeological quest, or will she make minced meat of their nautical meet-cute?      AmazonKU

DHAMPIRA by Amy Pennza

Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder. Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him. Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.

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THE RIFTER VOL2: WITCHES’ BLOOD by Ginn Hale

VS Note: LGBTQ Fantasy.

Once Kahlil was a divine assassin, tasked with killing a god to protect his holy order. But the Rifter escaped through the Great Gates. When Kahlil attempts to follow him, he is left injured and uncertain of his place in a world he no longer recognizes as his own. Now, has forged a new life for himself, the Rifter reappears as a powerful leader at the center of an assassination plot. And, ironically, Kahlil finds himself tasked with saving the man who destroyed his world.

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MURDER AT THE SPIRIT LOUNGE: A NOVEL  (NORA BREEN INVESTIGATES BOOK TWO) by Jess Kidd

When Dolores Chimes, a famous medium, arrives in Gore-on-Sea, even surly Detective Inspector Rideout is lured in by her promises of messages for the afterlife. But after a reading goes disastrously wrong, Dolores loses her life—and the six sitters at the séance with her fall victim to supernatural deaths themselves in the days following the nightmare of a reading. Determined to unveil the truth, Nora finds herself chasing a ghostly serial killer she believes to be responsible, before the sixth victim—Detective Rideout himself—perishes along with the others.

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QUEENSWOOD by Kathleen Schwab

In twelfth-century Ireland, girls go missing—fleeing arranged marriages, carried off by outlaws, abducted by faeries. Rhiannon, treasured daughter of nobility, believes herself secure, shielded by her parents’ stone manor and friendship with the king. But as her beauty grows and suitors jostle for her dowry, she watches her father’s tenants wrung dry in order to supply the banquet for her older sister’s wedding, and realizes the marriage market is a game she does not want to win. A convent offers a life of books and learning, although it means turning her back on mortal men for good. Angus, Crown Prince of Faerie, grew up in the Queenswood, the enchanted old-growth forest that feeds all the woodlands of Earth and Faerie. Even once he comes of age, Angus much prefers roaming the wilds over the High Court than the responsibility of choosing a bride. But when he sees his mother fading—and the Queenswood dropping its leaves in mourning—he knows he cannot put it off any longer. He must do his duty as the prince and journey to the human world to find a maiden who can become the next Queen of Faerie. Set in an Ireland still reeling from the Norman invasions, Queenswood combines a deep and immersive historical world with folkloric fantasy adventure.      Amazon     AB      Apple Books     Kobo

THE SHROUDED QUEEN by Ashley Tropea

n the first book in this romantasy duology inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, a slave and a princess switch places during an enemy attack, igniting parallel journeys of love and survival. As a slave to the Ashoran royals, Samira has always known she was expendable. So when the vicious Kaldfolk attack the palace, she is ready to die as a decoy for her princess. But when she’s captured instead, she’s forced to impersonate the princess and survive through brutal trials designed to awaken her divine powers—all under the watch of her dangerously intriguing, shape-shifting captor. Amunet Khada—now queen of Ashorah—is on the run following the king’s death. With only her guard-with-benefits, Jasim, by her side, she must evade treacherous allies while racing to contact her father—the god of the underworld—before her long-promised powers slip beyond reach. While Amunet embarks on a quest through the wastelands, Samira learns the true reason for the attack and unlocks secrets in her past that could change everything. And with threats growing on all sides, Samira and Amunet must decide…who can they trust?     Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

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THE HOLLOW SEA (OUTFOXING THE PARANORMAL BOOK FOUR) by Jordan L Hawk

VS Note: LGBTQ+ PNR.

The dead will not be silenced. When Oscar, Nigel, and the rest of the OtP ghost hunters travel to Devil’s Den Island, their job seems simple: lay the ghost of a dead medium to rest at last. But more than one ghost haunts Devil’s Den, and soon the team realize there’s more to the island’s dark past than they’ve been led to believe. As the fallout from century-old secrets closes in around them, one thing is clear: the dead have a story to tell. And ignoring it could prove fatal.

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SIX SAVAGE THRONES (QUEENS OF ELBEN BOOK TWO) by Holly Race

DIVIDED HE WINS, UNITED HE FALLS. The kingdom of Elben is in turmoil. One of its magical palaces lies in ruins at the bottom of the ocean and the king is on the hunt for the traitor Queen Seymour. He will not stop until he brings her to her knees. No one would ever suspect Queen Howard of treachery or spy craft, but she is no longer content to be the king’s songbird. She will see to Henry’s downfall. But there is a new gentleman at court, one who seems to know more about her true motives than he should – is he friend or foe? Queen Cleves has already survived a war. She knows what she must do to protect herself, but now she finds herself fighting a longing for another queen that is so fierce it might swallow her up. Amidst the turmoil, King Henry’s sister Cecilia vies for the power she has been denied. But the queens will soon learn they must work together to break the bonds that tie them to the king. For Henry is delving deeper into strange old magics, ones that could birth a monster.      Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

WILDFLOWER: A NOVEL by Becky Jenkinson

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside! Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane. Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him. As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.       Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

VOLIK: BONDED SOULS BOOK ONE by S J Tilly

Forget what you think you know. Forget the fairy tales and lore of old. Vampires are real. And for the past seventy years, they’ve walked openly among us. They’re bigger and stronger than humans, with black eyes, horns, and powers that shouldn’t be possible. Volik is one of these vampires. Living in the small town of Hemlock Hills, he spends his days locked in his office at Stalden University. Wasting time. Waiting. Until Nix, the new journalism professor, arrives … and changes everything. This is the story about the day they met. What happened after. And how their bond started a sequence of events that changed the world. NIX – It’s my first day as a substitute professor. I’m in a new city, with new coworkers, and all I want to do is keep my head down. And maybe catch a glimpse of Volik. I’ve read everything there is to read about vampires. The good and the scary. But I have all semester to sneak a look, so I focus my attention on the clock. Because in three minutes, I turn thirty. But when the moment strikes, an invisible force slams into me. Weight swells inside my chest, and heat roars through my veins. VOLIK – I pause, feeling a shift in the air, telling me something is about to happen. Then the clock ticks. And my world tilts…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page)      AmazonKU      AB

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ASHWALKER by S M Gaither

Long ago, dragons were unleashed as weapons of mass destruction, igniting a war that shattered the Empire of Kaldra. Now, the survivors of that once-great realm cower behind fortified walls, while the beasts terrorize the wilds between the broken kingdoms. Arowyn Vale survives as an ashwalker-one of the few reckless enough to brave the burned-out roads between the walled cities, smuggling everything from supplies to secrets. But when she reluctantly saves a dying dragon hatchling on a routine run, she draws the eye of the ruler of Mouren, a brutal realm directly in the heart of dragon territory. Once upon a time, King Reave Callahan’s people wielded powerful magic, bonding with dragons in order to crush their enemies with wing and flame. But now, that magic is fading, and law decrees that anyone who manages to bond with a dragon must serve the Mouren crown-even a gutter-born, half-feral ashwalker from the slums of an enemy kingdom. Dragged into Reave’s glittering but cutthroat court, Arowyn must navigate a treacherous new life built upon secrets, ancient magic, and shifting alliances. As her connection to the hatchling deepens-and with the Mouren king watching her with a gaze full of both danger and desire-she will have to make a decision: To become a weapon of the kingdom that broke her world…Or to burn it all down from within.       AmazonKU

KINGDOM OF DEATH by Lexi Ostrow

Kaelen Asher has spent her entire life pretending the strange things around her are coincidences—the whispers in empty rooms, the shadows that move when no one is looking, the unsettling pull she feels toward places touched by death. But when her mother falls gravely ill and slips closer to death with every passing day, Kaelen’s desperation drives her beyond the mortal world and into the Duat, the ancient Egyptian underworld. Determined to obtain the legendary Sands of Thoth and save the only family she has left, Kaelen is willing to risk monsters, gods, and eternal damnation. What she doesn’t realize is that the darkness has been calling to her for far longer than she knows. Anubis, God of the Dead, has ruled the Duat for centuries with cold precision, untouched by emotion and unmoved by mortal suffering. Bound by an ancient curse that hollowed out every feeling except duty, he has long since forgotten what it means to want. Until Kaelen. The reckless mortal storms into his sacred halls blazing with defiance, fury, and a soul powerful enough to disrupt the order of his entire kingdom. Intrigued by the woman who makes him feel for the first time in centuries, Anubis offers her a bargain…( more blurb on ebook seller’s page)       AmazonKU

SAME ROGUE by T S Joyce

Bridger Thomas has a hidden past that he needs to stay a secret. The Rogue Pack only knows bits and pieces of his story, and he wants it to stay that way. When a sexy werewolf shows up at his door claiming to be his mate, he’s furious. She has the ability to ruin everything he has built with this Pack. From the moment he meets her, he is baffled by her. Kit is the complete opposite of anything he would ever want in a mate, and not his match in any way. But…he can’t seem to stop checking in on her, and finding excuses to be around her. His inner wolf is howling for a fun night with her, but the human side has logic, and it’s telling him to avoid her completely. She’s understanding, and independent, and way too interesting for her own good, but he has his reasons for never pairing up again. Kit Rothchild has been tricked. She thought she was talking to the perfect mate all these months, and now when she meets him, Bridger claims he doesn’t even know who she is. Her life is ruined. She’s left her home, her Pack, and a potential mate to move in with Bridger, trusting that he is everything he says he is. Only, Kit is starting to realize Bridger isn’t the man she thought he was at all. And scarier? She’s starting to suspect who he really is. And even scarier than that? She’s falling hard for a man who has vowed never to love again, and is hiding terrifying secrets.     AmazonKU      AB

THE LOST CLAN: MM FANTASY ROMANCE (CLAIMED BY THE RED HAND BOOK THREE) by Jordan Castillo Price

Kof has never questioned his place in the Red Hand clan. As captain of the shaman’s honor guard, his life belongs to duty. Protect the shaman, uphold tradition, and keep watch over the caves as winter tightens its grip. But duty becomes harder to obey when the Lost Clan appears at the village gate. Orcish tradition says the Lost Clan must be welcomed as kin. Yet the prisoner they bring with them is clearly no orc. Eli’s tattoos tell an unreadable story, his haunting blue eyes offer no answers, and his scent stirs a memory Kof can’t quite place. Then the weather turns. li predicts the storm before the shaman does, and as hunger creeps through the caves, fear turns swiftly to accusation. To the clan, Eli’s impossible knowledge is proof of danger. To Kof, it becomes something far more troubling—proof that the human may be telling the truth. Kof knows he should stand with the shaman. He should silence doubt, defend tradition, and let the clan decide Eli’s fate. Instead, he finds himself watching Eli too closely, listening too carefully, and wanting what no loyal honor guard should want. As the witch hunt gathers force, Kof must choose between the duty that has defined his life and the man who may be the clan’s only chance of surviving the storm.

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BONDED BY WOLVES (FOURTH PACK SERIES BOOK TWO) by G Bailey

How can you lose everything and find everything you’ve been looking for in one day? It happened to me. My sister is gone, and I’m now thrown headfirst into a palace of dangerous politics, violent magic and a fate that has been calling to me ever since I was a child. I am not alone. Despite how much I hate them, the three heirs of the wolf packs will not stop looking for me, and they have told the world that I’m theirs. I’m not. I won the Folkland, but I should never have been in it. The three goddesses aren’t happy, and the god of oblivion is screaming in my mind that it is time for him to rule. If I’m not careful…I will not survive the Wrath that is crawling closer.     AmazonKU

A SHIMMER IN TIME: A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATION by M J Potts

A Shimmer in Time is a Pride and Prejudice variation set in Pemberley 1812, when Elizabeth Bennet visits Lambton with her relatives the Gardiners. A shimmer of light between two oak trees. One step, and Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy find themselves in 1783, stranded in the past with only each other to rely on. Posing as husband and wife, they must save Pemberley’s family from a coming fire and navigate the inconvenient truth of what it feels like to pretend at something that may not be pretence at all.       AmazonKU

CURSE THE HEART (MYSTICS OF ASHORA BOOK TWO) by  Emily Blackwood

For Sinner and Athena, captivity is forever. After their fight against the ministry ended in capture, the two are forced to move to the barracks, where they’ll live and train with the other claimed mystic pairs. The only problem? They never completed the claiming. As two of the most powerful mystics, Sinner and Athena try their best to convince everyone their bond is complete, even as the truth seems to slip further and further away. Only the claimed survive here. And even that might not be enough. As the deadly war games approach, their forged connection strains. But something else simmers beneath the surface… something that connects them beyond the strength of any claiming. Sinner and Athena never imagined claiming with anyone, let alone each other. But options are running out. Bond or die. Unless it’s already too late.     AmazonKU

THE CONSORT’S CURSE (TWILIGHT MAGES BOOK FOUR) by Eliot Grayson

VS Note: MM Fantasy.

An unwanted consort, an unwilling pawn…Locked away in an abbey since his magic manifested, Remi’s never known the touch of another man, averting his dawn mage’s curse with a potion that keeps him alive—but prevents him from truly living. When he’s whisked off to the glittering, worldly Calatrian capital and forced to marry a lord he’s never met, his only hope is that his new husband won’t use him and his magic too cruelly. Suddenly recalled from his diplomatic posting, Stefan finds himself embroiled in another of his powerful father’s political plots. His demure, delicate consort is painfully chaste, heartbreakingly beautiful, almost certainly an unscrupulous liar—and precisely calculated to wrap Stefan around his pretty little finger. Stefan refuses to be drawn in by his wiles. He won’t touch him unless absolutely necessary. Won’t taste his alluring sweetness. And he absolutely will not sate his ever-growing obsession with claiming what belongs to him. No matter the cost.   AmazonKU

WINGS OF RUIN (DARK SKY BOOK FOUR) by Ella Walker Henderson

Zaydah and Aris have little time to come to terms with their newfound power before they’re thrust into the center of court politics. Aris’s father is now king, and he’ll enjoy any excuse to break them apart and use whatever means necessary. Nothing will continue like normal as new lines of power are drawn—nothing, except for the Choosing. But among this year’s batch of candidates is a sponsorless young woman, Ilyia. She’s the first since Zaydah. From the streets of Orinth, Ilyia is ruthless and much better with a knife than a sword. She’s a surprise that neither the Aeros nor the court saw coming. Ilyia may have the ability to impact the war brewing around them. For war is coming. Brev’s power is growing, and so is the darkness. The fire that comes from the darkness is finally here. If Zaydah is going to find a way to stop the Ring of Darkness, she had better work quickly and use whatever aid she finds, no matter how unlikely. She’ll have to work against her king, even against the wishes of her prince.      AmazonKU

A BALLAD FOR THE BROKEN (CADENCE OF THE FALLEN BOOK TWO) by Hazel S Wilkes

Lyra is gone. Draven is desperate. Bathara must rebuild in the ashes of its ruin. Upon awakening in a foreign place she does not recognize, Lyra Izacalli faces the cold reality of her capture, demanding answers she does not easily receive—the ways of the world slowly shifting beneath her feet as everything she thought she knew is tested through her new surroundings. Draven Dalmar searches tirelessly to bring Lyra home. Yet it seems every force in existence is working against him. Defeated yet not losing hope, he is forced to maneuver through a series of choices that could change everything as he knows it, soon learning the cost of Lyra’s freedom may just be his very own chains. All the while, shifting circumstances bring some relationships closer together—despite tearing others apart. Secrets emerge from the forgotten shadows. Cruel games are played. And betrayal stains the horizon. Yet through it all, one thing remains true…A girl who refuses to be a pawn does not simply lie down and give in. She fights back.      AmazonKU

ATAHUALPA’S MUMMY (THE HARROGATE CHRONICLES BOOK ONE) by Susan Wachowski and Nan Sampson

When Queen Victoria believes Napoleon II, the French Emperor, is after an ancient Incan artifact that grants invincibility to whatever army possesses it, she sends her best agent, Lady Esmeralda Eggerton, Countess of Harrogate, to recover it first. But Queen Airmed of the Fae, the hidden people of Tír na nÓg, has her own plans for the artifact, sending her half-human Shadow agent, Kinzalynn, on a similar mission. Though adversaries, Esme and Kinzy must overcome their mutual distrust and work together before the power of Atahualpa’s mummy falls into the hands of Bonaparte and destroys both their worlds.      Amazon

TOGETHER IN CEDARWOOD (CEDARWOOD PRIDE BOOK SEVEN) by Megan Slayer

VS Note: MM PNR. Re-release with bonus scenes not in original, per author.

He’s rebuilding his life. He never thought he’d want a ready-made family. Bobby Gagnon returned to Cedarwood for a fresh start—with his kids, his business, and a quiet hope for something more. He’s focused on stability…until a chance encounter on a running trail leaves him breathless in more ways than one. Remy Nicholas isn’t looking for forever. Shy, reserved, and perfectly content avoiding complications, he’s never imagined himself as part of a family. But the gorgeous, determined single dad he keeps seeing at the park? Impossible to ignore. What starts as undeniable attraction quickly turns into something deeper. Bobby offers warmth, chaos, and a life full of love. Remy offers quiet strength, understanding, and the chance for something real. But falling is the easy part. Blending their worlds means facing fears, expectations, and the question neither of them can avoid—can a man who never wanted kids become the partner a devoted father needs? In Cedarwood, opposites don’t just attract…they just might build a forever.      AmazonKU

CURSES AND COPY (RAVEN HOLLOW INVESTIGATIONS BOOK FOUR) by Ella Stone

When Floyd, the bridge-guarding witch, disappears, it’s more than your average missing person’s case. Without him, the illusion spell that keeps our world hidden won’t last long… exposing us and our secrets to the world. I’m Elodie Evergreen, vampire journalist, and I just can’t seem to catch a break. From glamoured elves to my relationship with our siren Police Chief, life has never been more complicated. I’m just hoping that finding Floyd is more straightforward than everything else on this island. Unfortunately, suspects are everywhere, although my instincts keep pointing to Arabella Willowwood, the enigmatic witch from across the pond. And on top of that, Chloe and Dylan are braving a date, Pongo keeps sniffing out trouble, and new revelations are clawing at my past. I’m under more pressure than a werewolf at a full-moon party. Find Floyd. Fix the ward. Don’t fall apart. Easy… right?       AmazonKU      AB

CRIMSON IN THE CRESCENT (BOURBON STREET SHADOWS BOOK THREE) by Heidi McLaughlin and Amy Briggs

A curse that burns. A killer who watches. A love too close to the flame. Bastien Durand has spent two centuries belonging to no faction and beholden to no court in New Orleans’ hidden world. His neutrality has kept him alive. But when vampire bodies begin appearing across the city, intact and carved with the symbols of a bloodline destroyed over a century ago, his careful balance shatters overnight. The dead are not random. Someone is settling an old debt in blood. Worse, a curse has branded itself into Bastien’s flesh, broadcasting his every movement to every power in the city. The more he investigates, the more exposed he becomes. The murders are not his to solve. They are his to witness. Delphine LeClair, archivist and the woman Bastien has stopped pretending he can stay away from, pulls buried records into the light with a precision that reshapes the entire case. She stands closer than anyone should to a man the whole city can now find in the dark. What is building between them has outlasted lifetimes neither of them can fully name. What is hunting them has studied Bastien long enough to know exactly how he will move, who he will protect, and what it will cost him when the trap finally closes.      Amazon

COURT OF SACRIFICE AND CURSES (RUINED REALM OF SHADOW ROMANTASY TRILOGY BOOK ONE) by Sammi Mason

I fled the fae realm four years ago with nothing but an illicit spell, a shattered heart, and a vow never to return. I built a life on the other side of the veil. A real one, in Yorkshire, with a home, a job, and a son who is proof that even broken things can make something whole. Then my dying birth father appears in my family tree, and I have weeks, maybe less, before he’s lost to me forever. One visit. In and out. No one will know I was there. But I don’t go back alone. The moment Prince Nixk sees the dark-haired, golden-eyed boy at my side, he knows. The prince who broke me holds every card. In a kingdom ruled by bloodlines, my little boy belongs to him. And that makes my son a target. If I leave again, I go alone. Staying means surrendering my freedom. If he discovers what I’ve done, death would be a mercy Nixk is more formidable than I remembered. More ruthless. More certain that I was always his. The trouble is, I’m starting to remember why I believed him.      Amazon

THE SHAPE OF MONSTERS by Tessa Gratton

VS Note: LGBTQ Fantasy. Cliffhanger.

Iriset—prodigy, outlaw, now sunderer—has broken the Moon-Eater god’s prison at the heart of the empire. But the consequences of her actions land her in a city of monsters where the heretical magic of human architecture is freely practiced, and the only person she knows—and can trust—is Lyric, the emperor she’s lied to and loved in equal measure.  As scheming kings and capricious gods drive them towards different extremes, they soon realize that to find their way home, they must remake the world … at the risk of breaking it forever.

Amazon     AB     Apple Books      Kobo

A TOUCH OF CRIMSON (RENEGADE ANGELS BOOK ONE) by Sylvia Day

Can a love that transcends death survive a war between angels, vampires, and lycans? An angel with immense power and insatiable desire, Adrian Mitchell leads an elite Special Ops unit of the seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen – angels who have become vampires – and command a restless pack of indentured lycans. But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals – losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her: Shadoe, her soul once more inhabiting a new body that doesn’t remember him. This time, he won’t let her go. With no memory of her past as Shadoe, Lindsay Gibson knows only that she can’t help being fiercely attracted to the smoldering, seductive male who crosses her path. Swept into a dangerous world of tumultuous passion and preternatural conflict, Lindsay is soon caught between her angel lover, her vampire father, and a full-blown lycan revolt. There’s more at stake than her love and her life – she could lose her very soul.        Amazon     AB      Apple Books      Kobo

THE EX AND THE ORCS (ORC SWORN) by Finley Fenn

VS Note: MMF.

She made a family with a monster. And now he’s come home…In a world of orcs and men, Raye will never forgive Kalfr. The tall, handsome orc who gave her a perfect son, and a happy ending…Until she learned the horrible truth. Kalfr wasn’t just hers. He was bound to another orc. To Gaelfr. A huge, hostile, dangerous monster. In the seven years since, Raye has fought to erase Kalfr from her life, and protect her precious son. But she’s sinking into poverty and danger, with no one she can trust…Until Gaelfr shows up at her door. He’s still huge, vicious, and hateful — but once he sees Raye’s plight, he refuses to leave. He claims that due to his unbreakable vow with Kalfr, Raye is now… hisHis to protect. His to feed and support. His to touch, and taste, and tend however he sees fit…And if that wasn’t enough, Gaelfr swears to bring Kalfr back home. To make them a family again. It’s an appalling plan, and one Raye would never accept… right? But maybe it’s already too late. She’s already made a family with her ex, and a monster. And now, they’re both coming home. Forever.     AmazonKU

ECHOES OF SHATTERED LIGHT (SHATTERED LIGHT CHRONICLES BOOK TWO) by Sarah Bowen

VS Note: Cliff hanger. FMMMM

The Light was never meant to break. In the world of Velithra, magic is controlled by the Council of Light, a powerful ruling order that hunts anything it cannot control. The balance between Light and Dark has always been fragile—but now cracks are beginning to form. Persephone Quinn was born with a power no one fully understands. A power that powerful factions would kill to possess. As rebellion spreads across the realm, Seph finds herself caught between forces far greater than herself. The Libertarians seek to tear down the Council’s rule. The Order of Light will do anything to preserve it. And somewhere in the shadows, an ancient threat is awakening—one capable of consuming everything. Betrayal is closer than she realises. Enemies are gathering. And the fragile balance of Velithra is collapsing. Because when the Light finally shatters, the world will discover what has been waiting in the dark.      AmazonKU

THE PACK LEADER’S MATE by Amy Padila

VS Note: MM PNR.

Harlem knows exactly how to charm people, but keeping them has always been another matter. After years of being told he’s too spoiled, too needy, and too much to handle, he’s determined not to scare off the possessive werewolf alpha who rescued him from a mugging. Unfortunately, hiding his spoiled side from Ronan is easier said than done. Ronan is exhausted from caring for everyone around him, but Harlem slips past his defenses with alarming ease. The kitsune is sweet, independent, and impossible not to love—and when Ronan learns Harlem has been suppressing his wants to seem “less difficult,” he’s horrified. Because if there’s one thing Ronan wants, it’s someone to love a little too much.       Amazon

A FLAME AMONG THE SEAS (BEYOND THE TIDES BOOK TWO) by Emilia Jae

A kingdom risen. A goddess reborn. A world burning red. Esmyra now knows the truth of her magic, but it’s cost her everything. Draevyn shattered her heart, and she’s sworn to make him pay. But when her hunt uncovers ancient lies, she finds herself entangled in a battle far greater than vengeance. The truths revealed will unravel everything Esmyra thought she knew about him, herself, and the goddesses risen from the waves. Meanwhile, powers older than any empire stir, enemies wear masks of loyalty, and her own heart betrays her with its unrelenting pull toward the one man she’s vowed to hate. With her crew caught in the crossfire and Syrena tightening her grip, Esmyra must learn who to trust—and who to destroy—before the tide drags her under. Because every choice carves her fate, and one misstep could strip her of everything she has left…including her soul.     AmazonKU

ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND BLOOD by Jennifer Peet

Love bites. Vampires suck. Marrying one? That might be the worst idea of all. Nicolette Hart believes in science, not fairy tales. Unfortunately for her, vampires are very real—and one of them just coerced her into marriage. Julian Rossi is powerful, ruthless, and devastatingly charming. He claims marrying Nicolette is the only way to protect her after her late mother’s groundbreaking research puts her in the crosshairs of a hidden supernatural world. Nicolette is fairly certain he’s the problem, not the solution. What she doesn’t know is that her mother’s work wasn’t just revolutionary—it was deadly. And now Nicolette holds the missing pieces, making her the key to a discovery that could change the vampire world forever . . . or destroy it. Compelled to play the part of loving newlyweds while enemies draw closer, Nicolette and Julian strike an uneasy truce. Trust is fragile. Chemistry is inconvenient. And pretending they’re not falling for each other is impossible. But the closer they grow, the more dangerous it becomes for them both. Because in a world where blood is power and love is a liability, trusting the wrong person could cost Nicolette her life . . . and Julian his soul.     AmazonKU

THE SOMEDAY GARDEN by Ashley Poston

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer—for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House—she doesn’t expect to fall in love. But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. With the quirky staff and the enigmatic woman who owns the place. And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside. This mysterious garden is not the only sign that the future of Lilymoor is unstable: the foliage resists Sophie’s careful nurturing, vines threaten to strangle the hedges, and the manor’s owner has wild ideas about who will take over when she retires—including her inconveniently attractive nephew who is also there just for the summer. Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.       Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

HOW TO KEEP A DEMON (THE MISADVENTURES OF KRAX AND HECTOR (THE MISADVENTURES OF UKOBACH AND ELSIE AND KRAX) BOOK TWO by Grace McGinty

VS Note: It’s not often a blurb leaves me kinda speechless but this one achieved it.

What’s worse than being the only incubus/kraken hybrid in hell? Having a detachable dick that is disgruntled by your dry spell and made its way to the mortal world through a gap in the hell gates. To make shit even more dire, Krax got busted by demon hunters trying to leave to retrieve his errant dick tentacle. Now he has limited time in the mortal realm to find it and return to hell, before the Big Guy downstairs decides that both he and his wayward appendage were more hassle than necessary. Lucky, he knows a guy living life up top that might lend him a hand…or two. This is a short novella that follows along after Don’t Flirt with Demons. It’s multi-pov except one of the POVs is from a mostly sentient but not very smart tentacle? It is MFM(T?).      AmazonKU

THE SILVER THREAD (THE A’ARU LEGACY BOOK ONE) by Ema V Arden

One near-fatal accident. One forbidden love. And a law that was never meant to be broken. In the realm of A’aru, the Law of Oblivion is absolute. Guardians protect. Humans forget. Alderian is an A’aruin, a guardian bound to Augustine by a glowing Silver Thread. For lifetimes, he has watched her from the edge of her world, remembering every version of her while she—like all of humanity—wakes each morning with a clean slate. Until the night oblivion fractures. After a near-fatal accident, Augustine remembers. For the first time, she doesn’t just feel a presence in the dark; she sees Alderian. She sees the Silver Threads linking every soul to its protector. And she sees the Shadows that have been waiting in the periphery, watching her with unsettling recognition. Now, Augustine is an anomaly, a breach in an order that does not tolerate defiance. The High Council is coming to erase her. The Shadows are closing in. And the only one who can keep her alive is the man she was never meant to see at all. To stay together, they must defy the laws of A’aru. To survive, they may have to let the world burn.        AmazonKU

THE BADDEST WITCH by Dreia Wells

I have always been perfectly capable. I pay my bills, I have my life together, and I occasionally remember I have a gym membership. Just do not ask me to light a candle with magic, because when it comes to being a witch, I am a dud. So when my grandmother leaves me a crumbling Victorian mansion and a dusty curiosity shop in Ruby Springs, I arrive with a plan: fix it, sell it, and go back to my very normal, very non-magical life. Ruby Springs has other ideas. The water runs red. The town is full of supernatural gossips. Even the cat in my shop has opinions. The longer I stay, the less my magic misfires and the more it feels like it is waking up. As if my life needed a plot twist, three men step in and are hell-bent on convincing me to stay. A wolf who steadies me. A wizard who insists on helping me understand my magic. A fae historian who looks at me like he already knows the ending to our story. They do not see a failed witch. They see something inevitable. I came to Ruby Springs believing I was the weakest in my family line. Now I am starting to suspect someone worked very hard to make sure I believed that. Ruby Springs was supposed to be temporary, but it feels like home, and home is not something you walk away from. It is time to find out exactly what kind of witch I am. Not the worst, but the baddest.      AmazonKU

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DISCLOSURE: Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.

DISCLOSURE: Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica

June 10

JUNE 3

May 27

May 20

May 13

May 6

“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’.

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!

 

 

15 Little Mermaid Fairy Tale Retellings for #Mermay

VS Note: This post first appeared in the Roswell Daily Record.

Our topic this month is mermaids. I’m inspired by the fact that on much of social media May is the month for the #mermay hashtag, under which people from all over the world post their drawings and art featuring mermaids, mermen and other sea creatures. It’s fun to see the wide variety of approaches to the topic (there are also suggested themes for each day). Of course the romance author community has written many a tale with mermaids so for the column I narrowed my list down to retellings of the most famous mermaid story of all – the Little Mermaid.

She was a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale long before she was a Disney princess with music. Mermaids have been a fixture of mythology since at least 1000 BCE, when a goddess named Atargatis is said to have loved a mortal man in Assyria.

Even within the limit of fairy tale retellings, there are so many romances to choose from. I’ve attempted to provide a fun sampler. One of the first authors to come to my mind when I think mermaids is Emma Hamm, who has written a number of books with an ocean setting. Her Bride of the Sea: A Little Mermaid Retelling (The Otherworld Book 5) involves some twists on the fairytale. The mermaid wants to escape her life and her arranged marriage but when she rescues a man she takes him to a desert island until he agrees to help her. The Main Male Character is pretty much out for himself in the beginning and thinking to make money somehow from his good luck of encountering a mermaid. Readers generally liked the plot and the sweet ending but there was some criticism of the character development. One reviewer enjoyed the hints of feminism woven into the story.      AmazonKU

In the romance world one can always write a fascinating story by focusing on the villain and in The Sea Witch: A Little Mermaid Retelling (Beloved Villains Book 1) author Rebecca F. Kenney has done exactly that, beginning with making the witch a man. The story begins much like the classic tale, with the wistful mermaid rescuing a human prince, wanting him to fall for her and going to the sea witch for help. The latter is actually the MMC and at first he’s only too happy to use the daughter of his enemy to get revenge but as the story goes along he realizes he’s falling in love with her himself. The mermaid finds the prince isn’t all that he seemed to be at first either. Readers praised the twists and turns, the slow burn, the banter and the spicy scenes.     AmazonKU      AB

Karina Halle’s A Ship of Bones & Teeth: A Dark Little Mermaid retelling (Nightwind Book 1)  is a really dark version of the fairy tale. The mermaid here got her wish and married the prince but turns out he’s an abuser. Now she wants to escape and get revenge on the witch for tricking her. Luckily for her she and the prince are kidnapped by a savage pirate who also wants to find the sea witch for his own reasons. Mermaid and Pirate fall in love of course. More than one reviewer mentioned in a positive way that this book had “Pirates of the Caribbean” vibes. The book overall gave readers all the feels and emotions. The mermaids are fierce and the Female Main Character is written to be as strong as the MMC. Of course there’s a Happy Ever After ending for the couple.      AmazonKU     AB

Prince of Endless Tides: Enemies-To-Lovers MM Little Mermaid Retelling (Darkmourn Universe Book 4) by Ben Alderson proposes that the Prince and the Sea Witch fall in love and that the oceans are ruled by savage Mer, who are monsters. Both men have magic of different sorts and there are subplots and complications, vengeful gods and high stakes for everyone. Reviewers also had high praise for the author’s writing style and world building.     AmazonKU     AB

Kiss of the Selkie: A Little Mermaid Retelling (Entangled with Fae) by Tessonja Odette brings in new fantasy elements to change up the well known tale.. The FMC here is a selkie princess who breaks Fae law by saving a human’s life. Her punishment is to go on land, find him and kiss him. The catch here is that her kiss is deadly. Meanwhile the MMC likes living on the Fae island so much he wants to become a citizen and so must marry. He’s holding a competition to find his bride and of course the FMC pretends to be a debutante and participates. But as the book progresses she falls in love with the MMC and doesn’t want to kill him. The setting has a Regency feel to it. Readers were divided about whether they liked the “Bachelor”-like contest to find the bride but overall gave the book positive marks. There is an HEA of course.     AmazonKU

For a story where the sea dweller is male, there’s Hunting Sirens: A Gender-Flipped Little Mermaid (Legends of Neverland Book 2) by Mary Mecham. The FMC here is a deaf blacksmith living on an island surrounded by bloodthirsty sirens. Her people are dying and since she can’t hear the deadly singing, she becomes a siren killer, believing them to be more like fish than highly intelligent beings. On one of her excursions into the ocean disaster strikes and she ends up being rescued by a handsome siren man who has no voice. The enemies-to-lovers trope is a key element here. Reviewers praised the author’s research into and handling of deafness and the Deaf community. Of course the romance is a satisfying one and allows for much character development in both protagonists.      AmazonKU     AB

There are so many more Little Mermaid retellings out there but I tried to assemble a list of the more unusual ones for your delight today. Happy reading!

VS Note: I can only put so many books into the column, since it’s for an actual newspaper but here are some other Little Mermaid re-tellings I also ran across:

SACRIFICE THE SEA: AN MMM LITTLE MERMAID RETELLING (BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES BOOK THREE) by Ana Fury and Amy Pennza

Deserted by a father I can no longer remember, I’m used to being alone, my only companions the cheerful sea nymphs who frequent my shipwreck. But lately, something powerful brews inside me—an aching restlessness to explore the dark depths beyond my cave. Then I meet Ari, a beguiling merman who tempts me past the edges of my territory. He introduces me to the glittering world of the Sea Syndicate and its ruler, King Triton. But the sea is a far more dangerous place than I realized, and together, the males rule it with a heavy hand. What’s more, they want to rule me, too. Each dominant in their own way, they teach me all about my body—and theirs—introducing me to unfathomable pleasure and sinful obedience. But there’s a dark side to their world. I can’t shake the feeling Triton and Ari aren’t the devoted males they seem. When a predatory darkness rises from the ocean’s depths, we have no choice but to confront sins of the past to keep the Sea Syndicate safe. But once the silt settles, will the weight of age-old secrets be too much to repair our broken bonds?

AmazonKU      AB

RESCUED BY THE MERMAN (ONCE UPON A FAIRYTALE ROMANCE BOOK THREE) by Jessica Grayson and Aria Winter

Inspired by The Little Mermaid, a romantic fairy tale retelling…The Princess of Solwyck slayed a dragon and saved her Kingdom, but at great cost to herself. When I find her floating adrift in the sea and near death, I risk the wrath of my King to save her. She may not remember me, but I cannot forget her. I will do anything to have a chance to see her again… even if it means forsaking my title as prince and heir to my kingdom.      AmazonKU

THE GLASS MERMAID (MAGIC IN CHANCELLOR BOOK ONE) by Melanie Karsak

I’m the last mermaid. On the shore of Lake Erie, I spend my final days hunting beach glass, making jewelry, and waiting for my mermaid glamour to leave me. Then it will be over. I resigned myself to the fact that there’s nothing more for me, until I saw Cooper. He comes to the beach every day to paint the sunrise and sunset. Nothing in this vast world has sparked my attention as much as him. I have no business falling in love. Not now. And Cooper has secrets of his own. I should leave him alone, but the curious mermaid in me can’t let that shiny bauble go. More than anything, I want to be part of his world…before it’s too late. Journey to the magical small town of Chancellor where fairy tales live, dreams come true, and happily ever after always reigns supreme.     AmazonKU      AB

THE SECRET OF MERMAID COVER by Megan Derr

VS Note: FF Fantasy.

After she is caught behaving obscenely with another woman, Sophia is left abandoned. Her friends pretend not to know her, her family is trying to decide the best place to banish her, and Sophia wishes that running away was as easy in fact as it was in theory. She is saved from scandal, if not her suffocating life, by way of an unexpected marriage proposal from Lord Everett Dobson, the most coveted bachelor in the city. Not in a position to refuse, Sophia accepts his offer and agrees to visit his home at Mermaid Cove for three weeks. Mermaid Cove proves to be as beautiful as promised, complete with endless beaches, glittering waters, a castle that looks like it was made of sand… family curses and local legends… and two beautiful, mysterious women who cannot talk, but seem to have secrets they want to share.        Amazon
THE MERMAID’S DAUGHTER: A DARK WLW RETELLING OF THE LITTLE MERMAID – PNR WITH IRISH OPERA AND ANCIENT MAGIN by Ann Claycomb
VS Note: FF.

A modern-day expansion of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, this unforgettable debut novel weaves a spellbinding tale of magic and the power of love as a descendent of the original mermaid fights the terrible price of saving herself from a curse that has affected generations of women in her family. Kathleen has always been dramatic. She suffers from the bizarre malady of experiencing stabbing pain in her feet. On her sixteenth birthday, she woke screaming from the sensation that her tongue had been cut out. No doctor can find a medical explanation for her pain, and even the most powerful drugs have proven useless. Only the touch of seawater can ease her pain, and just temporarily at that.  Now Kathleen is a twenty-five-year-old opera student in Boston and shows immense promise as a soprano. Her girlfriend Harry, a mezzo in the same program, worries endlessly about Kathleen’s phantom pain and obsession with the sea. Kathleen’s mother and grandmother both committed suicide as young women, and Harry worries they suffered from the same symptoms. When Kathleen suffers yet another dangerous breakdown, Harry convinces Kathleen to visit her hometown in Ireland to learn more about her family history. In Ireland, they discover that the mystery and the tragedy of Kathleen’s family history is far older and stranger than they could have imagined. Kathleen’s fate seems sealed, and the only way out is a terrible choice between a mermaid’s two sirens the sea, and her lover. But both choices mean death. Haunting and lyrical, The Mermaid’s Daughter askshow far we will go for those we love? And can the transformative power of music overcome a magic that has prevailed for generations?    Amazon      AB

STARDUST AND SILENCE: A SPACE FANTASY GENDER-FLIPPED LITTLE MERMAID RETELLING by Ashley Willingham

LYRA: I was born to rule the stars. As the daughter of the Pirate Queen, my destiny was to command my own fleet, chart my own course, and carve my name into the heavens. But when mutiny strikes, I’m pushed overboard, into the very heart of a nebula cloud. I should have died. Instead, I find him, a creature of legend and stardust. One of the fabled Celestari. VAELION: When I prayed to the Creator, begging for a Resonance—the one whose soul was meant for mine—I never imagined she would be human. Nor that she would hold the means to destroying my people forever. Lyra is my mate, but to be part of her world, I must make a deal with the Witchking and sacrifice all that I am. Without my Voice, I am powerless. But without her, I am nothing. Three days. That is all I have. And if I fail, I will lose more than just my freedom—I will lose her, along with the key to saving my world. With enemies closing in and time running out, can I possibly win Lyra’s heart? Or will I be lost to the Witchking’s void forever?      AmazonKU

SILENT MERMAID: RETELLING OF THE LITTLE MERMAID (THE CLASSICAL KINGDOMS COLLECTION BOOK FIVE) by Brittany Fichter

How does a silent mermaid win a war of song? How does she break the siren song of the one holding her beloved captive? After being touched by the sun at birth, Princess Arianna has grown up imprisoned between two worlds, neither fully mermaid nor fully human. Her life is one of solitude and dreams. But when she loses her family and her kingdom in a war between man and merfolk, she is forced to flee into the arms of the enemy. Her only hope of protection lies in the penniless prince that she once saved and his two boisterous nieces. Prince Michael is at his wit’s end. After the great maritime war, he must clean up the pieces of neglect, folly, and evil that his grandfather has left behind. With his people starving and his treasury nearly empty, the familiar girl from the past that falls piteously at his feet cannot be afforded his attention. He has only the resources and time for the barest of good deeds to pay back that which she gave him. But the more Michael begins to hear the girl beneath her silence, the more he realizes she just might be the distraction he cannot survive without. All the while, darkness is beginning to poison the ocean, and an evil foreseen by neither Arianna nor Michael threatens the very existence of both peoples. If they wish to restore their kingdoms, Arianna and Michael will need to reassess their alliances, their beliefs, and an ancient prophecy that’s been all but forgotten. Most importantly, however, they must decide whether they can move past their personal pain and trust one another. Because if they can’t, everything and everyone they love will fall.     Amazon

THE LITTLE SELKIE: A RETELLING OF THE LITTLE MERMAID (TIMELESS FAIRYTALES BOOK FIVE) by K M Shea

Dylan, a selkie, makes a terrible mistake when she brashly chases an evil sea witch onto land. Captured and stripped of her pelt—leaving her unable to return to the sea in her sea lion body—Dylan’s only chance of survival is to serve as the sea witch’s tool. Instead of allowing the sea witch to use her selkie ability to control water, Dylan asks a wandering enchantress to seal her voice, rendering her unable to use her selkie magic. Stranded without allies and no way to contact her family, Dylan fears she will never successfully steal her pelt back. Luckily, Dylan is not alone. She is befriended by Prince Callan, a kind, human prince whose country is being pulverized by the sea witch. Combining the strength of humans and the intelligence of the selkies, the pair unites to save their people. But when the storm is over will Dylan choose to stay with Callan, or return to the sea and leave him behind…forever?      AmazonKU

THE SILENT PRINCE: A LITTLE MERMAID RETELLING by C J Brightley

A voiceless prince. A desperate princess. A sham romance that turns heart-breakingly real. When cocky Mer prince Kaerius impulsively saves the human princess from drowning, he doesn’t expect to fall in love with her. Yet her human fragility is so unexpectedly sweet that he is soon head over tails. So he bargains his voice to the Lord of the Deep for a chance to court her on land. He’s confident that he can win her affection–he’s irresistible, after all. But he is a fish out of water in the human world. He didn’t expect it to be so difficult to make Marin appreciate his charms. Her father is ailing, her kingdom is threatened from multiple directions, and she must choose from among several foreign suitors to keep her people free. Thinking Kaerius no more than a mute stranger, she asks him to pose as her suitor to give her leverage with the foreign lords vying for her hand. But not all of them are so easily deterred, and they won’t take no for an answer. Kaerius will have to show the princess that his love is not just an act, but how can he win her, much less save her, without a word?    AmazonKU

 

 

New Releases in SciFi/Romantasy/Paranormal Romance for DEC 3

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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KLAUS ENCOUNTER (HORNED HOLIDAYS) by Honey Phillips

Can a cold alien warrior and a struggling woman give a grieving boy the one gift he needs most—a family? When Talia moves to an isolated village to care for her angry, grieving nephew Theo, she quickly discovers that her city-based skills are useless. Her efforts to reach her nephew and save his home are failing. The last thing she needs is another problem, but when she finds a huge, horned alien unconscious in the snow, she’s determined to save him. Commander Klausan D’Kringar’s mission has come to an ignominious end. Crashed, injured, and alone, his only goal is survival. But when he wakes up in a primitive cellar, tended to by a fierce, captivating female, his priorities begin to shift. Her compassion is irrational, her living situation is unacceptable, and the unexpected attraction between them is completely outside his experience. Logic dictates he should escape, but a new, protective instinct demands he stay. As they work together to ease Theo’s sorrow, an unforeseen bond begins to grow between the three of them. And when they attract the wrong kind of attention, Klausan will do whatever it takes to protect his new family.      AmazonKU

VANQUISHED (WAR BRIDES OF THE VANDAR BOOK ONE) by Tana Stone

My planet made a deal with the ruthless Vandar. Now I belong to the most feared warlord in the galaxy. It was supposed to be a random lottery with just one unlucky woman chosen to seal the alliance between my frozen outpost and the Vandar warriors. One bride to guarantee we wouldn’t betray them to the Zagrath Empire. But the moment the massive alien walked into my bakery that morning, his golden eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath, I knew. Somehow, I knew my life would never be the same. And I was right. When my name was called, I was torn from my sisters, my home, and the underground rebellion I’d built in the shadows. Dragged onto a vast warbird, claimed by Raas Wrexonn, the Keth’rax himself. The Scourge. He told me he saved me. That the Empire had marked me for execution, that taking me was the only way to keep me alive. I told him I’d never forgive him for it. But as we’re hunted across the galaxy by Imperial forces, as I discover the truth about the war he’s fighting and the pain he’s buried beneath his ruthless exterior, I’m forced to confront an impossible reality: the alien warlord I’ve vowed to hate might be the only one who truly sees me. But the Raas wants more than compliance. More than tolerance. He wants me to choose him freely, even though he stole that choice from me. And the most terrifying part? I’m starting to want that too.     AmazonKU

IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT TENTACLE (TINSEL AND TENTCLES 3.0) by Kelex

VS Note: MM SFR.

Qylar, from disgraced House Zyven, became untouchable the second his family rightfully landed in the prison mines. While he was innocent of their crimes—and only a boy of ten—he nearly ended up suffering their fate, as well. The only thing that saved him was his best friend’s intervention. He’s lived his life in House Kreegl’s debt ever since. Not that Cryss has ever asked for anything in return except brotherhood. For that reason, he’s loyally stood at his friend’s side for three decades. When Cryss met Alex and started a family on Earth, he became their fiercest protector. But standing on the sidelines and watching the love the growing family shared became an unexpected torment. No Nefyrian would ever take a fallen prince to mate, considering his family’s sordid reputationAfter he meets Kenji in San Francisco’s iconic Eagle Bar, the little bundle of nerves in black leather calls to him like no other has before. After a lifetime of one-night stands, Qylar has finally met a man who makes him envision a tomorrow. A human might not be able to give him children, but a lifetime of love is more than enough. If the human can accept that he’s secretly a tentacled, alien shifter, of course. Will a December alone with Kenji along with a little added holiday magic create a chance for Qylar to have the family he never thought possible?      AmazonKU

HUNTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS (HUMAN PETS OF TALIN – ORIGINS BOOK FIVE) by RK Munin

No one should have to pick between money and love. Han has worked as a bounty hunter for years. Her small stature is actually a benefit because her targets always underestimate her. Clever, fast, and skilled, she’s never failed to collect a bounty yet. When she accepts a bounty for a Talin, all she sees is enough credits to pay for her community for an entire year! If she’s fast she might even make it back to celebrate the holidays with her family. What she doesn’t expect is for her target to be kind and concerned. Her normal tactics don’t work because all he wants to do is to keep her safe instead of take advantage of her “vulnerability.” Now she’s faced with a tough choice: handing this Talin over to his government or bringing him home to meet her family.      AmazonKU

ROGUES LIE (CALDRYN PARLIAMENT BOOK THREE) by Jenny Schwartz

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note. Here’s what the author said about book one: “Stars Die is a magic parliament mystery. If you’ve ever wished that Agatha Christie included magic or that Sherlock Holmes fought space pirates, this is the series for you!”

A whisper campaign threatens Vanda Kavanagh’s hard-won position as Warden of Caldryn Parliament, but are the malicious rumors a personal attack or do they mask an uglier plot? As Vanda investigates, long-hidden truths are revealed leading her to question everything she believed about herself. In a city steeped in magic and political intrigue who can Vanda trust?     AmazonKU

BORDER CONTROL (OUTCASTS OF OLORIA BOOK THREE) by Bea Tama

She’s used to being in control. He was created to obey. But on Earth, nothing goes according to plan. Laura keeps her worlds separate: career, friends, and family all neat and organized like a courtroom argument. As a rising-star lawyer, she doesn’t have time for complications, especially not sexy, submissive aliens crash-landing on her best friend’s property. But when she witnesses one of them—tall, muscled, and clearly struggling—spiral into violence, Laura does what she always does: takes control. Dom responds like no man ever has. He wants to obey her. Needs it. Craves it. And she discovers a side of herself she’s never dared explore. Dom was created to serve, but in exile on Earth he’s barely holding it together. His role as a psychic stabilizer for his wave brothers demands total strength and zero selfishness. Then comes Laura: confident, commanding, and achingly human. One night in her arms threatens everything. Because now he wants something just for himself. For the first time, Laura’s orderly world is unraveling. They return to Oloria to fix it, and instead land Dom in trouble. And to save him, she’ll have to destroy every line she ever drew.     AmazonKU

ABDUCTED BY MOONLIGHT (PETRA PALERNO’S FILTHY SHORTS) by Petra Palerno

A werewolf stalks his newly found human mate in the forest when a UFO abducts them both. What happens when the alien tries to stake a claim on her as well? Abducted by Moonlight is part of the smutty novella collection, Petra Palerno’s Filthy Shorts, that feature otherworldly love interests. In this edition you’ll find alien & monster romance, size difference, why choose, group scenes, abduction, FMM, sword crossing, and a plus-sized FMC.       Amazon

REDSTONE: LIMINAL SPACE: BOK FOUR by Cari Z

M/M Space Opera Romance! Kyle Foster thought he was doing the right thing when he saved Cody Helms’ life at the Academy, but now he’s paying the price. Shunted to the worst prison in the Alliance, Kyle’s chances of survival are slim. That is, until Isidore Cain steps in. Isidore is a survivor, but he’d never have made it this far without friends. To repay his debt, Isidore must infiltrate the notorious Redstone prison and save Kyle’s life. But it won’t be easy. As Isidore navigates the treacherous prison and faces unimaginable challenges, he begins to question if he can really pull off this dangerous mission. With the odds stacked against them and everything on the line, will Isidore and Kyle make it out alive?     AmazonKU

HOLLY AND THE HUNTER (XARC’N WARRIORS) by Lynnea Lee

Deck the halls… or die trying. I’ve spent months preparing for the holidays. Gifts for the children, hand-knit stockings, and enough decorations to cover New Franklin in Christmas cheer. It was going to be perfect. Then the raiders came. They didn’t take food. Or medicine. Or anything remotely useful for surviving winter. No, they stole the crate full of holiday magic. Everything is gone. Even the star for the tree. Now the settlement’s focused on repairs and defense, and no one has time to recover what was lost. Except me. And the only person available to help? A grumpy, battle-hardened Xarc’n warrior who thinks tinsel is a tactical hazard. But grumpy protector or not, we’re going to make this work. He’s got the blade, I’ve got the sparkle, and together, we are going to save Christmas.      AmazonKU

CLAIMED BY THE VYKAN (STOLEN FROM EARTH BOOK FOUR) by Callia Silver

Morgan Halden has every advantage money can buy—but none of the freedom she wants. As the heiress to a global data-security empire, her life has been arranged for her down to the finest detail: the career, the marriage, the future she is expected to step into without protest. During a suffocating dinner meant to push her toward an engagement she never agreed to, she mutters something reckless under her breath: “I’d rather be abducted by aliens.” She never imagined anyone—or anything—would take her seriously. But after the Luxar incident, Earth was seeded with silent monitors designed to detect the rarest signal of all: a human expressing willingness to leave. Morgan’s impatient remark is flagged as consent, and before she can retract it, she is gone. She wakes on Vyranth, a world of drifting mist and uncanny stillness, surrounded by the Saelori—a persecuted, guarded people who treat her with a strange mix of courtesy and distance. They follow one command above all: prepare her and deliver her to the one who summoned her. They call him the Vykan—one of the Seven protectors of their world, a masked figure spoken of only in formal titles and carefully controlled tones. No one will tell her what he is. No one will tell her why he asked for her. Only that she is expected. Morgan never meant to volunteer. Now she must face the being who summoned her—and understand why he chose her, before his venom decides the rest for her.     AmazonKU

COSMIC CUPIDS (FELIX ORBUS GALAXY BOOK SEVEN) by S C Principale

On the Comet Stalker, a diverse crew of Felids, Canids, and humans has created a harmonious found family. Some have even found love. But when the humans on board the ship decide to celebrate the old Sapien-Three holiday of Valentine’s Day, things really start to heat up. Can they summon Cupid into the cosmos to make three matches in one night? Find out in three short, steamy stories! Paging Doctor Cupid – Skyla and Dax are in charge of the med bay during the holiday, when Skyla suddenly becomes ill. Will this be the push these friends need to finally confess their mutual admiration and take the leap to lovers? As luck would have it, Dax might have the cure to her particular kind of fever…One More Arrow – Rugged and handsome widower Jaxson never celebrated Valentine’s Day, since it’s not a Felid or Canid custom. His friend, the rescued human Kaylie, has no use for a holiday that only seems to magnify loneliness. To while away the hours when everyone else seems to be indulging in romance, they end up researching some old holiday customs. When they start to play a Valentine’s Day game, things soon turn hot and heavy. Maybe Cupid has one more arrow left for two lonely hearts after all? Breaking All The Rules – Elio and Lycen volunteer to babysit the cubs in the nursery on this special night. But once the cubs are asleep, these two unlikely allies finally have a chance to talk about what the future holds for them, and whether they will do what’s expected—or what’s forbidden. Breaking all the rules seems wrong, especially for straight-laced Lycen and determined Elio, but what if being wrong is the right choice?       AmazonKU

MERRY AND BRIGHT: A CALLISTO CHRISTMAS by JJ Hynd

Ali won’t make it home for Christmas. She can’t get the time off work to travel back to Earth. The forensic lab already has a backlog, and with only two weeks til the big day it’s not happening. Her parents decide to surprise her with a festive family visit instead. They want to see Callisto at Christmas, and meet her mystery man she’s told them about. Only problem is Ali’s man is fictional. Fabricated to appease her parents and stop them worrying. What Ali needs is a boyfriend for Christmas. This is a standalone Christmas Romance with fake dating, nerdy date nights, and some alien anatomy.      AmazonKU

ALIEN DEVIL’S TEMPATION (VINDUTHI STOLEN BRIDES BOOK FOUR) by Ava York

He’s the thief who could save her. She’s the captive who could ruin him. Together, they’re a firestorm waiting to ignite. BREVAN – I came to Valyria to steal the fourth Regalia and burn a corrupt senator’s empire to the ground. I didn’t expect his curator. Carys is everything I’m not supposed to want: brilliant, controlled, and far too aware of the danger I carry. She has her own escape in motion—and I’m the reckless force that could shatter it. CARYS – Six years trapped under a powerful man’s control. Six years planning the one chance that could set me free. I’m close. So close. Then Brevan walks in with red eyes, velvet lies, and a heist that threatens all of it. I should fear him. But in the dark—and in the too-small spaces we hide in—fear becomes something hotter. Sharper. Impossible to resist. When the gala turns deadly, our only hope is each other. One Regalia. One escape. One impossible desire neither of us can afford. Because once he claims me, I won’t just escape. I’ll be untouchable—and I’ll never want to walk away.     AmazonKU

HITCHED TO THE MAPINGUARI (MONSTER MATCHMAKING SERIES BOOK FOUR) by Eden Ember

When genetic compatibility becomes a death sentence, love becomes an act of rebellion. Healer Kalyndi never wanted to be matched with a monster, especially not the towering, terrifying mapinguari warrior who could crush her with one massive hand. But Magnus Terra’s “peace” program doesn’t care about consent, only about creating the perfect hybrid offspring for their secret agenda. War Chief Redmon has spent years advocating for human-monster cooperation, but being forcibly mated to a defiant human woman who despises everything he represents wasn’t part of his plan. When Kalyndi’s sister is matched to a brutal Fanghorn warrior, their reluctant alliance becomes something deeper and far more dangerous. As they uncover the horrifying truth behind the matching program, children stolen from parents, genetic experiments, and a breeding scheme designed to create superhuman soldiers. Kalyndi and Redmon must choose between the safety of compliance and the perilous path of resistance. Their fake marriage becomes real love. Their obedience becomes rebellion. And their fight for freedom will reshape the future of two worlds.     AmazonKU

TAKE ME AWAY ALIEN MERCENARY (ANYWHERE BUT HERE BOOK TWO) by Sybur Phyre

Kylara – There’s nothing like working a thankless job for scraps while my boss basks in the lush limelight of being one of Earth’s representatives at SABUR’s base on the moon. The Stellar Allies Brigade of Rangers is a powerful intergalactic organization, but its PR cover, Cosmic Guardians, is full of overindulgent politicians. And when someone else threatens the Planetary Alliance Dinner, turning the spaceport into chaos, I’m left behind to fend for myself as my boss escapes on his private starship. I’m eager for a way off the base when someone extends a hand. He’s huge, green, shredded, and shimmers with a fading ghostcloak. He has a high-tech starship, an idea of what’s going on, and a princess to get home in one piece before he can take me anywhere. I agree without a second’s thought. He wears the marking of a Mercenary on the back of his neck as well as the crest of SABUR on his chest. I’m unsure what to make of his conflicting tattoos. I just know if I stay, I die. But the protective, almost possessive, way he guards me says the most. He wants me. He can’t seem to keep his hands off of me.I want a new life. I’ll take whatever I can get. And a hot alien who wants to claim me for himself sounds like a pretty good trade. I’m just not prepared to run from the secret bounty on my head. Jaxzor – I owed a friend a favor, now I’m stuck guarding a princess…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page)        AmazonKU

SERVE IN THE WASTELANDS (MEYER COMPOUND BOOK THREE) by Krista Drake

VS Note: I enjoyed books one and two, very intense. This one is on my kindle.

Being chosen as caretaker for a massive pit fighter was my chance to prove myself. Craving his brutal touch might be my downfall. Since arriving at the Meyer Compound, I’ve been trying to prove my worth. I have medical training from my previous community, steady hands under pressure, and the kind of desperation to belong that makes risky choices seem reasonable. That is, until a territorial war erupts and survival comes down to death matches—winner claims all losing territories, losers become slaves. Our leader assigns me as attendant to our most dangerous pit fighter: Ryland Charron. My job is keeping him fed, rested, and battle-ready. He has other ideas about what I’m for. But every time I work on his massive frame, massaging muscles that could crush me, cleaning wounds across shoulders twice the width of mine, he looks at me like I’m prey he’s planning to devour. The professional distance I’m supposed to maintain crumbles when he grabs my wrist and shows me exactly where he wants my touch. What starts as basic care becomes something darker. More intimate. When he commands me to serve him, to submit to desires I never knew I had, I discover I’ll do anything to please him. Even if it means crossing lines that could get us both killed. But in a game where only one combatant survives, wanting him means gambling with everyone’s lives.   Amazon

BONE SPUR BABY DADDY by Tara Starr and Athna Storm

She thought I was dead. Now I’m standing in her kitchen, bleeding on her marble floors……And our daughter just called me Daddy. I spent years killing men who deserved it. Now I read bedtime stories to a girl with my eyes and try not to scare her mother every time I breathe. Soren built her empire on control. Steel spine. Cold smile. But I know what’s under it — heat and heartbreak and a secret she never meant to share. She says I don’t belong in her world. She’s right. Because I was born to protect what’s mine. Even if it means tearing down her perfect city, bone by bone. She gave me a reason to live. Now she’s the reason no one else will.      AmazonKU

ALIENS ARE OUT THERE AND SO IS SHE by Indigo Queen

VS Note: SFR? SFR-adjacent? I have no idea but people seem to be njoying it!

She ain’t from Wilflower. He ain’t convinced she’s even from Earth. When Georgia Culver’s life implodes, she packs up her bags and flees to the small town of Wilflower, Texas. She’s not sure what she’s looking for, but it definitely isn’t the camouflage-wearing conspiracy theorist next door. Enter Jesse Pickens. Local handyman. Hardcore conspiracy theorist. Likely feral. He’s been tracking UFOs and deep state surveillance vans for decades, and he knows, for certain, that beautiful women don’t just move to Wilflower. Georgia sets off every alarm bell in his head. Government plant? Alien? Either way, he’s watching her. But when strange occurrences start piling up, starting with another new neighbor who works for a government agency that doesn’t exist, Jesse drags Georgia into his investigation. Between stake-outs, growing feelings, and raccoons with a taste for PB&Js, Wilflower’s about to get a lot weirder. Aliens Are Out There…And So Is She is a cozy, sci-fi small town romcom.   AmazonKU

BA’IR (LYQA PLANET LOVERS BOOK SIX) by Nikki Clarke

The horrified whisper of the woman, Karen, who is gathering the uniform I am meant to wear while employed at this large shopping center, doesn’t faze me. At one point, many years ago, when I was still a youngling, having someone look at me and feel compelled to call upon their personal deity may have bothered me, but I long lost any sense of caring. At least when it comes to how I look. And I know what I look like. Not only am I keenly aware of every jagged etch and groove in my skin. I can remember, like it was only a turn ago, how they were made with claws and teeth, sometimes broken metal and stone. The blunt points were the worst, poking and prodding until they finally breached the flesh. But the memory of that pain is nothing compared to the rage I feel at my lehti, Ivy, the one responsible for my suffering. It’s a rage I doubt she knows exists. But she will soon.    AmazonKU

***********************BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE FANTASY/PNR BOOKS!**************************************

VS: Kyden is the first book in my scifi romance Badari Gladiators series. I always loved the sword and sandals movies when I was a kid and swooned over the gladiator heroes so I was excited to write my own “handsome not human” SFR gladiator series! Complete with those swirling red capes!

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

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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!*********************

DRAGON, ACTUALLY: A SHORT COZY HOLIDAY MONSTER ROM COM by Sara Ivy Hill

I’m just a small-town girl doing my best to make it in the big city. Between double shifts at the giftwrap counter and pet-sitting my roommate’s moody cat, this holiday season isn’t exactly shaping up to be merry and bright. But then a gorgeous green dragon walks into my life—or, more accurately, buys every gift in the shop just to talk to me! Myrran is sweet, awkward, and way too charming for his own good (or mine). He says I’m his greatest treasure, and the way he looks at me could melt even the iciest December day. But being a dragon’s holi-date comes with its own complications, like teaching him how to kiss, managing his overly enthusiastic dragon family, and learning secrets I’m not sure I’m ready to handle. Is this whirlwind romance my happily-ever-after, or will Myrran’s flames burn too hot for a girl like me? This Christmas, love is in the air…and my new boyfriend is a dragon, actually.       AmazonKU

THE DARK IS DESCENDING: A NYTEFALL NOVEL (NYTEFALL TRILOGY BOOK THREE) by Chloe C Penaranda

The strongest light needs the deepest shadows. Reeling from shocking betrayal, the Star Maiden Astraea must now race against time to break the curse imprisoning her lover, Nyte. She will have to decide if the hand of darkness, or that of her enemy, is an alliance that could bring him back. But with the loss of daylight and the realm on the brink of ruin, Astraea and her companions must set off on their quests to retrieve the Maiden’s broken key, the only weapon that can kill the wrathful gods determined to rule the mortal world. Dragons will fly and their bonds may choose friend or foe. Gods will face gods, fathers will face sons, and all will face the end of the world. Because when the blood that binds them becomes a weapon to end them, two star-crossed lovers must yield to fate or pay their greatest sacrifice yet.

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PHOENIX RISING (FIRE AND CLAWS BOOK ONE) by Jennifer Allis Provost

She’s a quiet bookworm. He’s the last dragon shifter. Together, they will bring a kingdom to its knees. Rosalie Greenwood’s been called worthless since the day she was born. The neglected second daughter of a pirate turned landowner, she spent her days hiding in her room and begging her father to send her to a convent. Her only real ally was her older sister, Caterina, but she was contracted to marry the infamous Black Duke of Dragon Ridge. Then Caterina ran away with her lover, and Rosalie was forced to marry the duke instead. Lochlyn Blackmoor was resigned to his fate. Thanks to a war he wasn’t allowed to fight in, he became the duke at fourteen, and the only dragon shifter left in Alessia. Lochlyn spent the next ten years reclaiming his family’s honor, but what he really needed was an heir. He agreed to marry out of duty, but he never expected to be swept away by Rosalie, a beauty with fire in her heart that matched his own. Once they’re home at Dragon Ridge, their marriage doesn’t go smoothly. Rosalie and Lochlyn stay on opposite sides of the castle, until the last person they expected arrived on their doorstep. Thrown together by a situation out of their control they find solace in each other, but harmony doesn’t last. After being abruptly summoned to the capital, they uncover a conspiracy linked to the legendary phoenix knights, the Order of the Sun, and learn how far the king—a weak shifter trapped in a half form for the last twenty years—is willing to go in order to keep his tenuous hold on the throne. What none of their enemies realize is that Rosalie is hiding the biggest secret of all.      Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

A BEGINNER’S’ GUIDE TO SEA MONSTERS, MESSENGER ANGELS AND OTHER MANAGEMENT MISHAPS (DEMONIC DISASTERS AND AFTERLIFE ADVENTURES BOOK EIGHT) by Shannon Mae

VS Note: MM PNR.

Gabriel: Gabriel is the Divine Herald, the messenger of the Lord, the Angel of Revelation… and he’s currently losing ground to social media. (Really, how is he supposed to compete with that ticking app?) When the afterlife’s management team forces him into a “professional development partnership” with a demon, Gabriel is horrified—until he meets Leviathan, a sea monster with tattoos, tentacles, and a knack for helping him connect with mortals. Levi: Leviathan has no interest in going back to the underworld. He’d much rather spend his time topside with his octopus sidekick and now, apparently, one very uptight angel. Teaching Gabriel about mortal pleasures—food, coffee, books, and other things (that require less clothes)—is the best adventure Levi’s had in centuries. But as they both start to enjoy their unexpected partnership, one problem remains: what happens when the leadership team decides the partnership is over? Levi isn’t about to give up his angel, and Gabriel isn’t sure he wants to return to Heaven without his demon.     AmazonKU

THE GODDESS’S SPY (THE LOST LINES BOOK NINE) by Merri Bright

She’s a spy. She’s an Omega. And she might just be a goddess. As a child, Ratter led a group of thieving street rats who did odd poisoning jobs for the king and secretly protected the innocent and vulnerable. Now known as Rada, she’s on the run from Alphas intent on claiming her, and a goddess who seems to want her to stop spying and start popping out street rats of her own. Dead set on completing her own mission, she runs straight into trouble and ends up burned at the stake. Well, toasted, anyway. When Rada breaks down and prays for help, though, the wrong deity answers. Even the men who are obsessed with her––her valet, her ex-husband, two smoking hot selkie princes, and a couple of monsters––may not be enough to keep her from becoming the sacrifice she was created to be. But this Omega isn’t about to lay down for any man… or any god.      AmazonKU

HEIRS OF THE WOLF (FORBIDDEN MATES BOOK FIVE) by Amelia Shaw

Everything is going to be all right… I hope! Together, we’ve overcome every obstacle thrown our way—but they say everything, including danger comes in threes…For now, my bond with my mates has been accepted by the black wolf pack, and mercifully our twins are growing safe and well within my belly. I won’t lie, pregnancy is tougher than I imagined, and morning sickness is kicking my ass; but for the first time in a long time, I have hope for the future. But thoughts and prayers aren’t enough to secure a solid alliance. When I become aware that some of the pack are sick, I make healing potions for them, because actions speak louder than words. Hoping to prove my loyalty further, I invite the pack to a ball at my castle. But nothing is ever smooth sailing! Without warning the cusiths strike, lashing out, and it seems death may be coming for us all.     AmazonKU

TENDER CRUELTY (DARK OLYMPUS BOOK NINE) by Katee Robert

The barrier that’s protected Olympus for generations has fallen. The enemy’s breached the gates and the Thirteen are scrambling to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the city they’ve sworn to protect. At least they would be if they weren’t at each others’ throats instead. Hera has no intention of letting her husband, Zeus, survive the oncoming storm. But despite the white-hot hatred burning between them, when Hera and Zeus are forced to work together, enmity crystalizes into something brighter. Hotter. Too powerful to deny or destroy. Hera never bartered on falling in love with the man she married—the man she once swore to kill. But now, standing back-to-back in the ruins of Olympus, she may be forced to admit that she’s been wrong about Zeus all these years…and there may be something about their marriage worth saving if they can survive long enough to turn sworn enemies into something more.

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HELL FOR CHRISTMAS byCathrine Lievens

VS Note: MM PNR.

When Justin decides to visit the underworld, he’s looking for his birth mother—not a cellmate who’ll steal his heart. Half-demon Justin has always been loved and accepted by his adoptive family, but when their mother’s death tears the family apart over an inheritance question right during the holidays, Justin needs a distraction from his grief. Curious about his birth mother, he decides to find her, hoping to get answers to the many questions he has. But Hell isn’t what he expected. His mother rules her territory with brutal efficiency, and her warm welcome turns into a nightmare when she demands Justin become her heir. When he refuses, she throws him into the dungeons—right into the cell of Mynor, a demon who’s been standing up to her by freeing her prisoners and stealing from her supporters. Mynor is wary of Justin—can he not be when Justin is Anya’s son? But as days turn to weeks, he discovers that Justin is nothing like his mother. Being stuck together in a small cell brings them closer, both physically and emotionally, which isn’t something either of them expected.
Anya is prepared to keep Justin locked away forever if that’s what it takes to break him, but Justin knows that eventually, his brothers will come looking for him. He just hopes it won’t take them too long.       AmazonKU

TROLL THE YULETIDE CAROL (BIRCH HEARTS) by Elva Birch

VS Note: A re-release.

It’s the most magical time of year…but Carol isn’t magical at all. Carol is feeling anything but holiday cheer. Dangerously low of blood sugar and high on frustration, the final straw at Carol’s office party comes when she realizes that someone has stolen her custom chair…and he’s still in it. Unexpectedly becoming a troll comes with a lot of downsides, and Keenan’s teeth aren’t the only thing that get supersized. When the woman he borrowed a chair from to fit him comes looking for it, sparks fly!   AmazonKU

TALES OF WINTER AND WHIMSY: A COZY FANTASY ANTHOLOGY by Various

Nine fantasy and romantasy authors. Nine delightfully cozy tales. This enchanting collection of short stories will have you traveling through snow-covered landscapes, winter solstice balls, small town universities, seaside cottages, and time itself. From a grumpy blacksmith and a chicken cult to a budding romance in the most unlikely of places and everything in between. Each tale offers low stakes, varying spice levels, and whimsical winter worlds that are sure to fill your soul with joy. So pour yourself a warm brew, wrap up in a cozy blanket, and step into these ten wintery, whimsical tales.       Amazon

KIRKYARDS AND KINDNESS: A RIP THROUGH TIME NOVELLA by Kelley Armstrong

A year ago, twenty-first-century detective Mallory found herself in 1869 Edinburgh, in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a housemaid working for Dr. Duncan Gray, pioneer in forensic science. Shortly after she arrived, she made the unfortunate acquaintence of Catriona’s former criminal mentor, Davina, an entanglement that nearly got Mallory killed. Now she’s about to meet Davina again. Greyfriars Bobby has disappeared. The little terrier is already a legend, and Davina has made a tidy living showing him off on graveyard tours…while picking the pockets of her guests. When the elderly dog vanishes, Davina calls in a favor from her old student. Mallory agrees to help find Bobby in return for the one thing she’s been unable to get from Davina—the mysterious Catriona’s life story.       Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

PEARLS BENEATH THE SEA by Sofia Rose

VS Note: Sapphic PNR.

Some hearts need winter to learn how to melt. Former Olympic skater Ruby Callahan retreats to a lakeside cabin to escape the spotlight and the noise in her own head. All she wants is silence, solitude, and the cold comfort of a frozen lake. But the ice isn’t empty. Beneath it waits Eira, a siren bound to the water she guards, her song full of longing and light. When she saves Ruby from drowning, curiosity turns to connection, and then to something far deeper. As the snow falls and the ice begins to thaw, Ruby and Eira find warmth in shared stillness, in touch, in breath, in trust. Their love hums like a heartbeat under water—a song of surrender, rebirth, and choosing feeling over fear.   AmazonKU

CAUGHT BY HER GUARDIAN (YULETIDE SHIFTERS BOOK SIX) by R E Butler

Tooth Fairy Pixie is sent to a new territory in Pennsylvania when her boss calls in a favor. On her nightly rounds of collecting teeth from little sleepers, Pixie’s quiet mission goes awry when she accidentally falls out of a window, only to land in the strong arms of a polar bear named Hunter. Hunter was with his clan for a celebration and thought someone was breaking into one of the homes. He quickly discovers the would-be thief is a tooth fairy—and also his truemate. While Hunter and Pixie explore their newfound bond, trouble brews in Northernmost. Santa has enlisted a secret ally to prepare for a confrontation with his brother, Jack Frost. When Frost’s second-in-command strikes at the heart of Santa’s operation, it’s up to Hunter and the Yuletide Guardians to step in and save the day. As magic and romance collide, can Hunter and Pixie stop Frost’s plans and protect the world’s magic, or will all be lost on Christmas Day?

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UNRAVELING MAGICAL MYSTERIES (MIDLIFE WITCHERY BOOK 22) by Brenda Trim

Just when Fiona, Violet, and Aislinn thought they’d earned a damn break, Artemis crashes their victory dinner with catastrophic news: Olympus is under attack, gods are dropping like flies, and—surprise!—only they can save divine butts from extinction. Goodbye, overdue peaceful evening. Hello, next world-ending crisis. Whisked away to Mount Olympus without so much as a toothbrush, the three magical misfits discover someone’s treating gods like magical juice boxes—draining their divine essence and leaving them to fade into oblivion. And the culprit has been using Artemis’s own lodge as their villain headquarters. Talk about a hostile takeover. With their complementary abilities working overtime, the witchy wonder triplets will navigate godly politics (think high school drama but with lightning bolts), infiltrate secret training facilities for god-impersonators, and uncover a conspiracy led by Callisto—Artemis’s scorned ex-companion with serious boundary issues and a flair for divine theft. Their investigation takes them from Olympic chambers to sketchy Athens clubs offering “godly experiences” to mortals with more money than sense, and finally back to Cottlehill Wilds, where the Hellmouth is once again center stage for magical mayhem. Between saving weakened deities, protecting their families, and figuring out what the hell a “divine ascension ritual” actually entails (spoiler alert: it’s not a relaxing spa day), the Backside of Forty faces their most ridiculous challenge yet. Because nothing says “thanks for saving reality last week” like being drafted into a divine civil war. At least no one’s trying to steal their brains this time. Progress!      AmazonKU

HOW THE DEMON STOLE CHRISTMAS (SHROUDED NATION BOOK 33) by Brenda Trim and Tia Didmon

When a demon with an unnatural hatred for tinsel and an insatiable thirst for revenge escapes the underworld, my friends and I are called in to hunt him down before he can wreak havoc. But as the bodies keep dropping in gruesome and ritualistic ways, it becomes clear that his arrival isn’t just a random jailbreak. Something or someone helped him cross into our world, and the deeper we dig, the more it feels like we’re being played. When I think I can juggle the hunt and the chaos that comes with it, my son shows up for a visit. It’s supposed to be a chance to pretend, just for a little while, that I have a normal life. But the demon strikes too close to home, and in the aftermath, I am forced to confront not only the trauma of my past but the gaping wound left by the husband I lost. Dark forces are at play, ones that don’t just want chaos but need it. And if we don’t figure out their true motives, the Christmas Village will become a massacre site. Can we uncover our enemies’ true agenda before the streets run red with holiday cheer, or are we one holiday away from annihilation?   AmazonKU

MY ORC MISTLETOE MISTAKE (EASTSHORE ISLE BOOK 13) by Veronika Kane

A New Year’s Eve wedding! How romantic! Now I just need to make it to the 31st…After losing both my boyfriend and the company we co-owned on the west coast, I figure a little escape to Eastshore Isle–and planning my little sister’s wedding to a freaking billionaire–will be just the distraction I need. Of course, my little chaos demon self doesn’t need any help in the distraction departm–oh look! A squirrel! But it turns out I’m not the only one planning this wedding…the groom’s incredibly competent, unbelievable schmexy assistant has been tasked with making sure the ceremony reflects orcish customs as well. And I find myself partnered up with a guy I need to treat professionally, instead of jumping his bones. It’s hard, okay? (Imagine me winking.) And then, in the name of advancing human-orc relations, I take part in an adorable holiday tradition where I accidentally make out with Sylvik beneath the mistletoe…and everything changes. I just don’t know if it’s for better or worse.     AmazonKU

CHOKE ON MY NAME by Lily X

VS Note: Sapphic PNR.

A vampyre with a vendetta. A wytch with everything to lose. Teaming up was never the goal, but falling in love? Even less so. Maia Rani Darsha has always known that Coven Layng would be hers to lead one day. Is she the best person for the job? No, but she’s the only one left. She thinks her position is secure until the High Coven intervenes with a new plan and a new leader for her ancestral coven. Their decree is simple: leave or engage in a Trial of Ascension for the right to lead. Enter Raven—a vengeful vampyre who doesn’t think twice about staking her own mother through the heart. She’s unhinged, unpredictable, and a walking red flag. The dark shadow vamp has something Maia needs—a powerful wytch contact who can help her train for the Trial. Their deal is simple: Raven’s contact for Maia’s blood. No strings, and definitely no emotions. But Maia soon discovers that some deals are inked in more than blood… Some are tattooed straight onto the heart.     AmazonKU

A GHOST OF A CHANCE by Linda Mooney

Sometimes you need a little help…from the other side. After being permanently injured on the job, Crime Scene Investigator Victoria Fanning was forced into an early retirement. When her twin brother is promoted to chief of police back in their hometown, he wants her on his team, regardless of her handicap. She agrees to go on retainer for two weeks, but she doesn’t realize how much she missed the job, and her brother, until she gets there. The previous investigator, Jackson Mullen, was killed on the job, but Vic is impressed by the lab he set up and his reputation. Imagine her surprise when Jackson appears to her and offers his two cents on her thoughts. Despite the fact that he’s a ghost, she’s not afraid. Quite the opposite, actually. They realize they have a lot in common, similar ideals and purpose, and Vic enjoys having Jack’s help on her first case, an elderly woman shot with a Revolutionary era weapon. But is she getting too close to Jack? Too reliant? She realizes that she has a tough decision to make. If she’s to have any kind of personal life, any type of future, Jack can’t be a part of it. That decision is soon taken out of her hands.      Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

SNAKE-EATER by T Kingfisher

VS Note: Described as “contemporary fantasy steeped in horror” by one reviewer.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind. Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled. Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.         Amazon     AB 

BLUE BEARD, RED HOOD (BELOVED VILLAINS BOOK SIX) by Rebecca F Kenney

Sybil Fallon has a habit of summoning demons unintentionally and at the most inconvenient times. When she, her mother, and her sister are invited to an upcoming dinner at the estate of the mysterious Theron Beresford, Sybil is desperate to ensure that her ability won’t manifest and ruin the evening. But when she seeks help from her reclusive former mentor, Grandmother Riquet, she discovers that the old woman has changed in dangerous and disturbing ways… and so has the forest in which she lives. As Sybil struggles to control an ability she doesn’t understand, she becomes strongly attracted to Beresford, the brawny, handsome estate owner. His distinctive blue beard isn’t his only unusual trait. In addition to socially acceptable dinner parties, he also likes to host secret gatherings in the refurbished barn on his property. Sybil’s first invitation to one of his naughty midnight parties opens her mind to a world of new pleasures. But with local disappearances inciting the suspicion of the neighbors, and Beresford’s secretive nature raising questions in her own mind, Sybil must navigate an increasingly treacherous path through the forest of her circumstances in pursuit of the future she wants.      AmazonKU

TASTY TENTACLES (TINSEL AND TENTACLES 3.0) by David Gray

VS note: MM PNR.

For all his life, Orion has kept his furry tentacles hidden, even though they’re hanging there, right on his chin, masquerading as a beard. This year, he’s had enough of being a fuzzy Cthulhu freak, and as a gift to himself, he’s made a resolution to do something about them. Now, his plastic surgeon and the flirty owner of his favorite bakery have the holiday season to talk him out of it and together explore the tasty enticements those tentacles have to offer. Tasty Tentacles is a rather spicy gay romance with polyamory, a happy ending, and lots of holiday cheer.     AmazonKU

THANE’S DEMON: PRINCES OF AFTERLIFE by Stephanie Hudson

I didn’t want this. I didn’t ask for this life. But more than anything, I didn’t ask for this…Demon. The bane of my existence. Of course, I had tried to beat him into submission. To calm the raging need to constantly control me. I had tried it all. The only thing to work…to consume the essence of misery. To feed from the degenerate souls this city had to offer. So, I lived amongst the worst of the worst. A buffet of sinful mortals to appease the darkness inside me. That was…until there was light. A mortal so pure that her soul blinded me. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to break her. I wanted to consume her. But most of all…My demon wanted to claim her.      AmazonKU

QUEEN OF FLAMES (KINGDOM OF SHADOW AND RUIN BOOK FOUR) by Alaya Wells

In a kingdom of shadows and ruin, I dared to love a cursed king. We’ve come to Irridain Court in disguise, clinging to a final thread of hope: a talisman that can break the curse before it kills Lore. Without it, he dies. No more stolen nights. No more whispered vows. No more us. The talisman dangles from the princess’s throat like a challenge. To claim it, we must outwit ruthless fae in games where beauty is a blade, truth is twisted, and losing means more than defeat. It means death. As rivals circle and secrets unravel, Lore burns brighter and darker by the hour. I see it in his eyes. The fear he won’t speak of. The hunger he barely hides. The curse is tightening, and we have only five days left before it kills him. I didn’t defy the fates, survive a labyrinth, plus battle a mad wizard to lose him now. He’s my only ever after. I’ll burn the world to ashes to save him.      AmazonKU

WARPED WORLD (PACK OF OUTCASTS BOOK THREE) by Eva Chase

One city drenched in shadow. Too many enemies to count. Can sunshine and sweetness win the day for good? I’ve faced a lot of challenges with my new mates, but nothing on the scale of a massive rift belching toxic shadows all over a city. It seems the monstrous realm we came from is feeling left out—and it’s determined to take a piece of the mortal world for itself. My power may be the only thing that can put a dent in the darkness, but it’s a very small dent. And it’s awfully hard to get even that much done when we’ve got refugee humans to wrangle, trigger-happy soldiers to dodge, and a whole horde of hunters eager to show off their shadow-slaughtering skills. With the catastrophe stirring up the worst of my men’s past traumas, can we find our way through the dark together? Or is this one mess too big for even the shiniest of monsters?       AmazonKU

MOONBEAMS AND MISTLETOE: MM MPREG SHIFTER ROMANCE (DOUBLE BOOKED FOR THE HOLIDAYS) by Colbie Dunbar

Witness protection was supposed to keep him safe, not steal his heart. Human omega Indigo expects a safe house while waiting to testify against his boss, not a luxury mountain lodge, or Riven, an attractive security liaison who makes his pulse race. Indigo is unaware the lodge is home to a wolf shifter pack, that Riven is the future Alpha, or the moment they met, Riven recognizes him as his fated mate. As Christmas approaches, Riven struggles to reveal the truth. But when Indigo accidentally witnesses a full moon run on Christmas Eve, he’s confused and he flees. Now Riven has to show his mate that their bond is unbreakable and Indigo must choose whether to trust his heart or his fear.      AmazonKU

KINGDOM OF TODAY (BOOK OF ARDEN 2) by Gena Showalter

When Arden Roosa returns to Fort Bala Royal Academy, nothing is as it was. No longer just a lady-in-training, she’s now the infamous girlfriend of High Prince Cyrus Dolion—and the woman who brought down a king. Her reward? Round-the-clock guards and the attention of a royal executioner with secrets. But Arden has secrets too. As a double agent slipping between worlds to decode forbidden prophecy, she knows what’s coming. Sleeping gods are stirring, and a war igniting. With only a spark, everyone will burn. But nothing goes according to plan. Grueling trials consume her days, and dangerous questions stalk her nights. Worse, Cyrus—the fierce, unshakable warrior she might love—is unraveling, losing pieces of himself, becoming a stranger right before her eyes. Desperate to save him, Arden strikes a life-altering alliance…and everything spirals. Now the gods are no longer dreaming. They’re hunting. Time is running out, the end closer than anyone dares to admit. Unless Arden can stop what’s coming, Cyrus will open the door to true evil—and she’ll lose him forever.       AmazonKU       AB

A WITCH FOR MR BELL (WITCHES OF CHRISTMAS GOVE BOOK SEVEN) by Deanna Chase

Earth witch Felicity Hill is fiercely independent and isn’t interested in romance. She likes a fun date, but when it comes to commitment, forget it. Her parents’ broken marriage ruined that for her when she was just a kid. But what she is interested in, is saving her family land from being sold to the highest bidder. And this Christmas she’ll so whatever it takes to make sure that no part of the original Hill family property is turned into high density condos… even if it means working with the one man who makes her want things she shouldn’t. Jackson Bell used to be a high-powered businessman. But these days, he’s only interested in the slower paced lifestyle he’s found in the enchanted small town of Christmas Grove… and the feisty woman, Felicity Hill, who owns the Apples and Spice and Everything Nice farm. If he had his way, he’d have already put a ring on it. Unfortunately, she’s not interested in forever. But when Jackson’s visited by Felicity’s grandmother with a message to help her save the family land, she also gives him an idea of how to win Felicity’s heart. This Christmas, Jackson is pulling out all the stops to help the woman he loves and maybe, just maybe, get the happily-ever-after they both deserve.      AmazonKU

THE GHOST AND CHRISTMAS MAGIC (HAUNTING DANIELLE BOOK 37) by Bobbi Holmes

It’s Christmastime in Frederickport, and the twins and Emily Ann’s first Christmas. What magic is in store for the mediums of Beach Drive? It will be a Christmas they won’t forget. And neither will the rest of Frederickport.    Amazon     AB       Apple Books      Kobo

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REINDEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS: MM MPREG SHIFTER ROMANCE by Lorllae M Hart and Colbie Dunbar

Sometimes you ask Santa for one thing and get so much more…I’d rather go to the dentist than to my work Christmas party. I’m not a Scrooge who hates the holidays or anything like that. But I’ve been to everyone in my ten years with my company and they all end up the same way. Someone drinks too much, and I, as HR, get stuck dealing with it. There’s zero fun in that. As messed up as it is, when I hit a patch of ice to avoid hitting a kitten and end up in a ditch, my first thought is: Good. Now I can skip the festivities. Best Christmas present ever. Only my joy fades away when my phone shows no reception, my leg feels like it’s on fire, and the little kitten is trembling in my arms. I have two choices: Stay on the side of the road and hope someone passes by and is willing to help or walk through the woods toward what appears to be Christmas lights in the distance. When a reindeer walks in front of me and toward the lights, I take that as a sign I should do the same.       AmazonKU

APOCALYPSE WITCH (DEMON WITCH BOOK FIVE) by Kat Simons
The Apocalypse Witch… A disaster? A warning? Or a destiny…With this new cursed power dangling a knife over her head and pinning a target to her back, witch Angie Jordan faces one last trial to find answers. Before the dark magic kills her. A journey that tests her control. Strains her bond with Sebastian. And reveals secrets that could devastate her realm. A quest that pits her and Sebastian against an enemy unlike anything they’ve encountered before. As demons hunt them, and the dangers expand with every step, Angie’s powers grow more erratic. Uncertain who to trust, time becomes their enemy. Because if they fail, no one will be safe. From the demons. Or from Angie.
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THE OMEGA: MATING SEASON: SEASON EIGHT by Heather K Carson
Returning to Mating Season was supposed to be a blessing, especially for an Omega in my position. I’ve always been drawn to powerful Alphas and the show has plenty to offer. Last season, the pickings were slim. I should be overjoyed to be here again. But that was before I ran into them. Sinfully handsome. Sworn enemies. Territorial leaders who’d rather kill each other than find a Luna. And according to my wolf: Both are my fated mates.      AmazonKU
CHRISTMAS HART (VAKTARE F ALL REALMS BOOK FOUR) by Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel
Shira Hart’s first Christmas with her newfound family was supposed to be all gingerbread houses and carolers who could actually carry a tune. Instead, Shira Hart finds the Tro Fidem’s holiday traditions spiraling into chaos: the Guardian lion humping the Christmas tree, her cat divorcing her, Skids being forced into playing a tipsy St. Nicholas, and the church’s annual Christmas Eve nativity pageant running amok thanks to her fiancé’s ex-girlfriend’s portrayal of the Virgin Mary. When Rex reveals that he’s never experienced a true Christmas before, Shira is dragged into a holiday adventure involving questionable fruitcake, a wedding dress that no one wants to wear, and more awkward ex-girlfriend turned pregnant armadillo encounters than should be legally allowed.     Amazon
A VERY DENARIUS CHRISTMAS (PRIMORDIAL PROTECTORS) by TL Travis and Layla Dorine
VS Note: LGBTQ Fantasy.
t’s time for A Very Denarius Holiday! The brothers haven’t celebrated in centuries but this year they have four reasons to – Griffin, Luna, and twins Kane & Hunter. Ionus and Alex’s home is full of mischief and love. Four wild dragonettes, add in a silly Uncle Odem and it’s anyone’s guess what’ll happen next. Join us for their first Christmas and celebrate the new lives and mates that have brought so much joy to the Denarius brothers’ lives.      AmazonKU
UNACCOMMODATING LOVE  (MAGIC AND HEARTACHE BOOK THREE) by E L Roux
Yin has always lived by her heart — literally. As an empath, she feels the world too deeply, channeling emotion into every dish she serves at Internal Flame, her restaurant built on hope, spice, and a touch of her soul. But when her gift begins to unravel, so does the balance she’s fought to maintain. Her first pillar, Stephan — a charming tailor with a guarded heart and a voice like honey — once promised forever. Now his fear of sharing that love threatens to break them apart. Enter Quinn, her second pillar: a grounded, enigmatic Troll whose quiet strength and wry smile spark a connection Yin never expected, and can’t ignore. Bound by magic, drawn by desire, the three must learn to trust not just their hearts but each other — before the empathic energy that connects them all dissolves. Torn between passion and purpose, Unaccommodating Love is a lush contemporary fantasy romance about the risk of loving deeply, the beauty of chosen family, and the courage it takes to make room for every part of your heart.
LONGING FOR THE MINOTAUR (INDECENT MONSTERS) by Lyonne Riley

Valentina has always had a complicated relationship with Banon, the son of the minotaur woman her father married. He’s drop dead gorgeous, full of himself, and football runs in his blood. Even though he was instrumental in the misery and bullying that were her high school years, Val has always held a torch for him. Now in college, she thinks she’s finally moved on from her childhood crush. Though he tries to hide it, Banon has hungered after Valentina for too long. She’s consumed his every thought for years, even as he put distance between them. When the dam breaks over the holidays and the truth emerges, will Banon and Valentina’s burning cravings finally erupt into a fire? This is a short, steamy holiday-themed monster romance novella about one nerdy goth girl and a football-playing minotaur. Secrets will be spilled and even more secrets kept, leading to an adorable HEA.     AmazonKU

HOLIDAY HONEY FOR THE BADGER: UNCLE UZZI’S DATE TO MATE by C D Gorri

This holiday season, even the grouchiest Badger deserves a mate…Ebenezer Rogers is a Badger with a plan—work, work, and more work. As the prickly CEO of Rogers & Reed, he’s brilliant in business but hopeless when it comes to people. Parties? He avoids them. Dating? Not a chance. If it weren’t for his younger brother and business partner, he’d be holed up in his office forever. But when that same meddling brother signs him up for Uncle Uzzi’s infamous Date to Mate app—and a mandatory holiday gala—Eb finds himself in over his furry head. Enter his holiday honey. Marigold Santos is curvy, sparkling-eyed, full of wit, and absolutely not what Eb expected. Irresistible? Definitely. Trouble for a grumpy, solitary Badger who swore off romance? Without question. Now Eb has to decide if one unexpected date is enough to melt his icy heart. But will his holiday match say yes when this bothersome Badger finally asks her to be his—for keeps?

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LOVE IS MAGIC: MM HOLIDAY GIFT ANTHOLOGY by Various

Fifteen authors, fifteen chances to fall in love this holiday season…In this enchanting, out-of-this-world MM paranormal and urban fantasy collection, you’ll find unexpected demons, gallant vampires, pining alphas, shifty ravens, magic galore, and so much more, with a satisfying happy ending to every love story.      AmazonKU

DIVINATION AND DECEIT (A CRONES OF A FEATHER PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY BOOK TWO) by Beth Dolgner

There’s a sudden vacancy on the Foxfire Haven City Council when Fortie Fortenbacher is found dead in the park. Euphoria Lachlan, the mayor of Foxfire Haven and Hazel Underwood’s high-school bully, is wasting no time finding a replacement. Did Euphoria permanently remove Fortie from the council? Hazel claims she’s not trying to solve the murder, but she keeps stumbling onto clues as she drives her vintage hearse from one delivery job to the next. A Bigfoot with surprising insight, a witch who sees the future in frozen peas, and a shifter eager to pick up where Fortie left off will all help point Hazel toward the killer. While Hazel tries to navigate the political infighting in a magical small town, she and her coven are also eager to find out if the fates foreseen for them will come true. And will Hazel and Chief Constable Hightower ever learn to get along?       AmazonKU

THE GRAIL AND GLORY (ONCE AND FUTURE HEARTS BOOK 11) by Tracey Cooper-Posey

Deryn of Calleva flees her ruined home, betrayed by her own kin and pursued by Saxons. With nothing left but her wits and her will to survive, she seeks shelter in Arthur’s court—a place where loyalties shift like the wind and every ally may yet prove false. Cadfael of Dunoding, eldest son of his house and sworn to Arthur’s service, is being shaped into the next war duke. Fiercely loyal to his king, he struggles to hold fast to honor while Britain fractures around him. Yet the wary, sharp-eyed woman from his past awakens a bond he cannot deny. Together, Deryn and Cadfael must navigate treachery within Camelot and the relentless threat beyond its walls. When Arthur’s fighting men are called to their greatest trial, their choices will decide not only their hearts, but the fate of a kingdom.    Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo 

CHRISTMAS PAST (THE WITCHES OF MINGUS MOUNTAIN BOOK SIX) by Christine Pope

Time travel is tricky…especially when there’s a wedding in your future. Devynn Rowe and Seth McAllister have found their happily ever after in the 21st century, but as their Christmas wedding approaches, Seth can’t shake his melancholy. When he vanished from 1926, his parents were left believing their son had died in a mining accident. The guilt is eating him alive. Devynn has a crazy idea: what if they could go back to 1926 and give Seth’s family the Christmas gift of knowing he’s alive and well? Her time-traveling magic has been unpredictable at best, but she’s been secretly practicing. How hard could one little trip to the past be? Famous last words. When Devynn’s magic goes haywire, they find themselves ping-ponging through the decades, landing everywhere except where — and when — they’re supposed to be. Stranded in the wrong timeline with a wedding to get back to, they’ll need help from an old friend and a new understanding of what “home” really means. After all, the greatest magic isn’t about controlling time — it’s about choosing who you want to spend it with.       Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE (HAUNTED SOULS BOOK 26) by Pandora Pine

Do you believe in Christmas miracles? With only days to go until Jolly Old St. Nick’s arrival, Detective Jude Byrne trips over his Christmas spirit and takes a bad tumble down the stairs. After being rushed to the hospital, he’s admitted into the intensive care unit and put into a medically induced coma to give his injured body time to heal. Psychic Copeland Forbes is beside himself. Not only hadn’t he seen Jude’s accident coming, but he froze when his husband needed him most. Before Jude is taken out of their home on a stretcher, Cope begs his badly injured husband to get well, musing aloud that he wouldn’t know how to carry on without Jude by his side. Ten, Ronan, and the rest of their friends rally around Jude and Cope, all the while hoping for a Christmas miracle. Meanwhile, Jude is experiencing a fever dream, giving him an up close and personal look at his life and the difference he’s made to those who love him most. Will Cope get his Christmas wish and have his husband returned to his side, or will Jude be lost forever as a ghost of Christmas past?       AmazonKU

RUINS OF KNOWLEDGE (THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE) by Laura Greenwood

Tali is determined to gain the attention of the gods. As a Priestess of Thoth, Tali is determined to prove her worth and gain the highest honour she can get from the temple as a result, but that involves working harder than she ever has before. When an opportunity arises for her to head to some ancient ruins, she seizes her chance of making a difference and gaining the approval of the god of wisdom. Little does she know that history isn’t going to be the only thing she finds there, and she soon finds herself drawn to a handsome builder priest with an appreciation for the history she’s teaching him. Does Tali have what it takes to unravel the secrets of the ruins around her? Ruins of Knowledge is a standalone set in the Egyptian Empire series. It is an urban fantasy set in an alternative world where the Egyptian Empire never fell. It includes an archaeological dig, a history nerd, and a m/f romance.      Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

HEX EDUCATION (SUPERNATURAL SPEAKEASY COZY MYSTERY BOOK 19) by Lily Harper Hart

Mardi Gras is in full swing, which means the French Quarter is bustling with activity and overflowing with people. Ofelia Archer has her hands full and doesn’t need anything extra on her plate. Then the unthinkable happens. When two people seek her out, tell her trouble is coming for her, and then kill themselves, she’s thrown. What could have caused this? Magic is obviously involved, but who is wielding it? More importantly, why are they attacking now? All clues lead to an effervescent preacher in Jackson Square. She has people following her every word … and she seems to have an agenda. She also has a past in the city that goes back hundreds of years. Who is she? What does she want? And why is Pascal, Ofelia’s favorite vampire, on top of the woman’s hit list? Pascal has information, but he wants to handle the problem on his own. Ofelia isn’t keen to let that happen. He might be strong but this is the sort of magic that can destroy anyting and everyone. The clock is ticking. People are dying. Can Ofelia save Mardi Gras, or will the city fall into the sort of darkness that it can never emerge from? Strap in, because this ride is about to get deadly.      AmazonKU

KISSING MY GRUMPY TROLL BOSS (GRUMPY MONSTER BOSSES) by Ami Wright

All I want for Christmas is a kiss with my grumpy troll boss! I’ve been daydreaming about Mr. Kvalt ever since I started working for him. But as a gorgon, with badly-behaved snakes for hair and a gaze that can turn anyone to stone, romance isn’t on the cards for me. Until we step under the mistletoe at a work party and it feels like all my Christmases have come at once! I wish I’d let my hair down sooner, because my grumpy troll boss turns out to be a huge teddy bear beneath his stoney skin. And the best part is he’s immune to my curse. Now we just have to find a way to overcome his.   AmazonKU

BREAKNECK (DRAGONS OF ARDAINE BOOK FOUR) by Roe Horvat

When two alpha dragons fall, everything burns—especially the rules keeping them apart. Terrance – I have a spotless record—years in private security and zero screwups—until I’m hired to protect
As a wildly popular actor and stuntman, Lothair is used to hiding his dragon-shifter skills in plain sight. But he’s also arrogant, treats danger as foreplay, and can’t keep it in his pants for more than five minutes. To him, I’m just a shiny new toy. And no, I’m not attracted to my obnoxious client from hell. That would be inappropriate and unprofessional. Besides, we’re both alphas, so… no. Absolutely not. Except Lothair has decided to test my limits in every possible way. Lothair – I don’t want a babysitter. Wherever I go, am the most dangerous thing in the room. But as my career takes off, my unsuspecting human manager hires a bodyguard to shield me from random weirdos and overeager fans. Lucky for me, Terry is another dragon, adorably straitlaced and just stuck-up enough for me to push his buttons. Turns out, making him unravel might be the best stunt I’ve ever pulled.   AmazonKU

THE WIDOW KISS (CURSE BREAKER WITCHES BOOK THREE) by Claire Robyns

Three dead husbands. Three mysterious deaths. One very wealthy widow. Beatrice Finch has terrible luck with husbands: they keep ending up dead. The latest is Alistair Finch, found dead in his study. No struggle, no poison, just instant rigor mortis and a face frozen in shock. Beatrice has now buried three husbands, inheriting fortunes each time. With Maddie Crow on the case and botanical witch Lily Teake uncovering magical twists at every turn, they must determine whether it’s atrociously bad karma or good planning. But the deeper they dig, the more complicated the family dynamics become. There’s the resentful stepchild, the desperate nephew, and enough old grudges to fuel a dozen revenge plots. The investigation leads through elegant estates, family secrets, and a glittering masquerade ball where everyone wears masks—literally and figuratively. As the magical evidence mounts even higher than Detective Ross Hamilton’s scepticism, Maddie must untangle the threads of what might be the deadliest curse and the perfect crime. Because when “till death do us part” happens suspiciously often, it’s time to call a curse breaker. Welcome back to Stratford-upon-Avon, where marriage can be murder and nothing is quite what it seems.     AmazonKU

DECKED BY THE GRUMPY GOLEM (MONSTERS OF SALTFORM BAY) by Mary Auclair

Deck the halls? More like decked by my grumpy golem ex! I’m snowed in for Christmas with the man who broke my heart years ago. What could possibly go right? I’m a bestselling author dealing with a terminal case of writer’s block. With my editor threatening to drop me and my deadline blown to smithereens, I’m hiding out in Saltford Bay for the holidays, pretending my life isn’t falling apart. The last thing I need is to fall for Gideon Flintman and his six-foot-eight frame of carved granite and brooding silence all over again. You’d think I’d learned my lesson when he disappeared from my life without explanation the morning after prom. You’d be wrong. When a blizzard traps us together, the heat between us burns hotter than his golem fire. Every kiss threatens to melt my resolve, and every touch reminds me why I fell so hard the first time. Now I have to choose: return to my safe, lonely life, or risk everything on the man who taught me that some heartbreaks never heal. This Christmas, can a grumpy golem and a sunshine mess rewrite the ending?      AmazonKU

MECH AND MAGIC (THE KNACK BOOK TWO) by KimMcDougall

Magic runs the machines. Secrets run the city. And Squad 54 stands between order and chaos. Conall thought he’d buried the past with his brother. But when a cryptic summons surfaces—tied to a long-vanished village and a wolf who should be dead—he’s forced to retrace the path of the disbanded Squad 54. What he finds in the shadows could unravel not only their fate, but the fragile balance between elf and human kind. Back in New Torwood City, Princess Rowan Andula is done playing the figurehead. With a seat on the ruling council, she’s ready to fight for her family’s legacy—until the city’s giant mech guardian begins to fail. Talos isn’t just a machine. He’s the heart of the city. His collapse could bring down everything her ancestors fought to preserve. As enemies close in and new treacheries are revealed, Conall and Rowan must face the same question: How far will you go to protect what you love?       AmazonKU

THE WILDS AND THE WEEDS by Ally North

VS note: Lesbian Gothic.

On a hot summer’s day in 1975, young heiresses Willow and Ivy Wilde vanish while playing by a pond on the Stonehold estate, never to be seen again. Now, fifty years later, Stonehold is again abuzz, this time in preparation for the homecoming of Summer Wilde and Brody Weston, whose upcoming wedding is all anyone in Echo, Washington can talk about. Nobody knows that Summer doesn’t want to marry Brody. That she doesn’t want to inherit Stonehold and be tethered to the unshakable darkness that clings to the halls and grounds like cobwebs. Nobody knows because Summer doesn’t have a choice—she has to marry Brody, and she’s long made peace with her fate. That is, until she sees Ford Flores—third-generation groundskeeper at Stonehold—for the first time in fifteen years. Ford is everything Brody isn’t; she’s self-sufficient, quick-witted, effortlessly kind, covered in tattoos, and a woman. And the last time Summer saw her, she’d kissed her—impulsive and electrifying—then she’d ran away like a coward. Summer Wilde is done being a coward. But it’s hard to take charge of your future in a place like Echo, where the past looms thick as the mountain mist tumbling down the white-tipped Cascades. From ghostly apparitions to secret rooms with mysterious paintings and an old sketchbook with a mind-blowing revelation scribbled inside, Summer begins to realize that if she wants to move forward, she’ll have to put Stonehold’s past to rest—starting with the unsolved disappearance of Willow and Ivy.      AmazonKU

CHANGE THE PLAN: A VAN AND ELLIE STORY (LOST MOON UNRAVELLING MONSTERS UNIVERSE) by Allegra Hall

Celebrating their second wedding anniversary with a night out under the full moon sounds like a perfect plan for fae witch Ellie and Van, her hybrid werewolf/wolf shifter husband. They already do something similar every month… a little running here, a little outdoor fun there… so what could possibly go wrong? But fae magic is unpredictable, particularly for someone still learning how to use her powers. When the night doesn’t go according to plan, Van and Ellie are confronted with the reality that they need to have some serious conversations about the future. For alpha Van, with the needs of his pack to balance and an intergenerational curse hanging over his head, making these decisions isn’t easy. After all, is there ever a right time to have a baby?      AmazonKU

CHANGELINGS (MONSTROUS WORLD) by S E Wendel

Nothing has gone as it should…Balar led his band of five brothers from the warring savannahs in the south to the human land of Eirea on the promise of two things: safety and mates. In the growing village outside the human city of Dundúran, they’ve found the first. Yet, year after year, Balar watches as others find their destined mate, but never he nor any of his brothers. What could an orc or fae have that he, Balar, a manticore in his prime, does not? Everything is starting to go wrong…Imogen is a woman alone, and she likes it that way. Burdened with a large red birthmark upon her face, she’s kept herself apart from others. With just her dog, donkey, and goats, she’s built a good life for herself out in the wilds beyond the village. Everything is just as it should be—until one morning, she finds a big manticore sleeping on her land. Life can change on a whim of fate…Imogen doesn’t like people. Or visitors. And especially not suitors. Too bad for her, this overgrown housecat has decided she’s his mate, no matter what she says. Balar hasn’t come this far, talked to this many women, and waited this long to be denied. He’ll have his mate, prickles and all. Now, just to convince her. And keep his nosy brothers in line long enough to woo her.      Amazon

HOW NOT TO WOO YOUR HUMAN WARRIOR by Laura Winter

Kalypso has a long list of things to be angry about, starting and ending with a spiky purple demon who reluctantly rescued her and five other women from the Dreadmoor. Trapped in the demon realm, Ozirax is the final barrier standing between her and her sister, so she’ll play nice for now. The only issue is… she’s never been nice, and when she drives away the one person she’s dedicated her life to, Kalypso is left without a purpose. Until she finds a demon warrior whose simmering anger calls to her own. On the cusp of promotion in the demon guard, it must be a cruel joke from the gods that Ozirax ends up saddled with the rage-filled human woman. Kalypso is stubborn, vicious, and unafraid—the kind of distraction he doesn’t need—but she holds the key to his rise in rank. Work together, keep her in line, and the captain’s position is his. But there’s a cunning mind behind the spicy human fighting him at every turn with fists and blunt teeth, and with danger lurking in the Dreadmoor, she might be the very warrior their realm needs. They’ve found their match, a mirror to the anger burning within. Kalypso has shown her colors, sharpened her defenses, but Ozirax is filling in the cracks of her broken pieces, and she’s not sure how to separate them again. Love has always been her weakness, but loving a demon? It might very well be her downfall. The world has taught them to flare their spikes, but when passion blurs the lines of fury, can they walk away with their hearts intact?     AmazonKU

TWO FOR THE GUARD: OLD MISSION COVEN VOL FOUR by B A Stretke

VS note: MM PNR. Mixed reviews.

Casey and Kyle Cork knew their stepfather, Brad, didn’t care about them, but they never imagined he—or their own mother—wanted them dead. Coerced into a “bonding” hunting trip in northern Michigan, the twins expect nothing more than boredom and bugs. But the trip is a cold-blooded setup. Drugged and abandoned in the freezing wilderness, the twins are left to succumb to the elements so their family can claim a hidden fortune. Bram Ferdinand, a two-hundred-year-old guard for the Old Mission Coven, expected a routine weekend patrol along the winery’s edge. Instead, Fate intervenes. Drawn by the irresistible scent of sweetgrass, pine, and honey, Bram discovers the twins on the verge of death. Shock turns to possessive fury when he realizes the two unconscious men are not just trespassers—they are his beloveds, his fated mates. Now, under the protection of the Coven, Casey and Kyle are recovering in the arms of a man who treats them like treasure. The connection is instant, electric, and undeniable. But their attackers are still out there, waiting for them to die. They made one fatal mistake: they crossed a vampire guard and Bram Ferdinand doesn’t leave loose ends.   Amazon

MONSTROUS HOLIDAYS: AN ORC FATED MATES ROMANCE (FATED HOLIDAYS BOOK FOUR) by Rianne Burnett

How could shopping for a vintage dress lead to finding love with a monster? Only two weeks away from Christmas, Fenix is enjoying one of her favourite things: shopping. At least, this time she’s shopping for herself instead of one of her clients. Walking through the vintage store, she finds the perfect dress. It’s like the delicate emerald ensemble was made just for her. But when she tries it on and steps out of the changing room, she steps right into a battlefield teeming with dark green monsters who tower over her. Immediately, the orcs think she’s a spy from the enemy. After all, they’ve been fighting the humans in their realm for generations. Although meeting their captain is supposed to be terrifying, fear is the last thing Fenix feels when she lays eyes on Miannas. His darkened gaze tells her that he feels the same. But rationality says they must unravel the mystery of her arrival and their attraction before exploring anything. If only fate made things so simple.   AmazonKU

HOW TO TAKE DOWN A CULT AT THE END OF THE WORLD (COZY CULT CUTIES BOOK TWO) by Rebel Carter

My name is Meadow Atlier and I was never meant to be the hero. I’m the girl that grew up brainwashed by a cult to be nothing more than a sacrifice. The girl that always tried to be perfect and was scared to step out of line for fear of being seen as different, but now? Now I’m the girl that has to save the world. Yes, bestie, the world. No one is more surprised than me by this turn of events, but here we are. I’m the world’s last hope. Well, me and the battle demon I accidentally let out of hell and married on my very first solo mission to do heroic things. Jaak is terrifying and brutal to the world—but to me he’s patient and kind. Gentle. Just the kind of husband I always wished for. Jaak is eager to prove his devotion in the form of smiting my enemies, but still trusting the battle demon proves terrifying after a life of being lied to. When all secrets are discovered, will saving the world cost me my heart?      AmazonKU

WHAM, BAM, IN A JAM (A TWO BROOMSTICKS GAS AND GRILL WITCH COZY MYSTERY BOOK 12) by Amanda M Lee

What was supposed to be a day of morel hunting turns into work for Stormy Morgan and her fiancé, Hunter Ryan, when they accidentally stumble across a body. The victim was a few years behind them in school and almost never left her home. A severe case of anxiety locked Kayley Shelton away for years, forcing her to give up her dream and leave college before graduation. She locked herself away in an isolated cabin and had almost no outside contact. Yet somebody hunted her in the woods and killed her. Who, though? Stormy and Hunter are on the case. The more they dig, the weirder the story gets. Kayley had recently joined the local wine drinking group in an effort to chase away her demons, but they don’t feel like suspects. The town loner lived not too far away but he’s hardly the friendly sort so how did they even meet? Even the old couple in those parts barely knew her. Just who was Kayley Shelton? Stormy is determined to find answers, but nothing is as it seems. The deeper she digs, the darker the story. It seems Kayley was more than she seemed. Who would want to kill her, though? More importantly, why? There’s a predator on the loose in Shadow Hills, and Kayley might not be the only victim on the menu. It’s up to Stormy to find answers … if she survives long enough to do it.    AmazonKU

MARCELLO: VITTONE’S VAMPIRES BOOK ONE by Taylor Rylan

VS Note: MM PNR.

Marcello Grassi knew he wasn’t welcome in Treasure Ridge when he was helping the council with a certain assignment, so when he scented his beloved there, he knew not to get excited about what that meant. When he discovered it was the beautiful angel who worked in the council store, he realized he would forever be without his fated beloved when he left the mountain. Abel Barnes had never known happiness until he was rescued by the paranormal council. Forever grateful for all they’ve done for him, he’s happy working at the council store, waiting until his day comes when his own protective alpha shows up to claim him. What he never expected was to be kidnapped from Timber Valley by a mysterious warlock. Marcello’s coven master meant well, but kidnapping someone from right under the council’s nose might not have been the smartest move. Abel has no issues with his mate being a vampire, but can he ever accept what it is that his new “family” represents?     AmazonKU

FROST: A MONSTROUS CHRISTMAS NOVELLA by LO Gold

Jack – I’m a monster, a beast, a creature of shadow and legend, something children are warned about while they snuggle up by the cozy fire. I am cold, frigid, lifeless death. I’m Jack Frost. Cursed to an eternity of wandering the woods, reaping the souls of worthless humans once every year, my existence is bathed in blood and isolation. Until her — my litill snær. Her presence in my woods brings light to the dead of Winter for the first time in a long time. But could she truly learn to love a beast? Elisa – I hate Christmas. All these cheery, happy, nuclear families huddled around the fire make me nauseous. It’s a time to celebrate with the ones you love. But everyone I loved died, leaving me alone. Which is why I decided to travel this year for the holidays. I thought that getting away for a while might help bring some holiday cheer back into my life. I’ve never been more wrong. Now I’m stranded half way around the world with a man I’ve never met, isolated in a snowed-in cabin. And there’s something out there, something lurking in the shadows of the woods, something watching me. Frost is a dark Christmas story featuring a monster that falls for a mortal. While the story does end with a sweet HEA, the path there is bathed in blood. Proceed with caution.      AmazonKU

THIS HOUR, OUR VIGIL (DEATH’S LADY BOOK FIVE) by Rachel Neumeier

The veil between the worlds is growing thin. At midwinter, as the old year dies and before the new year dawns, Nolas-Kuomon, Lord Death’s lady, may open that veil for anyone who asks to step from one world to the other. After all the dire peril of the past summer, no one could be surprised if Danyel or his daughter Jenna preferred to return to their own world. Taranah Berangilan-sa, the king’s aunt, would strongly prefer that both Danyel and his daughter remain in Talasayan. Indeed, everyone sensible will surely set that prayer before God as midwinter approaches. Taranah has more reason than most to hold that hope, but nor does she wish to persuade Danyel to a choice he may regret. As the long nights stretch out, everyone must face the decisions and risks midwinter brings …   AmazonKU     AB

AN EMBER IN THE DARK (ECHOES OF EMBER BOOK ONE) by Kayla Maya

In a world where gods walk among mortals and shadows whisper of forgotten truths, Crescent never wanted to be anyone’s chosen. But when she makes a desperate attempt to save her sisters life, her fate is no longer her own. When she’s forced to work with Roark, the brooding warrior with shadows stitched into his past, ancient forces begin to stir, making Crescent discover her connection to the divine isn’t just a curse-it might be the key to unmaking everything the gods have built. Crescent’s blood hums with the kind of power that gods would kill for-or kill her to keep from discovering. But gods are dying. The old ones want vengeance, and the new ones need Vessels to survive. When an ancient war reignites, she and Roark must unravel the truth behind the necklace, outwit creatures that shouldn’t exist, and face the gods who never forgot her name. Even if Crescent doesn’t remember it herself. As Crescent grapples with the growing power inside her-and the feelings she can’t name for Roark-she must choose: surrender to the darkness rising within or become the spark that defies it.  Because in the end, even embers can burn down empires.      AmazonKU

DONOVAN (VAMPIRE VOWS BOOK THREE) by Fel Fern

VS Notes: MM PNR.

Donovan was supposed to end him. Instead, he saved him. But at what cost? Donovan has loved Declan since they were kids, but Declan was always just out of reach, too fearless and too untouchable. Then Declan became something else entirely. Turned into a vampire against his will, he’s on the verge of losing himself to the hunger, and there’s only one person he trusts to stop him before it’s too late. Donovan.But when the moment comes, Donovan can’t pull the trigger. Instead, he does the one thing he swore he’d never do. He saves Declan. Now, with the Guild that trained them to be hunters on their trail and a pack of rabid vampires closing in, they’re backed into a corner with nowhere left to run. Declan isn’t the same man he was before, and neither is Donovan. The bond between them is stronger than ever, but so is the darkness clawing at Declan’s soul. Donovan refuses to let him slip away, but loving a man who was never meant to survive comes at a price. Is Declan truly saved, or has Donovan just doomed them both?     AmazonKU

HEART OF MIRROR AND ICE: WICKEDLY DANGEROUS FAIRY TALES by Carrie Weston

Trigger warnings – blood/ guts/ torture/ controlling love/ dark concept – What would have happened if the Snow Queen had never been defeated? Find out in this Wicked fairy tale re-telling – Love is power. Love is devotion. Love is obedience. Innocents destroyed in the blink of an eye a snowflake falls only this snowflake is not pure at all, it is a tiny grain of the Devils hateful mirror cast down by the bloody battle between two thieving brother imps. Cursed by the mirrors spell Miles once calm and kind is now nothing but a bitter shadow of himself whose swept away by the snow queen who anchors after the mirrors power for herself. Minions far and wide Hear my tale and hear it well For if you dare to enter my season this year You could be the next soul I take to hell Open the pages if you dare And I’ll tell you the tale Of how two star-crossed lovers made their way through my palace and straight to hell As a Queen I deserve to be worshiped If not, feared      AmazonKU

CRUEL DECEIT AND PAYBACK TREAT (OTHERWORLDLY MAGIC BOOK THREE) by Antara Mann

It’s the final battle: us versus the sorcerer. Good versus evil. And there can be only one winner. We have escaped the sorcerer’s traps and attempts to kill us, me in particular. But I have had enough. I’d rather go on that long-overdue date with Sebastian than fight that lunatic. When Lorrie has a vision that a famous local magician is tied to the sorcerer, Elaine and I must visit his show. Turns out, that magician once served as a mentor to the sorcerer. He knows his secrets and his weakness. Unfortunately, the sorcerer steps in against us again, leaving behind only the magician’s magical heart. The problem is, we don’t know how to activate it. As we begin our final race against the sorcerer, a dark secret emerges and threatens to split our team of protectors. Someone is playing a double game and actively trying to sabotage us. And we don’t take kindly to traitors.   AmazonKU

MY HIGHLAND ABDUCTION (MIDDLEMARCH GATHERING BOOK SEVEN) by Shelly Munro

She stole a mate. Now she’ll fight for him. Desperate and humiliated after a disastrous gathering leaves her unmated, Sienna Teague makes the worst decision of her life. She abducts a man. Liam Brown wakes up in Cornwall with fragmented memories and a beautiful woman claiming to be his mate. Despite his confusion, he’s drawn to this new life and the undeniable attraction between him and Sienna. But before he can untangle the truth behind his head injury, Bodmin Beast hunters threaten their shifter community. When danger stalks their town, Sienna and Liam must fight as one. But the lie at the heart of their bond is a bigger threat than any beast, and when the truth comes out, it could tear them apart.     Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

PERFECTLY ORGANIZED CHAOS: MM FANTASY ROMANCE (WINGS AND WHISPERS) by Callie Colby

I have a label maker, a color-coded system, and a zero-tolerance policy for clutter. Lord Vane has a zero-tolerance policy for letting go. I was hired to declutter his gothic estate, not manage a six-foot-five High Fae with massive, iridescent wings and a magpie complex. Vane collects everything: cursed mirrors, shiny candy wrappers, ancient gold, and buttons. When I hold up a rusted, possibly haunted birdcage and ask, “Does this spark joy?” Vane doesn’t just say yes—he hisses, flares those dazzling feathers to block the door, and dares me to touch his treasures again. But somewhere between the “Keep” and “Trash” piles, the dynamic shifts. Vane stops guarding the junk and starts stalking me. The air in the room gets heavy. He stops looking at the shiny trinkets and starts staring at my mouth. His nesting instincts have woken up, and he’s decided that the most valuable thing in the room isn’t the gold—it’s the exasperated guy in the sweater vest. Now, he’s done hoarding objects. He wants to hoard me. Specifically, wrapped tight inside his wings and pinned to his mattress. Cleaning up has never been this dirty.      AmazonKU      AB

SNOWED IN WITH THE WINTER GUARDIAN by  Luna Wren

She can’t survive without his shelter. He can’t survive without her warmth. FREYA – I’m a wildlife photographer who got caught in the wrong storm at the wrong time. Now I’m trapped in a cabin with Vidar—seven feet of otherworldly winter deity with antlers made of ice and a skull mask he thinks hides his true face. He saved my life, but the storm won’t let me leave. And the longer I stay, the less I want to go. Especially when I discover I’m the only human in five hundred years who can touch him without freezing to death. VIDAR – She was supposed to die in my storm like all the others. Instead, I saved her. Fed her. Warmed her. Watched her look at my monstrous form without fear. Now Freya’s humanity is thawing something in me I thought forever frozen, but our connection comes with a price. The more time she spends in my arms, the more winter claims her for its own. She sees only the man beneath the monster. She doesn’t realize that with every touch, winter is claiming her as much as I am.      AmazonKU

SNOWED IN WITH THE SNOW CAT by May Furhst

VS Note: MM PNR.

While ‘ghosts’ might be in the Christmas spirit, ‘getting ghosted’ wasn’t on Felix’s ‘winter wonderland’ checklist…Broken up with mere moments after checking in for his romantic holiday weekend, Felix is one unhappy tuxedo. Left alone and stuck with the bill, the sad shifter is ready to curl up under the covers and yowl his sorrows into some very expensive room service. But the bed & breakfast’s handsome, plaid-wearing, long-tailed owner has other ideas, and isn’t content to just let the heartbroken were-cat lay by his lonesome. One glance at Felix’s tear-stained cheeks, and Aspen is a goner. Feeling warmer and fuzzier than ever, the snow leopard finds himself wondering if he might be the one to put the purr back in the other man’s purrrride. When a raging winter storm knocks out the power on their cozy meet-cute, the lights may be off, but the heat begins rising as the two flirtatious felines find themselves sharing a mattress in front of the only working fireplace……Purely for warmth, of course.      AmazonKU

ECHOES OF TOMORROW by J A Burton

In the small Colorado mountain town of Pine Ridge, Julia Brooks is in Stella’s Diner when two men walk inside and stop time. Julia is the only person that notices the time glitch, and seconds later, life reanimates. Everyone goes about their business as usual, but not Julia. She soon learns an awful truth: Evan Mitchell will die before day’s end. His last breath will tear them apart and reset time. When Evan wakes, it’s as if nothing happened. He doesn’t remember that he died or that he’s doomed to repeat the same year again and again. Evan feels like he’s missed something and is overcome by headaches and bursts of blinding light. Flashes of a realistic death experience and audible voices only he can hear lead to a mysterious woman that keeps surfacing in his dreams. Meanwhile, the time reset skips Julia a year into the future, where for her, time passes backwards leading her right back to Evan. Unlucky in all matters of the heart, Julia is certain she’s cursed to love Evan as payment for the sins of her past. But Julia wants a future, one with Evan beside her, his memories of her intact. She woos him again and again hoping for a spark of recognition. The reset is not the second chance Julia once begged for, but it’s the only chance she’s got to break through time and twist the hand of fate.      Amazon     Apple Books

THE DRAGON’S BARISTA BABY (FIRE RIDGE DRAGONS MPREG ROMANCE BOOK THREE) by Ashlyn Dupree

I  wasn’t supposed to stay in Fire Ridge. A few shifts at the café. A quiet place to catch my breath. No mates. No promises. No one owning me again. Then Kieran walked in. Tall, polished, dangerous in the softest way—the eldest Blackscale brother with a warm voice and eyes that make my fox go still. He watches me like I already belong to him. Like he’s waiting for something. Like he knows I’m his. But I’ve been owned before. Sold to cover someone else’s debt. I won’t let anyone cage me ever again. Except now my past is here—the alpha who once controlled my life wants me back, and the man sent to collect me says I have seventy-two hours to comply. They don’t care that Fire Ridge is the first place that feels like home. They don’t care that Kieran’s steady patience is the only thing that makes me feel safe. But Kieran? He’s a dragon. And dragons don’t let anyone take their mate. Especially not when their omega carries a dragon’s baby.       AmazonKU

TIGER SUMMER (SHIFTER CUB CAMP BOOK THREE) by Zoe Chant

She doesn’t know they’re mates. He’s desperate to keep it that way. Laughter, s’mores, and the occasional surprise weasel (don’t ask) – that’s summer at shifter cub camp, and head counselor Leonie MacCormick wouldn’t have it any other way. She loves her job. She loves her campers. She even loves the pranks and mayhem. She does not love the sudden arrival of a hulking secret agent who looks like he’s never smiled in his life. But the quiet, serious, and (okay, she’ll admit it, but only to herself) ridiculously attractive man in gloves and sunglasses won’t be here long. A few quick questions, and everything can get back to normal. After all, the camp can’t really be haunted… right? Shifter Agent Shan Zhao thought this would be a quick, simple mission. He did not expect to find a real threat to the camp… or a lioness-hearted woman whose very presence soothes the monster inside him. Kind, sunny Leonie is everything he doesn’t deserve—and that’s exactly why he can’t let her discover they’re fated mates. Too bad the campers already know. And they’re determined to help. Because at Camp Thunderbird, secrets don’t stay hidden.      AmazonKU

MAGIC IN HIS ARMS (OBSCURE MAGIC BOOK 17) by Viola Grace

Two sisters from different misters grew up in Redbird City, and now they have returned home to settle down and start over. Let’s hope things go smoothly. Iscorabella was part of the entertainment at a wedding, and she found herself in the arms of an orc by the end of the night. Their encounter went well, and she left him in the early morning to go and get some breakfast. She didn’t know he had a stalker. She didn’t know she was armed, and she found out her car wasn’t bulletproof. She called for help and waited for the help that was going to arrive from different directions. Never felt her sister’s injuries and got on her motorcycle to get to her family as fast as possible. She got the information she needed and went on the hunt. That was what she did, and she was good at it. She found the woman’s father, made sure he knew she was serious, and then used the local laws to work out some of her family vengeance rage. After that, she met the speaker, and he looked at her like her leather was the only thing stopping him from fascinating things. Time would tell.       Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

THE WOLFING HOUR: THE SMOKETHORN PARANORMALS SERIES BOOK FOUR by C P Rider

Just when Betty Lennox thought she had a handle on her life—reconnected with her earth magic, brought the saguaros back from the dead, sexy alpha wolf sharing her bed—everything goes sideways.
Turns out she’s not just an earth witch. Thanks to dear old Grandpa Sexton, she’s got a demon side that’s tired of being locked away. A powerful and ruthless demon side with zero qualms about damage control when someone threatens her people. When Demon Betty takes the wheel, Witch Betty ends up doing morally questionable things like killing people who really, really need to die. Meanwhile, Ronan’s birth father—Alpha Floyd Pallás, certified creep and all-around evil person—has kidnapped his sister to force him into submission. The pack is in chaos, shifters across the county are dying, and Betty’s running out of time to find her before the convocation where Ronan must challenge Floyd for the pack. But here’s the thing about power-hungry wolves: they cheat. And here’s the thing about Betty: She won’t let the people she loves get hurt—even if it means embracing the monster within.   AmazonKU

WHERE STORM MEETS FROST (FATED MATES STUBBORN HEARTS: A WILD TERRITORIES SHIFTER ROMANCE SERIES BOOK THREE) by Sunny Briar

The last vision I had of my fated mate was him dying in my arms. Now the brooding Mountain Cat tracker is at my door, demanding I join his mission to find missing shifters. Magnus Ironwood is six feet four inches of ice-magic and lethal grace, with amber eyes that see right through my healer’s facade. He thinks I’m just a fragile Storm Eagle medic. He has no idea I can see death before it strikes. Every time he steps between me and danger, my visions intensify. His massive snow leopard form taking a killing blow meant for me. His heart stopping as I pour every ounce of healing magic into his failing body. The same ending, over and over with him choosing my life over his. The worst part? My traitorous body burns every time he touches me. When our magic accidentally connects during a healing, the mate bond practically screams between us. He looks at me like I’m already his, speaks about “when” we complete the bond, not “if.” His clan even makes me prove I’m worthy of him through trials that nearly kill me. But I passed, because despite the death sentence hanging over us, I want him with a desperation that terrifies me. Now we’re tracking a mad scientist turning shifters into monsters, and my visions are getting worse. Magnus swears he’ll claim me properly as his mate once this is over, promises we’ll have forever. If only I could stop seeing him die first.     AmazonKU

BETTER IN BLACK: TEN STORIES OF SHADOWHUNTER ROMANCE by Cassandra Clare

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger. Jace and Clary, seeking out an exiled Shadowhunter and learning that love can save the world—or destroy it. Will and Tessa, honeymooning in Paris when a séance sends them down an unexpected path. Simon and Izzy, observing increased demonic activity around New York, on a hilarious urban romp. These are just a few of the beloved couples whose romantic escapades will have you on the edge of your seat across time and storylines from Cassandra Clare’s expansive Shadowhunters series. Don’t miss a chance to reunite with: • Anna and Ari • Emma and Julian • Kieran, Mark, and Cristina • James and Cordelia • Thomas and Alastair • Sebastian and the Seelie Queen • Jocelyn and Luke A love letter to every fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, this riveting story collection also includes a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

DAWN OF THE FIREBIRD: A NOVEL by Sarah Mughal Rana

Khamilla Zahr-zad’s life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she’s known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor’s clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield—especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za’skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy’s army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne. To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father’s teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible choices: vengeance or salvation.

Amazon     AB      Apple Books     Kobo

FALLEN GODS by Rachel Van Dyken

They said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied. 
The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all. He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies. But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin. There’s only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world. But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.   Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CHEATING DEATH (A SCYTHE MYSTERY BOOK TWO) by Maxie Dara

Nora Bird works for S.C.Y.T.H.E., which might seem odd for someone as terrified of death as she is. But ever since her parents died in an accident when she was six, she’s been obsessed with avoiding risk, and what better place to learn how to cheat death than the company that employs the nation’s grim reapers? The work enables Nora to learn all about the myriad ways you can kick the bucket, which is comforting…until one day, a file crosses her desk with a name she recognizes. Her twin brother’s. The twins haven’t spoken in six months, but Charlie is all Nora has left. Completely against her cautious nature, Nora steals the file and flees, racing to her brother’s house. She begs him to trust her that his death is imminent, and they hit the road (with his parrot, Jessica, who has plenty to say) in an attempt to evade both death and S.C.Y.T.H.E., whose sole mission of collecting souls has been disrupted by Charlie’s continued existence. Alas, every time Nora saves him, a new cause of death appears in his file. Someone is determined to take Charlie out, and Nora will have to use everything she’s ever learned about death to discover the culprit.

Amazon     AB      Apple Books      Kobo

THE LIBRARY OF FATES by Margot Harrison

When its librarian keeper mysteriously dies, two former classmates must race to locate a rare book from their college years that can foretell your future if you confess a secret from your past—but someone is intent on protecting what’s hidden inside. It can write the story of your future… and hide the secrets of your past The Library of Fates was designed to show you who you are—and who you could become. Its rarest book, The Book of Dark Nights, holds a secret: when you write an intimate confession on its pages, you’ll receive a prediction for your future, penned in your own handwriting. For Eleanor, whose childhood was defined by a senseless tragedy, the library offers a world where everything makes sense. She’s spent most of her life there as an apprentice to the brilliant librarian, showing other people how to find the meaning of their lives in stories. But when her mentor dies in a freak accident and The Book of Dark Nights goes missing—along with the secrets written inside—Eleanor is pulled out of the library and into a quest to locate it with the last person she expects: the librarian’s estranged son, Daniel, who Eleanor once loved. Together, as they hunt down clues from Harvard to Paris, Eleanor and Daniel grow closer again, regaining each other’s trust. But little do they know that they’re entangled in a much larger web. Someone else wants the book, and they’ll go to dark lengths to get it.

Amazon     AB     Apple Books     Kobo

THE MATING GAME by Lana Ferguson

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick—she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and a contract for her own television show on the line, she can’t afford not to complete the renovation job she came for. And given that her newly emerged wolf is in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters. Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. But with his lodge on the verge of failing and this sweet-smelling omega his only hope to turn things around . . . he’s left with few other options than to grin and bear it. Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts. Though even with the pair going head over paws for each other, there’s no changing that their fling has an expiration date. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re playing a dangerous game—one where the only thing on the line is their hearts. VS NOTE: There is an audiobook but it isn’t showing up on Amazon yet.       Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo

GRIM: THE MATE GAMES (APOCALYPSE BOOK FOUR) by Meg Anne and K Loraine

I did the unthinkable and rejected the only woman who ever really wanted me. What else was I supposed to do when she was asking for a future that could never exist? Horsemen didn’t have souls. And if a future did exist for our kind, it was bathed in blood and unholy fire. Hardly the stuff dreams were made of. Merri deserved more than nightmares. I thought I was saving her from such a fate, instead I’d unwittingly sent her flying into the arms of the one being I was supposed to protect her from. My wildflower was in Lucifer’s clutches, and we had no idea how to get her back. My brothers blamed me for her absence, and rightfully so. I’d broken her heart as well as theirs in the process. The only way we’d stand a chance at bringing her home where she belonged was for the four of us to stand together and ride to her rescue. Lilith chose us to be her protectors. Chaos protected her body. Sin protected her heart. Malice protected her mind. And I did all I could to protect her soul from anything that might harm it, including myself. But we couldn’t carry out our mission without her. With the apocalypse looming ever closer, it was time for the four horsemen to do the impossible and use our considerable power for good. Otherwise all of this pain and heartbreak was for nothing and no one would ever get a chance at a happily ever after again.      AmazonKU      AB

BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD: 20TH ANNIVERSARY INSIDER’S GUIDE by J R Ward

Welcome back to the world of the iconic, #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. With millions of devoted readers across the globe, these unforgettable books have redefined paranormal romance. Now, to celebrate two decades of the Brothers, author J.R. Ward opens the door to their world once more. Inside this all-new 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide, Ward reflects on the journey—sharing behind-the-scenes moments, heartfelt memories, candid writing advice, and insight into the challenges and triumphs of her long and legendary career. She also brings back the original Brothers in a mix of classic content and never-before-seen material, including: • A brand-new novella, Happy Anniversary– Revisit Wrath and Beth as they reclaim the time lost between them. Tender, erotic, and emotional, this story returns to the couple who started it all—and proves that happily ever after doesn’t always come easy. • Brotherhood updates, as J.R. interviews the Brothers to reveal where they are now. • Fan-favorite features like Ask a BrotherVishous’s Agony Aunt ColumnKitchen Corner with Fritz, and Bella’s Books. • Playlistsmonthly horoscopes, and more.    Amazon     AB      Apple Books     Kobo

SAME DIFFERENCE by T S Joyce

Nathan Donn is exactly where he should not be. He’s two months into an Arranged pairing that isn’t going to plan. His Pack has been dissolved by the Elders, he’s lost his rank as Second, and he’s failed to form an attachment to his mate, Delta. They can get out of this on a technicality and go their separate ways, and it’s the best thing for the submissive beauty. Pairing up was not what he had expected, so he’s taking her to drop her back into her old life, only when she finds out, he has hell to pay. Delta isn’t the female werewolf he’d thought she was, and now she’s showing him just how badly he’s messing up. The only sanctuary for them is in a Rogue Pack, but war is headed for them, and their bond is dead. He has to prepare his Pack for what is to come, but Delta is consuming him like a fire. His mistake will change…(more blurb on ebook seller’s page)        AmazonKU     AB

ARCANIST (THE ARCANEUM BOOK TWO) by Marie Mistry

Death. Undeath. Life. The boundaries are beginning to blur. For five hundred years I believed everyone involved in my murder, was dead. I was wrong. As the Librarian, I prided myself on remaining impartial in a world of quibbling arcanists, and watched wistfully as everyone around me got on with the business of living. I contented myself with living through my books, wishing I could remember what it felt like to be touched. To feel. Then they came. Six heirs who wouldn’t stay away. They dragged me from my solitude and brought joy back to the Arcanaeum. I should’ve known that would come at a cost.      AmazonKU

THE CROWNED MYSTIC (THE ROYAL INSIGHTS BOOK ONE) by Lauren Kutney

A forgotten queen. A failing kingdom. A reckoning no one saw coming. 
Elena believed herself to be just another unwanted orphan. After a night out with her best friend Hannah almost costs the girls their lives, Elena’s true identity is revealed. She is the heir to a kingdom that teeters on the edge of ruin. As Elena fights to uncover who wants her dead, she must also battle her unexpected and forbidden attraction with Alexei Novak, her Head of Security. When she discovers she possesses a rare ability to see vivid dreams—visions of future events that she cannot control, she can no longer refuse the calling that she may be the key to saving her kingdom. As assassins move in, not even her visions can stop her from accomplishing her true destiny. Elena must decide what matters most: the duty she was born into—or the love she never saw coming.

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

AETHER’S EMBRACE (HER ELEMENTALS BOOK FIVE) by Raven Steele

She was light. I was shadow. We were never meant to be enemies. I am Sodon, the darkness half of Aether, and for thousands of years, I have been painted as the villain in everyone else’s story. They call me evil. They say I corrupt everything I touch. They whisper that I am the monster lurking in their nightmares, waiting to steal their precious princess and drag her into eternal darkness. They’re wrong about everything. The gods believe they can force Aether to reunite under their terms, with me destroyed and Avani bent to their will. They’re about to learn what happens when you corner a creature of shadow who has nothing left to lose. Avani awakened the darkness in me. Now I’ll embrace it to save us both.     AmazonKU

CHRISTMAS ON THE GOBLIN EXPRESS by J J Fischer

High-achieving Australian medical student Claire Samson has struggled to enjoy Christmas in recent years, but this is the first Christmas she will be all alone, with her parents overseas and her grandfather in a coma. Claire is desperate to quit med school, but medicine was Grandpa’s dream for her, and her rural hometown desperately needs more doctors—doctors which could have changed her grandfather’s prognosis. Just when Claire thinks Christmas will be unbearable, a steam train straight out of Platform 9 ¾ appears . . . a train invisible to all but Claire. It’s the Goblin Express, run by Christmas-hating elves and full of washed-up souls from hundreds of worlds who come aboard to escape the holidays. As it turns out, humans aren’t the only species who can loathe their festive seasons. Upon boarding, Claire befriends several of her fellow travelers, including a mysterious hooded figure who totally gives her Strider vibes and may or may not actually be a night elf. But when the Goblin Express comes under attack, Claire and her new group of mismatched friends must band together to save the train . . . and maybe even find a little bit of Christmas spirit in the process.      Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

KISS OF DEATH (DEATH SERIES BOOK SEVEN) by Penelope Barsetti

From the moment our paths crossed, Wrath has always been with me. Until he’s not. The Barbarians come for the Southern Isles by land and sea, and once the battle commences, I quickly learn that the command of the dead has been stripped from me. All I have left is the strength of a god, but that’s more powerful than armor made of dragon scales. I know that Wrath still lives if I have this ability, and it feels like a message beyond the Underworld. That he hasn’t left me. At least by choice. I have to survive this war and save my father. And then I’ll find the man I love.     AmazonKU

NEVER KISS A KRAMPUS (WRONG MOVE, RIGHT MONSTER) by Honey Phillips

A desperate shop keeper. A very grumpy Krampus. A Christmas miracle? Noelle Green needs a miracle. The town of Mistletoe Hollow is being devoured by a Grinch-like developer, and her beloved Christmas shop is next to the list. Fueled by peppermint schnapps and desperation, she performs a ritual for Yuletide aid. She gets a miracle, all right—just not the kind she expected. She accidentally summons a Krampus, all towering muscle, wicked horns, and glowing eyes. Bound to her until Christmas, Bastian is ancient, annoyed, and very sure she owes him for dragging him across realms. Noelle’s attraction to her grumpy, imposing house guest is as undeniable as it is terrifying. But between magical punishments, enchanted tinsel, and kisses that melt snowflakes, this holiday season is about to get very, very naughty.      AmazonKU

A FINE SCOTTISH DREAM (MAGICAL MATCHMAKERS OF SEVEN CAIRNS BOOK THREE) by Maeve Greyson

VS Note: Sounded good. Put it on my TBR List.

He dreamed of a flawless queen. What he gets is a woman who is fierce, flawed… and unforgettable. Lexi Vine has built a life of strength and success despite the scars she bears—both on her face and in her heart. A brilliant equine vet and the proud owner of Vinemagic Horse Farms, she knows exactly who she is. But the loneliness lingers… along with the haunting dreams of a deep-voiced Scottish stranger who feels more real than fantasy. When her grandmother’s tarot cards nudge her toward destiny, Lexi finds herself thrust into 18th-century Scotland’s land of the Fae—and straight into the arms of Prince Jeros of the Seventh Realm, the so-called “Prince of Perfection.” He’s charming, powerful, and expecting a flawless fated mate promised by prophecy. Lexi is not what he imagined. Though magic binds them, Lexi refuses to give her heart to a man who recoils at her scars. But Jeros soon discovers the true depth of her power and spirit. As war brews and ancient creatures rise—unicorns, dragons, and fiercely loyal Fae tigers that adore Lexi and pledge to do her bidding—Jeros must prove that he’s learned that love sees far deeper than appearances. Can the Prince of Perfection earn the heart of the woman destiny chose for him? Or will Lexi walk away from the dream she never dared to believe could be hers?      Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

SNOWED IN WITH THE GENTLE BEAR by Elle Madearis

She stole his tree. He stole her heart. Merit needed one evergreen tree for her Winter Solstice school program at Shadow Wolf Creek Elementary. She didn’t expect to wake up the town’s most lovable bear shifter or to feel an instant spark with the gentle giant. Dr. Wesley has spent years taking care of the conservation and his patients at the Sleep Apnea Center. Now this spirited beauty has turned his peaceful world upside down, and he’s not letting her go. Between cookie decorating, winter solstice festivities, delivering the town tree and taking care of patients they’re falling in love. But Merit has a secret that could change the mating process.      AmazonKU

LYCAN KING’S REJECTED BOOKISH MATE (POSSESSIVE SMALL TOWN ALPHA KINGS BOOK SIX) by  Elara Haze and K A Iris

I accidentally summoned a naked 6 foot 7 werewolf king into my bookstore. Now he’s saying I’m his fated mate. I’m just a romance-obsessed bookworm trying to keep my grandparents’ shop alive. I did not sign up for a growly, possessive Lycan King who refuses to leave my side because some magical bond says I belong to him. Malachar Ashborne is dangerous. Dominant. And completely unhinged about me. He stalks around my store like he owns it. Snarls at any man who breathes in my direction. And when he finds my spicy book collection? He reads every single one- taking detailed notes on how to make me fall apart. “I think of you constantly. How you would taste. How you would sound when I make you mine.” Then he stops taking notes and starts demonstrating. He marks my neck so everyone knows I’m claimed. Wrecks me against the bookstore shelves until I’m begging for more. Makes me believe I’m his forever. Until his kingdom drags him back – and he rejects me in front of his entire court. But there’s something growing inside me that changes everything. And when the Lycan King finds out? He’ll be crawling back on his knees. Too bad I haven’t decided if I’ll let him grovel… or watch him burn.      AmazonKU

AWAKENED WHITE WOLF AND MATE  (FORBIDDEN CROWNS SERIES BOOK ONE) by Gertty Rudraw

Clara should have been free the night her bond was broken. Instead, she is trapped between two Alphas—one who betrayed her, and one who will never let her go. One is her mate by law and politics, the man who shattered every vow yet clings to her with a madness that calls itself love. To him, Clara is still Luna. Still his. Maybe even more than before. The other Alpha disagrees. He let her go once, but never again. If it costs him blood, if it costs him war, so be it. He doesn’t care what her husband claims. He doesn’t even care what Clara says. He wants her. And he will take her. Between betrayal and obsession, between lies and fate, Clara faces the cruelest twist of all: pregnancy.    AmazonKU

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica

November 26

November 19

November 12

November  5

October 29

“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’.

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!

 

Memorable Moment Snippet Terrifying Vision from the Goddess LADY OF THE NILE

Cover by Fiona Jayde

Taken from LADY OF THE NILE, as Tuya falls asleep next to the goddess Mut’s reflecting pool and dreams…

She stood on a hill, in the shade of a beautiful palm tree, watching groups of people walk along a path across the river from her. They danced and laughed and kissed and talked amongst themselves, as if going to a wonderful festival or special event. Men and women strolled hand in hand, oblivious to anything but each other. Families traveled in little groups, the babies in adult arms, toddlers and young children skipping and running ahead, only to rejoin their parents.

“How do I get over there?” Shielding her eyes with her hand, she searched for a path leading away from where she stood, or a bridge to cross the river.

“But you positioned yourself here, why do you now want to leave?”

Surprised, Tuya turned to the woman standing beside her whose presence she hadn’t noticed before, being so intent on the parade across the way. She seemed familiar, but no name came to Tuya’s tongue. “I didn’t choose to stand here.”

“Indeed you did. You worked hard and cleverly to achieve this elevated role. Don’t you remember all the times you chose the path of service over more demanding—and perhaps frightening—opportunities? Opted for the safety of the familiar?”

“I never—”

“You refused numerous offers for your hand, stating you couldn’t leave Ashayet early in her term as Royal Wife, or when she was pregnant or nursing or later as a young mother.”

“I was needed!”

“The Royal Wife has fifty ladies-in-waiting, with dozens more who’d relish the chance for the appointment for a year or two.”

“I also serve the goddess at the temple.”

The woman laughed. “As one of a hundred. Did anyone other than the goddess notice when you stopped singing today? Or started again?”

Feeling a chill, and a bit frightened at her unknown companion’s knowledge, Tuya searched again for a path to the river. A low wall surrounded the spot where she stood, and she got goosebumps when she realized there was no break, no exit. She could step over the rows of nearly laid bricks but fear made her pause.

“Where are they all going?” she asked.

“They travel the road of life,” the woman said. “With all the experiences, good and bad, you’ve chosen to shield yourself from. The highs and the lows of a life lived. Not merely observed, not simply drifted through, like a ship caught in the backwaters of the Nile. You chart a safe course going nowhere except the tomb.”

A sudden fear entered Tuya’s mind like a slithering cobra. “Am I going to be in trouble when my heart is judged?”

“No, for you’ve committed no crimes against the gods or Egypt, told no lies.” The woman tapped her on the chest. “Your heart is true but untried, untouched. Indeed, many envy you for your closeness to Pharaoh and his Royal Wife, for your comfortable, easy life in the palace.” The other shook her head, causing the gold and turquoise beads in her hair to chime. “You represent potential untapped. A waste, but nothing to punish.” She gathered her fine linen skirts in one hand, preparing to leave the enclosure.

Greatly daring, for Tuya now realized she was in a vision and the person with her was either a goddess or a servant of the Great Ones, she put her hand on the lady’s arm to detain her. “Is there time to change?”

Laughing, the woman shifted away from her. “You? Change your path now?” She gestured at the wall surrounding them. “You’re close to the point where destiny is completely set. Shai the god of Fate only has so much patience, waiting to see what a human will do with their choices, and you’ve exhausted his. He’s moved on to others.”

Terrified, Tuya realized while they’d been chatting, more rows of bricks had been laid by invisible hands and the barrier was higher. “I don’t serve Fate, I serve Mut.”

Shaking a beringed finger at her, the other said, “All but the Great Ones are subject to Fate. Rare indeed is the intervention by a god or goddess on a human’s behalf.”

“Why show me all this then?” Tuya stared at the procession of people across the river, still happily moving through what she now understood were their lives. As she watched, several solitary men and women greeted each other and continued their walk hand in hand. Her heart ached as she recalled several good, worthy men she’d had as lovers but who drifted away when she refused to commit to marriage. It’d been a long time since she’d even exerted herself to flirt and seek a new lover. She couldn’t remember the last time a nobleman or high ranking officer had sought her out.

“Perhaps the goddess has a soft spot for you. Perhaps she had hopes for one who was a favorite.”

VS: Poor Tuya has no idea of the peril and adventures awaiting her…

Depositphotos

LADY OF THE NILE

Tuya, a high ranking lady-in-waiting at Pharaoh’s court, lives a life of luxury, pageantry and boredom. Khian, a brave and honorable officer from the provinces temporarily re-assigned to Thebes, catches her eye at a gold of valor ceremony. As the pair are thrown together by circumstances, she finds herself unaccountably attracted to this man so unlike the haughty nobles she’s used to. But a life with Khian would mean leaving the court and giving up all that she’s worked so hard to attain. As she goes about her duties, Tuya struggles with her heart’s desires. 

When Tuya is lured into a dangerous part of Thebes by her disgraced half-brother and kidnapped by unknown enemies of Egypt, Khian becomes her only hope. Pharaoh assigns him to bring the lady home. 

Aided by the gods, Khian races into the desert on the trail of the elusive kidnappers, hoping to find Tuya before it’s too late. Neither of them has any idea of the dark forces arrayed against them, nor the obstacles to be faced. An ancient evil from the long gone past wants to claim Tuya for its own purposes and won’t relinquish her easily. 

Can Khian find her in time? Will he and his uncanny allies be able to prevent her death? And if the couple escapes and reaches safety, what of their fledgling romance?

Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     B&N     Google Play

Romantasy in Ancient Egypt at Pharaoh’s Court, in a time where the gods walked the land beside the Nile…

Baby Shower Ancient Egypt Style Snippet from MAGIC OF THE NILE

I’m excerpting a scene from Magic of the Nile.  The Female Main Character, High Priestess Tyema, is being feted by her female relatives, close to the time of the birth. Paratiti is her aunt.

MagicOfTheNile_600x900Finally, as the temple servants brought plates of honeyed cakes and figs at the end of the meal, Paratiti gestured at the oversized basket, “Bring the gift now.”

Her daughters hauled the sturdy container to Tyema, setting it on the ground next to her. Smiling, she said, “I can’t imagine what this might be.” Lifting off the lid, she set it aside and removed the top layer of straw packing. Below the straw she found a fine pair of birthing bricks, smooth, freshly painted in white, with stunning portraits of the goddesses Hathor and Tawaret drawn on the sides in turquoise, gold and red. Protective spells were inked in black hieratic. Tyema sat with a brick in either hand, examining the art.

Tawaret Depositphotos

“I hope your god won’t mind, but birthing a child is a female mystery and he isn’t known for involvement with such things. His crocodiles come from eggs after all. We were afraid you wouldn’t have proper bricks here when the time comes.” Paratiti gestured at the temple behind the garden.

The story:

After a childhood spent scorned and ignored by her family because of her crippled foot, Tyema was magically healed then installed as the High Priestess of his temple by Sobek the Crocodile God. But Tyema is still haunted by her memories, scarred by the abuse she endured. Despite Sobek’s protection, as an adult she’s become a near recluse inside the temple grounds…

 Until Captain Sahure arrives in her remote town, sent from Thebes on an urgent mission for Pharaoh, requiring High Priestess Tyema’s help. From that moment on, her quiet, safe life is upended in ways she never could have expected.

 But after a whirlwind romance with Sahure, the two part as Pharaoh orders him to undertake another assignment on Egypt’s dangerous frontier, far from Tyema’s remote town.

 Heart-broken, Tyema is ready to return to her life of loneliness, official duties and, now, regret. But the Crocodile God has other plans for his priestess: she must uncover the sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh’s life with black magic. Soon enough, Tyema finds herself thrown into the chaos of Pharoah’s court, neck deep in intrigue and danger. Just when she thinks she can’t take the pressures of a very public court life and her secret investigation for the Crocodile God any longer, Sahure re-enters the scene.

 But is her former love there to help or to hinder? Can they resolve their differences and work together to find the dark sorcerer who threatens Pharaoh and Egypt?

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